The battle between Symbiotes seemed endless. The main reason was that the biological shell enveloping their hosts absorbed most of the damage. In their original slime mold-like form, how could Symbiotes fear the impact of trading blows?
Gunfire was ineffective for much the same reason. The kinetic energy produced by gunpowder explosions was completely absorbed by the biological shell. How could the lead bullets from police pistols harm a Symbiote?
That was why every blow exchanged between Symbiotes was aimed at injuring the other's host. Then they would strip the Symbiote from its host, leaving it unable to heal the host's wounds. With no host left to cling to, they would devour the other!
That was how Symbiotes fought.
Although Venom had learned combat techniques from Spider-Man, he was still no match for the combined assault of so many Symbiotes. Without Spider-Sense, he lacked Spider-Man's reflexes and ability to fight many opponents at once.
More than once, Riot tore open Venom's biological shell around his head or arms and swallowed the Symbiote matter he ripped off.
Other Symbiotes, tempted by the taste, also tore off pieces of Venom to eat. But Riot immediately warned them off and kicked them out of the battle.
Symbiotes devouring one another meant taking everything the other possessed. Even if Venom was the weakest among them, Riot would not casually share his spoils with anyone else.
This spared Venom, surrounded and attacked from all sides, from the swift fate of being carved up and eaten. For the moment, he could still barely hold on.
Spider-Man was not in as miserable a state as Venom and Eddie Brock's combination. He could not even be said to be losing.
But the Symbiotes quickly discovered Spider-Man's weakness. Whenever innocent bystanders might be harmed, Spider-Man would always rush to