SYMBIOTE CLONES

symbiote_clones-radu-ven27-arrive-earthClassification: Extradimensionally (Microverse)-created clones of extraterrestrial race (Klyntar/symbiotes) native to Universe-616

Location/Base of Operations: Possibly extinct;
    last seen in Houston, Texas;
    formerly Marquis Radu's Mobile fortress, on an unzoned world in the Microverse;

Known Members: None identified (they did not have names as far as has been revealed)

Affiliations: Carnage (Cletus Kasady);
    briefly under control of Venom (Flash Thompson);
    Marquis Radu arranged their creation but they swiftly fell under Carnage's control and attacked him and his troops

Enemies: Enigma Force team (Bug, Flare, Marionette/Mari, Quark, Arcturus Rann, Redeemer), Marquis Radu and his troops, Scarlet Spider (Kaine), Venom (Flash Thompson), people in a specific region of Houston, Texas (notably Arnie)

First Appearance: (Completely BTS, but the start of the plot) Minimum Carnage Alpha#1 (December, 2012)
    (symbiote army referenced) Scarlet Spider II#11 (January 2013);
    (actual appearance) Venom II#27 (January 2013)


symbiote_clones-radu-ven27-forming

Powers/Abilities: Hybrid replicants/clones of Carnage/Venom clones, these "symbiotes" generally took semi-humanoid forms with features patterned after Carnage and/or Venom. 

    Possessing sharp teeth and claws, they could rend and/or consume their foes, but their very nature was toxic to Microverse.

     Their touch would burn and eventually destroy others, even ones with durable, rock-like forms like Quark. 

    Like other symbiotes, they were resistant to conventional forms of harm, but particularly susceptible to sonic weapons and likely flame.

    On Earth, they were initially tiny, growing from microscopic size to a few inches, and then ultimately to full human size. 

    Once Carnage was incapacitated and then lobotomized on Earth, the Symbiote clones apparently ceased to exist.

Traits: Virtually mindless, they functioned under the direction of a single guiding force; this was primarily Carnage, but Venom was, at least briefly, able to usurp control.

    Without direct control, they attacked all they encountered.

Type: Shapechanging beings with a bipedal semi-humanoid base-form
Eyes: Variable, but generally two (on head; solid white color seen)
Fingers: Variable, but generally four (including opposing thumb)
Toes: Variable, but generally five
Skin color: Red, black, or gray
Average height: Approximately 6' (relative height)

History:
(Scarlet Spider II#11  (fb) - BTS) - At least millennia ago, the Klyntar/symbiotes invaded the Microverse. Their natures proved to be a poison that broke down structures in the Microverse, and the symbiotes tried to bond with and consume the Enigma Force before the Force destroyed and expelled the symbiotes.

(Scarlet Spider II#11  (fb) - BTS) - Aware of the Klyntar/symbiotes history with the Microverse and seeking to become God of the Microverse, Marquis Radu considered that in order to be the new god, the old god (the Enigma Force) had to die. 

    As killing the old god was against his religion, Radu resolved to summon a symbiote to the Microverse to destroy the Enigma Force.

(Scarlet Spider II#11  (fb) - BTS / Venom II#27 (fb) - BTS) - Radu sought to both slay the Redeemer (the former Acroyear), the living embodiment of the Enigma Force, and to destroy the Enigma Force itself, after which he would rekindle the Enigma Force under his control.

(Scarlet Spider II#11  (fb) - BTS) - With the goal of using Carnage to destroy the Redeemer and to replicate Carnage's symbiote via the Body Banks, Radu sent his agents/assassins to the Earth dimension.

(Minimum Carnage Alpha#1 (fb) - BTS / Minimum Carnage Alpha#1) - Radu's agents brought Carnage, along with reporter Katy Kiernan, to the Microverse via the Prometheus Pit operated by Dr. Ketola.

(Scarlet Spider II#10 - BTS) - Dr. Ketola transported Venom (Flash Thompson) and Scarlet Spider (Kaine) to the Microverse to stop Carnage via the Prometheus Pit.

symbiote_clones-radu-ven27-body_banks

(Scarlet Spider II#11) - With his forces having captured Venom and the Enigma Force team (aka the Micronauts), Radu subdued Carnage. Radu then instructed his men to put the Enigma Force in holding cells and to take the symbiotes to the Body Banks, 

(Scarlet Spider II#11 - BTS) - The Redeemer explained to the Scarlet Spider how the symbiotes were an anathema to the Enigma Force itself, and he, as the living embodiment of that force, was dying as a result; and if the Enigma Force died, the Microverse would die, which would also destroy the "Macroverse" (Universe-616). 

    As Carnage and Venom were brought into the Body Banks, Venom realized that Radu was going to build an army out of them. 

(Venom II#27 (fb) - BTS) - When Radu's guards put their hands on Katie, she was able to take and pocket a sonic key before being locked up with the Enigma Force team.symbiote_clones-radu-ven27-body_banks-consumed

(Venom II#27) - Symbiotes cloned from Carnage and Venom consumed/necrosed the Body Banks-generated hosts. Carnage and Venom's symbiote natures also corroded their restraints, allowing them to get free. Appreciating that these hybrids were less offspring and more "extensions," Carnage considered that they were bred to obey, after which he took control of the symbiote clones. 

    When Venom assaulted Carnage in hopes of preventing the situation from escalating, Carnage sicked the clones on him. Venom found that while he could hear the hybrids' voices, a thousand screaming voices, he couldn't scream back, or, at least, they wouldn't listen.

(Venom II#27 (fb) - BTS) - Radu soon found himself battling the symbiote clones.

symbiote_clones-radu-ven27-venom-control

(Venom II#27) - The Enigma Force then used the sonic key to escape their cell.

    Scarlet Spider and Venom teamed up against Carnage and the clone-hybrids, who was growing stronger by feeding on the essence of the Microverse.

(Venom II#27 - BTS) - The Enigma Force team joined the fight against the symbiote clones -- although Quark was burned by touching them -- and then sought out the creatures' source.

(Venom II#27) - As Radu slaughtered the attacking symbiote clones, the Enigma Force team arrived, and Radu -- apparently finding the odds overwhelming -- teleported away, leaving the Enigma Force to face the symbiote clones.

(Venom II#27 - BTS) - Advised by the Redeemer, Venom/Thompson reconnected with the pain in his past and incapacitated the symbiote clones.
.

symbiote_clones-radu-mco-reform-carnage

    However, Carnage escaped back to Earth (either being expelled by the Enigma Force of slipping out of the Microverse on his own), taking an army of the symbiote clones with him.

(Minimum Carnage Omega#1) - The symbiote clones emerged through people in Houston, starting with an older man named Arnie, and then the tiny creatures congealed into Carnage, who resolved to slaughter the people to compensate for having lost his chance to have been a god in the Microverse.

    The Enigma Force team flew the Endeavor as close to the Spacewall as possible and then -- after Mari gave Venom and Scarlet Spider sonic weapons -- the Redeemer guided Venom to have his symbiote bring them (and Katy Kiernan) back to Earth.

    After Carnage bonded with the symbiote clones and tried to consume Venom, Thompson briefly incapacitated him with a sonic weapon, after which the Scarlet Spider stabbed Kasady in the brain, apparently rendering him catatonic...for awhile, anyway.

Comments: Created by Christopher Yost, Khoi Pham & Reilly Brown, and Tom Palmer & Chris Sotomayor.

    There's another nice image of the monstrous symbiote clones assaulting the Enigma Force team in the main image for the Flare profile (although cropped to focus on Flare).

    The cover of Minimum Carnage Omega was somewhat symbolic, but I figured it was worth including in the comments, anyway...

symbiote_clones-radu-mco-cover    This profile was completed 02/06/2022, but its publication was delayed as it was intended for the Appendix 25th anniversary 's celebratory event.

Profile by Snood.

CLARIFICATIONS:
The Symbiote clones should be distinguished from:

images: (without ads)
Venom II#27, pg. 3, panel 1 (Carnage and Venom held over Body Banks tanks);
            panel 3 (symbiotes destroying/consuming Body Banks bodies);
        pg. 4-5, panel 3 (Symbiote clones coming into existence);
        pg. 19, panel 1 (Venom taking control of symbiote clones);
        pg. 21, panel 4 (Symbiote clones emerging in microscopic form in Houston);
Minimum Carnage Omega#1 cover (Scarlet Spider & Venom vs. tiny Symbiote clones);
        pg. 3, panel 3 (Symbiote clones merging to reform Carnage)

Appearances:
Minimum Carnage Alpha#1 (December, 2012) - Christopher Yost & Cullen Bunn (writers), Lan Medina (penciler), Karl Kesel, Cam Smith, & Walden Wong (inkers), Tom Brennan (editor), Stephen Wacker (senior editor)
Scarlet Spider II#10 (December 2012) -  Christopher Yost (writer), Khoi Pham & Reilly Brown (pencilers), Tom Palmer & Chris Sotomayor (inkers), Tom Brennan (editor), Stephen Wacker (senior editor)
Venom II#26 (December 2012) - Cullen Bunn (writer), Declan Shalvey (artist), Tom Brennan (editor), Stephen Wacker (senior editor)
Scarlet Spider II#11 (January 2013) - Christopher Yost (writer), Khoi Pham & Reilly Brown (pencilers), Tom Palmer & Chris Sotomayor (inkers), Tom Brennan (editor), Stephen Wacker (senior editor)
Venom II#27 (January 2013) - Cullen Bunn (writer), Declan Shalvey (artist), Tom Brennan (editor), Stephen Wacker (senior editor)
Minimum Carnage Omega#1 (January, 2013) - Christopher Yost & Cullen Bunn (writers), Lan Medina, Declan Shalvey, & Khoi Pham (pencilers), Karl Kesel, Walden Wong, Jaime Mendoza & Bit (inkers), Tom Brennan (editor), Stephen Wacker (senior editor)

First posted: 09/07/2026
Last updated: 02/06/2022

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

Non-Marvel Copyright info
All other characters mentioned or pictured are ™  and © 1941-2099 Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved. If you like this stuff, you should check out the real thing!
Please visit The Marvel Official Site at: http://www.marvel.com

Special Thanks to www.g-mart.com for hosting the Appendix, Master List, etc.!

Back to Races