Villain Types – Venom vs Carnage

Let’s talk about Villains. Why? Because they’re so damn cool. Sure, powers are awesome, but it’s the villains that really make the story interesting. They’re at the heart of the conflict, driving the plot forward to that long awaited final showdown. Without a villain, the protagonist would just be hanging around, living a boring life. Or even worse, the hero would be *gasp* happy. Who wants to read about someone being happy all the time? No fun in that.

So which kind of villain do you prefer? I’ve noticed two main types in fiction and movies. What better way to elaborate than with Marvel villains Venom and Carnage. After all, they’re both just men who bonded with an alien symbiote. However, the resulting villains are very different villain types.

The Venom Type

Eddie Brock (who always leaps to mind when I think of Venom) is kind of a jerk. As they say in Game of Thrones, “It is known.” But is he enough of a jerk to be a sadistic killer? Not really – which is why it’s more of a gray area with Venom. Is the alien symbiote evil? Without a doubt. But part of the deal is that symbiotic relationship, so no matter how powerful the alien becomes feeding off the anger and fear in the host, some part of the host is still there. For this reason, Spidey has been able to talk Venom down in the past, appealing to the flawed yet still human part that is Eddie Brock.

The Carnage Type

In sharp contrast is Cletus Kasady, who is not only insane, but abnormally violent. Even the way the symbiote bonds with him is telling – it’s not just a suit, it’s part of his bloodstream. So absolute, as is his nature. This is a villain that is pure evil, as black and white (well, red actually 🙂 ) as it gets. There’s no humanizing this guy…even his backstory doesn’t lend itself to sympathy. If given the chance, he will kill you in a magnificently gory fashion, rivaled only by select scenes from the latest wave of torture horror.

The More Popular Trend

It seems to me there are more and more Venom type villains lately, whereas in the past it was less nebulous – the villain was to be hated and not allowed to play in any of the reindeer games under any circumstances.

One of the worst (if not the absolute worst) remakes of all time is Halloween, for the simple fact that it attempts to change the villain type from black and white to gray by humanizing Michael Myers. What I loved most about the original movie is the ending, when Dr. Loomis calls him the “Boogeyman.” The fact that he’s not even called Michael Myers in the credits, but simply “The Shape.” There’s something powerful and terrifying in that. If you can’t outrun him, you’re dead. Not even a knitting needle to the skull will stop this guy—he’s got the power of pure evil to resurrect him from multiple gunshot wounds, granting him that highly sought after Highlander-esque immortality.

But I digress. The thing is, I’ve been criticized about my villain in the past, for Connected. As I don’t tend to dwell on criticism I don’t recall the exact words, but it was something about either motive or the fact that he didn’t have that “gray” side to him. This gave me pause to think about my favorite villains, to consider which type they resemble.

Venom or Carnage

Sylar From Heroes 

Buttonface from Cabal 

Dr. Facilier from The Princess & the Frog 

The Tall Man (RIP Angus) from Phantasm 

Big Brother from 1984 

Really any of the iconic horror movie villains of yesteryear 

Hmmm… I’m sensing a pattern here. Did Buttonface need a motive? Nope, he just truly enjoyed killing people. Sometimes, when you have the perfect blend of insanity and ill intentions, you don’t need a motive. Any humanity you could give that character would only detract from his power.

Still, I get the whole conflicted concept and I can see where it fits better with some villains. In fact, the villain in book two of the Connected series is exactly that – he is evil, but he has a good reason for being that way. Somewhat justified for his actions, as any gray villain is.

Which do you prefer? Are you a fan of the conflicted Venom-type villain? Or do you appreciate the evil purity of a villain like Carnage?

Please post a comment, I’d love to discuss this with you!