BECK UNDERWOOD
Real Name: Beck Underwood
Identity/Class: Human
Occupation: Civil Litigation Attorney
Group Membership: None
Affiliations: Sean Knight, Mace (Shigeru Ezaki clone), San Francisco Underground City residents (Elizabeth, Sam Felix, Hank, Abby Rubin, others), Vengeance (Michael Badilino), Venom (Eddie Brock)
Enemies: Juggernaut (Cain Marko), Scarmore Inc. (Mr. Darby, Charles Evans, others), Stalkers (Briggs, Kass, Raiden, Trent), Sunrise Society
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: San Francisco Underground City, California;
formerly her law office in San Francisco, California
First Appearance: Venom: The Madness#1 (November, 1993)
Powers/Abilities: Beck Underwood has a law degree and specializes in civil cases against corporations and government agencies. Though she has a good heart and acts fearless in many situations she is scared of the Venom symbiote. She is a smoker.
Height: 5'6" (by approximation)
Weight: 130 lbs. (by approximation)
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Black
History:
(Venom: The Madness#1 (fb) - BTS) - Lawyer Beck Underwood became the new surface connection for the secret underground community of homeless people in San Francisco.
(Venom: The Madness#1) - Beck introduced herself to Venom, who recognized her as their new connection to the surface world. She had also heard of Venom who had just been saved the homeless Abby Rubin from hired thugs. Beck was looking for Abby because she was working pro bono in a class action lawsuit representing some of his former co-workers at Scarmore Inc.'s mercury project. They talked about the amoebic mercurial virus Scarmore had accidentally created and then dumped because everyone working on it got sick and went mad. Venom offered to help Beck and agreed to meet with him to plan their next move.
(Venom: The Madness#1 - BTS) - Scarmore's CEO Charles Evans ordered Mr. Darby to hire an outside agent to deal with those involved in the lawsuit against Scarmore. Darby hired the Juggernaut.
(Venom: The Madness#1) - While walking through the underground community Eddie talked with her about protecting the homeless, his past as a reporter and his current single life. Beck was a bit freaked out about the Venom symbiote when they kissed and it squeezed her hand, but Eddie tried to explain it away by telling her that he and the symbiote got excited together. Just then Abby ran towards them to tell them that Hank, another client in the class action was in the hospital and had dropped his charges against Scarmore after an attack by Juggernaut. Abby thought about dropping the charges as well, but Venom told him that he would protect him from any attacks. Beck wasn't so sure that using violence against violence was the best tactic.
That night Eddie thought about how pretty Beck was while slowly going insane.
The next day Beck asked for Evans to receive his summons to appear at court that night during an official dinner, in an attempt to embarrass him in front of his pears. It angered Evans, who reprimanded Darby for not having taken care of Underwood yet. Meanwhile Underwood took photographs of Hank, who had been attacked by Juggernaut to silence him. Beck assured him that he wouldn't regret going on record and becoming a witness against Scarmore. A short time later Cain Marko appeared at Underwood's law office, but she was protected by Venom, who battled the Juggernaut. Beck ran away screaming for Venom, hoping he would win against the Juggernaut after they crashed through the floor into an underground tunnel leading to the sewer system.
(Venom: The Madness#2) - Beck took the papers on the civil case against Scarmore to the underground city in San Francisco to avoid another possible attack by the Juggernaut. While sorting through the papers and having a smoke she talked with Abby Rubin about the attack and told him that she wasn't sure if Venom was still alive. Abby was sure Venom was and they kept talking about the case against Scarmore and how Venom could mess it up by going after Scarmore himself. She was also a bit worried about her relationship to Eddie because Venom scares her and she wasn't sure if she wanted to be with him. Abby told her that Eddie didn't take rejection too well.
(Venom: The Madness#2 - BTS) - Evans once again told Darby that he wanted Underwood to drop the civil case against Scarmore. When Venom turned up alive, but infected with the mercurial virus, Abby told him that Beck was all right, but Venom needed to look after her in case Scarmore sent someone after her again.
(Venom: The Madness#2) - The next day Beck met with Eddie in the underground city. She was worried that they would be blamed for the murder of a cleaning lady the night before at Scarmore (it was Venom under the influence of the virus). Eddie could only think about Beck and tried making out with her, but she got scared when the Venom symbiote started covering Eddie's body. She assumed the virus Eddie had picked up in the sewers was driving the symbiote insane, but Eddie assured her that he was still in control. When Eddie tried to kiss her it was the Venom symbiote licking her face and nearly scaring her to death. Beck tried to fight him off, but the mad symbiote was in complete control now and engulfed Beck. Juggernaut attacked and inadvertently saved Beck from Venom, who Beck saw mutating further in front of her. Venom threatened to come back for her after defeating Juggernaut. Beck knew she was in trouble and cried, but Venom was sucked into the Realm of Madness and didn't return.
(Venom: The Madness#3 - BTS) - Juggernaut kidnapped Beck.
(Venom: The Madness#3) - Juggernaut called Darby to ask him what to do next, but he told him to just stay put. Beck felt empathic to Juggernaut's frustration and they began to talk while watching TV. Juggernaut asked her if Venom was her boyfriend, but Beck wasn't so sure even though she cared for him a lot. When Juggernaut told her that Venom had murdered the cleaning lady Beck was shocked and felt responsible for it because she had told Eddie that Scarmore's president was evil and killed the cleaning lady because he believed her to be the president of Scarmore when she sat in the president's chair. On TV the feature story was about Beck Underwood and her civil action case against Scarmore and her bizarre claims against them.
After thinking about it for some time Beck decided to forgive Venom for the murder because he had been driven mad by the virus and was only doing what he thought was right. On TV it was revealed that Darby came forward with evidence against Scarmore and President Charles Evans. The police surrounded the building where Juggernaut was holding Beck, but Venom (cleaned of the virus) came through the roof first and attacked Juggernaut. Beck asked them both to stop and allowed Juggernaut to escape. Beck begged Venom to keep a low profile and not follow Juggernaut so he could keep protecting the underground city. She told him that she forgave him, would stay in the underground city to keep an eye on Venom, but couldn't be intimate with him anymore because she feared for his life and was terrified of him. Venom didn't take it well, but Beck promised him that they would stay friends. After a last kiss she hugged Venom.
(Venom: The Mace#1 - BTS) - Eddie had dinner with Beck.
(Venom: The Mace#1) - Eddie finished a frame in the underground city when Beck told him that a group of squatters on the South Side were attacked again that night. Eddie promised to do something about it. A moment later Eddie turned into Venom to save some people from a load of falling bricks, but immediately recalled the symbiote from his face when Beck got scared.
(Venom: The Mace#1 - BTS) - The next night Eddie and Beck went out for dinner again for his birthday.
(Venom: The Mace#1) - Beck thanked Eddie for looking into the attacks on squatters. Sam Felix ran into them after he was attacked by the Mace, who had been hired by the squatters. Venom told Beck to go home while he brought Felix back to the underground city. On her way home she remembered that she had forgotten to give Eddie his birthday present and suddenly hit the brakes. Mace tumbled over her car and forced her at gunpoint to bring him across town. During the drive Mace revealed to Beck that some of the undergrounders were the attackers the squatters had hired him to take care of. Mace now returned the stolen goods to the squatters. After arriving at his destination Mace thanked Beck for the lift before he was attacked by Venom. Even though Beck was scared of Venom she tried to explain Mace's actions to him, but Eddie wouldn't let her finish.
(Venom: The Mace#2) - Before she could explain what was going on Beck was forced to warn Eddie when Mace tried to shoot him from behind and the fight continued. Beck got mad because they were both acting like idiots, but she was unable to catch up with them to talk some sense into them. She finally caught up when Mace was ready to shoot Venom. Beck begged Mace not to pull the trigger, but was caught in an explosion caused by the attacking Sunrise Society. Beck was injured and both Venom and Mace were ready to fight the Sunrise Society.
(Venom: The Mace#3) - While Mace and Venom fought the Sunrise Society Beck lay injured in an alley. The Sunrise Society threatened to vaporize Beck if Venom didn't stop fighting them. She was waking up when Venom used the symbiote to shield her from the Sunrise Society's blasters. Though injured Beck could finally tell Venom that Mace was hired by the squatters to protect them from some of the undergrounders, who were stealing from them regularly. Venom and Beck watched Mace save them from Sunrise's leader, who turned out to look the same as Mace (they were clones). Venom decided to go after the undergrounders, who had attacked the squatters, but he promised to Beck to only banish them from the underground city. When Venom was gone Beck gave Mace the sunglasses she had bought for Eddie as a birthday present.
(Venom: The Mace#3 - BTS) - Beck told the criminal undergrounders that Venom would banish them, but Venom broke his promise and killed Sam Felix and his three associates. Venom made sure to dispose of their bodies so Beck would never know the truth.
(Venom: Nights of Vengeance#1) - Beck slapped Venom, then asked him to tell her as Eddie what had happened or not at all. He promised her that nobody was killed, but Beck was worried that Venom was still taking killing people because he thought it was the right thing to do. She couldn't feel for Eddie the way he felt for her as long as he was taking the law into his own hands like the corporations and agencies she was fighting for years as a lawyer. She joined Eddie and Elizabeth when Sean Knight woke up and told them about his past as an undercover agent. When the Stalkers attacked the underground city Beck stayed inside until the Stalkers had Venom on the ground. Vengeance came to Venom's aid and they defeated the Stalkers, but they were taken over by the alien technology they had bonded with and now wanted to make Venom and Vengeance their prey in an elaborate hunt. To ensure they would come to them for the hunt the Stalkers opened a portal and kidnapped Beck and everyone else standing around, except for Knight, who was left behind because he could lead Venom and Vengeance to them.
(Venom: Nights of Vengeance#2) - Beck took care of Jason while watching the Stalkers mutate further into techno-organic beings. Elizabeth assured Beck that Venom would come to save her because he was in love with Beck. Just in case Venom failed Beck formed a plan with Elizabeth to bring everyone to safety. Realizing the Stalkers had not paid attention to them in hours Beck and Elizabeth led all undergrounders into a tunnel. They soon ran into Venom, Vengeance and Knight. Venom hugged Elizabeth and Beck, but Beck pushed him away and told him that the Stalkers were still there and waiting for him to make a move. Knight offered to bring Beck and the others to safety while Venom and Vengeance took care of the Stalkers.
(Venom: Nights of Vengeance#2 - BTS) - The Stalkers caught Beck and Elizabeth and put explosive collars around their next because they knew the women meant something to Venom.
(Venom: Nights of Vengeance#2) - The Stalkers' Trent revealed that they allowed every hostage to leave aside from Beck and Elizabeth, who had explosive collars fastened around their necks, because the Stalkers knew the women were important to Venom. The Stalkers would keep the women with them to ensure Venom and Vengeance participated in the hunt. Trent opened a portal and pushed Venom and Vengeance through to a random location on Earth.
(Venom: Nights of Vengeance#3) - Beck and Elizabeth were shackled to the wall of the spaceship inside Storm Mountain. They talked about their relationship to Venom and while Elizabeth knew how good Venom could be Beck thought they were both crazy for loving him. Moments later they were freed by Sean Knight, who destroyed a security robot with S.H.I.E.L.D. weapons. Knight took them through the tunnel, destroying another security robot in the process, but when they were going to leave the mountain the walls started to infect them with the same alien technology as the Stalkers.
(Venom: Nights of Vengeance#4) - Beck and Elizabeth agreed with Knight's plan to commit suicide before they were turned into techno-organic beings like the Stalkers. Venom caught the energy grenade in the nick of time and tried to free Beck and the others by ripping the circuitry off their body, but it hurt them too much. Following Knight's suggestion Venom and Vengeance destroyed the spaceship the circuitry was connected to, which freed Beck, Elizabeth and Knight. Venom grabbed Beck and Elizabeth to bring them to safety outside Storm Mountain before the spaceship blew up.
(Venom: Nights of Vengeance#4 - BTS) - In the underground city in San Francisco Badilino told Eddie that he needed to make a decision about Beck and Elizabeth because both of them loved him. Eddie told him that he couldn't be around either of them because he was too dangerous.
(Venom: Nights of Vengeance#4) - After Venom and Vengeance destroyed Trent, the final Stalker, in the streets of San Francisco Beck stood behind Venom with Knight and Elizabeth at his side.
Comments: Created by Ann Nocenti (writer), Kelley Jones (pencils) & John Beatty (inks).
Profile by Markus Raymond.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Beck Underwood has no known connections to:
images (without ads)
Venom: The Mace#2, p7, pan1 (main)
Venom: The Madness#2, p5, pan3 (head shot)
Venom: Nights of Vengeance#4, p6, pan3 (saved by Venom)
Appearances:
Venom: The Madness#1-2 (November-December, 1993) - Ann Nocenti (writer), Kelley Jones (pencils), John Beatty (inks), Danny Fingeroth (editor)
Venom: The Madness#3 (January, 1993) - Ann Nocenti (writer), Kelley Jones (pencils), John Beatty, Al Milgrom & Kent Williams (inks), Danny Fingeroth (editor)
Venom: The Mace#1-3 (May-July, 1994) - Carl Potts (writer), Liam Sharp (pencils), Bill Reinhold (inks), Danny Fingeroth (editor)
Venom: Nights of Vengeance#1-4 (August-November, 1994) - Howard Mackie (writer), Ron Lim (pencils), Al Milgrom (inks), Danny Fingeroth (editor)
First Posted: 06/02/2020
Last updated: 06/02/2020
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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