To celebrate Venom’s 35th anniversary, Marvel is making this summer the “Summer of Symbiotes.” While symbiotes like Venom and Carnage are usually busy tearing their unlucky enemies apart, they get a chance to relax and soak up the sun in a recently-shared promo image by Phillip Tan and Scott Williams, which pays tribute to one of the most influential X-Men images of the 1990s.
- Featuring several symbiotes chilling out under an alien sun, this “Summer of Symbiotes” image homages the Marvel swimsuit spreads of the early ’90s, specifically Jim Lee, Scott Williams, and Joe Rosas’ iconic poolside pinup from “X-Men (1991) #1.”
- In “X-Men (1991) #1,” Chris Claremont and Jim Lee featured several pinup images that highlighted various aspects of the X-Men’s world, including one double-page spread where the X-Men take a much-needed break by the X-Mansion’s pool.
- At a time when beach culture and swimwear were at the center of pop culture, this poolside pinup captured the cultural zeitgeist of the time and inspired the first “Marvel Swimsuit Special” later that year.
- That led to a series of summer specials each year from 1991-1995, featuring the work of dozens of creators.
- These specials were primarily built around pinups of heroes relaxing in revealing swimwear, but they also featured fake in-universe ads with characters like Thor selling hammers and the Hulk advertising insurance.
- Marvel shared a more in-depth look at the legacy of the “Marvel Swimsuit Special.”
- Now, that spirit of relaxation finds new life in this “Summer of Symbiotes” promo image.
- In this image, a symbiote Black Cat and Scream hang out as the villainous Meridius, Hank Hensley’s heroic Sleeper Agent, and the robotic Flexo stand over them.
- The mysterious new symbiote Misery sits in the middle of the image with a symbiotic Jeff the Landshark, while Normie Osborn’s Red Goblin and Carnage stir up trouble behind her.
- As Knull takes to the skies, Anne Weying’s Agent Venom reclines, while Dylan Brock, the symbiote Silence, and a mulleted Eddie Brock look on in the background.
- Check out the teaser image above and stay tuned for more news about “Summer of Symbiotes” in the weeks ahead.