The Extremes of Carnage: Unveiling the Various Hosts of the Carnage Symbiote in Marvel Comics

Venom is Spider-Man's biggest enemy, but Carnage poses an even greater danger as the symbiote's hosts continuously fuel his terrifying rage. The potential for future stories is one of the most exciting aspects of Marvel's Spider-Man 2, as it leaves ample room for new plotlines and adventures.

The most notable surprise lies in how the game establishes Carnage as a prominent figure in future endeavors. The role that this fearsome symbiote will play in upcoming narratives remains uncertain, but it patiently awaits its chance to take center stage. Unlike the portrayal of Carnage in Marvel Comics, this rendition swiftly assumes the role of an unrelenting murderer, spreading chaos to all who become entwined with the symbiote.

Every Carnage symbiote host in Marvel Comics

Carnage has had quite a few hosts, considering his relatively brief experience, so here’s every Marvel Comics character that has been a host to Carnage. 

Marvel ComicsCarnage’s first host, Cletus Kasady, demonstrated a terrifying degree of control over the symbiote.

Cletus Kasady

Cletus Kasady, the original host of Carnage, was once imprisoned alongside Eddie Brock. As the Venom symbiote assisted Brock in his prison break, a fragment of itself remained, which later bonded with Kasady through a wound on his hand.

The union between the fragment and Kasady gave birth to Carnage, and the two developed an unexplainably intense bond. The symbiote frequently indulged Kasady's insatiable craving for violence and cruelty.

Over the years, both Kasady and Carnage have demonstrated remarkable resilience and have grown in mutual influence. After reliving Kasady's memories, the symbiote developed an appetite for torture, while Kasady, thanks to the symbiote's powers, managed to survive daunting challenges like being torn in half in space.

Marvel ComicsThe Carnage symbiote briefly took over the clone of Peter Parker, Ben Reilly.

Ben Reilly

During the Web of Carnage storyline, the Carnage symbiote experienced a temporary separation from Kasady. In this phase, the symbiote migrated from one host to another, causing chaos and destruction in the likeness of Kasady.

Simultaneously, Ben Reilly was vigilant in his pursuit. Reilly had assumed the mantle of Spider-Man on a full-time basis, convinced that he was the authentic one while Peter Parker was a mere clone.

Remarkably, the Carnage symbiote possessed the uncanny ability to differentiate between Ben and Peter and ended up taking control of Ben. When Peter resurfaced, he seemingly assisted Ben, but it ultimately transpired as a cunning scheme to deceive them both and return Carnage to Kasady, thus granting the ruthless murderer a fresh chance at survival.

Marvel ComicsThe Carnage symbiote possessed Silver Surfer, creating the Carnage Cosmic

Silver Surfer

The budget-conscious warden made the mistake of deactivating the microwave field that was keeping Cletus Kasady confined at the Ravencroft Asylum, thinking that Carnage would remain oblivious to it. However, he was proven wrong when Carnage managed to break free. This escape couldn't have happened at a worse time, as Spider-Man was actively tracking him down and the Silver Surfer happened to be nearby. Surprisingly, the Carnage symbiote was aware of the Surfer's immense power and decided to leave Kasady behind, taking control of the Surfer and transforming into The Carnage Cosmic.

Though the Carnage Cosmic proved to be an overwhelming force, the Symbiote still held onto its care for Kasady. When Kasady found himself on the brink of death, Carnage Cosmic cunningly manipulated Spider-Man into aiding the symbiote in reuniting with Kasady, in return for the liberation of Silver Surfer.

Marvel comicsKarl Malus was forcefully bonded with the Carnage symbiote, transforming him into the formidable entity known as Superior Carnage.

Karl Malus

Karl Malus, an unremarkable individual by nature, possesses an exceptional intellect. He plays a prominent role in the inception of numerous Marvel characters, notably conducting experiments that resulted in Joaquin Torres, the second Falcon, evolving into a remarkable human-bird hybrid.

Malus becomes the new host of the Carnage symbiote when Kasady rejects an offer to join The Wizard’s Frightful Four. With assistance from Klaw, The Wizard takes Carnage away from Kasady and merges it with Malus, resulting in the creation of Superior Carnage.

Superior Carnage is a horrifying combination, possessing all of Carnage's homicidal tendencies along with Malus' distorted intellect. However, this union is short-lived as the symbiote eventually detaches from Malus, seemingly devouring him entirely. Despite this ordeal, Malus miraculously survives and is reborn as a hybrid of human and symbiote.

Marvel ComicsNorman bonded with a goblin serum-infused piece of Carnage, creating Red Goblin.

Norman Osborn

In the dramatic final showdown of Superior Spider-Man, Peter Parker successfully cures Osborn of the powerful Goblin serum, which also has the unforeseen consequence of making any future attempts to re-administer the serum ineffective.

This development deeply frustrates Osborn, particularly when his attempts to defeat Spider-Man without the aid of the Goblin formula prove futile. In a twisted turn of events, Norman finds a cunning solution by merging with a fragment of the Carnage symbiote, allowing it to eliminate the antidote from his bloodstream.

Dosing the Formula into the symbiote, Norman transforms into the Red Goblin, a deadly combination of symbiote and goblin. Red Goblin comes close to achieving his ultimate goal, even managing to kill Flash Thompson and pushing Spider-Man to the brink of surrender. However, in the end, Norman's arrogance proves to be his downfall. Peter taunts him into abandoning the symbiote, creating an opportunity for Peter to obliterate the Red Goblin symbiote.

Marvel Comics-

Normie Osborn

During Norman's possession by the Red Goblin symbiote, he committed a truly despicable act by giving a portion of the symbiote to his own grandson, Normie. Even after Norman was separated from the Red Goblin, it appears that a fragment of the symbiote managed to endure within Normie.

After Normie escaped from the remnants of Carnage, he encountered Dylan, the son of Eddie Brock and another host of a symbiote. As the impending arrival of Knull approached, Dylan bestowed Normie with a new symbiote called Rascal, enabling him to assume the identity of the new Red Goblin.

Following the conclusion of the King in Black event, Normie has continued to embrace his Red Goblin persona. However, the Rascal symbiote has displayed a growing tendency to fiercely defend Normie, elevating the Red Goblin's status as a formidable force.

Carnage continues to loom ominously, and with an upcoming release of the new Carnage comic book, it is inevitable that he will find a new host or reclaim an old one. Stay updated on all things Carnage and Marvel Comics by following Dexerto's comprehensive coverage.

Editor's P/S

As a Gen Z fan, I have mixed feelings about the various hosts of the Carnage symbiote in Marvel Comics. On the one hand, I appreciate the creativity and diversity of the hosts, which keeps the character fresh and exciting. On the other hand, I feel that some of the hosts are not well-developed or utilized to their full potential.

Overall, I think the Carnage symbiote is a fascinating and complex character, and I am excited to see how the character evolves in the future. I hope that Marvel Comics will continue to explore the different hosts of the symbiote and find new and innovative ways to use the character.