Carnage (character)
Carnage is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, usually as an adversary of Spider-Man and the archenemy of his father Venom, in particular the Eddie Brock incarnation of the character, although Carnage and Venom have joined forces when their goals have aligned. The character made its first appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #361 (April 1992),[2] and was created by writer David Michelinie and artist Mark Bagley, although the first published artwork of Carnage was penciled by Chris Marrinan. Stan Lee would also have some input in the character's name and attributes, pushing for a character who would be far darker and vicious than Venom, due to the latter's more scrupulous character development.
Carnage
Cameo appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man #360 (March 1992)
Full appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man #361 (April 1992)
David Michelinie (writer)
Mark Bagley (artist)
Chris Marrinan (artist)
Stan Lee (name and conceptual input)
Spider-Carnage, Carnage Cosmic, Superior Carnage, Red Goblin, The Red Slayer, Goblin Childe, The Crimson Leviathan
- All powers of the predecessor's first human host, Spider-Man
- Limited shapeshifting and camouflage
- Symbiote's autonomous defense capabilities
- Undetectable by Spider-Man's spider-sense
Carnage belongs to a race of amorphous parasitic extraterrestrial organisms known as Symbiotes, which form a symbiotic bond with their hosts and give them super-human abilities. Originating as an offspring of Venom, Carnage is much more powerful than its parent symbiote because of the symbiotes' biology, and is in many ways a darker version of him. Like Venom, Carnage has had multiple hosts over the years, but its most infamous one remains its first – killer Cletus Kasady, whose sadistic personality perfectly matches that of the symbiote. Other notable hosts include Ben Reilly, Karl Malus, and Norman Osborn, as well as Gwen Stacy in the alternate Ultimate Marvel continuity. The Carnage symbiote gave birth to its first significant offspring, Toxin, in 2004.
Since its original introduction in comics, the character has been adapted into other forms of media, such as television series and video games. Woody Harrelson voiced Carnage in its first live-action appearance in the film Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021), set in Sony's Spider-Man Universe (SSU), as well as portraying Cletus Kasady, reprising his cameo role from Venom (2018). In 2009, the Cletus Kasady version of Carnage was ranked as IGN's 90th Greatest Comic Book Villain of All Time.[3]
Conception and creation[edit]
The Carnage symbiote was derived by writer David Michelinie while Mark Bagley designed the character. The symbiote was perceived to be a darker version of Venom, and was created due to the writers not wanting a replacement for Eddie Brock as Venom. Carnage was in part only created due to Venom's immense popularity with fans. The character was originally meant to be named "Chaos",[4] until a different company came out with a character with the same name. Then "Ravage" was considered before Michelinie discovered Ravage 2099 was soon to be released. Finally, assistant editor Eric Fein suggested "Carnage". Stan Lee would also have some input for the human host, having come up with the name "Cletus Kasady", with the idea of Carnage's host being a remorseless psychopath whose bond with his Symbiote was far more complete than Eddie Brock and Venom Symbiote's, and therefore would refer to himself as "I" instead of Venom's "we", signifying his Symbiote had little agency of its own and acted more as a weapon and extension of Kasady's will, maximizing his ability to murder people and creative and gruesome ways.[5]
Other versions[edit]
MC2[edit]
In the MC2 future timeline, Carnage, also known as Specimen 297, bonds with Spider-Girl's friend Moose Mansfied, who wanted to use the symbiote to cure his father from cancer.[45] He also infects Spider-Girl's little brother, turning him into a miniature version of himself. Spider-Girl uses the sonic blasters of the villain Reverb to destroy all traces of the symbiote.
In a later timeline, samples of the symbiote are used to create Biopreds, living weapons that the government use to try to stop Mayhem, Spider-Girl's part-symbiote clone, who, after killing the real Spider-Girl, became a murderous vigilante, eventually killing the hero American Dream. The Biopreds run wild, however, decimating the world and its defenders. Mayhem, seeing the error of her ways, goes back in time and sacrifices herself to stop her past self from killing Spider-Girl, ensuring the events that led to the Biopreds' creation never occurred.[46]
Ultimate Marvel[edit]
The Ultimate Marvel version of Carnage is a self-regenerating vampiric organism. This version is created from DNA samples of both Spider-Man (Peter Parker) and the Lizard, and combined with samples from Richard Parker's symbiotic suit research.
When first introduced, the organism was a blob of instinct, with no intelligence or self-awareness, with its only aim to feed on the DNA of others, including Gwen Stacy, to stabilize itself. After feeding on multiple people, Carnage turns into a damaged form of Richard. Carnage and Peter battle to which Peter throws Carnage into a fire factor steel chimney, killing the beast. But before its death, the organism splintered into a replica of Gwen's form.[47][48]
In Ultimate Spider-Man #98, Gwen Stacy appears to have no memory of her "death" and believes she was in a hospital, from which she has escaped. In issue #100, after a raft of revelations, the stress of the situation enrages Gwen. She transforms into Carnage before leaping out the window. In the next issue, Richard Parker claims Gwen should not have met Peter at all, and was merely an experiment in stem cell research. This Gwen/Carnage fights with the Fantastic Four, Nick Fury, and the Spider-Slayers drones, until she is knocked unconscious by a beam of light, and taken into custody. In issue No. 113, the Green Goblin causes a massive prison break from the Triskelion. An inmate appearing to be Gwen walks out amidst the chaos, disappearing in the shadows. It has been revealed the resurrected Gwen is still the original Ultimate Carnage faced earlier in its run. After "devouring" Gwen, this incarnation of Carnage has gone on to restore her "essence", becoming Gwen Stacy.[49]
During the "War of the Symbiotes" storyline, Gwen/Carnage's back story in the Triskelion is revealed. It is shown Gwen has been taking some form of therapy. However, when the Goblin broke out of the Triskelion, Gwen escaped and went to Peter's old house in a confused and terrified state, with Carnage's face on her body. During an exchange between Peter and Gwen, Eddie Brock attempts to attack Aunt May and retake the Venom symbiote. In a rage, Spider-Man engages Eddie on a nearby rooftop. During the fight, Gwen is shown to be able to use her symbiote to fight off Eddie, but the Venom symbiote reconstitutes itself upon contact with Carnage and absorbs the symbiote, rendering Gwen an ordinary girl once again.
Marvel 1602[edit]
On Earth-311, Canice Cassidy believed that he was bonded to a demon and formed the universe's version of Sinister Six called Sinister Sextet with Electro, Hobgoblin, Karnov (Earth-411's version of Kraven the Hunter), Magus (Earth-311's version of Mysterio), and Serpent (who is similar to Lizard) as its members. The dimension-hopping Web-Warriors who aid dimensions (who lost its Spider-Man) defeated Sinister Sextet, and as they round up their captives, they notice that Electro escaped, unbeknownst to the group, followed them to the Great Web.[50]