As they walk towards Times Square, Eddie Brock explains to Dylan that the symbiotes were created by a primordial god of darkness called Knull in order to purge all life from the universe, but that they turned on their creator and imprisoned him at the core of an artificial planet. Eddie then tells Dylan that when a symbiote is seperated from its host it leaves a piece of itself called a codex behind; and that the symbiote-augmented serial killer Cletus Kasady has been resurrected by an apocalyptic symbiote-worshipping cult and is hunting everyone who's ever bonded to a symbiote in order to harvest their codexes and free Knull from his celestial prison. Terrified, Dylan asks Eddie if there's anything else he should know, and Eddie considers telling Dylan that he's his father before deciding against it - afraid it would destroy their relationship. As Dylan asks what they're going to do, Eddie tells his son that he's going to take him to a safe place until he can work out a plan. Dylan asks where Eddie's taking him, Eddie admitting that he has one idea, but he hates it - meaning it's likely their best option. Adding that they're probably being hunted at that moment, Eddie tells Dylan they need to keep a low profile... only to enter Times Square and see his face plastered on every screen, labelling him Public Enemy #1 for the murder of Lee Price and several other inmates at Ryker's Island. As Dylan incredulously asks Eddie why he'd do such a thing, Eddie states that Carnage is framing him.

Spotting a man in a trenchcoat and fedora tailing them, Eddie grabs Dylan and runs for the subway, pushing people out of the way. As they vault down the stairs, Eddie tells Dylan they need to get on the oncoming train ASAP. As Eddie impatiently urges the train to arrive faster, a man standing behind him and reading a copy of the Daily Bugle lowers it to reveal himself as Cletus Kasady. Grinning maniacally, Cletus shoves Eddie and Dylan onto the train tracks in mockery of what Eddie had once done to Peter Parker. As the train draws nearer, Eddie hugs Dylan and braces for death, but just before it reaches them the man in the trenchcoat leaps onto the tracks and reveals himself as the Venom symbiote in disguise; derailing the train and shielding Eddie and Dylan. As the Venom symbiote rebonds to him, Eddie notes he can hear its voice again and it replies that it's fully recovered after absorbing some dark magic. The symbiote notes that Eddie is resisting bonding to it, and he retorts that he's still angry over it lying to and gaslighting him. The symbiote apologizes, but insists that they need to be together again. Before it can elaborate, a pair of police officers hold Venom at gunpoint and tell him to step away from Dylan. Retracting the symbiote from his face, Eddie tells the officers that he has no intention of hurting anyone, but they don't believe him. Eddie tells Dylan to go to the cops, but as they bicker the symbiote interjects in an attempt to warn them. The train explodes, Venom shielding Dylan from the shrapnel, and he turns to see the new-and-improved Dark Carnage - a thirteen foot-tall skeletal red-and-black monster with a fanged maw, a white spiral on its forehead, and a white dragon emblem on its chest - looming over them. Peeling the symbiote away from his face to reveal a necrotic skull, Cletus Kasady says they should catch up.

As the police gape in horror, Venom tells them to take Dylan and get as far away as they can as fast as they can while he handles this. As Dark Carnage laughs at his bravado, the symbiote urges Eddie to be careful, since Cletus has bonded to the Grendel symbiote. Venom punches Dark Carnage as hard as he can, but Cletus isn't fazed; gloating that he's now a god as he casually backhands Venom. As Venom crashes to the ground, dazed, Dark Carnage quips that he always thought Eddie would look better in red, grabbing him by the face before slamming him into the train tracks. Eddie mentally notes he's never been

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In the Coffee Bean, Spider-Man sits across from Eddie Brock and Dylan Brock, exasperatedly lamenting how much he hates symbiotes. Eddie thanks Spider-Man for agreeing to meet with them, asking if he can help them. Spider-Man pokes fun at Eddie's use of the royal we, Eddie irritibly demanding to know if Spider-Man thinks if anything about what's going on is funny. Clarifying that he doesn't, Spider-Man incredulously says that Eddie's come to him with a story about him fighting gods and Carnage with god powers, wondering what happened to fun stuff like evil businessmen, digging robots, and sewer dinosaurs. Angered, Eddie prepares to leave, but the Venom symbiote and Spider-Man tell him to sit back down. As Spider-Man promises to curb his propensity to wisecrack, the Venom symbiote says that they need Spider-Man's help and urges Eddie to not let his jealousy and anger get the better of him. Begrudgingly complying, Eddie sits back down and grumbles that he's not jealous of Spider-Man. Asking if they can start over from the top, Spider-Man offers to get Eddie something to eat only to be told that he doesn't get hungry thanks to the symbiote. Spider-Man turns to Dylan - who has been ignoring the conversation and reading a Guardians of the Galaxy comic - and asks if he wants anything, but Dylan tells Spider-Man not to talk to him, glaring at him and calling him a menace. As Spider-Man scowls through his mask and grumbles to himself, Eddie smiles proudly and calls Dylan a good kid before telling him to go sit at the counter while he and Spider-Man talk shop. Looking back to see Spider-Man staring at him, Eddie demands to know what his problem is. Spider-Man bluntly tells Eddie to explain why he has a small child with him, firmly rebuking Eddie's protests. Retracting his sunglasses - which are formed from the Venom symbiote, Eddie reluctantly confides that Dylan is his son. Noting that explains Dylan's immediate dislike of him, Spider-Man remarks that he hasn't heard Dylan address Eddie as his father and asks if Dylan knows. Eddie replies that Dylan thinks that he is his half-brother and that he's afraid to tell him; Spider-Man sorrowfully stating that he knows from personal experience how painful growing up not knowing one's parents can be, and gently urging Eddie to tell Dylan the truth.

Before Eddie can respond he spots a news report on TV and asks the barista to turn up the volume. The news anchor details the discovery of a mass grave in Northern New Jersey, an aerial shot showing it's in the shape of a spiral. The news anchor says that conspicuous way the mass grave was constructed indicates it was meant to be found, and that the bodies inside had already been dead for months - and in some cases years, and all had their spines removed. The news anchor begins listing some of the bodies found - Angelo Fortunato, Carl Mach, Leslie Gesneria, and Thaddeus Ross - but the barista turns the TV off. As Eddie angrily demands for the barista to turn it back on, Spider-Man hauls him back to their seats and tells him to calm down. Eddie refuses despite Dylan pointing out that people are starting to stare at them, stating that all the bodies in the mass grave belonged to deceased people who'd bonded to a symbiote, and that this is a message from Kasady saying that even being dead won't stop him from targeting you. Spider-Man tells Eddie that he can't let Kasady rattle him, but a distraught Eddie cuts him off and says that Anne Weying was probably in that pit too. As Spider-Man falls silent and glares, Dylan asks who Anne is. As Spider-Man awkwardly attempts to change the subject, his spider-sense goes off and a trio of armed robbers burst into the Coffee Bean, telling everyone to get down on the floor. Spotting Spider-Man and Eddie Brock standing side-by-side and glaring at him, the robber curses under his breath. Spider-Man asks Eddie if he wants to flip a coin, but Eddie cordially tells Spider-Man to handle it and brings Dylan back to their

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As he and Spider-Man infiltrate Ravencroft Institute, Eddie Brock recaps that not long ago Norman Osborn had bonded to a piece of the Carnage symbiote to become the Red Goblin; but that after his defeat Norman's psyche had been shattered and overwritten by that of Cletus Kasady. In a cell in the maximum-security wing of the asylum, Norman peers through a slot in his door and sings an altered version of "The Redback on the Toilet Seat"; Eddie noting that were it up to him Norman would be dead and buried - the ultimate irony being that they now have to break him out in order to protect him from the real Cletus Kasady, who in all likelihood wants revenge.

Having had the prison cleared of its staff, John Jameson tells Spider-Man he can come out now. As Spider-Man thanks him, Jameson sees Venom clinging to the ceiling beside Spider-Man and pulls out his gun. Before he can open fire, Spider-Man web-yanks the pistol from his hands and assures Jameson that he and Venom are allies. Jameson reluctantly acknowledges this, saying he had to call in every favor he was owed to pull this off, but that after his run-in with Carnage in Doverton, Colorado he knew it had to be done. As they enter the maximum-security wing, Jameson apologizes for almost shooting Eddie, recalling they'd once worked together; but Venom retorts that it would have only ruined Jameson's day. As Jameson jokingly challenges Eddie to a Man-Wolf vs. Venom fight, Spider-Man interrupts and tells them to put their game faces on, as they've arrived at Osborn's cell.

Venom asks if they have the entry codes or if he should just rip the door off its hinges, but Spider-Man says they need Osborn sedated before they can remove him. His spider-sense suddenly goes off, and he turns to look at Jameson, who is clutching his head in agony. Succumbing to Dark Carnage's control, Jameson apologizes and chokes out that he can't stop himself before sporting a maniacal grin and saying that he has to free Osborn. Before Spider-Man or Venom can stop him, Jameson shoots the control panel, setting off the prison's alarms to incapacitate Venom. Spider-Man sweeps Jameson's legs out from under him and demands to know what he's done, Jameson's eyes turning black with red spirals as he crows that God is coming.

Elsewhere in the prison, Cletus Kasady walks down a hallway singing the same song as Norman Osborn. Peeling open his chest to reveal his necrotic ribs, Kasady reaches inside and pulls out a fistful of maggots, bonding the Grendel symbiote to them before casually flicking them into the cells as he strolls past. The maggots transfer their portions of the symbiote to the inmates, transforming them into four-armed monsters resembling the Doppelganger. As Spider-Man webs up Jameson, concerned that he's about to transform into a symbiote-augmented Man-Wolf, Eddie fights through the pain to grab Jameson's dropped gun and shoots out the speakers blaring the alarm. Concerned, Spider-Man asks if he's OK, Venom retorting that he'll be fine. As Jameson gleefully babbles that Carnage is coming, Spider-Man punches him out. Venom suddenly doubles over in pain as the symbiote screams a wordless warning into his brain. As Spider-Man asks what's wrong, Venom tells him that his symbiote can sense something coming, a chittering sound filling the air that Eddie initially compares to the Biblical plague of locusts. As the maximum-security door opens, Venom realizes that the sound isn't locusts but teeth - a horde of countless Symbiote Doppelgangers pouring in, followed by Dark Carnage. Realizing they can't win against such overwhelming odds, Venom proposes they cut their losses and run; but Spider-Man refuses to let Dark Carnage get Osborn's codex, begrudgingly declaring that they need to save his mortal enemy. Peeking through the slot in his door at the sound of his name, Norman cackles and gleefully tells them to save a piece of "Norman Osborn" for him. Snapping at him to shut up, Spider-Man and Venom turn to fa

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