WARNING: The following contains major spoilers for Extreme Carnage: Agony, on sale now from Marvel Comics.
Since returning from his latest defeat, Carnage has clawed his way up from the depths of the ocean to the highest echelons of the American political elite, and America has fallen in love with him. But in Extreme Carnage: Agony #1 by Alyssa Wong, Fran Galan, Danilo S. Beyruth, Jim Campbell and VC's Cory Petit, the series' latest revelation has thrown its heroes for a loop when their number one target, Senator Kane, becomes Carnage's next victim.
Ever since Carnage's bloody return, Flash Thompson has been keeping a close eye on his movements, as well as those of Senator Krane. As the presumed latest host of the Carnage symbiote, Krane has become a particularly concerning figure since he started stoking the flames of fear in the hearts of people left paranoid by Knull's invasion. With his friend Hank on the inside of Krane's campaign and Andi Benton/Silence keeping tabs within the symbiote Hive, Flash has at least been keeping his fingers to the pulse of Carnage's actions even if he hasn't gotten the full picture quite yet.
When Hank informs him that Krane is planning his own rally in opposition to one the President is holding to memorialize the lives lost during the events of King in Black, it becomes clear that this is precisely the opportunity Carnage would need to lead a bloody coup. With that, the heroes prepare to save the President's life, but when the day of the rally comes their foe is nowhere in sight. Of course, that is simply because Flash and the others have had things wrong this entire time, and that mistake has just cost them dearly.
In this issue, Carnage's true plan finally come into focus at the cost of Hank's life. Flash realizes too late that Senator Krane has never been host to Carnage, but rather the serial killer symbiote has been taking up residence inside of Arthur Krane, the senator's son. This has given Carnage access to every corner of the campaign as well as its budding administration on top of the freedom to move about unquestioned. Not only that, but it will put Carnage in an even greater position to seize power as the sympathetic surviving son of a politician who will no doubt be assassinated in such a way that it looks like an alien attack. Carnage doesn't even have to work to get close to his target, as he has already filled Krane's cabinet with his own symbiote agents.
With Hank out of the way, there is no one left adjacent to the senator who isn't under Carnage's thumb, and with Arthur as his host, it is hard to imagine how Carnage could possibly fail. The frenzy that Senator Krane has worked up within his constituency has been poised to blow over for months now, making even an unsuccessful attack into a catalyst for utter disaster. It's always possible that Carnage's schemes will be foiled by the heroes, but that likely won't be enough to undo the damage he has already done. If nothing else, at least Flash and his allies now know where to look. Here's hoping they don't lose sight of their target long enough for him to get away this time.