Editing Flash Thompson (section)

===Agent Venom===
[[File:SecretAvengers23cover.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Flash Thompson as Agent Venom on the cover of ''[[Secret Avengers]]'' #23 (April 2012). Art by [[Arthur Adams (comics)|Arthur Adams]].]]
In a January 2011 interview with [[Newsarama]], Flash Thompson was revealed "by accident" as the new host of [[Venom (Marvel Comics character)|Venom]].<ref>{{cite web|first=Albert|last=Ching|url=http://www.newsarama.com/comics/marvel-next-big-thing-venom-110128.html|title=Marvel 'Next Big Thing' – Rick Remender on VENOM – LIVE!|publisher=[[Newsarama]]|date=January 28, 2011}}</ref> Marvel confirmed Flash was to have his own comic using a military style version of Venom. Despite previously seeming to come to terms with the loss of his legs, Flash jumps at the dangerous offer of being bonded to the Venom symbiote, as the alien will be able to replace his legs with its own bio-mass, allowing him to walk again. He was written as a hero working for the military, and encountered many heroes and villains of the [[Marvel Universe]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://marvel.com/news/story/15094/the_next_big_thing_venom|title=The Next Big Thing: Venom|access-date=2011-02-01}}</ref> He made his premiere as Agent Venom in ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #654 (Feb. 2011), and continues in his own ''Agent Venom'' ongoing series following the special ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #654.1.

He cannot stay bonded to the Venom symbiote for more than 48 hours at a time, or the symbiote may gain complete control over him. The consequences of this are first seen when the suit causes Flash to go berserk and brutally slaughter a group of enemy operatives during his second mission, and again during a brawl with the [[Jack O'Lantern (Marvel Comics)|Jack O'Lantern]], ending with the suit putting a grenade in Jack O'Lantern's mouth.<ref>''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #654.1</ref> While on a mission in the Savage Land, Flash finds himself being hunted by [[Kraven the Hunter]] who mistakes him for Spider-Man.<ref>''Venom'' vol. 2 #2</ref>

During the 2011 "[[Spider-Island]]" storyline, Agent Venom is sent in to capture the Spider-King that is fighting Firestar and Gravity. Agent Venom manages to capture the Spider-King who he later discovers is [[Captain America|Steve Rogers]] under the influence of The Queen. Flash uses the symbiote to reform himself as the Spider-King to track the infestation to its source.<ref>''Venom'' vol. 2 #6</ref> The Queen and the Jackal send him to kill Anti-Venom because he is curing people who have gained spider-powers, but his superiors order him to take him to [[Mister Fantastic|Reed Richards]] to help develop a cure. Flash and the Venom symbiote fight each other because Flash wants to bring Anti-Venom to Richards and the symbiote wants to kill Anti-Venom for previously rejecting it. This leads to Venom and Anti-Venom fighting. Venom wins the fight and delivers Anti-Venom to Richards.<ref>''Venom'' vol. 2 #7</ref> Venom teams up with [[Thunderbolt Ross|Red Hulk]], [[X-23]], [[Ghost Rider]], and [[Ghost Rider (Johnny Blaze)|Johnny Blaze]] to fight [[Blackheart]].<ref>''Venom'' vol. 2 #13, 13.1 – 13.4, 14</ref>

He joins the ''[[Secret Avengers]]'' as Agent Venom.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=35386|title=Remender, Hardman add Venom, Captain Britain to "Secret Avengers"|work=Comic Book Resources |publisher=[[Comic Book Resources]]|date=November 10, 2011}}</ref> As an Avenger, Flash apprehends the [[Human Fly (comics)|Human Fly]],<ref>''Venom'' vol. 2 #15</ref> but the Human Fly escapes via a prisoner transport to the Raft when the new [[Phil Urich|Hobgoblin]] attacks the transport trying to kill the Human Fly for stealing money from the [[Kingpin (character)|Kingpin]].<ref>''Venom'' vol. 2 #16</ref> Flash tries to assassinate the third [[Crime Master]] for threatening his family, but [[Eddie Brock]] attacks him as he is about to fire. This causes the Crime Master to have his new [[Savage Six]] attack Flash and [[Betty Brant]].<ref>''Venom'' vol. 2 #17</ref> While trying to protect Betty from Jack O'Lantern he reveals his identity to her.<ref>''Venom'' vol. 2 #18</ref> [[Thunderbolt Ross]] recruits Venom to be part of his [[Thunderbolts (comics)#Marvel NOW!|Thunderbolts]] team.<ref>''Thunderbolts'' vol. 2 #1</ref>

Flash relocates to [[Philadelphia]] after fighting the [[U-Foes]] there.<ref>''Venom'' vol. 2 #28–31</ref> While trying to capture a serial killer infected with some of the alien technology the U-Foes were trying to sell, so [[Beast (comics)|Beast]] could try to cure the man, he is attacked by Toxin.<ref>''Venom'' vol. 2 #33</ref> While in Philadelphia, he adopts a protege in his teenage neighbor [[Mania (symbiote)|Andrea "Andi" Benton]], who upon bonding to a duplicate of the symbiote becomes the antiheroine [[Mania (symbiote)|Mania]].

Flash returns to New York when Betty Brant contacts him with information that the [[Crime Master]] has resurfaced. Flash infiltrates and attacks Crime Master and his men until the [[The Superior Spider-Man|Superior Spider-Man]] (Otto Octavius's mind in Spider-Man's body) and his Spiderlings intervene. Crime Master then reveals himself to be a small-time hood who had purchased the name and mask from Hobgoblin and turns himself in. Superior Spider-Man then turns his attention to Agent Venom with the intent on destroying him.<ref>''The Superior Spider-Man'' #22</ref> Flash escapes in a puff of smoke and hides in a hospital before going to Peter's apartment. Seizing opportunity, "Peter Parker" invites Flash to his company to give Flash prosthetic legs. After doing so, Superior Spider-Man detains the symbiote in a cage from which it soon breaks free and bonds to Superior Spider-Man to be the Superior Venom.<ref>''The Superior Spider-Man'' #23</ref> The symbiote tries to flee back to Flash, but Superior Spider-Man keeps it for himself, even going as far as to injure Cardiac when Cardiac tries to separate them.<ref>''The Superior Spider-Man'' #24. Marvel Comics (New York).</ref> [[Iron Man]] arrives to Parker Industries to assist both Cardiac and Flash to take him to the battle-zone and reunite him with the symbiote. The Avengers are starting to fall against the power of Superior Venom who boasts about his superiority until Iron Man arrives to distract him allowing Flash (wearing Iron Man's armor) attack from behind and attempt to retake the symbiote. With the unexpected assistance from Spider-Man's conscience, the Venom symbiote finally leaves Superior Spider-Man's body and reunites with Flash, bonding together again. The Avengers are still in disbelief about Superior Spider-Man's argument until they ask Flash to check his mind-link with the symbiote to see anything wrong about Superior Spider-Man's motives. Flash replies that he sees "two different radio stations playing in the same frequency".<ref>''The Superior Spider-Man'' #25</ref>

Following the conclusion of ''The Superior Spider-Man'' and the return of Peter Parker as Spider-Man, the latter learns that his friend Flash is Venom and became angry at the Avengers that they did not tell him. The Avengers confess that because Flash was a good soldier and the secret identities in the Avengers' rules goes both ways.<ref>''The Amazing Spider-Man'' vol. 4 #2</ref>

Seeking to maintain a connection with the [[Guardians of the Galaxy (2008 team)|Guardians of the Galaxy]], the [[Avengers (comics)|Avengers]] placed Venom on said team as their new envoy.<ref>''Guardians of the Galaxy'' vol. 3 #14</ref> At a point the Symbiote began to act strangely considering anyone as an enemy as something was tapping into its mind signalling it. Flash became extremely worried and, since he was left behind when the other Guardians were captured, he began to try to find a way back to Earth which the Symbiote encouraged. However, in its fear it killed people if they refused. Eventually [[Gamora]] found them but they attacked her thinking her as an enemy. [[Star-Lord]] manages to subdue the Symbiote but Flash goes into a coma.<ref>''Guardians of the Galaxy'' vol. 3 #21</ref> The Symbiote breaks out on the ship and takes the ship to its planet of origin.<ref>''Guardians of the Galaxy'' vol. 3 #22</ref> The planet of Symbiotes explains to the Guardians [[Symbiote (comics)#Fictional biography|their origins of the Klyntar]]. However, Flash and the Venom Symbiote have created the perfect savior the Symbiotes want. This heals the Symbiote and allows Flash to tap into the full potential of the Symbiote.<ref>''Guardians of the Galaxy'' vol. 3 #23</ref>

[[File:Anti-Venom (Flash Thompson).jpg|thumb|left|upright|Flash Thompson's debut as Agent Anti-Venom on ''Amazing Spider-Man: Venom Inc. Alpha''#1 (Oct. 2017). Art by [[Ryan Stegman]].]]
Venom then becomes the new intergalactic ambassador of Earth and an Agent of the Cosmos.<ref>''Venom: Space Knight'' # 1–13</ref>

During the 2016 "[[Civil War II]]" storyline, Flash is called back to Earth along with the other Guardians, during which he comes into conflict with [[Miles Morales|Spider-Man]], and repeatedly subdues him for not being the Spider-Man he knows. Prompting Miles to electrocute him with the Venom Blast, which blasted him into the open.<ref>''[[Civil War II]]'' #5</ref> Andrea, who is host to the Mania symbiote, becomes more ruthless in her actions to the point of killing everyone she encountered. Venom manages to separate the symbiote from Mania, and absorb it into the Venom symbiote, though Andrea is corrupted by a demonic [[Sigil (magic)|sigil]] called the Hell-Mark. Flash resolves to remain on Earth to care for Andi until he can find a way to remove the Hell-Mark permanently.{{Volume needed|c=y|date=April 2019}}

Venom is later shown to have been somehow separated from Flash and it finds a new host in Lee Price.<ref>''Venom'' vol. 3 #1</ref> It is eventually revealed that Flash was separated from Venom during a fight with an FBI agent outfitted with high-tech battle suit. The agent used a special weapon that agitated the Symbiote and sent it into a crazed state, which led to it fleeing into the city, where it eventually encountered Price, then reunites with Eddie Brock.<ref>''Venom'' #150</ref><ref>''Venom'' vol. 3 #6</ref>