Carnage #1
An armored car is speeding across the city trying to get away from a car that is trying to run it off the road. This chase attracts the attention of the Spider-Doppelganger, which begins to follow it.
At that same moment, Tony Stark is attending a presentation of Michael Hall’s new state of the art prosthetics that respond to mental impulses at the New York Convention Expo. Hall puts on a demonstration of his technology, making a point to play up the fact that Tony Stark didn’t contribute any Starktech to the project for laughs. Tony pretends to be a good sport but after the demonstration, he leaves the convention center and calls Pepper Potts. He wants her to look into Hall’s patents because his cybernetics appear to be something way out of his league and wants to know what he’s playing with. That’s when he spots the car chase and the Spider-Doppelganger chasing it.
Changing into Iron Man, Tony calls Peter Parker at home to ask how many arms he presently has. Peter confirms that he has his usual two and is told about the monstrosity running through the city. Peter resigns to giving up his day of staying home and watching TV to help Tony as Spider-Man.
While on the West Side Highway, the Spider-Doppelganger lands on the hood of the armored car frightening the drivers. When they slam on the breaks the car chasing them crashes into the back of the truck. That’s when Iron Man arrives on the scene and his scanners cannot give a definitive answer as to what this creature is. When he tries to get the Spider-Doppelganger to stand down the creature fires its webbing at him and flees. That’s when Spider-Man arrives, he confirms what he feared, that this creature is the Spider-Doppelganger. He recounts how he last saw the creature during the Maximum Carnage massacre.[1] He recalls how Carnage’s madness spread across the city and is glad that he doesn’t have to deal with that this time. That’s when people start going mad and try to attack them.
As the crowd swarms Spider-Man and Iron Man, the Spider-Doppelganger approaches the woman in the car that was chasing the armored car. She has been injured in the crash but she tells the creature to prevent the armored car to stop. That’s when two armored men named Royal Blue and Firebrick arrive and order the crowd to disburse. When they refuse, Royal Blue fires a massive net that ties up the frenzied civilians. Meanwhile, the Spider-Doppelganger is trying to rip open the truck while repeating the word “mother” over and over. Realizing what’s going on the woman from the car tries to stop it from freeing the prisoner in the back of the truck. That’s when Royal Blue charges up his blaster. The woman gets between the shot and Spider-Doppelganger. The blast cleaves off her arm and cuts the Spider-Doppelganger in half. This allows the truck to get away.
In the aftermath of the battle, Iron Man rushes to give the woman aid. They ask the two Iron Man wannabes what was aboard that truck. They inform the two Avengers that it was carrying Frances Barrison, aka Shriek.
Later, Shriek is delivered to a secret facility where she is brought into a lab. She is shocked to discover that they have the Carnage symbiote contained in a massive liquid filled containment sphere.
Recurring Characters
Carnage, Spider-Man, Iron Man, Iron Rangers (Royal Blue, Firebrick), Shriek, Spider-Doppelganger, Michael Hall, Tanis Nieves, Pepper Potts (voice only)
Continuity Notes
The Maximum Carnage event occurred in Spider-Man Unlimited #1-2, Web of Spider-Man #101-103, Amazing Spider-Man #378-380, Spider-Man #35-37, Spectacular Spider-Man #201-203. The Spider-Doppelganger was last seen and seemingly killed by Carnage in Spider-Man #37.
