The Ultimate Universe has introduced Spider-Man’s most infamous clone, but not in the way you think. “The Clone Saga” from the 1990s shook up the Spider-Man mythos with the revelation that Peter Parker had a clone named Ben Reilly. To make matters worse, it was believed that Ben was the original Peter Parker, and the Peter fans had followed for decades was the clone. All that confusion was eventually straightened out, and Ben garnered a devoted fan following all his own. Factor in the existence of Kaine Parker, the Scarlet Spider, another Spider-Man clone, and you can understand why Spidey fans have strong feelings toward clones. That’s what makes what Ultimate Spider-Man just did all the more interesting.
*WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Ultimate Spider-Man #10. Continue reading at your own risk!
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Ultimate Spider-Man #10 was created by Jonathan Hickman, David Messina, Matthew Wilson, and VC’s Cory Petit. The bulk of the issue is centered on Ben Parker and J. Jonah Jameson’s investigation into the buying and selling of Stane/Stark Industries. It has been secretly sold through offshore companies numerous times, with the paper trail leading back to Oscorp. When Ben and Jonah confront Gwen Stacy, wife of Harry Osborn, with what they’ve found, she cusses them out.
Ben and Jonah eventually meet with Harry and conclude that Harry has used Stane/Stark resources to fight crime as the Green Goblin. After Harry threatens them, he says that deep inside Stane/Stark are files that reveal Wilson Fisk works for The Maker, and how Maker has reshaped their world. Harry gives Ben and Jonah the information but warns that powerful people will be after them if they publish the data. It’s why Harry wears a mask, to protect his loved ones. However, the reporters aren’t putting their real names on the article. Instead, they opt for a pseudonym, a fictional newsman to throw the bad guys off the scent.
And the name they come up with is Ben Reilly.
Ben Reilly once replaced Peter Parker as Spider-Man
Miles Warren, aka the Jackal, is a villain with an obsession with Spider-Man and cloning, and is the creator of Ben Reilly. Ben was named after Uncle Ben and Aunt May, taking Ben’s first name and May’s maiden last name of Reilly. Ben showed up in Peter’s life when Aunt May became gravely sick, and the two “brothers” formed a quick bond, with Ben taking on the moniker of the blue hoodie-wearing Scarlet Spider. Norman Osborn tricked Peter and Ben into believing that Peter was the clone and Ben was the original copy. Part of the fallout was Peter leaving New York with Mary Jane, with Ben staying to fight crime as the new Spider-Man.
This was a dark time for a section of Spider-Man fans, who missed following Peter’s adventures. Marvel changed course and came up with a storyline to show that Peter was indeed the original. The truth was discovered when Ben died in Peter’s arms. Poor Ben has died and been brought back to life/cloned several times, leaving his psyche fractured. The most recent example of this turned Ben into a Spider-Man villain.
Spider-Man’s clone Ben Reilly is the new villain Chasm
The Spider-Man Beyond era saw Ben Reilly replace Peter Parker as Spider-Man once again after Peter was left injured. The Beyond Corporation had been manipulating Ben, erasing his memories and mutating him into the villainous Chasm. Ben teamed up with the X-Men villain Madelyne Pryor in the Dark Web event, where they battle the X-Men and Spider-Man in Limbo, which was also transported to New York City.
This year saw the release of Chasm: Curse of Kaine, a miniseries by writer Steve Foxe and artist Andrea Broccardo that brought Spider-Man clones Ben Reilly and Kaine Parker into conflict. “Kaine Parker is on a mission to track down his fellow clone Ben Reilly. But has becoming Chasm made Ben beyond saving? Or is there an even more menacing presence pulling his strings?” a description of the series reads. Chasm: Curse of Kaine concludes in November, so we’ll have to wait and see what happens when Ben Reilly and Kaine Parker collide.
As you can see, Ben Reilly has had quite a roller coaster of a career. He’s gone from hero to villain, back to hero, and now a villain again. And now his name has made it into the pages of Ultimate Spider-Man. Depending on how long the series lasts, there may come a day when we see Ben Reilly get to meet Peter Parker. The only question is will they be friends or foes?