Carnage is Becoming The Most Disturbing Kind of Marvel Hero
Though the Marvel Universe is chock-full of heroes that people look up to, it seems that the latest figure to be added to those ranks is Carnage. A new preview for the villain's self-titled series shows Carnage returning to his former group home and encountering a runaway youth. Instead of fleeing in terror, the young man gushes at the opportunity meet a figure he idolizes!
Carnage first burst onto the scene in his human form, Cletus Kasady in The Amazing Spider-Man #344 by David Michelinie, Erik Larsen, Randy Emberlin, Bob Sharen, and Rick Parker. A remorseless serial killer, Kasady would get the upgrade of a lifetime when he joined with an offspring of the Venom symbiote, transforming him into the powerful threat, Carnage. Since bonding with the alien lifeform, Carnage has racked up one of the highest body counts in the Marvel Universe, making him a legend to be feared.
Of course, legends are a matter of perspective, as the villain found out in a preview for Carnage #1 by David Michelinie, Ram V, Francesco Manna, Dijjo Lima, and Joe Sabino. In a story set in the past, Kasady returns to the charred ruins of St. Estes Home for Boys. Discovering a trespasser, Carnage attempts to frighten the young man before killing him. Despite the obvious threat to his safety, the teenager is overjoyed to meet Cletus, referring to him as a legend, going so far as to call him a "god." The youth reveals he came from juvenile hall, where Kasady is still held up in high regard for his strong anti-authoritarian streak. The young man was so enamored with Carnage, he broke out of juvey in a bid to meet him and make a request.
It doesn't really need to be said how messed up regarding someone like Carnage as a personal hero is. Aside from the numerous innocents Kasady has killed, he's also committed several acts of destruction such as burning down his own orphanage, attacking Houston with a miniature army of himself and infected an entire town with his symbiote. The number of heinous acts he commits only seems to grow the longer the character is around.
And despite the laundry list of his worst offenses, the young man knows exactly who his hero is and still holds him up as an idol. Though the story is set early in Carnage's career, Kasady is still well-known enough for the runaway to be aware of what the killer is capable of. And while Cletus is nowhere near the role model Spider-Man (or even Venom for that matter) is, it's not wrong to say that Carnage isn't good at what he does, despite the horrific nature of his work. While he's not the sort of figure anyone should emulate, it's not completely out of the question that someone would admire Carnage for his craft.
It may be a disturbing idea, but even the worst people in the world can have fans. What it means for Cletus Kasady and the Marvel Universe will have to be discovered when Carnage #1 releases on March 16, 2022.