Scott Washington (Earth-616)

Guardsman Number 6 & Justice[]

After Justice had killed his abusive father in an act of rage, he turned himself in and was put on trial. He was surrounded and led around by a series of armored Vault guards, one of them being Scott Washington.^[2] Justice was acquitted of murder, but found guilty of negligent homicide. He allowed himself to be taken in. The Guardsmen (including Scott) regularly trained against Justice throughout his incarceration, which was highly beneficial for the guards since they would never have attempted to train with the supervillain prisoners. Out of all the Guardsmen, Scott became closest to Justice.^[3] The New Warriors soon tried to spring Justice, but he sent them away due to his respect for the law.

Scott and Justice continued sparring against each other, however despite their improvement Justice still easily dispatched his captors on a regular basis. A Vault prison riot broke out after one such sparring session and Justice ended the fighting on both sides by suggesting compromise. He used his friendship with Scott to show that the guards and prisoners were only numbers if they allowed it and that each side needed to understand the other more.^[4]

The Symbiotes[]

Scott was given a special assignment for a couple months. Dressed in his Guardsman armor, he his fellow guards were to live underground and oversee a scientist's experiment on the four symbiotes created by the Life Foundation]. Scott knew that Venom and Carnage were psychotic killers and that the symbiotes tried to corrupt their earlier hosts, so he was apathetic to their situation. He was promised to get a raise afterward was the best way of getting his mother and brother Derek out of the ghetto. At that exact same time, the invasion of the symbiotes was taking place in New York, so the scientists treated the symbiotes harshly and quickly with each successive experiment in order to find a solution to ending said invasion. The Venom symbiote unleashed a sonic shriek of despair during Scott's assignment, which caused most symbiotes in the city to commit mass suicide. Instead of dying, the Life Foundation symbiotes broke their restraints and huddled together, each one incredibly weakened from the shriek and experimentation. The four aliens began merging and became, as Scott stated, a Hybrid.

The composite symbiote broke out and momentarily latched onto Scott. His fellow Guardsmen scared it off with sonic blasts, but Scott and the Hybrid symbiotes shared minds for a brief moment. Scott took off his helmet to show that he was shedding tears, and insisted to the others that the symbiotes didn’t deserve all of their torture. Scott's friends told him to go get checked out as they left after the escaped alien. He saw the merged symbiote above him, paused, and allowed it to escape, which got him into heavy heat with his superiors. Cameras surrounding the area recorded his actions, and coupled with the fact that Scott didn’t even tell anyone he saw the creature dug him into more trouble. In an attempt to defend his actions (and the symbiotes) by stating that what they were performing on the aliens was wrong, Scott lost his job.

In the shadows, feeling Scott's desperation, the Hybrid symbiote felt that it needed a host and that Scott, the "kind one," needed them just as much.^[5]

Tragedy Strikes[]

As time passed Scott has obtained a job as a low-paid security guard thanks to the government having blacklisted him. He had been drawing up the blueprints for his old Guardsman armor in hopes of maybe being able to exploit it in some legal way for money. He makes sure that his brother Derek doesn’t stray into running with gangs, but this ultimately lead to Derek standing up to a high-ranking gang member at a basketball court. Scott protected his brother by nearly breaking the guy’s arm. The thug (Scar) ran off, saying that he’d get his revenge.

One night he broke into their apartment with his friends and shot both Scott and his brother Derek. Derek was killed and Scott was left paralyzed. Weeks later, Justice gave him a visit, but Scott was a changed man. He became filled with frustration and anger over what happened to him. When he went home he heard a kid driving by turning up his stereo, and initially thought it was the thugs out to finish the job. Far from his assumption, the noise was actually the composite symbiote, who searched for Scott in his time of need.^[6]

Hybrid Is Born[]

At first Scott tried to fight the bonding, but then realized that he could use them for his own ends. The symbiotes noticed that he'd become different; not due of his legs no longer functioning, but rather the Scott now wasn’t the same kind soul they remembered. Now as their host, Scott wanted revenge which did not bode well with the symbiotes.^[6]

Hybrid took to the streets and terrorized the gang activity in Brooklyn. He tracked down one man whom he recalled as an accomplice of the gang that crippled him. He tried to kill him, but the symbiotes left him, insisting that they would not take a life. Scott was completely vulnerable, since he could not walk, so the symbiote chose to rejoin him so they could save him from the gang member’s gunfire. Scott attempted once more to convince the symbiotes that killing was the right thing to do, but he was stopped by Justice.

Justice deduced Scott's secret identity as Hybrid and was out to stop him from becoming a cold-blooded murderer. Hybrid explained himself: The gang he was chasing stole his Guardsman armor blueprints and he needed to stop them before they could do anything dangerous with such knowledge. To find their hideout, he revealed one of the symbiote's unique abilities. Injecting people with a piece of the symbiote's material, Hybrid could then track it like a Spider-Tracer, and he used that ability on the same man he nearly killed.^[7]

Revenge on the Eazy X Gang[]

Hybrid and Justice sneaked into the gang headquarters and just as Hybrid seemed to have control over himself he sees the man that crippled him and snapped again. Justice would love to stop him but as it turned out, the gang did put Scott’s blueprints to use. As Justice contended with the armored criminals, Hybrid chased after his brother’s murderer. He found a gang member hiding his face with a mask, so he slammed him into a wall and tore the mask off. The mystery thug was Dwight: Derek’s best friend.

He explained that out of fear from Derek and Scott's assault, the safest option was to join the Eazy X Gang so he wouldn't be targeted. Scott tells off Dwight about their neighborhood's crime problems, simultaneously using his symbiote tendrils to disarm his enemies. His point was that the true root of their community’s problems was the lack of respect they all had for their fellow man. Their gang activity, drug running and staking territory was only making things worse, and Hybrid even vocally denounced his thirst for revenge, seeing as it was counter-productive. The gang members ignored his message and shot at him before running off. Telling Justice not to go after them, Hybrid fell to his knees, hopeless about the entire situation. He told Justice that this is an enemy they just can’t deal with. Dwight, having removed his gang apparel and offering his gun, felt differently. Scott’s ability to change his mind and let go of his anger in the name of hope had inspired him to do the same. Justice felt that if Hybrid could do that for one person, he could probably duplicate the result in others.

Hybrid and Dwight looked over Derek’s grave, and Scott reminisces that he always promised Derek that he’d lead him out of their awful neighborhood, but as of recent events, Derek was never going to leave. He and Dwight discussed making their neighborhood a better place. Turning into Hybrid, Scott stated that they had a lot of work to do.^[8]

Trial By Jury[]

Crime went down roughly in half since Scott began his vigilante career. Hybrid noticed Sentry and thought that the government began hunting him down alongside Guardsmen from the Vault. Scott started planning how he’d have to hide from his would-be captors, however the usually peaceful symbiotes went into a rage. The rest of the Jury appeared and took out Hybrid with their sonic weapons. Hybrid sent some of his symbiote material out the window during his fight, which found Dwight and warned him of his plight. Dwight immediately called the the emergency number for the New Warriors, and Justice eventually arrived with Powerhouse and Turbo. The symbiote material latched onto Turbo and fed the coordinates of Scott's location to her armor using binary code.

At the Jury headquarters, Olivia Lentz planned to charge the symbiotes as the scapegoat for the symbiote invasion. In order to separate Scott from his symbiote, they had to use sonics which was more than likely going to kill all five of them. At Olivia's behest they commenced the separation. Maxwell Taylor barged in and demanded she stop the separation, saying that she was not allowed. Hybrid's mask peels back and the Jury saw Scott’s face, a couple of them recognizing him. Olivia reluctantly stopped trying to kill him, but kept him imprisoned.

Sentry attempted to free Hybrid, only for the symbiotes to grab him in another ploy for revenge. Eventually chaos erupts as the Guardsmen and New Warriors fight to protect Scott (the one who needs to be stopped.) Maxwell intervened and managed to calm everyone down so they could deal with the situation. Focusing on the good memories shared with Sentry, Scott convinced the symbiotes to set him free. Justice aided him in convincing the Jury that he was no longer a threat. Afterward Justice offered a position on the team, but Scott decided to work on his own neighborhood first, with Justice leaving the option available for the future.^[9]

After the Civil War, he was listed as a potential recruit for the Initiative.^[10]

Death[]

When Eddie Brock started his hunt for symbiotes and their hosts, he first targeted Hybrid. While Washington was patrolling the streets of his neighborhood, Brock paralyzed him with an electric discharge. A confused Hybrid asked why Brock was attacking him, and although he knew Scott was a hero, Brock shot and killed him despite Scott's pleads, who even offered to hand over the symbiote to Eddie.^[1] The rest of Hybrid may have been found by the U.S. Army, who separated it into the original four symbiotes and bonded them to each one of the Mercury Team in order to fight Carnage.^[11]

Former Multiple Personalities[]

• Riot: Granted the unique ability of constituent-matter manipulation (blunt weapons). Originally this symbiote's personality was extremely aggressive and unsympathetic.
• Phage: Granted the unique ability of constituent-matter manipulation (bladed weapons).
• Lasher: Granted the unique ability of long whip-like tendrils. Originally this symbiote's personality was a homicidal creature and not much of a Justice lover.
• Agony: Granted the unique ability of acid generation and chemical absorption.

Main article: Hybrid (Symbiote) (Earth-616)#Powers

Symbiotic Amalgamated Red Costume: As a result of physically bonding with the composite symbiotes, Washington possesses various superhuman attributes similar to Peter Parker and Eddie Brock as Venom.

• Composite Symbiotic Costume: The Symbiote that Scott Washington merged with is actually several other symbiotes that have merged themselves into one composite Symbiote. Even while still individuals, each Symbiote developed a nonviolent personality yet still granted Scott various powers after merging with him, including the ability to walk despite his paraplegia. The Symbiote didn't heal the damage to Washington's spinal cord, it simply negated the damage much in the same way the Venom (Symbiote) (Earth-616) Symbiote suppressed Eddie Brock's cancer. Each of the symbiotes as individuals possessed unique abilities; all of which were transferred to Scott.^{[citation needed]}
  • Advanced Constituent Matter Generation: Washington's composite Symbiote can also generate tendrils much like Venom for the purpose of additional limbs that he has used to catch bullets in mid-air or to grasp opponents. Washington can hurl pieces of the Symbiote material in the form of projectile weapons that actually have independent motion of their own for up to several hours before finally dissolving.^{[citation needed]}
  • Advanced Constituent Matter Manipulation: An ability inherited from the Riot and Lasher symbiotes, Hybrid can create bludgeoning weapons, such as hammers, out of its own mass, or mucus-like tendrils that can be brandished as whip-like weapons. The Phage symbiote also grants Hybrid the ability to create razor sharp bladed weapons out of its own mass (similar to Carnage.) While merged into this single composite Symbiote, none of these individual powers have been demonstrated, however Scott has shown the ability to track remnants of his symbiote, using them like spider-tracers. The symbiote strands are even sentient, and intelligent enough to use binary code.^{[citation needed]}
  • Acid Generation: The Agony symbiote could use her metabolism to spit acid, which could burn through most substances, however the full extent or limit and range of her acid projectiles are unknown. While merged into this single composite Symbiote, this power has yet to be demonstrated.^{[citation needed]}
    • Metabolic Chemical Absorption: Agony could even absorb chemicals (such as Spider-Man's artificial webbing.) This ability had not been shown in any of the other LF symbiotes, and was inherited by Hybrid.^{[citation needed]}
  • Winged Flight: Unlike other Symbiotes, Washington's is able to use its material to create wing-like appendages in which he can fly through the air for long periods of time and for great distances. While the upper limit of his speed isn't revealed, it is believed that his flight speed doesn't exceed 150 miles per hour.^{[citation needed]}
  • Superhuman Strength: As Hybrid, Scott Washington's musculature, connective tissues and skeletal structure are considerably stronger than those found in a normal human. As a result, he currently possesses superhuman strength sufficient to lift at least 10 tons.^{[citation needed]}
  • Superhuman Speed: Washington is able to run and move at speeds that are beyond the natural physical limits of the finest human athlete.^{[citation needed]}
  • Superhuman Stamina: Washington's greatly augmented musculature is much more efficient than that of a normal human. As a result, his muscles produce considerably less fatigue toxins than those of normal humans. He can exert himself at peak capacity for about 24 hours before the build up of fatigue toxins in his blood starts to impair him.^{[citation needed]}
  • Superhuman Durability: As Hybrid, Washington's body is much tougher and more resistant to conventional physical injury than an ordinary human. He can withstand great impact forces, falls from high altitudes, powerful energy blasts and high caliber bullets without sustaining injury.^{[citation needed]}
  • Superhuman Agility: Washington's agility, balance and bodily coordination are enhanced to levels beyond the natural physical limits of the finest human athlete. Overall, his agility is comparable to Spider-Man's.^{[citation needed]}
  • Superhuman Reflexes: Washington's reflexes are similarly enhanced and are superior to those of the finest human athlete.^{[citation needed]}
  • Immunity to Spider-Man's Spider Sense: Due to Spider-Man being a host to the symbiote, Hybrid is able to bypass Spider-Man's spider-sense (being that they both fight crime it is unlikely this power will be used.)^{[citation needed]}
  • Wallcrawling: As with Spider-Man and Venom, Washington's Symbiote allows him to stick to and scale across almost any surface in much the same way as a spider. He can cling to most surface material even if the material is covered with substances that would make them slick such as water or standard oil.^{[citation needed]}
  • Web-Slinging: Like most other symbiotes Scott has the ability to create a form of webbing which is strong enough to swing from but he can also use it for tactical reasons like webbing up an enemy to easily end a fight.^{[citation needed]}
  • Appearance Alteration: Like most symbiotes Hybrid has the ability to change the features of his body to disguise himself as a completely different person and can do the same with his clothes too but can not change his voice.^{[citation needed]}

• Skilled Combatant: Scott Washington has been trained specifically to handle dangerous creatures and super-powered villains sent into The Vault, making him a more than competent combatant.

• Intense Heat: The symbiote is highly vulnerable to intense heat and strong flames.
• Intense Sound: The composite symbiote is very susceptible to sonic force and high frequency noise.

• Anger Control: Scott had a lot of anger, so that it is often the symbiotes that hold him back from acts of violence, not the other way around.
• Paraplegia: If he is separated from the symbiote, Washington loses the use of his legs.
• Multiple Personalities: Since his symbiote was originally four different entities, Scott has to contend with four different voices/personalities in his head besides his own.

• Despite being a Venom spin-off character, Venom never encountered him.
• Scott Washington was actually an established character (Guardsman Number Six) before bonding with his symbiote, unlike other hosts such as Eddie Brock, Cletus Kasady, Patrick Mulligan, etc. who were introduced to be the symbiote host. He shares this quality with Peter Parker, Mac Gargan and Flash Thompson.