Welcome to the premiere issue of RazorFine Presents Comic Spotlight as we take a look at comic heroes, villians, and everything in between. We begin with one of the most controversial characters in Marvel Comics history, The Scarlet Spider. Sure, we could have started out with Batman, Superman, Captain America, Wonder Woman, the X-Men, or Spidey himself, but we enjoy a little controversy from time to time, and there are few recent comic characters and controversial as this one. With that, I give you, The Scarlet Spider!
The Scarlet Spider
Name: Ben Reilly/Peter Parker
1st Appearance: Web of Spider-Man #118
Final Appearance: Spider-Man #75 (Death)
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A little more than a decade ago the folks a Marvel Comics decided to reintroduce a character long thought dead. In the 1970’s Peter Parker was cloned by The Jackal for vengeance at his responsibility in the death of Gwen Stacy. Spider-Man defeated the clone who he believed had died. Twenty-years later Marvel would resurrect the character as Ben Reilly and return him to New York as a new kind of web-slinger, The Scarlet Spider.
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| The Scarlet Spider |
After living for years on the road Ben Reilly returned to New York City aware of the May Parker’s stroke and deteriorating health. Unable to let his powers be wasted he would take up a new persona as The Scarlet Spider. At first at odds and then with the help of Spider-Man the Scarlet Spider became a hero in his own right including a short stint as a member of the New Warriors. Then, as comic book publishers do from time to time, Marvel decided to get too cute. They revealed Peter, not Ben, was the clone and rightly deserving of the mantle of Spider-Man which he took over for a time before sacrificing himself to save Peter Parker’s life in Spider-Man issue #75. The rapid disintegration of his body after his death proved that Peter was truly the real Spider-Man who returned to his duty once more.
Powers and Abilities – The Scarlet Spider had the same abilities and powers of Spider-Man including the ability to cling and climb walls, enhanced strength, a spider-sense, and increased balance and agility. Along with his web-shooters, Ben Reilly also added stingers, hardened webbing needles, and impact webbing, pellets of exploding webbing, to The Scarlet Spider’s arsenal. As a clone Reilly also had Peter’s early knowledge of science, specifically Chemistry and Physics.
Marvel managed to bungle an intriguing Clone Saga and in the end kill off the poor Mr. Reilly. The Scarlet Spider for however short of a time provided an interesting and different Spidey-like hero. It’s too bad Marvel couldn’t find a way to keep Reilly around, whether clone or real, as the Marvel Universe should be big enough for both Spidey and The Scarlet Spider.