[They're fighting. Arguing. Without Venom just taking over. That's a good sign. His Eddie and Venom were like that. It means there's some equilibrium.]

Okay. Okay.

[Peter holds up both hands placatingly.]

I think I know what's going on.

So, there are a lot of different dimensions out there. I came here fresh off a big fight where I was working with multiple versions of, uh, the superhero identity I go by. All different people, with similar origin stories, drawn into similar lives.

The dimension we were fighting in had a version of me that was dead. He looked different from me. Slightly. Blonde hair and blue eyes. And he was younger. But same name, similar face, same powers, same family, same everything else.

[There you go, Eddie, now you know about the the spider-verse.]

[He casts his eyes away, looking a little jittery and uncomfortable.]

In my universe, I was my version of Venom's first host. He tried to control me, messed with my head. When I finally kicked him to the curb, he just kept taking on new hosts, controlling them, and coming for me. He was obsessed with bonding again.

[He gestures slightly with a hand.]

But he and my Eddie bonded, and after we clashed a little bit, they settled in and got used to each other. Eddie was my friend and he - he kept Venom in check.

But he looks different from you. That's what freaked me out - for a second I was worried Venom had showed up with a new host to come for me again. I think - I think maybe you're just a version of Eddie that looks different from the Eddie I know.

[He rubs his chin.]

Which...isn't that out there. All it would take is a few different genes being expressed for you to be mostly the same person but to look different than he does.