Deadpool #1 (2022)

Deadpool greets the readers while pinned down by vines protruding from monstrous, mutated plants, and remarking that he has no idea how he entered such a compromising position. Having just awoken, he is greeted by the person responsible for his capture: Harriet Bromes, also known as the Harrower. As they introduce themselves to each other, Harrower muses on Deadpool's impressive regenerative capabilities, which make him the perfect candidate for her next experiment, and a home for the Carnage symbiote sample she now holds in her hands. As Deadpool protests, Harrower explains how she came by the sample, having simply picked it up off the street in the aftermath of Carnage and the Cult of Knull's rampage through New York. Noting her disappointment at their failure, Harrower further elaborates how she found this sample --a "poisoned, dying scrap of what it once was"-- and conducted many, many experiments in using her powers of biofusion and biofission to bond it to different organisms, in an effort to create the perfect lifeform: a strong, powerful hybrid capable of supplanting humanity -- and loyal only to Harrower, of course. Unfortunately, given the voracious nature of the Carnage symbiote, it devours every host she bonds it to, slowing down her progress. Therefore, by planting the symbiote sample in Deadpool's body along with a sample of Cletus Kasady's DNA, she plans to use Deadpool's body as an incubator to begin growing her army of loyal Carnage hybrids. Deadpool protests, begging for answers, and noting that he feels like he's forgetting something... 48 hours ago, Deadpool is given an assignment by a being called the Horned Emperor: assassinate Doctor Octopus as his audition for entry into the Atelier, an exclusive organisation of elite assassins; failure will result in his permanent barring from joining their ranks. Deadpool agrees, but is quickly distracted when Valentine Vuong enters the room, immediately falling in love with them. Deadpool proceeds to awkwardly gush over Valentine while they implant him with subcutaneous trackers using the hypodermic needles on their fingers, before leaving in embarrassment (later taking the time to jot down better pickup lines than "nice needles"). 24 hours later, Deadpool has completed his planning and casing of Doc Ock's laboratory, now standing on the roof and preparing to enter and assassinate his quarry, before being interrupted by a large vine punching through his back and out of his chest. Controlling the vine, Harrower doses Deadpool with soporific pollen and kidnaps him. Snapping back to the present, Deadpool begins to panic, realising that his 48 hours are nearly up. Harrower, unsurprisingly, refuses to allow Deadpool to leave until her new Carnage hybrid has finished incubating --which, by her admission, could take anywhere from days to weeks, if not more-- prompting Deadpool to reveal his healing factor has begun burning out the paralytic venom Harrower had injected him with faster than expected, and begin breaking free, attacking Harrower in the process. Enraged, Harrower sics her plant-animal hybrid monsters on Deadpool, who attempts to fight his way out. Deadpool almost succeeds in sneaking out, but Harrower notices and gives chase; on his way to Doc Ock's lab, Deadpool notices the paralytic toxin is wearing off further and he can feel the Carnage hybrid inside his body, eating him alive. An attack from Harrower launches him onto Doc Ock's lab, where he finds his missing swords and leaps through the skylight, taking the supervillain by surprise. His attack is interrupted, however, by the symbiote hybrid squirming inside his body. Doctor Octopus and Harrower look on, in confusion and smug delight respectively, as the Carnage hybrid's arms burst forth from an agonised Deadpool's body.