Why is Capcom’s Venom known for their blue color? 

With the release of Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics happening sometime this year, fans old and new will be reintroduced to the 2D sprite versions of some of Marvel and Capcom’s iconic characters. One of these characters is the symbiote Venom, whose light blue tone in the Marvel vs. Capcom series is just as iconic as their original black color. But why is the default color of Venom much brighter in Capcom’s older fighting games? 

A bluer Venom stands out more 

Simply put, the Marvel vs. Capcom version of Venom was given a different color palette to differentiate them from their original comic book colors. This was most likely part of the deal between Marvel and Capcom during the development of Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes – the game where the character debuted. 

Venom’s light blue tone also serves a practical purpose from a fighting game standpoint as it makes them stand out from dark backgrounds. Since fighting games are so visually dependent, players always need to see what the characters are doing on-screen. Venom’s lighter colors ensure that their movements and reactions can easily be read from bright levels like Dr. Wily’s Military Base to dark environments such as the stage ofthe final battle against Onslaught. 

Venom has seen various color changes in comics too 

While Venom’s light blue color in Marvel vs. Capcom may turn off purists, the character has had different color schemes within the realm of comics as well. David Michelinie and Todd McFarlane, Venom’s original creators, mixed in shades of blue with the character’s predominantly black costume to make certain body parts stand out. Likewise, the 2000-2011 run of Ultimate Spider-Man by Brian Michael Bendis features a Venom that is heavily shaded purple to make them stand out. 

The artists who worked on Marvel vs. Capcom likely took the input they received from Marvel and Capcom and combined it with what they thought would work best within the context of a 3v3 fighting game. The result was a Venom with a much lighter shade of blue for their default color. Those who prefer Venom’s original costume can switch to a darker shade of blue (amongst other colors), but those looking for a change of pace may find that there is just as much to love about light blue Venom as the black one.