Scream: Curse of Carnage #5 (2020)

Standing in the entrance of the symbiote dragons' lair, Thor Odinson holds aloft Mjolnir and illuminates the cavern with bolts of lightning. The red symbiote dragon attempts to ambush him from behind, but he strikes it in the jaw with Mjolnir. Regenerating, the red symbiote dragon takes off, but Thor leaps onto its back. Snaring him with tendrils and attempting to throttle him, the red symbiote dragon flies higher; but Thor conjures a hurricane and channels its lightning into Mjolnir. Breaking free, he brings the divine hammer down on the red symbiote dragon's head, electrocuting it with divine lightning and sending it plummeting into the North Sea below. Sinking, the red symbiote dragon's body unravels and reaches tendrils out towards the surrounding sea-life. In the present, the red symbiote dragon - now having assumed a feminine humanoid form and going by "Big Mother" - sneers that the pathetic parasites that writhe on the Earth's surface will never know the truth of what happened to her that day, just that the ballad written to commemorate her defeat is a mess of lies compiled to inspire hope. Big Mother states that after her defeat she opted to recover from her injuries and bide her time until Knull's arrival, feeding on the cold-blooded sea-life until the time came when she could feast on a warmer meal. As Andi Benton desperately swims to the surface, Big Mother swallows her whole. Addressing the Scream symbiote, Big Mother sneers that it has no reason to resist her now that its host is gone. As she attempts to comfort it, saying that Andi wasn't worthy of its grandeur and that when Knull arrives its true potential will be unleashed; the Scream symbiote squirms free of her grip and plunges itself into one of Big Mother's nostrils. Oozing into her throat, it finds Andi's broken body. On the brink of death, Andi welcomes it as it rebonds to her, fully accepting their bond and acknowledging the symbiote as worthy of being her family. As Scream gives her a serious case of indigestion, Big Mother demands that she stop. As Scream rips free, Andi paraphrases Macbeth and compares herself to Macduff, the Scream symbiote agreeing that they are reborn. Surging to the surface, the Scream symbiote separates from Andi and says that it needs to heal her. Collapsing, Andi thanks it for saving her, happy at having found her family. Before they can celebrate, Big Mother rises from the depths; the Scream symbiote quickly rebonding to Andi. Furious at having been rejected, Big Mother hurls Scream into the side of a bus and then rips the vehicle in half. As Scream flees up the side of an under-construction skyscraper in the Financial District, Big Mother dismisses the Scream symbiote as pathetic and corrupted by the Light, snarling that Scream is dead to her and will never know her true potential now. As Big Mother scales the side of the building, Scream pelts her with rebar, Big Mother mockingly asking if that was supposed to hurt and proclaiming that she was born of Knull's divine blood whereas Scream is descended from lowly parasites. As Big Mother prepares to eat her again, Scream shoots hair-tendrils down the symbiote-giantess' throat, through her sinuses and out through her eyes. Sneering that Big Mother's so-called royal blood has been diluted by the brine she spent centuries marinating in and that all she can do now is cry out to her Daddy, Scream grabs the cable of a nearby construction crane. Looping it around Big Mother's neck, Scream fashions it into a makeshift noose and snarls that Big Mother's bloodline ends with her and that she's burning down the family tree. As Scream leaves Big Mother to hang, the Scream symbiote warns Andi that this won't kill her and that sooner or later she'll be back. Returning to human form, Andi mentally tells it she's exhausted, Scream offering to take over while it heals her. Andi thanks it, saying that for the longest time she was searching for a home when she should have seen she had one all along. Their mental dialogue is interrupted as Big Mother struggles to free herself, furiously chanting that God is coming until her head suddenly rips off. As the massive body plummets to the ground, Andi walks up to the severed head and tells it she's a terrible mother. In response, Big Mother speaks in the symbiote language, retorting that God is coming. The following morning, Detectives Henley and Castro survey Big Mother's apparent corpse and discuss how the "flaming Medusa" seen fighting her matches the description of the symbiote-augment who attacked the F.E.A.S.T. Center; Henley noting he has a suspect in mind. Castro notes that her boyfriend finally left her due to her chronic nightmares, Henley remarking that he doesn't sleep anymore. A voice interrupts their discussion and they turn to see several F.B.I. agents approaching, Agent MacNeill cutting off Detective Henley's protests by telling him that after Carnage attacked Doverton the F.B.I. had established a task force to deal with symbiotes, making this scene their jurisdiction. As the Anti-Symbiote Task Force carts Big Mother's apparent corpse away, Detective Henley stews in frustration; Detective Castro remarking she was worried he was going to pick a fight with Agent MacNeill. Storming off, Detective Henley tells her to put out an APB for Andi Benton. At the F.E.A.S.T. Center, Andi is shaken awake by May Parker, who tells her they need to talk. When Andi asks what May means, May tells Andi that she's aware the younger woman is hosting a symbiote, Andi dejectedly asking if that means May is kicking her out. Sitting next to Andi and taking her hand, May assures Andi that that's not the case, but just as the people who stay at the shelter trust her with their lives, she needs to be able to trust Andi to protect it. Andi promises to do her best, May pulling her into a hug and telling her that she'll always have a home and family.