In Marvel's new Death Spiral event, the new serial-killing supervillain named Torment is systemically going after the family members of Peter Parker's Spider-Man, Mary Jane Watson's Venom, and Eddie Brock's Carnage, starting with more distant relatives before working his way to closer loved ones, "tightening the spiral."
Now, Amazing Spider-Man #24 has just massively raised the stakes following a major death and the truth about Eddie Brock's bond with the Carnage symbiote.
Carnage Is Already Betraying Spider-Man & Venom In Marvel's Death Spiral
Death Spiral has positioned Torment as a truly chilling new Marvel villain clearly seeking to surpass the bloody reputation of Carnage himself. His sights are set on three targets simultaneously: Spider-Man, Venom, and Carnage, going for their relatives first. Case in point, the opening pages of Amazing Spider-Man #24 (Death Spiral Part 4) reveals that Torment has already killed Eddie Brock's father.
However, that's just one of the dark moments in this new chapter. After Spider-Man and Venom catch up with Carnage, the unlikely trio ends up cornering Torment in what's set to be a major (albeit premature) showdown. After all, Torment's "spirals" apparently aren't nearly tight enough.
That said, the showdown almost immediately takes a turn when Carnage betrays and attacks Spider-Man and Venom.
Although we've known since Death Spiral's first chapter that the Carnage symbiote had been feeding Torment information on Peter, MJ, and Eddie while Brock was asleep, Carnage showing hand this early is pretty surprising, though even more surprising is how Carnage is capable of such a betrayal in the first place.
Carnage Is Now In Full Control (Eddie's Just Along For The Ride)
If Carnage’s betrayal wasn’t surprising enough, the issue’s final page delivers the bigger bombshell.
The entire reason Eddie Brock has been Carnage's most recent host was specifically to keep the sinister symbiote in check, forming an uneasy truce where together they'd only go after serial killers. Likewise, Eddie has made it perfectly clear that if it ever became apparent that he couldn't control Carnage, he'd kill the symbiote even at the expense of his own life.
However, the surprise here is that Brock has no idea of Carnage's betrayal, seeing how he's somehow been rendered comatose, simply along for the ride with Carnage now calling all the shots.
Now, what once appeared to be a three-on-one clash against Torment is now shaping up as a far more brutal two-on-two conflict now that Carnage has officially switched sides and joined Torment.
It remains to be seen if Eddie will be able to wake up and regain control in future issues, and Brock probably can't without some major assistance from Spider-Man and/or Venom. Without Eddie’s conscience in the way, Carnage now has the freedom to kill, maim, and rip to shreds anyone he pleases, compete with a brand-new ally who's just as sadistic.
All things considered, it's a pretty bleak evolution for Eddie Brock, a character who spent years having fought so incredibly hard to master his own inner darkness, reshaping his original bond with Venom as a legitimate hero. Now, he's found himself completely consumed by Carnage, the furthest thing from a perfect bond of symbiosis.
All things considered, if Carnage is making his move this early in Marvel's new Death Spiral event, the true endgame must be far worse than anyone predicted. Furthermore, there's likely going to be even more deaths on the way as the new Spider-Man symbiote event continues.
Amazing Spider-Man #24 is available now from Marvel Comics.
-
Alias
Peter Parker, Ben Reilly, Otto Octavius, Yu Komori, Kaine Parker, Pavitr Prabhakar, William Braddock, Miles Morales, Kurt Wagner
Created By
Stan Lee, Steve Ditko
Franchise
Marvel, Spider-Man
Race
Human
First Appearance
Amazing Fantasy
Alliance
Avengers, Fantastic Four, X-Men, Secret Defenders, Future Foundation, Heroes for Hire, Mighty Avengers, New Avengers, Web-Warriors
Spider-Man is the name given to several individuals who have employed a spider-moniker throughout Marvel Comics. Typically gaining their powers through a bite from a radioactive spider, the different Spider-Man heroes employ super-strength, agility, and intellect while utilizing webbing to swing and tangle up their foes. The most notable of these Spider-Men is Peter Parker, who remains one of the most popular superheroes throughout the world.
-
NAME
Venom (Symbiote), Eddie Brock (most prominent host)
Alias
Eddie Brock
Created By
David Michelinie, Todd McFarlane
POWERS
Superhuman strength, speed, agility, and endurance, Ability to cling to surfaces, Shape-shifting abilities (forming weapons, shields), Regeneration and healing factor, Immunity to Spider-Man's spider-sense, Enhanced senses, Able to produce webbing, Bonding with a host to share or amplify powers, Immunity to all Earthly diseases
RELATIONSHIPS
Eddie Brock (primary host and ally), Peter Parker/Spider-Man (initial enemy, later uneasy ally), Anne Weying (former wife of Eddie Brock and occasional host), Cletus Kasady/Carnage (offspring of the Venom symbiote and a deadly enemy)
HISTORY
The Venom symbiote is an alien organism that first bonded with Peter Parker (Spider-Man) during the "Secret Wars" storyline. After Parker rejected the symbiote, it found a new host in Eddie Brock, a disgraced journalist. The symbiote and Brock bonded over their mutual hatred for Spider-Man, becoming the anti-hero known as Venom. Over time, Venom has evolved from a villain to an anti-hero, often fighting alongside other heroes to protect innocents, though his methods remain brutal.
Venom is a symbiotic alien entity bonded with various human hosts, notably Eddie Brock and later Flash Thompson. It grants superhuman strength, agility, and a shape-shifting black costume. Initially a Spider-Man villain due to its origins, Venom evolved into an antihero, battling both villains and his own dark impulses. The character embodies themes of duality and redemption within the Marvel Universe.
English (US) ·