Carnage’s Most Spectacular Kill Confirms His New Status as a Marvel God

Warning: contains spoilers for Venom #30!

Carnage’s most spectacular kill confirms his new status as a Marvel god. Since his first appearance over 30 years ago, Carnage has been one of the publisher’s vilest villains, slaughtering innocent people indiscriminately. Over the past year, Carnage has made his way across the multiverse, killing other symbiotes on a path to godhood, and he inaugurates his reign in a gruesome, but spectacular fashion in Venom #30.

Venom #30 is written by Al Ewing and drawn by Cafu and Rafael Pimentel. Eddie Brock has confronted Meridius, a future version of himself, in the Garden of Time. Meridius gloats at Eddie, but stops mid-sentence, clutching his chest. Eddie notices a red substance spewing out of Meridius’ body.

Eddie and the other symbiotes look on in horror as Carnage bursts out of Meridius’ chest. The evil symbiote has also altered his appearance to closely resemble Meridius.

Carnage found himself in Meridius while following a “giant hand” and some “burning candles.”

Carnage’s Arc Has Been One of Terror and Violence

Carnage is Poised to Become a God

Killing Meridius is the crowning moment in Carnage’s rise to godhood from dark beginnings. Cletus Kasady, a one-time cellmate of Eddie Brock, became infected with a deadly red symbiote while serving time, becoming the serial killer known as Carnage. Possessing all of Venom’s powers and none of his moral compass, Carnage established himself as one of Marvel’s most terrifying villains. Whereas Venom has a (twisted) code of ethics, Carnage possesses no redeeming value, and the creators who work on him have taken care not to humanize him.

Carnage has died several times throughout his career, but has returned each time, deadlier than ever. In 2022, on the occasion of the character’s 30th anniversary, Marvel gave him his own series, in which Cletus Kasady began fighting, and killing, extremely powerful foes. Carnage is obsessed with becoming more than he is, and has his sights set on being a god. Interestingly enough, Carnage did not specifically set out to kill Meridius. He arrives inside Meridius almost randomly, which is fitting for a remorseless psychotic like Carnage.

Carnage as a God Should Scare Venom–and the Rest of the Marvel Universe

Will Anyone Be Able to Stop Carnage?

Carnage’s spectacular slaughter of Meridius demonstrates just how ruthless a god he will be. Carnage did Eddie Brock and the other symbiotes a huge favor by killing Meridius, but now Venom and the rest must fight Cletus. Meridius was the ultimate incarnation of the King in Black, a powerful being unto itself, and he easily fell to Carnage. The callous way he dispatched Meridius is a sign of pure evil, and a harbinger of dark things to come in both the life of Venom and the Marvel Universe.

Venom #30 is on sale now from Marvel Comics!