Warning: Minor SPOILERS for Absolute Carnage #1

The Marvel universe is about to be taken over by its most horrifying, symbiote-powered villain with the Absolute Carnage event–and the opening pages of the first issue have been officially revealed. No surprise: things are not going to go well for Eddie Brock, the only man who may be able to face Carnage and win.

In case readers feel a bit out of the loop, there is good news to be had with the preview of Absolute Carnage #1. Rather than diving into the action, the issue does offer a bit of an introduction into the larger forces at work, Carnage’s villainous plan, and just what cosmic monster may be reborn if he succeeds. In the comic, it’s being delivered by Eddie Brock to his secret son, Dylan, but readers can get brought up to speed just as quickly. Long story short? Carnage is going to eat every symbiote host–in other words, every Marvel character who has bonded with a symbiote–so he can become strong enough to unleash Knull, the Symbiote God back into the universe. And when the event begins in these preview pages, Eddie Brock is the only things standing between all life in the universe… and Absolute Carnage.

Months have passed since Cletus Kasady was resurrected as a godly Carnage, given new life thanks to a scrap of Knull’s personal symbiote dragon. Since then the villain has been slowly building an army, and taking surgical strikes, planting unknowing spies throughout Marvel’s Earth. Claiming Marvel’s newest Carnage Werewolf one day, sending symbiote-infected rats to eat Captain Marvel’s cat another. Eddie Brock doesn’t have those details just yet, knowing only that Carnage is coming, he’s hungry, and he’s ending the universe if he succeeds. Which is right where the preview for Absolute Carnage #1 begins. Check out the preview pages below:

Eddie is right to conclude that Cletus Kasady is having some fun, while also helping his mission by making the former Venom a fugitive. Carnage pretended to be Eddie Brock and murder Lee Price in prison, and the final panel of this preview suggests Eddie is about to pay for it. But that will remain a secret until the full issue arrives on Wednesday, kicking off the entire Absolute Carnage event running from august through to its November finale. For readers who wish to keep up to speed on every step of this Carnage-centric event, we’ve listed the tie-in issues by month below:

August 2019

  • Absolute Carnage: #1 to #2 Venom #17 Absolute Carnage Lethal Protectors #1 Absolute Carnage Miles Morales #1 Absolute Carnage: Scream #1 Absolute Carnage: Separation Anxiety #1 Absolute Carnage vs. Deadpool #1

September 2019

  • Absolute Carnage #3 Amazing Spider-Man #30 Venom #18 Absolute Carnage: Avengers #1 Absolute Carnage: Ghost Rider – Symbiote of Vengeance #1 Absolute Carnage Lethal Protectors #2 Absolute Carnage Miles Morales #2 Absolute Carnage: Scream #2 Absolute Carnage: Symbiote Spider-Man #1 Absolute Carnage vs. Deadpool #2

October 2019

  • Absolute Carnage #4 Amazing Spider-Man #31 Venom #19 Absolute Carnage: Immortal Hulk #1 Absolute Carnage Lethal Protectors #3 Absolute Carnage Miles Morales #3 Absolute Carnage: Scream #3 Absolute Carnage vs. Deadpool #3

November 2019

  • Absolute Carnage #5

There really is no telling how this event will follow the incredible War of The Realms that just concluded, but with the plot synopses promising Eddie Brock or his symbiote may be forced to make the “ultimate sacrifice,” it’s fitting Eddie should begin the story. The Venom series has been building to this for years, so here’s hoping symbiote and host can make peace before the end.

  • Absolute Carnage (2019) #1 (of 5): Director’s Cut Written by: Donny Cates Art by: Ryan Stegman Cover by: Ryan Stegman Featuring action-packed extras including a Cover Gallery, Script, Inked And Color Pages and more! After turning Venom’s world upside down a year ago, DONNY CATES and RYAN STEGMAN are about to put the Sinister Symbiote through hell again, only this time CARNAGE has come calling, and everyone who’s ever worn a symbiote is dead in his sights! He’s skirted the periphery of the Marvel Universe for months, but Cletus Kasady at last stands poised to make his grand return to New York in a blistering triple-sized story…and he wants to paint the town red!

Absolute Carnage #1 will be available on August 7th, 2019 at your local comic book shop or direct from Marvel Comics.

MORE: Marvel Confirms EDDIE is The Killer, Venom’s The Hero