Huge Spider-Man Twist Impacts Classic Character

Spider-Man has a long and convoluted history with clones. Dating back to 1975, Spidey dealt with Professor Miles Warren, aka the Jackal, and his crazy obsession over Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy. Despite the Spider-Man clone apparently dying, he returned 20 years later in the Clone Saga story arc which resulted in the character taking on the mantle of the Scarlet Spider.

The Jackal has returned, yet again, and is causing more havoc in Spider-Man's life with the current Clone Conspiracy storyline. Several deceased characters have returned, but that isn't much of a surprise in a Spider-Man story. The big shock came when the wall crawler came face to face with the well-dressed Jackal.

Warning: Spoilers for The Clone Conspiracy #3 below.

Prior to this encounter, Spider-Man discovered there were more dangers resulting from Jackal's new breed of clones. The clones require a pill every 24 hours in order to prevent their bodies from decomposing. Some of Spider-Man's allies discovered that clones were created on other Earths across the Multiverse. On these other worlds, the new clones became infectious, zombie-like creatures.

Spider-Man managed to discover the location where Jackal would meet his agents with another dead body to resurrect. The surprise came when Jackal was able to put up a fight and match Spider-Man's speed.

Jackal removed his mask and revealed his true identity: Ben Reilly.

Ben Reilly died in action at the end of the Clone Saga story. As a result of being a clone, his body soon dissolved. Spider-Man questions how Ben could be alive. Reilly's response was he could remember burning away in his arms. Because he was able to come back from that, the possibilities for mankind were big. Anyone could be brought back from the dead with his research, including their dead Uncle Ben.

Scarlet Spider was a fan-favorite character among readers. Writers fleshed him out, giving him his own identity and supporting cast members. He was killed off when a plot point of the Clone Saga dealt with Peter being the clone and Ben being the true Spider-Man. Reilly's death gave closure to the identity confusion.

The big question is: How did Ben return from the dead if he's the one behind all of this? There has to be someone else behind the curtain. Apparently Ben won't think of himself as a villain. Writer Dan Slott mentioned during a phone press conference that Reilly had been the Jackal for years, going back to 2011's Spider-Island arc.

The Clone Conspiracy #3 is on sale now. Questions raised here will be answered in Amazing Spider-Man #22, on sale December 21.

You can read more on Ben Reilly's death here.

SLOOOOOOOOOTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!!!! (c)

Cause it's Slott and he doesn't care? He has already messed around with other character's backstories and histories and characters. He only does this for the shock and awe factor.

Ben did die that day. If he was ressurected, why didn't he just go back to Peter? Cause HE DIDN'T! The way Slott writes is like the first episode of Futurama where both of Bender's arms come off. This is how slott writes!

http://coub.com/view/ummw450

What!? Man I haven't been this shocked since I learned that space is vast!

So if he was The Jackal since Spider-Island, why did nobody recruit him for Spider-Verse? He could have been of great help on Loomworld (where a more noble copy of Ben sacrificed himself)

Okay.

Don't [mess] with him. I hope this is just a clone of a clone. Jackal make a Peter clone, so he probably make another one(after Kaine or after Ben) and turn him off.

Never Let Slott Write Anything Again After His Latest Arc With Osborn And Parker Industries.

This is becoming as confusing and convoluted as one of the X-men time travel stories.

No... Just... No.

Screw this goddamn book and Dan Slott can go to hell.

I literally shut my computer after I read that part.

I love it.

@itsaworld: I've aways said he didn't die. It didn't make sense.

http://comicvine.gamespot.com/articles/off-my-mind-why-the-scarlet-spider-is-still-alive/1100-143050/

He was the "perfect clone" and didn't have the flaw that caused them to dissolve. Dying shouldn't suddenly trigger that flaw.

The other question is WHO brought Ben back? He seems to be in charge but apparently not?

@itsaworld: LMAO! That's was great! Kudos my man!

it's not really him. just a robot or a dude who got surgery or something

@gotham331: I try my best.

Lets see what zoidberg has to say about Slott

This seems like a lazy plot twist. I am very happy for Tony though. I know he has been waiting for Reilly to be resurrected for a long time.

...wow this is really bad.

Leave it to @danslott to piss on even more Spider-continuity. But it's okay, because his comic sells, barely, in the top 25 and all 15 of the people who tweet him weekly /REALLY/ enjoy his work.

BUT WAIT! The story isn't over yet! Just see how it plays out!

Oh, I will, via torrenting, but still, screw you.

@kidchipotle: That's what I've been doing lol

The long awaited return of Ben Reilly has come... and it sucks ass!

This guy has killed half the Spider Man supporting cast, driven MJ and Black Cat away, reduced Spider Man to an incompetent man child and now he's messing with clones. And he's brought back everyone who's ever died to kill them again because there is no way in hell they're staying alive. If Uncle Ben is resurrected Slott will have successfully succeeded in deconstructing and ending Spider Man. If Ben does come back the least he can do is take May with him to the grave so Spider Man can stop being a mama's boy but even if that happened he'll probably screw it up.

Will this guy ever stop attacking us.

BTW Hitler predicted this several years ago:

I just hope that this makes sense eventually. I loved Ben Reilly and It would be ridiculous if he was a villain out of the blue.

I really don't care if people don't like The Clone Saga. I like it and I am a Ben Reilly fan. I hope he gets his own series after this event.

Lol Gman is going to have a field day with this one.

Yeah, I feel like everyone's getting upset over this, but I thought it was a cool twist

Slott and shit like this is one of the reasons I haven't been reading comics for awhile now.

Me: GERRY! Dan is being an annoying jerk to past creative writers again! Will you please give us a Ben Reiley in your Amazing Spider-Man comics?

Gerry: but clone saga never happened

Me: YA! And that mean's he never died. Go write his appearance and make more jabs at Slott.

Ryan: We making jabs at slot again?

Me: SEE?! Stegman's in!!!

Was I suppose to laugh at "Your brother from another blood cell."? How Anti-Climatic. "It's not red it's.....Scarlet" These lines are corny for what should be a serious pivotal moment. Garbage writing. I had to reread these lines a few times to make sure I wasn't missing something.

Good thing I stop following after Superior.

You can tell how hard Slott is trying to make this event seem well thought-out. The story just comes off as convoluted plot points mashing together for no reason. Like Kingpin showing up in this issue at Horizon Labs out of nowhere.

@gmanfromheck: Seems like a cool twist. The updated Jackal look is definitely an upgrade. I don't get the Dan Slott hate from the commenters, so no comment there. My only two critiques are:

1. That Scarlet Spider coming back as a bad guy feels a bit like Jason coming back as Red Hood.
2. The 90's Clone Saga was so poorly received when it seemed to be neverending, I'm really surprised that Marvel would revisit it.

Critiques aside, it will be interesting to see how this plays out.

Also, a curiosity: with the more Anubis-looking Jackal, is there a CV office pool on how long before Moon Knight shows up? :)

This is beautiful.

LOL

Yep...anything involving ''Spiderman'' and ''clones'' ...is just AWFUL. I mean who's great idea was this ? '' Lets write a story about bringing every dead person back...but also turn beloved, iconic characters into villains when they return too ! ''

Hell, I will not be suprised if they manage to bring back Uncle Ben and he becomes the new Green Goblin because SCREW Spiderman in the main universe ...except Miles because he is Bendis' baby.

I am glad I don't follow Amazing Spiderman much anymore because every little news I see is just a disaster. And Thank God for Renew Your Vows where the Spiderman as it should've been is there to be read.

Oh no, Dan Slott brought back a character who death didn't make sense in the Clone Sage. Oh no, Dan Slott is trying to fill a plot hole with something interesting.

Slotts really playing with fire on this one. Im interested where its all going but If it doesn't finish strong oh boy theres gonna be some super pissed off fans

Sometimes you just gotta wonder if Bendis got ahold of the clone conspiracy script waaaay early and saw the travesty that lay in wait for us. So, a guy who also likes Peter (sometimes I question it as of now but maybe he just hates OMD Peter cause that man hates it as much as we do) couldn't watch our favorite webslinger suffer and then suggested killing Peter Parker off in Civil War 2.

Cause right now I'm thinking 'maybe they shoulda killed him'

All praise the real AMAZING Spider-Man. Renew Your Vows. They keep the AMAZING in there for a reason!

Spider-Man: The Clone Cancer

Dan Slott proving once again that he can't factor in "plausibility" into his nonsensical storylines. The man is creatively bankrupt.

Honestly I kind of like it.

Why is everyone so pissed? I honestly just want them to bring his blond hair back

Thank you for being one of the few people on this thread not ranting about how terrible this idea is. I think this idea has potential and am hopeful for where it goes, so long as it doesn't drag on as long as the original Clone Saga did.

@cbishop said:

Actually, you make a good point with Jason Todd, given that Marvel did recently go through a big universe altering event. I hope it's not because of Secret Wars though, because like with Jason coming back due to Infinite Crisis, I think the character's resurrection should be tied in more closely with their own mythos and not the mythos of the entire universe, thus why I like the Under The Red Hood movie a bit more than the comic it was based on.

BLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAND!