DEMOGOBLIN versus CARNAGE, SHRIEK & DOPPELGANGER
Team Venom: Maximum Carnage, Chapter Four (Marvel)
Where: Spider-Man #35 When: June 1993
Why: David Michelinie How: Tom Lyle
The Story So Far...
The escape of Carnage & Shriek from the Ravencroft Institute has turned Manhattan into a killing field!
The best efforts of Spider-Man, Cloak, and Dagger ended with the apparent death of the latter heroine, and brutal physical and mental injuries for the surviving pair. Even the arrival of Venom from across the country couldn't slow the murderous rampage of Carnage, Shriek, and Doppelganger through Central Park!
The first line of defense may have failed, but an unlikely predator has caught the scent of these sinful killers. Having already waylaid an injured Spider-Man; the deadly Demogoblin has picked up the trail of Doppelganger and intends to reclaim his former ally while claiming the lives of his sinful companions!
Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Carnage 5 (Super-Human)
Intelligence: Draw 2 (Average)
Speed: Doppelganger 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Demogoblin 5 (Marathoner)
Agility: Doppelganger 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Draw 3 (Street Wise)
Energy: Shriek 5 (Lasers)
Total: Demogoblin 24 (Champion)
Demogoblin owes most of his modus operandi to time spent possessing Jason Macendale, but he's more than a mere clone of the mercenary Hobgoblin! His ultimate motivation is a quest to cleanse the world of sinners to redeem himself.
His twisted perspective has led Demogoblin to target heroes like Spider-Man and Moon Knight, but his goals make him a potential threat to villains, as well!
The serial killer Cletus Kasady was bathed in sin long before he received the alien symbiote that turned him into Carnage! His escape from the Ravencroft Institute alone was a bloodbath, but he took a particular shine to fellow inmate Shriek, who helped spread the murder and mayhem across Manhattan.
Shriek picked up the six-armed Doppelganger shortly after her escape, and together they sent Spider-Man flying off a building in Spider-Man Unlimited #1! This led to a subsequent battle in Web of Spider-Man #101, where Shriek seemingly ended the life of the heroine Dagger!
Where: Spider-Man #35 When: June 1993
Why: David Michelinie How: Tom Lyle
The Story So Far...
The escape of Carnage & Shriek from the Ravencroft Institute has turned Manhattan into a killing field!
The best efforts of Spider-Man, Cloak, and Dagger ended with the apparent death of the latter heroine, and brutal physical and mental injuries for the surviving pair. Even the arrival of Venom from across the country couldn't slow the murderous rampage of Carnage, Shriek, and Doppelganger through Central Park!
The first line of defense may have failed, but an unlikely predator has caught the scent of these sinful killers. Having already waylaid an injured Spider-Man; the deadly Demogoblin has picked up the trail of Doppelganger and intends to reclaim his former ally while claiming the lives of his sinful companions!
Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Carnage 5 (Super-Human)Intelligence: Draw 2 (Average)
Speed: Doppelganger 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Demogoblin 5 (Marathoner)
Agility: Doppelganger 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Draw 3 (Street Wise)
Energy: Shriek 5 (Lasers)
Total: Demogoblin 24 (Champion)
Demogoblin owes most of his modus operandi to time spent possessing Jason Macendale, but he's more than a mere clone of the mercenary Hobgoblin! His ultimate motivation is a quest to cleanse the world of sinners to redeem himself.
His twisted perspective has led Demogoblin to target heroes like Spider-Man and Moon Knight, but his goals make him a potential threat to villains, as well!
The serial killer Cletus Kasady was bathed in sin long before he received the alien symbiote that turned him into Carnage! His escape from the Ravencroft Institute alone was a bloodbath, but he took a particular shine to fellow inmate Shriek, who helped spread the murder and mayhem across Manhattan.
Shriek picked up the six-armed Doppelganger shortly after her escape, and together they sent Spider-Man flying off a building in Spider-Man Unlimited #1! This led to a subsequent battle in Web of Spider-Man #101, where Shriek seemingly ended the life of the heroine Dagger!
Demogoblin clearly has his work cut out for him if he's to take on this trio, but there are a few mitigating circumstances to consider. For one: it was his dark magic that kept Doppelganger alive beyond the Infinity War that first spawned him. That could mean a potential ally, if the bond Doppelganger has formed with Shriek isn't greater than that with his lapsed former-partner.
Carnage's symbiote is vulnerable to fire, but earlier in '93, Ghost Rider/Blaze: Spirits of Vengeance #6 raised doubts about the effects of hellfire. Venom was similarly unfazed by Demogoblin's flame in Venom: The Enemy Within #3. That might be okay though, because in Amazing Spider-Man #378 he revealed a new pumpkin bomb capable of engulfing an opponent in darkness and despair!
Carnage and Shriek may be remorseless killers, but behind their murderous impulses lies a wealth of inner turmoil and troubled pasts. If Demogoblin could unlock that, he may have the keys to scoring an upset. Let's see if he did...
The Tape: Carnage Family Ranking: Doppelganger (#105)
What Went Down...
Drawn by the psychic link he shares with Doppelganger -- Demogoblin discovers Carnage and his adopted family of killers contemplating new victims by the Waterfront. The smell of sulfur betrays the demon as he hovers above and targets them for purification. Shriek attacks!
A focused blast of sonic energy collides with Demogoblin's body, but the blow fails to even knock him from his flaming glider! Sound and fury signifying nothing!
The demon returns fire - hurling an exploding pumpkin bomb! Shriek only narrowly avoids detonation when Doppelganger fails to heed her cries for help!
The bug-eyed Doppelganger remains motionless as he watches the battle between former and current caregivers with divided loyalty. The mindless creature cannot decide which one to help. Carnage has no such ambivalence!
He mounts an unattended trunk to close the gap with Demogoblin and throws his arm into the air -- sending it extending like deadly red taffy!
Long, thin tendrils stab at Demogoblin and his flaming goblin glider, but fail to cause any significant damage. The grinning demon speaks of hellfire and burning sinners to bone & ash, but his heat doesn't send the symbiote running.
In fact, Carnage is delighted by the macabre picture Demogoblin paints with his words. The vision of torture and death isn't so different from Carnage's dreams of dismemberment. So he offers Demogoblin assistance in his quest against sinners!
Considering the possibility to expedite his mission, Demogoblin accepts the offer of an alliance -- even as Carnage confides in Shriek he knows the demon will turn on them eventually. A worry for another day as he relishes the lethal potential of their newest comrade.
The Hammer...
Chapter 4 keeps the danger building as Demogoblin makes his surprise decision to join Carnage and his surrogate family! This is essentially the end of Act I for the thirteen part maxi-series, not that traditional structure is much of a priority.
The abruptness of Demogoblin's acceptance makes it a bit of a dubious turn for the sin-obsessed demon, but at least there's some acknowledgment that he should be expected to turn on them eventually, if the opportunity presents.
Demogoblin's willingness to forge unlikely alliances in the pursuit of other sinners actually became a bit of a consistent trait. At his own peril he pursued a partnership with Blade in Ghost Rider #40. He later took command of a cursed horde of goblins in Venom: The Enemy Within #3. It might make sense that he's a natural collaborator, given his start possessing a human host.
Well conceived or not: I quite enjoy that Demogoblin gets in on the act here -- especially with the added context of the previous chapter, and his existing ties to Doppelganger. Keeping the six-armed creature torn between loyalties was a nice bit of nuance for a character that doesn't necessarily demand much.
A steady accumulation of strange bedfellows is at the heart of the frenzied fun of Maximum Carnage. The two halves of Spider-Man #35 remain focused on developing early battle lines between the more expected players, starting with the bad guys in today's featured fight, and the heroes in the second half.
There are many more unlikely characters to become involved later in the saga!
I wasn't planning to return to Maximum Carnage quite so soon, but I've had this issue on my desk for a while now, and felt compelled to dive right in after learning the sad news of the passing of artist Tom Lyle.
I'd specifically been looking forward to talking about Lyle and his artistic collaborators in this issue. The select panels scanned for this entry don't really do justice to the finished product. This is arguably a comic best read in print, and maybe even the original issue, over reprinted trades.
The visual standards for Maximum Carnage had already been set very high with Ron Lim, Alex Saviuk, and Mark Bagley penciling previous chapters in their respective series. In 1993, Spider-Man #35 immediately felt special.
Some of the credit has to go to inker Scott Hanna, and colorists Kevin Tinsley & Ericka Moran. The finish on this issue is rich and clean, giving it a premium feel with a balance of tight lines over thin pencils, and inky embellishments on layouts and borders. The colours are superb, and one of the best reason to seek out this and other back issues from the same creative team!
Lyle's work has great sense of anatomy and really makes the most of it in surprising panels. Some of those "premium" moments are subtle, like a panel of Peter Parker helping Eddie Brock onto a couch with the damaged symbiote dripping off him. When Venom's recovered, Lyle draws him firm and clean, with a thin tongue and tight, straight teeth. Not for everyone, but I like it.
The issue really announces itself with a big first page splash! Carnage is coming right at the reader [above], ripping his way through a building with his hands in trademarked axe and scythe formations. Shriek and Doppelganger are lurking in the waterfront background, with Doppelganger holding a couple of victims under his arms while he sticks to a wall. A nice subversion of a classic Spidey pose.
I didn't have any personal experiences with Tom Lyle, but I knew him as a fan of his work on Spider-Man. I'm grateful for that and sad to hear of his passing.
As noted, I think it's well worth seeking this one out in back issue, but if you'd like to experience Tom Lyle's Spider-Man in context, you can find it collected with the rest of Maximum Carnage.
You can also contribute to a GoFundMe to help Tom's wife Sue cover costs incurred by the difficult ordeal of his passing.
Discover more wonderful work in comics by following links throughout this post or exploring the Secret Archive. Like and share via Twitter and Facebook to keep the work alive.
Winner: Inconclusive (Draw)
#142 (+36) Shriek
#337 (+44) Carnage (Cletus Kasady)
#892 (--) Demogoblin
#105 (--) Doppelganger [no stat]
1 comment:
Loved reading this thankss
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