Venom is one of Spider-Man’s most iconic villains. The Venom symbiote attaches itself to a host, usually Eddie Brock, and grants them superhuman abilities like enhanced strength, speed, and agility. However, Venom has a notable weakness – he is vulnerable to high frequencies of sound and heat. This is where the “red one” comes in.
The “red one” refers to Carnage, another symbiote villain who is even more powerful and dangerous than Venom. Carnage is red in color, hence the nickname. So why exactly is Venom afraid of Carnage? Let’s analyze their origins, powers, and previous encounters to understand Venom’s fear.
Origins of Venom and Carnage
The Venom symbiote first appeared in Marvel comics in 1984. It was initially worn by Spider-Man, but after realizing it was alive and trying to permanently bond with him, Spider-Man rejected it. The symbiote then found Eddie Brock as a new host and became the villain Venom. The symbiote amplified Eddie’s hatred of Spider-Man, making Venom obsess over getting revenge.
Carnage came along later in 1991. The Carnage symbiote spawned from the Venom symbiote and bonded with serial killer Cletus Kassidy. Unlike Brock, Kassidy was already a deranged murderer before bonding. So Carnage represents the full, unrestrained power of a symbiote paired with a psychopathic mind. This makes Carnage exponentially more violent, chaotic, and deadly than Venom.
Powers and Abilities
As offspring of the Venom symbiote, Carnage has similar powers to Venom but to a greater extent. Venom and Carnage both have:
– Superhuman strength, speed, stamina, and durability
– Shapeshifting and regeneration abilities
– Can shoot out web-like substances
– Can block Spider-Man’s spider-sense
However, Carnage is notably more powerful in:
– *Strength* – Carnage can lift 80-100 tons compared to Venom’s 40-70 tons.
– *Speed* – Carnage can move and react much faster than Venom.
– *Sharp Weapons* – Carnage can create longer, sharper, axe-like constructs from his limbs.
– *Psychopathic Nature* – Carnage has no moral limits on violence due to Kassidy’s insane psyche.
This makes Carnage extremely dangerous in direct combat. Additionally, Carnage is less vulnerable to sound and heat compared to Venom. He is basically a superior, scarier upgrade of Venom’s abilities.
Previous Encounters
Venom’s fear of Carnage is also based on their many battles over the years. Their first major fight was in their debut comic Amazing Spider-Man #361 in 1992. Venom was barely able to defeat Carnage, needing help from Spider-Man and requiring a specialized sonic gun to weaken the savage symbiote.
They had another big showdown in the 1993 limited series Venom: Carnage Unleashed. Once again, Carnage proved too powerful with Venom struggling to fight him alone. Venom only managed to win by tricking Carnage into entering a chamber imbued with sonic waves created by the secret government organization called the Life Foundation. This pattern repeated itself over their subsequent encounters, with Venom always needing outside help or special weaponry to take down Carnage.
Psychological Effects on Venom
Beyond being physically overpowered, Carnage also affects Venom psychologically. Venom sees himself as a “lethal protector” and feels there are lines he won’t cross. But Carnage is an entirely remorseless killer, inflicting chaos solely for twisted fun. He basically represents what Venom could become without any moral restraints. This disturbs Venom deeply at a subconscious level regarding the nature of their shared symbiote lineage.
Additionally, Carnage is the offspring birthed from Venom’s own symbiote, so Venom feels responsible for unleashing Carnage into the world. Venom also envies how Carnage seems to have a more perfect symbiotic relationship with Kassidy than he has with Brock. Overall, Carnage is kind of a dark mirror that magnifies Venom’s fears about himself and his bonds to others. This all feeds into Venom’s adrenaline-pumping anxiety whenever Carnage is near.
Conclusion
To summarize:
Main Reasons for Venom’s Fear of Carnage
| Superior strength and speed |
| Deadlier symbiotic weaponry |
| Unfettered psychopathic mindset |
| Less vulnerable to sonics and heat |
| Repeatedly overpowered Venom in battles |
| Represents an unhinged version of Venom |
Carnage’s greater power-set and tortured symbiosis with Kassidy makes him an extremely dangerous foe that Venom struggles to defeat alone. He evokes fear in Venom both physically and psychologically. Venom sees Carnage as an uncontrollable force that must be contained before he destroys everything in his path. This fear galvanizes Venom to repeatedly, but reluctantly, ally with his hated foe Spider-Man in hopes of taking down the chaotic Carnage.
Key Lessons
– Symbiote offspring can evolve greater abilities than their predecessor. Carnage has most of Venom’s core powers enhanced to a higher extreme.
– Pairing with certain hosts can better unlock a symbiote’s full potential for chaos. Kassidy’s deranged mind synergizes perfectly with Carnage.
– Past losses can haunt you. Carnage has constantly defeated Venom in previous battles, scarring his memories.
– Your progeny can reflect the darker parts of yourself. Carnage represents the total lack of restraint between symbiote and human psyches.