| Ben Reilly | |
|---|---|
.png) Ben Reilly as Scarlet Spider, as appeared inSpider-Man Collectors' Preview #1 (December 1994). Character design byTom Lyle | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | As Peter Parker's clone: The Amazing Spider-Man #149 (October 1975) Return: Web of Spider-Man #114 (May 1994) Identified as Ben Reilly: Spider-Man #51 (October 1994) As Scarlet Spider: Web of Spider-Man #118 (November 1994) As Spider-Man: Sensational Spider-Man #0 (January 1996) As Jackal: The Clone Conspiracy #3 (December 2016) As Chasm: The Amazing Spider-Man #93 (March 2022) |
| Created by | Gerry Conway (writer) Ross Andru (artist) (based uponSpider-Man byStan Lee andSteve Ditko) |
| In-story information | |
| Full name | Benjamin Reilly (né Peter Parker) |
| Species | Human mutateclone |
| Place of origin | TheCatskill Mountains,New York |
| Team affiliations | TheNew Warriors New U Technologies TheMidnight Sons TheSpider-Army/Web-Warriors |
| Notable aliases | Chasm,Scarlet Spider, Spider-Man,Spider-Carnage, Peter Parker, Henry Jones,Jackal, Man in Red, Canadian Spider-Man[1] |
| Abilities | As Scarlet Spider:
As Spider-Carnage:
|
Benjamin "Ben"Reilly (/ˈraɪli/), also known as theScarlet Spider, is asuperhero appearing inAmerican comic books published byMarvel Comics. Grown in a lab byMiles Warren/Jackal, he is aclone ofPeter Parker/Spider-Man tasked with fighting him but instead becoming an ally, later even regarded as a "brother". Created by writerGerry Conway, the character first appeared inThe Amazing Spider-Man #149 (October 1975) and is seemingly killed in the same issue. The character returned and featured prominently in the 1994–96 "Clone Saga" storyline, adopting the "Scarlet Spider" alias with a costume similar to Spider-Man's consisting of a red spandex bodysuit and mask complemented by a blue sleevelesshoodie sweatshirt adorned with a large spider symbol on both sides, along with a utility belt and bulkier web-shooters. This Scarlet Spider costume was designed by artistTom Lyle. When Peter Parker temporarily left the Spider-Man role, Ben became the newSpider-Man while wearing a new costume variation designed by artistMark Bagley. However, Reilly dies at the hands ofNorman Osborn/Green Goblin, sacrificing himself to save Parker who then resumes the Spider-Man role.
In 2017'sDead No More: The Clone Conspiracy story, the character is revealed to be alive, his mind forcibly transferred to new clone bodies by the Jackal repeatedly before hisresurrection was successful. Driven mad by the experience of being reborn and dying repeatedly, he became the new Jackal and started his own criminal enterprise. After being defeated by Spider-Man and others, Reilly reclaims his Scarlet Spider identity in the seriesBen Reilly: The Scarlet Spider. Reimagined as anantihero, he first hopes to escape his past then embarks on a spiritual quest to redeem himself. This arc is completed in "Spider-Geddon" (2018), during which he sacrifices himself to protect others when his life force is absorbed by an enemy who inadvertently absorbs his many death traumas as well. Ben is then resurrected in a new clone body, his mind and soul healed and restored. During the events of the 2021–2022 storyline "Beyond", Ben temporarily became Spider-Man again, only for him to have his memories purged from him, leading him to become the villainChasm. Due to his many resurrections in different clone bodies, the 2017–2018 comic seriesBen Reilly: The Scarlet Spider states he has died and returned more than anyone else in theMarvel Universe, leading to him becoming favored byLady Death.
The character made his cinematic debut in the 2023 feature filmSpider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse voiced byAndy Samberg.[2]
Ben Reilly was first featured as Spider-Man inThe Amazing Spider-Man #149 as a nameless clone of Peter Parker who seemingly dies alongside his creator the Jackal, who had also created a clone of Parker's lost loveGwen Stacy. The events of the issue were later revisited in several comics such asWhat If #30. Asked why he created the character, writerGerry Conway explained:
One of the things I was trying to do at that time was take ideas to their logical, yet absurd conclusion,reductio ad absurdum. The idea was that if we haveGwen Stacy brought back as a clone, how can I up the stakes when I get rid of her? When I write her out of the book, what can I do to make that really effective and to punctuate it, to bring it to the next level? And I thought, if we can clone Gwen, we can certainly clone Peter. I was also at that time enamored with titles that played off of old, melodramaticStan Lee titles of the past. ... I came up with the title, "If I Kill Me, Will I Die?"[a] It was basically a parody of an old overdramatic Stan Lee title, but I also thought it was a good title in general. So that's really what the impetus was - to raise the stakes, give us a good finish to the Gwen Stacy saga, and to allow me to have a little fun with the storytelling conventions of the time.[3]
Though Conway had no intention of using the character beyond this initial story in which he dies,[3] Reilly returned to the comics during the "Clone Saga", which ran from October 1994 to December 1996 through all five of the concurrent Spider-Man titles —The Amazing Spider-Man,Web of Spider-Man,Spider-Man,Spider-Man Unlimited, andThe Spectacular Spider-Man. EditorDanny Fingeroth directed the Spider-Man artists to design a costume for the character which would stand out from conventional superhero costumes by emphasizing simple functionality rather than flash.[3] The artists worked on costume ideas independently, and according toMark Bagley,Tom Lyle's "hoodie" design won unanimous approval among them.[3] The original costume was later replaced by an updated Spider-Man costume designed by Bagley with minor alterations byBob Budiansky.[3]
Between November and December 1995, the Scarlet Spider replaced Spider-Man in all five of the comics' titles, which were renamedThe Amazing Scarlet Spider,Web of Scarlet Spider,Scarlet Spider,Scarlet-Spider Unlimited, andThe Spectacular Scarlet Spider. Reilly was also featured prominently in the supplemental material provided for the storyline, includingSpider-Man: The Lost Years andSpider-Man: Clone Journals. The storyline was later revisited inWhat If (vol. 2) #86. Reilly was passed the mantle of Spider-Man and was featured throughout the Spider-Man titlesThe Amazing Spider-Man,The Spectacular Spider-Man,Spider-Man,Spider-Man Unlimited, andThe Sensational Spider-Man, which replacedWeb 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 also featured in two intercompany crossoversDC vs. Marvel withDC Comics andBacklash/Spider-Man withImage Comics.
Though the character has not been used in mainstream continuity since his death inSpider-Man #75, the character is often alluded to and provided the foundation to the backstory in theSpider-Girl mythology. In January 2009, Reilly returned to comics as Spider-Man in the third part of Marvel'sX-Men/Spider-Man miniseries. Written byChristos Gage, the series explores episodes in the histories of both the X-Men and Spider-Man, sticking thoroughly to the source material of the time frames that the stories take place in. Issue #3 marked the first new adventure featuring Reilly in more than 12 years. Starting in 2009 and continuing into 2010, Marvel published a six-issueminiseries titledSpider-Man: The Clone Saga that was a retelling of the story as it had originally been envisioned.[3] In 2010, Marvel began collecting the story in trade paperback and hardcover forms (ISBN 978-0785148050). The epic spans five books and covers Reilly's time on the road, through his encounters with Peter andMary Jane Watson, up to his role as the Scarlet Spider, as the lone spider hero in New York.
On July 25, 2010, atSan 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".[4] During the 2011 San Diego Comic-Con, a teaser image was posted on Marvel.com of Reilly's shirt in flames, entitled "The return of The Scarlet Spider?"[5] It is revealed inThe Amazing Spider-Man #673 and the MarvelPoint Oneone-shot that Kaine will be the new Scarlet Spider in his own ongoing series, which was confirmed by editor Steve Wacker in the "Letters to the Editor" page of #673. Later, Ben Reilly in his Scarlet Spider uniform appears to be fighting Kaine on the cover ofScarlet Spider #21. At the climax of the issue it is revealed that this isKraven the Hunter impersonating Reilly.
Ben Reilly returns in the storylineDead No More: The Clone Conspiracy, it revealed he was repeatedly resurrected, killed and resurrected again by the Jackal as the villain tried to perfect a new cloning process. Broken by the memory and experience of over two dozen deaths, Ben took control of the Jackal's scheme, even adopting the villain's name for himself, and created a new cloning process that included a better memory transfer but required the clone to ingest a pill on a daily basis to maintain their cellular composition, lest their flesh, muscles, organs, and bones deteriorate until only the nervous system, eyes, and brain remain. He eventually planned to save the human race from death and disease by killing everyone and transferring their memories to super-clones who could then continually have their mind transferred to new bodies if they ever suffered fatal injury, continuations of the original person rather than copies and calling them "reanimates." After a final confrontation with Peter forces him to abandon his plans and resources, Ben relocates to Las Vegas. He initially tries to escape his past and punishment for his actions while being haunted by hallucinations, adopting the Scarlet Spider identity again. His experiences eventually help restore some of his sanity and set him back on the path to be a hero, before learning he has been favoured byLady Death as her new favourite person from how many times he had died and returned, and how many people he had revived via his reanimations, to whose bodies their souls returned. Death warns Ben that since his soul has degraded with each death and revival, in spite of his wish to return to heroism, his next death and return will lead him to a path of villainy, a plotline followed up on inSpider-Man Beyond, at the end of which Ben is rendered a bitter partial amnesiac, as the villain Chasm.
ProfessorMiles Warren, unhealthily obsessed with his late studentGwen Stacy who died at the Green Goblin's hands, attempts various experiments, learningPeter Parker was Spider-Man. Blaming the web-slinger for marking Gwen as a target, Warren (taking on the villain alter ego theJackal) attempts to clone the hero. Parker's first clone,Kaine, suffers from clone degeneration and is dismissed, but successful clones of both Parker and Stacy with stable cell structures are later created. After multiple attacks on Spider-Man, the Jackal forces the hero and his clone to fight, each believing the other is the clone. The two team up to save Parker's colleagueNed Leeds and Gwen's clone. In the process, Warren and Spider-Man's clone appear to be killed in an explosion.[6] Spider-Man's clone survives and realizes he is not the real Peter Parker. Rather than attempt to replace Parker, he leaves New York to embark on a nomadic life, dubbing himself "Ben Reilly" as a nod to his original self's uncleBen Parker andMay Parker's maiden surname.[7]
During his travels, Ben Reilly befriends geneticistSeward Trainer, becoming the man's lab assistant and honing his scientific prowess to university graduate level under his mentorship. Ben trusts Trainer with his secrets and the man becomes a father figure.[8][9] Reilly is hunted by Kaine, the scarred and resentful failed clone of Peter Parker. Later, Reilly works with scientist Damon Ryder, who mutates himself into a dinosaur hybrid. An attack by Kaine causes a fire that kills Ryder's family, though the scientist blames Reilly for this tragedy.[10] At one point, Reilly finds love with college student Janine Godbe who then reveals her true identity is Elizabeth Tyne, a fugitive who killed her father after enduring incestuous rape. After Janine apparently commits suicide out of guilt for her crime, Reilly continues his travels.[11][12][13]
Five years after leaving New York City, Ben Reilly discovers May Parker suffered astroke and may not recover. He returns to New York City, leading to a confrontation with the original Peter Parker who at this time is bitter, angry, and prone to violent rages following recent traumatic events. After the two handle a hostage situation atRavencroft, Peter attempts to reclaim his humanity and Ben decides to remain in the city for a while.[14][15][16]
WhenVenom (Eddie Brock) goes on a rampage, Reilly decides to stop Venom, donning a red bodysuit along with a blue spider hoodie he buys at a museum.[17] Armed with improved web-shooters he developed, he defeats Venom and is dubbed the "Scarlet Spider" byDaily Bugle reporter Ken Ellis.[18] Ben and Peter later reunite and come to believe that Peter is actually the clone and Ben the original.[19]
Scarlet Spider joins theNew Warriors for a brief time and develops an attraction to teammateFirestar.[20] After a few more adventures, Peter is nearly killed in action and decides to retire as Spider-Man to be a better husband and father.[21] He and Mary Jane leave New York City. During gang warfare betweenLady Octopus andAlistair Smythe, a holographic duplicate of the Scarlet Spider ruins Ben's reputation, causing him to drop the Scarlet Spider identity.[22]
.jpg)
Ben Reilly adopts the Spider-Man identity with a new costume. Only a few heroes and villains realize this equivalent of Spider-Man is a different person than before. In his civilian life, Ben dyes his hair blonde and starts working at a café called the Daily Grind.[23] He bonded with theCarnagesymbiote asSpider-Carnage whichJohn Jameson helped in removing.[24][25][26] He starts a relationship with Jessica Carradine, a student at Centennial University with a personal vendetta against Spider-Man, convinced the hero is a murderer. Ben later discovers her late father was the burglar who killed Ben Parker and went into foster care after the man's arrest.[24] Jessica then reveals her father told her he had been framed for Ben Parker's murder. She blames the wall-crawling vigilante not only for taking away her parent, but for his death during another encounter with Spider-Man, unwilling to believe it was simply a heart-attack brought on by stress. After Jessica discovers Ben is Spider-Man, she confronts the truth of her father. Ultimately accepting that Spider-Man is a hero when she sees him risk his life to save people from a burning building, she decides to start a new life on her own rather than remain with Ben.[27][28]
Ben's life and work are targeted by theHobgoblin on orders of Spider-Man's old enemyMendel Stromm, now called Gaunt.[29] After Peter and Mary Jane return to New York, Ben realizes Seward Trainer has been working with Gaunt for years.[30] Peter and Ben cement their relationship, now regarding each other as brothers and enjoying that they share the same childhood memories. Ben introduces Peter to the Daily Grind staff as his "cousin".[31] Reilly's former lover Janine Godbe is revealed to be alive, forced to fake her death years ago by Kaine as a means of hurting Ben. After multiple confrontations, Kaine accepts he has been avoiding responsibility for his actions and turns himself over to the authorities. Inspired, Janine does the same.[32]
Norman Osborn reveals himself to be the architect behind Parker's last few years of trauma, all part of a plan to drive the hero insane, including having Seward Trainer create false lab results so he would mistakenly believe he was the clone and Reilly the original. Since Peter has withstood his many trials, Osborn has lost patience and decided to act directly. While Mary Jane is poisoned and loses her child in stillbirth, the original Goblin fights Parker. The battle ends when Reilly takes a fatal wound intended for Peter. He dies and his body decomposes rapidly, confirming he was actually a clone. Peter reclaims the Spider-Man identity.[33]
.png)
Ben Reilly returns in the 2015All-New, All-Different Marvel branding, where he assumes the alias ofAnubis, the jackal-headed Egyptian god of death. It is revealed that Miles Warren survived the events ofMaximum Clonage and resurrected Ben in a clone body. When the new body has problems with cellular degradation, Warren kills Ben and tries again. He does this many times, with Ben's memory transfer ensuring he recalls each death leading up to his stable 27th body. Traumatized by the memory of 26 deaths, Ben breaks free, defeats Warren, and decides to use his technology and operation to prevent anyone else from suffering the tragedy of death. He adopts a mask of Anubis and as the new Jackal he improves the cloning process, now seeing his new clone creations as "reanimates," continuations of the original person rather than simply copies. His reanimates seem improved in many ways but carry a latent form of a new Carrion virus in their cells.[34][35]
Publicly, Reilly uses the company New U Technologies to offer cutting edge healing and organ replacement for people, even those with terminal conditions. Peter Parker, head of Parker Industries at the time, becomes suspicious and investigates. Reilly later reveals himself and shows he has resurrected people whose deaths have caused Spider-Man guilt, all of whom now live in a neighborhood-like facility called Haven. Reilly asks Peter to join him and but the latter concludes the new Jackal is using power without considering the responsibility of his actions. A signal is activated that destabilizes the bodies of the reanimates, meaning the new airborne Carrion virus will now activate in most if not all of them. Reilly decides to let this plague spread across Earth so he can replace everyone with genetically improved reanimates, but his plan is stopped. With his own body breaking down, Reilly saves himself using New U Pills and Webware Technology, but now bears scars all over his face and body.[36][37] After a brief confrontation with the original Jackal, Ben leaves to start a new life, still believing his work was for the good of humanity.[38]
Relocating to Las Vegas, the disfigured Ben is tracked down by former New U Technologies client Cassandra Mercury, owner of the Mercury Rising casino, who wants revenge for his failure to cure her daughter Abigail's terminal disease. Ben buys time by telling Cassandra he can develop a cure in exchange for a lab and resources. He lives and works in the Mercury Rising casino, identifying himself as "Peter."[39] During this time, Ben is haunted by hallucinations of his old self telling him to be more heroic and his Jackal self defending their actions. He steals a Spider-Man cosplayer's hooded costume, then later takes a copy of his original Scarlet Spider outfit from a Spider-Man fan. Operating at times as a vigilante, he uses harsher methods than before, sometimes using a gun to deliver nonlethal injuries.[40]
Kaine Parker arrives in Las Vegas, desiring Ben's death for his actions as the Jackal. Reilly argues he is trying to cure Abigail Mercury's condition, but his untested serum backfires and kills the girl. Kaine attacks, only to be seemingly killed byDeath.[41] Death explains no other person has been brought back to life as often as Ben and this has corrupted his soul; one more resurrection will likely shatter his soul and sanity. She offers to restore Abigail or Kaine to life, but Ben asks her to save both and take him instead. Impressed, Death heals Kaine and Abigail and removes Ben's scars.[42] During a later battle, Ben uses excessive force and regains scarring around an eye. Death explains he is still being tested and will manifest more scars again if he engages in corrupt behavior.[43]
Some time later, Ben injects Abigail with what seems to be a blood sample from the angel Gabriel, though Abigail succumbs to her fatal disease. The demon lordMephisto then tricks Kaine into killing Reilly.[44] However, the blood had indeed saved Abigail, but not in the form everyone thought. Abigail ascended to an angelic level of existence and decides to resurrect Ben since Mephisto overstepped his bounds by arranging the man to die earlier than he should. Ben refuses, remembering Death's warning that his soul will be shattered and he might become evil. Abigail assures him he's still a hero at heart and soon afterwards Ben awakes in a body bag in an ambulance. After escaping from the ambulance, he is confronted by Misty Beck, only for him to punch her through the stomach and exposes her true nature as an android. Ben quickly discovered that he had been driven sociopathic and he enjoyed it. He assaults Kaine and injures him, threatening him to leave Las Vegas if he survived. However, after he leaves, he breaks down in an alleyway, crying.[45]
DuringSpider-Geddon, Otto Octavius recruits Kaine to help fight theInheritors, vampiric beings who feed on the life force of animal totems, particularly Spider heroes across reality. Overhearing that the Inheritors plan to use New U Technologies to rebuild their cloning machine to ensure they cannot die, Ben, still suffering from his evil soul, volunteers his services, wishing to prevent his technology from causing more harm.[46] Octavius begrudgingly agrees only to apparently betray Ben later, by offering him to the Inheritors in exchange for leaving other Spiders alone.[47] The Inheritor called Jennix takes Ben's life force, but also absorbs the experience of Ben's 27 deaths which drives the Inheritor insane, just as planned. Following his sacrifice and Jennix absorbing his death traumas, Octavius resurrects Ben a 28th time with his mind restored.[48]
At an unspecified point, Ben is recruited by theBeyond Corporation, taking on the mantle of Spider-Man for a second time. He takes a newly modified costume designed by Beyond into the field whenBushwacker seizes control of a building inDallas. To assure Ben's unwavering loyalty, the Beyond corporation arrange for the prison release of Elizabeth Tyne, Ben's true love.[49] The Beyond Corporation alters Ben's memories to maintain control over him, causing him to lose his sense of responsibility.[50] The Corporation pits Ben against Peter, telling him they've built a device that can restore his memories. In the ensuing conflict, Ben is exposed to special matter-manipulating polymers that the Beyond Corporation created and disappears. Ben resurfaces months later, having deteriorated further and become unable to perceive his own face. Additionally, he is bathed in green and black energy that seems related to the shifting properties of the polymers. Donning a twisted green and purple version of his Spider-Man suit, Ben declares his old self "dead" and assumes the villainous persona of Chasm.[51]
As Spider-Man's clone, Ben Reilly possesses proportionate spider-like abilities and traits identical to Peter Parker's, including superhuman strength, speed, reflexes, stamina, resiliency, and agility, along with the ability to cling to almost any surface granted by consciously commanding his body to do so (the process seems similar to thevan der Waals force and has been described as "the ability to mentally control the flux of the inner-atomic attraction between molecular boundary layers).[52] Reilly's reflexes and stamina operate up to 40 times faster than an average person's, while his strength allows him to lift 150 times his own weight (approximate limit of 10 tons). He can leap thirty feet into the air from a standing position. Ben's superhumanly enhanced muscles, bones, and body are more resistant to injury than the average human.[53] Like Peter, Ben has a precognitive "spider-sense" warning him of incoming danger and threats, manifesting as a buzzing in the base of his skull. In battle, Ben can allow this sense to guide his reflexes to help dodge attacks.[53]
Ben possesses Peter Parker's genius-level scientific intellect with particular talents towardsapplied science,chemistry,biology,engineering,physics,mathematics, andmechanics. During his travels, Ben was able to spend more time improving his scientific knowledge and experience and came to surpass Peter's skill in some fields. Because Reilly was not in the role of Spider-Man for five years while traveling, and didn't engage in regular combat during his time as the Jackal, his fighting style is less polished than Parker's. Kaine notes that Reilly is more reliant on tactics rather than his physical skill and is a calculating and cunning combatant.
Like Peter Parker, Ben is armed with wrist-worn web-shooters that each holds several cartridges of "web-fluid", a chemical mixture that solidifies on exposure to air. Released from a pressurized valve, the web-fluid can (depending on the valve's adjustment) become an expanding net, a thin web-line, or an adhesive, malleable goo. Reilly's web-shooters use more advanced triggers than Parker's and include features such as "impact webbing", temporary paralysis-inducing "stingers", and "mini-dot" tracers (a smaller version of Parker's spider-tracers). Due to these advances, Reilly's web-shooters are bulkier than Parker's, so he wears them on the outside of his costumes. Like Parker, Reilly wears a belt that carries spare web-fluid cartridges.[54]
Ben Reilly is one of the heroes on theS.H.I.E.L.D.Helicarrier who survived the zombie plague. He is seen battling the zombies; however, this plan falls apart. Reilly's fate is unknown.[55]
Spider-Man: Life Story features an alternate continuity where the characters naturally age after Peter Parker becomes Spider-Man in 1962. Miles Warren was ordered by Norman Osborn to create clones of Norman and Peter. In 1977, Norman convinced Harry to attack Miles after discovering that Warren had created a clone of Gwen as well. Harry deduces that Norman had Miles clone Peter because Norman still viewed Peter as a more worthy successor over him and blows up the containment tubes with the clones. Peter's clone was the only survivor thanks to inheriting Spider-Man's powers. However, Miles reveals that the "Gwen" Peter was with was actually her clone while the real Gwen died in the explosion. A year later, Peter and Gwen's clones rename themselves as Ben and Helen Parker (later Reilly) and move out of New York for a second chance at life. In 2006, Ben is murdered byMorlun.[56]
In September 2009, a six-issue miniseries based on the Clone Saga comics of the 1990s, titledSpider-Man: The Clone Saga, was issued. The purpose of the miniseries was to tell the story as it was initially conceived. It is a condensed version of the Clone Saga without the plot points involving Traveler, Scrier, and covers several months of a fictional time period. The first issue introduces readers to the characters Ben Reilly and Kaine, and addresses Mary Jane's pregnancy and Aunt May's hospitalization. Reilly and Parker bond after Kaine attacks them, and Reilly decides to stay in New York, pretending to be Peter's blonde-haired cousin so that he can build his own life. Reilly adopts the identity of the Scarlet Spider and begins working at the Daily Grind.[volume & issue needed]
Reilly and Parker 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 the Jackal, who captures all three and reveals his plans to make an army of Spider-Man clones to take over the world. Since Reilly is the only stable clone, the Jackal takes a sample of his blood to perfect his cloning technique. When the Jackal reveals another stage of his plan, to clone Gwen Stacy and another unknown figure, Kaine goes berserk and breaks himself, Parker and Reilly free. During the subsequent fight, the clones dissolve and the Jackal plants the first seed of doubt over who is the original Peter Parker. After Kaine kills the Jackal, Reilly and Parker escape with the cure for Aunt May's and Mary Jane's virus. Parker retires and hands the Spider-Man identity to Reilly. Reilly spends several months in the role, while Parker gets ready to become a father. Reilly is shown as a less-polished Spider-Man and is somewhat insecure due to his relative inexperience because of his exile. Eventually, Mary Jane gives birth, Allison Mongrain kidnaps the baby, and later gives it to Kaine.[volume & issue needed]
When Reilly goes searching for the baby, he is attacked by the Green Goblin, who is revealed to be Harry Osborn and working with Kaine. Though Reilly appears to gain the upper hand in the ensuing fight, the Goblin impales him in the back with his Goblin Glider. Miraculously, Reilly survives the attack. Osborn had been plotting his revenge against Parker since his apparent heart attack. Osborn creates a clone of his father, Norman, to help him defeat Parker and Reilly; however, Norman jumps in front of Harry's Goblin Glider as it is about to hit Parker and is impaled in the back. Afterwards, Kaine returns baby May to Parker and Mary Jane, Aunt May survives and wants to help raise the child, and Ben Reilly leaves once again to travel the world and find a life for himself.[57]
During the 2014 "Spider-Verse" storyline, Ben Reilly of Earth-94 was recruited into a team of multiverse Spider-Totems who were teaming up to fend off the Inheritors, who were trying to devour each and every Spider-Totem.[58] In this particular universe, Peter Parker's powers did not return, with Peter remaining in Oregon while Ben has developed into a far lighter character without the burden of Peter's past, particularly aided by the string of successes that he had as Spider-Man, including saving Marla Jameson fromAlistair Smythe and preventingDoctor Octopus fromtaking his body.[59]
This version of Ben Reilly lead a team featuring fellow clonesKaine of Earth-616 and theJessica Drew of Earth-1610 who are sent on a mission that requires their 'expertise' as clones of Spider-Man.[60] Their mission sends them to Earth-802, a world conquered by the Inheritors and ruled over by the Inheritor Jennix, whose efforts to clone Spider-Totems failed to clone the Spider-Essence itself. Despite their best efforts to infiltrate said world, the Spider-Clones would end up doing battle with the dimension's versions of Iron Man and the Human Torch, as well as Jennix himself, before Reilly later sacrificed himself to destroy the Inheritors' cloning facility; which they used to resurrect themselves if they fell during their trips to other worlds.[59]
InUltimate Marvel (Earth-1610), Ben Reilly is introduced as an African-American scientist who worked withCurt Connors at Empire State University. He created theCarnage organism, which he nicknames "Little Ben" Reilly after himself.[61] Reilly later works withDoctor Octopus, creating five clones of Spider-Man while employed by theCIA.
Ben Reilly as the Scarlet Spider appears inSpider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,[2][68] voiced byAndy Samberg.[69][65] This version is a member ofMiguel O'Hara's Spider-Society who serves as a parody of 1990s comic tropes and makes internal monologues. DirectorJoaquim Dos Santos confirmed their version of Reilly was "representing an era in comics. That's one of the key things with the character is that Ben Reilly was an era when super duper ripped characters were like the norm. Muscles on top of the muscles on top of muscles and being in positions that were not physically possible. And we were just like we really wanted to capture that."[70]
| Title | Material collected | ISBN |
|---|---|---|
| Ben Reilly: The Scarlet Spider Vol. 1: Back in the Hood | Ben Reilly: Scarlet Spider #1-5 and material fromClone Conspiracy Omega #1 | 978-0785194583 |
| Ben Reilly: The Scarlet Spider Vol. 2: Death's Sting | Ben Reilly: Scarlet Spider #6-10,Slingers (1998) #0 | 978-0785194590 |
| Ben Reilly: The Scarlet Spider Vol. 3: Slingers Return | Ben Reilly: Scarlet Spider #10-14 | 978-1302911157 |
| Ben Reilly: The Scarlet Spider Vol. 4: Damnation | Ben Reilly: Scarlet Spider #15-19 | 978-1302911164 |
| Ben Reilly: The Scarlet Spider Vol. 5: Deal With the Devil | Ben Reilly: Scarlet Spider 20-25 | 978-1302915049 |
Spider-Man characters | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spider-Man family |
| ||||||||||||
| Supporting characters |
| ||||||||||||
| Antagonists | |||||||||||||
| Alternative versions |
| ||||||||||||
| In other media |
| ||||||||||||
| Other topics | |||||||||||||
