Warning! Spoilers ahead for New Avengers #5!
Marvel Comics has officially set Carnage on the path to redemption. Often categorized as one of Marvel’s most dangerous villains, the new pairing of the symbiote with iconic Venom host Eddie Brock is being used to make Carnage a hero, and his latest “likable” moment serves as the punchline to a joke at the expense of a long-time Avenger.
New Avengers #5 is written by Sam Humphries, with art by Tiago Palma. In a moment of team-building, Black Widow tells a funny story about an earlier mission she went on with the OG Avengers, which went awry.
It’s Carnage, though, who gets the last laugh, with a Spider-Man-esque quip that highlights Marvel’s heroic intentions for the character.
Marvel Is Making Carnage More “Likable,” As It Continues To Experiment With A More Heroic Take On The Symbiote
New Avengers #5, Written By Sam Humphries; Art By Tiago Palma; Main Cover By Stephen Segovia And Rain Beredo (Color)
In the preview for New Avengers #5, the squad bonds over an embarrassing story about Avengers hero Hercules. As Black Widow reveals, during a mission in space, Hercules accidentally exposed himself to her and the rest of the team. Yes, seriously. When Widow tells them this, Winter Soldier, second-gen Wolverine Laura Kinney, Clea Strange, and Carnage all burst out laughing.
Even Namor cracks a smile. It’s Carnage that gets to comedically tag up on the moment, though, remarking:
I’ve done a lot of messed up things, but never that.
Of course, “messed up things” is putting it lightly when considering the absolute havoc and bloodshed Carnage has strewn across the Marvel Universe for decades. Not to mention the damage current host Eddie Brock did himself in his villainous earlier days.
It’s a funny moment, sure, but it’s also telling. Carnage’s inclusion in the New Avengers line-up signaled that the character is entering a heroic era, and these are exactly the kinds of small, but impactful moments that further Marvel’s goal. The question is, though, whether Marvel should make Carnage “good” in the first place.
Marvel Is Using The Venom Redemption Playbook On Carnage, But Is It The Right Move?
Carnage Is An Iconic Villain; Turning Him Hero Isn’t Necessary
Marvel responded to Venom’s popularity by making the symbiote, along with its most famous host, Eddie Brock, into an anti-hero. It took decades, but this eventually led Brock and Venom, together, to claim full-on hero status. Now, Marvel has separated the pair, but it is currently using both of them to try to elevate, or redeem, other popular characters.
The Venom symbiote is bonded with Mary Jane Watson, which immediately puts her on a new level as a Marvel superhero. Eddie Brock, meanwhile, is Carnage’s new host, and is clearly being portrayed as a positive influence on the usually unhinged symbiote. It seems like Marvel is keen to expedite Venom’s redemption process with Carnage.
For some fans though, this move doesn’t feel right. Carnage has been an unstoppable, violent force in the Marvel Universe for so long, and Marvel has cultivated such an extensive list of other symbiotes, that it seems unnecessary to “redeem” Carnage, whether it sticks or not. Still, Marvel continues to signal that this is the plan for the character moving forward.
New Avengers #5 wil be available October 1, 2025 from Marvel Comics.