History Characters / Carnage

* CurbStompBattle: Inflicted on Spider Man in their first encounter. Spider Man was desprate that he resorted to allying with Venom in order to defeat Carnage, but when they tried attacking him together, Carnage overpowered them both.

* CorruptHick: Cletus is [[DependingOnTheWriter often]] given a [[DeepSouth Southern accent]], which Spider-Man, Deadpool, and most other superheroes and villains [[BullyingADragon relentlessly mock him about]]. He also requested a statue be built in his honor and draped in the Confederate flag. However, he hates that people think [[HalfWittedHillbilly he's stupid because of his accent and rural upbringing]].

* CountryMouse: Because he was born and raised in the rural DeepSouth, as noted above, none of his opponents will ever miss an opportunity to remind Cletus that his accent and overall attitude just ''scream'' redneck.

* CorruptHick: Cletus is [[DependingOnTheWriter often]] given a [[DeepSouth Southern accent]], which Spider-Man, Deadpool, and most other superheroes and villains [[BullyingADragon relentlessly mock him about]]. He also requested a statue be built in his honor and draped in the Confederate flag. However, he hates that people think he's stupid because of his accent.

[[folder:Dark Carnage]]
!!Dark Carnage
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dark_carnage_symbiote.png]]
!!!'''First Appearance:''' ''Venom'' Vol. 4 #7

An offshoot of the Grendel symbiote bonded to the corpse of Cletus Kasady, reanimating him and imbuing it with the personality and abilities of the original Carnage symbiote.

* BackFromTheDead: [[spoiler:During ''Planet of the Symbiotes'', Knull brings him back as a RevenantZombie capable of absorbing the life-force of others.]]

%%* BackFromTheDead: At the end of the ''Ravencroft'' series, [[spoiler:a soldier of the Church of the New Darkness who'd infiltrated the J.A.N.I.S. organization opens a secret chamber containing Cortland's tomb, and declares that the cult intends to resurrect him]].

[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/miles_morales_spider_carnage.png]]

[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/miles_morales_earth_1610_and_miles_morales_symbiote_earth_616_from_absolute_carnage_miles_morales_vol_1_3_001.png]]

* PracticallyJoker: Clearly based off the Joker, with [[Film/{{Psycho}} a bit of Norman Bates in there too.]] Arist Erik Larsen even admitted to patterning Kasady's looks on the Clown Prince of Crime. Coincidentally, the Joker was initially delighted to meet Carnage during a Franchise/{{Batman}}[=/=]Franchise/SpiderMan crossover, but they quickly had a falling out over their different opinions on how to kill people.

* InexplicablyIdenticalIndividuals: Even before bonding to Cletus Kasady, it [{RedAndBlackAndEvilAllOver looked identical]] to the original Carnage symbiote.

!!The Toxin Symbiote

!! The Carnage Symbiote

[[folder:The Carnage Symbiote]]
!!The Carnage Symbiote

The first spawn of the Venom symbiote, left behind during the alien's jailbreak of Eddie Brock. Needing a host and sensing Cletus' jealousy of Venom's power, the infant symbiote entered the serial killer's body through a cut and bonded to his bloodstream. The Carnage symbiote was utterly subservient to him and fully embraced his nihilistic philosophy to the point where it functioned as an extension of Cletus' will. Fed up with Carnage, Venom [[OffingTheOffspring once devoured the symbiote]], leaving Cletus powerless for a time, though the serial killer somehow managed to obtain an exact duplicate of it in the Negative Zone that has since merged with the remnants of the original. Despite initially being disgusted at the notion of giving birth, Cletus came to consider the Carnage symbiote to be female, [[InterspeciesRomance causing his relationship with the creature to take on a new dynamic]].

* InexplicablyIdenticalIndividuals: Even before bonding to Cletus Kasady, it looks identical to the original Carnage symbiote.

[[folder:Dark Carnage Symbiote]]
!!Dark Carnage Symbiote

!!! '''First Appearance:'''

!!! '''Host To:''' Carnage
!!! '''First Appearance:'''

!!! '''First Appearance:'''

!!! '''Alter Ego:''' Wizard

!!! '''First Appearance:'''

!!Dark Carnage Other Hosts

!!! '''First Appearance:''' ''Amazing Spider-Man'' #1 (March, 1963) [[note]]As Jameson[[/note]]; ''Amazing Spider-Man'' #124 (September, 1973) [[note]]As Man-Wolf[[/note]]; ''Amazing Fantasy'' #18 (March, 1996) [[note]]Chronologically[[/note]]

!!! '''First Appearance:'''

!!! '''Hosts:''' Numerous unnamed Ravencroft patients

* ContinuitySnarl: Miles Morales spends most of the his tie-in under the symbiote's thrall and struggling to break free. After he manages to zap it off himself, he eventually rebonds to it in order to eavesdrop on Dark Carnage's hive-mind and is shown to be in control of it. In ''Absolute Carnage'' #5, however, the symbiote is shown to be back in the driver's seat -- with Donny Cates stating this was due to a lack of communication between himself and Saladin Ahmed over how the latter was going to end his tie-in.

* TheBadGuyWins: One of the haunted house/scarezone themes called "Maximum Carnage" from [[Ride/UniversalStudios Universal's]] Theatre/HalloweenHorrorNights in 2002 involved Carnage and many other supervillains brutally [[KillEmAll mass-murdering]] all of the Marvel heroes and taking over New York, turning the city into a warzone between a flourishing band of criminals against the Punicher and whatever remains of a hopeless police force.

%%* KilledOffForReal: Despite having seemingly been killed off numerous times only to later be revealed to somehow still be alive, Cletus Kasady is killed off for good in ''ComicBook/AbsoluteCarnage'' #5 after Venom cuts him in half with a Necrosword and strips the Grendel symbiote off him -- his mostly-skeletal corpse falling apart when it hits the ground.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/chewie.jpg]]

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/carnage_eddie_brock.png]]

[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/scorn_9041.jpg]]

* TheBadGuyWins: One of the haunted house/scarezone themes for [[Ride/UniversalStudios Universal's]] Theatre/HalloweenHorrorNights in 2002 involved Carnage brutally [[KillEmAll mass-murdering]] all of the Marvel heroes and taking over New York, turning the city into a warzone between a flourishing band of criminals and whatever remains of a hopeless police force.

!!! '''Alter Ego:'''Superior Carnage

[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/john_jonah_jameson_iii_2528earth_6162529_from_absolute_carnage_lethal_protectors_vol_1_3_001.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:Carnageized Man-Wolf]]
[[caption-width-right:300:[[labelnote:Carnage]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/carnage_john_jameson.jpg[[/labelnote]]]]

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/john_jonah_jameson_iii_earth_616_from_absolute_carnage_lethal_protectors_vol_1_3_001.jpg]]

-> '''First Appearance:''' ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #361

-> '''First Appearance:''' ''Venom'' Vol. 4 #7

-> '''Alter Ego:''' Carnage; Poison Carnage; Dark Carnage; Devil Carnage
-> '''First Appearance:''' ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #344; ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #361 (as Carnage); ''Venomized'' #3 (as Carnage II and Poison Carnage); ''Web of Venom: Carnage Born'' (as Dark Carnage); ''Absolute Carnage'' #4 (as Devil Carnage)

-> '''Alter Ego:''' Spider-Carnage
-> '''First Appearance:''' ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' Vol. 1, #145; ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' Vol., 1 #410 (as Spider-Carnage)

--> ''"I am reborn in BLOOD and AGONY! I am remade into a bringer of DEATH and DESTRUCTION! CHAOS is my only love - and CARNAGE is my name!"''

-> '''Alter Ego''' Carnage Cosmic
-> '''First Appearance:''' ''ComicBook/FantasticFour'' #48; ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' Vol. 1 #430 (as Carnage Cosmic)

--> ''"My mind is aflame with MADNESS! OUTRAGE, WRATH, and CHAOS now smolder within me! I long to give vent to my most wanton desires and my basest emotions! The Silver Surfer is no more! In his place soars... THE CARNAGE COSMIC!"''

-> '''Alter Ego:'''Superior Carnage
-> '''First Appearance:''' ''Spider-Woman'' #50; ''Superior Carnage'' #2 (as Superior Carnage)

[[caption-width-right:300:[[labelnote:Carnage]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/carnage_norman_osborn.png[[/labelnote]]]]

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!! Other Characters

!!! '''Alter Ego:''' Francis Louise Barrison

--> '''Cletus, via the Carnage Symbiote:''' She screams her pain as death and hatred. She kills for me. I like it. When it gets boring, I'll put her down like my mother's dog. I am Carnage. Killing someone I love will make me happy. So happy.

As a child, Francis Barrison was abused by her parents, especially her mother, whose cruelty drove her to drugs, overeating, [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking and heavy metal]]. Francis' mental stability was further damaged when she was shot in the head during an altercation with the police, and when she had a run-in with heroes ComicBook/CloakAndDagger, whose powers did ''something'' to her, giving her various superhuman abilities of her own. Now fully capable of taking revenge on the world she blames for her misery, Francis -- calling herself Shriek -- found soul mates of sorts in the form of her "husband" Carnage, and "son" Doppelganger.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/cortland_kasady_2528earth_6162529_from_ruins_of_ravencroft_carnage_vol_1_1_001.png]]

!!Carnage Other Hosts

!!! '''First Appearance:'''

As a child, Shriek was abused by her parents, especially her mother, whose cruelty drove her to drugs, overeating, [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking and heavy metal]]. Shriek's mental stability was further damaged when she was shot in the head during an altercation with the police, and when she had a run-in with heroes ComicBook/CloakAndDagger, whose powers did ''something'' to Shriek, giving her various superhuman abilities of her own. Now fully capable of taking revenge on the world she blames for her misery, Shriek found soul mates of sorts in the form of her "husband" Carnage, and "son" Doppelganger.

A therapist working at Kramer Penitentiary, Dr. Jenner requested to work with spree killer Cletus Kasady, who had been separated from the Carnage symbiote by the Superior Spider-Man. Under his guidance, Cletus was admitted into the general populace and finally seemed ready to sever psychological ties with the symbiote. However, Jenner secretly desired to become the symbiote's new host and hired an inmate to shank Cletus, smothering him when he learned the symbiote was on its way. When it reached the prison, Jenner offered himself to it, but it vehemently rejected him and resuscitated Cletus, who proceeded to kill Jenner along with the rest of the prisoners.

A man who contacted Eddie Brock claiming to be the Sin-Eater serial killer, but was seemingly exposed as a compulsive confessor. In the wake of Carnage's morality (or lack thereof) being altered by the events of ''ComicBook/{{Axis}}'', he was found to have died, but returns as a sin-eating demon, and places the symbiote serial killer in his crosshairs after Cletus interferes with his mission to wipe out the press.

--> '''Alice:''' What are you doing?!
--> '''Carnage:''' Taking a victory lap, babe! You can't rob a bank if burn it down first!
--> '''Alice:''' What are you thinking? You've made everything worse! Put out the fire!
--> '''Carnage:''' Jeez, okay, chill out, gawd...

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bizarnage_4490.jpg]]

* BigBadEnsemble: His rampage through Project Cadmus in ''Spider-Boy'' #1 allowed King Lizard[[note]]King Shark + Lizard[[/note]] to escape his cell.
* BlackEyesOfEvil: His eyes look like nothing more than jagged empty holes.
* CrypticBackgroundReference: He's cited as having previously appeared in ''The Outrageous Spider-Boy'' #254 and ''Way-Cool Spider-Boy'' #37, neither of which exist in RealLife.
* FusionDance: When the DC and Marvel Universe combined into the Amalgam Universe, so did everything and everyone in them, including two enemies of their flagship superheroes. To wit, he has Carnage's appearance and powers with and Bizarro's skin conditions and mental faculties.
* GoneHorriblyWrong: Yeah, Project Cadmus didn't intend for their experiment to create a killing machine.
* HulkSpeak: A holdover from Bizarro.
* KillAndReplace: His plan for Spider-Boy, as he so eloquently puts it.
--> '''Bizarnage:''' Me want to be like you, Spider-Boy! But there am only one Spider-Boy! So stop fighting so Bizarnage will kill you!
* PaletteSwap: Is identical to Carnage, but stark white with jagged black eyes.
* PsychopathicManchild: Bizarro's naivety mixed with Carnage's bloodlust.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/carnage_and_norman_osborn.jpg]]

[[quoteright:201:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/logan_carnage.jpg]]

[[caption-width-right:300:As Carnage]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/carnage_iii_7.png]]
[[caption-width-right:300:As Carnage II]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/poison_carnage_4.png]]
[[caption-width-right:300:As Poison Carnage]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dark_carnage.png]]
[[caption-width-right:300:As Dark Carnage]]

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/absolute_carnage_2.jpg]]

!!! '''Alter Ego:''' Red Goblin Carnage

* TheAssimilator: The Carnage symbiote has made a habit of assimilating others of its own kind, first during the Symbiote Invasion, then to rejuvenate itself after most of it was eaten by Venom, [[spoiler:and to take over the remnants of the Grendel symbiote when it was bonded to Cletus]].

* KilledOffForReal: According to Donny Cates, Cletus Kasady's portion of the Carnage symbiote died trying to save him in ''Web of Venom: Carnage Born''.

* ReducedToDust: While the implication at the end of ''Venomized'' was that Poison Carnage would become a recurring threat, ''Web of Venom: Carnage Born'' shows Poison Carnage's crystalline exoskeleton and consumed symbiote crumbling to dust to reveal Cletus somehow restored to humanity.

** By absorbing codices and other symbiotes, its connection to Knull was amplified and it grew in power to the point of effectively becoming a god. Additionally, absorbing the codices of superhumans -- like the Ghost Rider Alejandra Jones -- temporarily imbues it with the powers of those hosts.

[[folder:Carnage / Carnage II / Poison Carnage / Dark Carnage]]

-> '''Alter Ego:''' Cletus Kasady
-> '''First Appearance:''' ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #344; ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #361 (as Carnage); ''Venomized'' #3 (as Carnage II and Poison Carnage); ''Web of Venom: Carnage Born'' (as Dark Carnage)

* SelfDuplication: Following the shenanigans involving Hall Industries Cletus discovered he could infect and control people using parts of his symbiote, although he's since lost the ability to do so.

[[folder:Spider-Carnage]]

-> '''Alter Ego:''' Benjamin "Ben" Reilly

[[folder:Carnage Cosmic]]

-> '''Alter Ego''' Norrin Radd

The cosmically-powered Norrin Radd is the former (and sometimes current) Herald of Galactus.

[[folder:Superior Carnage]]

-> '''Alter Ego:''' Doctor Karlin "Karl" Malus

Growing up, Karlin Malus was fascinated by the exploits of the Fantastic Four and graduated with a degree in biology, wanting to study the science behind superpowers. Unable to get money through legal means, Karl turned to crime and set up the Institute for Supranormality Research with backing from criminal organizations. Through illegal human testing, Malus developed supersoldier serums, but his desire to experiment on an already superpowered individual went unrealized until Richard Deacon, a supervillain called the Fly, came to him looking for a power boost. Malus' experiments brought him into conflict with Jessica Drew, the first Spider-Woman; and later Captain America. Malus was eventually hired by Power Broker, Inc. to supply superhumanly strong wrestlers for the Unlimited Class Wrestling Federation, though this arrangement backfired when the serum he used drove most of his subjects insane and his spine was broken. Wheelchair-bound, Malus was later recruited by his old friend the Wizard, who sought his help in controlling Carnage... by forcibly transferring the symbiote to his body and controlling him instead. Resentful of the Wizard's trickery, Malus nevertheless was forced to become the "Superior Carnage", joining Wizard's attack on city hall and coming into conflict with the Superior Spider-Man. Malus ultimately lost control of the symbiote and killed Klaw, and was stripped of it and eaten by the symbiote-controlled Wizard. However, he managed to survive the experience, emerging and returning to his mad science career...and having gained a symbiote's powers in the process.

[[folder:Red Goblin]]

!!! '''Alter Ego:''' Norman Osborn, Green Goblin, Carnage

A longtime enemy of Spider-Man, Norman Osborn -- aka the Green Goblin -- was stripped of his powers and AxCrazy split personality by Spider-Man following his attempt to take over New York as the Goblin King. Despite Norman initially revelling in his newfound sanity, he eventually realized he was at a disadvantage against Spider-Man and became increasingly desperate to reawaken the Goblin within. When science and magic failed to re-empower him, Osborn hired a pair of mercenaries to retrieve the Carnage Symbiote from the government facility it was being kept in and bonded to it, thinking that he could control its bloodlust. Despite its initial resistance to Osborn's attempts to control it, Carnage had discovered that it somehow liked the idea of slowly killing people instead of out-and-out insta-kills. Osborn convinced the symbiote to let him have "the driver's seat" in order to show it more of that sort of violence. The symbiote purged Osborn of the vaccine, and he took the Goblin Formula to become a symbiote-Goblin hybrid; kidnapping J. Jonah Jameson and re-discovering Spider-Man's civilian identity of Peter Parker.

[[folder:Goblin Childe]]

!!! '''Alter Ego:''' Norman "Normie" Harold Osborn

The son of Harry Osborn and Liz Allan, Normie Osborn idolized his grandfather, resented his father's apparent preference for his younger son Stanley, and hated Spider-Man. Normie was bonded to a piece of the Carnage symbiote by his grandfather, taking up the alias Goblin Childe, but ultimately turned against Norman when he saw how much of a monster his grandfather really was.

[[folder:John Jonah Jameson III]]

!!! '''Alter Ego:'''
!!! '''Host To:'''

!!! '''Alter Ego:''' Scorn, She-Carnage

!!! '''First Appearance:'''

!!! '''Host To:'''
!!! '''First Appearance:'''

!!! '''Host To:'''

!!! '''Host To:'''

!!! '''Host To:'''

!!! '''Host To:'''

!!! '''Alter Ego:'''

!!! '''Host To:'''
!!! '''First Appearance:'''

!!! '''Host To:'''

** Since the opposition had a version of Venom on their side, [[Characters/IncredibleHulkBruceBanner the Maestro]] considered recruiting Carnage to his ''[[ComicBook/ContestOfChampions Contest of Champions]]'' team, but abandoned the notion after catching a glimpse of what Cletus was currently up to.