Jackal (Ben Reilly)

• Core Identity: Ben Reilly is the resurrected and psychologically shattered clone of Peter Parker, who tragically usurped the mantle of his creator, the Jackal, in a misguided attempt to conquer death itself through a perfected, yet ultimately flawed, cloning process.
• Key Takeaways:
• Role in the Universe: Originally the heroic scarlet_spider and a temporary spider-man, Ben Reilly's transformation into the Jackal represents a dark reflection of Peter Parker's core philosophy. Where Peter believes in responsibility for the living, Ben's Jackal became obsessed with a twisted responsibility for the dead, seeking to undo loss at any cost.
• Primary Impact: His most significant act as the Jackal was masterminding the Dead No More: The Clone Conspiracy event, where he founded New U Technologies to resurrect countless deceased allies and enemies of Spider-Man, creating a global crisis when his technology inevitably failed.
• Key Incarnations: In the Earth-616 comics, Ben Reilly's journey as the Jackal is a central, character-defining tragedy that continues to shape his modern identity as the villain Chasm. In stark contrast, Ben Reilly has not appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) in any capacity, leaving his story entirely within the realm of print and other media.

Ben Reilly's journey to becoming the Jackal is one of the most complex and convoluted character arcs in Marvel Comics history, built upon decades of storytelling. The character himself first appeared, unnamed, in The Amazing Spider-Man #149 (October 1975), created by writer Gerry Conway and artist Ross Andru. This issue concluded the original Clone Saga, revealing that spider-man had been fighting a perfect clone of himself created by his deranged college professor, Miles Warren, the original Jackal. The story ended with the clone seemingly dying in an explosion, leaving his identity as a footnote for nearly two decades. The character was resurrected in 1994 for the second, and far more infamous, Clone Saga, a sprawling storyline that dominated the Spider-Man titles for over two years. He was given the name Ben Reilly (Ben for Uncle Ben Parker, Reilly for Aunt May's maiden name) and the heroic identity of the Scarlet Spider. The saga's central, controversial premise was the revelation that Ben was, in fact, the original Peter Parker, and the man readers had been following for twenty years was the clone. This was eventually reversed, but not before Ben took over the mantle of Spider-Man himself. His journey ended tragically in Spider-Man #75 (December 1996), where he died saving Peter from the Green Goblin (Norman Osborn), his body dissolving into dust, seemingly proving once and for all that he was the clone. For another two decades, Ben Reilly remained dead. His return was orchestrated by writer Dan Slott as the central antagonist for his 2016-2017 event, Dead No More: The Clone Conspiracy. This storyline saw Ben return not as a hero, but as the new Jackal, having violently usurped the title from Miles Warren. This dramatic shift from hero to villain was a direct result of newly revealed trauma inflicted upon him after his 'death,' re-contextualizing his entire history and setting him on a dark path that would eventually lead to his current villainous persona, Chasm.

The in-universe origin of Ben Reilly as the Jackal is a story of profound trauma, identity crisis, and a perversion of heroic ideals. It is a narrative exclusively rooted in the Earth-616 comic book continuity.

Ben Reilly was the first successful, stable clone of Peter Parker, created by Professor Miles Warren. After his initial battle with Peter, believing himself to be the clone and a pale imitation, Ben went into a self-imposed exile for five years. He wandered the country, building a life for himself, before returning to New York upon hearing of May Parker's failing health. Adopting the guise of the Scarlet Spider, he became a hero in his own right, fighting alongside Peter. The psychological turning point came when Seward Trainer, a scientist and friend to Ben, manipulated genetic tests to indicate that Ben was the original and Peter was the clone. Burdened by this 'truth,' Peter temporarily retired, and Ben proudly took up the mantle of Spider-Man. This period was fraught with challenges, culminating in the return of the original Green Goblin, Norman Osborn, who revealed he had orchestrated the entire saga. In a final, heroic act, Ben threw himself in front of the Goblin's glider to save Peter. As he lay dying in Peter's arms, his body degenerated into a pile of genetic dust, the ultimate proof of his clone status. For years, this was the end of his story. However, The Clone Conspiracy revealed a horrifying addendum. Miles Warren had retrieved a sample of Ben's remains, allowing him to regenerate Ben's body. Warren's goal was to perfect his cloning process to achieve true resurrection. To test his new method, Warren subjected Ben to an unimaginable cycle of torture: he would kill Ben and then resurrect him, over and over again. Ben Reilly died and was brought back to life twenty-seven times. Each death was brutal and agonizing, and he retained the full memories of every single one. This repeated, endless trauma shattered Ben's mind and soul. The heroic, self-sacrificing man was burned away, replaced by a cynical, broken individual who believed he had transcended the cycle of life and death. He eventually broke free from his torment, overpowering Warren. Instead of killing his creator, Ben cloned him repeatedly, driving Warren to subservience. Believing his new cloning method was a gift to the world, Ben adopted Warren's former identity, becoming the new Jackal. He designed a new, sleek red suit and an Anubis-themed mask, symbolizing his self-appointed role as a new god of the afterlife. He founded New U Technologies as a front, determined to share his “gift” and eliminate death, starting with the loved ones of Peter Parker.

Ben Reilly, in his capacity as the Scarlet Spider, Spider-Man, or the Jackal, does not exist within the established canon of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (Earth-199999). The concept of cloning has not been a central plot point in the MCU's Spider-Man storylines, which have focused more on mentorship, technology (Stark tech), and, most recently, the multiverse. While the events of _no_way_home introduced alternate versions of Spider-Man, they were from different universes, not clones created within the primary MCU timeline. How could Ben Reilly be introduced? While purely speculative, there are several narrative avenues:

• A Multiversal Variant: A future MCU project could introduce a Ben Reilly from another universe who crosses over, much like the characters in No Way Home. This would be the simplest method, bypassing the need for a complex cloning backstory within the MCU itself.
• Post-Secret Wars Reconstruction: A large-scale event like a cinematic adaptation of Secret Wars could rewrite reality, potentially introducing new characters and histories, including a cloning program that produces Ben.
• A New Cloning Storyline: Future MCU Spider-Man films could introduce Miles Warren as a villain, perhaps as a geneticist working for a corporation like a rebuilt Oscorp or A.I.M., leading to the creation of a clone. This would be a significant departure, as the MCU's Peter Parker is currently a more grounded, street-level hero without deep ties to the scientific community.

As of now, any discussion of Ben Reilly in the MCU is theoretical. There are no official plans or credible rumors suggesting his imminent appearance.

Ben Reilly's attributes as the Jackal are a unique combination of Spider-Man's inherent powers, the scientific genius of both Peter Parker and Miles Warren, and a deeply fractured psychological state.

• Cloned Parker Physiology: As a perfect clone of Peter Parker, Ben possesses all of his superhuman abilities.
  • Superhuman Strength: Ben can lift approximately 10-15 tons, allowing him to overpower multiple human opponents and trade blows with other superhumans.
  • Superhuman Speed & Reflexes: He is capable of moving and reacting at speeds far beyond the physical limits of the finest human athlete. His reflexes are estimated to be about 40 times greater than a normal person's, allowing him to dodge automatic gunfire at close range.
  • Superhuman Agility & Equilibrium: His balance and bodily coordination are flawless, enabling him to perform complex acrobatic maneuvers and maintain his footing on any surface.
  • Wall-Crawling: He can adhere to virtually any surface by mentally controlling the electrostatic attraction between his body and an object.
  • Spider-Sense: A precognitive “danger sense” that warns him of potential threats with a tingling sensation in his skull. As the Jackal, this sense was sometimes clouded by his extreme emotional state and overconfidence.
• Genius-Level Intellect: Ben possesses Peter Parker's natural aptitude for science. His intellect was horrifically honed by his 27 deaths and resurrections. He surpassed his creator, Miles Warren, in the fields of genetics and cloning, creating a stable “New U” process that, while temporarily effective, was still fundamentally flawed. He is a brilliant strategist and manipulator, capable of running a multinational corporation and orchestrating a global conspiracy.

• The Jackal Suit: A modern, armored red business suit worn with a stylized Anubis mask. The mask, representing the Egyptian god of death and embalming, contained advanced communications and scanning technology.
• New U Technologies: This was less a piece of equipment and more a massive infrastructure. Ben built a corporate empire that pioneered a revolutionary cloning process.
  • Reanimation Process: Ben's method involved using a deceased subject's DNA to grow a new, healthy body which could then have the subject's consciousness and memories imprinted onto it. He stored these memories in a “Web of Life and Destiny” data bank.
  • Degeneration Pills: The single greatest flaw in his technology was that the cloned bodies required a daily pill to maintain their cellular integrity. Without it, they would rapidly break down and degenerate into mindless, infectious creatures, a state similar to the carrion_virus. This dependency was his primary means of controlling his resurrected subjects.
• Web-Shooters: While he possessed the knowledge and ability to use them, he relied far less on web-shooters as the Jackal, preferring to operate as a mastermind rather than a direct combatant.

Ben Reilly as the Jackal is a deeply tragic figure. His personality is defined by:

• Messiah Complex: Having died and returned 27 times, Ben genuinely believes he has conquered death. He sees his resurrection technology not as a violation of nature, but as a gift to humanity—a gift he alone can bestow. He is arrogant, condescending, and views himself as a savior.
• Profound Trauma: Beneath the god complex lies the shattered mind of a man who was tortured to the breaking point. His actions are driven by a desperate need to give his suffering meaning. If he can make death obsolete for everyone, then perhaps his own endless cycle of death and rebirth wasn't in vain.
• Corrupted Responsibility: He has twisted the Parker mantra of “With great power comes great responsibility.” He believes his power over life and death gives him the ultimate responsibility to use it, regardless of the consequences or the ethical implications. He attempts to resurrect Uncle Ben to prove his moral superiority to Peter.
• Manipulative and Calculating: He is a master strategist who plays on the grief and desperation of others. He resurrected the loved ones of heroes and the greatest enemies of Spider-Man, using their emotional attachments to control them.

As Ben Reilly is not present in the MCU, he has no established abilities, equipment, or personality traits in this continuity. Should he be adapted, his powers would likely mirror those of Tom Holland's Spider-Man. The technology and personality would depend entirely on the narrative choices of the filmmakers, but would likely draw inspiration from the comic book arcs, potentially portraying him as a tragic, science-based antagonist.

As the Jackal, Ben Reilly's relationships were defined by manipulation, conflict, and a shared history of loss and resurrection.

As a manipulative mastermind, Ben had few true “allies” in the traditional sense. Most were either his resurrected, dependent creations or individuals he tricked into serving his cause.

• Doctor Octopus (Otto Octavius): Resurrected by Ben into a “perfect” cloned body, Otto was initially a key partner in developing the New U technology. However, the fiercely independent Otto chafed under Ben's control, secretly working against him and eventually playing a critical role in his downfall by creating a frequency that stabilized the decaying clones.
• Gwen Stacy (Clone): Ben resurrected a clone of Gwen Stacy, Peter's first love, to manipulate and torment him. While she initially worked with Ben, her inherent goodness and connection to Peter caused her to turn against the Jackal's plan, recognizing its monstrous nature.
• The Resurrected Villains: Ben assembled a rogues' gallery of deceased Spider-Man villains, including the Prowler (Hobbie Brown), Mysterio (Francine Frye), and a new Electro (Max Dillion's consciousness in a new body). He offered them a second chance at life in exchange for their services, using them as his enforcers.

• Spider-Man (Peter Parker): Ben's ultimate conflict is with his own template. As the Jackal, he represented everything Peter stood against. Theirs was a battle of ideologies: Peter's acceptance of loss versus Ben's refusal to let anyone die. Ben's obsession with “proving” his way was better by resurrecting Uncle Ben was the ultimate violation, a line Peter could never allow him to cross.
• Miles Warren (The Original Jackal): Ben's relationship with his creator is a twisted form of patricide. He not only stole Warren's villainous identity but “perfected” his science and methods. He kept Warren alive as a subservient, broken clone, a living trophy of his victory and a constant reminder of the monster he was born from and had now surpassed.
• Kaine Parker: Another clone of Peter Parker, Kaine viewed Ben's actions as a perversion of their shared identity. As the then-current Scarlet Spider, Kaine actively worked to stop Ben's plans, representing a clone who had found a path to redemption, a stark contrast to Ben's descent into villainy.

• New U Technologies: This was the corporation Ben Reilly founded and served as CEO of under a pseudonym. It was the public face of his global resurrection scheme, offering cutting-edge medical treatments while secretly building an army of dependent clones. It was his empire and the primary instrument of his grand plan.
• Beyond Corporation: While not an affiliation during his time as the Jackal, the Beyond Corporation is critical to his post-Jackal story. After the fall of New U, a broken Ben was captured by Beyond. They wiped his memory of the Jackal persona, implanted false memories, and hired him to be their corporate-sponsored Spider-Man. The eventual collapse of this new identity and the return of his traumatic memories are what led to his final transformation into the villain chasm.

Ben Reilly's tenure as the Jackal is primarily defined by one massive storyline and its direct consequences, which reshaped his character for the modern era.

This 2016-2017 event is the definitive story of Ben Reilly as the Jackal. The plot begins with a mysterious new company, New U Technologies, offering a miracle cure that can regenerate entire organs and limbs. Spider-Man becomes suspicious when his enemies and allies, long thought dead, begin reappearing, including Rhino's wife Oksana, Doctor Octopus, and Gwen Stacy. The man behind it all is a figure in a red suit and Anubis mask calling himself the Jackal. The shocking reveal is that this is not Miles Warren, but a resurrected Ben Reilly. Ben's plan is to offer his “gift” to the world, bringing back everyone who has ever died. He tries to tempt Peter by offering to resurrect Uncle Ben, the ultimate test of Peter's morality. The climax occurs when Ben's technology is revealed to be unstable; a broadcast signal from Parker Industries triggers a worldwide cellular degeneration in all of his clones, causing them to break down into infectious Carrion monsters. In a moment of clarity and perhaps self-sacrifice, Ben helps Spider-Man contain the plague, seemingly dying once again in the process.

This follow-up series revealed Ben had survived the collapse of his plan by using a prototype technology on himself. Now disfigured and on the run, he travels to Las Vegas to start a new life, adopting his old Scarlet Spider costume. The series explores his moral ambiguity in the aftermath of being a major supervillain. He is haunted by visions of his heroic past and his villainous Jackal persona, struggling to decide who he truly is. He clashes with Kaine, the other Scarlet Spider, who doesn't believe he can be redeemed, and becomes entangled with figures like the demonic Black Cat and the casino owner Cassandra Mercury. The series solidified Ben as an anti-hero, forever tainted by his actions as the Jackal.

This 2021-2022 storyline serves as the direct spiritual successor to Ben's arc as the Jackal. Having been captured by the mysterious Beyond Corporation, Ben's memories of his time as the Jackal and his 27 deaths are suppressed. He is given a new, high-tech suit and becomes the officially sanctioned Spider-Man while Peter Parker is incapacitated. However, Beyond's true purpose is to own the “Spider-Man” brand, and they see Ben as a disposable asset. When Ben attempts to use their technology to restore his lost memories (which are Peter's memories), he instead loses them all, leaving him as a blank slate with only his experiences since his first “death” at the hands of the Green Goblin. The immense psychological trauma of losing his moral foundation—the core memories of May and Ben Parker that made him a hero—causes a final, definitive break. He is consumed by his own pain and rage, transforming into the demonic villain known as Chasm, a being defined by the abyss left in his soul.

Comparing Ben Reilly's Jackal persona to his other incarnations highlights the unique tragedy of the Earth-616 version.

• The Original Scarlet Spider (Earth-616, Pre-Death): Before his death and resurrection, Ben Reilly was a genuinely noble hero. He was optimistic, quippy, and deeply committed to the Parker code of responsibility. He was essentially Peter Parker, but with the perspective of an outsider. This heroic version serves as a ghost that haunts the modern, broken Ben, a constant reminder of the man he once was and can never be again.
• Spider-Carnage (Spider-Man: The Animated Series, Earth-92131): In this beloved 1990s animated series, the “Ben Reilly” clone had a vastly different, but equally tragic, fate. After being trapped in an alternate reality, he bonded with the Carnage symbiote. Driven mad by his clone status and the symbiote's influence, he became Spider-Carnage, a multiversal threat who attempted to destroy all of reality. This version emphasized cosmic horror over the psychological trauma of the comic's Jackal.
• The Inheritor (Spider-Geddon, Earth-94): In one alternate reality, Ben Reilly never died at the hands of the Green Goblin and continued to be his world's Spider-Man for years. During the Spider-Geddon event, he sacrificed himself to stop the villain Solus, but was resurrected by Otto Octavius (as the Superior Spider-Man) using the same technology that created the Inheritors. This left Ben with a psychic link to the villains and a darker, more pragmatic outlook, but he remained a hero.
• Ultimate Universe Clones (Earth-1610): The cloning concept in the Ultimate Marvel universe was very different. Ben Reilly did not exist as he did in 616. Instead, there were multiple flawed clones of Peter Parker. Kaine was a disfigured, insane clone, and another was a female clone who adopted the identity of Jessica Drew, the Ultimate Spider-Woman. The “Jackal” of this universe was not a persona, but rather Ben Reilly's own name, a scientist at Oscorp who worked on the OZ formula, a far cry from the supervillain of 616.

• spider-man_(peter_parker)
• miles_warren
• scarlet_spider
• the_clone_saga
• _the_clone_conspiracy
• kaine_parker
• chasm

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