When C.E.O. Ozzy Osborn of Oscorp became President of the United States of America, he created a regime that rooted out subversion and weakness. Oscorp created the Variable Engagement Neuro-sensitive Organic Mesh (or V.E.N.O.M.) to empower Ozzy's brutal police force known as the Thunderbolt Department.

Elsewhere, punk-rocker Hobie Brown developed spider-powers due to illegal chemical dumping. He was able to create the Spider Army and fought against Osborn, who eventually fell in battle with them.^[1]