Absolute Carnage

Cletus Kasady is back, and he is deadlier than he's ever been.

"Absolute Carnage" is a 2019 comic book crossover storyline published by Marvel Comics, by Donny Cates and Ryan Stegman. The story involves all Marvel characters who have used a symbiote at some point and references older stories involving Venom. Donny Cates said that "Cletus Kasady is back, and he is deadlier than he's ever been. Absolute Carnage encompasses every single character who has ever worn a symbiote and every symbiote that has ever been, going all the way back to when Peter found the black suit." The main villain is Carnage, and the primary heroes are Spider-Man and Venom.

Quick Facts

Publisher: Marvel Comics
Writers: Donny Cates

Lore & Background

The symbiotes were created by Knull, as Eddie Brock explains to his son Dylan Brock while walking to Times Square. The Church of the New Darkness resurrected Cletus Kasady. Kasady's body is bonded to the Grendel symbiote. The story involves every symbiote that has ever been, going all the way back to when Peter found the black suit, from Maximum Carnage to Venomized. Codices are extracted from symbiote hosts; Maker works on the S.C.I.T.H.E. (Symbiote Codex Isolation and Thermo-Heated Extraction). Dark Carnage unleashes maggots from his ribs to bond inmates with Grendel, transforming them into creatures resembling Doppelganger.

Reader's Guide

The main series consists of Absolute Carnage #1–5. Tie-in series include Absolute Carnage vs. Deadpool #1–3, Absolute Carnage: Lethal Protectors #1–3, Absolute Carnage: Miles Morales #1–3, Absolute Carnage: Scream #1–3, Amazing Spider-Man (2018) #30–31, and Venom (2018) #17–20. One-shots include Absolute Carnage: Avengers #1, Absolute Carnage: Captain Marvel #1, Absolute Carnage: Immortal Hulk #1, Absolute Carnage: Separation Anxiety #1, Absolute Carnage: Symbiote of Vengeance #1, Absolute Carnage: Symbiote Spider-Man #1, and Absolute Carnage: Weapon Plus #1.

Prelude issues include Free Comic Book Day - FCBD 2019: Spider-Man/Venom #1, Web of Venom: Carnage Born #1, Web of Venom: Cult of Carnage #1, and Web of Venom: Funeral Pyre #1. Aftermath issues include Ruins of Ravencroft: Carnage #1, Ruins of Ravencroft: Dracula #1, Ruins of Ravencroft: Sabretooth #1, Ravencroft #1–5, Scream: Curse of Carnage #1–5, and Venom (2018) #21–25. The sequel series is called "King in Black" and began in December 2020.

Did You Know?

The comic book event was first announced in March at the 2019 Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo.
The tie-ins feature Spider-Man, Venom, Deadpool, Miles Morales, Iron Fist, and Scream, among others.
The entire series had an average rating of 8.7 out of 10 based on 67 reviews according to Comic Book Roundup.