Carnage Reading Order

Created by writer David Michelinie and artist Mark Bagley in The Amazing Spider-Man #361 (published in 1992), Carnage is a supervillain, pure and simple. Being an offspring of Venom (see reading order to know more), Carnage is a Symbiote, an extraterrestrial organism that bonds with a host to which it gives superpowers.

In this case, even if it had multiple hosts through the years, Carnage is famously connected to its first, the sadistic serial killer Cletus Kasady. Everything began when, after Venom left behind him its offspring in a prison cell, the new symbiote connected with Eddie Brock’s cellmate, Kasady. Together, they left behind them chaos and death.

Envisioned as a darker version of Venom, Carnage is more violent, powerful, and, simply put, deadly. He became an adversary of Spider-Man, of course, but also the archenemy of Venom. At times, Carnage was put at the center of multiple storylines, crossovers, and events, spreading fear throughout the Marvel Universe.

Carnage Reading Order

For more information about other symbiotes, see Venomverse: Our Ultimate Guide to Marvel’s Main Symbiote Characters.

First, if Carnage made its debut in Amazing Spider-Man #361, Cletus Kasady first appeared in Amazing Spider-Man #344-345 (collected in The Amazing Spider-Man Epic Collection: Return of the Sinister Six) when he was sharing a cell with Eddie Brock at Riker’s Island Prison Complex.

• Carnage Epic Collection: Born in Blood
  Collects Amazing Spider-Man #361-363 and #378-380, Web of Spider-Man #101-103, Spider-Man #35-37, Spectacular Spider-Man #201-203 and material from Spider-Man Unlimited #1-2, and Amazing Spider-Man Annual #28.

This first volume collects the famous Maximum Carnage storyline in which Carnage has assembled an army of the web-slinger’s criminally insane adversaries to spread his message of hostility, chaos, and wholesale slaughter in the streets of New York. This is also collected in another book in the same collection (but without the first three Carnage issues):

• Amazing Spider-Man Epic Collection: Maximum Carnage
  Collects Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #378-380, Web of Spider-Man (1985) #101-103, Spider-Man (1990) #35-37, Spectacular Spider-Man (1976) #201-203, Spider-Man/Punisher/Sabretooth: Designer Genes (1993) one-shot, material from Spider-Man Unlimited (1993) #1-2.

After that, Carnage came back in another Spider-Man storyline (called Power and Responsibility) during the Clone Saga era (see reading order), but as a secondary character. It’s optional here. It’s a three-part story: Web of Spider-Man #117, Amazing Spider-Man #394, and Spectacular Spider-Man #217, collected in The Amazing Spider-Man: The Complete Clone Saga Epic Book 1.

And then, Carnage escapes the Ravencroft Institute. He’s back with a vengeance.

• Carnage Epic Collection: Web of Carnage
  Collects Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #403 And #410, Venom: Carnage Unleashed #1-4, Carnage: Mind Bomb, Sensational Spider-Man (1996) #3, Spider-Man (1990) #67, Spectacular Spider-Man (1976) #233, Carnage: It’s A Wonderful Life, Venom: On Trial #2-3 — Plus Material From Amazing Spider-Man Super Special, Spider-Man Super Special, Venom Super Special, Spectacular Spider-Man Super Special, and Web Of Spider-Man Super Special.
• Carnage Epic Collection: The Monster Inside
  Collects Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #430-431, Peter Parker: Spider-Man (1999) #13, Webspinners: Tales of Spider-Man (1999) #13-14, Venom vs. Carnage (2004) #1-4, Toxin (2005) #1-6, X-Men/Spider-Man (2008) #3, What If? (1989) #108.

After that, Carnage ended up a prisoner of The Raft. A breakout forced the New Avengers to intervene in the super-prison, and a series of events led to the presumed death of the Symbiote in New Avengers #2. You can read that in:

• The New Avengers Vol. 1: Breakout
  Collects New Avengers #1-6.

Five years later. Carnage is back with a short miniseries that mostly rectifies everything that happened to the Symbiote in The New Avengers. Carnage acquired new capacities, which led to the Carnage U.S.A miniseries (set after Venom Vol. 2 #15), then to the Minimum Carnage and Superior Carnage crossover storylines.

• Carnage: Family Feud
  Collects Carnage #1-5.
• Carnage U.S.A
  Collects Carnage U.S.A #1-5. 
• Minimum Carnage
  Collects Minimum Carnage: Alpha and Omega, Scarlet Spider (2012) #10-12, Venom (2011) #26-27.
• Superior Carnage
  Collects Superior Carnage #1-5.
• Deadpool vs. Carnage
  Collects Deadpool vs. Carnage #1-4.

Except for Deadpool vs. Carnage, all the miniseries are collected in an Epic volume: 

• Carnage Modern Era Epic Collection: Carnage U.S.A.
  Collects Carnage (2010) #1-5, Carnage U.S.A. #1-5, Minimum Carnage Alpha And Omega, Scarlet Spider (2012) #10-11, Venom (2011) #26-27, and Superior Carnage (2013) #1-5.

Marvel Event: Axis! The Red Onslaught is broadcasting waves of telepathic hate across the globe, and Marvel’s greatest heroes have turned on their moral axis! During that event, Carnage joined Magneto’s team. He appeared in AXIS #2, Magneto #11, AXIS #3, Deadpool #36, Magneto #12, AXIS #4, AXIS: Carnage #1-3, Nova #24, AXIS #6-8, Loki: Agent of Asgard #9, and Nova #25 (see the reading order of the event).

The AXIS: Carnage 3-part miniseries and Nova #26-27 are now collected in Carnage Modern Era Epic Collection: Prophecy of the Darkhold.

• Avengers & X-Men: Axis
  Collects Avengers & X-Men: Axis #1-9
• Magneto Vol. 2: Reversals
   Collects Magneto #7-12.
• Axis: Carnage & Hobgoblin
  Collects Axis: Hobgoblin #1-3, Axis: Carnage #1-3.
• Nova Vol. 5: Axis
  Collects Nova (2013) #23-27. After the event, we learned what happened to Carnage in Nova #26-27.

In 2016, Marvel brought back Carnage in a new ongoing series by Gerry Conway and Mike Perkins. Cletus Kasady is back, murdering a lot of people, and a well-equipped FBI team is on his trail with John Jameson and a reformed Eddie Brock. Things get hairy pretty quickly.

• Carnage Modern Era Epic Collection: Prophecy of the Darkhold [2016]
  Collects Superior Carnage Annual (2014) #1, Deadpool vs. Carnage (2014) #1-4, Axis: Carnage (2014) #1-3, Nova (2013) #26-27, Carnage (2015) #1-10; All-New, All-Different Point One (2015) #1 (Carnage story)

Previously collected in: 

• Carnage Vol. 1: The One That Got Away
  Collects Carnage: Vol. 2 #1–5 and All-New, All-Different Point One (Carnage story).
• Carnage Vol. 2: World Tour
  Collects Carnage: Vol. 2 #6-10.
• Carnage Vol. 3: What Dwells Beneath
  Collects Carnage: Vol. 2 #11-16.

Carnage joined the fight in the Venomverse with issue #3. The story continues in Venomized.

• Venomverse
  Collects Venomverse #1-5.
• Venomized
  Collects Venomized #1-5.

The end of Dan Slott’s run on The Amazing Spider-Man was marked by a big fight with Norman Osborn after he retrieved the Carnage symbiote and became the Red Goblin.

• Amazing Spider-Man: Red Goblin
  Collects Amazing Spider-Man #794-801.

On the road to the Absolute Carnage event, Carnage actually appeared in multiple one-shots collected in the Venom Unleashed volume, but also in Web Of Venom: Cult Of Carnage #1, collected in the Venom: War Of The Realms book.

• Venom Unleashed Vol. 1
  Collects Web of Venom: Ve’Nam #1, Web of Venom: Carnage Born #1, Web of Venom: Venom Unleashed #1, Web of Venom: Funeral Pyre #1.
• Venom: War Of The Realms
  Collects Venom (2018) #13-15, and Web of Venom: Cult of Carnage #1.

Absolute Carnage! After being resurrected by a cult dedicated to the worship of the god Knull and being bonded to the deific primordial Grendel symbiote, Cletus Kasady makes his comeback to New York to collect codices, traces left inside those who wore a symbiote. Check out our Absolute Carnage Reading Order to find out more about the event.

• Absolute Carnage Omnibus
  Collects Absolute Carnage #1-5, Absolute Carnage Vs. Deadpool #1-3, Absolute Carnage: Captain Marvel #1, Absolute Carnage: Immortal Hulk #1, Absolute Carnage: Symbiote Spider-Man #1, Absolute Carnage: Symbiote Of Vengeance #1, Absolute Carnage: Lethal Protectors #1-3, Absolute Carnage: Avengers #1, Absolute Carnage: Miles Morales #1-3, Absolute Carnage: Weapon Plus #1, Absolute Carnage: Scream #1-3, Absolute Carnage: Separation Anxiety #1, Amazing Spider-Man #29-31, Venom #16-20, And Absolute Carnage Stinger Pages.

Once the event concluded, Carnage’s story continued in:

• Web of Venom: The Good Son #1
• Venom by Donny Cates Vol. 4: Venom Island
  Collect Venom (2018) #21-25.

Then came King in Black! The sequel to Absolute Carnage (see the reading order). Carnage didn’t appear in the event, except in a parallel universe version in the really optional King in Black: Gwenom vs. Carnage. Carnage (not Cletus, though) is still back to deal with the aftermath of King in Black in:

• Extreme Carnage
  Collects Extreme Carnage Alpha #1, Extreme Carnage: Scream #1, Extreme Carnage: Phage #1, Extreme Carnage: Riot #1, Extreme Carnage: Lasher #1, Extreme Carnage: Agony #1, Extreme Carnage: Toxin #1, Extreme Carnage Omega #1

With a new movie out, Carnage is quite popular. Marvel decided to explore that with a new anthology with independent stories that go back in time, exploiting past events in the history of Carnage.

• Carnage: Black, White & Blood
  Collects Carnage: Black, White & Blood #1-4.

After the events of Extreme Carnage, Cletus’ codex has found a new home — leaving the Carnage symbiote adrift, alone…and deadlier and more bloodthirsty than ever before! What new and terrifying creature will emerge from this symbiotic solitude? Something wicked this way comes!

• Carnage Vol. 1: In the Court of Crimson
  Collects Carnage (2022) #1-5 and Carnage Forever #1.
• Carnage Vol. 2: Carnage in Hell
  Collects Carnage (2022) #6-10.

Carnage Reigns, a crossover from the Summer of Symbiotes: With his soul trapped inside the Extrembiote Armor created by Tony Stark during KING IN BLACK, Cletus now has the means to level an untold amount of chaos on New York City – and the entire Marvel Universe! But like any good Tony Stark invention, the Extremis coursing through Cletus’ symbiotic veins needs power – and that means Cletus is hungry. Good thing Brooklyn’s very own Spider-Man is there to stand in his way!

• Carnage Reigns
  Collects Carnage Reigns Alpha (2023) #1, Miles Morales: Spider-Man (2022) #6-7, Carnage (2022) #13-14, Red Goblin (2022) #5, Carnage Reigns Omega (2023) #1.

Carnage travels the Venomverse, killing any Venom variants he finds along his path toward godhood. A team of Venoms from across the universe fights for survival against Carnage’s aspirations of godhood.

• Extreme Venomverse
  Collects Extreme Venomverse #1-5.
• Death of the Venomverse
  Collects Death of the Venomverse #1-5.

Torunn Grønbekk takes over to write the next Carnage story in collaboration with Al Ewing to prepare the next explosive war of the symbiotes: Every symbiote needs a host. And for Carnage, there has only ever been one host who has made it feel whole. It’s time for a reunion. Meanwhile, Flash Thompson has become convinced that a series of increasingly horrifying murders are all connected. 

• Carnage Vol. 1: Born Again
  Collects Web of Carnage #1 and Carnage (2023) #1-4.
• Carnage Vol. 2: Symbiosis Necrosis
  Collects Carnage (2023) #5-8 and Venom (2021) #31-32.

The culmination of the first part of Al Ewing’s long-running Venom saga brought all the symbiotes together in New York for the Venom War! Eddie Brock and his son Dylan are fighting over Venom, but bigger events are taking place. Carnage is getting embroiled in all of this. You can check out our Venom War Reading Order to learn more about the crossover event.

• Venom War
  Collects Venom War #1-5.
• Between Venom War #1 & 2, read Venom War: Carnage #1-3, collected Venom War: Wolverine/Deadpool.

After the events of the Venom War, both Carnage and Eddie Brock are badly injured and agree to work together to survive. They form a bond, but Eddie is in control. However, he must kill to feed Carnage’s appetite. To fulfil his end of the bargain, Eddie decides to go after serial killers in the 10-issue series Eddie Brock: Carnage by Charles Soule, Jesús Saíz, and Juanan Ramírez.

• Eddie Brock: Carnage Vol. 1 – Killing Me
  Collects Eddie Brock: Carnage #1-5.
• Eddie Brock: Carnage Vol. 2 – The Killing Muse [2026]
  Collects Eddie Brock: Carnage #6-10.

During his time with Carnage, hunting killers, Eddie Brock stumbled on the latest incarnation of the Thunderbolts (renamed New Avengers to relate to the movie). Bucky and the Black Widow recruit The Hulk, Namor, Clea, and Wolverine to hunt down grotesque and deadly clones of the Illuminati. Carnage joined them in New Avengers (vol. 5) #3.

• New Avengers Vol. 1: Killuminati [2026]
  Collects New Avengers (vol. 5) #1-5.
• New Avengers Vol. 2: The Other Woman [2026]
  Collects New Avengers (vol. 5) #6-10.

Back in New York, Eddie and Carnage must join with Venom and Spider-Man to stop a serial killer who decimates family lines in the crossover “Death Spiral.”

• Amazing Spider-Man/Venom: Death Spiral [2026]
  Collects Amazing Spider-Man/Venom: Death Spiral (2026) #1, Amazing Spider-Man (2025) #23-27, Venom (2025) #255-257, Amazing Spider-Man/Venom: Death Spiral – Body Count (2026) #1, Free Comic Book Day 2025: Amazing Spider-Man/Ultimate Universe #1 (C Story).

What’s next for Carnage? Check out the new The Amazing Spider-Man: Spider-Versity series to find out!