Carnage, also known as Cletus Kasady, is one of Spider-Man's most notorious foes and a member of the symbiote family within the Marvel Universe. Born to an abusive mother and a violent father, Cletus's childhood was fraught with trauma, which forged him into a psychopath. After becoming a serial killer, he bonded with a progeny of the Venom symbiote while in prison, becoming Carnage. This fusion led to heightened madness and chaos, far surpassing that of Venom. Throughout the years, Carnage has engaged in various significant battles, clashing repeatedly with Spider-Man and Venom. His notoriety rose in the '90s, where he became emblematic of the darker aspects of superhero narratives. Carnage embodies anarchism, thriving on chaos and destruction, and has formed alliances with other villains while often betraying them, remaining a slipstream of villainy. With multiple appearances across comics, computers games, animated series, and films, he has become a symbol of comic book horror, representing the darker tendencies of characters embraced by fans.