One of Peter Parker’s oldest friends is back in the spotlight, and she is quickly becoming the Marvel Universe’s most dangerous villain.
WARNING: The following contains major spoilers for Venom #6, available now from Marvel.
The lives of Eddie and Dylan Brock have been completely upended by the recent attacks carried out by Alchemax and the Life Foundation. While the latter has left Eddie himself stranded in time, Dylan’s narrow escape from the former couldn’t have gone worse. Not only did one of his father’s former allies offer Dylan the help he needed only to betray him, but another old friend was the one behind all of it. Of course, every decision Liz has made in the past few months has been out of fear rather than malice, but that won’t stop her from becoming a villain in the days to come.
After being captured by Alchemax, Dylan Brock was subjected to what can only be described as torture during round after round of experimental testing by his captors. With a blatant disregard for the obvious harm and inherent risk, Liz Allan ordered that the procedures Dylan was being put through continue. Of course, this only ended in Dylan being rescued by Venom before making an explosive escape, something which Alchemax is in no way prepared to take responsibility for. Despite all of the hesitation and self-doubt that she exhibits in the pages of Venom #6 (by Ram V, Bryan Hitch, Andrew Currie, Wade Von Grawbadger, Alex Sinclair, Peter Pantazis, and VC’s Clayton Cowles), Liz is still willing to step in front of the press and openly lie about the events that have unfolded under her command. It may not be surprising that she was willing to do so considering how much there is to lose, yet it is still a tragic reminder of how far she has already fallen.
First introduced back in Stan Lee and Steve Ditko’s “Spider-Man!” from the pages of 1962’s Amazing Fantasy #15, Elizabeth Allan has been a part of Peter Parker’s life from the very beginning. As a classmate and love interest, Liz played an integral part in Spider-Man’s earliest adventures before eventually marrying Harry Osborn. Although their marriage wouldn’t last, Liz’s relationship with the Osborns proved invaluable after her scientific endeavors lead to the breakout success of her own Allan Chemical, which would go on to merge with Oscorp and Horizon Labs to become Alchemax. Over the years Liz has almost always sided with those closest to her rather than those who do the right thing, including multiple instances of helping Spider-Man’s villains in their efforts to destroy him.
Now it seems as if she has decided to align herself with anti-alien proponents such as Senator Krane against a threat Liz herself knows they are actively making worse regardless of who or what becomes a victim in it. Liz knows that Dylan didn’t thrust himself into this situation just as well as she understands he is in no way responsible for the death and destruction that has been wrought. Neither of those facts has stopped her from putting him in harm’s way, however, nor from making Dylan and Venom scapegoats for the fallout of her own organization’s actions. As devastating as it is to see someone who used to be so genuinely caring to make such a drastic heel turn, her embrace of the rest of Eddie and Dylan’s enemies could be the thing that ultimately cements her legacy as a villain no matter what she does next.
With the promise that all of Alchemax’s resources will now be available for Senator Krane’s symbiote task force to use, it is only a matter of time before those same assets are being put to work towards other nefarious ends. Not only that, but by going to such great lengths to bring down Venom, Liz is only making it easier for the real villains to step out of the shadows unopposed.
Between Carnage’s schemes and Meridius’ interdimensional plot against Venom, there is no shortage of dark forces poised to take advantage of the coming chaos. Depending on how much of that is caused by Liz Allan’s actions, it may already be too late for her to do anything to save her reputation.
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