Written by Peter David; illustrated by Greg Land.

632 pages; hardcover.

Rated T+

Everyone knows the infamous living costume Spider-Man accidentally brought back from the Secret Wars eventually became the wicked web-slinger known as Venom — but what happened before Peter Parker discovered its sinister symbiotic secret? A lot! When his girlfriend, the Black Cat, is the victim of blackmail, the darker-than-ever wall-crawler takes on that most mystifying of menaces: Mysterio! Then the Hobgoblin strikes, deadlier than ever! But where did Hobby get these uncanny new powers? Hopefully Doctor Strange can answer that question — because reality itself depends on it! Spidey joins the Black Knight and Kang the Conqueror in a time-torn tussle with Knull, the King in Black! And another mind-bending trip puts him on a collision course with the Hulk! Plus: Peter David returns to 2099 to bond Miguel O’Hara with his own symbiote! And once there was another host that almost everybody forgot — but Carnage remembers!

COLLECTING: SYMBIOTE SPIDER-MAN #1-5, ABSOLUTE CARNAGE: SYMBIOTE SPIDER-MAN, SYMBIOTE SPIDER-MAN: ALIEN REALITY #1-5, SYMBIOTE SPIDER-MAN: KING IN BLACK #1-5, SYMBIOTE SPIDER-MAN: CROSSROADS #1-5 and SYMBIOTE SPIDER-MAN 2099 #1-5