Absolute Carnage Vol 1 #01 Kirkham BW

Grade: 9.4 +

As they walk towards Times Square, Eddie Brock explains to Dylan that the symbiotes were created by a primordial god of darkness called Knull in order to purge all life from the universe, but that they turned on their creator and imprisoned him at the core of an artificial planet. Eddie then tells Dylan that when a symbiote is seperated from its host it leaves a piece of itself called a codex behind; and that the symbiote-augmented serial killer Cletus Kasady has been resurrected by an apocalyptic symbiote-worshipping cult and is hunting everyone who's ever bonded to a symbiote in order to harvest their codexes and free Knull from his celestial prison. Terrified, Dylan asks Eddie if there's anything else he should know, and Eddie considers telling Dylan that he's his father before deciding against it - afraid it would destroy their relationship. As Dylan asks what they're going to do, Eddie tells his son that he's going to take him to a safe place until he can work out a plan. Dylan asks where Eddie's taking him, Eddie admitting that he has one idea, but he hates it - meaning it's likely their best option. Adding that they're probably being hunted at that moment, Eddie tells Dylan they need to keep a low profile... only to enter Times Square and see his face plastered on every screen, labelling him Public Enemy #1 for the murder of Lee Price and several other inmates at Ryker's Island. As Dylan incredulously asks Eddie why he'd do such a thing, Eddie states that Carnage is framing him.

Spotting a man in a trenchcoat and fedora tailing them, Eddie grabs Dylan and runs for the subway, pushing people out of the way. As they vault down the stairs, Eddie tells Dylan they need to get on the oncoming train ASAP. As Eddie impatiently urges the train to arrive faster, a man standing behind him and reading a copy of the Daily Bugle lowers it to reveal himself as Cletus Kasady. Grinning maniacally, Cletus shoves Eddie and Dylan onto the train tracks in mockery of what Eddie had once done to Peter Parker. As the train draws nearer, Eddie hugs Dylan and braces for death, but just before it reaches them the man in the trenchcoat leaps onto the tracks and reveals himself as the Venom symbiote in disguise; derailing the train and shielding Eddie and Dylan. As the Venom symbiote rebonds to him, Eddie notes he can hear its voice again and it replies that it's fully recovered after absorbing some dark magic. The symbiote notes that Eddie is resisting bonding to it, and he retorts that he's still angry over it lying to and gaslighting him. The symbiote apologizes, but insists that they need to be together again. Before it can elaborate, a pair of police officers hold Venom at gunpoint and tell him to step away from Dylan. Retracting the symbiote from his face, Eddie tells the officers that he has no intention of hurting anyone, but they don't believe him. Eddie tells Dylan to go to the cops, but as they bicker the symbiote interjects in an attempt to warn them. The train explodes, Venom shielding Dylan from the shrapnel, and he turns to see the new-and-improved Dark Carnage - a thirteen foot-tall skeletal red-and-black monster with a fanged maw, a white spiral on its forehead, and a white dragon emblem on its chest - looming over them. Peeling the symbiote away from his face to reveal a necrotic skull, Cletus Kasady says they should catch up.

As the police gape in horror, Venom tells them to take Dylan and get as far away as they can as fast as they can while he handles this. As Dark Carnage laughs at his bravado, the symbiote urges Eddie to be careful, since Cletus has bonded to a piece of the Grendel symbiote. Venom punches Dark Carnage as hard as he can, but Cletus isn't fazed; gloating that he's now a god as he casually backhands Venom. As Venom crashes to the ground, dazed, Dark Carnage quips that he always thought Eddie would look better in red, grabbing him by the face before slamming him into the train tracks. Eddie mentally notes he's never been hit that hard before, the Venom symbiote telling him that his skull is fractured and his brain hemorrhaging, urging him to get away so that it can focus on healing him. Struggling to pick himself up, Eddie refuses to flee -- spotting Dylan struggling against the two police officers and calling out to him. Dark Carnage pounces on Venom and pins him to the ground, demanding to know who Dylan is before remarking that it doesn't matter since he's going to die horrifically anyway. As Dark Carnage tries to rip the Venom symbiote off Eddie, gleefully proclaiming that Knull is coming to destroy everything, Eddie grabs Dark Carnage's lower jaw and shouts at him to burn. Against the Venom symbiote's protests, Eddie grabs the third rail and conducts the electricity into Dark Carnage, destabilizing the Dark Carnage symbiote. Resuscitating Eddie, the Venom symbiote rebonds to him as Dylan breaks free from the cops and runs towards him, asking if he killed Dark Carnage. As they flee the scene, Eddie looks over at Cletus Kasady's undead corpse, which giggles as the Dark Carnage symbiote rebonds to him, and remarks that he's not sure anything can.

Later, Eddie and Dylan make their way through a rain-soaked ally, Dylan noting that Eddie hasn't said a word since they left the subway. Speaking through Eddie, the Venom symbiote tells Dylan that it placed him into a temporary coma so that it could focus on healing his injuries, and that he'll be OK. As they reach an apartment building, the symbiote notes that they've arrived and wakes Eddie back up, Dylan asking where they are. Walking up the steps Eddie tells Dylan that he decided to go through with the bad idea he'd mentioned earlier. Knocking on the door of Apartment 616, Eddie is greeted by Randy Robertson, who initially assumes they're selling fundraiser cookies before noticing Eddie's bloodied condition and calling for Peter Parker - who's in the middle of changing into his Spider-Man costume.