Carrion

Carrion's History

First Appearance: SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #25

Final Appearance: SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #31

History: The creature called Carrion was the clone of Professor Miles Warren, the biochemist who was secretly costumed criminal known as the Jackal. Warren had an obsessive paternal infatuation with his student Gwen Stacy, who died as a result of a battle between the costumed adventurer Spider-Man and the original Green Goblin. Warren unjustly held Spider-Man, who he learned was actually Peter Parker, responsible for Stacy's death and sought to kill in revenge. Before what proved to be his final confrontation with Spider-Man, Warren extracted a cell sample from himself and placed it within a casket-like device in which a clone (a genetic duplicate of himself) would grow and rapidly age to maturity. By doing so, Warren hoped to ensure that even if he himself died in battle, there would still be a Miles Warren - his clone - alive to carry on for him.

The original Miles Warren, as the Jackal, was indeed killed during his subsequent encounter with Spider-Man. Back in Warren's laboratory; the clone grew into an adult version of Warren. However, the "clone-casket" malfunctioned, and the clone continued to age at superhuman speed, past the point at which normal human beings must die of old age. Yet the clone remained alive, and somehow developed superhuman powers. Apparently Warren had also prepared RNA molecules bearing his memories that the casket injected into the adult clone.

Finally, another of Warren's students, Randy Vale, entered Warren's laboratory and opened the "clone-casket." The clone emerged, now bearing a cadaverous, inhuman physical appearance, and endowed with Warren's memories and ability to speak English. The clone forced Vale to become his accomplice. Now seeking vengeance on Spider-Man for the deaths of both Gwen Stacy and the original Professor Warren, the clone named itself Carrion. Vale adopted a costumed identity as well, and called himself Darter.

Carrion met with the Masked Marauder, who was then the head of the Nefaria "family" of the criminal organization called the Maggia. The Marauder sought to kill Spider-Man for his recent interference with Maggia activities, and Carrion offered to assassinate Spider-Man for him. However, the Masked Marauder turned down Carrion's proposal, not trusting him.

Carrion therefore carried out his plan of vengeance aided only by Darter. Carrion and Darter clashed with Spider-Man and his ally, Hector Ayala, who then operated under the costumed identity of the White Tiger. Finally, Carrion captured Spider-Man, and used his cloning techniques to create a monster from a cell sample he took from Parker. Carrion intended to have the monster kill Parker, and the Carrion would go on to kill Parker's loved ones. Carrion had promised to transfer Spider-Man's powers to Darter. On seeing that Carrion would not carry out this promise, Darter attacked Carrion, who murdered his assistant. Spider-Man broke free from the shackles imprisoning him and defeated Carrion's monster. Seeking a new victim, the monster attacked Carrion himself. Somehow both Carrion and the monster negated each other's superhuman powers, and hence Carrion was helpless before the much larger creature. Fire engulfed the scene of the battle, and Spider-Man escaped. The monster killed Carrion, and the flames then consumed both.

Height: 5 ft. 10 in.

Weight: 175 lbs.

Eyes: Yellow

Hair: None

Skin: Yellow