The Venom Saga in Marvel's Spider-Man 2
Spider-Men Peter Parker and Miles Morales finally come face to face with fan-favorite villain Venom in "Marvel's Spider-Man 2". The appearance of the Venom symbiote has been hinted at since the post-credit scene of the first "Marvel's Spider-Man", and Insomniac Games has drawn inspiration from various media and made their own changes to weave their own web into the Venom saga.
Insomniac's Venom story begins with elements familiar to fans of both the "Ultimate Spider-Man" comics and the TV show of the same name. The suit is used as a means of treating illnesses - as in the comics - and it bonds with Harry Osborn, as was the case in the TV show. This was used to tell a story that was much more personal for Peter and Mary Jane, as defeating Venom could result in the loss of a close friend, as Harry was diagnosed with a deadly disease and the suit was the only thing keeping him alive.
The Symbiote Invasion and the Weaknesses of the Symbiotes
Later in the game, Insomniac drew more from Donny Cates' "Venom" comics in its designs of a winged Venom and by showing Venom taking command of an army of symbiotes. While the symbiote invasion in "Marvel's Spider-Man 2" overruns New York in the game's third act, the symbol on the symbiotes and the icon for their nests is that of the symbiote god Knull, who was also created as part of Cates' "Venom" run.
What weaknesses do the symbiotes have?
Over the years, symbiotes have had several weaknesses. When the Venom symbiote was first introduced in 1984, it appeared as a new suit for Peter Parker after his old one was destroyed during the "Secret Wars" comic arc. It wasn't until he returned home and studied it with people like Mr. Fantastic that he discovered it was alive and corrupting Peter, changing his behavior for the worse. In the years that followed, the weaknesses of the symbiote were explored in "Spider-Man" media, with the main ones being vulnerability to intense noise and heat.
The portrayal of Venom in "Marvel's Spider-Man 2"
"Marvel's Spider-Man 2" makes it clear that its portrayal of the symbiote does not have the same weaknesses as in other media. In a sequence, Peter and Harry - who is wearing the symbiote in an Agent Venom-inspired look - infiltrate one of Kraven's hideouts in a steel factory to save a reformed Tombstone. The steel factory is understandably extremely hot, with large fires and pools of molten metal around. Long-time Venom fans were likely expecting some kind of reaction from Harry to this intense heat, but Peter directly asks Harry if the fire bothers him, and he says he doesn't even feel it.
Insomniac Games' decision
Bryan Intihar, the Senior Creative Director of "Marvel's Spider-Man 2", discussed the symbiote's immunity to fire in an episode of the "IGN" Beyond podcast. Intihar explained that the symbiotes had multiple weaknesses, which posed a problem for the team as they discussed how to portray them all in the story. Therefore, the decision was made to reduce Venom's weaknesses to only high-frequency sounds.
