Verus (Microverse; Carnage ally/foe)

verus-microverse-radu-mincarn-alpha verus-microverse-radu-scsp10-face VERUS

Real Name: Unrevealed; possibly Verus (see comments)

Identity/Class: Extradimensional (Microverse)

Occupation: Warrior

Group Membership: Leader of an unidentified group of assassins/agents (Centivros, Null-Tron, Raidus Dren, Krevius, Xerxes);

Affiliations: Marquis Radu;
formerly Carnage (Cletus Kasady);

Enemies: Carnage (Cletus Kasady), Enigma Force, Enigma Force team (Bug, Flare, Marionette/Mari, Quark, Arcturus Rann), Nell Fletcher, Dr. and Ryan Ketola, Katy Kiernan, Redeemer, Scarlet Spider (Kaine); he guards at Thunderbolts mountain maximum security prison and those civilians injured, slain, and/or terrorized by Carnage following his escape

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: Veras (see comments)

Base of Operations: Unrevealed;
formerly various worlds in the Microverse, likely including Homeworld

First Appearance: Minimum Carnage Alpha#1 (December, 2012)

Powers/Abilities: Verus is an experienced strategist, assassin, and combatant.

She carried hand-weapons armed with a pointed spike/blade on either side, as well as a pair of laser pistols.

She has cybernetic snakes attached to her head that can lash out, bite, inject poison, and strangle victims.

She wore metal body armor over much of her body (apparently not including her head, shoulders, and portions of her arms.

Height: Unrevealed; she (and the rest of her squad) appeared to be much shorter than Carnage, who is 6'1", but can alter his size somewhat via his symbiote (I would guess she has a height equivalent to 5'9" or so)
(on Earth) 1"
Weight: Unrevealed; based on her build, I'd estimate about 154 lbs. (Earth equivalent);
(on Earth) .00047 lbs. (.007 oz.; 0.211 grams)
Eyes: Green
Hair: None; green serpentine forms extending from scalp

History:
<Author/creator discussion (see comments)> - A number of cybernetic serpents were affixed to Verus' scalp.

Verus served as the leader of a group of assassins/agents.

(Scarlet Spider II#11 (fb) - BTS / Venom II#27 (fb) - BTS) - Marquis Radu sought to both slay the Redeemer (the former Acroyear), the living embodiment of the Enigma Force, and to destroy the Enigma Force itself, after which he would rekindle the Enigma Force under his control and rule as God.

verus-microverse-radu-mincarn-alpha-relative

(Scarlet Spider II#11 (fb) - BTS) - With the goal of using Carnage (Cletus Kasady) to destroy the Redeemer and to replicate Carnage's symbiote via the Body Banks, Radu sent his agents -- a squad of assassins led by Verus: Centivros, Krevius, Null-Tron, Raidus, and Xerxes -- to the Earth dimension.

(Minimum Carnage Alpha#1 (fb) - BTS) - Radu's agents traveled to Thunderbolts Mountain maximum security prison in Colorado where they (presumably Verus) made the imprisoned Kasady a deal: If he killed someone for them, they would give him a new life and a whole new universe to kill people in (or so he subsequently paraphrased the offer).

(Minimum Carnage Alpha#1 - BTS) - Kasady accepted the offer.

(Minimum Carnage Alpha#1 (fb) - BTS) - Verus' squad violently broke Carnage out of prison.

(Minimum Carnage Alpha#1 (fb) - BTS) - Footage of Carnage's escaped showed insect-sized agents killing the prison guards.

(Minimum Carnage Alpha#1 - BTS) - Radu's agents slew police officers who discovered Kasady driving on I-25. verus-microverse-radu-mostfullob

(Minimum Carnage Alpha#1 (fb) - BTS) - Based on the footage of Carnage's escape, Venom ("Flash" Thompson) had his reporter friend Katy Kiernan investigate tiny killers, which led them to a report on the Prometheus Pit being built in Houston Texas by Dr. Ketola at NASA's Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

(Minimum Carnage Alpha#1 (fb) - BTS) - Seeking Dr. Ketola to travel to the Microverse, Carnage and Radu's agents confronted Dr. Ketola's husband, Ryan, and slew her mother, Nell Fletcher.

(Minimum Carnage Alpha#1 - BTS) - Rescuing Ryan Ketola, the Scarlet Spider (Kaine) learned of and sought out Dr. Ketola as well.

(Minimum Carnage Alpha#1) - As Carnage confronted Ketola, the Scarlet Spider tried to fight him off but was knocked out by Radu's agents (apparently Raidus, specifically), after which Veras told Carnage there was no time for this, as they had to get to the Pit immediately. verus-microverse-radu-ven26-assault

Verus then instructed Raidus and Centivros to guard the exits, Xerxes to watch the skies, and Krevius and Null-Tron to force Dr. Ketola to open the Pit.

As soon as the Pit was opened, Carnage threw Kiernan into it first. Standing on Carnage's palm, Verus instructed her squad to move out and advised Carnage to remember their deal.

While Carnage happily agreed, the revived Scarlet Spider webbed Carnage's hand and yanked it aside, sending Verus flying.

(Minimum Carnage Alpha#1 (fb) - BTS) - Verus and the rest of her squad passed through the Prometheus Pit and returned to the Microverse.

(Minimum Carnage Alpha#1 - BTS) - Carnage passed through the Prometheus Pit.

(Scarlet Spider II#10) - Back in the Microverse, Verus silenced the rest of her squad as she received a holoprojection-communication from Marquis Radu, projected by Krevius.

Veras confirmed to Radu that they had indeed returned with Carnage, after which Radu noted that base had found the Redeemer on one of the unzoned planets.

Informing Radu that they were on their way to their ship at that moment, Verus shared that Carnage killed "like nothing I've ever seen" but was unstable.

Radu interrupted her, noting that Carnage would do his job and instructing her to do hers.

(Scarlet Spider II#10 - BTS) - Verus' forces, with Carnage and Kiernan, headed to their ship to seek out the Redeemer.

(Venom II#26 - BTS) - Verus' squad brought Carnage to a Body Banks annexing station associated with Homeworld.

(Venom II#26) - When Carnage expressed disappointment in the lack of bodies at the Body Banks, Verus clarified that this was an annex station and that there were similar factories, all of them defunct or under the control of rogue skin merchants, scattered throughout the zones.

When she further noted that the Banks had churned out perfect men, woman, beasts, and killing machines, Carnage noted his appreciation but asked if he hadn't been brought there to kill a guy.

Verus danced around Carnage's question noting, "The Redeemer has been targeted for death, yes, and you will be the instrument of his destruction."

Katy Kiernan then suggested to Carnage that the reason they had brought him there first rather than taking him to the Redeemer was that he was intended to be raw material from which the Body Banks would build an army.

(Venom II#26 (fb) - BTS) - Carnage apparently slaughtered Centivros, Krevius, and Null-Tron and bound Raidus against the wall. verus-microverse-radu-ven26-tendrils_seated

(Venom II#26) - As Carnage asked Raidus where were the rest of his new friends, Verus led Xerxes to assault Carnage anew, noting how she had told the Marquis Carnage was unstable.

Knocking Verus back with a column projected from his symbiote, Carnage slaughtered Xerxes.

The stunned Verus advised Carnage that he was dead and that they would strip the symbiote off of his carcass and breed it from his corpse.

However, Carnage then stepped on her back and mockingly told her that the dirty talk was exciting him, after which he tore the cybernetic snakes from her head and left her for dead as he instructed Raidus, amputated serpents still in hand, to lead him to Marquis Radu.

Comments: Created by Christopher Yost, Cullen Bunn, Lan Medina, Karl Kesel, Cam Smith, & Walden Wong.

You want more information, you get more information!

In Minimum Carnage Alpha, the Medusa-like snake-haired leader of the squad Radu sent to bring Carnage to the Microverse is referred to by name once by another member of her team (Xerxes), who calls her “Veras”
In Scarlet Spider #10, Minimum Carnage part 2, Radu refers to her as “Verus” – this is the only other time she is identified by name.
She’s in Venom #26, Minimum Carnage part 3, but she is not identified by name.
In the second group picture in Minimum Carnage Alpha, the speech balloon points to Krevius, but the person speaking calls out instructions to all five other members besides Verus (including Krevius), and then in the next command, Xerxes says, "As you command, Veras."

As a result, I think it's pretty clear that Verus was the one speaking. Plus Krevius is subsequently seen doing what Krevius was told to do.

Information in this arc is very sparse on Radu's agents. The group doesn't even have a name...Verus calls them "SQUAD" (and all the text is in capitals, so we don't know if it is a proper name or not)
Per Cullen Bunn:
VERUS. Team leader. A female assassin, sleek metallic body armor. Instead of hair, a number of cybernetic serpents have been affixed to her scalp, giving her the look of a cyberpunk medusa. The serpents can lash out, bite, inject poison, strangle victims.

Profile by Snood.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Verus should be distinguished from:

other "Veru" or Medusa-like characters

images: (without ads)
Minimum Carnage Alpha#1, pg. 18, panel 4 (mostly full body, with group);
       pg. 20, panel 1 (full body, distant);
       pg. 21, panel 1 (on Earth, in Carnage's palm);
Scarlet Spider II#10 (Minimum Carnage, part two), pg. 13, panel 2 (mostly full oblique);
          panel 3 (face/head);
Venom II#26, pg. 12, panel 4 (with Xerxes, charges Carnage);
       pg. 13, panel 4 (seated, posterior oblique);
       pg. 14, panel 2 (snakes ripped off)

Appearances:
Minimum Carnage Alpha#1 (December, 2012) - Christopher Yost & Cullen Bunn (writers), Lan Medina (penciler), Karl Kesel, Cam Smith, & Walden Wong (inkers), Tom Brennan (editor), Stephen Wacker (senior editor)
Scarlet Spider II#10 (December 2012) - Christopher Yost (writer), Khoi Pham & Reilly Brown (pencilers), Tom Palmer & Chris Sotomayor (inkers), Tom Brennan (editor), Stephen Wacker (senior editor)
Venom II#26 (December 2012) - Cullen Bunn (writer), Declan Shalvey (artist), Tom Brennan (editor), Stephen Wacker (senior editor)

First posted: 08/24/2020
Last updated: 10/19/2020

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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