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Carnage Vol 2 2 Crain Variant Textless
Carnage
Full Name: Cletus Kasady
First Appearance: Amazing Spider-Man #344 (as Cletus Kasady)
Amazing Spider-Man #361 (as Carnage)
Created by: David Michelinie, Erik Larsen
Home Universe: Earth-616
Alignment: Evil
Status: Alive
Place of Birth: Brooklyn, New York
Citizenship: American
Base: Mobile
Affiliations: His "Family" (Carrion, Shriek, Demogoblin, Doppelganger); formerly Sinister Six
Powers/Abilities: Formidable combatant
Height: 6' 1" (1.85 m) (As Cletus)
Variable (As Carnage)
Weight: 190 lbs (86 kg) (As Cletus)
Variable (As Carnage)
Hair Color: Red (As Cletus)
None (As Carnage)
Eye Color: Green (As Cletus)
White (As Carnage)
Unique Features: Monstrous form as Carnage.


"Evil is forever... and they don't get more evil than me!"
— Carnage


Cletus Kasady (of Earth-616), also known as Carnage, is an unstable mass murdering serial killer. Cletus has fought many superheroes over the years, but considers Spider-Man and Venom to be his mortal enemies.

History

Early life

Cletus Kasady is a deeply disturbed individual with a dark past. As a child, Cletus killed his grandmother by pushing her down a flight of stairs, tried to murder his mother by tossing a television into her bathtub, and tortured and killed his mother's dog. After the latter, his mother then tried to kill Cletus, and was apparently beaten to the brink of death by Cletus' father, who received no defense from Cletus during his trial. As an orphan, Kasady was sent to the St. Estes Home for Boys, where his antisocial behavior made him the target of abuse from both the other orphans and the staff. Kasady gained revenge against his tormentors by murdering the disciplinarian administrator, pushing a girl (who laughed at him for asking her to date him) in front of a moving bus, and burning down the orphanage. It was during his brutal years at St. Estes that Kasady acquired his philosophy that life was essentially meaningless and futile, that "laws are only words", and came to see the spreading of chaos through random, unpatterned bloodshed as "the ultimate freedom."

Rebirth

Cletus and Eddie in jail together

Cletus & Eddie in jail together

Eventually Kasady grew up to become a serial killer an committed 11 murders, though he bragged of a dozen more. Eventually Cletus was captured and sent to Ryker's Island to pay for his crimes against humanity. During his time on Ryker's, Cletus shared a cell with Eddie Brock, the man once known as Venom. While Eddie waited for the symbiote to spring him from prison, Kasady entertained him with his homicidal philosophy on life: Even the average person can commit murder, if only he has the courage.

The Birth of Carnage

The birth of Carnage

As anticipated, the symbiote attempted to free Eddie by inciting a destructive jailbreak. Unknown to its human host, the alien was pregnant and gave birth during the disastrous rescue. Left behind in the midst of the riot that ensued, the symbiote's spawn bonded with Kasady. Empowered far beyond the levels of Spider-Man and Venom, he made his escape - intent on using his new-found power to disseminate his lethal doctrine and as Carnage, his first victim Gunther Stein was chosen from a Telephone book.

Here's Carnage

Spider-Man & Venom meet Carnage

Carnage's first encounter with Spider-Man & Venom

Carnage went on a city-wide killing spree, attracting the attention of Spider-Man. Despite his amazing abilities, Spider-Man was not strong enough to defeat Carnage. This forced Spider-Man to enlist the aid of the Fantastic Four, the greatest team of superhuman adventurers ever assembled. He also sought the assistance of another, more dangerous ally: Venom, his hated foe. Surprisingly, Venom agreed to help Spider-Man as he despised his offspring more than him. Facing the combined might of Spider-Man, Venom and the Fantastic Four, Carnage was captured and imprisoned at the Vault.

Maximum Carnage

Carnage's Family

The Carnage "Family"

Kasady is taken into The Vault, a prison full of super-villains, the Ravencroft Institute, a facility for the super-humans who are criminally insane. A doctor at the facility, was hoping to find a cure for his madness, draws blood from him and unwittingly enabled Kasady to morph into Carnage who goes on to recruit an army of psychopathic super villains including Shriek, Demogoblin, Carrion, and Doppelganger to take over New York City. Using Shriek's psychic channeling powers, he later driven ordinary New Yorkers' to attack one another. Carnage and his "family" are ultimately driven back by Spider-Man, Venom, and other superheroes and antiheroes, with Carnage and Shriek being the remanding people in Ravencroft.

Kasady is transferred to Ravencroft Institute, where he is to be tested and cured of a his serial-killer-nature. However, during one of the tests, the Carnage symbiote escapes from inside of Kasady and he becomes Carnage once more. After murdering the entire staff of Ravencroft, he finds Shriek, who immediately teams up with. They run into Spider-Doppelganger and acquire his help as well. While Shriek and the Doppelganger deal with Spider-Man, Carnage kidnaps J. Jonah Jameson once more.

Web of Carnage

Carnage as a giant

Carnage as a giant with spiderman.

During a jailbreak, he made a mission to kill his only childhood friend, Billy Bentime, in hoping to refute the notion that friendship should be paid in kindness. Carnage nearly defeated Spider-Man until Bentime tricked Carnage into reverting into human form, enabling Spider-Man to knock out Kasady with one punch.

The Carnage symbiote was supposedly destroyed in conflict, and Kasady was sent back to Ryker's Island, where he unexpectedly transformed during his time. He rampaged through the prison. Shriek, who was still in league with Carnage, aided him in taking over the island and recruiting villains like the Abomination, Mysterio, Screaming Mimi, and the Lizard. His true intentions were less potent variation of gamma radiation that was being developed on the island by S.H.I.E.L.D. to make himself the "ultimate killer", but was stopped once again by Spider-Man.

Though the bond in Cletus Kasady's bloodstream, the symbiote found a way to ditch its host by travelling through the institute's water pipes, it later overwhelmed Ravencroft's chief, John Jameson, and using him to commit murders. It eventually transferred itself to Spider-Man AKA Ben Reilly (Peter Parker's clone) at the time when Ben bonded with it, he ordered to prevent it hurting any innocent people, creating the temporary alias, Spider-Carnage. Ben's willpower held it against the symbiote's murderous desires, long enough for him to return it to Ravencroft. Reilly attempted to destroy the symbiote by subjecting himself to a potential lethal blast of microwaves, but it escaped back into Kasady after the microwaves forced it to separate.

The Carnage symbiote has escaped from Ravencroft and bonded to Ben Reilly. Ben tries to fight the symbiote, and tries to not let it have control.

Carnage Cosmic

During a rampage, the Carnage symbiote tried commit an attempted control of the Silver Surfer, who was visiting Earth to welcome the Fantastic Four after their return, following the battle with Onslaught (a Psychic Entity). The Surfer and Spider-Man were able to return the symbiote to Kasady, and the Surfer then sealed Kasady in an unbreakable prison in an attempt to reflect on his sins for eternity.

Death and Resurrection

Venom taking the symbiote away from Cletus

Venom takes the symbiote away from Cletus

Having to track Kasady to a prison, specially designed to hold him, he escaped the Surfer's prison has yet to be established that Venom eventually reabsorbs the Carnage symbiote into his own body "for good". Without the symbiote, Kasady attempts to re-assume the Carnage persona by costuming himself in red paint and continuing on with his killing sprees, claiming that he still possesses some of Carnage's strength and that he only needs to kill Spider-Man and Venom to regain his symbiote, but Spider-Man easily defeats him in a fight. However, Kasady eventually finds another symbiote who had been kept in the Negative Zone, and bonded with it to form a second Carnage.

Toxin

Carnage vs

Carnage vs. Patrick

After a battle with Venom, Carnage was about to give birth to the another symbiote, he was threatened by its existence and attempt to destroy it. However, Venom wanted to raise and train the new symbiote as an ally and partner. Weakened by birthing, Carnage was unable to kill the newborn. Supplanting the symbiote in Patrick Mulligan, a New York City police officer. Venom named the new symbiote Toxin. He named it Toxin because they knew how powerful Toxin will be, and because his host is a cop, he would most likely be the good guy thus they made a temporary alliance, but in the end they were both defeated.

Breakout

The Sentry kills Carnage

The Sentry tears Carnage a new one

Carnage was one of the super villains that tried to escape the Raft after Electro instigated a jailbreak. Carnage met his end when the Sentry ripped up Carnage in half and flung him into the Earth's orbit. According to Iron Man's computer, Kasady may not have been inside the symbiote when the Sentry ripped Carnage apart.

Return

The Return of Cletus Kasady

Miss Me?

It is later discovered that while Kasady did in fact die in the incident, the symbiote survived by becoming a dormant and returned to Earth. Using the properties of the red symbiote, Michael Hall; a competitor of Tony Stark, creates prosthetic limbs and exo-suits that respond in similar ways as a symbiote. One such person, Dr. Tanis Nieves is outfitted with one of these prosthetic arms after she is caught and attack by the Doppelganger.

When near the red symbiote, her arm went wild and forces her to kill several scientists before she is forcefully bonded, becoming the new Carnage. After the symbiote uses Tanis to break into the Hall Corporation facility, it is revealed that Cletus Kasady is alive, having his body been preserved by the symbiote and repaired by Hall's prosthetic.

Kasady reclaims the symbiote had become Carnage once more, attempting to avenge his captivity while Spider-Man and Iron Man struggle to stop him. It is revealed that Carnage is once again pregnant, and the suit's spawn briefly bonds Shriek before being torn from her. Scared of Shriek's malice, the symbiote's arm then bonds to Tanis, creating a new hero, Scorn, who defeats Shriek and forces her to use her sonic shriek to weaken Carnage for Spider-Man and Iron Man. However, Carnage escapes with the Doppelganger and swears to make a comeback.

Carnage USA.

Carnage engulfing Colorado

The birth of the Symbiote nation

In the aftermath of his return, Carnage sets off west in Doverton, Colorado. He bonds most of the town into copies of his symbiote. Captain America, Spider-Man, Wolverine, Hawkeye and the Thing attempted to defeat him but all of them were bonded to copies except Spider-Man. The Avengers compromised and Spider-Man was out of communication, the government sends in another team consisting of symbiote enhanced special forces.

Dr. Tanis Nieves as Scorn goes along with separated parts of Hybrid which make up Agony, Phage, Riot, and Lasher, but they are heavily outnumbered since Carnage controls the town. Captain America breaks free of his bond, long enough to make an emergency call for back up to Venom.

Cletus as the King of Colorado

It's good to be king

Flash Thompson in the Venom symbiote sets off to Colorado to kill Carnage. The enhanced special forces keeps fighting but Carnage sends the Avengers after them, it was when Spider-Man comes with the unaffected residence of the town. The melee is particularly fierce when Venom intervenes with sonic sounds. Venom is about to kill Carnage with a gun in the mouth but Spider-Man stops him. Before Venom or Carnage can recover, Scorn uses a construction vehicle to carry the two to a device she built. She uses her device that is meant to permanently remove the bond from Carnage and Venom, but the hosts were alive, leaving a legless Flash Thompson alone with Kasady. The symbiotes finish fighting themselves and the Avengers, Venom finds its way back to Flash Thompson while Scorn is able to capture and contain the Carnage symbiote, Cletus is then captured and dragged into the back of a prison vehicle.

Minimum Carnage

Minimum Carnage

Now there's more of me to love.

Cletus has been put into custody in the Thunderbolts Mountain until he was contacted by beings of the Micro verse, who managed to see inside his mind and offer him a treat, they would give him the Micro verse to get a whole new universe to kill in exchange for his service for these beings. He managed to use the traces of the symbiote in his DNA to become Carnage once more, escaping to the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas and using new technology to escape to the Micro verse, even after the Scarlet Spider tried to stop him.

He betrayed his allies, who wanted to bring him their master, Marquis Radu in order to create a symbiotic army and kill most of them while Venom and Scarlet Spider followed him. While fighting the Scarlet Spider, Marquis Radu's army appeared and took Carnage prisoner along with Venom, who was captured along with his allies in the Enigma Force to another place.

The symbiotes of Venom and Carnage were replicated to create a powerful army that could destroy the Micro verse. Cletus managed to take control over the symbiotic army and use it to escape the regular universe, where he was finally defeated by the combined efforts of Venom and Scarlet Spider, and a special weapon was given to them by the Enigma Force. After being stung by the Scarlet Spider, Cletus cured his wounds but was left in a catatonic state, meaning that the symbiote was now in full control of his body, although still put into custody once more including being sedated.

Superior Carnage

Carnage being attacked by Klaw

Raaaaa!

Carnage was freed from imprisonment by The Wizard, who still thought Cletus was in control of the symbiote, wanting to make him part of his newest Frightful Four. However, Carnage was unaffected by The Wizard's powers and attacked him. Before Carnage was able to finish him off, the Klaw was able to stop Carnage and save The Wizard. After realizing that Carnage could not be affected by his powers and could not be separated from his host by traditional means. Since the symbiote was embedded in Cletus' blood, the Wizard began to transferring the symbiote to a new host by transfusing Cletus' blood into Karl Malus.

Powers & Abilities

Powers

The symbiote of which Cletus Kasady was host to provided him with numerous spider-like powers. But even without the symbiote, Cletus is still considered very dangerous. His insanity makes him impossible to reason with and he has no trouble with killing with no motive.
  • Red Symbiotic Costume: Kasady possesses various superhuman attributes as a result of bonding with the symbiote offspring. Most of his powers are similar to those possessed by Spider-Man and Venom.
    • Superhuman Strength: Kasady is superhumanly strong. He has demonstrated to being stronger than Venom and Spider-Man combined and can lift 80 tons or more, however, it is not his true limit as his strength increases with his size and variable muscle mass.
    • Superhuman Speed: Kasady can run and move at speeds superior to those of any normal human being.
    • Superhuman Stamina: Kasady's musculature generates considerably less fatigue toxins during physical activity than the musculature of an ordinary human. He can physically exert himself at peak capacity for about 24 hours before the build up of fatigue toxins in his bloodstream begins to impair him.
    • Superhuman Agility: Kasady's agility, balance, and bodily coordination are enhanced to levels that are beyond the natural physical limits of even the finest human athlete.
    • Superhuman Reflexes: Kasady's reflexes are similarly enhanced and are superior to those of the finest human athlete.
    • Superhuman Durability: The tissue the symbiote is composed of renders Kasady's body much harder and more resistant to physical injury than the body of an ordinary human. Kasady can withstand high caliber bullets, great impact forces, powerful energy blasts, and falls from great heights without sustaining physical injury.
    • Regenerative Healing Factor: Despite this, however, it is possible to injure him. Kasady is able to rapidly regenerate damaged bodily tissues far faster and more extensively than any ordinary human is capable of and rapidly regenerate damaged even lost or destroyed bodily tissue that would be fatal to normal humans. he can fully regenerate severed limbs or missing internal organs. Kasady is also immune to the effects of all Earthly diseases and infections as long as he remains bonded with the symbiote.
    • Wall Crawling: Much like Spider-Man, Kasady has the ability to cling to any surface. He can rapidly crawl, walk, or run across even slickened surfaces.
    • Webbing: Kasady can project a powerful, organic web-like substance similar to the webbing Spider-Man has. He typically uses this webbing to swing from building to building or as a means of immobilizing someone. The webbing is exceptionally strong, much more so for even the finest human athlete to break.
    • Carnage creating a weapon using the symbiote

      Carnage using Shapeshifting

      Shapeshifting: The symbiote possesses limited shape-shifting abilities in the sense that it can immediately change itself to appear as any type of clothing or garment that Kasady wishes. Kasady can generate tentacle-like appendages from various parts of his body, which he often uses either in combat situations or to restrain someone. Kasady can morph sections of his body, such as his hands or feet, into bladed weaponry such as spikes, blades, or axes. Kasady can also detach these bladed weaponry if he chooses to. For example, he often forms spikes that he expels from his body. The weaponry, however, disintegrates after being separated from his body after a period of about 30 seconds.
    • Spider-Sense Immunity: Due to the symbiote offspring being a child of the parent symbiote, Carnage can't be detected by Spider-Man's Spider-Sense.

Abilities

Though he has had no training, the natural abilities granted to Kasady by the symbiote makes him a formidable combatant.

Weaknesses

  • Sonic and Heat: The Carnage symbiote, like every other symbiote, is extremely vulnerable to heat and sonic based attacks. They can cause the symbiote physical pain and discomfort, where as "more powerful" attacks may be completely ineffective.
  • Paralyzed State: Due to a recent run in with the Scarlet Spider, Kasady was left in a paralyzed state forcing him to become dependent on the Carnage Symbiote for mobility until the symbiote repaired the damage to his mind.

Paraphernalia

Equipment

Transportation

  • Web-Slinging: Carnage gained the ability to mimic Spider-Man's web swinging.

Weapons

As Carnage, Cletus could shape his limbs into various weapons.

Trivia

  • Kasady had a teddy bear named Binky in his orphanage. He went back for Binky after he escaped Ryker's.

See Also

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