Ben Reilly
Encyclopedia
Benjamin "Ben" Reilly is a fiction
al character
in the . He is a clone
of Peter Parker (Spider-Man
), and is prominent in the "Clone Saga
" story arc. He first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man
#149 (October 1975).
#30.
The character returns to the comics during the "Clone Saga
", which ran from October 1994 to December 1996 through all five of the then running Spider-Man titles — The Amazing Spider-Man
, Web of Spider-Man
, Spider-Man
, Spider-Man Unlimited, and The Spectacular Spider-Man
. Between November and December 1995, Scarlet Spider
replaced Spider-Man in the four featured Spider-titles, becoming The Amazing Scarlet Spider
, Web of Scarlet Spider
, Scarlet Spider
, Scarlet-Spider Unlimited, and The Spectacular Scarlet Spider
. Reilly was also featured prominently in the supplemental material provided for the storyline, including Spider-Man: The Lost Years and Spider-Man: Clone Journals. The storyline would later be revisited in What If vol. 2, #86.
Reilly was passed the mantle of Spider-Man and was featured through the Spider-Man titles The Amazing Spider-Man, The Spectacular Spider-Man, Spider-Man, Spider-Man Unlimited, and The Sensational Spider-Man
, which replaced Web of Spider-Man as an ongoing monthly title. Reilly remained as the featured Spider-Man between January and December 1996. During this period, the character was also featured in DC vs. Marvel.
Though the character has not been utilized in mainstream continuity since Peter Parker has resumed as Spider-Man, the character is often alluded to and provided the foundation to the backstory in the Spider-Girl
mythology. In January 2009, Reilly returned to comics as Spider-Man in the third part of Marvel's X-Men
/Spider-Man
miniseries. Written by Christos Gage
, the series explores various times in the histories of both the X-Men and Spider-Man, sticking thoroughly to the source material of the timeframes the stories take place in. Issue #3 marked the first new adventure starring of Reilly in more than twelve years.
After years of refusing to acknowledge the Clone Saga, Marvel decided in 2010 to begin collecting the story in trade paperback form. The epic spans five books and covers Ben's time on the road, through his encounters with Peter and Mary Jane, up to his role (as the Scarlet Spider) as the lone spider hero in New York.
The rest of Reilly's fictional life will be collected in 2011 and will presumably cover his time as the Scarlet Spider, his role as the new Spider-Man, and his death in "Revelations".
, as the first clone, Kaine
, had suffered from clone degeneration which made him become unstable. Through arcane science, Ben is imprinted with Peter's memories and in their first encounter believed himself to be the original. After Peter Parker was captured by the Jackal, both Parker and Reilly found themselves in Spider-Man costumes at Shea Stadium
, and initially fought each other believing the other was the imposter. When realizing the stakes, they decided to team up in an attempt to save the Gwen Stacy clone and a captured Ned Leeds
. In the process, the clone appeared to be killed in the explosion, and Parker, fearful of the consequences of a second body of "Peter Parker" turning up while he was still alive, dropped Reilly's body in a smokestack. Ben apparently survived and escaped from the smokestack. When he witnessed Parker and Mary Jane Watson in an embrace, Ben decided to embark on a nomadic life as if no one knew his existence. He dubbed himself the alias "Ben Reilly", using his Uncle Ben's first name and his Aunt May's maiden name, Ben Parker and May Reilly
respectively. He unnoticeably took some old clothes Parker had intended to donate to charity, and he left New York deeply depressed.
, Ben meets Seward Trainer, a scientist secretly blackmailed by agents of the Green Goblin
into keeping track of him. Trainer helps Reilly get back on his feet. Reilly comes to see Trainer as a father figure, and he trusts him completely, having helped Reilly survive his aimless wanderings around by providing Ben with forged credentials allowing him to find work for a few months at a time, Ben subsequently moving on just before people can examine the references closely enough to learn that they are faked. During this time, Reilly is hunted by a failed clone of Peter Parker named Kaine
. Kaine believes Reilly to be the real Peter Parker and hates him for being flawless. He also finds love with a college student names Janine Godbe, who later reveals that her true identity is Elizabeth Tyne, a fugitive who killed her father after enduring sexual abuses from him since childhood. Besides fighting Kaine, Reilly would sporadically engage in heroics; although he dislikes playing the hero as it reminds him of the life as Peter Parker, he finds himself unable to ignore his spider-sense when it went off with sufficient force. It would be revealed later that he had fought the mystical villain D'Spayre
and a psychopathic showman named Wild-Whip during his time on the road.
is dying from a stroke, so he returns to New York. There, Reilly encounters Peter Parker, who has become bitter and angry following several tragedies. While they initially come to blows, they quickly begin working together. Soon after, Reilly dons a makeshift costume, and is dubbed the "Scarlet Spider" by the press after he defeated Venom
.
For a brief time, the Scarlet Spider joins the New Warriors
, though none of the members of the team fully accepts this, because he refuses to reveal his identity. When Peter Parker is framed and arrested for Kaine's murders, Ben switched places with him so Peter could remain free and uncover the truth, allowing him to use the Scarlet Spider costume for a brief time. Ben was finally forced to drop the Scarlet Spider identity when, after getting involved in a technological gang war between the second Doctor Octopus
and Alistair Smythe
, a holographic version of the Scarlet Spider was created and ruined his reputation in a vicious rampage, Ben concluding that the deception had mainly worked because he was too new on the scene for people to trust him.
to claim there was a new Spider-Man, but Ben, with the help of Mary Jane, threw them off the scent and the story was dropped. Only the Black Cat
, Venom
, Silver Sable
, Sandman
, and the Human Torch
never learned or realized that they were dealing with a different Spider-Man, although Ben also told Daredevil
and the Torch the truth. A recently-published storyline revealed that the X-Men
— specifically Cyclops
, Storm, Angel, Iceman
, and Wolverine
— also knew the truth because Ben had to tell them why he was unaware of an earlier team-up involving Peter helping the X-Men track down clues to Mister Sinister
's activities based on files he discovered after the death of
Kraven the Hunter
, although Wolverine informed Ben that his willingness to fight alongside the X-Men during the subsequent confrontation with Mister Sinister and Carnage
proved that he was the real Spider-Man in every way that mattered despite Sinister implying that Ben was the clone.
During the "Web of Carnage" arc, Ben Reilly was bonded with the symbiote Carnage
. Ben struggled for control of himself, trying to prevent the symbiote from taking over. Reilly is eventually able to free himself of the symbiote, after a long inner battle with the creature. Seward Trainer disappeared while Ben fought his battle with the Carnage symbiote. Ben had his bank account frozen and his possessions stolen, while the Grind was burned down and Ben was framed for arson
.
was behind many of these events, on the orders of the mysterious Gaunt and the company Multivex. It was later revealed that the true mastermind behind all this was the original Green Goblin
: Norman Osborn.
Ben's former lover Janine Godbe is brought to New York by Kaine, but at the same time Kaine tips off the police to her crimes and whereabouts and forcing the two lovers to go on the run. However, after a final confrontation between Ben and Kaine in a diner, Kaine accepted that he had to turn himself in to atone for his crimes, Ben's words and Kaine's decision inspiring Janine to do the same, recognising that they cannot allow themselves to be defined by their pasts any more than Ben allows himself to be defined by his 'past' as Peter Parker.
, Peter Parker
uses the pseudonym Ben Reilly as well as a holographic disguise device given to him by Beast
.
" in the Iron Spider costume to aid in the capture of the Sinister Syndicate
. They were called Scarlet Spiders by War Machine
. Two are killed, with the final continuing to use the identity.
One of the people Mister Hyde
gave Spider-Man's powers to appears in a costume that Ben wore as the Scarlet Spider in a jail cell, where the real Spider-Man had put him.
Ryder then appears in New York City and confronts Peter, still believing him to be Ben Reilly. The two fight after Raptor threatens to target Peter's family. Ryder gains the upper hand before Peter's coworkers get in the way, then leaves after handing over the article on the arsonist, with Ben Urich
noting that it appears to be Peter in the sketch. After a scuffle with Kaine, Peter finds Raptor holding Harry Osborn
and his cousins hostage at gunpoint. As Raptor announces his plans to burn his friends and family to death right in front of him after he admits his "true identity" as Ben Reilly, Kaine arrives, revealing that he has been working with Raptor. Kaine exposes both Peter's identity and his status as a "clone" of Reilly to Raptor, encouraging him to kill him, since if Reilly is a murderer, then Peter could be driven to kill as well. Refusing to accept this, Peter beats Raptor unconscious, while affirming his and Reilly's innocence and the fact that they would never murder anyone. He is forced to flee when the police arrive, so Kaine and Raptor escape.
On July 25, 2010, at the San Diego Comic-con, fans expressed their desire to see a return of Ben Reilly. To this, assistant editor Tom Brennan replied, "It's being worked on."
The mini series Spider-Man: The Clone Saga (in which Ben survives the "Revelations" battle) has been collected in both paperback and hardcover forms and is being sold and marketed under the name Spider-Man: The REAL Clone Saga (ISBN 978-0785148050).
During San Diego Comic Con 2011, a teaser image was posted on Marvel.com of Ben's shirt flaming, entitled "The return of The Scarlet Spider?". It was revealed in The Amazing Spider-Man #673 as well as the Marvel Point One one-shot that Ben's clone brother Kaine will be the new Scarlet Spider in his own ongoing series instead of Ben returning. This was confirmed by editor Steve Wacker in the "Letters to the Editor" page of #673.
. His powers include superhuman strength, speed and agility, and the spider-like ability to cling to almost any surface, referred to as "wallcrawling" or "stick'em powers". At the time of his death, he also had a precognitive "spider-sense" warning him of danger. Reilly's reflexes operate up to 40 times faster than those of a normal person, while his strength allows him to lift 150 times his own weight, although he has been proven to lift much more. Because Reilly was out of commission as Spider-Man while on the road for five years, his fighting style is "less polished" than that of Parker's. However, as per the "Spider-Man Encyclopedia", Reilly actually seems to enjoy fighting more than Parker.
In the five years that Ben Reilly wandered America
he had time to improve over Peter Parker's original web-shooters. Worn on the outside of his costume, Reilly's web-shooters have no trigger on the inside palm, instead utilizing a twist of the wrist to fire webbing. In addition, two new weapons were designed to aid crime fighting. Impact webbing was fired out as miniature web-pellets that exploded on contact, encasing a target within a web cocoon and rendering them virtually immobile. Stingers were small diamond-shaped darts coated with a paralytic chemical agent for incapacitating opponents. Like Spider-Man, Ben also wore a belt that contained spare web cartridges should he need replacements.
as an African-American lab assistant at Empire State University, working with Curt Connors. As such, he is not a clone or connected to Peter Parker in this continuity. He was involved in the creation of Ultimate Carnage by combining DNA from Curt Connors with that of Spider-Man
, blended with ingredients from "The Suit" (better known as Venom
), making Ultimate Carnage something of a clone of Spider-Man. Incidentally, he refers to Carnage (before its escape) as "Little Ben". At the end of the arc, he stole a second Spider-Man blood sample from the lab.
It was revealed that after Ben took the blood sample, he managed to create the five Spider-Man clones while under the employ of the CIA. However, Carnage attacked the lab and the four clones escaped. One of the clones is an amalgam of Ben Reilly and Kaine of the 616 Universe. He has Kaine's insane personality and facial scars, and wears a tattered makeshift version of Ben Reilly's costume. The character of Ultimate Spider-Woman more or less plays the same role that Scarlet Spider from the original "Clone Saga" did.
#30, "What If Spider-Man's Clone Had Lived?", depicts a world where, after the Jackal's bomb explodes at Shea Stadium, both Spider-Men are knocked unconscious and the clone awakens before the original.
The clone, believing that he is the genuine Peter Parker, puts his counterpart in stasis in one of the Jackal's clone-growing devices and attempts to continue with life as normal. However, as the clone's memories only extend to the point, several months prior, where the cell samples he had been grown from were taken, he is confused and lost in the world of the real Peter Parker. This memory gap, combined with the discovery of the Jackal's notes on his cloning process, leads the clone to realize what he truly is, and he frees the real Parker just in time for the two of them to confront a threat from the Kingpin
(with the original acting as Spider-Man and the clone as Peter Parker).
Afterwards, the clone prepares to leave to seek his own fortune, but ultimately accepts an offer from the original to cooperate in "shifts", switching off between being Parker and Spider-Man. In this story, the clone never establishes a separate name for himself, and is referred to as "Spider-Clone", "brother", or "bro" by the original Parker.
vol. 2, #86, "What If Scarlet Spider Killed Spider-Man?", gives an alternate ending of the "Clone Saga". During the time Spider-Man is under the Jackal's
control, the Scarlet Spider and Spider-Man
fight until there is an explosion. Ben's body is later found washed ashore and Peter is believed to be dead. Ben awakes in the hospital to find Peter's friends and family around his bed believing him to be Peter.
A little more than a year later Ben and Mary Jane
discover that their baby, May, is dying of blood poisoning. One night Ben wakes up to find that May has been kidnapped. Ben goes searching for her and runs into the Green Goblin
. The Goblin reveals that he is behind the "Clone Saga" and needs May's blood for a serum.
The two battle atop the same bridge
where Gwen Stacy
was killed. During the struggle, they both fall into the river below. Ben resurfaces with possession of the Goblin's mask and the serum. He is met by Mary Jane and discovers that she knows that he is really Ben Reilly. Mary Jane thanks him for all that he has done for them and tells Ben to go find his own identity, something he's never had the chance to do before.
There is a possibility, that the Spider-Girl that appeared in Paradise X, as a member of Heralds, was in fact the adult May from this world.
: Dead Days.
The first issue introduced readers to both Ben Reilly and Kaine
, as well as addressing Mary Jane's pregnancy and Aunt May's hospitalization. Ben and Peter bond after Kaine attacks them, and Ben decides to stay in New York pretending to be Peter's blond haired cousin so he can build a life of his own. He also adopts the identity of the Scarlet Spider and begins working at the Daily Grind.
He and Peter later work with Kaine to reach the lair of the shadowy figure responsible for infecting Mary Jane and Aunt May with a deadly genetic virus. The mysterious villain is revealed to be a still-living Jackal, who captures all three and reveals that he plans to make an army of Spider-Clones to take over the world. Since Ben was the only clone to ever turn out stable, Jackal takes a sample of his blood to perfect his cloning technique of Peter, while noting mixing the two would be catastrophic. When Jackal reveals yet another stage of his plan — to clone Gwen Stacy and another unknown figure — Kaine goes berserk and breaks all three free. During the subsequent fight, the clones dissolve and Jackal plants the first seed of doubt over who is the original Peter Parker. After Kaine kills Jackal, Ben and Peter escape with the cure, saving Aunt May and Mary Jane. At this point, Peter decides to retire and hands the Spider-Man identity over to Ben, who shortly thereafter begins wearing his new Spider-Man costume.
Reilly spends several months in the role while Peter gets ready to become a father. He is shown to be a less-polished Spider-Man and is somewhat insecure, however, compared to Peter due to his relative inexperience while he was in exile. Eventually, Mary Jane gives birth. As in the original saga, Allison Mongrain kidnaps the baby, though she later turns it over to Kaine. When Ben goes searching for her, he is attacked by the Green Goblin
(whom Kaine is working with). Though Ben appears to gain the upper hand in the ensuing fight, the Goblin manages to impale him in the back with his glider.
Miraculously, Ben survives the attack by the Green Goblin, who is revealed to be Harry Osborn, alive and well. He had been plotting his revenge against Peter since his apparent heart attack in Spectacular Spider-Man #200. Harry created a clone of his father, Norman, to help him defeat Peter and Ben; however, Norman jumps in front of Harry's Goblin Glider just as it was about to hit Peter and is impaled in the back, mirroring the events that happened to Ben in Spider-Man #75. Afterwards, Kaine returned baby May to Peter and Mary Jane, Aunt May survives and wants to help in raising little May, and Ben Reilly leaves once again to travel the world and find a life for himself.
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
al character
Character (arts)
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in the . He is a clone
Human cloning
Human cloning is the creation of a genetically identical copy of a human. It does not usually refer to monozygotic multiple births nor the reproduction of human cells or tissue. The ethics of cloning is an extremely controversial issue...
of Peter Parker (Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
), and is prominent in the "Clone Saga
Clone Saga
The Clone Saga or Spider-Clone Saga was a major story arc in Marvel Comics which ran from 1994 to 1996 involving many clones of Spider-Man.The story is considered to be one of the most controversial Spider-Man stories ever told...
" story arc. He first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man
The Amazing Spider-Man
The Amazing Spider-Man is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics, featuring the adventures of the fictional superhero Spider-Man. Being the mainstream continuity of the franchise, it began publication in 1963 as a monthly periodical and was published continuously until it was...
#149 (October 1975).
Publication history
Ben Reilly was first featured as Spider-Man in The Amazing Spider-Man #149. The issue was later revisited in What IfWhat If (comics)
What If, sometimes rendered as What If...?, is the title of several comic book series published by Marvel Comics, exploring "the road not traveled" by its various characters...
#30.
The character returns to the comics during the "Clone Saga
Clone Saga
The Clone Saga or Spider-Clone Saga was a major story arc in Marvel Comics which ran from 1994 to 1996 involving many clones of Spider-Man.The story is considered to be one of the most controversial Spider-Man stories ever told...
", which ran from October 1994 to December 1996 through all five of the then running Spider-Man titles — The Amazing Spider-Man
The Amazing Spider-Man
The Amazing Spider-Man is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics, featuring the adventures of the fictional superhero Spider-Man. Being the mainstream continuity of the franchise, it began publication in 1963 as a monthly periodical and was published continuously until it was...
, Web of Spider-Man
Web of Spider-Man
Web of Spider-Man is the name of two different monthly comic book series starring Spider-Man that have been published by Marvel Comics since 1985, the first volume of which ran for 129 issues between 1985 and 1995, and the second of which ran for 12 issues between 2009 and 2010.-Volume 1:The first...
, Spider-Man
Peter Parker: Spider-Man
Peter Parker: Spider-Man is the name of two comic book series published by Marvel Comics, both of which feature the character Spider-Man.-Volume One :...
, Spider-Man Unlimited, and The Spectacular Spider-Man
The Spectacular Spider-Man
The Spectacular Spider-Man is the name of several comic books and one magazine series starring Marvel Comics' Spider-Man.The character's main series, The Amazing Spider-Man, was extremely successful, and Marvel felt the character could support more than one title. This led the company in 1968 to...
. Between November and December 1995, Scarlet Spider
Scarlet Spider
Scarlet Spider is a fictional character who appeared in the Marvel Comics series Spider-Man. His costume was designed by Tom Lyle. The identity of the Scarlet Spider has been used by several characters: Ben Reilly, Peter Parker , Joe Wade , a group of three Michael Van Patrick clones working with...
replaced Spider-Man in the four featured Spider-titles, becoming The Amazing Scarlet Spider
The Amazing Scarlet Spider
The Amazing Scarlet Spider is the name of a short-lived comic book series starring the Scarlet Spider. It was published by Marvel Comics for two issues, from November 1995 to December 1995...
, Web of Scarlet Spider
Web of Scarlet Spider
Web of Scarlet Spider is the name of a short-lived comic book series starring the Scarlet Spider. The series was published by Marvel Comics for four issues between November 1995 and February 1996...
, Scarlet Spider
Scarlet Spider (comic book)
Scarlet Spider is a comic book series starring the Scarlet Spider published by Marvel Comics for 2 issues from November, 1995 - December, 1995....
, Scarlet-Spider Unlimited, and The Spectacular Scarlet Spider
The Spectacular Scarlet Spider
The Spectacular Scarlet Spider is a comic book series starring the Scarlet Spider published by Marvel Comics for 2 issues from November 1995 to December 1995....
. Reilly was also featured prominently in the supplemental material provided for the storyline, including Spider-Man: The Lost Years and Spider-Man: Clone Journals. The storyline would later be revisited in What If vol. 2, #86.
Reilly was passed the mantle of Spider-Man and was featured through the Spider-Man titles The Amazing Spider-Man, The Spectacular Spider-Man, Spider-Man, Spider-Man Unlimited, and The Sensational Spider-Man
The Sensational Spider-Man
The Sensational Spider-Man was first used as the title for a prestige format one-shot special called The Sensational Spider-Man: Nothing Can Stop the Juggernaut in 1989 from Marvel Comics which reprinted The Amazing Spider-Man issues #229 and #230 .The Sensational Spider-Man was later also used as...
, which replaced Web of Spider-Man as an ongoing monthly title. Reilly remained as the featured Spider-Man between January and December 1996. During this period, the character was also featured in DC vs. Marvel.
Though the character has not been utilized in mainstream continuity since Peter Parker has resumed as Spider-Man, the character is often alluded to and provided the foundation to the backstory in the Spider-Girl
Spider-Girl
Spider-Girl is a superheroine in Marvel Comics' MC2 universe. The character was created by Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz as the teenage daughter of Spider-Man and Mary Jane Watson, and first appeared in What If #105...
mythology. In January 2009, Reilly returned to comics as Spider-Man in the third part of Marvel's X-Men
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...
/Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
miniseries. Written by Christos Gage
Christos Gage
Christos N. "Chris" Gage is an American comic book writer and screenwriter.-Early life:Gage is the son of author and journalist Nicholas Gage. He was born in New York, and grew up in Athens, Greece, and then North Grafton, Massachusetts...
, the series explores various times in the histories of both the X-Men and Spider-Man, sticking thoroughly to the source material of the timeframes the stories take place in. Issue #3 marked the first new adventure starring of Reilly in more than twelve years.
After years of refusing to acknowledge the Clone Saga, Marvel decided in 2010 to begin collecting the story in trade paperback form. The epic spans five books and covers Ben's time on the road, through his encounters with Peter and Mary Jane, up to his role (as the Scarlet Spider) as the lone spider hero in New York.
The rest of Reilly's fictional life will be collected in 2011 and will presumably cover his time as the Scarlet Spider, his role as the new Spider-Man, and his death in "Revelations".
Creation
Ben Reilly was the first successful clone of Peter Parker created by the JackalJackal (Marvel Comics)
The Jackal is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in The Amazing Spider-Man #129 , and was created by writer Gerry Conway and artist Ross Andru. In The Amazing Spider-Man #148 The Jackal is a fictional character that appears in...
, as the first clone, Kaine
Kaine
Kaine is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics supervillain and antihero who serves as both an ally and an enemy of Spider-Man. He first appeared in Web of Spider-Man #119, and is the Jackal's first failed attempt at cloning Peter Parker...
, had suffered from clone degeneration which made him become unstable. Through arcane science, Ben is imprinted with Peter's memories and in their first encounter believed himself to be the original. After Peter Parker was captured by the Jackal, both Parker and Reilly found themselves in Spider-Man costumes at Shea Stadium
Shea Stadium
William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, usually shortened to Shea Stadium or just Shea , was a stadium in the New York City borough of Queens, in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park. It was the home baseball park of Major League Baseball's New York Mets from 1964 to 2008...
, and initially fought each other believing the other was the imposter. When realizing the stakes, they decided to team up in an attempt to save the Gwen Stacy clone and a captured Ned Leeds
Ned Leeds
Ned Leeds is a comic book character in the Marvel Comics universe, part of the supporting cast of Spider-Man, first introduced in 1964 in The Amazing Spider-Man #18, by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko...
. In the process, the clone appeared to be killed in the explosion, and Parker, fearful of the consequences of a second body of "Peter Parker" turning up while he was still alive, dropped Reilly's body in a smokestack. Ben apparently survived and escaped from the smokestack. When he witnessed Parker and Mary Jane Watson in an embrace, Ben decided to embark on a nomadic life as if no one knew his existence. He dubbed himself the alias "Ben Reilly", using his Uncle Ben's first name and his Aunt May's maiden name, Ben Parker and May Reilly
Aunt May
May Reilly Parker-Jameson, commonly known as Aunt May, is a supporting character in Marvel Comics' Spider-Man series. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, she first appeared as May Parker in Amazing Fantasy #15...
respectively. He unnoticeably took some old clothes Parker had intended to donate to charity, and he left New York deeply depressed.
Five years on the road
Stricken with influenzaInfluenza
Influenza, commonly referred to as the flu, is an infectious disease caused by RNA viruses of the family Orthomyxoviridae , that affects birds and mammals...
, Ben meets Seward Trainer, a scientist secretly blackmailed by agents of the Green Goblin
Green Goblin
The Green Goblin is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #14 ....
into keeping track of him. Trainer helps Reilly get back on his feet. Reilly comes to see Trainer as a father figure, and he trusts him completely, having helped Reilly survive his aimless wanderings around by providing Ben with forged credentials allowing him to find work for a few months at a time, Ben subsequently moving on just before people can examine the references closely enough to learn that they are faked. During this time, Reilly is hunted by a failed clone of Peter Parker named Kaine
Kaine
Kaine is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics supervillain and antihero who serves as both an ally and an enemy of Spider-Man. He first appeared in Web of Spider-Man #119, and is the Jackal's first failed attempt at cloning Peter Parker...
. Kaine believes Reilly to be the real Peter Parker and hates him for being flawless. He also finds love with a college student names Janine Godbe, who later reveals that her true identity is Elizabeth Tyne, a fugitive who killed her father after enduring sexual abuses from him since childhood. Besides fighting Kaine, Reilly would sporadically engage in heroics; although he dislikes playing the hero as it reminds him of the life as Peter Parker, he finds himself unable to ignore his spider-sense when it went off with sufficient force. It would be revealed later that he had fought the mystical villain D'Spayre
D'Spayre
D'Spayre is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. He is a demon, and was one of the Fear Lords. He has been opposed by Spider-Man, the Scarlet Spider, Man-Thing, Cyclops, the Juggernaut, Doctor Strange, Cloak & Dagger, and the New Avengers. He first appeared in Marvel Team-Up v1 #68...
and a psychopathic showman named Wild-Whip during his time on the road.
Return to New York, Birth of the Scarlet Spider
Five years later, Reilly discovers that May ParkerAunt May
May Reilly Parker-Jameson, commonly known as Aunt May, is a supporting character in Marvel Comics' Spider-Man series. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, she first appeared as May Parker in Amazing Fantasy #15...
is dying from a stroke, so he returns to New York. There, Reilly encounters Peter Parker, who has become bitter and angry following several tragedies. While they initially come to blows, they quickly begin working together. Soon after, Reilly dons a makeshift costume, and is dubbed the "Scarlet Spider" by the press after he defeated Venom
Venom (comics)
Eddie Brock is a fictional character created by David Michelinie and Todd McFarlane. A comic book supervillain, Brock's earliest appearance is a cameo in Web of Spider-Man #18 before making his first full appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #299 as Venom...
.
For a brief time, the Scarlet Spider joins the New Warriors
New Warriors
The New Warriors is a Marvel Comics superhero team, traditionally consisting of young adult heroes. They first appeared in The Mighty Thor #411 .-General publication history:...
, though none of the members of the team fully accepts this, because he refuses to reveal his identity. When Peter Parker is framed and arrested for Kaine's murders, Ben switched places with him so Peter could remain free and uncover the truth, allowing him to use the Scarlet Spider costume for a brief time. Ben was finally forced to drop the Scarlet Spider identity when, after getting involved in a technological gang war between the second Doctor Octopus
Lady Octopus
Lady Octopus , is a fictional character, a supervillainess in the Marvel Universe. Her first appearance was in Amazing Spider-Man #406 . She was created by J. M. DeMatteis and Angel Medina.-Fictional character biography:During the Clone Saga, Dr...
and Alistair Smythe
Alistair Smythe
Alistair Smythe is a comic book supervillain, owned by Marvel Comics and existing in that company's Marvel Universe. He was one of the main foes of Spider-Man...
, a holographic version of the Scarlet Spider was created and ruined his reputation in a vicious rampage, Ben concluding that the deception had mainly worked because he was too new on the scene for people to trust him.
Spider-Man
Ben later becomes the replacement Spider-Man for a time at the original's request, when Peter Parker retires to raise his unborn child, although he adopts his own costume style rather than just using Peter's traditional costume. This was at a time when both men had been misled by Seward Trainer (who was working under orders from Norman Osborn, the Green Goblin) into believing that Ben was the original and Peter was the clone. Osborn hoped that this revelation that his life was a lie would make his nemesis give up, instead both Parker and Ben ultimately see this as a chance to start over. Reilly started working at a restaurant called the Daily Grind- the owner offering him a job after he paid her back a quarter that she had loaned him on a hunch, recognising his essentially honest nature- and spent a year in the role, battling villains new and old. The change in costume initially prompted the Daily BugleDaily Bugle
The Daily Bugle is a fictional New York City newspaper that is a regular fixture in the Marvel Universe, most prominently in Spider-Man comic titles and their derivative media...
to claim there was a new Spider-Man, but Ben, with the help of Mary Jane, threw them off the scent and the story was dropped. Only the Black Cat
Black Cat (comics)
The Black Cat is a fictional character, a superheroine in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist Keith Pollard, she first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #194 ....
, Venom
Venom (comics)
Eddie Brock is a fictional character created by David Michelinie and Todd McFarlane. A comic book supervillain, Brock's earliest appearance is a cameo in Web of Spider-Man #18 before making his first full appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #299 as Venom...
, Silver Sable
Silver Sable
Silver Sable is a fictional character from Marvel Comics, a female mercenary, hunter of war criminals, the leader of the Wild Pack, and CEO of Silver Sable International...
, Sandman
Sandman (Marvel Comics)
Sandman is a fictional character who appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. A shapeshifter endowed through an accident with the ability to turn himself into sand, he eventually reformed, and became an ally of Spider-Man...
, and the Human Torch
Human Torch
The Human Torch is a fictional character and superhero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, he is a member of the superhero team the Fantastic Four, debuting in The Fantastic Four #1...
never learned or realized that they were dealing with a different Spider-Man, although Ben also told Daredevil
Daredevil (Marvel Comics)
Daredevil is a fictional character, a superhero in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Bill Everett, with an unspecified amount of input from Jack Kirby, and first appeared in Daredevil #1 .Living in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood...
and the Torch the truth. A recently-published storyline revealed that the X-Men
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...
— specifically Cyclops
Cyclops (comics)
Cyclops is a fictional character, the leader of the X-Men superhero team in the . A mutant, Cyclops emits a powerful energy beam from his eyes...
, Storm, Angel, Iceman
Iceman (comics)
Iceman is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero, a member of the X-Men. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby, he first appeared in X-Men vol. 1 #1, ....
, and Wolverine
Wolverine (comics)
Wolverine is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Born as James Howlett and commonly known as Logan, Wolverine is a mutant, possessing animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, three retracting bone claws on each hand and a healing...
— also knew the truth because Ben had to tell them why he was unaware of an earlier team-up involving Peter helping the X-Men track down clues to Mister Sinister
Mister Sinister
Mister Sinister is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #221 and was created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Marc Silvestri....
's activities based on files he discovered after the death of
Kraven's Last Hunt
"Kraven's Last Hunt" is a comic book storyline by J.M. DeMatteis and Mike Zeck published in 1987, featuring the final battle between Marvel Comics characters Kraven the Hunter and Spider-Man...
Kraven the Hunter
Kraven the Hunter
Kraven the Hunter is a fictional character, a supervillain and enemy of Spider-Man appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Kraven's name is Sergei Kravinoff. He also appears as Xraven, with white-grey skin and red eyes, possessing the powers of X-Men. He is the half-brother of Dmitri...
, although Wolverine informed Ben that his willingness to fight alongside the X-Men during the subsequent confrontation with Mister Sinister and Carnage
Carnage (comics)
Carnage is a fictional character, a supervillain in the . The character first appears in The Amazing Spider-Man #344 , and was created by writer David Michelinie and artist Mark Bagley. The character is frequently depicted as an enemy of Spider-Man...
proved that he was the real Spider-Man in every way that mattered despite Sinister implying that Ben was the clone.
Spider-Carnage
Carnage (comics)
Carnage is a fictional character, a supervillain in the . The character first appears in The Amazing Spider-Man #344 , and was created by writer David Michelinie and artist Mark Bagley. The character is frequently depicted as an enemy of Spider-Man...
. Ben struggled for control of himself, trying to prevent the symbiote from taking over. Reilly is eventually able to free himself of the symbiote, after a long inner battle with the creature. Seward Trainer disappeared while Ben fought his battle with the Carnage symbiote. Ben had his bank account frozen and his possessions stolen, while the Grind was burned down and Ben was framed for arson
Arson
Arson is the crime of intentionally or maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires...
.
Blood Brothers
It is revealed that the HobgoblinHobgoblin (comics)
The Hobgoblin is the alias of several fictional characters that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first and best-known Hobgoblin is Roderick Kingsley. He first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #238, and was created by Roger Stern and John Romita, Sr...
was behind many of these events, on the orders of the mysterious Gaunt and the company Multivex. It was later revealed that the true mastermind behind all this was the original Green Goblin
Green Goblin
The Green Goblin is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #14 ....
: Norman Osborn.
Ben's former lover Janine Godbe is brought to New York by Kaine, but at the same time Kaine tips off the police to her crimes and whereabouts and forcing the two lovers to go on the run. However, after a final confrontation between Ben and Kaine in a diner, Kaine accepted that he had to turn himself in to atone for his crimes, Ben's words and Kaine's decision inspiring Janine to do the same, recognising that they cannot allow themselves to be defined by their pasts any more than Ben allows himself to be defined by his 'past' as Peter Parker.
Death in 'Revelations'
Ultimately, Reilly dies saving the original Spider-Man from the original Green Goblin, revealed to have survived his last fight with Spider-Man. After being severely beaten, Ben intercepts a Goblin Glider before it can impale Peter. As he lays dying, Ben told Peter that Peter was now Spider-Man and would have to carry on for Ben, and for Peter to tell his unborn child of her "Uncle Ben". After dying, Reilly's body decomposed rapidly, revealing Trainer's deceptions and proving that Ben had actually been the clone. This sacrifice, coupled with the concurrent "stillbirth" of his child, led Parker to reclaim the Spider-Man identity, his last words to Ben's remains being "Rest easy... brother."Civil War
During the Civil WarCivil War (comics)
Civil War is a 2006-2007 Marvel Comics crossover storyline built around a self-titled seven-issue limited series written by Mark Millar and penciled by Steve McNiven, which ran through various other titles published by Marvel at the time...
, Peter Parker
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
uses the pseudonym Ben Reilly as well as a holographic disguise device given to him by Beast
Beast (comics)
Beast , Dr. Henry Philip "Hank" McCoy, is a comic book character, a Marvel Comics superhero and a member of the mutant team of superheroes known as the X-Men...
.
The Initiative
While on a mission to depower Spider-Man, the Initiative employs three "Spider-MenMichael Van Patrick
Michael "Mike" Ian Van Patrick is a fictional comic book character created by Dan Slott and Stefano Caselli. Although the character himself is deceased, and in fact died in the issue he first appeared in, the character is said to have been cloned after his death, with his clones continuing to play...
" in the Iron Spider costume to aid in the capture of the Sinister Syndicate
Sinister Syndicate
The Sinister Syndicate is a group of supervillains in the Marvel Comics universe, who serve as a collection of lesser-known Spider-Man's villains...
. They were called Scarlet Spiders by War Machine
War Machine
War Machine is a fictional character, a comic book superhero appearing in comic books set in the Marvel Comics universe. The character of James Rhodes first appeared in Iron Man #118 by David Michelinie, John Byrne and Bob Layton...
. Two are killed, with the final continuing to use the identity.
One of the people Mister Hyde
Mister Hyde (comics)
Mister Hyde is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics supervillain. His first appearance was in Journey into Mystery #99, 1963.-Publication history:...
gave Spider-Man's powers to appears in a costume that Ben wore as the Scarlet Spider in a jail cell, where the real Spider-Man had put him.
Who Was Ben Reilly?
Years after Reilly's death, a man named Damon Ryder (going by the alias "Raptor") appears during Aunt May's engagement party. Having stalked the Reillys for some time to find Ben, he mistakes Peter for him and attacks. Peter is able to sneak off and change into his costume. The two battle and Raptor claims to be after Ben Reilly, who murdered his family. Later investigating by Peter reveals that Ryder's entire family was killed in a fire started by an arsonist, and that he gave a police sketch of the arsonist that looks exactly like Peter and Ben.Ryder then appears in New York City and confronts Peter, still believing him to be Ben Reilly. The two fight after Raptor threatens to target Peter's family. Ryder gains the upper hand before Peter's coworkers get in the way, then leaves after handing over the article on the arsonist, with Ben Urich
Ben Urich
Ben Urich is a Marvel Comics character, usually appearing in comic books featuring Daredevil and Spider-Man. Created by Roger McKenzie and Gene Colan, he first appeared in Daredevil #153 ....
noting that it appears to be Peter in the sketch. After a scuffle with Kaine, Peter finds Raptor holding Harry Osborn
Harry Osborn
Harry Osborn is a fictional character, a supporting character of Spider-Man in the . In addition to being Peter Parker's best friend, Harry was the second Green Goblin and is the son of Norman Osborn...
and his cousins hostage at gunpoint. As Raptor announces his plans to burn his friends and family to death right in front of him after he admits his "true identity" as Ben Reilly, Kaine arrives, revealing that he has been working with Raptor. Kaine exposes both Peter's identity and his status as a "clone" of Reilly to Raptor, encouraging him to kill him, since if Reilly is a murderer, then Peter could be driven to kill as well. Refusing to accept this, Peter beats Raptor unconscious, while affirming his and Reilly's innocence and the fact that they would never murder anyone. He is forced to flee when the police arrive, so Kaine and Raptor escape.
Teased return
After the release of Spider-Man: The Clone Saga miniseries, various blogs reviewed the series. Reportedly, Howard Mackie and Tom DeFalco, creators of the miniseries had this to say to Brad Douglas, manager of the Spider-Man Crawl Space website: "Thanks, Brad. I truly appreciate all the kind words, and that Tom gets all the blame for the minor negatives! Tom and I would LOVE to continue with Ben — and have pitched a series — but that is Marvel's call. Maybe a grassroots movement would help? Thanks again."On July 25, 2010, at the San Diego Comic-con, fans expressed their desire to see a return of Ben Reilly. To this, assistant editor Tom Brennan replied, "It's being worked on."
The mini series Spider-Man: The Clone Saga (in which Ben survives the "Revelations" battle) has been collected in both paperback and hardcover forms and is being sold and marketed under the name Spider-Man: The REAL Clone Saga (ISBN 978-0785148050).
During San Diego Comic Con 2011, a teaser image was posted on Marvel.com of Ben's shirt flaming, entitled "The return of The Scarlet Spider?". It was revealed in The Amazing Spider-Man #673 as well as the Marvel Point One one-shot that Ben's clone brother Kaine will be the new Scarlet Spider in his own ongoing series instead of Ben returning. This was confirmed by editor Steve Wacker in the "Letters to the Editor" page of #673.
Powers and equipment
As Peter Parker's clone, Ben Reilly possesses powers identical to that of Spider-ManSpider-Man's powers and equipment
Spider-Man's powers, abilities, and equipment are used by Marvel Comics superhero Spider-Man in tandem to combat his many foes. He receives most of his powers when he is bitten by a radioactive common house spider...
. His powers include superhuman strength, speed and agility, and the spider-like ability to cling to almost any surface, referred to as "wallcrawling" or "stick'em powers". At the time of his death, he also had a precognitive "spider-sense" warning him of danger. Reilly's reflexes operate up to 40 times faster than those of a normal person, while his strength allows him to lift 150 times his own weight, although he has been proven to lift much more. Because Reilly was out of commission as Spider-Man while on the road for five years, his fighting style is "less polished" than that of Parker's. However, as per the "Spider-Man Encyclopedia", Reilly actually seems to enjoy fighting more than Parker.
In the five years that Ben Reilly wandered America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
he had time to improve over Peter Parker's original web-shooters. Worn on the outside of his costume, Reilly's web-shooters have no trigger on the inside palm, instead utilizing a twist of the wrist to fire webbing. In addition, two new weapons were designed to aid crime fighting. Impact webbing was fired out as miniature web-pellets that exploded on contact, encasing a target within a web cocoon and rendering them virtually immobile. Stingers were small diamond-shaped darts coated with a paralytic chemical agent for incapacitating opponents. Like Spider-Man, Ben also wore a belt that contained spare web cartridges should he need replacements.
MC-2
- In the alternate future known as MC2, Ben Reilly's "niece", May Parker (Spider-GirlSpider-GirlSpider-Girl is a superheroine in Marvel Comics' MC2 universe. The character was created by Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz as the teenage daughter of Spider-Man and Mary Jane Watson, and first appeared in What If #105...
), wears Ben's version of the Spider-Man costume and webshooters, having been raised on tales of her heroic "Uncle Ben". Like her father, May has an Uncle Ben. However, unlike her dad, May never knew her uncle: Ben Reilly, Spider-Man's clone. His last words before his death are about her: "Take care of my niece, Peter... tell her about... her Uncle Ben." Her first costume and web-shooters are in fact his, kept in storage since his death. When May asks her father about him, however, Peter leaves out the fact that Ben was really a clone, instead referring to him as a cousinCousinIn kinship terminology, a cousin is a relative with whom one shares one or more common ancestors. The term is rarely used when referring to a relative in one's immediate family where there is a more specific term . The term "blood relative" can be used synonymously and establishes the existence of...
. If May has any children in the future, they too would have an Uncle Ben — May's baby brotherBenjamin Richard ParkerBenjamin Richard Parker is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics alternate future MC2 universe. He is the younger brother of May Parker/Spider-Girl, and the son of Mary Jane and Peter Parker/Spider-Man....
. As Peter and MJ named May after Peter's Aunt MayAunt MayMay Reilly Parker-Jameson, commonly known as Aunt May, is a supporting character in Marvel Comics' Spider-Man series. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, she first appeared as May Parker in Amazing Fantasy #15...
, May asks which Uncle Ben the newborn is named after: her Uncle Ben, or Peter's Uncle Ben. Peter asks if it really matters, and May simply responds, "I guess not."
- Ben Reilly had a son by Janine Godbe (Elizabeth Tyne), named Reilly Tyne, who became the superhero known as DarkdevilDarkdevilDarkdevil is a fictional character, a superhero in the "MC2" future of the Marvel Comics universe. He was created by Tom DeFalco and Pat Olliffe and first appeared in Spider-Girl #2. -Fictional character biography:...
after Kaine's efforts to save his "nephew" from cellular degeneration resulted in him being partly possessed by the demon ZarathosZarathosZarathos is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics series Ghost Rider. He is a demonic being who tortures and devours souls. He first appears in Marvel Spotlight #5 .-Fictional character biography:...
and the spirit of the deceased Matt MurdockDaredevil (Marvel Comics)Daredevil is a fictional character, a superhero in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Bill Everett, with an unspecified amount of input from Jack Kirby, and first appeared in Daredevil #1 .Living in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood...
. Later in the series, Kaine reformed.
- Felicity HardyFelicity HardyFelicity Hardy, also known as the third Scarlet Spider, is a fictional character who appears in the Marvel Comics's alternate future MC2 series Spider-Girl...
, the daughter of Felicia Hardy (Black CatBlack Cat (comics)The Black Cat is a fictional character, a superheroine in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist Keith Pollard, she first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #194 ....
), assumes the Scarlet Spider identity in an attempt to become partners with Spider-Girl. May's father Peter ParkerSpider-ManSpider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
is angry at what he sees as an inappropriate use of the identity.
Ultimate Ben Reilly
In the Ultimate Universe, Ben Reilly appeared in Ultimate Spider-ManUltimate Spider-Man
Ultimate Spider-Man was a superhero comic book series that was published by Marvel Comics from 2000 to 2009. The series is a modernized re-imagining of Marvel's long-running Spider-Man comic book franchise as part of its Ultimate Marvel imprint...
as an African-American lab assistant at Empire State University, working with Curt Connors. As such, he is not a clone or connected to Peter Parker in this continuity. He was involved in the creation of Ultimate Carnage by combining DNA from Curt Connors with that of Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
, blended with ingredients from "The Suit" (better known as Venom
Venom (comics)
Eddie Brock is a fictional character created by David Michelinie and Todd McFarlane. A comic book supervillain, Brock's earliest appearance is a cameo in Web of Spider-Man #18 before making his first full appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #299 as Venom...
), making Ultimate Carnage something of a clone of Spider-Man. Incidentally, he refers to Carnage (before its escape) as "Little Ben". At the end of the arc, he stole a second Spider-Man blood sample from the lab.
It was revealed that after Ben took the blood sample, he managed to create the five Spider-Man clones while under the employ of the CIA. However, Carnage attacked the lab and the four clones escaped. One of the clones is an amalgam of Ben Reilly and Kaine of the 616 Universe. He has Kaine's insane personality and facial scars, and wears a tattered makeshift version of Ben Reilly's costume. The character of Ultimate Spider-Woman more or less plays the same role that Scarlet Spider from the original "Clone Saga" did.
Volume 1
What If?What If (comics)
What If, sometimes rendered as What If...?, is the title of several comic book series published by Marvel Comics, exploring "the road not traveled" by its various characters...
#30, "What If Spider-Man's Clone Had Lived?", depicts a world where, after the Jackal's bomb explodes at Shea Stadium, both Spider-Men are knocked unconscious and the clone awakens before the original.
The clone, believing that he is the genuine Peter Parker, puts his counterpart in stasis in one of the Jackal's clone-growing devices and attempts to continue with life as normal. However, as the clone's memories only extend to the point, several months prior, where the cell samples he had been grown from were taken, he is confused and lost in the world of the real Peter Parker. This memory gap, combined with the discovery of the Jackal's notes on his cloning process, leads the clone to realize what he truly is, and he frees the real Parker just in time for the two of them to confront a threat from the Kingpin
Kingpin (comics)
The Kingpin is a fictional character, a supervillain in the . Kingpin is one of the most feared and powerful crime lords in the Marvel Universe. The character is a major adversary of Daredevil, the Punisher, and Spider-Man...
(with the original acting as Spider-Man and the clone as Peter Parker).
Afterwards, the clone prepares to leave to seek his own fortune, but ultimately accepts an offer from the original to cooperate in "shifts", switching off between being Parker and Spider-Man. In this story, the clone never establishes a separate name for himself, and is referred to as "Spider-Clone", "brother", or "bro" by the original Parker.
Volume 2
What If?What If (comics)
What If, sometimes rendered as What If...?, is the title of several comic book series published by Marvel Comics, exploring "the road not traveled" by its various characters...
vol. 2, #86, "What If Scarlet Spider Killed Spider-Man?", gives an alternate ending of the "Clone Saga". During the time Spider-Man is under the Jackal's
Jackal (Marvel Comics)
The Jackal is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in The Amazing Spider-Man #129 , and was created by writer Gerry Conway and artist Ross Andru. In The Amazing Spider-Man #148 The Jackal is a fictional character that appears in...
control, the Scarlet Spider and Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
fight until there is an explosion. Ben's body is later found washed ashore and Peter is believed to be dead. Ben awakes in the hospital to find Peter's friends and family around his bed believing him to be Peter.
A little more than a year later Ben and Mary Jane
Mary Jane Watson
Mary Jane Watson, often shortened to MJ, is a fictional supporting character appearing, originally, in Marvel comic books and, later, in multiple spin-offs and dramatizations of the Spider-Man titles as the best friend, love interest, and one-time wife of Peter Parker, the alter ego of Spider-Man...
discover that their baby, May, is dying of blood poisoning. One night Ben wakes up to find that May has been kidnapped. Ben goes searching for her and runs into the Green Goblin
Green Goblin
The Green Goblin is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #14 ....
. The Goblin reveals that he is behind the "Clone Saga" and needs May's blood for a serum.
The two battle atop the same bridge
George Washington Bridge
The George Washington Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Hudson River, connecting the Washington Heights neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City to Fort Lee, Bergen County, New Jersey. Interstate 95 and U.S. Route 1/9 cross the river via the bridge. U.S...
where Gwen Stacy
Gwen Stacy
Gwendolyn "Gwen" Stacy appears as a supporting character in Marvel Comics' Spider-Man series. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, she first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #31 ....
was killed. During the struggle, they both fall into the river below. Ben resurfaces with possession of the Goblin's mask and the serum. He is met by Mary Jane and discovers that she knows that he is really Ben Reilly. Mary Jane thanks him for all that he has done for them and tells Ben to go find his own identity, something he's never had the chance to do before.
There is a possibility, that the Spider-Girl that appeared in Paradise X, as a member of Heralds, was in fact the adult May from this world.
Marvel Zombies
Someone in the Scarlet Spider uniform is in a large group shot in the one-shot Marvel ZombiesMarvel Zombies
Marvel Zombies is a five-issue limited series published from December 2005 to April 2006 by Marvel Comics. The series was written by Robert Kirkman with art by Sean Phillips and covers by Arthur Suydam. It was the first series in the Marvel Zombies series of related stories...
: Dead Days.
Spider-Man: The Clone Saga
September 2009 saw the launch of a six issue miniseries based on the original clone saga of the 1990s, titled Spider-Man: The Clone Saga. The writers explained in the first issue that the purpose of the miniseries was to tell the story as it was initially conceived. As such, it is a condensed version of the Clone Saga with the excess plot points involving Traveler, Scrier, and others cut out, while still being set over a several month period.The first issue introduced readers to both Ben Reilly and Kaine
Kaine
Kaine is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics supervillain and antihero who serves as both an ally and an enemy of Spider-Man. He first appeared in Web of Spider-Man #119, and is the Jackal's first failed attempt at cloning Peter Parker...
, as well as addressing Mary Jane's pregnancy and Aunt May's hospitalization. Ben and Peter bond after Kaine attacks them, and Ben decides to stay in New York pretending to be Peter's blond haired cousin so he can build a life of his own. He also adopts the identity of the Scarlet Spider and begins working at the Daily Grind.
He and Peter later work with Kaine to reach the lair of the shadowy figure responsible for infecting Mary Jane and Aunt May with a deadly genetic virus. The mysterious villain is revealed to be a still-living Jackal, who captures all three and reveals that he plans to make an army of Spider-Clones to take over the world. Since Ben was the only clone to ever turn out stable, Jackal takes a sample of his blood to perfect his cloning technique of Peter, while noting mixing the two would be catastrophic. When Jackal reveals yet another stage of his plan — to clone Gwen Stacy and another unknown figure — Kaine goes berserk and breaks all three free. During the subsequent fight, the clones dissolve and Jackal plants the first seed of doubt over who is the original Peter Parker. After Kaine kills Jackal, Ben and Peter escape with the cure, saving Aunt May and Mary Jane. At this point, Peter decides to retire and hands the Spider-Man identity over to Ben, who shortly thereafter begins wearing his new Spider-Man costume.
Reilly spends several months in the role while Peter gets ready to become a father. He is shown to be a less-polished Spider-Man and is somewhat insecure, however, compared to Peter due to his relative inexperience while he was in exile. Eventually, Mary Jane gives birth. As in the original saga, Allison Mongrain kidnaps the baby, though she later turns it over to Kaine. When Ben goes searching for her, he is attacked by the Green Goblin
Green Goblin
The Green Goblin is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #14 ....
(whom Kaine is working with). Though Ben appears to gain the upper hand in the ensuing fight, the Goblin manages to impale him in the back with his glider.
Miraculously, Ben survives the attack by the Green Goblin, who is revealed to be Harry Osborn, alive and well. He had been plotting his revenge against Peter since his apparent heart attack in Spectacular Spider-Man #200. Harry created a clone of his father, Norman, to help him defeat Peter and Ben; however, Norman jumps in front of Harry's Goblin Glider just as it was about to hit Peter and is impaled in the back, mirroring the events that happened to Ben in Spider-Man #75. Afterwards, Kaine returned baby May to Peter and Mary Jane, Aunt May survives and wants to help in raising little May, and Ben Reilly leaves once again to travel the world and find a life for himself.
Television
- Scarlet Spider made his first animated appearance on the 1994 Fantastic FourFantastic Four (1994 TV series)Fantastic Four is the third animated television series based on Marvel's comic book series of the same name. Airing began on September 24, 1994, until ending on February 24, 1996...
episode "Nightmare In Green", in which Doctor DoomDoctor DoomVictor von Doom is a fictional character who appears in Marvel Comics publications . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Fantastic Four #5 wearing his trademark metal mask and green cloak...
fools HulkHulk (comics)The Hulk is a fictional character, a superhero in the . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1 ....
into believing that the Fantastic FourFantastic FourThe Fantastic Four is a fictional superhero team appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The group debuted in The Fantastic Four #1 , which helped to usher in a new level of realism in the medium...
are his enemies. While Hulk's friend Rick JonesRick Jones (comics)Richard Milhouse "Rick" Jones is a fictional comic book character in the .-Publication history:Rick Jones first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1, as a sidekick to the Incredible Hulk...
is hanging out with Human TorchHuman TorchThe Human Torch is a fictional character and superhero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, he is a member of the superhero team the Fantastic Four, debuting in The Fantastic Four #1...
, the shadowed figure of the Scarlet Spider can be seen hanging underneath a building ledge.
- Scarlet Spider's second TV appearance was made in the X-MenX-Men (TV series)X-Men, also known as X-Men: The Animated Series, is an American animated television series which debuted on October 31, 1992, in the United States on the Fox Network as part of its Fox Kids Saturday morning lineup...
animated series. In the Season 4 episode "One Man's Worth, Part 1", he is briefly featured in one of the scenes depicting a large battle. (This happens around 7m:10s)
- Ben Reilly's alternate universe counterpart also appeared in the final season of Spider-Man: The Animated SeriesSpider-Man (1994 TV series)Spider-Man, also known as Spider-Man: The Animated Series, is an American animated series starring the Marvel Comics superhero, Spider-Man. The show ran on Fox Kids from November 19, 1994, to January 31, 1998. The producer/story editor was John Semper, Jr. and production company was Marvel Films...
. In the storyline "Spider WarsSpider WarsSpider Wars is the two part series finale of Spider-Man, consisting of the episodes "I Really, Really Hate Clones" and "Farewell, Spider-Man". This episode deals with Spider-Men from parallel universes, trying to stop Spider-Carnage from destroying all reality...
", numerous versions of Spider-Man from different realities teamed up, including Ben Reilly as the Scarlet Spider. As he explains his origins, he and Spider-Carnage, the main villain of this series finale, realize they are related — Reilly is his clone or maybe Spider-Carnage is his clone. None of them are sure because the Miles Warren in their reality had robbed them of their past. Apparently, it hints that maybe Reilly is the real Spider-Man and Spider-Carnage is the clone, due to the difference in their genetic structures. In the scene where Ben explains his story involving multiple spider-clones, Spider-Man remarks, "This is starting to sound like a bad comic book plot!", an in-joke nod to the Clone SagaClone SagaThe Clone Saga or Spider-Clone Saga was a major story arc in Marvel Comics which ran from 1994 to 1996 involving many clones of Spider-Man.The story is considered to be one of the most controversial Spider-Man stories ever told...
.
- Although Peter Parker is featured as Spider-Man in Spider-Man UnlimitedSpider-Man UnlimitedSpider-Man Unlimited was a short-lived animated series featuring the Marvel comic book superhero Spider-Man. The series was released in 1999, but, although it had fair ratings, was overshadowed by Pokémon, and was canceled after airing only a few episodes. Fox later resumed airing the show, airing...
, his side-cropped hair in the series is designed similarly to Ben Reilly's hair as seen in Reilly's time as a substitute Spider-Man in the comics.
- In 1977, the Amazing Spider-Man television series episode "Night of the Clones" introduces a clone of Peter Parker, the story is very similar to that of the Clone Saga.
Toys
Ben Reilly has received numerous action figures over the years since his creation, continuing even after the character's death:- 1996: Reilly, as the Scarlet-Spider, as an action figure by ToyBiz in the "Marvel OverPower Card Game - PowerSurge Invincibles" toyline.
- 1996: Reilly, as New Spider-Man with venom containment gear, featured as an action figure by ToyBiz.
- 1997: Reilly, as Spider-Carnage, featured as an action figure by ToyBiz in the Spider-Man/Venom - Along Came a Spider toyline.
- 2002: Reilly as Scarlet Spider was a KB ToysKB ToysK·B Toys was a chain of mall-based retail toy stores in the United States. It was founded in 1922 by the Kaufman brothers. K·B operated 605 stores in 44 U.S. states, Puerto Rico as well as Guam. It was privately held in Pittsfield, Massachusetts...
exclusive in the Spider-Man ClassicsSpider-Man ClassicsSpider-Man Classics is a line produced by Toy Biz focusing on Spider-Man and his allies and enemies. The line has over 15 series, with dozens of Spider-Man incarnations and many of his famous enemies. Series One came out in 2001...
toyline. - 2004: The Spider-Man Classics range from ToyBiz featured a Ben Reilly Spider-Man figure, which is slightly over-sized compared to other figures in the range, is missing his wrist mounted web-shooters, and comes with a missile launching backpack.
- 2004: Reilly, as the New Spider-Man, featured as a Kubrick in a 5-figure Spider-Man box set released by Medicom Toy.
- 2005: Reilly, as the Scarlet-Spider, featured as a Kubrick in Medicom Toy's Marvel Super-Heroes Series 4 toyline.
- 2005: Spider-Ben and Spider-Carnage MinimatesMinimatesMinimates are a block-styled miniature action figure originally created by Art Asylum in 2002 and now released by Diamond Select Toys. The basic Minimate figure design has a 2" tall body that resembles an extremely simplified human form with 14 points of articulation, higher than average for block...
were available in Series 10. - 2007: A Scarlet Spider Minimate was sold with Hobgoblin.
- 2008: Ben Reilly, in his redesigned Spider-Man costume, received a figure in the Ares Build-A-Figure series of Marvel LegendsMarvel LegendsMarvel Legends is an action figure line based on the characters of Marvel Comics, initially produced by Toy Biz, then by Hasbro. This line is in the scale, with spin-off lines in the , , and scale.-History:...
. Although he is in his Spider-Man costume, his figure is labeled as "Scarlet Spider" to differentiate him from Peter Parker versions. Additionally, just one of the pictures on the package is Ben Reilly, being one art from the cover of Spider-GirlSpider-GirlSpider-Girl is a superheroine in Marvel Comics' MC2 universe. The character was created by Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz as the teenage daughter of Spider-Man and Mary Jane Watson, and first appeared in What If #105...
#94, and another from The Amazing Spider-ManThe Amazing Spider-ManThe Amazing Spider-Man is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics, featuring the adventures of the fictional superhero Spider-Man. Being the mainstream continuity of the franchise, it began publication in 1963 as a monthly periodical and was published continuously until it was...
#509. - 2009/2010: Marvel's Super-Hero Squad range features both a Scarlet Spider figure (named "Ben Reilly Spider-Man" and packaged with BullseyeBullseye (comics)Bullseye is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe.A psychopathic assassin, Bullseye uses the opportunities afforded by his line of work to exercise his homicidal tendencies and to work out his own personal vendetta against Daredevil.Although he possesses no...
) and one of his re-designed Spider-Man costume (packaged both individually and with Carnage).
Video games
- Ben Reilly appeared in the 2000 Spider-ManSpider-Man (2000 video game)Spider-Man is an action video game based upon the Marvel Comics character of the same name. It is loosely based on the 1990s Spider-Man: The Animated Series. The game was developed by Neversoft and published by Activision. Released originally for the PlayStation and Nintendo 64 in 2000, the game...
video game as two alternate costumes for Spider-Man (as Scarlet Spider and as Spider-Man). These costumes later reappeared in the sequel, Spider-Man 2: Enter ElectroSpider-Man 2: Enter Electro-Plot:After a brief lesson from Beast, Spider-Man interrupts a robbery at BioTech, planting a tracer on the leader's bike. The tracer leads him to a warehouse, where he interrogates a thug who tells him where to go next. After a battle with Shocker, he heads for the airfield, but is interrupted by...
. In both games, neither costume grants extra abilities. - The Scarlet Spider is an alternate costume for Spider-Man in the video game Marvel: Ultimate AllianceMarvel: Ultimate AllianceMarvel: Ultimate Alliance is an action role-playing game developed for PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox and Xbox 360 by Raven Software and published by Activision. The game was simultaneously ported to the PlayStation Portable and Wii by Vicarious Visions, and to Microsoft Windows by Beenox...
. - Ben Reilly's Spider-Man costume as well as his Spider-Carnage costume are unlockable for the WiiWiiThe Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
version of Spider-Man: Web of ShadowsSpider-Man: Web of ShadowsSpider-Man: Web of Shadows is a video game title encompassing three versions: a full-3D action game for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Wii, and Xbox 360; a 2.5D sidescrolling beat em up action game for the PlayStation Portable and PlayStation 2 , and a 2.5D side-scrolling brawler/platformer for...
. - The Scarlet Spider is an alternate costume for Amazing Spider-Man in Spider-Man: Shattered DimensionsSpider-Man: Shattered DimensionsSpider-Man: Shattered Dimensions is a video game featuring Marvel Comics superhero Spider-Man. Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions blends together four universes from the Marvel Comics multiverse, allowing the player to play as four different Spider-Men...
and Spider-Man: Edge of TimeSpider-Man: Edge of TimeSpider-Man: Edge of Time is a video game developed by the Activision-owned developer Beenox, based on the superhero Spider-Man. The story was written by Peter David, and gameplay has a "cause-and-effect" system where one Spider-Man's actions will affect the other and vice versa. It was released on...
. - Scarlet Spider is a playable character in Marvel Super Hero Squad OnlineMarvel Super Hero Squad OnlineMarvel Super Hero Squad Online is a MMOG for younger audiences based on the Marvel Super Hero Squad franchise.The MMOG officially was released as a open beta on April 29, 2011 and a closed beta was released in early 2011. The first debut trailer for Marvel Super Hero Squad Online was released on...
. - The Scarlet Spider will be available as an alternate costume for Spider-Man via DLC in Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3is a crossover fighting game developed by Capcom. It is an updated version of Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds. After the events of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami disrupted the development schedule for downloadable content for the original game, the additional content was made into a...
.
External links
- Bring Back Ben Petition
- Ben Reilly Tribute
- Life of Reilly
- Ben's Profile at Spiderfan.org
- Brief Bio at Insania 1998
- Brief Bio at SamRuby.com