Do you know what ethics are, Mr. Osborn? 

—"Dylan Weying"

Appearing in "Absolution"

Featured Characters:

• Venom ("Dylan Weying" / Dylan Brock)

Supporting Characters:

• Normie Osborn
• Venom Symbiote

Antagonists:

• Gold Goblin (Norman Osborn)
• Slyde (First appearance)

Other Characters:

• Carnage Symbiote I (Referenced)
• Goblin King (Phil Urich) (Referenced)
• Queen Goblin (Dr. Ashley Kafka) (Referenced)
• Liz Allan (Mentioned)
• Rascal Symbiote
• Green Goblin (Harry Osborn) (Referenced)
• Lord (Yahweh) (Invoked)
• Stanley Osborn (Mentioned)
• Bill Hollister (Mentioned)
• Oscorp (Mentioned)
• Thunderbolts (Mentioned)
• Mayor Luke Cage (Mentioned)
• NYPD
• Slyde (Jalome Beacher) (Mentioned)
• Spider-Man (Peter Parker) (Mentioned)
• Venom (Eddie Brock) (Mentioned)
• Venom (Flash Thompson) (Mentioned)
• Flexo (Return)

Races and Species:

• Humans
• Symbiotes
• Ducks (Corpse, skeleton or other remains)

Locations:

• Earth
  • United States of America
    • New York
      • New York City
        • Manhattan
          • Osborn Residence
          • Midtown
            • 51st Street
    • New Jersey (Mentioned)
• Hell (Invoked)

Items:

• Goblin Armor

Vehicles:

• Goblin Glider

Events:

• Sins Rising (Referenced)
• Go Down Swinging (Referenced)

Synopsis for "Absolution"

At the Osborn residence, Normie Osborn laments having agreed to bond to a symbiote again to help his purported friend Dylan Brock -- host of the Venom symbiote. Entering his bedroom, he hears a knock at the window and sees Venom outside. Lamenting that his life has gotten increasingly complicated recently, what with his grandfather Norman becoming the Gold Goblin and being targeted by the undead Goblin King and Queen Goblin, Normie shushes Venom and says that it's a Sunday and that he only just got back from church. Picking the lock, Venom says that just means Normie has the rest of the day off. Normie informs Venom that he's grounded, fretting about what will happen if anyone -- especially his mother Liz, CEO of Alchemax -- learns he's there. Brushing off Normie's protests, Venom enters and asks where Normie's symbiote is. Informing Dylan that he named the symbiote Rascal, Normie points under his bed. As Venom asks if they're getting along, Normie deliberates telling him they're not given Rascal's violent outbursts and tendency to bring out the worst in him; seething in frustration at Dylan placing this much pressure and responsibility on him. As Venom tells Normie to suit up and come with him, Norman opens the door -- Normie internally monologuing that sins run deep in his family: his father had been the Green Goblin, which got him killed, and Norman was the original Green Goblin. Dylan quickly transforms the Venom symbiote into civilian clothes, introduces himself as Dylan Weying, and passes himself off as one of Normie's classmates, telling Norman they've been studying ethics and pointedly asking if Norman knows what ethics are. Realizing Dylan intends to pick a fight with his grandfather, Normie internally panics.

At the dinner table, Norman Osborn mulls over Dylan's question and how it relates to himself -- how as the Green Goblin he did horrible things, but that his sins were stripped away and he is now a changed man seeking to redeem himself... or so he forces himself to believe out of fear of backsliding. Asking if anyone wants to say Grace, Norman observes Dylan glaring and Normie anxiously looking at him, and when neither volunteers he offers the prayer himself. Carving the duck, Norman notes to himself that belief and faith are separate from ethics, which is what one does with that belief -- like offering a meal to a disadvantaged young man. Norman asks what part of the duck Dylan wants, but Dylan -- staring daggers at him -- says he doesn't care before asking if Liz Allan will be joining them. Norman replies that she's taking her youngest son Stanley to visit his other grandparents, who don't think much of him. To Normie's horror, Dylan snidely asks Norman if he has any idea why that is. Scowling, Norman internally scoffs that Dylan is clearly a stereotypical Gen Z brat hopped up on cancel culture, before reminding himself that until he fully atones he more than deserves every bit of contempt and vitriol sent his way. Norman passes Dylan the broccoli, but as Dylan eats he continues to glare at Norman -- who tries to lighten the mood with a joke from an old TV show. When it falls flat, Norman turns the radio on for some music only for a breaking news bulletin to announce that Slyde has robbed an armored car. Turning off the radio, Norman stands, noting that he's not a superhero or vigilante -- or so his legions of lawyers claim -- and could just spend the rest of the day with Normie fulfilling his responsibility as a grandfather. Pondering the very nature of atonement, Norman excuses himself and suits up as the Gold Goblin.

Alone with Normie, Dylan snidely remarks that Norman thinks he can make up for all the death and suffering he caused with a fancy gold suit. Normie tells him to leave before Norman gets back, saying he'll make up a believable excuse, but Dylan -- transforming into Venom -- pointedly asks if Normie even wants his "Pop-Pop" to return. Cringing, Normie stammers that Norman is is grandfather, Venom coldly saying that's not a yes.

Livestreaming his getaway, Slyde monologues a sports commentary-style narration; sliding under a police barricade. As he checks the chat, the Gold Goblin arrives and tags him with an adhesive grenade. Boasting that the grenade's adhesive outperforms even Spider-Man's webbing, the Gold Goblin observes that the man before him isn't the original Slyde -- who he says was a showboat but would've drawn the line at a streaming career. Scoffing, Slyde calls Norman a hypocrite -- saying that while he may be a thief he's never killed anyone; asking Norman how much money it took for him to wash off the blood from all the murders he committed. Before the Gold Goblin can reply, Venom -- the symbiote in the driver's seat -- kicks him off the Gold Glider, mentally snarling that no amount of money can cleanse Norman's sins. Slamming the Gold Goblin into a wall, Venom sneers that he's heard Norman's looking to atone for his sins he committed when he was "not in his right mind", but that the Green Goblin is Norman's true self. The Gold Goblin zaps Venom with his gauntlets to no effect, Venom sneering that he wants to help Norman atone and knows an easy way to do so -- falling a mile in their shoes. In a re-enactment of Gwen Stacy's murder, Venom hurls Norman off the roof of an apartment, but the Gold Goblin manages to call his glider and tells it to get him away from Venom. Snaring the glider with a web-line, Venom slams the Gold Goblin into a brick wall and pounces on him, snarling that he's going to kill Norman. As Norman lets out a chuckle, Venom grabs him by the throat, lifts him off the ground, and forms an arm-blade; asking what's so funny -- that he's realizing he can't just hide from his sins or that his lawyers can't save him from his impending reckoning. Norman agrees that he deserves to die for all the suffering he caused, but says the reason he was laughing is because he always assumed Spider-Man would be the one to kill him. Noting that he can tell that the Venom symbiote's host is neither Eddie Brock or Flash Thompson, Norman surmises that he nonetheless must have done something to make them hate him so much. Seeing Flash Thompson's reflection in Norman's cracked helmet, Venom lets out a scream of rage and prepares to impale him, but Dylan mentally tells it to stop and let Norman go. The symbiote begrudgingly complies, mentally arguing that Norman deserves to die. Confused, Norman wonders if he was wrong but jokes he's glad he helped Venom work through his rage; Venom glaring over his shoulder and saying they'll have to schedule another "therapy" session in the near future.

As Venom leaves, Dylan agrees with the symbiote but says that Norman isn't the one he wants to kill, and if they kill anyone who gets in their way they'll be no better than the villains they fight against. Admitting that he's not sure whether he believes atonement is possible, Dylan says that he believes in consequences and that if they follow a dark path their actions could result in someone vengefully looking to kill them in turn. One of the buildings damaged in the fight is revealed to contain a hidden laboratory, a pipe broken by Venom slamming Norman into the exterior of the wall venting liquid nitrogen. The pipe leads to a stasis tank, which ruptures apart to reveal Flexo the Rubber Man.

Solicit Synopsis

Notes

See Also

• 5 image(s) from Venom Vol 5 19
• 1 reprint(s) of Venom Vol 5 19

Links and References

References