Warning: SPOILERS for Web of Venom: Cult of Carnage #1
Carnage has claimed plenty of heroes and villains throughout the Marvel Universe, but he may have just transformed his coolest creation yet. Marvel fans, it's time to meet the Carnage Werewolf.
The symbiote bonded to Cletus Kasady is unquestionably most famous as a supervillain to Spider-Man, turning even Venom into a superhero by comparison. And considering that Carnage is a walking, slicing, cackling, cannibalistic nightmare, the classification makes sense. But if told from his perspective, the story of Carnage is one of conquest, sacrifice, resurrection, and now, godhood. There's also a fair bit of madness running throughout... a point made perfectly clear in Carnage's latest recruit to his symbiote army: Marvel's most well known werewolf. Carnage-ized, of course.
- This Page: Marvel's Man-Wolf Gets Infected With Carnage
- Page 2: The Carnage-Werewolf is BORN (But For What?)
Carnage is Making an Army of Followers
If fans of Spider-Man, Venom, or Carnage have been sleeping on the ongoing story of Cletus Kasady's death, resurrection, and rise to divinity, the story isn't actually too far along to hop on board. Shortly after Eddie Brock went to war with Knull, the Symbiote God in the pages of his Venom series, it was revealed that the god's cry had been heard throughout all symbiotes he had created, along with their hosts.
When a cult of believers in the new Dark God (which, to be fair, Knull actually is) brought Carnage back to life using a sample of symbiote from Knull himself, the psychopath won out for control of their massive body. It was then that the bombshell was dropped: every symbiote host carries a trace of the hive mind, connected all the way back to Knull's divine power. Carnage being Carnage, his mission was instantly clear: kill every Marvel character ever bonded with a symbiote. Which is where Web of Venom: Cult of Carnage comes in.
Carnage Wants a Werewolf in His Symbiote Army
If you're Carnage, in need of symbiote specimens residing in the spinal columns of former hosts, there's no better place than Doverton, Colorado. As ground zero for the Carnage, U.S.A. series back in 2011, almost all life in the town was infected and controlled by Carnage. That means dozens, possibly hundreds of symbiote pieces to digest now that Carnage knows they're tiny morsels of Knull. And in hindsight, it wasn't the smartest idea for the F.B.I. to send John Jameson to investigate. Not only does the son of The Daily Bugle's J. Jonah Jameson have a history with Carnage and the Doverton infection, guaranteed to make him a target, but he's also... a werewolf.
Yes, it's a little complicated to explain. But stick with us because it all pays off with the birth of a Carnage-infected werewolf, which is almost as satisfying to see as it is to read. Needless to say, SPOILERS for Cult of Carnage incoming...
The Marvel Man-Wolf Gets Carnage-ized
The history of John Jameson is both lengthy and strange, beginning with his encounter with a strange mystical gem on a mission to the Moon (not as a superhero, just a standard astronaut). The moon crystal caused him to transform into a creature known as the Man-Wolf, Marvel's own version of a werewolf. In the modern age of comics, Jameson would join up with federal law enforcement, and with his innate experience as both a human and superhuman, ended up crossing paths with Carnage and other symbiote suspects more often than most.
The problems begin in Cult of Carnage instantly, when John Jameson is found unconscious, naked, and babbling about the approach of God. Worse? He's the only living person left in Doverton. John recounts his investigation upon being discovered, which started thanks to the only other citizen of the town seemingly aware that things are getting... weird. And by 'weird,' we mean followers of Carnage are harvesting spinal symbiote specimens from animals and corpses. Things go from bad to worse when the cultists come for this last survivor, whom John finds screaming for help in the town's church--on a sacrificial altar before Carnage and his new cult recruits.
The joke is on John Jameson, since it appears to have been a plan set in motion to bring him into the clutches of Carnage. As John begins to transform into his werewolf form and save an innocent man, the Carnage symbiotes reach out to take over his body. They want the Man-Wolf, and with nobody to back Jameson up... they get it.
The image of the Man-Wolf being covered and infected with symbiote direct from the Carnage sacrifice isn't one easily forgotten. As the followers of Carnage (or Knull, of which they now see him as a manifestation) proclaim that their dark god doesn't have a werewolf yet, the memories end for John Jameson... and for a terrible reason that is only explained in the final pages. Thankfully, the readers get to find out exactly what happened next.
To cut to the chase on that plot beat, Carnage's 'son' the Spider-Man Doppelganger starts ripping out spines, and offering them up to Carnage directly. So why did Carnage and his top lieutenants decide to infect John Jameson rather than consume him too? It seems he may have a far worse fate in store.
The Carnage Werewolf is Waiting For 'God'
Fans haven't seen the last of the Carnage Werewolf, Carnage-Wolf, Were-Carnage-Wolf, or whatever name he eventually gets. The last memory John Jameson has of the terrible night--before waking up naked in a town of spineless followers--is the crowd's chants of "God is Coming. God is Coming." But what John doesn't remember is that he also chanted the mantra in his Man-Wolf form before losing consciousness.
And as John leaves the town of Doverton behind, a glimpse of the spiral insignia of a Knull-connected symbiote shines in his pupils. Which means when the Absolute Carnage comic event begins this summer, the Carnage-ized Werewolf may be able to strike by total surprise. We can't wait.
Web of Venom: Cult of Carnage #1 is available now from your local comic book store, or direct from Marvel Comics.