First of all: Charles Vess cover. Amazing.
Is this the first time a woman has been assigned full-time duties to write a Spider-Man book? I think so. It’s also one of the few times a woman was assigned any monthly book.
The symbiote costume that will eventually be named Venom has escaped from Fantastic Four headquarters, where it was being held after Mr. Fantastic figured out that sound vibrations could force it to jump off a host body. It’s been running around NYC jumping from person to person. Then, at the end of Peter Parker the Spectacular Spider-Man #100, we saw it had found its way back to Peter Parker’s apartment.
At the beginning of this series, the symbiote disguises itself as Peter’s red-and-blue costume. I think this is the first time the symbiote was able to change colors. (And maybe one of the only times.)
Looking back with the benefit of hindsight, we can see inconsistencies in how Venom is being portrayed, but organically the Venom concept wasn’t even an idea yet and the properties of the symbiote were developing as different storytellers got involved.
Spider-Man gets Venom off him again, and (seems to) kill him.
But he’ll be back. I mean, he’ll even get his own movie.