Appearing in 1st story
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- God (Referenced)
- Mark Johnson (First appearance; dies)
- Gunther Stein (Mentioned) (Deceased)
- Nathanael Jones (Photo) (Deceased)
- Disciples of Christ (Mentioned)
- NYPD (Mentioned)
- Travis Brookfields (First appearance)
- Mrs. Brookfields (First appearance)
- United States Army (Photo)
- Betty Brant (Photo)
- Misery Symbiote (Behind the scenes)
- Iron Man (Tony Stark) (Mentioned)
- Pilgrims (Mentioned)
- Mark (First appearance; dies)
- Unnamed Vigilante (First appearance; dies)
- Rip Van Winkle (Mentioned)
- "Phillips" (Mentioned)
- Cletus Kasady
Races and Species:
Locations:
- Earth
- North America
- United States of America
- New York
- New York City
- Manhattan
- Times Square (Appears on screen)
- Ale's Well (First appearance)
- Pour Decisions Pub & Restaurant
- St. Estes Home for Boys, Brooklyn (Mentioned)
- Manhattan
- Newmarket (First appearance)
- New York City
- Florida (Mentioned)
- New York
- United States of America
- North America
- Hell (Invoked)
- Heaven (Mentioned)
Items:
- Anti-Venom Serum (Mentioned)
Events:
- Carnage Reigns (Referenced)
Synopsis for 1st story
As he chases a man through an office building, the clone of Cletus Kasady notes how every serial killer believes they are a god when taking a life. As the man begs for mercy, Cletus asks who he is; the man replying that he's Mark Johnson, nicknamed the Senior Sales Evangelist. Smirking at the man's ironic choice of words, Cletus transforms into Carnage as he fondly recalls picking Gunther Stein's name out of a phonebook on a whim. Asking if Mark thinks there's any significance to him remembering that name so many years later, Carnage says there isn't before killing him.
In his apartment, Flash Thompson is unable to sleep due to the Anti-Venom symbiote's eagerness to fight Carnage; occupying himself by watching a variety of online conspiracy theorists discuss the symbolism behind Carnage's latest killing spree. One woman notes that Carnage's victims share the names of the Twelve Apostles, while a man wonders if Carnage is asking his fans to help him hunt down the missing names. Prodded by the Anti-Venom symbiote, Flash goes over the evidence and notes that with seven bodies numbered 1 through 12 there are five corpses missing, and that the reason Carnage is engaging in these theatrics is because he wants the world's attention.
As the Cletus clone walks down a street ruminating on the nihilistic true nature of the world, the Carnage symbiote asks what's bothering him. The Cletus clone sneers that the original Cletus had been alive for years, but failed to indoctrinate the world into the gospel of chaos, the Carnage symbiote replying that they are more powerful now than it was with the original Cletus. Dissatisfied, the Cletus clone notes that the original Cletus is still out there, a loose thread he wants to tug at. The Carnage symbiote asks if he thinks the original Cletus will stand in their way, the Cletus clone scoffing that nothing can stand in their way and that they are the end of the world. Entering a pub called Ale's Well, the Cletus clone announces that he feels like a drink, the bartender noting that he's the spitting image of a regular customer--the original Cletus--and wondering if the Cletus clone is his son. Smirking, the Cletus clone decides to roll with it and asks when the bartender last saw his "father". Ordering the same drink and sitting in the same spot as the original Cletus, the Cletus clone asks the Carnage symbiote what the difference between a madman and a prophet is, leaving it confused. As the Cletus clone drinks, he notes they could kill everyone in the tavern, the Carnage symbiote asking why they aren't doing so. The Cletus clone replies that it's for the same reason why the supposedly benevolent God allows evil and suffering to exist, though he's confused as to why the original Cletus didn't just butcher everyone present--something that makes him angry.
Watching a conspiracy theorist named Travis Brookfields talk about the mainstream media's silence regarding the mysterious murder of prison inmate Philip, Flash speaks aloud to the Anti-Venom symbiote, noting that the reason the mainstream media isn't connecting Carnage's murders to each other is because their impossible nature would require a dark miracle for one person to commit in such a short span of time. Disgusted by Travis' ranting, Flash grimly notes that one way to break the world is to take the world's conspiracy theorists and make the insane hatred-promoting vitriol they spew correct.
In his mother's basement, Travis Brookfields concludes his broadcast, sitting before a green screen wearing the top half of a business suit and boxer shorts. As he reads the comments from his followers, smirking, his mother throws open the door, throws a pair of pants at him, and yells at him to finish getting dressed and get to work before she kicks him out.
Looking at photographs of his past life, Flash laments that his victories all seem so distant now while his failures still feel fresh. Making his way to Pour Decisions, Flash appreciates the Anti-Venom symbiote's attempts to comfort him and notes he'd be lost without it. Taking his usual seat, he apologizes to Aria for his role in the altercation the night before; Aria saying that they're good and that he's got a woman waiting for him. Turning, Flash sees Liz Allan dressed in casual clothes and assures Aria they're just friends. As Aria teasingly says that's obvious given his dishevelled appearance, Flash walks over to Liz and greets her, Liz hugging him and agreeing with Aria's teasing assessment that he's seen better days. As they take a seat at a table, Flash notes that he can't trust Liz due to Alchemax's inhumane experiments on weaponizing symbiotes and shady business dealings with the likes of the Life Foundation, but that he knows she'll at least listen and understand. Liz states that she's felt something strange too, but that Carnage was killed by Iron Man weeks ago. As Liz comments that it's possible the Carnage symbiote survived, Flash bluntly tells her the recent killings are Cletus Kasady's work and that Carnage is back.
As the Cletus clone drives down a winding road in a stolen sports car, the Carnage symbiote asks what they're doing only to be told they're on a pilgrimage. The Carnage symbiote wonders if the original Cletus will seek them out, annoying the Cletus clone when it states that the original is still beloved to it. Spotting a hitchhiker, the Cletus clone pulls over and lets him in. Thanking the Cletus clone for the ride, the man jokes not to worry since he isn't an axe murderer, the Cletus clone quipping that he isn't either since axes make too big a mess. Ten minutes of the Cletus clone rambling about prophets and monks and aesthetics later, the Carnage symbiote gets annoyed and tells him to hurry up and kill the hitchhiker. Instead, the Cletus clone asks the man what the difference between a madman and a prophet is. As the man delivers a long-winded, erudite response, the Carnage symbiote grows increasingly irate at its host's inaction. When the man reveals his name is Mark, the Cletus clone transforms and attacks, the exasperated Carnage symbiote admonishing him for taking so long. Pulling out a knife, Mark stabs the Cletus clone in the neck and attempts to jump out of the car as it careens through a barrier and off a cliff, Carnage leaping after him and gleefully disemboweling him. Noting that's the fifth Mark he's killed that day, the Cletus clone vandalizes the "Welcome to Newmarket!" sign and leaves Mark's severed head on top of it. A man with a pistol attempts to perform a citizen's arrest, but the Cletus clone transforms and cheerfully kills him too.
At Pour Decisions forty-seven minutes and two drinks later, Liz reveals that Alchemax has a sample of the Carnage symbiote in its possession that is still vulnerable to Anti-Venom Serum, though she notes that the current Carnage seems to have evolved beyond that. Passing Flash the intel she has on Carnage, Liz bids him farewell. Before she leaves, Flash passes her a note consisting of a red spiral scrawled in the blood of several different people and asks her to have her labs look into it ASAP. Saying she'll see what she can do, Liz tells Flash to be careful and not go looking for trouble. As Liz leaves, Aria notes Flash wasn't lying when he said it wasn't a date, noting that's a good thing. When Flash asks what she means, Aria says she can tell Liz has dark secrets, Flash concurring before asking if she thinks he goes looking for trouble. Mulling it over, Aria says that he doesn't, but that he has a habit of not looking away when he sees it, a rare and good quality. As Flash gets ready to leave, Aria calls out to him and flirtatiously says she's glad Flash's meeting with Liz wasn't a date.
Walking through the streets of Newmarket, the Cletus clone recalls having visited the town on a school trip with St. Estes Home for Boys, financed by a wealthy socialite, a voice scoffing that she could've gotten them central heating but only wanted to make herself look good as a publicity stunt. Killing a random man on a street bench, the Cletus clone descends into the sewers, reminiscing about a schoolmate nicknamed Phillips for his obsession with screws, the voice fondly recalling gaslighting him by periodically stealing screws and later returning them. Passing slaughtered maintenance workers, the Cletus clone and the voice finish each other's sentences before the former arrives at a chamber to find the original Cletus Kasady waiting for him, seated on a throne of corpses. His pupils glowing red, the Cletus clone asks the original Cletus what the difference between a madman and a prophet is, the original Cletus glaring as he replies that the answer is the audience.
Solicit Synopsis
FLASH IN THE DARKNESS!
CLETUS KASADY has been reborn! But to truly ascend to absolute power, he needs two things: loyal followers and a worthy nemesis. Meanwhile, FLASH THOMPSON becomes convinced that a series of increasingly horrifying murders are all connected. But who is CARNAGE’S true target?Notes
- The synopsis at the beginning of the issue misspells Cletus Kasady's last name as "Cassidy" and states the Carnage symbiote is still weak to Anti-Venom -- a vulnerability it shed in Death of the Venomverse #4.