Maximum Carnage
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This article is regarding a story arc in a comic book. For the video game, see Spider-Man and Venom: Maximum Carnage
Maximum Carnage is a fourteen-part crossover storyline printed in Marvel's Spider-Man family of titles in 1993, featuring Spider-Man and Venom again teaming up to face Venom's murderous 'child'. This arc was collected as a trade paperback in September 1994 (ISBN 0-7851-0038-5), and a new edition was released in January 2005 (ISBN 0-7851-0987-0). It was comparable in depth and scope to DC Comics' company crossover Knightfall in the Batman series of titles.
[edit] Basic plot
During the first Carnage arc, the alien symbiote that gave Eddie Brock the power of Venom spawned a child. This creature bonded to a deranged spree killer called Cletus Kasady, and the two began a blindly murderous path through New York City as the monstrous Carnage. Carnage was swiftly defeated, however, and his symbiotic suit was apparently destroyed.
The insane Kasady was jailed at Ravencroft Asylum. However, his visit was short-lived as he revealed that the alien had mutated his blood, and he could generate a copy of the symbiote. (This was later retconned so that the alien had survived, and bonded to his blood.) Kasady escaped, freeing other superhuman inmates and assembling a 'family' of killers around him. They set their sights on New York.
During the murderous onslaught that followed, Carnage recruited Shriek, Doppelganger, Demogoblin, and Carrion to do his bidding, terrorizing New York City with their twisted "family values." Due to the laws of escalation, Spider-Man and Venom were forced to join together to stop Carnage and his followers. They required the assistance of such disparate heroes as Captain America, Black Cat, Nightwatch, Cloak and Dagger, Iron Fist, Deathlok, Morbius and Firestar.
However, both infighting between the villains and a successful rout from the heroes contributed to Carnage's defeat. Faking his death by covering a victim in a mock costume, he threw all of the heroes off his trail except for Spider-Man and Venom. The two tailed Carnage all over New York until they cornered him in a graveyard. Weak from days of combat, Spider-Man was saved from Carnage by Black Cat. Taking advantage of the Cat's return, Venom sacrificed himself by pushing Carnage into an electrical generator.
[edit] Read order
Part 1 - Spider-Man Unlimited #1
Part 2 - Web of Spider-Man #101
Part 3 - Amazing Spider-Man, vol. 1 #378
Part 4 - Spider-Man, vol. 1 #35
Part 5 - Spectacular Spider-Man #201
Part 6 - Web of Spider-Man #102
Part 7 - Amazing Spider-Man, vol. 1 #379
Part 8 - Spider-Man, vol. 1 #36
Part 9 - Spectacular Spider-Man #202
Part 10 - Web of Spider-Man #103
Part 11 - Amazing Spider-Man #380
Part 12 - Spider-Man, vol. 1 #37
Part 13 - Spectacular Spider-Man #203
Part 14 - Spider-Man Unlimited #2
[edit] Other media
- This storyline inspired LJN's 1994 video game, Spider-Man & Venom: Maximum Carnage, which was published for both the Sega Genesis and the Super Nintendo game systems.
- An action figure line was released by Toy Biz to capitalize on the crossover's success. The line featured Spider-Man, Venom, and Carnage.[1]
- During Halloween Horror Nights at the Islands of Adventure, Marvel Superhero Island was converted into a scarezone based off the story arc, called Maximum Carnage. In this version, Carnage has killed all of the Marvel Superheroes, resulting in criminals running the streets. Certain items gave the island the appearance that famous superheros fought (and lost) on the scenery, resulting in their death.
