"Maximum Carnage"
Cover ofSpider-Man: Maximum Carnage  (2005),trade paperback collected edition
Publisher	Marvel Comics
Publication date	May – August1993
Genre	Superhero Crossover
Title(s) The Amazing Spider-Man #378-380 Spider-Man #35-37 The Spectacular Spider-Man #201-203 Spider-Man Unlimited #1-2 Web of Spider-Man #101-103
Main character(s)	Spider-Man Venom Eddie Brock Carnage Cletus Kasady Carrion Demogoblin Doppleganger Shriek Cloak and Dagger
Creative team
Writer(s)	Tom DeFalco J.M. DeMatteis Terry Kavanagh David Michelinie
Maximum Carnage	ISBN 0-7851-0987-0

"Maximum Carnage" is a 14-partcomic bookcrossover published inMarvel Comics'Spider-Man family of titles in1993. It featured Spider-Man,Venom, and a host of other superheroes teaming up to face Venom's murderous offspringCarnage and his team of supervillains.

Since the aliensymbiote to which he was bonded was destroyed during his capture,^[1]Cletus Kasady is presumed powerless and jailed at Ravencroft Asylum. However, the symbiote mutated his blood before its destruction, enabling Kasady to reconstitute the symbiote and break out. During his escape, Kasady—again calling himselfCarnage—frees fellow inmateShriek.

Over the course of their ensuing killing spree throughNew York City, they recruitDoppelganger,Demogoblin, andCarrion. Carnage dubs himself their "father", but in fact, they all despise Carnage and stay with the group out of devotion to Shriek. As the death toll increases, Spider-Man,Venom,Captain America, theBlack Cat,Nightwatch,Cloak and Dagger,Iron Fist,Deathlok,Morbius the Living Vampire, andFirestar all join the cause of stopping them, but the heroes are polarized between Venom's desire to stop Carnage at all costs and Spider-Man's refusal to use violent methods, and Spider-Man ultimately abandons Venom to Carnage's mercies. In addition, Shriek uses her psychic powers to turn the populace of New York City into a bloodthirsty rabble, allowing the killers to continue their rampage with impunity.

Carnage finally turns on the rest of his gang, and, in the ensuing battle, Shriek is distracted from using her psychic power. Taking advantage of the lull, the heroes acquire a device from the Rand Corporation which projects feelings of love and hope into the villains, overwhelming them. Carnage flees, faking his death by covering a victim in a mock symbiote costume, and the others are captured. Once the heroes are dispersed, Carnage ambushes Venom. The device has left Carnage frantic and confused, and Venom pounds him relentlessly before tackling him into an electrical generator. Carnage is knocked senseless and left to be incarcerated.

Part 1:Spider-Man Unlimited #1

Part 2:Web of Spider-Man #101

Part 3:The Amazing Spider-Man #378

Part 4:Spider-Man #35

Part 5:The Spectacular Spider-Man #201

Part 6:Web of Spider-Man #102

Part 7:The Amazing Spider-Man #379

Part 8:Spider-Man #36

Part 9:The Spectacular Spider-Man #202

Part 10:Web of Spider-Man #103

Part 11:The Amazing Spider-Man #380

Part 12:Spider-Man #37

Part 13:The Spectacular Spider-Man #203

Part 14:Spider-Man Unlimited #2

• Elements of theMaximum Carnage andSpider-Island storylines are adapted in theUltimate Spider-Man vs. The Sinister Six animated series three-part episode "The Symbiote Saga".

• Maximum Carnage, as well as the1994Spider-Man animated series story arcThe Venom Saga (1996), serves as the primary inspiration for the 2021 filmVenom: Let There Be Carnage.^[2]

• This storyline served as the basis for LJN's 1994video gameSpider-Man and Venom: Maximum Carnage, which was released for theGenesis and theSuper NES video game platforms.

• Thewizard mode ofZen Studios' virtual pinball adaptation of the Marvel Comics character Venom is named after the comic book storyline, representing Spider-Man, Venom, Captain America, Deathlok and Dagger's efforts to defeat Carnage.^[3][4][5][6]

• Anaction figure line was released byToy Biz to capitalize on the crossover's success. The line featured Spider-Man, Venom, and Carnage.^[7]

• DuringHalloween Horror Nights 12 atUniversal Orlando'sIslands of Adventure,Marvel Super Hero Island was converted into a scarezone based on the story arc, and a full haunted house calledMaximum Carnage was created. In this version, Carnage has killed all of the Marvel superheroes that came after him, resulting in criminal gangs running the streets. Certain items gave the island the appearance that famous superheroes fought (and lost) on the scenery, resulting in their death.

• Maximum Carnage at the Comic Book DB (archived fromthe original)
• Maximum Carnage at the Marvel Universe
• Maximum Carnage on Marvel Database, aMarvel Comicswiki

• Spider-Man storylines
• 1993 in comics
• Crossover comics
• Comics by David Michelinie
• Comics by J. M. DeMatteis
• Mass murder in fiction

• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Comics caption less artist
• Comics infobox image less alt text
• Story arc pop