Venom Vs Bane
Third time's the charm
Welcome! Today's Fantasy Fight features Marvel's Venom facing DC's Bane. We're going with the original versions of these characters, though it's interesting to note that they were both villains in the third installments of a movie franchise (Spider-Man 3 and The Dark Knight Rises). Additionally, both rely on a substance to give them their strength (Venom: the Symbiote and Bane: the drug Venom). And although both fighters act as antagonists in their series, their troubled pasts make them surprisingly sympathetic. Anyway, lets take a look at each combatant's strengths and weaknesses, then have them duke it out!
Venom (Eddie Brock)
Eddie Brock lived a hard life. His mother died in childbirth, causing his father to resent him. Brock excelled in school and athletics, but formed few friendships and felt alone. He grew up to work as a journalist and married a law student, but his depression never left. After an accidental reporting error was exposed by Spider-Man, Brock's wife left him and his father disowned him, causing him to hate Spider-Man. Brock almost committed suicide; ashamed of his thoughts, Brock visited a church to pray for forgiveness. Unknown to him, Spider-Man (Peter Parker) was battling the Symbiote (an alien life form that can bestow great powers) nearby. Rejected by Spider-Man, the Symbiote felt Brock's own hatred of the wall-crawler, and decided to bond with Brock instead. The two became Venom, a being with augmented versions of Spider-Man's powers. Throughout the years, Venom would try to enact revenge on Spider-Man (whose secret identity Venom is aware of) several times. But deep within Brock's new form, is there a chance the kind boy who only wanted to be accepted can return?
Abilities:
1. Strength. Venom is known to be stronger than Spider-Man, who can lift at least 20 tons. Venom's endurance matches his power, and (if you don't exploit his weaknesses) he's quite durable.
2. Speed/Reflexes. Like Spider-Man, Venom is agile, dexterous, can crawl on walls, and can cancel out the Spider-Sense Parker employs.
3. Webbing. Venom produces an unending supply of his own webbing, which is noticeably firmer than Spider-Man's.
4. Camoflauge. The Symbiote can reshape its structure to give off any appearance it chooses.
Weaknesses
1. Sound. The Symbiote can be heavily damaged by loud noises.
2. Heat. Intense temperatures also harm Venom.
Our fanged anti-hero poses a serious threat, but can he defeat the man who broke Batman's back?
Bane
In Star Wars, Darth Bane was the Sith who instituted the Rule of - oh, wrong Bane? Scratch that. DC's Bane was born to serve the life sentence of his father in the prison Pena Dura. Despite his bonds, the young boy read every book he could find and rigorously trained his body in the gymnasium. Eventually, his reputation earned him the title as the king of Pena Dura. The prison's owners took notice, and decided to use Bane as a test subject for a new drug called (ironically) Venom. Bane survives his encounter with it, and finds the substance provides him with superhuman strength. Escaping the prison, Bane hears of Batman's exploits in Gotham City, and later challenges an exhausted Batman, allowing him to snap Batman's back. Throughout the following years, Bane often serves as a villain, but occasionally works for justice. He's stopped crime lords, worked alongside Batman, and believes his actions are ultimately for the best.
Abilities:
1. Power. Bane can lift around 4 tons thanks to his Venom drug. His incredibly tough body can survive falls from great heights, take blows from superhumans, and function for long periods of time due to increased stamina.
2. Agility/Reflexes. Venom also provides enhanced movement and coordination.
3. Healing. Though not the fastest-acting medicine, Venom can heal injuries and treat poisons Bane has acquired.
4. Intellect. He may look like a meathead, but Bane possesses a photographic memory, speaks several languages, and is a tactical genius.
Weaknesses:
1. Dependency. Bane's powers largely rely on a steady supply of Venom, and without it, he experiences withdrawal symptoms.
Can Bane's enhancements from Venom overcome, well, Venom?
Your Input
Which morally dubious man can conquer the other?
Rules
Each combatant will fight in a one-on-one match until one falls. We'll have them battle in Gotham City, an environment familiar to Bane, and with tall buildings for Venom to scale and web-swing around. And now, let the contest begin!
And The Winner Is..
Venom. Bane's physically powerful, but not so much as Venom. Bane's fast, but Eddie Brock and the Symbiote can still outmaneuver him. Add in Venom's webbing, and it's pretty clear who would win; Bane's edge in tactics can't make up for his weaker powers. Perhaps if he used a sonic gun or flamethrower, he'd have a chance, but those aren't part of his regular arsenal. Our winner is Venom. Thanks for reading!
Trivia Bonus: Bane's not the only back-breaker. Play the aging Gamecube game "Ultimate Spider-Man", and you get to control both the web-head and Venom, who can snap any citizen's dorsal region.
