Spider-Man Just Got His Most Insane and Dangerous Power-Up of All Time

Spider-Man’s powers and abilities are pretty self-explanatory, for the most part. He’s agile, can climb things, and made his own webs. There are a few added ones that aren’t specifically connected to real-life spiders, such as super strength and his preternatural danger sense, but it’s pretty easy to estimate what Spider-Man is capable of from a quick glance. His abilities are classic and fit his niche perfectly, which is why they’ve endured as they are for so long. Still, that’s not to say that Spidey never gets an upgrade. He’s used more than his fair share of advanced tech and bonded with a couple of aliens and cosmic forces, but through it all, he’s always remained himself.

That might not be the case with Spider-Man’s latest power-up. Currently, Spidey, Venom, and Eddie Brock are in a three-way crossover titled “Death Spiral.” The new villain, Torment, is here to slaughter everyone related to them before finally closing in for the kill. Unbeknownst to Eddie, Carnage leaked the heroes’ identities to the serial killer in hopes of bonding with him. It’s been a long, bloody fight, but as everything approaches its end, a new duo has risen that nobody could have expected. Spider-Man has bonded with Carnage, and even worse, he might not be in full control.

A Match Made in Hell

Venom #257 started with the Carnage-bonded Torment arriving at the FEAST shelter to take out Aunt May and Aunt Anna. Thankfully, Flash Thompson was there to hold down the fort, but not even he could stand up to the sadistic killers’ minds. Agent Anti-Venom was beaten, but he bought enough time for Spider-Man and Venom to arrive on the scene. Torment battled the heroes while Carnage scampered off to chase their prey. Unfortunately for the family-tree-obsessed villain, Carnage didn’t know the meaning of the word restraint and slaughtered everyone he found along the way.

Torment is obsessed with killing everyone in a family, so adding so many spirals to complete drove him over the edge. He knocked out Venom, skewered Peter through the chest, and severed his bond to Carnage. He marched off to kill the women himself. Spider-Man was bleeding out on the ground, and Carnage, weak enough that he needed a new host to survive, offered him the chance to bond. He told Peter that they could save everyone, and with no other options, Peter accepted. They bonded, and Carnage stood up, saying that this felt better than he ever expected, and that Spider-Man would never forget what they did.

The Deaths Just Keep Spiraling

“Death Spiral” only has one chapter left, and things aren’t looking good for anyone. Spider-Man has been the one voice of reason, keeping everyone on the right path when the dark situation threatened to swallow them. He has been the only person who unquestionably tried to prevent death, but now he’s bonded with Marvel’s most murderous maniac. Carnage was able to turn a normal human into a threat that could thrash Spider-Man and Venom at the same time, and now he’s bonded to someone who can deadlift an eighteen-wheeler. Spidey was already at the end of his mental rope after weeks of torment off-world, and half-dead, so Carnage could very well be in near full control of his super-powered body.

Carnage will likely drag out Spider-Man’s worst impulses, trying to convince him to break his moral code. Spider-Man will be brought to the mental edge with a killer in his mind, pushing him to take one life to save who knows how many others. Spider-Man always holds to what he thinks is right, but Aunt May is the most important person in the world to him. Carnage is a master at bringing out someone’s inner monster. Beyond that, Peter’s exhausted body could simply not fight off Carnage’s influence. 

In all likelihood, Carnage will try to have Spider-Man murder Torment, and if he can’t fight that off himself, it’ll be up to MJ to bring him back. Carnage could definitely try to use any latent resentment Spider-Man has against his ex, but MJ reasserting herself as Peter’s emotional anchor could be a major stepping stone for both of their characters. It’s even probable that Aunt May could learn both of their secret identities when Spider-Man throws off his symbiote partner. Everything could go dark, but if Peter’s loved ones can pull him out of that, they can save everyone.

Venom #257 is on sale now!

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