why ben reilly is taking over THE SPIDER-MAN MANTLE (AGAIN)
MARVEL HAS ANNOUNCED A SPIDEY REVAMP WITH THE FORMER SCARLET SPIDER TAKING THE LEAD
Beginning in upcoming issues of The Amazing Spider-Man, Ben Reilly will swat Peter to the side and become the de facto Spider-Man. This development should sound familiar to longtime Spidey comic readers as this won’t be the first time Ben has taken over for Peter. Kicking off all the way back in 1994, the infamously convoluted and seemingly never-ending original Clone Saga follows Ben Reilly (the first successful clone of Spider-Man after several failed attempts by the villainous Jackal), as he infiltrates the Spider-Man comics and controversially calls into question Peter Parker’s status as the one true Spider-Man.
Initially coming to blows in classic comic book fashion, Ben and Peter would eventually work together with Ben utilizing a power set identical to that of Peter to become the super heroic Scarlet Spider. Ben’s first go-around as the Scarlet Spider is notable as the four monthly Spider-Man comics published at the time would be renamed – Web of Spider-Man became Web of Scarlet Spider, The Amazing Spider-Man became The Amazing Scarlet Spider, etc.
Ben’s upcoming ascension shares a number of interesting parallels to his run as Spider-Man from the original mid-nineties Clone Saga. Both instances feature Ben running into a forlorn and down on his luck Peter Parker ready to willingly cede the mantle. And just as in the 1994 Clone Saga that birthed at least three additional Clone Sagas (including a 2006 Ultimate Marvel Earth-1610 version and more recent foray into clone madness for Earth-616 Miles Morales), Ben steps into an updated Spider-Suit that is familiar yet unique. In stark contrast to the comparatively tiny spider emblem incorporated into Peter Parker's classic suit, this versions emblem sprawls menacingly from Ben’s chest region with all eight spider legs stretching out widely before connecting to each of Ben’s limbs. The spider emblem is also off- center and staggered to Ben’s left which is likely a subtle nod to the original Scarlet Spider costume. The new suit is a fitting callback to Ben’s first spider suit as both share a similarly aggressive design language more “extreme” relative to Peter’s classic threads.
While it’s safe to say that Peter will ultimately return as Spider-Man, there is no telling how things will go this time around for Ben. If nothing else, he’s charting his own path with the help of a brand-new and suitably radical costume and will continue to distinguish himself as more than just a blonde Peter Parker.
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