Chasm

• Core Identity: Chasm is the villainous persona of Ben Reilly, the once-heroic clone of Peter Parker, who was transformed into a vengeful being of pure memory and rage after his soul and moral compass were stripped away by the Beyond Corporation.
• Key Takeaways:
• Role in the Universe: Chasm represents the dark reflection of Spider-Man, a living embodiment of lost identity, trauma, and the existential horror of being a copy. He is a major antagonist in the Spider-Man mythos, wielding unique soul-and-memory-based powers.
• Primary Impact: His most significant act was orchestrating the Dark Web event, where he forged an alliance with the Goblin Queen to plunge New York City into a demonic Limbo-fueled chaos, weaponizing the forgotten and discarded elements of the superhero world against their progenitors.
• Key Incarnations: Chasm is a relatively new character exclusive to the Earth-616 comics. He has no counterpart or adaptation in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), making his story a purely comic book-driven narrative.

Chasm is the latest, and arguably most tragic, evolution of the character Ben Reilly. While the persona of Chasm is new, his history is deeply rooted in one of Spider-Man's most controversial eras. Ben Reilly first appeared, unnamed, in a flashback in The Amazing Spider-Man #149 (October 1975), created by writer Gerry Conway and artist Ross Andru. He was introduced as a clone of Peter Parker created by the villain The Jackal (Miles Warren). This initial story concluded with the apparent death of the clone. However, the character was famously resurrected for the Clone Saga of the 1990s. Writer Terry Kavanagh and artist Steven Butler reintroduced him as Ben Reilly, who had survived his apparent death and spent five years in exile. He adopted the heroic identity of the Scarlet Spider. The creation of this new persona was a collaborative effort within the Spider-Man editorial team of the era, intended to inject new energy into the title. The name “Ben Reilly” was a tribute to Peter Parker's Uncle Ben and Aunt May's maiden name, respectively. The Chasm identity was conceived decades later by the “Beyond Board” of writers, including Zeb Wells, Kelly Thompson, Saladin Ahmed, Patrick Gleason, and Cody Ziglar, during the Spider-Man: Beyond storyline (2021-2022). The visual design for Chasm was created by artist Patrick Gleason. This transformation was the culmination of years of trauma and identity crises for Ben Reilly, reframing him from a tragic hero into a terrifying villain driven by a profound and literal sense of loss. Chasm made his first full appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 5) #93 in March 2022.

The creation of Chasm is not a simple event but the climax of a long, painful history. To understand Chasm, one must first understand the life of Ben Reilly.

Ben Reilly's existence has been defined by death, rebirth, and psychological torment. As a clone of Peter Parker, he possessed all of Peter's memories up to the point of his creation. After their initial battle, Ben, believing himself to be the clone, went into a self-imposed exile. When he returned, medical tests (later revealed to be falsified by Norman Osborn) suggested that Ben was the original Peter Parker and Peter was the clone. Ben took on the mantle of Spider-Man while Peter retired to start a family with a pregnant Mary Jane Watson. This period ended in tragedy when the Green Goblin killed Ben, whose body decomposed into dust, seemingly proving he was the clone all along. Years later, the Jackal resurrected Ben, but the process was flawed. He killed and resurrected Ben 27 times, shattering his mind and soul with each cycle. This trauma led Ben to usurp the Jackal's identity, becoming a villain himself during the The Clone Conspiracy event. He eventually found a path to redemption, reclaiming the Scarlet Spider mantle and operating as a hero in Las Vegas. His path to becoming Chasm began when he was recruited by the mysterious and powerful Beyond Corporation. They owned the “Spider-Man” trademark and hired Ben to be their official, corporate-sponsored hero, outfitting him with a high-tech suit and resources. The corporation was secretly run by the manipulative Maxine Danger, who saw Ben not as a person but as a product to be optimized. During a mission, Ben suffered severe psychological trauma, and Beyond's scientists attempted to “fix” him by using a device to analyze and edit his memories. Their goal was to isolate and remove the painful memories, but their procedure went horribly wrong. Instead of editing memories, the device scoured them. It targeted the foundational memories Ben had copied from Peter Parker—the memories of Uncle Ben, of learning responsibility, of love for Aunt May. These memories were not just data; they were the very bedrock of his personality, his conscience, his soul. The machine ripped this spiritual essence away, leaving only the raw experiences of his own life—the pain, the deaths, the feeling of being a pale imitation. Left as an empty vessel of rage and loss, a literal chasm in place of a soul, Ben confronted Maxine Danger. In their final battle, he was knocked into a vat of psycho-reactive quantum-shifting polymer. This strange chemical substance bonded with his soulless state. It didn't just give him new powers; it physically remade him into the manifestation of his emptiness. He emerged no longer as Ben Reilly, but as Chasm, a being whose very form was a monument to what he had lost, driven by an obsessive need to fill the void inside him by taking the soul of the man he was copied from: Peter Parker.

Chasm does not exist in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Furthermore, the character of Ben Reilly has not been introduced or alluded to in any MCU film or television series to date. The concept of clones and the extensive narrative of the Clone Saga have not been adapted into the MCU's version of Spider-Man's story, which has focused more on his integration with the wider Avengers narrative and his struggles with a secret identity in a hyper-publicized world. While the MCU's Peter Parker (portrayed by Tom Holland) has dealt with profound identity loss, particularly in Spider-Man: No Way Home where the world's memory of him was erased, this theme is explored through magic and personal sacrifice rather than the scientific and existential horror of cloning. The thematic core of Chasm—being an “imperfect copy” striving for completeness—has no direct parallel in the current MCU landscape. Any future introduction would require a significant backstory to be built from the ground up.

Chasm's transformation fundamentally altered his powers, shifting them from the purely physical abilities of a “Spider-Totem” to a terrifying blend of physical prowess and supernatural, memory-based warfare.

Chasm's abilities are a twisted mirror of Spider-Man's, augmented by infernal and psychological powers derived from his unique soulless state.

• Standard Spider-Clone Physiology: Chasm retains the core abilities Ben Reilly always possessed, which are identical to Peter Parker's.
  • Superhuman Strength: He can lift approximately 10-15 tons, allowing him to trade blows with Spider-Man and other superhuman opponents.
  • Superhuman Speed & Reflexes: His agility, balance, and coordination are far beyond those of a normal human. He can dodge automatic gunfire at close range.
  • Superhuman Durability: His body is more resistant to impact and physical trauma than an ordinary person's.
  • Wall-Crawling: He can adhere to virtually any surface through conscious control.
• Altered “Spider-Sense”: Chasm's precognitive danger sense is different from Peter's. He describes it as a constant, low-level thrum of existential dread, a “scream from the abyss,” which makes it less precise for dodging specific attacks but gives him a broader sense of ambient menace.
• Psychoplasmic Manifestation: This is Chasm's signature and most dangerous ability. Because he is a being of pure, raw memory without a soul, he can interact with the memories and psyches of others.
  • Memory Weaponization: He can reach into a person's mind and manifest their deepest regrets, fears, and traumas as tangible, physical constructs. He can force Spider-Man to fight illusions of a dying Gwen Stacy or a disappointed Uncle Ben. These are not mere illusions; they can have physical impact.
  • Guilt Projection: He can amplify a target's feelings of guilt and failure to a debilitating degree, effectively paralyzing them with their own self-doubt.
• Infernal Energy Manipulation: His soulless nature created a vacuum that attracted the demonic energies of the realm of Limbo. This connection grants him several powers, particularly when in proximity to a source of Limbo's energy.
  • Demon Summoning & Control: He can open portals to Limbo and summon lesser demons to do his bidding. His control is not absolute and is often tied to his partnership with the Goblin Queen.
  • Chasm-Knives: He can manifest his own bio-energy into sharp, green, crystalline blades that extend from his hands. These weapons are both physically sharp and psychically damaging.
• Accelerated Healing Factor: While not on the level of Wolverine or Deadpool, Chasm can heal from injuries faster than a normal human. This was a trait Ben Reilly possessed that Peter Parker did not.

• Mental and Emotional Instability: Chasm is driven entirely by pain and obsession. His judgment is clouded, and he is prone to fits of rage and despair, which can make him predictable.
• Dependence on a Soul: His ultimate goal is to steal Peter Parker's soul to make himself “whole.” This singular focus is an exploitable obsession.
• Connection to Limbo: While a source of power, his tie to Limbo is also a liability. Forces that can affect demons or disrupt extradimensional energy can harm or weaken him.
• Empathy and Positive Emotion: As a being of pure negativity, he is conceptually vulnerable to overwhelming positive emotions. When Mary Jane Watson used her “Jackpot” powers to project her unwavering love and positive memories of Peter Parker, it caused Chasm immense pain and weakened his hold on reality.

As Chasm does not exist in the MCU, he possesses no abilities, equipment, or established personality within this continuity. There is no cinematic equivalent to compare with the comic book version.

Chasm's relationships are defined by his loss. Those who were once friends are now enemies, and his only true allies are others who, like him, feel broken and discarded by the world.

• Madelyne Pryor, the Goblin Queen
  • Madelyne is perhaps Chasm's most important ally. As a clone of Jean Grey who was created, used, and abandoned by Mister Sinister and Cyclops, she shares a profound, deep-seated trauma with Ben. Both are “copies” who were denied a soul and a life of their own. This shared experience formed the foundation of their alliance. They met when their respective psychic miseries called out to one another, and they joined forces to launch the Dark Web invasion. Their relationship is one of mutual understanding and respect, two monarchs of misery ruling over their shared kingdom of Limbo.
• Hallows' Eve (Janine Godbe)
  • Janine Godbe was the love of Ben Reilly's life. She stayed with him through his time as Spider-Man and even after his transformation into Chasm, her love remaining steadfast. During the Dark Web event, she acquired a magical mask from a Limbo demon, granting her the power to manifest terrifying monster forms based on holiday-themed masks. As Hallows' Eve, she fights alongside Chasm, though her motivations are rooted in her love for Ben, not his nihilistic quest. She represents the last flicker of Ben Reilly's humanity, a connection to the man he used to be.

• Peter Parker / Spider-Man
  • Peter is Chasm's ultimate obsession and primary antagonist. In Chasm's twisted view, Peter is the man who has everything that was stolen from him: a life, a history, friends, and most importantly, a soul. He doesn't just want to defeat Spider-Man; he wants to become him by stealing his soul and memories to fill the void within himself. Every battle between them is deeply personal, with Chasm using his powers to psychologically torture Peter with his greatest failures, while Peter desperately tries to reach the man Ben Reilly once was.
• Maxine Danger and the Beyond Corporation
  • While Peter Parker is the focus of his rage, Maxine Danger is the direct cause of his suffering. As the CEO of Beyond, she viewed Ben as a disposable asset and gave the order that resulted in his soul being scoured. She represents the cold, corporate dehumanization that ultimately destroyed him. Chasm harbors a deep hatred for her and the entire Beyond Corporation for what they did.

• Rulers of Limbo: Alongside the Goblin Queen, Chasm established himself as a co-ruler of the demonic dimension of Limbo. They used the Armory, a former S.H.I.E.L.D. facility that contained a portal to Limbo, as their base of operations on Earth, transforming it into the “Limbo Embassy.”
• The Beyond Corporation (Formerly): His tenure as the corporate Spider-Man for the Beyond Corporation is his most significant prior affiliation. This role is what directly led to his transformation into Chasm and is a source of immense trauma and anger for him.

Chasm's history is short but incredibly impactful, centered around a few key, character-defining story arcs.

This is the storyline that details Chasm's genesis. After Peter Parker is incapacitated by a radiation leak, Ben Reilly, backed by the Beyond Corporation, officially takes over as the one and only Spider-Man. The story explores Ben's struggle with corporate oversight and his own lingering identity issues. The arc's climax sees the Beyond Corporation's sinister motives revealed. They attempt to “optimize” Ben by tampering with his mind, leading to the catastrophic procedure that erases his copied memories from Peter. The final issue, Amazing Spider-Man #93, features his horrific rebirth as Chasm after falling into the quantum-shifting polymer, setting the stage for his new role as a major villain. This event is crucial as it's not just an origin story, but a deep exploration of corporate ethics, identity, and the trauma that defines Ben Reilly.

This was Chasm's grand debut as a major threat. Forging an alliance with Madelyne Pryor, he uses her control over Limbo to unleash a demonic invasion on New York City. His plan is twofold: to torture Peter Parker psychologically and to find a way to steal his soul. Chasm's forces possess inanimate objects across the city, turning mailboxes and cars into ravenous monsters, creating city-wide chaos. He personally engages in brutal battles with Spider-Man, the X-Men, and other heroes, all while taunting Peter with manifestations of his past failures. The event culminates in a massive battle in Limbo, where Peter and his allies confront Chasm and the Goblin Queen. While he is ultimately defeated, he succeeds in solidifying his new identity and power base, remaining a significant threat.

Following his defeat in Dark Web, Chasm and the newly empowered Hallows' Eve are imprisoned. However, they are soon drawn into a new conflict when a newly reformed Norman Osborn attempts to “cleanse” Ben of the Chasm persona using the same technology that created him, but in reverse. The procedure goes awry when it is revealed that the sins of Norman Osborn, which were mystically removed from him, did not vanish but were transferred into a physical spear. The spear's power inadvertently merges the sins with Chasm, making him even more powerful and malevolent. This arc establishes that the Chasm persona is not easily undone and has become intrinsically bonded with the remains of Ben Reilly's being.

As a new persona, Chasm himself does not have alternate reality variants yet. However, the character is the product of Ben Reilly's fragmented history, and his past identities can be seen as precursors or “internal variants” that inform his current state.

• The Scarlet Spider (Ben Reilly)
  • This is the heroic ideal that Chasm represents the death of. The Scarlet Spider was hopeful, trying to build his own life and be his own man despite his origins. He was a symbol of Ben's potential for good. Chasm's existence is a mockery of this identity; where the Scarlet Spider sought to protect the innocent, Chasm seeks to punish them with their own memories.
• The Jackal (Ben Reilly)
  • Before becoming Chasm, Ben's first major break into villainy was when he took on the mantle of his creator, the Jackal, during The Clone Conspiracy. This period showed his capacity for morally grey and outright villainous acts, born from the trauma of his constant deaths and resurrections. This persona was a crucial stepping stone, demonstrating that Ben's psyche was already fractured and capable of darkness long before the Beyond Corporation's intervention.
• Spider-Carnage (Marvel Animated Universe)
  • While not from Earth-616, the Spider-Carnage from Spider-Man: The Animated Series is a significant thematic parallel. In that story, a Ben Reilly variant (confused for the prime Peter Parker of that reality) bonds with the Carnage symbiote. Driven mad by the loss of his own universe, he sought to destroy all of reality. This version explores the same core idea as Chasm: a Peter Parker clone, pushed past the breaking point by existential trauma, who gains immense power and turns his pain outward on a cosmic scale.

• Peter Parker
• Ben Reilly
• Scarlet Spider
• Madelyne Pryor
• Dark Web
• Beyond Corporation
• Limbo (Marvel Comics)
• The Clone Saga

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