Ben Reilly

• Core Identity: Ben Reilly is the first genetically stable clone of Peter Parker, a man forever haunted by a fractured identity who has served as the heroic Scarlet Spider and even Spider-Man, but whose immense trauma has also led him down a dark path to become the villainous Chasm.
• Key Takeaways: (An unordered list of critical points)
• Role in the Universe: Ben Reilly is the central figure of the infamous Clone Saga, a living exploration of identity, memory, and what it means to be “real.” He represents a darker, more tragic reflection of Peter Parker's life, showing what might have become of Spider-Man without the stability of his friends and family. kaine_parker.
• Primary Impact: His existence fundamentally challenged Peter Parker's sense of self and, for a time, completely upended the Spider-Man continuity by having him take over the mantle. His journey from hero to villain illustrates the profound psychological toll of his unique origin.
• Key Incarnations: In the primary comics universe (Earth-616), he is a character with decades of complex, tragic history. In screen adaptations like the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and animated features, he is typically represented as a visual homage or a minor variant, lacking the deep narrative weight of his comic counterpart.

Ben Reilly's journey began in the Bronze Age of comics. He first appeared, albeit unnamed, in The Amazing Spider-Man #149 (October 1975). This issue, crafted by writer Gerry Conway and artist Ross Andru, served as the climax of the original “Clone Story.” The concept of a Spider-Man clone was introduced by Conway's professor-turned-supervillain, the Jackal, to psychologically torture Peter Parker. This initial clone was depicted as a perfect duplicate, down to his memories, and was seemingly killed in an explosion at Shea Stadium, with Peter disposing of the body in a smokestack, believing the issue resolved forever. For nearly two decades, the clone was a footnote in Spider-Man's history. However, in the 1990s, Marvel Comics' editorial team, including Tom DeFalco, Howard Mackie, and Terry Kavanagh, sought a way to shake up the Spider-Man titles. They wanted to return the character to a more “back-to-basics” single man, unburdened by his marriage to Mary Jane Watson. Their solution was audacious: what if the clone from 1975 had survived? This idea launched the infamous Clone Saga in 1994. The clone returned, now with a name—Ben Reilly—and a heroic identity, the Scarlet Spider. Artists like Mark Bagley and Sal Buscema gave him a distinct visual identity, including a memorable blue sleeveless hoodie over his red bodysuit, which became an icon of 90s comic design. The storyline was initially planned for a short run but ballooned into a multi-year epic spanning all Spider-Man titles. The controversial decision was made to reveal that Ben was, in fact, the original Peter Parker, and the man readers had followed for twenty years was the clone. This twist was met with significant fan backlash, leading to its eventual reversal with the return of Norman Osborn, who was revealed as the saga's true mastermind. Ben Reilly's death in Peter Parker: Spider-Man #75 (December 1996), where he dissolved into genetic dust, definitively proved he was the clone after all, closing a tumultuous chapter in Marvel history until his eventual resurrection years later.

The origin of Ben Reilly is one of the most convoluted and retconned in comics, and his presence on screen is vastly different. It is critical to distinguish between these two continuities.

Ben Reilly's story begins with obsession. Professor Miles Warren, a brilliant but disturbed geneticist at Empire State University, was secretly in love with his student, Gwen Stacy. After her death at the hands of the Green Goblin, Warren's mind shattered. Blaming Spider-Man, he adopted the villainous persona of the Jackal and used his expertise to clone both Gwen and Peter Parker, whose secret identity he had discovered. His first successful clone of Peter Parker was created from a blood sample. This clone possessed all of Peter's memories, powers, and personality up to the point the sample was taken. The Jackal forced the two Spider-Men to fight, with the life of a Gwen Stacy clone hanging in the balance. The battle ended in an explosion that seemingly killed the clone. A grieving and confused Peter Parker, unsure which of them was the original, took the body and disposed of it in an industrial smokestack, hoping to put the nightmare behind him. However, the clone survived. Emerging from the smokestack, he realized that if he stayed, he would shatter Peter Parker's life. Believing himself to be a mere copy, he chose a life of exile. For five years, he wandered the United States, grappling with an identity that wasn't his own. He adopted the name Ben Reilly: “Ben” from his beloved Uncle Ben Parker, and “Reilly,” the maiden name of his Aunt May. This period was one of profound loneliness and soul-searching, as he tried to build a life from memories that belonged to another. He was eventually drawn back to New York City upon hearing news that Aunt May was gravely ill. His return coincided with the emergence of another, more violent clone, Kaine, a flawed early experiment by the Jackal. To distinguish himself from Peter and operate as a hero, Ben created the identity of the Scarlet Spider. With a simple but striking costume—a red bodysuit, a blue sleeveless hoodie, external web-shooters, and a utility belt—he became a new protector of the city. The reunion between Ben and Peter was fraught with tension, mistrust, and the looming threat of the Jackal's return. Their reluctant alliance was tested when Dr. Seward Trainer, a scientist and friend to Ben, conducted tests that seemed to prove a shocking truth: Ben was the original Peter Parker, and the man living Peter's life was the clone. This revelation shattered both men. With Mary Jane Watson pregnant, Peter chose to retire to build a family, passing the mantle of Spider-Man to Ben. Ben Reilly, believing he was finally reclaiming his life, became the one, true Spider-Man, complete with a newly designed suit. This new status quo was a lie. The entire saga, including Seward Trainer's falsified test results, was orchestrated by a secretly-alive Norman Osborn. The Green Goblin returned, revealing his grand manipulation, and in the ensuing battle, he impaled Ben with his goblin glider. As Ben lay dying in Peter's arms, his body began to rapidly decay, dissolving into a pile of genetic dust—the ultimate, undeniable proof that he had been the clone all along. His death, though tragic, provided Peter with the certainty he craved and allowed him to reclaim his identity as Spider-Man. For years, this was the end of Ben Reilly's story.

Ben Reilly does not exist as a character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the same way he does in the comics. There is no clone of Tom Holland's Peter Parker named Ben Reilly within the primary MCU timeline (Earth-199999). However, he has been referenced and adapted in other screen properties:

• Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021): The character receives a significant visual homage. The Peter Parker from The Amazing Spider-Man universe (portrayed by Andrew Garfield), when creating a makeshift suit for the final battle, dons a blue hoodie over his damaged red Spider-Man costume. This combination is a direct and intentional visual reference to Ben Reilly's classic Scarlet Spider outfit. It is important to note that this character is Peter Parker, not Ben Reilly; the costume is simply a nod for long-time fans.
• Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023): This animated film features the first explicit, named appearance of Ben Reilly on the big screen. Voiced by Andy Samberg, this version of Ben is a member of Miguel O'Hara's Spider-Society. He is portrayed as a parody of his 90s comic book origins, complete with dramatic, shredded muscles, an overly angsty personality, and a tendency to deliver dark, internal monologues out loud. His visual design is unique, rendered in a style that intentionally mimics the cross-hatched, heavily inked art of 1990s comics. He serves as one of O'Hara's enforcers, confronting Miles Morales. This version captures the “extreme” aesthetic of his creation era but simplifies his complex backstory into a comedic personality trait.

As a perfect clone of Peter Parker, Ben Reilly possesses all the powers and abilities of the original Spider-Man, derived from the bite of a radioactive spider.

• Superhuman Strength: Ben can lift approximately 10-15 tons and can strike with immense force.
• Superhuman Speed & Agility: His reflexes and agility are far superior to those of the finest human athlete, allowing him to dodge automatic gunfire at close range.
• Superhuman Stamina & Durability: His body is more resistant to fatigue and impact damage than an ordinary human's.
• Wall-Crawling: He can adhere to virtually any surface through conscious control over the electrostatic attraction between his body and other objects.
• Spider-Sense: A precognitive “danger sense” that warns him of potential threats with a tingling sensation at the base of his skull. It is an instinctual and omnipresent awareness of his surroundings.
• Genius-Level Intellect: Like Peter, Ben has a brilliant scientific mind, particularly in the fields of chemistry and physics, which he uses to create and maintain his own equipment.

Ben has utilized several distinct sets of equipment throughout his various identities.

• As Scarlet Spider:
• Web-Shooters: Modified versions of Peter's design, worn externally on his wrists over his costume's gloves.
• Utility Belt: Worn over his hoodie, it contained spare web-fluid cartridges and unique gadgets he developed during his exile.
• Impact Webbing: A specialized webbing that encased targets in a thick, web-like cocoon upon impact.
• “Stingers”: Paralyzing darts made of hardened webbing that could incapacitate opponents.
• Tracers: Miniature spider-shaped tracking devices, redesigned to be more effective than Peter's originals.
• As Spider-Man:
• Redesigned Suit: A new take on the classic costume, featuring larger spider emblems, altered leg patterns, and external web-shooters.
• Standard Web-Shooters: The equipment was functionally identical to his Scarlet Spider gear but integrated into a more traditional Spider-Man look.
• As Spider-Man (Beyond Corporation):
• High-Tech Suit: A highly advanced suit designed and funded by the Beyond Corporation. It featured enhanced impact absorption, integrated data displays in the lenses, and specialized foam-based webbing that was more effective but also flammable. The suit contained numerous sensors that allowed Beyond to monitor Ben's every move.
• As Chasm:
• Demonic Suit: His Chasm costume is a corrupted, jagged version of his Spider-Man suit, seemingly bonded to him.
• Soul-Corrupting Abilities: After being submerged in a mystical substance during his fight with the Beyond Corporation, Ben gained new, supernatural powers. As Chasm, he can perceive and attack a person's soul, causing immense psychic pain and corrupting them. His primary goal is to fill the “chasm” in his own soul by stealing memories and emotions from others.

Ben Reilly's personality is the core of his tragedy. Initially, he shared Peter Parker's sense of humor, responsibility, and inherent goodness. However, five years of lonely exile forged a more world-weary and sometimes cynical individual. He was often more direct and less quippy in a fight than Peter. His defining trait is a deep-seated identity crisis. The constant uncertainty of his origin—believing he was a copy, then the original, then a copy again—left profound psychological scars. This trauma manifested as a feeling of being “less than” Peter, an imposter living with borrowed memories. Even when acting heroically, he was haunted by this existential dread. His resurrection and subsequent manipulation by the Beyond Corporation finally shattered his psyche. The loss of his unique “Ben Reilly” memories, leaving him only with copies of Peter's, created a void inside him, which led to his villainous transformation into Chasm—a being driven by rage, jealousy, and a desperate need to feel whole.

The on-screen adaptations have not had the narrative space to explore this level of depth.

• Andrew Garfield's Peter Parker (No Way Home): His personality reflects his own cinematic journey. He is a Peter Parker still grieving the loss of his Gwen Stacy, filled with rage and regret that he has learned to control. The costume homage connects his darker, more angst-ridden portrayal of Spider-Man to the visual identity of Ben Reilly.
• Ben Reilly (Across the Spider-Verse): This version's personality is a comedic exaggeration of 90s comic book tropes. He is melodramatic, brooding, and perpetually posing. His defining characteristic is his “heavy” internal monologue, which he speaks aloud, reflecting the narrative style of his most famous comic storyline. He is more of a caricature than a fully-realized character.

• Peter Parker: The template, the brother, the rival. Their relationship is the most complex in Ben's life. It has shifted from adversarial to a grudging alliance, to a genuine brotherly bond, and back to bitter enmity. Peter represents everything Ben believes he is not: the original, the “real” person with a “real” life.
• Kaine Parker: The first, flawed clone of Peter Parker, Kaine was initially a deadly enemy to both Ben and Peter. A degenerating, unstable clone, he was driven by a warped, protective instinct for Peter, whom he believed was the true original. Over time, Kaine was cured of his condition and found redemption, even taking up the mantle of the Scarlet Spider himself in honor of Ben. They are brothers forged in the same unnatural circumstances, bonded by shared trauma.
• Janine Godbe (Elizabeth Tyne): Ben's most significant love interest during the Clone Saga. A photographer he met at the Daily Grind coffee shop, Janine had a dark past of her own, living under an assumed name after killing her abusive father. Their relationship was a cornerstone of Ben's attempt to build his own life, but it ended tragically when she turned herself in to the authorities.

• The Jackal (Miles Warren): Ben's creator and the source of his tormented existence. The Jackal's obsession with Gwen Stacy led him to create the clones, viewing them as mere tools in his vendetta against Spider-Man. Ben's relationship with him is one of pure hatred, though in a dark twist, Ben would later usurp the Jackal identity himself during the Clone Conspiracy storyline.
• Green Goblin (Norman Osborn): The true puppet master of the Clone Saga. Osborn, who was thought to be dead, orchestrated the entire “Ben is the real Peter” lie to mentally destroy his nemesis from the shadows. His return culminated in Ben's death, making him Ben Reilly's ultimate and most personal foe. Osborn's cruelty wasn't just physical; it was a psychological attack on the very nature of Ben's existence.

• Spider-Family: By his very nature, Ben is a member of the loose-knit “Spider-Family” of totem-powered heroes. He has fought alongside Peter, Kaine, Jessica Drew, and others, though his relationship with the group is often strained due to his instability.
• The New Warriors: During his time as the Scarlet Spider, he briefly joined the New Warriors, filling in for an absent Spider-Man.
• Beyond Corporation: In a more recent and ill-fated chapter, Ben became the official, corporate-sponsored Spider-Man for the Beyond Corporation. They provided his suit and resources but also ruthlessly controlled him, ultimately leading to the mental break that turned him into Chasm.

In The Amazing Spider-Man #149, the Jackal's plan comes to a head. He kidnaps Ned Leeds and forces Spider-Man to confront him at Shea Stadium. There, Spider-Man is shocked to find not only a clone of Gwen Stacy but also a perfect duplicate of himself. The two Spider-Men battle, their fighting styles and memories identical. The fight ends when a bomb planted by the Jackal detonates. The Gwen clone escapes, while one of the Spider-Men is seemingly killed. The survivor, wracked with doubt, disposes of the body, ending the first chapter of this long and complex tale.

This was the sprawling, two-year epic that defined Ben Reilly. It began with his return to New York as the enigmatic Scarlet Spider. The story reintroduced the Jackal and a host of new clones, including the villainous Spidercide and the heroic Kaine. The central mystery—“Who is the real Peter Parker?”—drove the narrative. After months of buildup, tests conducted by Seward Trainer “proved” Ben was the original. Peter, shattered and with a baby on the way, handed the Spider-Man identity to Ben. Ben's tenure as Spider-Man saw him face new villains and build a new life, but the happiness was short-lived. The saga's climax revealed Norman Osborn's survival and manipulation. In a final, brutal confrontation in Peter Parker: Spider-Man #75, Ben sacrificed himself to save Peter, being impaled by the Goblin Glider. His body dissolving into dust provided the final, tragic answer to the saga's central question.

Years after his death, a mysterious new Jackal in a sharp red suit emerges, offering to resurrect the lost loved ones of various heroes and villains using a new, stable cloning technology. Spider-Man investigates, discovering the horrifying truth: this new Jackal is a resurrected Ben Reilly. Ben, repeatedly killed and cloned by the original Jackal in horrific experiments, had broken free, killed his creator, and taken his place. Believing his new technology was a gift, he sought to eliminate death itself. His plan unraveled when his clones proved unstable, carrying a deadly virus. After a massive battle, Ben seemingly sacrificed himself again, only to be secretly saved and teleported away by one of his own devices.

After a period of redemption in Las Vegas, a reformed Ben Reilly is approached by the mysterious Beyond Corporation. With Peter Parker incapacitated by a radiation injury, they offer Ben the chance to be Spider-Man once more, with their full financial and technological backing. Ben accepts, hoping to be the hero he was always meant to be. However, he soon discovers the corporation's sinister motives. They owned the “Spider-Man” trademark and saw him as a mere asset. In a final confrontation, they attempt to strip him of his memories. The process goes wrong, wiping away all of the unique memories and experiences that made him Ben Reilly, leaving him only with a downloaded copy of Peter Parker's mind.

This psychological trauma and memory loss is the final straw. Broken and feeling like an empty shell—a chasm—Ben Reilly adopts this new, villainous identity. He teams up with Madelyne Pryor, the Goblin Queen and a clone of Jean Grey who has suffered a similar identity crisis. Together, they launch an attack on New York, unleashing demons from Limbo. Chasm's goal is singular and personal: to steal Peter Parker's memories and soul to fill the void within himself. The event solidifies his turn from a tragic hero to one of Spider-Man's most personal and dangerous villains.

• Ultimate Universe (Earth-1610): The concept of clones is central to the Ultimate Spider-Man saga, but Ben Reilly's role is drastically different. In this continuity, Ben Reilly is not a clone but an African-American lab assistant at ESU working under Dr. Curt Connors. He is involved in the creation of the Carnage symbiote but is ultimately killed by it. The “Scarlet Spider” of this universe is a clone with a scarred face and a Kaine-like personality, while another clone, Jessica Drew, becomes Spider-Woman.
• Spider-Man: The Animated Series (1994): The show adapted the Clone Saga in its final season. To simplify the convoluted plot, the Scarlet Spider is revealed to be a clone of a Spider-Man from an alternate reality, brought into the main dimension by the Kingpin. He is a steadfast hero who possesses all of Peter's memories and morality. He ultimately sacrifices himself to destroy the villainous Spider-Carnage, receiving a much less ambiguous heroic send-off than his comic counterpart.
• Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023): As detailed previously, this film features a variant of Ben Reilly as a member of the Spider-Society. This version is a stylistic and personality-driven homage to his 90s comic book incarnation, serving as an antagonist to Miles Morales. His role is minor but memorable for its unique visual presentation and comedic take on the character's famous angst.

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