Carrion is a supervillain who appears in American comic books made by Marvel Comics. The character is often shown as an enemy of Spider-Man.

Publication history

The Miles Warren clone version of Carrion first appeared in The Spectacular Spider-Man #25. He was created by Bill Mantlo, Jim Mooney, and Frank Springer. Carrion became part of a story that followed the original Clone Saga. Because of this, he has one of the most complex backgrounds among Spider-Man villains.

According to Jenny Blake Isabella, Bill Mantlo originally planned for Carrion to be revealed as the Peter Parker clone, using old equipment from the Green Goblin, who had already died. However, Marv Wolfman, who was writing The Amazing Spider-Man at the time, changed his mind. He did not want another Spider-Man in the story, so Bill Mantlo was asked to revise the plot, even though the first part of the story had already been published.

Over time, the character's history has been changed multiple times by different writers. These changes included updates to the roles of the clones, the plans and goals of Miles Warren, and other story details. These changes often happened in stories that did not directly involve Carrion, leading to later stories trying to fix inconsistencies. Three different versions of the character have appeared in comics.

William Allen first appeared in Spider-Man: Dead Man's Hand #1 (April 1997), created by Roger Stern and Dan Lawlis. McBride was introduced in The Spectacular Spider-Man #149 (April 1989), created by Sal Buscema and Gerry Conway.

Fictional character biography

Carrion first appears trying to destroy Spider-Man. He knows Spider-Man's secret identity as Peter Parker. Carrion tries to get help from the Maggia to kill Spider-Man, but this plan fails. Carrion attacks Peter Parker, blaming him for the death of Gwen Stacy.

Carrion tries to destroy Spider-Man multiple times before capturing him. He reveals himself to be a decayed clone of Miles Warren, also known as the Jackal. Warren created the clone and placed it in a capsule to grow. However, Warren died, and the clone was left alone. Something went wrong, causing the clone's body to become like a living corpse. Carrion blames Spider-Man for Warren's and Gwen Stacy's deaths. He teams up with Randy Vale, a student he tricks into helping him. Carrion captures Peter Parker and prepares to kill him using a giant "Spider-Amoeba" made from Peter's genetic material. During the fight, a fire starts in the laboratory. The Spider-Amoeba suffocates Carrion, who then dies in the fire.

Years later, Spider-Man learns from the High Evolutionary that Miles Warren did not create clones but instead made a genetic virus that could change humans into genetic copies of others. Spider-Man searches Warren's lab and is followed by his rival, Malcolm McBride, who finds a strange substance in a test tube. The substance consumes McBride, turning him into a new version of Carrion who has the knowledge and powers of the first Carrion.

At first, Carrion believes he is another clone of Warren. However, McBride's memories and personality begin to return to him. Carrion teams up with the Hobgoblin against Spider-Man and later sacrifices himself to save McBride's mother. Carrion returns to life and works with Carnage, Doppelganger, Demogoblin, and Shriek on a killing spree in New York City. Shriek, who is mentally unstable, sees Carrion and the others as her and Carnage's "sons." The villains are defeated and sent to Ravencroft mental institution.

Shriek tries to control Carrion further and tells him to destroy everything related to Malcolm McBride. However, McBride's mother helps him remember his true identity. Carrion becomes very sad and tries to use the Carrion virus on himself, but Shriek stops him. McBride is sent back to Ravencroft.

After Jackal's death, S.H.I.E.L.D. examines his body. Dr. William Allen ignores safety rules and is infected by a stronger version of the Carrion virus, turning him into the third Carrion. He can control others' minds with a "zombie plague" but is troubled by Miles Warren's mind trying to take over his body. Carrion tries to spread the Red Dust plague across the city. Spider-Man confronts the High Evolutionary, who admits he faked evidence to make it seem Warren never succeeded at cloning. Spider-Man finds Warren's old notes, which help create a cure for the Red Dust. He defeats the new Carrion, who is taken into S.H.I.E.L.D. custody and placed in stasis.

Carrion later joins the Shadow Council's version of the Masters of Evil. A new version of Carrion, created by Jackal, takes over host bodies across New York City. After being chased by Superior Spider-Man (Doctor Octopus's mind in Peter Parker's body), the Carrion virus controls Hyperion's body. After a short battle with the Avengers, the virus seems destroyed but regenerates and returns to Jackal.

During the "Dead No More: The Clone Conspiracy" storyline, Kaine Parker and Spider-Woman from Earth-65 rescue Spider-Man from Jackal. Kaine tells Spider-Man they came to help because alliances with Jackal on other worlds caused global disasters from the Carrion virus. Doctor Octopus triggers the virus in all clones, causing them to decay rapidly. Spider-Man sends a signal through the Webware Emergency System to stop some clones from decaying.

Powers and abilities

The creature known as Carrion is formed when a virus that copies genes, taken from the changed DNA of Professor Miles Warren, enters a human body. The first Carrion had extraordinary strength and toughness. He could make his body less dense, becoming almost impossible to touch. He could turn living things into ash simply by touching them. He also had the ability to read minds, float in the air, and move objects with his mind. Carrion also created a substance called Red Dust, which could either make someone unconscious or act as a strong acid that burns through flesh, metal, and other materials. Carrion had access to the scientific tools used by Professor Warren in his "cloning" experiments.

Malcolm McBride, as Carrion, had the same abilities as the original but had not yet practiced them fully. He had not shown the ability to become intangible or move objects with his mind. Instead, he had a feeling similar to reading minds.

The Carrion virus can infect and control people without changing their bodies, allowing it to remain hidden inside them. If it stays in one body for too long, it becomes permanently attached to that body. The virus is strong enough to rebuild itself after being nearly destroyed. It can take on a body shape similar to past versions of Carrion. In this form, it can create a vapor that, when inhaled, allows it to control people's thoughts.

In other media

• The version of Carrion known as Malcolm McBride appears in the story Spider-Man and Venom: Maximum Carnage as a partner of Carnage.
• In the novel Spider-Man: Requiem by Jeff Mariotte, two original versions of Carrion are introduced: Stanley Carter and his uncle, Emory Carter.