Late in the '80s, Venom was established as one of Spider-Man's most fearsome new villains. As as the character's popularity swelled in the '90s, Venom spun out of the pages of Amazing Spider-Man and into solo projects like Venom: Lethal Protector and Venom: Funeral Pyre.

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In recent years, however, the character has taken a far different turn. The original host for the Venom symbiote, Eddie Brock, auctioned his suit off to the highest bidder and later donned the mantle of Anti-Venom. Mac Gargan, once known as the villain Scorpion, gained possession of the symbiote and became a member of the government-sponsored team known as The Thunderbolts.But as fans saw in the pages of Amazing Spider-Man #648 last month, Gargan is no longer in possession of the suit. A mysterious group forcibly removed the symbiote for their own sinister purposes. But who are these men? What will become of the symbiote? Is Eddie Brock destined to claim his old role once more?Some of those questions were answered today as Marvel announced a new ongoing series simply titled Venom. The book will be written by Rick Remender and illustrated by Tony Moore . The two most recently collaborated on the "Frankencastle" storyline in Punisher. But whereas "Frankencastle" was steeped in Marvel Monster lore, this series has a more black ops-oriented focus. No longer a super-villain nor a reluctant hero, Venom is now a government agent. Here is Marvel's official description for the first issue:"Venom is back with an all-new mission and all-new human host, but just what does this mean for the Marvel Universe? Find out in Venom #1, kicking off a new ongoing series from red-hot creators Rick Remender (Uncanny X-Force) & Tony Moore (Frankencastle), with major repercussions for Spider-Man! In this shocking direction for everyone's favorite symbiote, the government now has Venom as their own Spider-Man, complete with a new look and new mission—eliminate threats to America as a covert agent. But can anyone control the destructive force of Venom? And just who is the man behind the mask?Venom #1 also features a stunning cover by Marvel EIC and CCO & superstar artist Joe Quesada along with a dynamic variant cover from rising star Paulo Siqueira! And don't miss the birth of the all-new Venom in Amazing Spider-Man #654.1"The aforementioned Amazing Spider-Man #654.1 will be hitting stores in February 2011, and Venom #1 will follow in March.Stay tuned to IGN Comics in the coming days. We hope to chat with Remender soon and learn more details about the writer's latest big project.