Absolute Carnage: Symbiote Spider-Man (2019) is a one-shot tie-in to the larger Absolute Carnage event, and it tells the tragic story of Leonard Elkhart. Elkhart was a tourist who was momentarily bonded with the Venom symbiote after Peter Parker rejected it.
The story is not about Spider-Man or the central conflict of the event, but rather the smaller, more personal fallout of living in a world of symbiotes. The plot follows Elkhart's life as it falls apart after his brief encounter, culminating in his fateful meeting with the resurrected Carnage.
Main plot points:
The victim's story: The comic is primarily an extended flashback detailing how Judge Leonard Elkhart's life was ruined by his extremely brief possession of the Venom symbiote.
A "bad day": The narrative is framed by Elkhart's reflection on his life from a prison cell, drawing parallels to The Killing Joke's theme of "one bad day" leading to tragedy.
Carnage's hunt: In the present day, Cletus Kasady, now Dark Carnage, finds Elkhart in prison. Carnage explains that he is hunting down anyone who has ever bonded with a symbiote to collect the "codex," a trace remnant left in their spine.
A welcomed end: After a lifetime of misery, Elkhart is relieved and at peace when Carnage arrives to kill him.
A footnote in a larger conflict: For all the emotional weight of Elkhart's story, he ultimately dies in a bloody, shocking, and abrupt fashion. His death serves to highlight the ruthless horror of Carnage's mission for the larger event.
Absolute Carnage: Symbiote Spider-Man (2019) is a one-shot tie-in to the larger Absolute Carnage event, and it tells the tragic story of Leonard Elkhart. Elkhart was a tourist who was momentarily bonded with the Venom symbiote after Peter Parker rejected it.
The story is not about Spider-Man or the central conflict of the event, but rather the smaller, more personal fallout of living in a world of symbiotes. The plot follows Elkhart's life as it falls apart after his brief encounter, culminating in his fateful meeting with the resurrected Carnage.
Main plot points:
The victim's story: The comic is primarily an extended flashback detailing how Judge Leonard Elkhart's life was ruined by his extremely brief possession of the Venom symbiote.
A "bad day": The narrative is framed by Elkhart's reflection on his life from a prison cell, drawing parallels to The Killing Joke's theme of "one bad day" leading to tragedy.
Carnage's hunt: In the present day, Cletus Kasady, now Dark Carnage, finds Elkhart in prison. Carnage explains that he is hunting down anyone who has ever bonded with a symbiote to collect the "codex," a trace remnant left in their spine.
A welcomed end: After a lifetime of misery, Elkhart is relieved and at peace when Carnage arrives to kill him.
A footnote in a larger conflict: For all the emotional weight of Elkhart's story, he ultimately dies in a bloody, shocking, and abrupt fashion. His death serves to highlight the ruthless horror of Carnage's mission for the larger event.
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