10 Things Everyone Gets Wrong About Carnage
2. Cletus Kasady Has Only Bonded With One Symbiote
After Cletus Kasady was killed, his body was stolen by a Klyntar-worshipping cult. This group desired to awaken the creator of Carnage's species, Knull. Because the deity's consciousness is tethered to a symbiote called Grendel, Knull can only be awakened if Grendel absorbs the DNA of every person on Earth who has bonded with a symbiote. Believing Kasady was the best person to revive Knull, the cult members merged Grendel to Kasady's body, which resurrected him.
If you remember your history, you may recognise Grendel as the name of the monster in the oldest English poem, Beowulf. At first, the world’s superheroes believe Grendel was named after the monster in this story. It turns out that this alien monster inspired the story of Beowulf, not the other way around.
But that would mean Grendel has been on Earth for centuries, right? Yes, it does. It turns out Grendel was the first symbiote to arrive on Earth, hundreds of years before Venom. Knull used Grendel as a vessel, hoping to wipe out all life on the planet but he was frozen in ice, which shut down Knull's mind.
After bonding with Grendel, Kasady took on the name, Dark Carnage.