Carnage

Creation & Design

Carnage was created by writer David Michelinie and artist Mark Bagley, first appearing in The Amazing Spider-Man #361. The character was designed to be a more chaotic and violent counterpart to Venom.

Early Years

Cletus Kasady was a sociopathic killer who bonded with the offspring of the Venom symbiote, becoming Carnage. His early years were marked by a troubled childhood and a series of violent crimes.

Character Development

Over the years, Carnage has evolved from a simple villain to a complex character with a rich backstory, often exploring themes of insanity, violence, and the nature of evil.

Cultural Reception

Carnage has been received positively by fans and critics alike, often praised for his chaotic nature and the psychological depth of his character.

Character Details

Real Name:
Cletus Kasady
Aliases:
Carnage, Cletus Kasady
Species:
Human
Gender:
Male
Affiliations:
Sinister Six, Thunderbolts, Carnage Family
Abilities:
Superhuman strength, Regeneration, Shape-shifting, Telepathy
Weight:
190lbs
Height:
6' 0"
Eye Color:
green
Hair Color:
red
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1st appearance of Cletus Kasady, later becomes Carnage

1st full appearance of Cardiac, a doctor who vowed to find a cure for the ailment that caused the death of his brother

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Cletus Kasady becomes infected by the Venom symbiote, later becomes Carnage

[March 2026 - a glimpse of Spider-Man battling Boomerang in the Brand New Day trailer was inspired by this cover - tap cover and swipe to view screenshot]

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1st cameo appearance of Carnage, in one panel - a glob of red symbiote material can be seen

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2nd cameo appearance of Carnage including mention by name, a hand, an arm and partial face

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1st full appearance of Carnage, spawned from the extraterrestrial parasite known as the Venom symbiote

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2nd full appearance of Carnage

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3rd appearance of Carnage

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Preview of Spider-Man 2099, an image of the character accompanying an article about the upcoming series

Early cover appearance of Carnage

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1st appearance of Scream

1st cameo appearance of Agony

1st cameo appearance of Lasher

1st cameo appearance of Phage

1st cameo appearance Riot

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"Maximum Carnage" part 2

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"Maximum Carnage" part 4

1st cover appearance of Shriek

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"Maximum Carnage" part 5

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"Maximum Carnage" part 6

First meeting of Morbius and Venom

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"Maximum Carnage" part 8

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"Maximum Carnage" part 9

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"Maximum Carnage" part 10

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"Maximum Carnage" part 12

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"Maximum Carnage" part 13

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"Maximum Carnage" concludes with part 14

The Dark Book

Wizard 1993 Vol. 1
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Cover art by Mark A Nelson featuring Carnage

A compilation of villain profiles from various comic companies published by Wizard Magazine

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Included with the purchase of the Acclaim video game

Partial reprint of Spider-Man Unlimited #1

According to artist Bill Sienkiewicz: I painted the Carnage figure for the original ad and game box. Painted Venom & Spider-Man separately for use in potential related future ads, just the figures, no backgrounds as per the job requisite

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"Planet of the Symbiotes" part 1 in a 5 part series

Origin of the Alien Symbiote

Flip book cover paying homage to McFarlane's Spider-Man #1 featuring the Scarlet Spider

Title colored with silver ink

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"Planet of the Symbiotes" part 5 in a 5 part series

Flip book cover featuring the Scarlet Spider on the other side

Title colored with gold ink

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Partial origin of Carnage

First Carnage solo-titled issue

Red holo-foil cover

Story continues in Carnage: It's A Wonderful Life

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1st appearance of Spider-Carnage, Ben Reilly possessed by Carnage

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Partial origin of Carnage

Hard-to-find one-shot

Sequel to 'Carnage: Mind Bomb #1'

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1st appearance of Carnage Cosmic, the Carnage symbiote bonds with Silver Surfer

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1st cover and 2nd appearance of Carnage Cosmic

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3rd appearance of Cosmic Carnage

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1st appearance of Pat Mulligan, later becomes Toxin

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Patrick Mulligan becomes Toxin, the spawn of Carnage

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Death of Carnage, ripped in half by the Sentry

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1st appearance of Tanis Nieves, later becomes Scorn

Carnage #1

Marvel 2010 Vol. 1
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Variant cover art by Clayton Crain

Carnage #1

Marvel 2010 Vol. 1
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Variant cover art by Patrick Zircher

Carnage #1

Marvel 2010 Vol. 1
Convention Exclusive
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Variant cover art by Patrick Zircher

Detroit Fanfare 2010 exclusive

Carnage #2

Marvel 2011 Vol. 1
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Variant second printing cover art by Clayton Crain

Carnage #3

Marvel 2011 Vol. 1
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Variant second printing cover art by Clayton Crain

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Premiere issue of a five-part limited series where Carnage sets his sights on a small American town to terrorize

Carnage USA #1

Marvel 2012 Vol. 1
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Variant cover art by Humberto Ramos

Carnage USA #1

Marvel 2012 Vol. 1
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Second printing

Carnage USA #2

Marvel 2012 Vol. 1
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Variant second printing cover art by Clayton Crain

Carnage USA #4

Marvel 2012 Vol. 1
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Copies ordered by retailers: 28,707

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Copies ordered by retailers: 28,652

Wolverine #308

Marvel 2012 Vol. 2
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Variant cover art by Paco Medina

Superior Carnage #1

Marvel 2013 Vol. 1
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Variant cover art by Marco Checchetto

Superior Carnage #2

Marvel 2013 Vol. 1
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Variant cover art by Rafa Garres

Deadpool vs Carnage #1

Marvel 2014 Vol. 1
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Variant cover art by Leinil Francis Yu

Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows #1

Marvel 2015 Vol. 1
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Variant cover art by Humberto Ramos featuring Spider-Man's rogues

Store exclusive

Carnage #1

Marvel 2016 Vol. 2
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Variant cover art by Mike Perkins

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