Square-Enix shocked us by unveiling three all-new Marvel Play Arts Kai variants (that’s two more than I expected) at the New York Toy Fair 2015 back in February, and has continued to tantalize Marvel collectors with glimpses of Spider-Man’s most popular villain ever since. But the time for teases is over, as the lethal symbiote has now been fully revealed: the Square-Enix Play Arts Kai Venom figure is now up for order!

Sometimes Venom is a hero, sometimes he’s a villain, and sometimes he’s somewhere in-between (or an Agent)–but looking at the menacing visage of Square-Enix’s next Marvel figure, there’s no question this is a villainous representation of the Marvel Universe’s most legendary symbiotic alien.

And the keyword to note there is “alien“. Venom isn’t just some dude in spandex–he’s an otherworldly creature bonded to a host human, able to move and behave in all manner of inhuman ways. And it’s these otherworldly qualities that Square-Enix really wanted to play up with this Play Arts Venom Variant figure.

I was a bit baffled initially as to the weird purple-tinted color scheme that Square Enix had selected for Venom, but then I finally realized what they were going for, and it’s right in his name: Venom. Square-Enix is pushing the toxic aspect of the character, and purple is the color most closely associated with poison in Japan (just ask Muk, Weezing, Nidoking and 75% of the other Poison-Type Pokémon out there).

So yes–this is a very purple take on Venom. I’ve warmed up to it quite a bit since the early teases. Your aesthetic tastes may (and quite possibly do) vary.

While the Play Arts Kai Spider-Man figure came with a veritable cornucopia of accessories, Venom has far fewer. In total, Venom includes just 9 accessories: seven interchangeable hands, an alternate head and a (super-sturdy and very useful) display stand.

The three alternate hands which have web-like and claw-like symbiotic appendages growing off of them are easily the coolest part of this entire action figure. I would have happily paid out a bit more to get more appendages for Venom’s arms and back (a la the awesome Marvel Select Carnage figure I reviewed this spring), but that sadly just doesn’t seem to have been in the cards.

I suppose the lack of accessories is to keep the price reasonable on Venom despite the amount of plastic used to produce his hulking size of over 10″ tall, but I still would have liked to get a few more accessories with the alien/human hybrid.

Venom is retailing for 14,040 yen in Japan, which is the equivalent of about $114 U.S. dollars. As such, the approximate $129.99 that most domestic import shops are charging for the Venom action figure is a pretty fair price.

I really, really wanted to save money by passing on the figures in this Marvel Play Arts Kai Variant line that I didn’t absolutely love, but so far I’ve only managed to skip Iron Man. Sigh.

The Venom Play Arts Kai figure is now available for order, and is scheduled to be released in October/November 2015. I’ve heard more anticipation for Venom than any other character announced for the Play Arts Kai Marvel Variant line thus far, so I’m anticipating Venom will be Square Enix’s best seller yet from the line.

Now that we’ve seen all of the official photos and all of the specs and accessories, what do you think of this action figure, Venom fans? Are you amped about this fresh take on Venom, or is Square-Enix’s interpretation of the symbiotic supervillain just not what you’re looking for?