Paint The Town Red Part One

A Maximum Carnage Retrospective. Reliving Spider-Man Unlimited # 1, Web of Spider-Man #101 and Amazing Spider-Man #378 Parts 1-3 of the 14 part crossover.

Maximum Carnage is a 14 part crossover storyline that ran through the Spider-Man series of books from May 1993 to August 1993. It stared Spider-Man forming an uneasy alliance with Venom and teaming with other New York City heroes to battle Carnage and his evil cabal. It would spawn a wildly successful video game, many toys and action figures, apparel and numerous reprints and trade paperbacks.

History

Cletus Kasady would first appear as Eddie Brock’s cell mate in Amazing Spider-Man #344. Cletus a convicted sadistic serial killer would bond with the offspring of the Venom symboite when it returned to Eddie to break him out of prison. Cletus now as Carnage would appear in Amazing Spider-Man #361, going on a crazed killing spree. Spider-Man formed a reluctant truce with Venom and the two would eventually defeat Carnage. Using a sonic gun, they thought they stopped Carnage once and for all…

The Comic

Maximum Carnage would kick off its 14 part event with a new series titled Spider-Man Unlimited. This book would ship quarterly falling on the months that had five Wednesdays. I remember picking up this comic at my local grocery store Hegedorn’s on my weekly trip with my Mom on Friday nights. Carnage looming in the background larger than life really jumped out at me, enough where I picked this one over an X-men book! The comic starts out with incarcerated Cletus strapped to a gurney being escorted by medical personnel into a hospital. The doctor injects Cletus with a syringe, and in doing so the needle causes Cletus to bleed releasing the Carnage symboite that regenerates in his blood. As a kid I was like “what the heck is going on ?” I thought the doctor injected the suit into his body. I didn’t understand that the Carnage symboite can regenerate itself inside of Cletus, and the only thing that it needed to be released was a cut. Anyway, he was now free and the Carnage was on!

Assembling A Team

While Carnage was going on killing spree at the medical facility he over hears a voice cheering him on and has to investigate. He opens the holding cell to reveal Shriek, a young woman dressed in all black with white skin and a star over one eye. She looked like a female member of KISS ! After a brief discussion, Carnage and Shrek come to an understanding that both are on the same sadistic level. Carnage decides to take Shriek along with him, and find their next member.

The Spider-Doppelgänger! I know, I know the 90s were wild! Spider-Doppelgänger is a remnant of the Infinity War crossover where Magus the evil version of Adam Warlock created evil versions of the Marvel Universe. If you’re still confused or want to learn more check out the Infinity Gauntlet, Infinity War and Infinity Crusade mini series. They are peak Marvel 90s in my opinion. Basically Carnage and Shriek come across this creature and Shriek likes him and decides to keep him. Kind of like a pet. Shriek and Spider-Doppelgänger have a small encounter with Spider-Man that leaves Spider-Man in a dark alley hurt and vulnerable as they retreat. The end of the issue shows were Carnage went off to, the Daily Bugle office of Jameson!

Enter Cloak And Dagger

As a kid you are at the mercy of parents and other adults in your family to buy you stuff. I would end up missing the next 6 parts of this storyline back in 1993 ! Luckily, in my twenties I bought this whole set and have multiple trades of this storyline. Part Two, Web of Spider-Man 101 sees the Team of Cloak and Dagger enter Maximum Carnage. They come sweeping in at the defense of Spider-Man that is about to be a victim of a street gang. I knew next to nothing about Cloak and Dagger back then. They first appeared in comics back in 1982, Spectacular Spider-Man # 64. I feel like they were popular in the 80s and by the 90s they just weren’t. The only thing I saw them in were some marvel universe cards I got, they had a little bio on them which was always helpful pre internet days. After Cloak and Dagger take care of the street gang they tend to Spider-Man’s wounds. Shriek and Doppelgänger circle back and attack the heroes. This starts the first real big battle of the crossover. Soon, while the battle continues Carnage shows up, and the fight turns up a notch. Spider-Man’s team reeling from the battle, Shriek delivers a fatal blow to Dagger killing her. Carnage’s team retreats once again, with Carnage unhappy that Shriek almost killed Spider-Man. He states that is his right to do so. Cloak distraught over the death of Dagger, the agony displayed all over his face.

The issue ends with a cameo appearance of Venom. Foreshadowing his involvement in this bloody war.

New Recruits

Rereading these issues reminds me of why I love comics in the 1990s. Lots of colorful characters, extreme storylines with great in your face art. Sometimes way over the top violence, and ridiculous plots, these comics were fun and there are some good story beats to them. In Amazing Spider-Man #378 Venom comes to town looking to destroy Carnage once and for all. He explains his vendetta against Spider-Man is over and it’s time to focus on the symboite offspring.

Carnage reestablishes his leadership role in his group. Explaining that he alone will kill Spider-Man, but there is plenty of others to kill on their journey. While this is going on, Spider-Man and MJ are having their own conversation.

Cut and bruised Peter tells MJ he has to go back out into the city to find Carnage and put a stop to his rampage. MJ worried and stressed tries to plead with him to no avail. These scenes really show the dichotomy between the two couples.

A new player enters this game, Demogoblin! I have some knowledge of this character, but his origin is too long and convoluted to go over here. Just know he is a bad dude and used to be Hobgoblin.. maybe. A small fight with Spider-Man ends with Demogoblin flying away and Spider-Man still clearly hurt.

The end of the issue, Venom beaten and exhausted shows up at Peter’s apartment. This is after Venom went at it alone against Carnage and his gang. How can they beat Carnage now if Venom stood no chance against him? Showing up at Peter’s place of all people, how desperate can they truly be??

Rereading these issues was really fun and fast paced. Once I got into them I realized there is a lot of story here and I have to break this piece up into a few parts. I hope y’all don’t mind and you can enjoy the journey with me. Stay tuned for part two coming soon! If you have any questions or suggestions or anything else please don’t hesitate to let me know.

Until next time, keep it Epic!

Maximum Carnage was written by David Micheline, Tom DeFalco, Terry Kavanagh and J.M. DeMatteis with art from Mark Bagley, Ron Lim, Alex Saviuk, Tom Lyle, Sal Buscema and Steven Butler.