Superior Carnage #2
The Wizard has freed Carnage from prison in order to make him a member of his Frightful Four. He has come up with this idea after stealing files from Project Rebirth and learned that the military had tamed the Venom symbiote.[1]
Unfortunately, Carnage is braindead making the Wizard’s attempts to mentally control Carnage impossible so far.[2] To assist him in trying to mentally control Carnage, the Wizard has recruited Doctor Karl Malus into their ranks. The Wizard then tries to subjugate Carnage again. This attempt also fails, forcing Klaw to step in and blast the mindless killer with his sonic powers. Malus has decided that the Wizard has completely lost it, pointing out that Black Bolt of the Inhumans recently gave him dementia.[3] The Wizard, recovering from Carnage’s attack, dismisses Karl’s concerns and insists that they try again.
Meanwhile, Spider-Man is web-slinging across the city when he gets a call informing him that the Wizard broke Carnage out of prison. He is well aware of this thanks to the spider-bots he has across the city, however since he is in the middle of dealing with the Jackal, he finds searching for the two of them a waste of time for now.[4] Ending the call, Spider-Man — actually Doctor Octopus in Peter Parker’s body[5] — can’t help but think how he used to view Bentley Wittman as a respected colleague. However, between a brain tumor and Black Bolt’s mental tinkering, the Wizard is now a shadow of his former self.[6] He can’t help but wonder if Wittman is engaging is actually up to something, or if this is a bizarre attempt at suicide.
By this time, the Wizard has attempted to control Carnage four more times and has failed each time. Malus believes that Bentley is losing it and also points out that the military were able to control the Venom symbiote because it wasn’t physically bonded to anybody. The Carnage symbiote, on the other hand, runs through Cletus Kasady’s veins. This gives the Wizard some inspiration, he realizes that if he can’t control the brain dead mind of Cletus Kasady, he’ll just transfer the Carnage symbiote into a brand new host. Since the latest host for Venom is disabled, the Wizard decides that Karl would be ideal for this process since he is confined to a wheelchair.[7] Karl protests this and asks Klaw to see reason, however, Klaw is loyal to the Wizard after all the times he brought Klaw back from the dead.[8] As such, Klaw considers himself part of the Wizard’s family and punches Malus in the face.
Karl is then strapped onto a table where he is forcibly given a transfusion of Cletus Kasady’s blood. As Malus begins to transform, the Wizard delicious this a victory as he has now created a superior Carnage.
Recurring Characters
Carnage, Frightful Four (the Wizard, Klaw, Karl Malus), Spider-Man
Continuity Notes
The military claimed the Venom symbiote in Amazing Spider-Man #648. They then bonded it to Flash Thompson in Amazing Spider-Man #654.
Cletus Kasady was stabbed in the brain by the Scarlet Spider leaving him catatonic. See Minimum Carnage: Omega #1.
Black Bolt messed with the Wizard’s brain in FF (vol. 2) #7.
For more on Spider-Man’s battle with the Jackal see Superior Spider-Man Team-Up #2 and Scarlet Spider (vol. 2) #19.
Doctor Octopus took over Peter Parker’s life in Amazing Spider-Man #698. This will remain the status quo until Superior Spider-Man #31.
It was revealed that the Wizard was suffering from a brain tumor in Fantastic Four #610.
Flash Thompson lost his legs while serving in the military, as seen in Amazing Spider-Man #574.
It was revealed in Fall of the Hulks: Alpha #1 that the Wizard has often saved Klaw from the brink of death or resurrected him on a number of occasions. Specific instances though haven’t been clarified.
