Cletus Cortland Kasady is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer David Michelinie and artist Erik Larsen, the character first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #344 (March 1991) as the first and most infamous host of the Carnage symbiote, an offspring of Venom.

Like Venom, Carnage has had multiple hosts over the years, but its most infamous one remains its first – killer Cletus Kasady, whose sadistic personality perfectly matches that of the symbiote. Other notable hosts include Ben Reilly, Karl Malus, and Norman Osborn, as well as Gwen Stacy in the alternate Ultimate Marvel continuity.

The original host for Carnage, Cletus Kasady, was a prison cellmate of Eddie Brock. When the Venom symbiote helped Brock escape prison, it left behind a piece of itself. This piece became its offspring and bonded with Kasady through a wound in his hand.

Carnage isn't a pseudonym or an identity but instead is the name of the symbiote, while Cletus is its host.