Flash Thompson

Eugene "Flash" Thompson
Artwork of Flash Thompson for Web of Spider-Man Annual #3 (October 1987).
Art by Alex Saviuk.
Publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics
First appearanceAs Flash Thompson:
Amazing Fantasy #15
(August 1962)
As Agent Venom:
The Amazing Spider-Man #654
(April 2011)
As Agent Anti-Venom:
Amazing Spider-Man/Venom: Venom Inc. Alpha #1
(December 2017)
Created byStan Lee (writer)
Steve Ditko (artist)
In-story information
Full nameEugene "Flash" Thompson
SpeciesHuman cyborg
Team affiliations
Supporting character ofSpider-Man
Eddie Brock
Notable aliasesAgent Venom
Agent Anti-Venom
Venom Space Knight
White Knight
Abilities
  • Anti-Venom symbiote granting:
    • Superhuman strength, speed, agility, durability, stamina, and reflexes
    • Organic webbing generation
    • Regenerative healing factor
    • Immunity to "Spider Sense"
    • Shapeshifting
    • Wall-crawling
  • Skilled hand-to-hand combatant
  • Trained marksman

Eugene "Flash" Thompson is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, the character first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15 (August 1962).

Flash Thompson is a star high school football player, who mercilessly bullies his high school classmate Peter Parker, but greatly admires Spider-Man, an irony in which the superhero takes some gratification. In time, they become close friends in college after Flash matures and he later discovers Peter is Spider-Man. After graduation, he joins the United States Army, but becomes haunted by his combat experiences, leading to alcoholism. After losing both of his legs in the Iraq War, Flash Thompson turns into the superhero Agent Venom after being bound to the Venom symbiote, which he controls via drugs. Eventually during an argument between him and Eddie Brock regarding the Venom symbiote, he became the new host of the Anti-Venom symbiote, causing him to assume his current alias of Agent Anti-Venom.[1]

Thompson has appeared in several other media adaptations. Notably, he was portrayed by Joe Manganiello in the Sam Raimi Spider-Man trilogy, Chris Zylka in The Amazing Spider-Man, and Tony Revolori in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.[2]

  1. ^ The Amazing Spider-Man: Venom Inc. Alpha #1
  2. ^ Marnell, Blair (November 6, 2020). "Tom Holland Confirms That Spider-Man 3 Has Started Filming". SuperHeroHype.