Patrick Mulligan was a former officer who was deafened in one of his ears after an attack by Frances Barrison when they were taking her out of the St. Estes Home for Unwanted Children. Years later, as a detective, he was in charge of the case of Cletus Kasady and waited on news from a reporter as he went to interrogate the serial killer. After Kasady escaped prison, Mulligan went on looking for clues on his whereabouts as there were also reports of him having a monster with him.
During a confrontation at a Cathedral between the serial killer and Eddie Brock/Venom, Mulligan was apparently killed by Shriek, but he actually survived with his eyes mysteriously glowing. While his death remained only public knowledge, Mulligan was secretly captured by Rex Strickland's squad and sent to Area 51, where he was fitted with a green symbiote to survive after the first symbiote abandoned him. During his captivity, Mulligan and his symbiote told Teddy Paine about the possible arrival of Knull due to the Codex in Venom. After reuniting with Eddie and making amends with him, Mulligan and the symbiote sacrificed themselves after being killed by a Xenophage so that Venom could free the rest of the symbiotes.
In 1996, during his early days as an SFPD officer, Mulligan was responsible for taking Frances Barrison out of St. Estes Home for Unwanted Children and transporting her to Ravencroft. While inside the police van, Mulligan was attacked by Barrison's sonic scream which deafened him on one of his ears. In his desperation and struggle, Patrick shot her left eye knocking her out, which allowed them to successfully take her to Ravencroft, though the cop didn't know that and believed he killed her.[1]
"Right, um, so... what does he want?" "Maybe he wants to spill the beans about where the missing bodies are buried. So you're gonna have to do the right thing for a change."
Years later after the incident, Mulligan left his position as an officer to work as a detective. In 2020, Mulligan was in charge of the case of Cletus Kasady and contacted Eddie Brock so that he would interview the serial killer despite his apparent dislike for the reporter. At Tenderloin Police Station, despite Brock being adamant on not wanting to interview him again, Mulligan assured him that he was the only one that Kasady wanted to see, despite him not getting anything during his last interview.
Mulligan clarified that Kasady will finally spit out where he hid all the missing bodies, and told to Brock about doing the right thing for a change, leaving while Venom tried to attack him from behind. Mulligan noticed and turned his back, almost discovering them and seeing how Brock got in the bathroom door to discuss with Venom until he finally agreed to do the interview. Waiting for him at the door, Mulligan said he doesn't like him, to which Brock strangely responded that he doesn't deserve nice things, being left by Mulligan.
"Come on, man. These things, they just take a little time, all right?" "Well, the second he gives you something..." "Of course." "Keep me ahead of the curve, Eddie. Don't embarrass me."
At San Quentin State Prison, when Eddie Brock finished his interview with the serial killer, Mulligan stomped out a cigarette on the ground, asking him if Cletus Kasady said anything important, but Brock said there was nothing and that he got a headache and probably tuberculosis, making Mulligan confused and thinking he was not hearing well because of his deafness.
Mulligan gets angry after seeing the news
Brock responded that Kasady "read him poetry", angering Mulligan into thinking he wasn't taking the case seriously. Trying to calm him down, Brock replied that it takes some time to get information out, to which Mulligan told him to let him know if he makes progress on the case, without embarrass him. The next day, Mulligan read The Daily Bugle story about the bodies found by Eddie Brock, getting angry, throwing the newspaper and kicking the trashcan in a fit of rage, seeing how Brock embarrassed him.[1]
"Well, how come, every time, you seem to be at the center of these things and then miraculously you know nothing about it?" "Maybe I'm lucky." "Yeah, right."
After Cletus Kasadyescaped from the San Quentin State Prison under extraordinary circumstances, Mulligan went to visit Eddie Brock at his apartment as he believed that he would be Kasady's next target, being a 11 bad on a scale of one to ten, with the reports coming from San Quentin being "quite frankly, bananas". Brock, worried about how he escaped, asks Mulligan and he replied that he doesn't know either, but that Brock was his special visitor like the other time, asking him what he told him.
Mulligan investigates Brock's room
Patrick seeing that Brock answered "nothing", asked if Cletus told him anything about an "elaborate breakout costume" escape plan, beginning to wonder how Brock being the center of this case, miraculously doesn't know nothing. Brock responds that maybe he's lucky, which Mulligan didn't believe and begins to investigate Brock's room. While investigating, Brock began to worry and asked him what did he mean by "bananas", responding by reminding Brock about when he asked him a similar question the day he interviewed Kasady.
Grabbing Brock's phone, Mulligan talks about how information is currency, and with being a reporter, he should know that.
Mulligan almost has a PTSD panic attack
Mulligan then told him about how he thought Kasady would come for him, but that was not the case, recommending that he has to stay lay low and leaving the apartment. Mulligan later received a call from Eddie who figured out that someone under the carved initials of F.B. would know where Kasady is headed. Patrick recognized the initials as Frances Barrison but told Brock that he couldn't get any information out of her as he thought she was dead, telling him about how he shot her in the eye. Remembering that old trauma, Mulligan begins to suffer a near mental breakdown, but is distracted by the sound of the hearing amplifier.[1]
After Cletus KasadyrescuedShriek with the help of Carnage, Mulligan along with the SFPD officers went to investigate the damage left behind at Ravencroft. In the process, Mulligan saw a patient screaming about the presence of monsters, and found out Barrison's cell, discovering that he didn't kill her, but that she was locked in that facility all this time. Mulligan then ordered the officers to put out an APB, form a perimeter, blockade state lines, and bring Eddie Brock.
Realizing that he didn't know about Ravencroft and that Eddie Brock was involved in a lot of weird events including a multiple dead bodies in his apartmentlast year, a bizarre outburst at a lobster restaurant, and a rocketexploding close to the Life Foundation Headquarters, Mulligan went to interrogate him about the events that occurred. Again at Tenderloin Police Station, Mulligan walked in and asked Eddie Brock directly what else he has to hide from Cletus Kasady, why he wanted him to see his execution.
Mulligan threatens Eddie
Mulligan then confronted Brock about how bad things happen around him, talking about the dead bodies, the outburst at the lobster restaurant, and how only he survived the Life Foundation incident. Continuing with his anger, Mulligan told how "Clyde"'s found "Bonnie" and the discovery of Camille Pazzo's body at Ravencroft, where people said seeing the presence of monsters. Mulligan is answered with Brock being confused about what he means by monsters, getting angrier and yelling at Eddie about how wherever Kasady goes there's a monster, asking how he does it and what his secret is.
Mulligan throws a chair in anger
Brock decides not to answer without making a call first to Anne Weying, leaving Mulligan with no other options but accept, threating about how secrets want to get out and that they are hard to keep. After waiting for Weying, Mulligan told her that her duty of honesty supersedes her duty to the client if somebody gets harmed after she wanted to talk to him alone, mocking that it should be something that she learned at posh school. Some time after leaving the room to them both alone, Mulligan heard a very loud sound coming from there, going along with the other officers of the department. Upon arriving, Mulligan noticed how there was a giant hole to the outside, noticing how Brock escaped and angrily throwing the chair Eddie was previously sitting on.[1]
While on his way to Brock's apartment, Mulligan faced Cletus Kasady. He got out of his car and pointed his gun at him, telling him to put his hands on his head. Kasady then responded by molding into Carnage, leaving Mulligan with no option but to shot Carnage multiple times. Seeing how is bullets didn't affect him, Mulligan panicked in shock as Carnage hold his arm to kidnap him as a guest for his twisted wedding, mentioning that Shriek will be pleased.[1]
Kidnapped, Mulligan was taken to the Grace Cathedral along with Anne Weying as a gift of the twisted wedding between Cletus Kasady and Frances Barrison, being hold by Carnage, surprised to see Barrison alive and wanting him to be death as a revenge. While reciting their vows, Eddie Brock and Venom came their rescue, causing Carnage to transform and forcing him to release Mulligan. During the battle between Venom and Carnage, Mulligan watched as Shriek approached him, wondering how she was still alive if he killed her. Carnage then grabbed Shriek and told her to kill him without opening his mouth, with Mulligan seeing this and escaping as Shriek and Carnage started an argument.
Mulligan survives his assassination attempt
During his escape through a elevator, while still in pain on the ground, Mulligan was chased by Shriek. Coming out of the elevator and climbing up the scaffolding, Mulligan tried to call for backup, but was caught by Shriek who stabbed him and caused them to fight. With Mulligan on the ground, Shriek plunged his left eye as revenge for what he did to her years ago. Shriek then hung Mulligan with a chain and threw him, presumably killing him. Against all odds, Mulligan survived his assassination attempt after an unknown symbiote bonded with him. Shortly after being saved, Mulligan's eyes began to glow blue while he whispered the word "monsters".[1]
Publicly, Mulligan's disappearance was treated as a murder, putting Eddie Brock as the prime wanted suspect. In his cell, Strickland forced Mulligan to bond with a symbiote named Toxin, with unique capabilities to preview the future, injecting him with a device that facilitated the emergency symbiosis while he slept, being completely efective. Due to his situation, Mulligan suffered panic attacks every time he got up, being helped by a specialized doctor, but completely useless after developing a depression due to confinement.[2]
Awake but unwilling to do anything, Mulligan awaits a visit from Dr. Teddy Paine. Upon arrival, Paine calmed Mulligan down and told about how the symbiosis was to save them both, which Mulligan allowed Toxin to take over his body while he remains in his state of shock, repeating the word "monsters". Mulligan then confronts Paine communicating with Toxin's powers about how Paine is also broken, to which she evades the issue by asking if the symbiote is communicating with him, only to Mulligan be stunned by the hearing amplifier.
As Paine asked them what they were doing here, Rex Strickland asked them what they want, and they both reply that they want a refuge, a safe haven, because they're fleeing from a greater presence. As the others wonder who, Mulligan and Toxin continue their dialogue about how nothing will be left on Earth, informing them of the existence of a cold dark sea around this universe. Toxin communicating with Mulligan, showed him what is Klyntar and Knull exactly, screaming in fear and starting to cry.
Telling the others that they do not want to know, Mulligan suffered from an intense headache that increased his heart rate, leaving Toxin to threaten that "darkness has teeth". Some time later, after discovering the Xenophages, Dr. Paine informed Mulligan about the creatures' arrival. Mulligan, standing still, let Toxin answer her questions.[2]
At night, Mulligan discovered that Eddie Brock is now his cellmate across the hall after being captured, informing Brock what they did to him. Brock was shocked and asked him how he was still alive and in this place, to which Mulligan informed him that Knull is coming to hunt them down because they had the Codex, leaving Toxin to once again take control of the situation. Seeing the fight caused in the hall and how a Xenophage arrived, Toxin decided to defend Venom, but was consumed by the Xenophage killing Mulligan in the process.[2]
Personality[]
Patrick Mulligan is a full-fledged police officer and detective: committed to his job, to protecting the innocent, and to bringing peace to the families of murder victims. He hired the services of Eddie Brock to try to show Cletus Kasady where the bodies of the people he had killed were, although he was not amused that Brock took all the credit for discovering them. Mulligan does not get along with Brock and has the intuition that Brock is hiding something, since he always finds himself in the middle of great massacres without apparently knowing anything. When he orders to stop Brock, he tries to get him to tell him what he knows to prevent Kasady from continuing to kill, and when he meets Brock's lawyer, Anne Weying, he tries to appeal to his humanity so that Brock can speak. When he sees Kasady and he transforms into Carnage, he attacks him without fear, although because of this, he ends up captured. Mulligan feels remorse that he nearly killed Frances Barrison.
After being captured by the United States Armed Forces and held captive in Area 55, Mulligan underwent a drastic change. He became paranoid and developed a type of mindset to that of a broken person. His human personality also seems to have vanished in some shape or form, as proved when Toxin kept taking control for the majority of his conversations with Teddy Paine. There are many factors that could’ve played into this, possibly contributing to being abandoned by his first Symbiote, experiencing visions of the future, or trauma from his bitter past with Barrison and being nearly assassinated by her hand. Mulligan was visibly shaken by Knull’s sheer presence and power, even shedding a tear, claiming ‘there is a dark, cold sea surrounding the universe’. Ultimately, in the end, the former detective was a flawed but brave man who worked in conjunction with his new Symbiote and gave his life to help make sure Knull would never escape, while putting his distaste for Eddie aside.
Powers and Abilities[]
Powers[]
Symbiotic Enhancement/Symbiotic Green Suit: Mulligan has several superhuman attributes as the result of his newly-established bond with Toxin, which covers his body in green biomass and his lower half seemingly transforms into serpent-like tentacles. This increased his abilities, such as strength, durability, speed, agility and healing at superhuman levels along with the access to other powers it provided.
Superhuman Strength: Just like other hosts, Mulligan has developed superhuman strength with the help of Toxin. He was able to break out of his containment cell and restrain an Xenophage and briefly overpower it while ordering Venom to run.
Superhuman Durability: With Toxin, Mulligan can take a lot of damage in combat. His durability massively increases when Toxin covers him. Although he couldn’t save himself when an Xenophage devoured him.
Superhuman Speed: Mulligan can travel at high speeds with his Symbiote, being able to move from one end of the cell to the other briefly.
Superhuman Agility: With Toxin, Mulligan has superhuman levels of agility far greater than regular humans.
Shapeshifting: Toxin has the basic ability to fully emerge from Patrick while remaining attached to him, enveloping the latter’s body to form its own as a sentient, malleable but durable suit complete with eyes, claws and a mouth with powerful jaws and sharp teeth while increasing the body mass, turning him into powerful opponent.
Regenerative Healing Factor: Symbiosis with the unknown symbiote and presumably Toxin, allows Mulligan to heal any wounds or injuries; Mulligan was able to heal his eye after being plunged by Shriek.
Unlike other Symbiotes, Toxin has a unique ability to grant him glimpses of various futures. This was shown when he saw an alternate outcome of Knull escaping his eternal confinement, and he also saw the symbiote hive-mind. Though this is a special power given to Mulligan, it causes him great discomfort and pain, as he was seen holding his head and screaming in agony.
Abilities[]
Expert Marksman: Mulligan shot Frances Barrison in the eye with his pistol, despite the fact that she tried to take it from him in a struggle.
Expert Investigator: Mulligan is a detective officer, hence, he is familiar with search procedures. He investigated Eddie Brock's suspicious behavior, to uncover the reality of Cletus Kasady's case.
Expert Combatant: Due to his experiences as a SFPD officer, Mulligan is highly skilled in hand-to-hand combat and could even give fight against Shriek even being stabbed.
Weaknesses[]
Symbiote Separation: It was directly stated that, when his first Symbiote abandoned him and left him for dead, he started to die from the lack of a symbiotic bond. If Dr. Paine hadn’t given Mulligan another Symbiote, this would’ve most likely resulted in his death.
Sensitivity to High Frequencies: Mulligan and his Symbiote are sensitive to extremely loud noises, more with the hearing amplificator, causing severe pain if it isn’t removed from him.
Equipment[]
Glock 17: Mulligan carries a pistol as his sidearm. He ultimately lost this when he was imprisoned in Area 55.
In 2018, it was announced that Reid Scott would portray Patrick Mulligan in Venom, but his character was revealed to be Dr. Lewis.
Tom Hardy posted on his Instagram a photo with the surname of Mulligan, confirming his appearance in Venom: Let There Be Carnage. The post was then quickly deleted.
