Maximum Carnage

 ''This is about the Spider-Man story-arc. For the 1994 video game see: Venom and Spider-Man: Maximum Carnage.''

Maximum Carnage is a fourteen-part story arc that published in 1993 that crosses over many Spider-Man titles and features appearances by many Marvel heroes. It's story deals with Spider-Man and Venom teaming up with many other heroes to defeat Carnage and his murderous new "family".

Heroes

 * Spider-Man
 * Venom
 * Deathlok
 * Morbius
 * Cloak and Dagger
 * Captain America
 * Black Cat
 * Fire Star
 * Nightwatch
 * Iron Fist

Villians

 * Carnage
 * The Spider-Man Doppleganger
 * Shriek
 * Carrion
 * Demogoblin
 * Venom

Civilians

 * Mary Jane Watson
 * Aunt May
 * Richard Parker
 * Mary Parker
 * J. Jonah Jameson
 * Cletus Kasady
 * Eddie Brock
 * Peter Parker
 * Felicia Hardy
 * Liz Allen

Plot
After Carnage is defeated by Spider-Man and Venom in Amazing Spider-Man #363, he is sent back to Ravencroft Institue. He slaughters everyone there, escapes, rallies a "family" (Shriek, Doppleganger, Carrion, and Demogoblin), to help him kill and turn the citizens of New York against one another. Spider-Man must team up with Venom and more heroes to stop them.

For more detail, see Chapter Summaries:
 * Chapter I- Spider-Man Unlimited #1: Carnage Rising!
 * Chapter II- Web of Spider-Man #101: Dark Light
 * Chapter III- The Amazing Spider-Man #378: Demons on Broadway
 * Chapter IV- Spider-Man #35: Team Venom
 * Chapter V- Spectacular Spider-Man #201: Over the Line!
 * Chapter VI- Web of Spider-Man #102: Sinking Fast
 * Chapter VII - The Amazing Spider-Man #379: The Gathering Storm
 * Chapter VIII - Spider-Man #36: Hate is in the Air
 * Chapter IX - Spectacular Spider-Man #202: The Turning Point
 * Chapter X - Web of Spider-Man #103: Sin City
 * Chapter XI - The Amazing Spider-Man #380: Soldiers of Hope
 * Chapter XII - Spider-Man #37: The Light!
 * Chapter XIII - Spectacular Spider-Man #203: War of the Heart!
 * Chapter XIV - Spider-Man Unlimited #2: The Hatred, The Horror &amp; The Hero!

Significance and Reception
In the introduction of the collected edition of Maximum Carnage by J.M. DeMatteis entitled "Darkness, Light... And Free Food" he stated that they were looking to really test the limits when it came to Maximum Carnage. They banded a group of cold blooded killers in the story-arc and it was pretty much the ultimate evil versus good. Carnage and his family didn't care who they killed and it set a much darker tone. No motive except for chaos.

The story-arc spawned off into a video game and a toyline by ToyBiz.

The reception was fair. Lots of fans enjoyed the cross-over and the constant struggle between the two groups. Others called the arc "Maximum Garbage" and said the arc just dragged on.