There's a new Venom in town, and he just happens to be Spider-Man's oldest foe.

Flash Thompson, the bully who used to pick on puny Peter Parker back in high school, is revealed as the man wearing the black alien symbiote in Amazing Spider-Man issue 654, in stores Wednesday. Whereas Venom has been an evil Spidey rogue in the past, the black goo is now in the government's possession and is given to Flash — who lost his legs serving in the Middle East — to be its own black-ops version of Spider-Man.

The issue will also have other surprises, including "a change to the roster of Spider-Man's superpowers," according to Amazing Spider-Man writer Dan Slott.

Next week, Amazing Spider-Man 654.1 — part of Marvel's Point One Initiative to draw in new readers and also written by Slott — will feature the first mission Flash goes on as Venom. And then March 2 brings the debut of a Venom ongoing series, with the creative team of writer Rick Remender and artist Tony Moore.