Issue(s): Spider-Man #36
Cover Date: Jul 93
Title: "Hate is in the air"
Credits:
Terry Kavanagh - Writer
Tom Lyle - Penciler
Scott Hanna - Inker
Mike Lackey - Assistant Editor
Danny Fingeroth - Editor

Review/plot:
This issue starts with Spider-Man, Venom, Cloak, and Firestar - yes, all of them - going to J. Jonah Jameson at the Daily Bugle hoping he'll put out an article with a message for Carnage. This is a callback to the beginning of this story where Carnage did something similar to try to lure out Spider-Man and Venom, a plot thread that went nowhere. And this portion similarly makes no sense. This isn't Adam West leaving clues for Frank Gorshin and vice versa. This is Carnage, who is out murdering people in the streets. He's not going to stop to read a fucking newspaper.

Hilariously, Firestar thinks leaning on JJ to publish the article means that they're reducing themselves to the same tactics as Carnage. Uh, no. Unless you're chopping people to bits, you're not using his tactics.

For those interested in Carnage's backstory, we learn that he was picked on as a child and beaten by an administrator (or some adult) at the orphanage. I'm actually surprised that Marvel decided to go this route with him. The whole point of Carnage is that he's irredeemably evil, unlike even Venom. Showing that he had a troubled childhood - besides being beyond cliche at this point - suggests that Carnage does have a reason for being the way he is, and even that he might be 'cured'. This ties into the conclusion of this story, but as we'll see it will turn out to be a false lead.

Meanwhile, hell, let's add another character to the mix here. Here's Iron Fist rescuing Deathlok, although based on that word salad dialogue i think he ought to just go lie down for a while.

The main development that comes out of Round Six of the fighting in this issue is that Carnage turns out to be immune to the sonics that, as a symbiote, he used to be vulnerable to. Earlier in this story it was mentioned that Carnage no longer had the symbiote and he was just mimicking those powers with a mutated metabolism. I didn't quite believe it, but i guess this is proof. Firestar's powers still work on him, though.

With Carnage weakened, Venom moves in for the kill, but Spider-man stops him and, thanks to a smack from Shriek, Carnage recovers.

Quality Rating: D+

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: This is part eight of Maximum Carnage. Part nine is in Spectacular Spider-Man #202.

References: N/A

Crossover: Maximum Carnage

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

The status of Carnage's symbiote around this time was tricky. During Maximum Carnage and a little bit after they were going with the explanation that the symbiote was dead and had mutated Kasady's blood to give him "Carnage" powers. This was also why he was no longer weak to sonic weapons.

Later on they inexplicably brought the Carnage symbiote back and said it was just hiding out in Kasady's bloodstream the whole time.

"Hilariously, Firestar thinks leaning on JJ to publish the article means that they're reducing themselves to the same tactics as Carnage. Uh, no. Unless you're chopping people to bits, you're not using his tactics"
I have to wonder if Kavanagh was thinking of the time Angel didn't want Nova to threaten the Sphinx's cat. That scene worked because Nova threatening the cat probably reminded Angel of what Emma did to her. Here, it makes Angel look a bit too "goody goody".