Description

Venom: Carnage Unleashed                Trade Paperback
1996 First Edition featuring painted, Venom / Carnage, cover art by comics’ legend Mark Teixeira.  Awesome!!
Writer: Larry Hama
Artists: Andrew Wildman & Art Nichols
Inker: Joe Rubinstein
Colorist: Tom Smith
Letterers: Ken Lopez & Dave Sharpe
Editors: Eric Fein, Danny Fingeroth & Bob Budiansky
Painted Cover by: Mark Teixeira

Venom, or the Venom Symbiote, is a character appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with Spider-Man. Venom made his first appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #300 (May 1988). Venom was originally conceived as a supervillain, but has since become more of an antihero. Venom is a Symbiote, a sentient alien, with a gooey, almost liquid-like form. As with real-world symbiotes, it requires a host, usually human, to bond with for its survival. After bonding, the Symbiote endows its enhanced powers upon the host. When the Venom Symbiote bonds with a human, that new dual-life form refers to itself as “Venom”. The Venom Symbiote’s first known host was Spider-Man, who eventually separated himself from the creature when he discovered its true nature. The Symbiote went on to merge with other hosts, most notably Eddie Brock, its second and most infamous host, with whom it first became Venom and one of Spider-Man’s archenemies. According to S.H.I.E.L.D., it is considered one of the greatest threats to humanity, alongside Magneto, Doctor Doom, and Red Skull.

Venom is widely considered one of the Greatest Comic Book Villains of All Time!Now, Marvel Comics Presents, Venom – Carnage Unleashed. Spider-Man’s part time sparring partner and part time “Lethal Protector” – Venom – must stop the one creature who may be even more insane than himself – Carnage!

Story/Spoilers
In part #1, “There Must Be Some Way Out of Here”, Eddie stands screaming in rage at a poster of the forthcoming ‘Carnage Unleashed’ video game – the symbiote engulfing him as he vows to rip out the psycho’s heart before he lets him cash in on the infamy of his New York rampage. As Venom, he rounds on the two thugs attempting to mug him at gun point. The pair seem unshaped by his transformation, demanding to get paid – one eggs the other into opening fire and Venom leaps into action, lecturing them that they can’t blame comics, games and T.V for their twisted minds because he did all the same stuff and turned out fine. The symbiote morphs into a leather jacket as Brock walks away from the mutilated corpses (pondering on how many innocents he saved from those predators), and heads for the bus station – promising to go give Kasady a visit. At Ravencroft, Cletus is playing a prototype of the Carnage Unleashed game. His psychiatrist Dr Pazzo threatens to take away this privilege if he continues to avoid answering her questions, to which he takes umbrage – snarling that it’s his game, that it’s all about what he did so she has no right. Pazzo agrees this is true, and that that’s the reason he’s locked away in the facility. This seems to break down he allows her to start the questioning. She asks him why he dug up his parents bodies, but instead Kasady stats talking about how his mother lied to his dad. Cletus claims she hated him and so stirred up trouble to destroy his relationship with his dad – she loved her dog more than her own son. When asked why he’d never mentioned this dog before, he replies that it died – having done something nasty in the basement. The panel cuts to an image of a young Kasady holding a bloodied power drill. Though caught in the act Cletus maintains that it was the dog that was responsible for the “mess”, yet he still got the blame. Meanwhile Brock is bound for New York, lamenting on his poor choice of seat mate; a green-haired punk singing loudly while playing her guitar. He finally snaps when she attempts to rhyme to completely different sounding words, but is shouted down by her stubborn view that he music doesn’t contrive to follow social conventions. Brock makes a snipe that the lyrics are too self defeatist, but she (Now introduced as Kirstin) responds that the next verse focuses on how to pick yourself up from the depths of despair – Brock asks her how anyone can manage that. At the corporation developing the latest Carnage Unleashed game, the developer is pitching the predicted sales figures for the new interactive version. His sponsors (Mr. Fordo) tells the developer to get the software ready for an online release at midnight. The scheme is to get players hooked for free, then charge them for all the modifications needed to reach the higher levels of play. At Ravencroft, Dr Pazzo is complimenting on Dr Kafka’s bargaining skills. She managed to convince Kasady to sign away his rights to the games profits, and with the funds she will set up a trust fund to collect reparations for the victims of Carnage. Pazzo is disapproving of Kasady having access to the internet – but Kafka assures her that he can only link to a heavily shielded computer at the computer company, plus it was his only demand in exchange for signing away his rights. Despite this reasoning, Pazzo is certain they are underestimating Carnage’s abilities, but agrees that the presence of the computer is good for breaking down his defensive barriers during his sessions – she’s beginning to understand what makes his tick, but Kafka warns that isn’t necessarily a good thing. Its dawn and Eddie is groggily informing Kirstin that it too early to be singing so cheerfully. She replies that life’s too short to spend any of it feeling sad or being angry, a lesson she learnt after she discovered poetry and a man named Clive (she produces a picture on him) – she met him through a poetry journal and is on the way to meet him for the first time, believing them to be soul mates. Brock studies the picture and wonders how to tell her that Clive (judging by the scars on his arms) is a heroin addict. Dr Pazzo continues from her last session by asking how Cletus’ mother reacted to the death of her dog. Lost in his game, Kasady despondently tells her that she went ballistic – that she was obviously mentally unstable.

Cut to a flash back: Mrs. Kasady comes to confront her son, but he is waiting for her. He trips her over with a wire and leaps at her with the power drill; however she is able to knock the tool away and grabs a knife. Pinning him to the floor she goes for a killing strike but is seen by her husband, who kills her with a hammer to save his son. Back in the present Kasady narrates that she was always trying to attach the blame for her mistakes on somebody else – too many devils in the brain which had to be “let out”. He thinks the reason for her attempt on his life was because she was still mad about the time he pushed the television in the tub when she was having a bath (conveniently she pulled the plug out in time). Luckily his dad showed up in time – the look on his face was priceless when Cletus told the police that he’d killed her for no reason. Dr Pazzo asks him how this makes him feel and to demonstrate how pumped he feels, the symbiote engulfs him and he stabs Pazzo through the chest. Carnage is hit with a supersonic wave while the holographic projector is turned off. From the projection room, Pazzo comments how disturbing the ordeal was. Kafka admits to having second thoughts to this whole arrangement and considers removing the computer, but Pazzo remains adamant that the game allows Kasady to “act out” and so she maybe on the verge of a break through. As Kafka escorts Pazzo to her office, the monitor shows Cletus is being challenged by an online player (the game designer Sherman). Kasady logs in, using the connection to send in micro-filament sized particles of the symbiote through the computer to attack Sherman. Carnage threatens him to hack into the Ravencroft mainframe and disable the security measures of his cell. Having arrived at New York, Brock sees Kirstin off with a warning not to let anyone talk her into anything she doesn’t want to. She spies Clive and runs over to him – he’s already scolding her for making him keep somebody else waiting. Eddie dwells on how a sweet kid like her doesn’t need this type of trouble and is about to help her when somebody falls out of a top floor window and lands fatally on the roof of the cab next to Brock. Brock looks up in time to see familiar tendrils withdraw into the building, but is torn on what to do first as Clive is taking a taxi with Kirstin to a not-too-subtle location to meet a client. Back in the prison, the guards are arming and running Carnage’s containment cell – Drs Pazzo and Kafka in tow. Jameson informs them that the back-up generators have been sabotaged and several special cells may be unlocked. As they enter the maximum security ward carnage is waiting for them.

Next in part #2, “Said the Joker to the Thief”, Venom scales the building to find (much to his confusion) the tendril disappearing into a computer. Rather astutely, Venom deduces that Carnage must have found a way to travel through the phone lines via a modem. Armed with microwave heat projectors, the remaining guards at Ravencroft are slowly pushing Carnage back into his cell. Col. John Jameson suggests they concentrate all fire and kill the escapee, much to the horror of Dr Pazzo who refuses to stoop to the type cold-blooded murder that Kasady himself would condone. Dr Kafka agrees with her, so long as they are able to regain control of the computer systems in order to keep him restrained. Jameson cannot accept the risk to public safety but allows Kafka 1 hour to get the system up and running before he takes Kasady out. From the computer in his cell Carnage informs them that their plan of contacting the head of programming at EVVG is pointless, seeing as he’s currently street-pizza and that they should have killed him whilst they had the chance. Midtown Manhattan has been cordoned off around the accident scene. Clive is losing his patience as he has an ‘appointment’ to get to, and when Kristin asks if he is at least happy to see her after having travelled from Chicago to see him he simply asks her if she has any cash on her. Venom leaps onto the cop car blocking the street in from of Clive’s’ taxi and morphs his symbiote into a police uniform as he hijacks the car and sets off for Ravencroft. Brock muses over Kasady’s breakout – deducing that he has the potential to travel to any location fitted with a terminal and a modem. Over the police intercom there is a report that there has been a blackout at the security facility (a cover up to hide the escape of Kasady). From his penthouse Fordham Rhodes, President of EVVG discusses the hit that Carnage Unleashed is sure to become on its midnight release, especially when gamers can go online against the real Cletus Kasady. His wife reminds him that the lead designer is likely to discover that Fordham has been skimming profits – a threat that Rhodes instantly dismisses, but is curious as to why the man hasn’t been answering his phone all night. Carnage has hacked into and shut down all phone lines and exchange stations in the area. While Dr Kafka and Pazzo squabble over whose fault it was that allowed Cletus so much time to instigate his plan, Jameson prepares to lead his strike team into battle – Carnage has the option to stand down before they launch a full-scale attack with flamethrowers, sound guns and rocket launchers. Dr Kafka starts another ethical debate, but Jameson is in no mood to argue the point. Carnage charges the group, ignoring their demand that he stand down. The guards open fire with the microwave cannons to no effect. A volley of missiles and grenades are launched, engulfing the symbiote in a ball of flames.

The stand down order is given and a team called in to remove the rubble and scrape up whatever remains of the target. In the East Village Clive and Kristin arrive at his ram shackled apartment. Despite this Kristin seems happy all the same, and doesn’t even refuse when he asks her to hand over the money she was using to buy an amp. He leaves her to make herself at home while he goes to conduct some business with some associates. She sits among the debris and begins to sing about her disillusionment. Confident that the threat has been permanently eliminated (despite any traces of a body), Jameson’s’ team have powered down their weapons while Dr Kafka checks the damage caused to the computer mainframe – discovering Carnage was able to hack his way into the holographic projector. On cue, Carnage and four projections appear. The order is given to shut down the whole system, but as the mainframe has two built in security systems this proves impossible. With their heavy weapons off-line the guards open-fire on the multiple targets with their side-arms. In the confusion the real Carnage grabs Dr Pazzo and leaps form the window into an armored jeep – colliding with Venoms’ police car as he makes his get-away. Venom leaps onto the jeep and the two engage in a brawl while exchanging poorly constructed threats. Carnage is at last able to push Venom off the vehicle and into the path of a train (which fails to attract any serious attention from its drivers). As Carnage continues his rant about the freedom of chaos (during what I could only imagine to be the longest car journey in history), Kristin continues to sing about her inner musings. A short time later at Gran Central Station the two train conductors inspect the train to see if they’d hit something earlier. Failing to spot the large black streak across the front carriage they leave. Venom oozes free, severely weakened but ready for round two.

Next in part #3, “There’s Too Much Confusion!”, Carnage rides up alongside a prison coach and forces his way aboard (Dr Pazzo in tow), taking out the driver whilst the security on board argue on whether it’s worth taking a shot even if they hit Carnage’s’ hostage. The remaining guards are quickly dispatched and the applauding prisoners ask to be freed in return for their loyal services as members of Carnage’s’ gang. Carnage brags about his apparent charisma and mocks Pazzos’ unwavering need to be in control, but she (who is the only person left to steer the vehicle) remains unimpressed. In the East Village Clive returns to his apartment complex. As he climbs the five floors to his dorm, he morphs into Eddie Brock – apparently disguised as Clive, despite there really being no point. He reaches the door before collapsing from his injuries and exhaustion, and although Kristin is willing to help him she is suspicious of the black goo dripping off him and exactly how he knew where to find her. The bus of convicts comes up to a blockage on the bridge over the Henry Hudson Parkway. Carnage attempts to ram his way through the broken down school bus obstructing their path, but Pazzo grabs the wheel and plunges the coach over the side of the bridge. With the bus in free-fall Carnage laughs at the futility of her noble and selfish act of self-sacrifice, grabbing her and leaping from the vehicle. He forces her to watch as the prisoners, still cuffed to their seats hit the water and submerge – taunting her on how she has just murdered them in vain, and praising her for finally acting out; her therapy is progressing and finally showing results. Kristin searches Clive’s medical cabinet, surprised to find only cotton wool, eye drops and burnt bottle caps. Eddie informs her that medicine would be wasted on him anyway – he just needs somewhere to rest up until he’s healed. Kristin disagrees and rummages for a quarter in order to call for an ambulance. Eddie pleads for her not to and when she queries this, Clive replies from the bathroom door way that it’s because he is a wanted maniac. Deep within the Manhattan sewers, Carnage tries once again to swing Pazzo round to his way of thinking. Noticing how quiet she’s been, he asks if it has anything to do with post-murder anxiety, and fills her in on the story of his first victim: at age six and “inspired” by Mary Poppins, he shoved his grandmother down the stairs after being dumped there by his mother one afternoon. No-one even suspected him. Pazzo snaps at him, merely enabling him further by allowing him to question her objectivity as a doctor if she’s so lacking in compassion for those who were victims to their corrupted environment. As he starts climbing the wall of EVVG presidents’ penthouse he again remarks on how everybody is just like him but pretending they aren’t or are so deluded that they can’t see it. At twenty stories high, Pazzo concedes that Carnage can believe anything he wants. Eddie squares up to Clive asking for a one-on-one, but Clive doesn’t want to hear it which only angers Brock, causing him to lose some control over the symbiote which begins to engulf him. Clive backs up but trips over the banister and falls to the ground five floors below. Kristin is mortified, and Brock tries to tell her that Clive was a junkie using her for cash. However Kristin rounds on him, screaming that he was a Methodist poet acting the part of a junkie so as to write about it in a series of poems – the money was used to pay off his journals printers.

The symbiote goes back into recession as Brock concedes that he could have saved him, and because he refused an innocent man died. Back at EVVG executive towers the Beta testers for Carnage Unleashed are raging at the president over Carnage announced absence from the fast approaching premier of the games launch. He attempts to pass the buck, condemning his contacts at Ravencroft for not answering his calls to no effect. While the argument continues it is announced on the news that head game designer has been found murdered and that Carnage has broken out of prison. At that precise moment Carnage bursts through the window. Convinced this is all a publicity stunt for the CEO to weasel his way off the hook, the Beta testers start laying into the symbiote. Insulted to think anyone could talk to him in such a derogatory way, Carnage sends a tendril through the monitor and impales the gamer on the receiving end. Still unconvinced the remaining testers start joking about the corny “pizza-sauce” attempt at blood spaying the screen. The CEO tries to warn them about the potential danger of heckling Carnage all too late as the symbiote infiltrates all the monitors and slaughters the band of geeks, stopping with a grin to enquire exactly how many computers the modem is connected to. Police swarm the apartment building, wearily entering in case the man who “fell” way actually “pushed”. Brock tries desperately to calm Kristen down, explaining his motives in an attempt to justify his actions. However, the announcement that Carnage has been spotted at the Parvenu Tower causes him to lose control, morphing into Venom and hurling himself out of the window and into the night. Kristen screams she will have her revenge, and turns back to the broken banister in time to hear that Clive is still breathing, but will probably be paralyzed for life. Venom broods on the needless amount of grievance he’s been put through lately, and that the only remedy for the situation is to put down Carnage for good.

Finally in part #4, “Can’t Get No Relief!!”, The fourth and final comic in the Carnage Unleashed series. Carnage works his way into becoming a major threat to all those connected to the release of his on-line video game. Venom uses the ability to send his symbiote through the internet as he observed Carnage doing previously to fight Carnage digitally. Venom purposefully overheats the computer that they are digitally fighting within as to attack Carnage’s weakness to high temperatures. The attack is successful but also hurts Venom as well. Carnage pulls away from the computer and is angered by the attack but also fails to realize that Dr. Pazzo has created a Molotov cocktail from cognac and a lighter behind him. Carnage is set ablaze and jumps out a window to his (seeming) death. Venom/Brock however realizes he is in mortal danger and again sends his symbiote through the internet and narrowly saves Carnage/Kasady’s life by catching him before he smashes into the street below. The action of saving Kasady’s life creates a confusion to those who witnessed the event. When Venom is asked why he saved Kasady’s life Venom says, “Don’t you see what this is all about with Carnage? He’s asking for it! And what he wants that bad we’re not going to give him! Let him rot in that place, and let him think about who put him back in there – US!!” The comic ends with Kristen on the phone with her mother stating that Clive is hospitalized and that Venom is walking free even though it was he who let him fall. Kristen states she wants justice and her mother responds saying, “Mommy can’t get you justice baby… Will you settle for revenge?”

Trade Paperback reprints: Venom: Carnage Unleashed (1995) Issues #1-4.  Marvel Comics

Trade Paperback is bagged & boarded and will be carefully / securely packaged then shipped via USPS Priority Mail to ensure that it arrives to you perfectly and quickly.

First Edition
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Publication Date: April 1996
Format: FC, 96 pages, TPB, 10.25″ x 6.5″
ISBN-10: 0785101993
ISBN-13: 9780785101994

Collectible Entertainment note: Trade Paperback is in Very Fine condition.  Beautiful!  Please See Scans!!  A must have for any serious Venom, Carnage and/or Spider-Man collector / enthusiast.  A fun & entertaining read.  Very Highly Recommended.

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