Ben Reilly
Attributes
| Eyes: | Same as Peter Parker |
| Features: | Same as Peter Parker |
| Hair: | Blond |
| Height: | Same as Peter Parker |
| Weight: | Same as Peter Parker |
Powers
| Abilities: | None, now that he's dead |
| Equipment: | Web-Shooters, Spider-Tracers |
| Limitations: | Ben Reilly was a mortal, and was apparently vulnerable to rocket gliders being run through his back. |
| Powers: | Spider-Strength, Spider-Agility, Spider-Sense, and the ability to stick to walls. |
| Strength Level: | He has the Proportional Strength of a Spider. He could lift, in a pinch, about 10 tons. |
| Weapons: | Impact Webbing, Stingers |
Summary
| Citizenship: | None, He's a Clone |
| Created By: | |
| Current Aliases: | dead |
| Current Occupation: | dead |
| Dual Identity: | Not Generally Known |
| Education: | Ben Reilly was never really in school, but has the knowledge of Peter Parker |
| Former Aliases: | Scarlet Spider |
| Former Bases: | New York, New York |
| Former Groups: | Was a member of the New Warriors |
| Former Occupation: | Waiter at Club Noir, waiter at Daily Grind |
| Known Allies: | Spider-Man (Peter), Daredevil, Jimmy Six |
| Known Confidants: | Peter Parker, Mary-Jane Parker |
| Known Relatives: | "Brother" to Peter Parker. Having the same memories as Peter, he also sees Aunt May as family. |
| Legal Status: | Dead |
| Major Enemies: | Doctor Octopus II, Green Goblin I, Kaine, The Jackal, Jason Tso, Venom |
| Marital Status: | Single |
| Place of Birth: | New York, New York |
| Real Name: | Ben Reilly |
| Usual Bases: | None, he's dead now. |
Background
”Even If I Live…I Die!”
After Gwen Stacy was murdered by the Green Goblin, it broke Gwen’s biology professor, Miles Warren. His assistant, Anthony Serba, soon had success in cloning a frog and Dr. Warren saw the potential. He killed Serba, took on the alias of “the Jackal” and created the Gwen Stacy clone. The Jackal toyed with Spider-Man for months before defeating him and taking a tissue sample. When Spidey woke up from being drugged, he was at Shea Stadium with another man dressed in a Spider-Man costume. From the seats, Jackal sat with the Gwen clone and taunted Spider-Man that he’d been cloned. They both believed that they were real but they had to save the kidnapped Ned Leeds from being blown up. The bomb would know which Spider-Man was real and would detonate accordingly. The Spider-Men bickered over who was real as Gwen shamed the Jackal into saving Ned. The bomb exploded shortly after Ned was freed and both Warren and the clone seemingly died. (Amazing Spider-Man #149)
”The Lost Years”
The clone woke up later near an incineration plant in Brooklyn. He didn’t know how he’d gotten there or how long it had been but his first concern was for the safety of Gwen’s clone. He went back to his apartment to shower and eat before starting the search but he was stunned by what he saw. He saw Peter with Mary Jane and almost smashed through the window to save her when he realized that he was the clone. The clone considered taking his own life but didn’t believe in it, which angered him. Believing in the sanctity of life was Peter’s opinion and he wasn’t Peter. He considered killing Peter and taking his place but couldn’t do that either. He went back to Peter’s apartment and robbed it before leaving to start his own life.
He took a bus to San Francisco to get far away from New York. During the trip he met an annoying passenger named Clifford Gross and in a moment of rage the clone called him worthless. Clifford later tried to end his life but was saved by the clone. They made amends and when they parted ways the clone introduced himself as Ben Reilly. He took the names of Ben Parker and May Reilly. (Spider-Man The Lost Years #0)
For three years Ben traveled the world, never staying in one place for long. He eventually moved to Salt Lake City and took a job as a science professor at a university. It was there that he met a redhead waitress named Janine and she agreed to get dinner. Later that night he saved a mother and child from a house explosion, despite his reluctance. Detective Jacob Raven was the homeowner and was partnered to officer Louise Kennedy. Louise had just started a relationship with another clone of Peter Parker, Kaine. (Spider-Man The Lost Years #1)
Detective Raven had helped put away a local gangster named Vincent Tannen and was kidnapped by his thugs after his home was destroyed. Ben saved him but missed his date with Janine but he convinced her to get lunch. They got along well but she refused to see him again. He took his frustration out on some more of Tannen’s thugs that were moving drugs. He was interrupted by Kaine, who was in the middle of a bad episode of clone degeneration disease. Kaine believed that Ben was the real Peter and hated him for his painful creation. He hated that Ben would never know the pain of the degeneration disease and made his life Hell. Kaine left Ben broken and bloody at the Tannen warehouse, leaving him vulnerable to his men. One of them turned out to be Detective Kennedy. (Spider-Man The Lost Years #2)
Detective Raven’s son, Matthew, had been kidnapped after Jacob had been saved by Ben. He was brought to the warehouse and detective Kennedy was ordered to kill him in front of Ben. She refused to kill the kid but had no issue with shooting Ben. Kaine stopped her, furious that the one good thing in his life was a dirty cop. Kaine intended to kill Louise but Ben attempted to stop him. He took another beating from Kaine but still saved both Matthew and Louise. Matthew was returned to his mother and Ben went to Janine for help. There, she told Ben that her name was really Elizabeth Tyne and she had murdered her father. He had abused her for years and she got revenge years later. She’d been running for years and he understood. Ben and Janine confronted detective Kennedy but Kaine wanted her too. During the fight, Kaine broke her neck and left his finger prints on her face. Detective Raven saw Ben standing over Kennedy’s body after Kaine fled and tried to arrest him. Ben and Janine got away but Jacob Raven had seen his face. This would come back to haunt them two years later. (Spider-Man The Lost Years #3)
”Demons of Our Past”
Ben had been calling aunt May for years just to hear her voice, pretending to be a wrong number. Mary Jane answered the phone one day and he recognized her but didn’t say anything. May was in the hospital from a stroke and MJ didn’t want to deal with a wrong number. (Spider-Man (vol. 1) #48)
”Shellshocked”
Ben called again, telling MJ he was a friend of May’s and she told him May was in Forest Hills hospital. Ben panicked and ran for his motorcycle. (Web of Spider-Man (vol. 1) #115)
”Crescendo”
Ben arrived at the hospital, surprised to be back in the old neighborhood. The guard told him only family could visit at that hour and he removed his helmet to say he was family. He then heard Peter’s voice behind him and took off on the motorcycle. (Web of Spider-Man (vol. 1) #116)
”Mother Love…Mother Hate!”
Ben showed up at Gwen’s grave and left a rose. Later that night he went to see Midtown High School and told the night watchmen that he used to be a student there. (Amazing Spider-Man #393)
”Son of the Hunter”
He took a look around the Parker house in the night but ran when Spider-Man showed up. (Spider-Man #50)
”Time is On My Side”
Ben sat next to the comatose May in her hospital room when he saw Spider-Man arrive. He ran to the roof to avoid Peter but they came face to face. (Spectacular Spider-Man #216)
”Power and Responsibility”
Ben tried to escape but barely survived jumping to another building, as he was out of practice. Spider-Man didn’t know what to make of what he was seeing but was determined to stop him. Spider-Man got angrier when he saw the mysterious man wall crawling and knocked him through a warehouse skylight. Spidey stopped attacking when he noticed that his spider sense wasn’t tingling and he asked why Ben wanted to see his aunt. Ben yanked Peter’s mask off and said he was his clone. Peter was in a stunned rage but Ben hit him into a wall and knocked him out before he could react further. (Web of Spider-Man #117)
Ben looked over the city at night, feeling like he’d come home. He felt like he could spin a web and swing away but knew that those were Peter’s feelings, not his own. He belonged somewhere else. Before leaving he visited May again, knowing that he shouldn’t care. May’s doctor found him there and offered to talk. Afterwords, Ben fell asleep in the hospital room’s chair when his spider sense woke him and he saw a ghostly figure in front of him. It called itself Chakra and said it worked for “The Traveller.” Spider-Man had been led to Ravencroft Asylum and would die in the hour unless Ben came to save him. If he chose not to aid Peter, Ben could take his place. (Amazing Spider-Man #394)
Ben pondered what to do but already knew the answer. He had kept a spare Spider-Man mask and gloves in his bag and thanked May for raising him before he left for the asylum. On his way, he thought maybe he’d die and it would all be done with. He found the asylum surrounded by a mist but managed to move through it, surprised that he had done it but the gathered security had not. Ben dodged the attack from Traveler’s men, who were surprised by his agility. He snuck into the building and made his way to Spider-Man, who was being psychologically tortured by Traveler. Ben said he was getting Spider-Man out and Traveller wouldn’t let it happen yet. (Spider-Man #51)
Traveller hypnotized them and his assistants put Ben and Peter in the basement. When they awoke, Spider-Man demanded to know who or what Ben really was. He didn’t believe that his clone was there to help him and Ben didn’t blame him. They stopped after Traveller released the inmates and they were attacked. Spider-Man was overly violent, as he was still in a rage from Harry Osborn’s betrayal. Spider-Man complained about the unfairness of how he’d been treated and Ben said if he didn’t want his life, he would take it. They escaped and sealed the inmates in the basement before heading back to Traveller. They were stopped by Carnage, who had also been released from his cell. Spider-Man was happy to have a target to unleash his anger on but Ben was more concerned with saving lives. Working together, they beat the mass murderer. Traveller escaped before they could stop him. As Spider-Man spoke with the authorities, Ben left and considered what he’d do next. (Spectacular Spider-Man #217)
”The Exile Returns”
Ben was taking a tour of the Museum of Natural History when someone tried to rob a food vendor. The police ended it quickly but Ben wondered about the next time. He hung outside May’s hospital window to check on her but saw that Betty Brant and Anna Watson were inside. Betty didn’t look anything like he remembered, which reminded him how long he’d been gone. He left and found a woman attempting suicide by falling from the George Washington bridge. He saved her and brought her to the hospital but realized that there was always someone who needed help in New York. As he thought, he heard a police radio report that Venom had been seen. He wondered why Peter had never definitively beaten the psychopath. Ben made his own costume and went after the maniac. (Web of Spider-Man #118)
Ben spoke to Daily Bugle reporter Ken Ellis after he wrote an article on the whereabouts of Venom. Ellis said he was at the Roosevelt Island Tram Terminal and he had been on his way there. He wanted to interview both of them but Ben left before Ellis could finish. Ben wasn’t sure he could take Venom but was soon in battle with him anyway. Venom could sense that Ben wasn’t Spider-Man and called him a fake. Ben agreed after Venom slashed his abdomen. He was saved only by the lucky arrival of Venom’s “daughter,” Scream. Donna Diego needed to learn how to control her symbiote as Eddie Brock controlled his but he wasn’t interested in talking. As they fought, Ben didn’t know if he could fight both of them while losing so much blood. The two symbiotes tore the street apart and Ben tried to rescue as many bystanders as possible. He eventually knocked both of them from the tram into the river and saved the tram conductor. Ellis arrived to get his interview but Ben refused and left. As Ben swung away, Ellis decided to call him “the Scarlet Spider.” (Spider-Man #52)
Ben arrived back to his apartment and changed out of his costume before trying to use a pay phone to call his friend, Dr. Seward Trainer. He fainted from his injury and was found by a woman named Gabrielle Greer, who took him to the hospital. As he was stitched up, a nurse called Ken Ellis to report a young man with a serious injury on his left side. Ben escaped through the ceiling just as Ellis arrived for his interview. He made it to the roof but was confronted by Scream. She started to ask for help but he swung away, leaving her enraged. Her careless outburst smashed masonry, which tumbled to the street. Despite Scarlet Spider’s efforts, some pedestrians were hurt, which triggered his sense of responsibility. He still planned on leaving New York but would rid it of symbiotes first. He found Venom nearly finishing off Scream when he used his impact webbing against him. (He had created a new ball shaped webbing that created more strands on impact.) Venom freed himself from the webbing and he and Ben prepared to face off. (Web of Spider-Man #119)
Venom strangled Ben with his own hoodie until Ben thought of Aunt May. He covered Venom in impact webbing and caught his breath as Venom struggled to free himself. He didn’t know why Peter would make a bargain with such a creature and wondered what had changed. Venom freed himself and the fight resumed but he was beaten after impact webbing separated Brock from Venom, allowing Scarlet Spider to hit him with another new weapon: stingers. The pain from the stingers knocked out Brock but left the alien to attack Ben. It sensed that Scarlet Spider was familiar and tried to bond with him. Ben’s rejection of it and its exhaustion knocked it out. Soon Brock and the symbiote were taken away to separate places by Guardsmen. Scarlet Spider was amazed that he defeated Venom and thought he might have a life after all. (Spider-Man #53)
”Web of Life”
Scarlet Spider fought the escaped Tombstone on top of an armored car and stopped it from hitting a restaurant full of customers. He then knocked Tombstone out with a light pole. Later, he took on A.R.E.S. (Assassination, Revolution, Extortion, Sabotage) terrorists and ignored Ken Ellis’s questions. Taking down Tombstone and terrorists in one day made him feel like his life had purpose again even if he hated being called the Scarlet Spider. He went to see Betty Brant and agreed to an interview to set the record straight with someone he trusted. He left when she said she couldn’t be objective. (Web of Spider-Man #120)
He went to the Bugle that night to find Ellis to “thank” him for giving him his name and following him around. He found the office empty but was confronted by J. Jonah Jameson. Jameson said he’d heard the Scarlet Spider had been doing a lot of good work. He didn’t believe in masked heroes and said he’d be watched by the Bugle staff. As Scarlet Spider left, he said that he didn’t like his new name and might have his lawyers contact Jameson. At his apartment, Ben ran into Gabrielle who offered to get together at some point. That night he had nightmares of the Jackal’s laboratory, which made him call his friend, Seward Trainer. Trainer was concerned and said he was coming to New York. Ben needed to clear his head so he went to see Betty. She said she’d taken herself off of the Scarlet Spider story and given it to Ellis but she said she felt drawn to Spider. He seemed familiar. That’s when the Grim Hunter attacked, whom had been tracking Scarlet Spider, mistaking him for Spider-Man. Ben led him away from Betty and during the fight Grim Hunter explained that he was the son of Kraven the Hunter. The Hunter eventually realized that he wasn’t facing Spider-Man and called off the hunt. Ben went to check on Betty and decided to stay away from her. (Spider-Man #54)
Scarlet Spider made his way to Peter’s apartment, hoping to get there before Grim Hunter did. He made it and staked out the apartment but was attacked by Kaine. His stingers didn’t work but the impact webbing briefly tied Kaine’s hands together. Kaine said he’d come to New York for the Scarlet Spider and began beating him again. Spider saw Grim Hunter stalking towards Peter’s apartment but was trying to fend off Kaine. Before the Hunter could enter through the skylight, he was confronted by Kaine, who had abandoned Scarlet Spider. (Web of Spider-Man #121)
The fight between Grim Hunter and Kaine moved away from Peter’s apartment, which kept Scarlet Spider from finding them. He checked the apartment and took a moment to see the life that Peter had made for himself. He tracked down the two killers and considered letting them kill each other. He didn’t do it of course but Grim Hunter fled before anything could be done. Scarlet managed to get a tracer placed on Kaine before he escaped. At Ben’s apartment, he ran into Dr. Trainer, who wanted him to come back to his lab. Ben insisted that he had to stop Kaine from killing again. He found them but Kaine escaped, only to return and break the Grim Hunter’s neck. (Spider-Man #55)
”Funeral for an Octopus”
Kaine, suspecting that Doctor Octopus was the one to eventually murder Mary Jane, snapped the criminal’s neck. Octavius’s old allies (Vulture, Mysterio, Electro, Hobgoblin (Macendale)) wanted to use his metal tentacles for themselves. They were stopped by Scarlet Spider and Spider-Man, who used the tentacles against them. (Funeral for an Octopus #1-3)
”Smoke and Mirrors”
While out web swinging, Scarlet Spider had a hallucination of the Jackal calling him “Peter.” Scarlet Spider felt compelled to travel to Upstate New York and the mountains, where he found a strange little creature that called itself Jack. It led him to vault in the mountain, telling him that the Jackal had been preparing for this. Ben was beaten by a hulking creature that guarded the entrance and was left unconscious in the snow. Peter, meanwhile, had been having the same visions as Ben had. He changed to Spider-Man and headed Upstate. (Web of Spider-Man #122)
Reilly lay unconscious in the snow as Kaine stood over him. Kaine was met by a hollow eyed man in a black hooded robe that he called Scrier. Kaine was surprised and anxious that Scrier was present and the figure reassured him that none of them had anything to fear from him. Not yet. Scrier disappeared. Kaine slipped away when he realized that Spider-Man was approaching. Ben awoke just as Spider-Man arrived and they discussed that they’d had the same premonitions. They bickered for a moment until Jack showed up and said he knew why they were there. They chased him to a door that they unlocked by using their palm prints. Jack was inside, still mocking and teasing them. The door slammed shut behind them and Jack led them to a massive laboratory, claiming that the Jackal was in one of the pods. That’s when the huge creature from before (Jack called it “the Guardian”) attacked them but quickly collapsed in pain. Jack sadly said he was dead and he would be too. He unmasked himself and his face was also disfigured.
Jackal spoke from a liquid filled tank and said that Jack comparing himself to Ben and Peter was the height of arrogance. He emerged and called them the Jackal’s greatest triumphs. Spider-Man and Scarlet Spider attacked and were easily batted away by the enhanced Jackal. He explained how he’d been watching both of them for five years and that the Jackal that died at Shea stadium had been a clone, just like Ben. Spider-Man attacked but Scarlet stopped him, saying Jackal had answers to their questions. Jackal said both Guardian and Jack were failed clones of Peter. Actually, both Peter and Ben were clones of the real Peter Parker. Spider-Man called him a liar and attacked him and batted Ben away when he tried to stop him.
Peter was happy with Mary Jane and they were expecting a baby, so he wouldn’t let clones take it away from him. Jackal offered to prove to them that he was telling the truth and opened one of the tanks. He “accidentally” opened the wrong one and instead of Peter Parker, out stepped a blonde woman that he claimed to be the real Gwen Stacy. (Amazing Spider-Man #399)
Spider-Man was enraged to be manipulated with a Gwen clone but she calmly talked to him, soothing him. Ben was less persuaded and demanded answers from the Jackal. He said he was remorseful for what he did to Ben and wanted to tell him the truth. He promised that he had lied before about both of them being clones, Ben was the real one. That’s why Jackal saved him from the smokestack, as a way to make amends for ruining his life. He claimed that he had implanted memories into Ben that made him think he was the clone before he wandered the world. He then offered to give it all back to him: Gwen, the Daily Bugle, his whole life. All he had to do was kill Peter. Jackal was interrupted by Jack, who wanted to talk about his degeneration disease. They both annoyed Jackal and he lashed out at Scarlet Spider. He was stopped by Spider-Man and both of them wanted to kick the truth out of him. Jackal convinced Spider-Man to go to Gwen and as he held her, she degenerated in his arms. Jackal escaped through an unbreakable glass door, telling them that they were both clones. They escaped the exploding laboratory with help from Jack, who was killed by his boss. Later, Ben and Peter discussed figuring out for themselves who was the clone. (Spider-Man #56)
”Players and Pawns”
Learning that he could possibly be the real Peter made Ben consider having an actual life. He decided to see what he’d been missing over the past half decade and went to a gym where Flash Thompson was coaching some kids in basketball. Ben was impressed that Flash hadn’t become a pro athlete but had still progressed from being a bully. Seeing that Flash had made something of himself inspired Ben to do the same but his thoughts were interrupted by the Jackal, who crashed through the gym’s skylight. (His new lab was being set up and decided to kill time by tormenting Ben.) As Ben ran for his costume, Jackal unleashed some genetically modified monsters onto the gym goers just as Scarlet Spider arrived. (Spectacular Spider-Man #222)
Ben saved Flash from the Jackal, who had tossed him aside by the throat. Scarlet Spider had the kids run as he dealt with the monsters but was scratched by the Jackal’s claws. Jackal was eventually defeated and arrested by the police. “Jack” was also there and handed Scarlet a CD detailing the fact that Ben wasn’t the clone. As he was being taken away, Jackal snapped his fingers and triggered Jack’s degeneration. Later, Ben pondered if the CD held the truth or if it was another of Jackal’s jokes. He decided that he didn’t care and threw the CD into the river. He wasn’t Peter Parker and he was ok with that. (Web of Spider-Man #123)
”The Gift”
Scarlet Spider went to visit May in the hospital and found she had woken from her coma. He watched from outside as Peter gave him an angry look that made it clear that he wasn’t welcome and he scurried away. As he leapt across the rooftops he briefly saw Kaine, who just as quickly disappeared. Scarlet Spider wondered why the strange man had followed him for years, determined to kill him. Peter brought May home from the hospital and Scarlet Spider was there, wanting to talk to him. Spider-Man said Scarlet Spider met in the back yard as Ben remembered how he had gotten stuck after climbing a tree and his uncle had to get him down. Then they were both stuck and May had to call the fire department. Then he admitted that it was Peter’s memory and not his. Scarlet Spider told Spider-Man that he was leaving New York. He had wanted to see May and since she had recovered he needed to leave. Spidey asked what they should do about the Jackal and Ben said they couldn’t let him yank their chain. Spidey wished him well and Ben swore they’d never meet again.
Ben didn’t really believe that May was out of the woods and stayed outside her bedroom window. As Peter, MJ and Anna Watson stood by, May passed away. As the three of them wept, Ben did the same outside. After the funeral, Peter’s friends gathered at the Parker’s brownstone. They left and Peter was surprised to be greeted by a New York police detective, along with Salt Lake City lieutenant Jacob Raven. Peter was put under arrest for first degree murder and as he was taken away, the Scarlet Spider was watching. As Mary Jane scrambled to decide what to do, she was met by the Scarlet Spider, who said was time for them to meet. (Amazing Spider-Man #400)
”The Mark of Kaine”
As Peter sat in prison, Ben took Mary Jane to his friend, Seward Trainer. Trainer examined the pregnancy (about six weeks along) after MJ’s doctor detected an abnormality. Ben was amazed by the image on the screen, thinking of it as a miracle. Trainer immediately set about examining the data, hardly acknowledging MJ as she left. Ben promised to contact her as soon as they had results and offered to walk her home. She refused and Trainer needed Ben to stay anyway. On her walk home, MJ was pulled into the sewer by Kaine. She escaped and ran into a man that seemed to be her husband. (Web of Spider-Man #124)
The man and Kaine fought, letting Mary Jane get away. She called Ben at Trainer’s lab but hung up before telling him where she was, deciding to handle the situation herself. Meanwhile Peter escaped from prison after being warned by Chakra that his wife was in danger. She went back to their brownstone but was met by the new stranger, who was himself attacked by Kaine. Kaine defeated the imposter and took her back underground. Ben found the new imposter at the brownstone wearing Peter’s Spider-Man costume. He assumed he was Peter and wondered why he was out of prison and what happened to MJ. That’s when Peter showed up and wanted to know the same thing. (Amazing Spider-Man #401)
Ben separated them, saying that the only one that he was positive was a clone was himself. The newcomer passed out after taking a blow to the head. Peter decided to go after Kaine and his wife, putting on remnants of his black costume, as that was all that was available. Peter left via the skylight and when he turned around, the new mystery man was gone. To Peter’s annoyance, Scarlet Spider followed him, saying that he’d been dealing with Kaine for years. Reluctantly Peter said they would wait, because Mary Jane knew what to do.
He had given her a spider-tracer to activate if she were in danger and she soon activated it. Both Ben and Peter sensed it go off and Peter insisted that he go get his wife alone. Both Ben and the imposter followed him into the sewers and followed the tracer’s buzz to their targets. The imposter took on Kaine aggressively but Ben distracted Kaine, saying he was the one he had wanted to kill. Scarlet Spider fought Kaine and Peter noticed that MJ and the imposter were gone. He caught up to MJ as the imposter began to freak out that he was the real one and he’d kill them all. They tried to run but their exit was blocked by Kaine and the beaten Scarlet Spider. (Spider-Man #58)
As the imposter's face twisted and contorted, Kaine explained to a horrified Peter and Mary Jane that it was created to kill them. He told them to run and he'd stop it like he'd stopped the Scarlet Spider. Ben twirled around and kicked Kaine away, as he had faked being unconscious. The Parkers escaped as Kaine and Scarlet Spider dealt with "Freakface." Kaine seemed to crush him with concrete but the creature reassembled itself and Ben realized it could recode it's DNA and change it's body at will. "Freakface" chased Ben and Kaine to the surface of a construction site, where they were helped by Peter. Ben had wanted to reason with the imposter but Kaine tried killing it with a gas tanker. The explosion seemed to destroy the monster and Peter helped Ben out of the rubble but they immediately began arguing. Peter had to go back to Ryker's Island to stand trial for a murder that he believed Ben likely committed. Ben said he'd prove Peter wrong by taking his place in prison. If he knew Peter as well as he thought, he knew Peter wouldn't let an innocent man be jailed. Ben slipped into Peter's cell. (Spectacular Spider-Man #224)
In prison, Ben got an unexpected visitor, Felicia Hardy. She wanted to make sure he was ok but he didn't know who she was or how to react. He blamed his confusion on a headache, and she left, thinking how strangely he'd acted. (Spider-Man Unlimited (vol. 1) #9)
"The Trial of Peter Parker"
Spider-Man set about trying to clear himself of detective Kennedy's murder and his target was Kaine. Ben claimed that Kaine had framed him for the murder, and Peter hoped that Ben was telling the truth. He went looking for Kaine, but he was found by him first. As Ben sat in the court room, his guilt ate at him. Kaine had followed him to New York after framing him for murder but had instead framed Peter. After the defense attorney gave his opening argument, he implied that he didn't believe in Ben's innocence. Ben was insulted and the lawyer said he had to look at the evidence just like everyone else and being a defense lawyer was just a job. (Web of Spider-Man #126)
Mary Jane was called to the stand and was asked about Peter's long absences over the years. He could be gone suddenly for days, weeks and months. MJ replied that Peter was a photojournalist and was often called away on assignments. The prosecutor reminded her of when Peter was gone two years prior and the Bugle hadn't given him an assignment. She didn't know how to tell them that he was gone because he'd been buried alive by Kraven the Hunter. She didn't have an answer and was dismissed from the stand. (Amazing Spider-Man #403)
The prosecution wrapped up it's case, after sharing the evidence and eyewitness accounts. The murders were premeditated and featured intentional scarring of the victims faces. The prosecutor called Peter guilty and asked for the death penalty. The trial was interrupted by the battle between Spider-Man and Kaine. The judge called for calm and had the jury stay seated until the court officers defused the situation. Until that time, court was in recess. During the fight, Kaine told Spider-Man that he had killed those people to frame Ben and protect him and MJ. He also removed his mask and showed that he was the first, albeit flawed, clone of Peter Parker. Spider-Man tried to force Kaine's hand by taking the stand and testifying. He began to remove his mask but Kaine stopped him.
The prosecutor annoyed Kaine and he grabbed him by the neck, then slammed his hand onto the table, burning a handprint into it. He said that the burn and fingerprints left on the table would be a match for the prints and scars left on the victims. Neither Ben or Spidey believed that Kaine would quit so easily but the guard said he'd given up and had plenty of guns pointed at him. That's when Kaine knocked them aside and offered to carry out Ben's execution. (Spider-Man #60)
Kaine lunged at Ben but he was repelled by Spider-Man. Ben started to sneak away to find a way to help but he was stopped by Mary Jane. She recognized what he was planning on doing and told him not to jeopardize her future. Kaine was eventually apprehended by detective Jacob Raven, who was in the courtroom to witness what he hoped was the conviction of his partner's murderer. Ben's attorney cleared things with the judge, who let Ben go free. Ben thanked Spider-Man for his help and shook his hand. Ben and MJ went home and Spider-Man was waiting inside, who told Ben that he was finally free. Neither lieutenant Raven or Kaine were hunting him. Ben didn't know what to do with himself. Settling down in one place seemed impossible after being on the road for years.
The phone rang at Dr. Trainer told Mary Jane to come to his office with Peter and Ben. After they arrived, Trainer told them that the abnormalities were minor and they were expecting a healthy baby. Ben said that Trainer wouldn't have called them to the office unless there was something wrong. Trainer claimed that the abnormality was caused by a genetic drift, which would have occurred if one of the parents were a clone. Peter was furious and repeated that Ben was the clone but he had never had the chance to compare Ben's blood to Peter's. Peter refused and started to leave with his wife and she convinced him to find out once and for all who was the clone. Ben and Peter did the tests themselves and came to the same conclusion: Ben was the real Peter Parker and Peter was the clone. Peter refused to believe it and they fought, with Peter even trying to strangle Ben until he "confessed" to lying. When Mary Jane tried to intervene, an enraged Peter backhanded her across the room. Stunned at himself, Peter fled. (Spectacular Spider-Man #226)
”Maximum Clonage”
Ben was grappling with how to handle the news that he was the original and Peter was the clone. He empathized that Peter’s world was upside down but Ben had lost five years of his life. He needed to calm down and talk to Peter, deciding to go to his home. He found MJ looking over books on cloning to learn about potential dangers to her baby. She was disappointed and then angry to see the Scarlet Spider upstairs and not her husband. She wanted him to leave and never come back, everything had been fine before he showed up. Ben explained that he didn’t want Peter’s life but he did need to talk to him and take the fight to the Jackal. A postcard arrived addressed to Ben, mailed from Springville, Pennsylvania.
He arrived in Pennsylvania and was confronted by the New Warriors, who believed him responsible for the theft of the contagion isotope. As the Scarlet Spider dodged the team’s attacks, Spidercide (the former mysterious clone that fought Kaine in the sewer) interrogated Helix, who had survived the test run of the carrion virus. The good guys finally noticed them and Spidercide tossed Helix away as a distraction. Scarlet Spider tried to subdue Spidercide but found that he could become like water. Spidercide escaped into a nearby stream, saying the Jackal was going back to where it all began. (Maximum Clonage Alpha)
Scarlet Spider found the Jackal’s lab, with a distraught Peter Parker inside. As the Jackal healed in a regeneration tank after being shot by the Punisher, Ben tried to console Peter. Peter didn’t want to hear it and threw Ben around the room. He only stopped when Ben said they were brothers, which made Peter walk away. That’s when Spidercide showed up and tried to drown Ben. Reasoning with Spidercide didn’t work and the fight only stopped when Jackal arrived with Kaine and Spider-Man. Jackal explained that Spider-Man accepted his fate as a clone and the good that the science could do. He thanked Ben for his help and bore him no grudge. Ben absolutely bore a grudge against the Jackal for taking years of his life. Ben was stopped by Spider-Man and Kaine, telling him that he didn’t belong there.
When Jackal offered Ben a place in the “family,” he refused and reminded him of the mass murder of the town of Springville. Spidercide offered to kill him and Jackal told him to kill Kaine instead. Stunned by another betrayal, Kaine left. At that moment, Ben felt dizzy and realized he’d been drugged when Jackal scratched him. Spidercide tossed him into a darkened room that was filled with clones. (Amazing Spider-Man #404)
Despite being drugged and outnumbered, Scarlet Spider fled the other clones that mindlessly chased him. He stayed a step ahead due to his newly created “impact webbing” and stingers. He was saved by Kaine. (Spider-Man (vol. 1) #61)
Ben objected to how violent Kaine was with the clones, aware of the fact that they were out to kill them. He insisted that they all had potential and used Peter as an example. The clones began to decompose and Kaine realized that they must not have been “ready.” The exhaustion from the fight must have accelerated their degeneration and Kaine soon ripped them all apart. Kaine went after the Jackal and was impaled with lab machinery by Spidercide. Scarlet Spider tried to avenge Kaine and knocked Spidercide into a machine, electrocuting him. Ben’s leg was injured by falling equipment and Jackal escaped. (Spectacular Spider-Man (vol. 1) #227)
Ben bandaged his leg with webbing and followed Jackal to the Daily Bugle, where killing and cloning the journalists was his priority. (He wanted clones that he could control when news of a deadly virus decimating humanity broke. He wanted to keep the public calm and compliant.) Meanwhile Spidercide had turned against the Jackal and they crashed through the ceiling as Ben urged Jameson to evacuate the Bugle. Spidercide attacked both Ben and the Jackal, leading to them falling off the top of the building. Ben tried to catch both of them but Spidercide fell to the street. Jackal turned his gun on Ben but was saved by Spider-Man and the Gwen clone. Spidey dealt with Jackal while Ben tried to deactivate the virus bomb. During the fight Gwen fell from the roof and was saved by the Jackal, who fell to his own death. The virus bomb reactivated itself and Ben disposed of it by swinging it over the city. Gwen disappeared into the crowd, MJ and Peter went home and Ben pondered which of them should be Spider-Man. (Spider-Man Maximum Clonage Omega)
”Exiled”
At Ben Parker’s grave, Ben and Peter sensed that they were being watched. They walked away and lost their pursuer in an alley after jumping to a roof. They followed him to Cat’s Eye Investigations and wanted to know why Peter Parker was being followed. The investigator said he worked for Felicia Hardy, who had gone missing after looking for Parker. Spidey swore he’d find her and later he explained to Scarlet his past with her. (Spidey had told the investigator to hurry up and talk because Scarlet had to get to a Tom Jones concert.) As they went looking for Black Cat, she found them first. She furiously attacked Spider-Man, swearing to kill him for what he did to her. Scarlet Spider was attacked by three anonymous armored men that seemed unusual. Black Cat recriminated Spider-Man for the years of being a clone, where she thought she loved a real man. Spider-Man collapsed in grief, begging her to forgive him. Scarlet was stunned by what he saw but realized what was happening. The combination of emotional manipulation and the attackers disappearing in smoke clued him in to D’Spayre being behind the situation. (Ben had encountered D’Spayre while he wandered America.) While attacking the black caped creature, Scarlet Spider called out to Black Cat, telling her that she was being manipulated. She joined the spiders against D’Spayre, who withered away after being deprived of their negative emotions. Black Cat apologized to Peter for the things she said to him and to Ben for the bad first impression.
Cat left and Peter and Ben discussed who should be Spider-Man. Peter said the title should go to Ben, since he was the real one. Ben wanted Peter to keep the webs, as he had been Spider-Man for a longer time. Ben said he made a good Ben Reilly and Peter made a good Peter Parker. Scarlet Spider left, telling Peter to take care of his family. (Web of Spider-Man #128)
Ben began to ride out of town on his motorcycle, thinking that it had been much easier leaving New York five years prior. Now he knew that he was the real Peter Parker and was still leaving his home. He was so lost in thought that he crashed his bike and instinctively clung to the wall. He jumped away before anyone saw him, wondering if he had subconsciously meant to sabotage his departure. Ben screamed out that this was his home and was soon swinging across the city as the Scarlet Spider. He made his way back to the Parkers brownstone, still wondering how much of his actions were subconscious. He was glad that Peter had a life with Mary Jane and hoped he was happy.
He left New York and traveled to Dr. Trainer’s cabin in Vermont to clear his head. He had visited Vermont years prior as he wandered the world. As Ben warmed himself at a fire, he remembered how he tried to get a hotel room and get out of the rain but was short $12. He started to argue with the hotel manager when Dr. Trainer paid the balance. Ben didn’t want his charity and Trainer said he’d be paid back eventually. In the present, Ben woke up in the cabin from a phone call. Trainer spoke to him, ordering him to get out of the cabin immediately and that he didn’t have time to explain. Ben jumped out of a window just before the cabin blew up. Ben recovered his senses and realized that the bomb had been meant for Trainer. Dr. Trainer had been his only friend and Ben was going to find who tried to kill him.
Ben returned to Trainer’s lab in New York and found that it had been torn apart by something very large. He thought again of how he’d met Trainer in Vermont at the hotel. A tired and feverish Ben nearly assaulted the manager to make him open the kitchen for dinner. Ben was angry and doubtful when Trainer offered to be his friend but still took his hand after falling to the floor. In the present day, Scarlet Spider was searching the wrecked lab and found mechanical orbs tapping into Trainer’s computer. He tried to stop them but was tangled and electrocuted by their metal tentacles. (Amazing Spider-Man #405)
Scarlet Spider was restrained by flying shackles as a mechanical voice interrogated him, demanding to know his connection to Seward Trainer. He passed out before he could answer any questions and dreamed again of how he met his friend. He was woke again by an electrical jolt and the voice showed him a hologram of a chained Dr. Trainer. The voice wanted Trainer's research and he would drown if Scarlet Spider didn't cooperate. He eventually broke free of the restraints and took on the mysterious voice's android thugs. He made to a room filled with tentacled robots and after he defeated them, saved Trainer from a box filling with water. Later, Ben asked him who had kidnapped him but Trainer didn't know. When Trainer said he thought Ben was leaving New York, Ben told him that he promised him that he'd never let him down. (Spider-Man #62)
While web swinging to clear his head, Scarlet Spider came across a man that panicked after seeing him. He was the second superhuman he'd seen that night, the previous being an old bird man. Vulture had fallen out of the sky after he'd re-aged to his normal age and hadn't bothered draining the man of his life energy. Scarlet Spider defeated him by blocking his energy draining gloves with an insulated suit. (Spider-Man Unlimited #10)
"Time Bomb"
Kaine's vision of Mary Jane's imminent murder began to come true, but her assailant was her husband. The Jackal had implanted an order in Peter's mind to kill his wife if Jackal died in his attempt to wipe out humanity. Scarlet Spider learned of the situation after visiting the New Warriors and Hindsight informed him that the Warriors were responding to a call to help some woman. He caught up to MJ as she fled Spider-Man, who was battling the New Warriors. He went after Spider-Man, who begged him to stop him. Spider-Man hunted MJ down to May's home, where she let him decide what he would do. She hoped that being at the home that meant so much to him would bring him to his senses. As MJ and Peter embraced after his mind was cleared, Scarlet Spider watched from outside, glad that her plan worked. (Web of Spider-Man #129)
"Greatest Responsibility"
Ben was trying to help Dr. Trainer regain the information stolen by the tentacled robots. He was using a virtual reality machine and they met the new Doctor Octopus, Carolyn Trainer. Carolyn was also Dr. Trainers daughter and she didn't like him much. (Amazing Spider-Man #406)
Ock was creating a "virtual reality bomb" that would make people think that they were in an alternate world. Spider-Man and Scarlet Spider fought the stronger Doc Ock and Spidey was nearly beaten. In the end, Peter decided that he couldn't risk being Spider-Man with a baby on the way. He offered Ben the costume and he refused. (Spectacular Spider-Man #229)
"Virtual Mortality"
Scarlet tried to stop a hijacking of a car from thugs in a helicopter but they disappeared after deploying a smoke screen. The guys in the car also escaped and the police found that the car was carrying stolen experimental computer chips. The bad guys in the helicopter reported the situation to Doctor Octopus who pondered some sort of spray to get rid of interfering spiders. Her computer A.I. reminded her that it was more important to get the computer hardware back from their competition. At Seward Trainer's apartment, Ben was disgusted with himself for screwing up. Trainer suggested that crime fighting wasn't his skillset and he focus on helping him in the lab. Ben needed to make his own way and went job hunting. Luck wasn't on his side and he was repeatedly sent away. He was leaving a nightclub after being rejected when he caught a waitress that had tripped. She and the manager were impressed, and the waitress said to give him the job.
Scarlet Spider again went looking for the guys in the helicopter and found them carrying away the van from the police impound lot via magnet. He broke into the helicopter and had a gas mask at the ready, thinking he was ready for their trick. Instead, he was electrocuted when he touched one of the crooks. He was kicked out of the door but saved himself by webbing the helicopter. The webline was shot by a laser cannon and he fell to the water but saved himself with webskis. Meanwhile he was hired to work at Noir nightclub, which was owned by Jason Tso. Tso was the one behind the computer tech theft. (Web of Scarlet Spider #1)
Trainer and Scarlet Spider had fought Doctor Octopus in virtual reality but Seward didn't regain consciousness. In cyberspace they had been attacked by cyber duplicates of his enemies and Trainer had been stabbed by Carnage. Scarlet was unsure what that would mean for Trainer's mind, even if his body was safe. He took Trainer to a hospital and the doctor claimed that his mind was blank, with no brain activity. The police were there to question him and he left.
Ben went back to Trainer's apartment to decide what to do next and saw a woman named Carrie seemingly carried away by a costumed creature. She explained it was her sparring dummy for the self-defense class she taught. She invited him to coffee at some point, which he was happy to have happen. He showed up for work at Noir and attended to Mr. Tso and his colleagues but spilled a drink on Tso. He was fired and on his way out he passed a computerized cash register. Trainer's face spoke to him, saying he had hoped to find him at work. He started to say how fascinating his situation was but shorted out before he could give his message. Ben's spider sense went off and he saw Ken Ellis arrive with Angela Yin. They met with Tso and told him they had a tip that wanted criminals would be meeting at the club that night. Two thugs showed up and said they were wired to explode if they didn't kill Tso. Ben slapped their grenades away and Tso fled in the chaos. Ben ran to get into costume and was recognized as Peter by Angela.
Tso ran to another room, where he was grabbed by an assassin named "The Pro." On a computer screen, Tso was taunted by Doc Ock for trying to steal from her. Scarlet Spider arrived and The Pro fell out a window but was safely webbed. Scarlet saved Ellis and Yin from a grenade tossed by The Pro and Ellis asked for an interview. Scarlet reminded him that he gave him his awful moniker and refused. As Ben gathered his things from his locker at the club, he was stopped by Tso who offered him a job as a bodyguard. Tso's current bodyguard, Orlando, wasn't happy about the deal and Ben wondered what he had gotten himself into. (Scarlet Spider #1)
"Cyberwar"
Ben searched for Trainer's mind online but without luck. He feared that the longer his mind was separated from his body, the less likely they could be rejoined. Worse, Trainer seemed to enjoy the ability to travel the internet. Ben gave up to go to the job that he didn't like, for the boss he didn't like, who started a gang war with Doc Ock over computer chips that he didn't like. At the club, Ben ran into Angela Yin, who questioned him about leaving New York with Mary Jane. She had seen him at Noir and thought he might be covering a story. She didn't let him speak and promised to not tell Ellis that he was still working. Meanwhile, Orlando saw Ben speaking with Angela and ran a security check on him.
In cyberspace, Trainer caught that Ben was being investigated and created a background for him. The information reassured Orlando. Orlando also was informed that a confrontation between Ock and Tso was going to happen at the Children's Zoo. When Scarlet Spider arrived at the zoo, he was attacked by Aura, Override and Looter. They were working for Doctor Octopus and they assumed he was working with Jason Tso. All four were attacked by "cyber slayers," created by Alistaire Smythe, who was working for Tso. The slayers targeted Override, Aura and Looter, ignoring Scarlet Spider. Ock's thugs were beaten and the slayers fled as the FBI showed up. (Web of Scarlet Spider #2)
Tso was furious over his recent setbacks and his situation worsened after the Daily Bugle linked him to organized crime. He sent Ben to intimidate Ken Ellis, which of course put him in a bind. He could be mistaken for Peter at the Bugle and also become a thug for his boss. At the Bugle, Ben saw Ellis leave and considered circling back as the Scarlet Spider and offer an interview to keep him away from Tso. Scarlet Spider watched Ellis as he waited for his rendezvous and was attacked by a woman named Joystick. (She was a participant in "The Great Game," a contest sponsored by wealthy patrons that pitted superhumans against each other for gambling.) He dodged her energy blasts, telling her that he wanted nothing to do with her game but she had been assigned to him and there was no going back. One of her blasts hit a building that caused masonry to nearly crush Ellis, who was saved by the lucky intervention of the Green Goblin (Phil Urich). Scarlet had tried to merely dodge Joystick's attacks but got fed up with her and fought back. Joystick's radio-linked advisor told her leave the scene, as the Goblin was a wild card. Joystick slammed her energy sticks together and disappeared, telling them they'd earned a reprieve. Both of them were confused by what had just happened and Scarlet reluctantly agreed to meet with the Green Goblin the next night. (The Amazing Scarlet Spider #2)
The Green Goblin had found Joystick's hotel room and set off a gas bomb meant for Scarlet Spider. His gas mask protected him and he met with Scarlet at the agreed place. Scarlet chewed him out for his stupidity and told him to call the police. Goblin pretended to agree but let his hormones do his thinking and went after Joystick. She had been waiting for the Scarlet Spider and wasn't happy to see the Goblin instead. She was attacked by El Toro Negro, a vengeful player of The Great Game whom Joystick had beaten. Both Goblin and Joystick were saved by Scarlet Spider, who had guessed that Goblin would ignore his advice. Joystick still tried to terminate Scarlet Spider despite his helping her and Goblin realized she was more dangerous than just a sexy cosplayer. He saved her and let her escape, much to Scarlet Spider's fury. Goblin wasn't interested in being a hero, he was just out for the laughs. (Green Goblin #3)
"Ultimate Commitment"
Ben set about trying to make more web fluid but was out of materials. He didn't have access to Trainer's lab and couldn't risk meeting someone Peter knew at Empire State University. He bought various ingredients at a pharmacy but didn't even have a kid's basic chemistry set at his hotel room. He went out to dinner at The Daily Grind but was short twenty five cents for the pasta special. The coffee shop's owner, Shirley Washington, forgave the change and assumed he was homeless. He was asked to move from his table by a woman named Desiree Winthrop, who always sat at that table. He overheard that she worked in fashion and got an idea for a new costume. He broke into the fashion building, took scraps of leftover cloth and even found a bottle of hair dye. He swung over the city, proudly screaming that Spider-Man was back.
As he did so, he was seen by a woman on the street named Jessica Carradine. She started taking pictures of him and his spider sense went off, making him wonder if she was the problem or the building next to him. It was the Neural Port Complex, a technology company. Inside, Spider-Man found a scientist being held captive by Armada, who was trying to wipe out all of the doctor's research. Spider-Man saved the scientist and faced Armada and his robots but the webbing he'd made jammed his webshooters. He resorted to punching the flying machines and Armada panicked as they were destroyed, calling them by female names. He fled with the scientist and after Spidey unjammed his webshooter, he gave chase. Of course, Armada dropped the scientists and Spidey stopped to grab him. Spidey webbed the device that Armada stole and they fought over it. Spidey saved both of them with a web cushion as they fell from the sky but the stolen device rolled away. Armada was knocked out but his robots took off with the "DIT chip." The scientists explained that it was an experiment to change TV broadcasts. He offered Spidey $100 and he refused but did take a quarter. The next day he went back to The Daily Grind and gave Shirley the quarter that he owed her. She offered him a job and he gladly accepted. (Sensational Spider-Man #0)
"Nightmare in Scarlet"
After Doctor Octopus's lab was destroyed, the FBI combed the wreckage for survivors. The team was led by agent Stephanie Briggs, who was looking for her missing partner, agent Joe Wade. They uncovered who they thought was the Scarlet Spider, but who was acting erratically. While Spider was usually serious in times of crisis, he now made Jenny Craig jokes about the assembled agents. He later was at the George Washington Bridge, throwing iron bars at commuters. He was approached by the confused Firestar, who he knocked out after he revealed himself to be mechanical. (Web of Scarlet Spider #3)
The robotic Scarlet Spider took five hostages at a TV studio and made the audience guess which of them it would kill first. Spider-Man and the New Warriors made their way to the studio, as Speedball's mother was one of the hostages. (New Warriors #67)
Spider-Man and the New Warriors didn't have luck against the machine but it was beaten when Agent Briggs convinced Wade that he was strong enough to beat his programming. (Web of Scarlet Spider #4)
"The Return of Spider-Man"
After seeing multiple buildings on fire, Spider-Man did everything he could to save as many people as possible. He saved a boy with CPR but the kid insisted that his mother was still inside and could be saved. Ignoring the media demands for an interview, he talked to the paramedics who said that no one could still be alive in such an inferno. The ambulance pulled away as the kid pleaded that she was strong and couldn't be hurt. The burning building collapsed and a dazed woman floated out of it, muttering that she was looking for her son. She fell to the street and after she recognized Spider-Man, introduced herself as Poison, and asked for his help in finding Carlos. When he told her that Carlos was safe, she said that a man had started the fire and her son was in danger.
At The Daily Grind, Ben watched a news report on Poison and the fire. He discussed the situation with a customer and asked what the news had said about Poison's son, which the patron knew nothing about. After signing the lease on an apartment, he checked a hospital for Carlos. He found an enraged Poison, who felt betrayed that Spider-Man had failed to protect her son. Orderlies were trying to sedate her as the doctor said Carlos never made it to the hospital and the ambulance was totaled. A mystery man visited Poison and told her that her offer of a contract hadn't expired and Scott Enterprises would cover her medical bills. He reminded her of the rules of the game and supplied her costume. After she suited up, Spider-Man arrived and promised to rescue Carlos, which she was doubtful of. The phone rang and she spoke with El Toro Negro, who had taken Carlos.
She flew to a warehouse and met El Toro, who demanded that she decline Scott's offer to play in The Great Game. He wanted her offer, thinking it should have been his. If she denied the offer, she could go back to Miami with her son. Spider-Man arrived and told her not to trust El Toro, who said that Spider-Man's presence changed things. He was still angry after being captured by Spider-Man and the Green Goblin and the expensive bail for prison. To rectify the situation, he told her to kill Spider-Man. She tackled and strangled Spidey as Carlos begged her to not kill him. She apologized to him and seemingly incinerated him in a burst of light. El Toro said he couldn't let her live, as she would seek revenge. Before he could detonate his bomb, Spider-Man knocked him out. Instead of burning the webhead, she had teleported him behind the kidnapper. (Spider-Man #64)
At The Daily Grind, Ben heard about a message left for Spider-Man from the Human Torch, calling for a meeting "at the usual place." He was skeptical if he should meet with him, as he was unsure of the relationship Torch had had with Peter's Spider-Man. He visited Seward Trainer in the hospital, who still had his mind trapped in cyberspace. He was concerned that the longer he stayed separated from his body, the more unlikely he would recover. Ben decided to meet with the Torch after all and went to the ferry to meet at the Statue of Liberty. As he waited, he saw the familiar sight of the Sandman. Unaware that Sandman had gone straight, he changed to Spider-Man and confronted him. Sandman was working with Silver Sable, who Ben had never met. He inadvertently insulted Sable, and she had Sandman go after him.
As Spider-Man and Sandman fought, Sable recognized that Ben moved differently from Peter and was more lighthearted. Sandman also saw that Ben wasn't the same Spider-Man, after Ben fell into a trap that Peter would have avoided. Spidey was saved by the Human Torch and Sandman was ready to take on both of them when Sable called a halt. She said she had learned all that she needed to know about the new Spider-Man. He seemed capable enough but needed to improve his inferior webbing. She offered Ben a job, which he decided to think about. Torch was furious that someone had replaced the Spider-Man that he knew and had questions, to which Ben refused to answer. Torch left and Sandman offered to get a beer with Spider-Man, who refused. As Silver Sable and Sandman left, Ben wondered how the world had changed so much. Human Torch didn't trust him but Sandman wanted to be friends. (Amazing Spider-Man #407)
Spider-Man learned of the murder of Andrea Havershaw, the mother of a college student that he had tutored while living in Vermont. She had been very wealthy but also very kind and Ben promised he'd find her killer. He went to Andrea's wake and spoke with her son, Jason. He seemed well but Ben's spider sense was going off. Spider-Man contacted Ken Ellis for information on Andrea's murder and he said that a silver haired woman had been at the crime scene. Ellis pointed his finger at the Black Cat and Spidey went to Cat's Eye Investigations to speak with her. He was playfully attacked by Cat and they bounded across rooftops. She let on that he obviously wasn't Peter, saying that he would have known that she'd never let herself be caught on camera.
She told him that Andrea had hired Cat's Eye Investigations to look into her son, who she suspected of stealing from her. An investigation found that Jason owed money to a Russian gangster named Kasatanov. As Black Cat explained the situation, Ben tried very hard to think of how attractive she was and how "She makes the women on Baywatch look like sand crabs." He suggested that she had been impersonated by the Chameleon but she told him that he was in Ravencroft, "impersonating a piece of asparagus." They decided to work together Ben went to speak with Jason, who seemed unbothered by his mother's murder. The killer was eventually found to be an armored agent of the Russian mafia called "Skull Jacket." Jason wasn't the killer, but was deeply addicted to drugs and deeper in debt. In the end, Cat finally accepted Ben as Spider-Man and kissed him. (Spider-Man Unlimited #11)
Ben met an environmentalist named David Kalen, whose brother was murdered by the Sanders Chemical Corporation. He and Hank had found an illegal dumping site, which the company had planned to bury with an avalanche caused by an explosion. Both David and Hank were buried in the avalanche and David survived but mutated. He went after everyone that he blamed for his brother’s death, which brought him into conflict with Spider-Man. Eventually he convinced David to let the police take care of those responsible and he was taken to Ravencroft asylum by John Jameson and Edward Whelan. (Spectacular Spider-Man #230)
"The Return of Kaine"
Ben felt pretty happy as he swung to work on a crisp winter day, feeling happy with his new life. The Daily Grind shop was bustling, with Desiree complaining about needing to study physics despite being a fashion major, Buzz complaining about the media rotting brains and Ben saying he didn't even have a TV. Hours later at closing time, Ben offered to help Desiree with studying and she doubted he knew anything about physics. He quickly proved her wrong by explaining that she needed to reduce acceleration by half to compensate for drag on the fuselage. (Spectacular Spider-Man #231)
Ben arrived to work a full minute early and Jessica told him about a story she was covering for the Bugle. She showed a picture of the skeleton dressed in a Spider-Man costume in the demolished smokestack. It was the same smokestack that Peter had tried to dispose of Ben years ago after he believed he had died at Shea Stadium. Yet he hadn't died, so who had the skeleton been? Ben was eager to learn more about the skeleton and luckily Shirley sent him on chores. Ben rushed out the door, passing Desiree, who was shocked to have been ignored. Spider-Man snuck into the morgue and eventually found the right remains. He recognized the mask as one of his and not a replica. He considered contacting Peter to inform him of the news but decided to let him live in peace. He stole the skeleton, feeling ghoulish but wanted to learn about it himself.
As he made his out of the morgue, Spider-Man was stopped by Jonah Jameson, who wanted to see the skeleton for himself. Spidey webbed his eyes and swung off as Jameson promised to expose him as a murderer. As he swung home, Ben was bemoaning what Jonah would say in the next day's Daily Bugle when he saw the Rhino pursuing Kaine. He had thought Kaine was dead and wanted to what he was doing with Sytsevich. A destroyed wall began to crumble onto a woman accompanying Kaine, called Muse. Spidey shoved her out of the way and was buried in the rubble. Kaine, Muse and Rhino fled as Spidey eventually dug himself out of the bricks. He headed back to his apartment with the skeleton and saw Jessica through the window waiting for him inside. (She had organized a home welcoming party for Ben and the Daily Grind staff bought a TV for him.) He left the skeleton outside and greeted Jessica inside. She was startled by his bruises and he admitted that he'd been caught in a supervillain fight. The other guests had left but Jessica admitted that she cared about him and they kissed. (Sensational Spider-Man (vol. 1) #2)
The next day he pondered the skeleton, how much to tell Peter, Jessica's feelings for him, and the return of Kaine. Spider-Man didn't know what was going on between Rhino and Kaine but they both belonged in prison. He had trouble finding either of them, wishing they had cell phones or had an online service. He noticed some news hurrying overhead and knew they were heading to trouble. He webbed one of them and let them carry him away. By the time he arrived on the scene, the Rhino was dealing with Muse, Kaine, Joystick and a new player in The Great Game called Polestar. He dodged Polestar's blasts only to be kicked by Joystick, who was honored to meet him, unaware that they'd already met. Kaine defeated Rhino and fled, leaving Spidey to handle Joystick and Polestar. Joystick escaped, leaving Spidey to settle for Rhino and Polestar. He'd managed to put a spider tracer on Muse, letting him track her and Kaine. (Amazing Spider-Man #409)
Spidey tracked Kaine and Muse to an alleyway, the police massed behind him. Kaine solved that problem by bringing down a brick wall, forcing Spidey to save the cops. The police were confused, as they had been instructed to bring in Spider-Man for stealing the skeleton from the morgue but Kaine had just assaulted officers. Kaine tossed more police around, leading to one of them shooting him. Spidey saved them with a web net and Kaine escaped with Muse. The police still wanted to arrest him.
Kaine and Muse went to the Johnscorp building, the headquarters of James Johnsmeyer. Johnsmeyer was a very wealthy man that sponsored and orchestrated The Great Game with other bored elites. Kaine defeated Johnsmeyers high tech security, leaving a smoking building that alerted Spidey. The three of them fell through the ruined top of the building and they landed in a large room with TV monitors. As the vigilantes and sponsors watched, Johnsmeyer explained that they'd all been playing The Game and Muse had always worked for him. Kaine was enraged by her betrayal and tried to strangle her as the sponsors placed bets over the outcome. Spider-Man wasn't strong enough to stop him but gave him the choice to be a killer or be better. Kaine let Muse live but swore he'd hunt down the sponsors of The Great Game. Spider-Man tried to stop him but was blasted by Muse, saying she had been instructed to use her power on Kaine. She blasted a hole in the wall and jumped, forcing Spidey to save her. In the meantime, Kaine escaped. (Spider-Man #66)
”Web of Carnage”
Spidey checked out Ravencroft Asylum after hearing that Carnage may have escaped. The police stopped him, part of the controversy surrounding the theft of the skeleton. He escaped when John Jameson warned him that the commotion could set off the security system, and as he left he was met by Peter Parker. Peter had been at the Bugle, tuned in to the police scanner, a common tactic at the newspaper. Ben told Peter about his trouble with Jessica, who was strangely obsessed with Spider-Man and had a wall at her apartment filled with Spidey photos. She claimed that studying news stories was part of her job and he was skeptical. The news that Spider-Man was suspected of disposing of a murder victim triggered her, reinforcing her opinion that he was evil. Their conversation was ended when Peter called and said he wanted to take the skeleton to the Avengers to be studied.
At the Daily Grind, he was given Jessica's book bag which she had forgotten. He went to put it in his locker when a photo fell out, which seemed familiar to him. He put it away in his costume and made his way to the Avengers and came across what seemed to be a mugging victim. He was afraid of him and said Spider-Man looked like the red, white eyed thing that attacked him. Spidey assumed he had seen Carnage and went to check on him at Ravencroft. That brought Peter up to date on what was going on and they made their way to the home of the Wasp. (Avengers mansion had been destroyed.) As Giant Man examined the skeleton, Peter just happened to find a photograph enhancer in the lab. Giant Man confirmed that the skeleton was a clone of Spider-Man and the photo revealed that the blurred man in Jessica's photo was the burglar that killed Uncle Ben. (Sensational Spider-Man (vol. 1) #3)
Spidey took Peter back to the city and was eager to take the skeleton back to the morgue. Peter was more cautious, saying that it's DNA could be used to connect him and Ben. Spidey got the idea for Peter to capitalize on Jameson's reward for photos of Spider-Man and the skeleton. Peter took the pictures and as he left, Ben pitied Peter's situation.
Spidey trailed John Jameson and a coworker from Ravencroft, to learn more about the possibility that Carnage was escaping and returning to the hospital. He knew Peter trusted John, so he followed the other guy. He led Spidey to an underground night club that had a supervillain theme. He also sold bandages and towels used by Carnage as memorabilia. As he observed the club, it was attacked by Carnage himself. They fought briefly before Carnage escaped. The next night he followed John again, who burst out of his car as Carnage. During the fight, Carnage revealed that it knew Spider-Man wasn't the original but the Scarlet Spider. Jessica followed the chaos to the fight, just as the symbiote left John and bonded to Spider-Man, becoming Spider-Carnage. (Amazing Spider-Man #410)
The symbiote and Ben fought for control of his body and the alien senses that Jessica was important to him, so she'd be first to die. As the alien began to enter into Ben's blood, he struggled to tell Jessica to run. She refused and kept taking pictures, looking forward to see the police take him away. He smashed her camera and fled to his apartment to calm down. He had to find Peter for help. When Peter showed up at Ben's apartment, the symbiote whispered to him that he could kill Peter and be the only Spider-Man. He struggled to control himself as he spoke with Peter, who wanted to talk to Seward Trainer about the skeleton. (He had come out of his coma and was in a hospital.) The alien told Ben to rip out Peter's throat, tear off his arm and feel his warm blood. Ben screamed "NO" at the alien, making Peter think that he was refusing to talk to Trainer. Peter left and said he was going to make Trainer talk to him. The alien made Spider-Man follow Peter, using his aggressive feeling about protecting Trainer to fuel anger toward Peter.
Peter made it to the hospital and Spider-Man took out his aggression on a rooftop, as the symbiote said it would kill him before he could force it away from him. Security was alerted to the situation on the roof and the people inside were alerted to Carnage's presence. Peter ran to the roof and saw Spider-Man struggling to control himself. Armed guards arrived via helicopter and Carnage easily dealt with them but was stopped by Peter smashed a chunk of masonry over his head. Carnage shoved him over the edge and as Peter dangled from the roof, he told Ben that he had to fight the symbiote's influence. He'd done it and Ben could too. Spider-Man barely managed to pull him to safety before fleeing, telling him to stay away from Trainer. (Spider-Man #67)
Spider-Man came across some gangbangers robbing a couple and he warned them to leave while they still had lungs. He had a vision of the alleyway filled with blood and gore, and screamed at them all to leave. He made his way to Ravencroft asylum, hoping to find help. The microwave guns didn't stop him and neither did the guards inside. He grabbed John and said he could hear his blood, screaming that it wanted to come out. He tossed John aside and made his way to Cletus Kasady's cell, looking for help. The alien showed him visions of the patients murdered and bleeding in the hallway, making Ben move faster. At Kasady's cell, he told Spider-Man that the alien couldn't be controlled, it would control him. Ben continued to try and control his own body, as the symbiote demanded that he give in to it. The alien tried to leave Spider-Man and return to Kasady, which Ben refused to allow. John arrived and Spider-Man said he couldn't control it and needed to be locked up. The cell used microwave heat to subdue symbiotes, making it flee Spider-Man and escape via a sink faucet. It made it's way back to Kasady's cell via the water pipes, re-creating Carnage.
Afterward, Spider-Man was disappointed that the symbiote had escaped and he hadn't controlled it. John said that they both did well, despite the psychos that they constantly dealt with. Spider-Man thanked him, needing to hear that. (Spectacular Spider-Man #233)
”Who Did Spider-Man Murder?”
Jonah Jameson witnessed Spidey steal the skeleton from the morgue and put a bounty of $100,000 for its return. Spider-Man was swamped with mercenaries, including Boomerang, Scorpia, Jack O’Lantern (Steven Levins), Shocker and Beetle. (Spider-Man Unlimited #12)
"Along Came a Spider"
At the Daily Grind, Ben overheard about a SWAT team incident at a police station. He arrived in time to see Venom attempting to escape the police with his ex-wife, Anne Weying. (Venom: Along Came a Spider #1)
Venom tossed Spidey around and Ben began to turn the tide until Anne hit him with a lead pipe. Anne was sorry but Eddie was trying to protect her. Venom webbed him up and tossed him over the roof but Ben saved himself. He grabbed a bullhorn from a cop and went back to the roof. He tried to use the noise against Venom, which didn’t work since the battery wasn’t fully charged. Venom was forced to run after the police used a loudspeaker against him. Anne was arrested for obstruction of justice and the police threatened to arrest Spider-Man for assault. Spider-Man threatened to talk to the media and get Anne a fair trial but the cops weren’t concerned. (Venom: Along Came a Spider #2)
”Blood Brothers”
”Webs of Time”
Many years ago, Kang the Conqueror sent a Spider-Man robot back in time to infiltrate the Avengers. They defeated the robot in Mexico and left it there. Years later, it came back to New York and started draining people of their life energy and looking for a time machine. Spidey and the Avengers defeated it. (Spider-Man Team Up #4)
”Games End”
Spidey took part in the final contest in The Great Game. The opposing contestants were Prowler, Joystick, Cardiac, Polestar, Rocket Racer, El Toro Negro, and Chance. They all survived, despite Prowler suffering a severe back injury. (Spider-Man Unlimited #14)
”Suicidal Tendencies”
"Revelations"
"Taking Wing"
Peter did briefly use the alias "Ben Reilly" during the Superhuman Registration Act. He worked at Midtown High as a part time science teacher and had unmasked on TV as part of the S.R.A. This made him (and the school) a target of various super-criminals, such as Daniel Berkhart and Francis Klum. (Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man (vol. 1) #12)
After the afore mentioned bad guys attacked the school, Peter wore a hologram disguise that gave him blond hair with goatee and glasses. It was then that he used the Reilly alias. Peter had quit the science teacher job and reapplied for it as Ben. The job had already been filled and he was instead given the position of assistant coach to Flash Thompson. During the interview, the principal said,
- "I like your spirit Mr. Reilly. I wish we could clone you."
- "No, you really don't." (Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man (vol. 1) #14)
"Peter Parker Must Die!"
We all believed that Ben Reilly and anything remotely related to the Clone Saga would never be mentioned in a Spider-Man comic ever again. Imagine fandom's surprise (or Peter Parker's) when Damon Ryder, aka Raptor, came looking for Ben Reilly in New York. Ryder had taken in Reilly as the clone wandered America, and Ben became Damon's lab assistant. Damon was a bio-engineer, specializing in dinosaur DNA. (This guy has got to meet Vincent Stegron some day.) Ben warned Damon against moving ahead too quickly with his experiments, but since when do comic book scientists listen to reason?
”Dead No More: The Clone Conspiracy”
- Alistaire Smythe
- Ashley Kafka
- Dr. Barton Hamilton
- Big Man
- Billy Connors
- Eduardo Lobo, of the Lobo Brothers
- Francine Frye
- George Stacy
- Gwen Stacy
- Hitman
- Hobgoblin (Maybe Arnold Donovan)
- Hobie Brown
- Jack O’Lantern
- Jean DeWolff
- Kangaroo (Oliver)
- Madame Web
- Massacre
- Mattie Franklin
- Mirage
- Montana
- Martha Connors
- Marla Jameson
- Mysterio
- Ned Leeds
- Nick Katzenberg
- Oksana Sytsevich
- Otto Octavius
- Ox
- Rose
- Sally Avril
- Spencer Smythe
- Tarantula (unknown which one)
- Vanessa Fisk
Image Gallery
Appearances
Thanks To
The assistance of the Marvel Chronology Project is gratefully acknowledged.
Some of the above information is extracted from the various versions of the Official Handbook to the Marvel Universe and the more recent Marvel Encyclopaedias.