| Kenneth Neely |  Why? Why did you make me do this?  |
| Carnage | Because he was you, Kenneth. Because he was the man that you were before you killed him. You saw the image of yourself in him, didn't you? I used to think of Cletus that way. He was everything that made me who I was. And we must both overcome the things we love before we can evolve past them. In this... you and I are together. |
Appearing in "A Wild Hunt, Part Two"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Zeiste (Death) (Main story and flashback)
- "Cletus Kasady" (Jon Shayde's symbiote)
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- Nyaz (Mentioned)
- Hounds of Nyaz (First appearance)
- "Spike" (First appearance) (Controlled by Carnage)
- Black Bile Clan (Main story and flashback)
- Cletus Kasady (Mentioned)
- Judas Iscariot (Mentioned)
- Spiderling/Patternmaker (Annie Parker) (Mentioned) (Behind the scenes)
Races and Species:
- Dark Elves (Main story and flashback)
- Humans
- Symbiotes
- Demons (Mentioned)
- Wolf Gods
- Horses (Only in flashback)
- Wolves (Mentioned)
- Dogs (Mentioned)
Locations:
- Prime Earth
- Ten Realms
- Svartalfheim (Main story and flashback)
- Nethanual
- Nyaz's Lair
- Etor Dera (Mentioned)
- Nethanual
- Niffleheim
- Svartalfheim (Main story and flashback)
- Ten Realms
Items:
Synopsis for "A Wild Hunt, Part Two"
In the forested slopes of Nethanual, Zeiste threatens to cut out Ken Neely's tongue unless he tells him everything. Neely stammers that Carnage gave him a knife and ordered him to kill the one-handed dark elf, threatening to kill him if he refused. Kicking Neely to the ground, Zeiste demands to know why he didn't just run, and Neely asks where he -- a human, alien to Svartalfheim -- could even run to, adding that Carnage lopped off his hand for previously defying him. As Zeiste wonders what the monster wants, Neely states the answer is in its name: Carnage. Admitting that he's not sure exactly what Carnage is after, Neely recalls it said it was after the offspring of the wolf-goddess Nyaz; Zeiste saying that if that is the case Carnage will make for the caves, and they will follow it. Picking up the dagger Neely dropped, Zeiste enchants it so that they will be able to understand each other as long as Neely holds it, and suggests they work together. As Zeiste says he will protect Neely from the dangers of Svartalfheim, Neely asks what the dark elf intends to do about Carnage. Zeiste says that he will let Carnage slaughter his competition and then kill it once it is weakened -- freeing Neely -- or die trying, in which case Neely can claim he led Zeiste to Carnage and his death as ordered.
Butchering the dark elf warriors one-by-one, Carnage makes its way up the slopes of Nethanual to the lair of the wolf-goddess. Evading an arrow, the symbiote turns to see Varuen standing on a tree-branch with his swords drawn. Introducing himself and declaring his intent to unleash the Hounds of Nyaz, Varuen leaps at Carnage, who blocks his attack with tendrils and asks why Varuen is willing to risk his life fighting it. Varuen declares that to follow in the footsteps of their mighty leader Malekith is the greatest honor known to the elves of the Black Bile Clan, but Carnage disparages his devotion to the dead warlord, laughs off Varuen's attempt to immolate it with fire magic, and compares his devotion to Malekith to its former devotion to its host Cletus Kasady. Before Varuen can issue a rebuttal or attempt a follow-up attack, he's slashed across the abdomen by Kilereth, who -- along with the other Black Bile Clan warriors -- has been taken over by an offshoot of the symbiote. As Varuen is horrified to see his clansmen's corpses puppeteered by the symbiote, Carnage speaks through them to mock his devotion to Malekith when his ideal of greatness is rotting on a stockade in Hel. As Varuen is cut down by his former comrades, Carnage sneers that unlike him, it has broken free of the shackles of its devotion and intends to become all that it is meant to be. Declaring its intent to go to Hel and take Malekith's power for itself, Carnage reanimates Varuen's corpse with an offshoot of itself and leads them into Nyaz's Lair to face the wolf-goddess' cubs -- giant wolves wreathed in flames.
Hiding in the edge of the forest near the entrance to Nyaz's Lair, Zeiste outlines his plan to Neely, who asks why he's so confident he can beat Carnage; Zeiste replying that in the end all grand schemes boil down to kill or be killed. When Neely asks why Zeiste is fighting for a clan that scorned him for his missing hand and bad back, Zeiste replies that he always idolized the champions of the Black Bile Clan, but was born with a curse that twisted his spine and left him with a malformed hand. Determined, he attempted to make up for his body's shortcomings through perseverance and raw effort, but was nonetheless ridiculed and treated with contempt. Zeiste states that he refused to allow their ridicule to dictate what he was capable of, admitting that his disdain for his past self is unhealthy but that he'd rather be a three-legged wolf than a dog on all fours. Mulling over Zeiste's words, Neely hesitates when Zeiste tells him to come, saying he's not as strong as the dark elf warrior. Zeiste replies that Neely just has to do what he needs to, and that like him he will be free of his demons.
Neely strides out to meet Carnage, who mocks him for looking so despondent. Saying that he's tired, Neely asks what the point of their journey to Svartalfheim even was, saying there was no euphoric madness or dark beauty in killing the dark elves and wolf-gods, or even the chaos that Cletus Kasady so revelled in causing. Carnage chides him, saying it didn't kill all the wolf-gods, having taken over one of them, and asks if he completed his assignment. Replying that he has, Neely leads Carnage into the forest where Zeiste's corpse is bound to a tree. Observing, Carnage asks Neely why he chose this particular method of execution, which Neely dubs the Kiss of Judas. Saying he tricked Zeiste into trusting him -- into offering him salvation -- before slitting his throat, Neely kisses the dead dark elf before saying he cannot find any deeper meaning or beauty in the death. Carnage replies that he sent Neely to kill Zeiste because the dark elf embodies who Neely was before killing him. Noting that Neely saw himself in Zeiste, Carnage says that it was the same way for it and Cletus Kasady prior to their falling out. As Neely asks where they're going next, Carnage says they're going to Hel to kill Malekith the Accursed all over again.
In Niffleheim, Jon Shayde plunges from a portal into the icy waters of the Gjoll below. Pulling himself ashore in Nastrond, Jon laments that he didn't think the Patternmaker's spider-sense had such a cruel sense of humor as he gazes upon the bodies of countless dark elves impaled by spikes. Speaking in the voice of Cletus Kasady, his offshoot of the Carnage symbiote replies that they're right where they need to be, and that all they need to do to put a stop to Carnage's plan is kill Malekith.
Solicit Synopsis
CARNAGE CRAVES…ALL!
CARNAGE's crusade reaches an unprecedented level of destruction and threatens not just the here and now, but everything that ever was or ever will be. Hydro-Man, Spot, the serial killer known as "The Artist, " what horrifying puzzle is Carnage trying to put together with these pieces? Who will be its next victim? And will Detective Jon Shayde be able to stop the crimson-clad creature before it's too late?!