For all the known superpowers Carnage has demonstrated in Marvel Comics, there are many that the deadly symbiote rarely uses. Notorious for its shape-shifting, regeneration, spider-powers, Carnage sense, and mind bombs, the infamous Spider-Man villain also has a few sneaky tricks up his sleeve that, while scarce, are often employed at just the right time.
With Venom 3set to begin filming next month, it's only right to highlight some of the lesser-known and rarely-used Carnage powers. Perhaps some of the supervillain's more obscure powers will gain the spotlight they deserve when Venom 3 hits the big screen in the summer of 2024.
8 Telepathy
While common powers like superhuman strength and stamina are obvious, Carnage also possesses telepathic abilities that are rarely used in Marvel Comics. In fact, Carnage has expansive undisclosed psychic abilities that the creature itself can't fully grasp.
While symbiotes possess unknown psychic powers, the controversial Spider-Man villain has the unique ability to download the evil and insanity of the host and symbiote into the mind of an innocent being. When bonded to Cletus Kasady, Carnage can graft its memories onto its host as a way of torturing them. Since Carnage often uses mind bombs and weapon regeneration, these telepathic powers rarely see the light of day.
7 Digital Immersion
Although Carnage is no stranger to technological manipulation, there was a single instance where the villain managed to upload his symbiote biomass to the internet and spread the condition like a viral disease. The instance occurred in Venom: Carnage Unleashed #2 by Larry Hama, Andre Wildman, Joe Rubinstein, Tom Smith, and Ken Lopez.
More obscure yet, the issue was published in 1995 before the internet really took hold. Still, Carnage managed to splice his DNA into the Ethernet and transport his molecules into hard-wired computers. If there was ever an obscure Carnage superpower perfect for introduction in the 21st century, it's the ability to infect social media with its symbiote properties.
6 360-Degree Senses
For most comic readers, it is common knowledge that symbiotes, including Carnage, are immune to Spider-Man's heightened senses. However, readers are less aware of the fact that Carnage can use 360-degree senses to atone for the lack of spider-sense.
While the popular Spider-Man villain is seen using these senses to peer in a 360-degree panorama at times, the rare superpower also includes turning each individual cell in his body into a sensorial organ, including eyes, ears, noses, mouths, and taste buds. Many think Carnage is at a disadvantage without a spider-sense, but he has the power to compensate for it even though it's scarcely utilized.
5 Body Storage
In the five-part comic series Superior Carnage, the Carnage symbiote is bonded with Karl Malus after bonding with The Wizard. One of the rare and unique powers that Malus has in Carnage form is Body Storage; the ability to house munitions on his physical person.
Normally, Carnage simply generates weapons at will and rarely needs to store them on his body. However, the rare instance of a three-way rapport between Malus, the Wizard, and the symbiote allows Carnage to keep armaments on his body through dimensional openings within its biomass. In addition to storing weapons and ammo, Carnage was also able to pull the cache through the biomass and use them to fight Spider-Man.
4 Empathic Empowerment
Carnage's most iconic powers include the symbiote tendrils, wall-crawling, spider-sense immunity, Kasady's mind, and genetic memory. These attributes leave little room for empathic empowerment, an ability that enables the supervillain to turn negative energy and emotions into a motivational and nutritional fuel source.
In addition to rarely showing this power in Marvel Comics, it really only applies to Cletus Kasady's Carnage symbiote. Due to Kasady's unquenchable thirst for spilling blood, the Carnage symbiote was able to channel bad feelings and instances of ill will and turn them into positive ones. Carnage is hardly an empathetic type, which explains why only Kasady can access the rare power.
3 Vampirism
Unless Carnage completists happen to have read New Avengers in 2004, they will have no clue that the ruthless Marvel villain has vampiric powers. Despite being hardly depicted using such powers of bloodsucking immortality, the comic series equates Carnage with its Ultimates variant.
The chief reason why Carnage is rarely depicted as a vampire in the comics boils down to redundancy. Carnage already has extremely sharp claws and fangs and has the ability to regenerate his health at all times. This makes vampiric violence and immortality fairly useless, especially when biting isn't necessary. In Carnage's vampire form, a simple touch results in an excruciating death.
2 Pyrokinesis (Red Goblin)
When the greedy Marvel villain Norman Osborn bonds with the symbiote and becomes the Red Goblin, he possesses powers that most Carnage symbiotes do not have access to much less use in battle. For instance, akin to Green Goblin's trademark powers, the Red Goblin Carnage symbiote can start fires with his mind.
While Carnage using pyrokinesis to launch Carnage Bombs is fairly well-known, the ability to breathe fire like Godzilla is rarely used by the supervillain. However, in The Amazing Spider-Man #800 by Dan Slott, Nick Bradshaw, Edgar Delgado, and Joe Caragmagna, Carnage used the ability to attack Venom. Carnage even outfitted the Goblin Glider with a halo of flames to emphasize the power, something rarely seen before or since.
1 Attribute Absorption & Body Part Reintegration
Although Carnage's shape-shifting abilities are well-documented, less so is the villain's ability to take stored objects and transform their material into formidable weapons. For instance, in Superior Carnage, Malus was able to fortify one of Carnage's bladed weapons by absorbing vibranium into his suit.
Carnage also has the power to send signals to his disintegrated body parts and force them to reintegrate with his suit. While rarely seen, Carnage once used this power to absorb the five Iron Ranges, increase his size, and become blue, a rarely seen pigment for the typically red-and-black baddie.