King in Black: Gwenom vs. Carnage #3 (2021)

Chasing Carnage across the city, Ghost-Spider recalls when she first gained superpowers she didn't have anyone to teach her how to use them, and that when she bonded to her artificial symbiote it restored her powers but created a feedback loop of negative emotions that almost corrupted her; and wonders if MJ is going through something similar. As Ghost-Spider catches up to her, Carnage mockingly says Gwen must find her irresistible to still be following her. As Ghost-Spider pleads for MJ to resist her corrupted symbiote and listen to her, Carnage calls her a hypocrite - accusing her of wanting to be the only superhero on Earth-65 and of having killed Peter Parker on purpose to preserve that status. Ghost-Spider protests that Peter had transformed into a monster and would have killed not only Harry Osborn but MJ and their other friends, but Carnage sneers at her and latches a tendril onto a passing symbiote-dragon - laughing maniacally as it carries her away. Ghost-Spider wonders how Carnage knew the symbiote-dragon was there before realizing that Earth-616's symbiotes possess a hive-mind connected to Knull - comparing the dark god to Swarm. Chasing after Carnage, Ghost-Spider recalls that Knull said he wanted to assimilate her artificial symbiote into his Hive. Catching up to Carnage again outside Macy's department store, Ghost-Spider notes that her Venom symbiote took her anger and despair and dialled it up to eleven, and that Carnage's rage towards her is MJ's frustration dialled up to eleven by the Carnage symbiote. Remembering that MJ's symbiote is partially comprised of a combination of her own and one of Knull's, Ghost-Spider resolves to reassert control over the corrupted gummy spiders and force them off her friend. Ghost-Spider calls out to Carnage, who mockingly accuses Gwen of not being able to handle rejection. Ghost-Spider reiterates that MJ's symbiote is corrupting her, and that while MJ may have a temper she's not evil. Carnage shouts that MJ and her symbiote are one, glorious and eternal and superior to Ghost-Spider in every way. Bashing Ghost-Spider aside with her battle-axe, Carnage sneers that she should just abandon Earth-616 like she did to Earth-65. Following Carnage inside, Ghost-Spider furiously thinks to herself that Knull is puppeteering MJ and should know that she's not going anywhere, and that while MJ has a right to be mad at her she shouldn't become a monster over it. Not even looking over her shoulder, Carnage fires a series of webs that Ghost-Spider charges into, ensnaring her and connecting her symbiote to the hive-mind. Feeling Knull trying to take her over, Ghost-Spider rips free - severing the connection - and follows Carnage deeper inside. Walking into an abandoned concert hall, Carnage mockingly calls out saying she knows Ghost-Spider is still there. Declaring that it's shopping time, Carnage snares a bunch of instruments with her tendrils and grabs a man hiding behind a piano. Dragging him into the open, Carnage mockingly asks if he's afraid, Ghost-Spider dropping from the ceiling and shouting for Carnage to stop and let the man go. Projecting a tendril from her axe, Carnage sneers that she only sees a soldier for Knull, her symbiote infecting the man and cocooning him. As Ghost-Spider shouts that she didn't have to do that, Carnage sneers that she wanted to and rebukes Ghost-Spider's statement that Knull is controlling her; snarling that Knull gave her everything Gwen wouldn't. Ghost-Spider protests that she couldn't share her symbiote with MJ due to its toxic nature proving lethal to incompatible hosts, but Carnage cuts her off by saying she's going to start a new band -- one that won't be able to abandon her. Carnage fires an omnidirectional barrage of tendrils, and by the time Ghost-Spider rips free Carnage is gone. The man emerges from his symbiote-coccoon transformed into a monster, and rather than waste time fighting him Ghost-Spider retreats, realizing that she knows where MJ is going - the biggest venue in the city. At Madison Square Garden, Carnage breaks into the control room and captures a woman hiding inside. Arriving, Ghost-Spider follows the trail Carnage left to find she set up the instruments in the center of the amphitheatre with civilians bound to them by tendrils. As Carnage snarls that Ghost-Spider can't ruin this gig, Gwen realizes the symbiote is amplifying MJ's ambitions and decides to exploit her friend's pride and arrogance by challenging her to a battle of the bands. Sneering that Gwen must have a masochistic fetish, Carnage accepts and starts rocking out. Ripping the civilian free from the drumkit, Ghost-Spider takes over - hoping to exploit their symbiotes' vulnerability to sound to weaken the Carnage symbiote's hold over MJ. Carnage snarls that Ghost-Spider is ruining her big moment, Gwen retorting that this is the moment MJ comes back to her. As the Carnage symbiote destabilizes, Gwen asserts control over the corrupted gummy spiders and tries to force them off MJ, Carnage screaming in rage once she realizes what's happening and lunging at Ghost-Spider. Freeing the trapped civilians, Gwen rebukes Carnage roaring at her to fight back and mentally tells the gummy spiders partially comprising Carnage's symbiote that Knull's living abyss infected them and made them attack her, but that they still belong to her; commanding them to kill Knull's symbiote. Screaming in pain and rage, Carnage snarls that Gwen did this to her, Ghost-Spider tackling Carnage and saying she never meant to hurt her and won't abandon her again. Breaking free from Ghost-Spider's attempt to pin her, Carnage snarls that she's perfect as she is, but Ghost-Spider reiterates that MJ's symbiote is partially comprised of her own and the radiation it emits will kill her. Retracting the Venom symbiote from her face, Gwen shouts that MJ isn't Carnage and begs her to come back to her. As the Carnage symbiote sloughs off her, MJ stammers that she doesn't feel so good before collapsing into Ghost-Spider's arms. Reassuring MJ and herself that everything is going to be fine now, Ghost-Spider pulls out the Ticket to the Multiverse and tries to activate it only for nothing to happen. Incredulous, Gwen realizes that Knull must be behind it - somehow preventing her escape so as to claim her and her symbiote for himself. Glaring at the Carnage symbiote as it reaches tendrils towards MJ, Ghost-Spider carries her to the roof - declaring that she's going to take MJ somewhere safe to recover, find a way to fix her interdimensional portal necklace, and make Knull pay for hurting her. Briefly regaining consciousness, MJ opens her eyes to reveal some of the Carnage symbiote is still bonded to her.