Meet Cult of Carnage: Misery villain Madness

Cult of Carnage: Misery #1 art
(Image credit: Marvel Comics)

Marvel's Summer of Symbiotes initiative is heating up with another new Carnage-centric story, Cult of Carnage: Misery, which revives the previous Cult of Carnage title from several years ago.

Written by Sabir Pirzada with art from Francesco Mortarino, Cult of Carnage: Misery arrives in May alongside the start of the Carnage Reigns crossover which pits Carnage against Miles Morales on the 30th anniversary of the classic '90s story Maximum Carnage. The limited series runs for four issues.

In the case of Cult of Carnage: Misery, the focus is on Red Goblin and his connection to Carnage, specifically on longtime Spider-Man supporting cast member Liz Allen, who is the mother of current Red Goblin Normie Osborn, who takes on her own symbiote known as Misery in the story. The story will also debut a new villain known as Madness.

Check out an early look at some unlettered interior pages from Cult of Carnage: Misery #1, along with some character designs for Madness by artist Francesco Mortarino and colorist Java Tartaglia:

"Liz Allen is the mother of Normie Osborn, who she is blissfully unaware is the all-new and all-deadly RED GOBLIN! But what Liz DOES know is that the Red Goblin has been active and has been seen VERY close to her home," reads Marvel's official solicitation text for Cult of Carnage: Misery #1.

"And after her late husband’s father, NORMAN OSBORN (maybe you’ve heard of him?), gets pulled into the chaos and violence swirling around Normie, Liz has no choice but to use the resources at her disposal as the head of ALCHEMAX to take matters into her own hands and become something the Marvel Universe has NEVER SEEN BEFORE!"

Cult of Carnage: Misery #1 goes on sale May 3. It will be an oversized 40 page issue, with a main cover from Skan, and variant covers from Leinil Francis Yu, Ryan Stegman, and Inhyuk Lee.

Read up on the best Spider-Man stories of all time.

TOPICS
George Marston

I've been Newsarama's resident Marvel Comics expert and general comic book historian since 2011. I've also been the on-site reporter at most major comic conventions such as Comic-Con International: San Diego, New York Comic Con, and C2E2. Outside of comic journalism, I am the artist of many weird pictures, and the guitarist of many heavy riffs. (They/Them)

Read more
Web of Venomverse: Fresh Brains #1
Meet the Venomouse, an all new Eddie Brock, and more in Web of Venomverse: Fresh Brains #1
Hellgate takes down various Spider-people
Amazing Spider-Man #1 will introduce major new Marvel villain Hellgate, Peter Parker's "greatest challenge in the new era"
Web of Spider-Verse: New Blood #1
Spider-Hulk, Spider-Prowler, Count Parker, and more are the latest Spider-Man variants as the Spider-Verse and Venomverse prepare to go to war
Spider-Man reels in pain.
Peter Parker must face the unbearable truth as The 8 Deaths of Spider-Man continues
X-Men #16 variant cover by Russell Dauterman
Marvel reveals its full slate of May 2025 comics and covers featuring the Avengers, the X-Men, Spider-Man, and more
Juggernaut stomps.
Juggernaut meets his maker as the X-Men arrive to fight Cyttorak in Amazing Spider-Man #67
Latest in Marvel Comics
Daredevil: Born Again
Marvel may have just sneakily confirmed one of the biggest Daredevil: Born Again fan theories
New Champions #4
Meet Gold Tiger, the young Wakandan hero whose origin will be revealed in New Champions #4
Marvel Rivals: Ignite #1
Marvel Rivals goes manga in a new comic from Peach Momoko and three other Japanese artists that reveals several new in-game costumes
Fantastic Four #30
Thanks to Doctor Doom, Ben Grimm is no longer the Thing and his kids don't even recognize him in Fantastic Four #30
Silver Surfer sitting on his board
Marvel June 2025 solicitations: 10 must-have comics to pre-order this month
Spider-Man swings into action alongside the Fantastic Four and Ms. Marvel.
Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four team up in a new story from Jay and Silent Bob creator Kevin Smith
Latest in News
Chris Hemsworth's name on the back of a director's chair
Marvel's Avengers: Doomsday cast reveal live blog
Screenshots from the Alien Evolved Edition TRPG teaser trailer
Alien Evolved Edition TRPG just burst through the million dollar crowdfunding mark with the vigor of a face-hugger on steroids
Halloween director John Carpenter
15 years on from his last horror movie, Halloween's John Carpenter says he'd "love to direct again" – but he has one condition
Monster Hunter Wilds screenshot showing a hunter battling a congalala
If you missed the last one, the new Monster Hunter Wilds event quest is another way to stock up on rare ingredients before the big update drops next week
The cast of Suicide Squad (2016)
David Ayer admits James Gunn has good reason not to release his cut of Suicide Squad, but he remains hopeful it'll happen
Ezra Bridger in Ahsoka
A Star Wars actor just quietly confirmed that filming has begun on Ahsoka season 2