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Flash Thompson
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Real name Eugene Thompson
Corporal Eugene "Flash" Thompson is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics Universe. He is a star high school football player who mercilessly bullies classmate Peter Parker but greatly admires Spider-Man, an irony in which the superhero takes some gratification. After graduation, he joins the United States Army and is haunted by his combat experiences, leading to alcoholism. After losing both of his legs in the Iraq War, he was bound to the Venom Symbiote as Agent Venom, a superhero and the first to control the organism.
The character has appeared in several other media adaptations, usually in his earlier bullying incarnation, portrayed by Joe Manganiello in the 2002 film Spider-Man and by Chris Zylka in the 2012 film The Amazing Spider-Man.
Biography
High SchoolIn his early appearances, Eugene "Flash" Thompson was a high school classmate of Peter Parker. In high school, Flash was a stereotypical jock who continually bullied Peter. Flash was physically abused by his alcoholic father Harrison Thompson, leading to Flash's own violent, bullying nature. Thompson dubbed Peter with the derogatory nickname "Puny Parker" and humiliated Parker daily in front of the whole school. Ironically, Flash admired Spider-Man (Peter Parker) and formed the first "Spider-Man Fan Club" and vocally supports his idol wherever he goes, even criticizing J. Jonah Jameson and the Daily Bugle editorials to his face. When Spider-Man was seen committing robberies, Flash was one of the few to stand up for him claiming that he could still be innocent. It soon turned out that Spider-Man had been framed by Mysterio and Flash boasted about how he was always right. Peter, who openly stated that he would not "trust [Spider-Man] any further than I can throw him", took some secret pleasure in that Flash supported his alter-ego.
In a very early issue, Flash and Peter squared off for a boxing match in the school gym. Initially expecting an easy victory, Flash was astonished to discover that he simply couldn't lay a hand on Peter (due to his opponent's enhanced speed and reflexes), and a single tap from Parker's fist knocked him clear out of the ring. After this episode, Flash's bullying was restricted mostly to verbal harassment. Over the next few years, as the two became rivals for Liz Allan's affections, Flash was only willing to confront Peter when he (Flash) was surrounded by his friends. Peter, began to laugh off his threats with good-natured comebacks (much to Flash's annoyance as well as bewilderment). This subtle reversal of their positions was typical of Lee-Ditko character developments in the title.
Towards the end of Ditko's run on the title, Flash was employed mainly as comic relief, more a local buffoon than a serious threat. Major changes in his personality took place subsequently to issue 39, when John Romita, Sr. took over as artist for The Amazing Spider-Man. Following Romita's take in place, Flash was made into a more sympathetic character and his clean-cut image was similarly emphasized to give him an "All-American" persona.
College and adulthood
After Flash Thompson entered Empire State University, his relationship with Peter Parker became progressively less hostile. While the two still traded the occasional insult, Flash had grown to respect Peter's intelligence and was surprised by his popularity with the girls, particularly Gwen Stacy and Mary Jane Watson. Both Flash and Peter were friends with Harry Osborn. Harry's presence served to defuse the tension between the former rivals.
While in university, Flash joined the United States Army and serves in the Vietnam War (although this was later retconned to unspecified overseas conflict due to Marvel's sliding time scale). Unlike many students of the time, Flash was never conscripted—instead, volunteers for service of his own free will. Although Flash was absent from the strip for months at a time, his frequent stateside visits kept him familiar with the readers. He returned from the war a decorated hero. Flash's tour of duty profoundly changed him from a reckless and immature youth to a tormented and conflicted man. Finding no comfort in his military decorations, Flash turned to alcohol for years.
While in Vietnam, Flash's unit bombed an ancient temple whose acolytes had earlier sheltered Flash when he was wounded. Flash tried and failed to stop them. When he returned to America, he dropped his antagonism toward Peter. Peter, in turn, began to respect Flash's new found maturity and the two become close. However, Flash soon finds himself tailed by mysterious assassins, former acolytes of the temple who thought that Flash had betrayed them. Spider-Man held off the assassins long enough for Flash to explain his side of the story. Sha Shan, the leader of the assassins, forgave Flash and even dated him for a while, but left him when she found out he was cheating on her. When Sha Shan was attacked by the Hobgoblin, Flash made the mistake of insulting the villain on television. Hobgoblin took revenge by abducting Flash and framing him as Hobgoblin's true identity. Spider-Man was aghast that his old friend was a villain, but Flash was legally exonerated when Hobgoblin's true identity was revealed.
After a bout of severe depression, Flash went drunk-driving and was badly injured in a car crash. Soon afterward Norman Osborn offered him a job at Oscorp as his personal aide in order to annoy Peter. Not knowing the reasons behind this, Flash became loyal to Norman for giving him a second chance and turning his life around. During this time, Flash met the hero Prodigy, not realizing he was also Spider-Man in disguise. Later, as part of a plan of driving Spider-Man to murderous violence by attacking his family and friends, Osborn kidnapped Flash (under the pretense of picking him up from an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting), force-feeds him whiskey and has him crash a truck into Midtown High School, where Peter works. Flash survived, thanks to his excellent physical condition, but he suffered severe brain damage that left him in a coma. Liz Allan Osborn, although widowed and raising her son Normie all on her own, became Flash's caretaker, and hired a full-time nurse to care for him. Peter, blaming himself for what happened to Flash, makes a point of visiting his friend as often as he can.
Flash awakens from his coma during the "The Other" story arc. Flash takes a job as the physical education teacher at Midtown High School, where Peter teaches science. However, Flash suffers from severe memory gaps and again treats Peter like a nerd and picks on him, as he did in their high school days. Flash also flirts with Miss Arrow, unaware that she is a villain there to attack Peter. When Peter unmasks himself as Spider-Man, Flash dismisses it as a trick. Flash eventually believes Peter is Spider-Man after witnessing him fight with Daniel Berkhart and Francis Klum. Flash briefly appeared at the beginning of the "Brand New Day" story arc, attending a welcome home party for Harry Osborn. Flash and the rest of the world's population no longer remembers that Peter is Spider-Man, due to the machinations of the demon Mephisto.
Iraq War
After the events of "One More Day", Flash Thompson willingly leaves his place as a P.E. instructor to rejoin the Army and fight in the Iraq War out of patriotic zeal, inspired by the selfless life of his lifelong idol Spider-Man. He is still in a close friendship with Peter Parker, as he is seen, lying in his hospital camp bed, with a greeting card by his best friend, and an iPod loaded by Peter himself with "Christmas in Fallujah".
Flash's platoon is ambushed, and Flash suffers several bullet wounds in both legs but continues on in an attempt to save his superior officer from danger. He willingly endangers himself, reasoning that Spider-Man had often committed the same sacrifices for everyone else, and glad to have had the opportunity to imitate him. His actions further damage his legs. This results in the need for them to be amputated below the knees. Flash's sacrifice is enough to earn him a recommendation for the Medal of Honor. He returns to New York, only to shock Peter with the loss of his legs. He reveals to Peter that Spider-Man was his inspiration in Iraq. Harry rents a condo just for Flash, in order to help him out. He later competes in a paraplegic sporting event at the local YMCA, managing to come in first place.
Flash later accepts an offer to join Mayor Jameson's office of veteran's affairs. He attends the wedding of May Parker. When the Chameleon (disguised as Peter) meets Flash at the subsequent press conference, he cruelly mocks him, calling him "puny Flash". Flash is seen going through the so-called "stages of grief" backwards, even so far as to use dangerous experimental procedures to regain his legs, but seems to come to terms with his condition, thanks to the support of his friends, family, and his new rehabilitation trainer Sha-Shan.
Agent Venom
In a January 2011 interview with Newsarama, Flash Thompson was revealed "by accident" as the new host of Venom. Marvel confirmed Flash will have his own comic using a military style version of Venom. Despite previously seeming to come to terms with the loss of his legs, Flash jumps at the dangerous offer of being bonded to the Venom symbiote, as the alien will be able to replace his legs with its own bio-mass, allowing him to walk again. He will star as a hero working for the military, and he will encounter many heroes and villains of the Marvel Universe. He made his premiere as Agent Venom in The Amazing Spider-Man #654 (February 2011), and continues in his own Agent Venom ongoing series following the special The Amazing Spider-Man #654.1 issue.
He cannot stay bonded to the Venom symbiote for more than 48 hours at a time, or the symbiote may gain complete control of him. The consequences of this are first seen when the suit causes Flash to go berserk and brutally slaughter a group of enemy operatives during his second mission, and again during a brawl with the Jack O'Lantern ending with the suit putting a grenade in Jack O'Lantern's mouth. While on a mission in the Savage Land, Flash finds himself being hunted by Kraven the Hunter who mistakes him for Spider-Man.
During Spider-Island, Agent Venom is sent in to capture a spider-like beast that is fighting Firestar and Gravity. Agent Venom manages to capture the Spider-King and discovers that he is an enslaved Captain America. Venom disguises himself as the Spider-King in order to track the infestation to its source. The Queen and Jackal send him to kill Anti-Venom because he is curing people who have gained spider-powers, but his superiors order him to take him to Mr. Fantastic to help develop a cure. Flash and the Venom-symbiote fight each other because Flash wants to bring Anti-Venom to Mr. Fantastic and the symbiote wants to kill Anti-Venom for previously rejecting it. This leads to Venom and Anti-Venom fighting. Venom wins the fight and delivers Anti-Venom to Mr. Fantastic. Venom teams up with Red Hulk, X-23, Ghost Rider, and Johnny Blaze to fight Blackheart.
He joins the Secret Avengers as Agent Venom. As an Avenger, Flash apprehends the Human Fly, but the Human Fly escapes via a prisoner transport to The Raft when the new Hobgoblin attacks the transport trying to kill the Human Fly for stealing money from the Kingpin. Flash tries to assassinate the third Crime Master for threatening his family, but Eddie Brock attacks him as he is about to fire. This causes the Crime Master to have his new Savage Six attack Flash and Betty Brant. While trying to protect Betty from Jack O'Lantern he reveals his identity to her. Thunderbolt Ross recruits Venom to be part of his Thunderbolts team.
Flash relocates to Philadelphia after fighting the U-Foes there. While trying to capture a serial killer infected with some of the alien technology the U-Foes were trying to sell, so Beast could try to cure the man, he is attacked by Toxin.
Flash returns to New York when Betty Brant contacts him with information that the Crime Master has resurfaced. Flash infiltrates and attacks Crime Master and his men until the Superior Spider-Man (Otto Octavius's mind in Spider-Man's body) and his Spiderlings intervene. Crime Master then reveals himself to be a small-time hood who had purchased the name and mask from Hobgoblin and turns himself in. Superior Spider-Man then turns his attention to Agent Venom with the intent on destroying him. Flash escapes in a puff of smoke and hides in a hospital before going to Peter's apartment. Seizing opportunity, "Peter Parker" invites Flash to his company to give Flash prosthetic legs. After doing so, Superior Spider-Man detains the symbiote in a cage from which it soon breaks free and bonds to Superior Spider-Man, becoming the Superior Venom. The symbiote tries to flee back to Flash, but Superior Spider-Man keeps it for himself, even going as far as to injure Cardiac when Cardiac tries to separate them. Iron Man arrives to Parker Industries to assist both Cardiac and Flash in order to take him to the battle-zone and reunite him with the symbiote. The Avengers are starting to fall against the power of Superior Venom who boasts about his superiority until Iron Man arrives to distract him allowing Flash (wearing Iron Man's armor) attack from behind and attempt to retake the symbiote. With the unexpected assistance from Spider-Man's conscience, the Venom symbiote finally leaves Superior Spider-Man's body and reunites with Flash, bonding together again. The Avengers are still in disbelief about Superior Spider-Man's argument until they ask Flash to check his mind-link with the symbiote to see anything wrong about Superior Spider-Man's motives. Flash replies that he sees "two different radio stations playing in the same frequency".
Following the conclusion of The Superior Spider-Man and the return of Peter Parker as Spider-Man, he learns that his friend Flash is Venom and became angry at the Avengers that they did not tell him. The Avengers confess that because Flash was a good soldier and the secret identities in the Avengers' rules goes both ways.
Seeking to maintain a connection with the Guardians of the Galaxy, the Avengers placed Venom on said team as their new envoy. At a point the Symbiote began to act strangely considering anyone as an enemy as something was tapping into its mind signalling it. Flash became extremely worried and, since he was left behind when the other Guardians were captured, he began to try and find a way back to Earth which the Symbiote encouraged. However, in its fear it killed people if they refused. Eventually Gamora found them but they attacked her thinking her as an enemy. Star-Lord manages to subdue the Symbiote but Flash goes into a coma. The Symbiote breaks out on the ship and takes the ship to its planet of origin. The planet of Symbiotes explains to the Guardians their origins of the Klyntar. However, Flash and the Venom Symbiote have created the perfect savior the Symbiotes want. This heals the Symbiote and allows Flash to tap into the full potential of the Symbiote.
Best films
Played by the actors
Filmography of Flash Thompson (5 films)
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The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)
, 2h22Directed by Marc Webb
Origin USA
Genres Science fiction, Thriller, Fantasy, Action, Adventure
Themes Films about animals, Films about children, Films about computing, Transport films, Aviation films, Films about spiders, Spider-Man films, Superhero films, Cyberpunk films, Super-héros inspiré de comics
Actors Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Jamie Foxx, Shailene Woodley, Dane DeHaan, Colm Feore
Rating65%
OsCorp scientist Richard Parker records a video message to explain his disappearance. Later, he and his wife, Mary, are aboard a private jet hijacked by a man sent to assassinate Richard. The plane crashes, killing both Richard and Mary, after he uploads the video.
The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)
, 2h16Directed by Marc Webb
Origin USA
Genres Science fiction, Thriller, Fantastic, Fantasy, Action, Adventure
Themes L'adolescence, Films about animals, Films about education, Films about children, Films about computing, Films about spiders, Spider-Man films, Superhero films, L'enfance marginalisée, Cyberpunk films, Super-héros inspiré de comics, Children's films, Films about school violence
Actors Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Campbell Scott, Denis Leary, Irrfan Khan
Rating68%
A young Peter Parker discovers his father Richard Parker's study has been burgled. Gathering up hidden documents, Peter's parents take him to the home of his Aunt May and Uncle Ben, then mysteriously depart.
Superhero Movie (2008)
, 1h15Directed by Jim Abrahams, Craig Mazin
Origin USA
Genres Science fiction, Fantastic, Comedy, Action
Themes Superhero films
Actors Drake Bell, Sara Paxton, Lloyd Bridges, Christopher McDonald, Ed Helms, Brent Spiner
Rating47%
Rick Riker (Drake Bell) is an unpopular, outcast student at Empire High School who lives with his Uncle Albert (Leslie Nielsen) and Aunt Lucille (Marion Ross) and has one friend and confidant, Trey (Kevin Hart). His crush is the breathtaking Jill Johnson (Sara Paxton), but she is dating bully Lance Landers (Ryan Hansen). One day, Rick and his class go on a school field trip at an animal research lab that is run by terminally ill businessman Lou Landers (Christopher McDonald), who is Lance's uncle. During the trip, Rick accidentally saturates himself in animal-attraction liquid, which causes a group of animals to hump him. This also leads a chemically enhanced radioactive dragonfly to fly onto Rick's neck and bite him.
Spider-Man 3 (2007)
, 2h19Directed by Sam Raimi
Origin USA
Genres Science fiction, Thriller, Fantastic, Fantasy, Action, Adventure
Themes Films about animals, Films about children, Films about computing, Films about spiders, Spider-Man films, Superhero films, Cyberpunk films, Super-héros inspiré de comics, Children's films
Actors Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Thomas Haden Church, Topher Grace, Daniel Gillies
Rating63%
Peter Parker plans to propose to Mary Jane Watson, who has just made her Broadway musical debut. A meteorite crashes near the two in Central Park, and an extraterrestrial symbiote attaches itself to Peter's moped. While fleeing police, escaped prisoner Flint Marko falls into a particle accelerator that fuses his DNA with surrounding sand, allowing him to shapeshift at will as the Sandman. Peter's best friend, Harry Osborn, who blames him for his father's death, attacks Peter using weapons based on his father's Green Goblin technology. Harry injures his head and suffers partial amnesia, forgetting that Peter is Spider-Man and his desire for revenge. During a festival honouring Spider-Man, Marko robs an armored car. NYPD Captain George Stacy tells Peter and Aunt May that Marko was Uncle Ben's killer, and Dennis Carradine was only an accomplice. While a vengeful Peter sleeps, the symbiote bonds with him. Peter wakes up hanging from a skyscraper. His costume becomes black and his powers increase, but the symbiote brings out Peter's dark side. Wearing the new suit, Spider-Man locates Marko and battles him in a subway tunnel, reducing him to mud using water.
Spider-Man (2002)
, 2h1Directed by Sam Raimi
Origin USA
Genres Science fiction, Thriller, Fantastic, Fantasy, Action, Adventure
Themes L'adolescence, Films about animals, Films about education, Films about children, Films about computing, Films about spiders, Spider-Man films, Superhero films, L'enfance marginalisée, Cyberpunk films, Super-héros inspiré de comics, Children's films, Films about school violence
Actors Tobey Maguire, Willem Dafoe, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Cliff Robertson, J. K. Simmons
Rating73%
High-school senior Peter Parker visits a genetics laboratory with his friend Harry Osborn and love interest, Mary Jane Watson for a school field trip. There, Peter is bitten on the hand by a genetically engineered "super spider". Shortly after arriving home to his Aunt May and Uncle Ben, he goes unconscious. Meanwhile, Harry's father, scientist Norman Osborn, owner of Oscorp, is attempting to preserve his company's critically important military contract. He experiments on himself with a new but unstable performance-enhancing chemical vapor that increases his speed, strength, and stamina. However, it also drives him insane and he kills his assistant, Mendel Stromm. The next morning, Peter finds that his previously impaired vision has improved and his body has metamorphosized into a more muscular physique. At school, he finds that his body can produce webs and his quickened reflexes let him avoid injury during a confrontation with bully Flash Thompson. Peter discovers he has developed superhuman speed, strength, the ability to stick to surfaces, and a heightened ability to sense danger.