The Symbiote Squad watches in shock as Carnage--destabilized by having assimilated the Anti-Carnage symbiote--lets out a scream of agony, every symbiote it had absorbed to empower itself tearing free from its body. As Carnage is shaken by its own flesh turning against it, Venomized Rhino amazedly remarks that all the people Carnage killed have been resurrected, though Symbiote Spider-Man points to the red vein-like markings covering their bodies and says that their codexes have incarnated using Carnage and Anti-Carnage's matter. Anti-Venom wonders if this was what Dreamstone Venom expected to happen, but Dreamstone Venom denies this. Reaching for All-Blood, Carnage sneers that this is just another trial for it to overcome, a test to prove it's ready. Snatching up the Necrospear, Mania snaps that Carnage turned them into monsters, but that's nothing compared to what they're going to do to it. As Mania impales Carnage with its own weapon, Silence is put off by her younger alternate self's infection with Carnage's essence. As Venomized Electro blasts Carnage with lightning, Agent Venom marvels that Carnage is vulnerable again, all its stolen powers stripped away and weaknesses restored. Behind her, Dylan Brock works to fix the destroyed Virus Armor's dimensional transport. As Shriek blasts Carnage with a sonic scream, Anne tells her son to fix the controls and get himself out of there while she and the others finish the fight.
Invoking the power of the dark elf artifact that gives him his powers, Dreamstone Venom transforms his artificial symbiote into a suit of Venomized Asgardian armor. As Viking Venom attacks with his scythe, Carnage narrowly evading, Chaos Engine gloats that they won't be needing an evac this time. Carnage is crushed under a massive hand as Ant-Venom asks if it could feel them trapped in its flesh and screaming. Raising her Necrosword, Asgardia prepares to decapitate Carnage, but it oozes out from under Ant-Venom's hand. Fighting together, As Mania uses All-Blood to blast Carnage with a beam of hellfire, Silence introduces herself; though Mania tells her older alternate self to not bother getting chummy since when Carnage dies she will too. Venomized Rhino rams Carnage, spattering it like a bug on a windshield. As the Symbiote Squad and escaped codices surround Carnage, Agent Venom states that it's weakened but still dangerous. Reforming its humanoid form, Carnage concurs and lunges at her but is slashed by Samurai Venom, who calls it an honorless coward. Impaling Carnage from behind with his claws, Anti-Carnage laments having tried to heal it, saying he should have just gone for the kill, but Carnage forms a massive tendril from its back and knocks him away. Viking Venom attacks, declaring that Carnage has evaded death for long enough and that it brings him pleasure to put an end to its rampage, but Carnage forms an arm-blade and impales him through the heart. Mortally-wounded, Viking Venom asks Asgardia if he is worthy of Valhalla, but she laments that she's not a Valkyrie. Snarling that it now understands that its flesh and powers have not rebelled against it, Carnage declares that the codexes manifesting was due to its subconscious desire to test itself by throwing its weaknesses and stolen powers back at itself. Decapitating Viking Venom and attempting to reclaim All-Blood from Mania, Carnage declares that it's unstoppable. The Dreamstone symbiote detaches from its host's corpse and merges with Symbiote Spider-Man, telling Eddie to not be afraid and that it is not yet finished with this fight. As Carnage reclaims All-Blood and hurls back Samurai Venom, Venomized Wolverine, and Mania, Symbiote Spider-Man transforms into Venom and snarls that Carnage had its chance and blew it. Although intrigued by this new development, Carnage scoffs that Venom isn't the Eddie Brock it wants to kill. Punching Carnage in the face, Venom declares his intent to rip Carnage apart and devour it piece by piece, attempting to wrench All-Blood from its hands as Carnage sneers that Venom couldn't beat it even on his best day or its worst. Dismissing Venom as a pale imitation, Carnage notes that that is true for it as well... but not for long. Firing out a barrage of tendrils, Carnage impales all the escaped codices and reabsorbs them to reclaim the powers and other trophies it had claimed. Using its Hell-Mark, Carnage blasts Venom back with hellfire, Agent Venom lamenting that they missed their window to take it down. Anti-Venom attacks, intending to destroy Carnage with his cleansing touch, but Carnage grabs him by the head and uses Anti-Carnage's own cleansing touch to kill him. As Anne and Silence look on in horror, wondering how they could possibly stop Carnage, Chaos Engine attacks with a sonic guitar riff that Carnage laughs off. As Carnage retaliates with a barrage of tendrils, Asgardia pulls Chaos Engine to safety astride her Venomized winged horse; Chaos Engine lamenting that they now need an evac.
Venomized Rhino and Venom charge Carnage to buy the others time, Venom declaring that Carnage will pay for that it's done, but it scornfully backhands Venom away and vomits a torrent of hellfire that stops Venomized Rhino cold. Knocking Agent Venom back, Carnage scoffs that if they had half a brain they'd be less preoccupied by what it's done and more afraid of what it's going to do. Standing over its defeated enemies, Carnage smugly states that it's almost a shame they're all going to die now, as they would have made fine witnesses to its apotheosis. Before Carnage can finish them off, Dylan activates the Virus armor's dimensional portal and warps himself and the survivors to safety. Annoyed, Carnage notes that the time has come for the final step of its ascension to the throne of the King in Black.
In a world under threat by the Symbiote Hive's ultimate onslaught, the Silver Surfer grimly watches from atop his surfboard as Manhattan is coccooned in living abyss and Symbiote Dragons rampage, devouring or infecting everyone they come across. The God of Light emerges from his chest, the Surfer preparing to send it to find its chosen host. Before he can finish his sentence, Carnage impales him from behind with All-Blood, killing him instantly, and extinguishes the God of Light, saying that he will do what it came to.
In the city below, Thor, Magneto, Cyclops, Jean Grey, Clea -- who has inherited the mantle of Sorcerer Supreme from Doctor Strange, and Captain America face off against Knull, who declares that their defiance is a noble sentiment but that he will destroy their world. As symbiote dragons overwhelm them, Clea casts a spell to supercharge Mjolnir, saying Thor has one chance to end this. Unfazed, Knull says that he has come for the human called Brock and will make Earth's destruction quick and painless if they bring him, but is interrupted as Carnage--transformed into its armored God Butcher form--says that Eddie is too dead at the moment to see Knull right now, but that it will be more than happy to take his place.
