Marvel's Symbiote God Knull Returns to Face Mary Jane Watson in Venom #250

Easily one of the biggest surprises of 2025 in the world of superhero comics came with the reveal of Venom's new host. After candidates like Luke Cage and Rick Jones were tossed around in the pages of Al Ewing's All-New Venom series, the host turned out to be none other than Peter Parker's ex-girlfriend (and budding superhero) Mary Jane Watson.

MJ's latest career change has certainly wreaked havoc on her personal life, driving a new wedge between her and Peter and prompting her breakup with her new boyfriend, Paul. But all of that pales in comparison to what lies ahead for MJ and her symbiote companion. The symbiote god Knull is returning just in time for the milestone issue Venom #250. That issue features a main story by Ewing and artists Terry Dodson and Todd Nauck, as well as an Eddie Brock-centric backup story by Charles Soule and Carlos Gomez.

To learn more about what to expect as Knull returns and All-New Venom becomes Venom again, IGN spoke with Ewing via email. Check out the slideshow gallery below for an exclusive preview of Venom #250, and then read on to learn more:

On Introducing Mary Jane As the All-New Venom

As mentioned, the reveal that Mary Jane (historically not Venom's biggest fan) has become the symbiote's new host is easily one of the biggest twists in the comic book industry this year. Naturally, it's one that hasn't been without some controversy. We asked Ewing how the reader response to the big All-New Venom shake-up has been. Are most fans willing to run with this big shake-up?

"How people are taking it depends a lot on how cynical they've been feeling about comics and life in general - we're living in interesting times and a lot of folks are feeling like the punches are coming from all directions at once, including from their superhero comics, so I can't really blame anyone for being a little quick to judge based on what they've heard rather than what they've read," Ewing tells IGN. "But most of those who have gone in with this wild pairing seem to really be enjoying what they see - Venom as a fun spider-hero adventure book does seem to be what a lot of the audience didn't know they wanted."

Recently, All-New Venom #10 stirred up its own little hornets nest when MJ made the decision to break up with Paul, a character who has been the subject of no small amount of controversy over the last few years. That said, Ewing makes it clear that Paul's story is far from done. He won't be disappearing from the book just because his relationship with MJ has hit a snag.

"Paul isn't going to vanish from the narrative, any more than MJ's vanished from Peter's - for better or worse, they've been part of each other's lives for quite some time, and at the end of the day I'm writing the continuing lives of two grown adults," Ewing says. "But Paul's going to have less of a part to play in the story as time goes by."

Venom #250 marks a key turning point for the series. Not only is this the 250th consecutive issue of the series, but that legacy numbering system will remain in place going forward. All-New Venom is becoming, simply, Venom again. Though as Ewing notes, that doesn't really affect how he approaches his ongoing story.

"The only real change is that the All-New Venom isn't All-New anymore," Ewing says. "Readers know who's under the suit, some of the characters do too, and all of New York's had a chance to get used to the black-and-gold look. So we're going to be continuing a lot of the plot threads we've been weaving, but at the same time, there are much darker and more dangerous clouds gathering for Venom and MJ."

The Return of Knull

The other key change with Venom #250 involves the return of Knull, a character with profound importance in the Venom mythology. This symbiote god was first introduced in Donny Cates and Ryan Stegman's 2018 Venom series, before going on to fuel crossovers like 2019's Absolute Carnage and 2020's King in Black. Knull proved enough of a hit with fans that he even made his live-action debut in 2024's Venom: The Last Dance.

King in Black ended with a triumphant Eddie Brock defeating Knull and claiming his crown as the new King in Black. But a lot has changed for the Marvel Universe since then (including Eddie himself switching from the Venom symbiote to Carnage), and now Knull is back to threaten all life. Needless to say, he's not impressed by the heir to the Venom mantle.

"The Venom/Knull story isn't going to play out how anyone expects it will, including Venom and Knull themselves," Ewing teases. "MJ's going to have to deal with Knull in a way Eddie didn't have to, while fighting off a whole other cosmic enemy besides - but that's all the spoilers I'm going to give about that for now."

For Ewing, part of the appeal of this new storyline is the chance to lend his own take on the character after previously participating in the King in Black crossover.

"I've written Knull before, but last time was during the King in Black event itself, so I was absolutely taking cues from Donny and Ryan on how to handle him," Ewing says. "This time, I'm treating him a little differently, but the core of the character remains the same: he's a force of absolute evil, absolute darkness, absolute nothingness, and if you think you can handle him - as an adversary, as an ally, or as a mixture of the two - you've got a big surprise coming."

In short, fans can expect some major wheels to be set in motion in Venom #250, with this issue serving as a pivotal catalyst for what comes next for MJ and the symbiote.

Ewing teases, "Venom #250 does set big things up for the future, that'll play out in various places - I won't spoil everything we're doing, but I will say that #250 is where we finally meet MJ's agent."

Venom #250 will be released on October 1, 2025.

In other comic books news, you can check out our exclusive preview of Deadpool/Batman #1 and see a new trailer for Johnny Depp and Ridley Scott's Hyde.

Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on BlueSky.