Where is Cletus Kasady in the MC2?

 

While I’ve been busy lately, it’s perhaps a good thing I already jumped the gun and detailed Carnage in the MC2 years back when the first Venom movie came out. That said, with Venom: Let There Be Carnage out in cinema (well, in some parts of the world! Not here yet, sadly) I figure I should at least try and put out something to tie-in. One question not specifically addressed in my previous post is the whereabouts of Carnage’s first and most iconic host: Where is Cletus Kasady in the MC2?

 

Cletus Kasady made his very first appearance in Amazing Spider-Man #344, cameoing as Eddie Brock’s prison cellmate. When the Venom symbiote busted Eddie out, it left behind it’s offspring which bonded with serial killer Cletus to become the mass-murdering Carnage and the rest is history (Amazing Spider-Man #345, #359-#361). 

 

When a splinter of the Carnage symbiote (specifically Specimen 297 of 300) appeared in the MC2 starting in Amazing Spider-Girl #9, Cletus was nowhere to be seen. To explore why, we should look to the last published appearance of Cletus Kasady prior the MC2’s own publication history, a two-part story in Amazing Spider-Man #430-#431. The story starts out as a fairly standard ‘Carnage on a rampage’ plot until the Silver Surfer shows up and the Carnage symbiote abandons Cletus and bonds with the Surfer (Amazing Spider-Man #430).

 

While at first it seems as though Cletus is merely suffering a kind of withdrawal in the absence of his symbiote ‘other’, when Spider-Man takes Kasady to a hospital it’s discovered that he is suffering from an advanced case of stomach cancer and that the symbiote has been keeping him alive (Amazing Spider-Man #431).

 

By the story’s conclusion, the Surfer allows the Carnage symbiote to re-bond with Kasady…only to leave him encased in an unbreakable shell of ethereal energy ‘for the rest of his life’. Ironically, the Main Marvel Universe never really addresses Cletus’ situation, either how he escaped this seemingly permanent imprisonment nor recovered from his terminal cancer. Instead, the next time we see him he’s just in prison and shortly afterwards has his symbiote eaten by Venom with almost no ill effects. Wasted potential.

 

While we also don’t have an explanation for how the Carnage symbiote escaped the Silver Surfer’s encasement (though perhaps I could present a theory on that someday?) we can assume that Cletus Kasady is probably long dead in the MC2. The interesting thing to note is that both stories here were written by Tom Defalco and both refer to the symbiotes ability to keep a host alive even with a terminal cancer diagnosis, with the Carnage symbiote promising to help save new host Moose Mansfield’s father in exchange for his co-operation (Amazing Spider-Girl #9-#12).

 

Well, hopefully you got something out of this. I know I was pleasantly surprised when I realized the similarities between the two Defalco Carnage stories. I’m also fairly sure Defalco was the first person to associate symbiotes with cancer in anyway.

 

Until I find another tangential connection to the Venom films, I remain

 

frogoat

Carnage in the MC2

So the Venom film is still in theatres and I've noticed people are still talking about it, making YouTube videos and generally discussing anything tangentially related to the symbiotic Spidey villain, including discussing a character who may appear in the movie's post-credits scene. Guess I'll jump on the bandwagon by talking about the spawn of Venom, the murderous maniac Carnage in the MC2!

Despite all the previously discussed appearances of the Venom symbiote in the MC2, we didn't learn anything about what happened to it's offspring until Amazing Spider-Girl #9-12 where S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Maria Hill tasks Special Agent Arthur Weadon and his team of former villains with safeguarding the transport of an item referred to only as 'Specimen 297'.

Naturally, things go awry when the convey Weadon's team are guarding is attacked and Specimen 297 is taken. When Spider-Girl intercepts those attempting to make off with Specimen 297, a stray shot pierces the container, allowing it's contents to escape. We learn that the operatives are actually S.H.I.E.L.D. agents on a top secret mission and that the Carnage symbiote is now loose.

With the Carnage symbiote newly bonded to a host, it attacks Midtown High students at the Café Indigo. However, Carnage is prevented from killing anyone by his new host and after seeing Courtney Duran afraid, flees.

Also worth noting is that the Carnage symbiote mentions being split into many splinters by the scientists studying it. Digging into the who's and why's of S.H.I.E.L.D. transporting the dangerous alien symbiote specimen through New York or why another group within the organisation was sabotaging the operation, it suffices to say that it was politically motivated...

Events take a dark turn when Carnage appears at the Parker's family home while Peter Parker is looking after his infant son, Benjy. Sensing danger, Peter attempts to sneak Benjy out of the house only to be accosted by Carnage. When Mayday and Mary Jane return home, they find Peter and Benjy gone and an ominous message on the wall...

While threatening baby Benjy, we see that Carnage's new host is resisting the symbiote's murderous tendencies, and we learn the reason he came to the Parker home: Mayday. Ignoring Peter's pleas, Carnage takes Benjy and heads off, promising to fulfill a promise to his host.

Tracking down Carnage, Spider-Girl and the symbiotic villain battle until Mayday appeals to the host: Moose Mansfield. We learn that Carnage has promised to help Moose's dying father in exchange for his co-operation.

Carnage heads to the hospital, driven on by Moose's desire to help his father. This is followed by one of my all time favourite sequences of storytelling ever, ending with a shocking reveal...

Yup, Kid Carnage! Spider-Girl attempts to neutralise her baby brother while avoiding Carnage long enough to reach the sonic gauntlets the police had recently confiscated following a super-battle. Unfortunately, Agent Weadon's team show up to apprehend Spider-Girl. Somewhat more fortunately, Carnage makes short work of the team.

When Spider-Girl points out Carnage might be able to actually cure Moose's father of cancer, Moose convinces the symbiote to head back to the hospital with the promise of compliance. Having bought time, Mayday organises for her father to pick up the sonic gauntlets and armour from the Midtown South Police Precinct and meet her at the hospital.

Carnage makes his way through the hospital toward Mr Mansfield, encountering Moose's girlfriend Courtney and cousin Donna as he fights through security. Spider-Girl holds him off so that Peter can use the sonic device to stop Carnage. But Peter freezes at the sight of  Benjy, fearing his infant son will be harmed.

Forced to take over, May uses the sonic device on Benjy, driving the symbiote off of her brother but also causing him to lose his hearing. Racing after Carnage, May forces the symbiote from Moose moments before it could bond with his father and save his life.

With the Carnage symbiote dead, May's baby brother Benjy deaf and Moose's father on the verge of death, the story reaches it's conclusion. While Specimen 297 appears to be destroyed, we are left to wonder if the other 299 remaining specimens will be destroyed.

Which leads us to Spider-Girl: The End where we are shown a possible future where May 'Mayday' Parker died, which led to April Parker aka Mayhem killing several villains and eventually the hero American Dream. This prompted the government to hand over samples of the Carnage symbiote to Blackworks Paramilitary Services in an effort to create an army of 'Bio-Predators' to combat Mayhem.

Possibly as a result of using mercenaries, these Bio-Preds went rogue, becoming a swarm of destruction that absorbed or killed everyone in their path. Immune, Mayhem atoned for her crimes helped defend humanity against these creatures, but eventually mankind was forced underground to survive. In a last ditch effort, Mayhem was sent back in time to avert the series of events leading to the end of the human race.

I think it goes without saying that clearly the government did not destroy the remaining 299 Carnage Specimens. Never trust a politician.


Until I bond with the spawn of an alien symbiote, I remain

frogoat