This Classic '80s Spider-Man Story Redefined Kraven the Hunter, Establishing A New Era

Following Spider-Man and MJ's honeymoon, the couple experienced a shocking trauma, while Kraven enjoyed his ultimate victory. I look back at a true classic this week at CBR.

15 Ways The 1980s Were The Greatest Spider-Man Decade

You know those internet lists that provide 10-15 justifications for a lofty premise?  I wrote one of those.

The Final Web-Zinger

What to do with the clone mess, circa December 1995? The most obvious way out is to kill Ben off and reveal Peter is truly the original, ignoring all of the evidence presented to the contrary and months spent establishing Ben as the “true” Spider-Man. Marvel would never be that cheap, I know. Marvel, at this point, wants to keep Ben around, and I can understand why revealing him as a clone could hurt his appeal as a solo star. Making Peter the clone is an even worse idea, potentially alienating anyone who’s purchased the books since 1975. I would dismiss the issue immediately. Peter and Ben run the tests, but without Miles Warren, the creator of the cloning process, around to analyze the results, the answers are inconclusive. (Dr. Seward Trainer is no help at all. Perhaps he’s dead by now.) Maybe each is convinced that he’s the original, or perhaps Ben is convinced Peter is the original while Peter is adamant that Ben is the original. Regardless, both decide to move on with their lives.

Is this a copout? Perhaps. But remember that the ending of the original clone storyline in Amazing #151 wasn’t very different. Peter had a chance to know if he’s a clone or not and literally threw it away. He had enough confidence in his own depth as a human being not to need a test to show him if he’s “real” or not.

If it’s a given that Ben has to stick around and can’t be killed or written off, I would give him half of the monthly Spider-titles. Web could remain Web of Scarlet Spider (in this fantasy world, Web would keep its original numbering and none of the Scarlet Spider minis would’ve existed), and adjective-less Spider-Man would be cancelled and replaced with Scarlet Spider. Marvel gets to keep that “Scarlet Spider” name that the marketing department loves, and no one is being forced to choose between Peter and Ben. That leaves Peter with Amazing Spider-Man and Spectacular Spider-Man. (Spider-Man Unlimited, if it had to stick around, could be a flip-book focusing on both characters.)

Amazing and Spectacular focus on Peter and MJ as they prepare for parenthood. He’s back as Spider-Man, working for the Daily Bugle, fighting his traditional rogues gallery, and each of the titles has a healthy amount of character-driven subplots, following Gerry Conway’s successful lead on Spectacular Spider-Man and Web of Spider-Man. I have no idea if the baby should be born or not. Kidnapping the child and having the Parkers believe that she was stillborn isn’t a great solution, but it does give the creators time to stall and give serious thought over where to go with the concept. (Aw, screw it. Let’s just reveal the kidnapped baby has somehow been a cat this entire time.)

Ben Reilly can continue traveling the country on his motorcycle, having Incredible Hulk TV-style adventures with a different set of supporting cast members every few months. Under most writers this would get old fast, but I can see it working with the right creative team. Another option would be to have Ben enroll in college somewhere, far away from anyone who might recognize him as Peter, and just live out the “classic” status quo of the late ‘60s/early ‘70s. Let’s face it, this is the set-up Marvel absolutely can’t let go of, so let Ben be the one worrying about his grades and supervillains while two beautiful co-eds vie for his affections. Too bad Ben can never manage to keep a date with either one of them! Dan Jurgens apparently joined the Spider-titles specifically to do these types of stories, so just let him have them.

Amazing and Spectacular would steer clear of pretty much anything clone-related. All of the villains and new characters created for the clone storyline would appear in Ben’s titles, assuming there’s much of a desire to see them again. It would probably be best to let Ben make a clean break from all of the clone nonsense as well, although there are still some dangling threads with Kaine that should be resolved.

All of this assumes that there is an audience for two different Spider-Men. The fact that one of the heroes is a clone might be too big a hurdle for some readers, although putting the two characters in noticeable different status quos and locations would do a lot to differentiate Peter and Ben. (Ben should also have some cosmetic deviation from Peter’s look, although hopefully someone can come up with a better solution than bleached blond hair.) I do question how long Ben could last as a solo star, but who knows? Maybe a healthier market could’ve kept War Machine and Thunderstrike going. There is a segment of fandom with a strong devotion to Ben, and perhaps by temporarily dismissing the question of which Spider-Man is the original, the hardcore opponents to the storyline would’ve lightened up and given Ben a chance.

Eventually, the core question behind the clone saga would have to be answered. And, c’mon, there’s no way Ben can be the original Spider-Man. If Ben’s books aren’t doing well, then Marvel could do the quickie copout and reveal that he’s been the clone the entire time. I would lean towards killing him off as well, but that is a very obvious way to go. If executed properly, a vague death scene might work just as well, and give Ben’s fans hope for a possible revival.

If Ben’s titles are commercially viable, I wouldn’t see a need to change the format. Peter doesn’t need more than two monthly titles, and neither does Ben. Splitting the line between two Spider-Men could actually create tighter, more effective storylines within each corner of the Spider-verse. I still maintain that the basic clone story could’ve been done by using college student Anthony Serba as a genetically modified “genetic duplicate” of Spider-Man, so if there is a sense that Peter and Ben are too alike, a storyline could be done that revives Gerry Conway’s original retcon. Ben discovers his past life as Anthony Serba and becomes literally a different person. Perhaps he can somehow physically become Serba again, but maintain his spider-powers. This would allow Scarlet Spider to move even further away from Peter’s shadow, and open up new story avenues.

So, that’s my humble solution to the quagmire. This also marks my final appraisal of Web of Spider-Man. I still have a soft spot for Web based on my initial encounter with the book in the late ‘80s, but it’s hard to deny that this title was too often an afterthought with no real identity of its own. The only redeeming quality of the book for a long stretch of its run was Alex Saviuk’s art, and even that’s marred by some inappropriate inking towards the end. For what it’s worth, Web published over three times as many issues as Sensational Spider-Man, Marvel’s attempt to replace Web with a glossier product. Are there more Spider-Man posts to come? Yes, but don’t expect Sensational Spider-Man #0 just yet…

WEB OF SCARLET SPIDER #4 - February 1996

Nightmare in Scarlet

Credits: Evan Skolnick (writer), Paris Karounos (penciler), Randy Emberlin (inker), Steve Dutro (letterer), Tom Smith & Malibu (colorists)

The Plot: Spider-Man joins the New Warriors to rescue the hostages captured by the evil Scarlet Spider. After falling off of a building, Scarlet Spider shocks everyone by stumbling back to life and continuing the fight. An injured Stephanie Briggs confronts Scarlet Spider and convinces him to face his pain and revert back to Joe Wade. He complies, and is taken away by the FBI.

The Subplots: Firestar is suspicious that she knows this Spider-Man’s “true” identity. When he accidentally calls her by her first name, her suspicions are confirmed.

*See _________ For Details: The evil Scarlet Spider took a group of citizens hostage in New Warriors#67.

Production Note: The indicia is still one month behind the cover date.

Review: And finally, Web of Scarlet Spider, the series no one really wanted to publish, is gone. The previous issue had some entertainment value due to Skolnick’s dark sense of humor, plus it’s interesting just to see how he deals with the illogical existence of these comics in the first place. This issue isn’t as funny, the art is still ugly, and the story cops out with a predictable “friend talks villain out of madness” ending. Apparently, another motivation for doing this story was to besmirch the Scarlet Spider’s reputation and essentially force him back into the Spider-Man role, but that idea hasn’t been expressed in any of the chapters I’ve read.

Given the vocal backlash to the clone storyline, it’s amazing that Marvel considered the “Scarlet Spider” such a valuable name that it couldn’t just die when Ben “reclaimed” the title of Spider-Man. If it was a brand name they really liked, you would think Marvel would’ve been more protective of the material it appeared in. Reading the Life of Reilly, it’s amazing to see the various hoops Marvel went through to get Ben into the Spider-Man role, even though it seems like everyone knew all along that Peter (and MJ) shouldn’t be written out of the books. Marvel’s solution was to make Ben the “real” Spider-Man, have Peter “retire” with MJ in a series of mini-series, and try to carve out a new supporting cast for Ben in New York. This was destined for failure. Not that anyone asked, but tomorrow I’ll present my solution to the Peter/Ben conundrum…

WEB OF SCARLET SPIDER #3 - January 1996

Nightmare in Scarlet Part One: Rude Awakening!

Credits: Evan Skolnick (writer), Paris Karaounos (pencils), Randy Emberlin, (inks), Steve Dutro (letterer), Kevin Tinsley & Malibu (colorists)

The Plot: Undercover FBI agent Joe Wade finds himself physically transformed into Scarlet Spider following the destruction of Dr. Octopus’ lab. Overcome with a manic sense of mischief, Wade performs cruel pranks throughout the city in the Scarlet Spider persona. When an exhausted Wade reverts to his true personality, he meets with his partner Stephanie Briggs and explains the story to her. Before she can help, he’s overcome by his dual identity. Nastier than ever, Scarlet Spider ambushes Firestar and plots to kill her.

The Subplots: None.

Web of Continuity: Scarlet Spider joined the New Warriors a few months earlier, although by this specific issue, Ben Reilly has reclaimed the role of Spider-Man and is no longer calling himself Scarlet Spider (or associating with the New Warriors, apparently). The New Warriors want to know why their latest member has gone rogue.

*See _________ For Details: The malicious Scarlet Spider persona previously appeared in Scarlet Spider #2 and Spectacular Scarlet Spider #2. The specific story of how Joe Wade was transformed into a digital copy of Scarlet Spider is told in Scarlet Spider #2. The real Scarlet Spider joined the New Warriors in New Warriors #62. This story is concluded in New Warriors #67.

Production Note: The cover date lists this as the January 1996 issue, but the indicia has December 1995 as the date.

Review: Well, this is certainly different. Ben Reilly has retaken the identity of Spider-Man in the January 1996 titles, yet Marvel’s marketing machine still wants to milk the name “Scarlet Spider” for two more months. The solution was to create a second Scarlet Spider and place him in a storyline that’s partially divorced from the main titles. Tom DeFalco and Todd Dezago are now off the hook, leaving New Warriors writer Evan Skolnick the privilege of creating a last-minute story that satisfies the arbitrary demands of bean counters.

To Skolnick’s credit, this is more enjoyable than the previous two issues. That’s like saying shampoo in your eye is preferable to mace, I understand, but many of the “evil” Scarlet Spider’s lines in this issue are actually funny. How exactly Skolnick is trying to pull off the illogical premise of two extra Web of Scarlet Spider issues is also an interesting feat to watch. The story is unfortunately tied in with the absurd virtual reality/hard light hologram nonsense from the previous chapters, but treating Joe Wade as the innocent Dr. Jekyll in this scenario, and recasting the Scarlet Spider as a more sinister Creeper, injects a lot of life into a dull premise.

Even if Skolnick is somehow making the story less intolerable, there’s no excusing Paris Karaounos’ art. If you think that cover looks bad, I can assure you it’s the best art in the entire issue. I already had low expectations going into this miniseries, and even I can’t believe how unprofessional this comic looks.

WEB OF SCARLET SPIDER #2 - December 1995

True Deceptions

Credits: Tom DeFalco (plot), Todd Dezago (script), Tom Morgan (breakdowns), Randy Emberlin, Hector Collazo, & Don Hudson (finishers), Steve Dutro (letterer), Tinsley & Chi w/Malibu (colorists)

The Plot: Tso’s gang war with Dr. Octopus has destroyed his Noir club, forcing him to align with Alistair Smythe. Smythe uses his Cyber-Slayers to attack Dr. Octopus’ henchmen (Looter, Aura, and Override) at a children’s zoo during an alleged peace conference. Scarlet Spider faces both sides of the battle until the authorities arrive. Dr. Octopus’ henchmen are arrested and the Cyber-Slayers fly away.

The Subplots: Seward Trainer is trapped in the internet. When Tso’s lackey Orlando is suspicious of his new bodyguard Ben Reilly, he searches for information on him online. Seward Trainer senses the search and mentally creates a fictitious backstory for Ben Reilly.

Web of Continuity: Since the previous issue, Trainer has somehow been trapped in cyberspace, and Ben Reilly has gone from waiter to bodyguard in the Tso empire. According to the narrative captions, Trainer creates an elaborate history for Ben using computer records, including a Social Security number, driver’s license number, and high school and college records. Presumably, this was done to make Ben’s transition into a “real” life easier for the writers.

*See _________ For Details: Seward Trainer was “spirited away to the realm of cyberspace” in Amazing Scarlet Spider #1. Ben Reilly cancelled a date with a woman named Carrie in Spectacular Scarlet Spider #1, which also featured a failed attempt by Dr. Octopus’ team to retrieve the stolen computer chips from the previous issue. Alistair Smythe altered his own body to fight Spider-Man in Amazing Spider-Man #368-373. He’s currently selling out the services of his Cyber-Slayers to fund more anti-Spidey operations.

Creative Differences: An added word balloon clarifies that Tso is waiting for Smythe in his lobby when they’re communicating via video-chat. Later, another added balloon has Scarlet Spider speculating that the Cyber-Slayers are leaving the fight because Tso remembers Scarlet Spider “saving his butt recently!”

Review: So, since the previous issue, Dr. Octopus and Jason Tso have continued their epic battle over computer chips, Alistair Smythe has gotten involved, Seward Trainer is trapped inside a free AOL trial disc, Ben’s somehow become a mobster’s bodyguard, and he’s grown out his hair and beard stubble in a tribute to ‘90s syndicated TV star Lorenzo Lamas. (I was never a fan of the bleached blond look, but this is even worse. Ben looks like one of the “manlier” glam metal lead singers; the ones that were too masculine to dye their hair but still wanted the ladies to know about their sensitive side.) We’ve also been introduced to Dr. Octopus’ goon squad in-between issues, and they certainly seem to be a sorry lot. Nothing in this issue makes it clear what any of their powers are supposed to be, and unfortunately, the Looter’s distinctive Ditko design has been replaced with generic ‘90s “cyber-armor.”

It’s honestly hard to find anything to like about the issue. I’ve enjoyed Tom Morgan’s work in the past, but this issue he’s only doing what are likely very loose breakdowns. Some of the anatomy and facial expressions in this issue are atrocious. Only in the final few pages (presumably Don Hudson’s section) does the art not look like a rushed mess.

WEB OF SCARLET SPIDER #1 - November 1995

Virtual Mortality Part One - There’s a New Spider in Town

Credits: Tom DeFalco (plot), Todd Dezago (script), Paris Karounos (penciler), Randy Emberlin (inker), Steve Dutro (letterer), Kevin Tinsley (colorist)

The Plot: Scarlet Spider stops a helicopter from hijacking a van, unaware that the van is carrying stolen computer components and the helicopter is piloted by Dr. Octopus’ henchmen. Later, her men try to steal the components again from the police, and this time manage to escape Scarlet Spider. Crimelord Tso is dismayed to learn of his competitor’s tenacity.

The Subplots: Ben Reilly searches for a job, eventually finding work at a restaurant named Noir. The manager, Joey, later gets into a car with Tso.

Web of Continuity: Doctor Octopus has been “killed” by Kaine at this point, as a part of the rather lazy attempt to build the character up at the expense of established villains. He’s been replaced by the female Doctor Octopus, who we later learn is Seward Trainer’s daughter.

*See _________ For Details: This story is continued in Amazing Scarlet Spider #1.

Production Note: All of the Spider-titles have been renumbered and renamed after Scarlet Spider for the next two months (Marvel’s marketing department loved the X-titles' similar stunt during “Age of Apocalypse”). Unlike the rest of the titles, Web of Scarlet Spider lasts four issues instead of two for some vaguely defined marketing reasons.

Review: Web of Scarlet Spider #1 kicks off the Scarlet Spider stunt, setting up a timeless storyline that centers on the horrors of virtual reality. In this issue, we learn that Dr. Octopus and a gangster are competing for a stash of computer chips, and poor Scarlet Spider has been caught in the middle of their feud. This somehow leads to Ben doubting himself and declaring himself a failure when compared to Peter. Later, we’re supposed to feel even sorrier for Ben as he’s unable to find a job. These are obviously attempts to evoke the “classic” feel of Spider-Man as the insecure, hard-luck hero with real problems, and while these scenes are the best moments of the issue, they still feel tired and predictable.

Ben’s having these problems because they’re the ones Marvel thinks he’s supposed to be having, not because there’s a great concept behind them, which makes the delivery feel tedious. The action that lands Ben his job, helping a waitress pick up a tray of food before it hits the ground, is a tired cliché that goes back to the Flash’s origin story. (A virtually identical scene appears in the first Spider-Man movie, although I doubt anyone involved read this specific comic.) When we aren’t getting the recycled secret identity scenes, the audience is forced to endure repetitive fight scenes that are horribly rendered by Paris Karounos. Not only are the characters repulsive, but the action is often hard to follow, making me wonder just how bad “cartoony” work had to be in the ‘90s before an editor would turn it down.

I’m not sure if even the most ardent clone saga fans will defend the renamed Scarlet Spider books. These are conspicuously bad filler comics rushed out in order to fulfill a marketing directive…we really didn’t need Life of Reilly to confirm this. They’re ugly, pointless, and boring. And somehow I’m stuck reviewing four of them.

WEB OF SPIDER-MAN #129 - October 1995

Time Bomb Part Two - By My Hand, Mary Jane Must Die!

Credits: Tom DeFalco (plot), Todd Dezago (script), Steven Butler (breakdowns), Randy Emberlin (finishes), Steve Dutro (letterer), Kevin Tinsley & Malibu (colors)

The Plot: A genetic implant created by the Jackal has forced Spider-Man into stalking MJ with the intent of killing her. Scarlet Spider and the New Warriors team up to stop him, but they’re no match for his strength and reflexes. Finally, MJ escapes to Aunt May’s former home. Surrounded by photos of Peter’s loved ones, Spider-Man finds the inner strength to overcome his programming and spares MJ.

The Subplots: None.

Web of Continuity: This is the second chapter of “Time Bomb,” which began in Spectacular Spider-Man #228. The Jackal was able to implant the mental command to kill MJ into Peter because, of course, Peter is the clone. How exactly this storyline was explained when Peter was retroactively declared not the clone, I don’t know.

*See _________ For Details: The Jackal allegedly died in Spider-Man: Maximum Clonage: Omega.

Creative Differences: Another gem from Life of Reilly -- Glenn Greenberg on the “cancelation” of the Spider-titles and the debut of the Scarlet Spider line: The idea was to have each Spider-Man book retitled so that the Scarlet Spider's name would replace Spider-Man's - AMAZING SCARLET SPIDER, SPECTACULAR SCARLET SPIDER, SCARLET SPIDER, and WEB OF SCARLET SPIDER. We'd get four new number #1's out of it, and it would be a way to capitalize on the Scarlet Spider's popularity one last time before he became Spider-Man. What that meant was holding off Ben's debut as Spider-Man even longer. As I recall, the sales and marketing guys wanted us to do the Scarlet Spider books for four months, four issues of each title, just like the X-Men books did it. Bob Budiansky rejected that idea, and pushed for just one month, one issue of each book. We (the editors and writers) weren't thrilled by any of this, but we agreed that one month was certainly better than four. As I recall, Budiansky's plan was agreed upon, but then the sales and marketing boys decided that just one month wasn't enough after all, and pushed for more. A compromise had to be reached.

Ultimately, the plan became this: TWO months of each Scarlet Spider title, with the exception of WEB OF SCARLET SPIDER, which would run for FOUR issues - even though Ben Reilly would no longer be the Scarlet Spider, and would not even be in the book, after #2. I'm asking the same thing you probably are - Huh?! After all this time, I couldn't remember for the life of me why we would ever agree to this scheme, so I called my good pal Mark Bernardo, who was my fellow Spider-Man Group assistant editor back then. Mark was working directly for Budiansky, and was more at the "heart of the storm" than I was. As far as Mark can remember, WEB was extended because the sales and marketing guys felt that two more issues of a Scarlet Spider book would bring in a significant amount of revenue for those two months. They believed that the Scarlet Spider "brand", so to speak, was strong enough to support this idea - even though there wouldn't even BE a Scarlet Spider by the time these last two issues came out! Ben was going to be Spider-Man by then, with a big, heavily-promoted launch being touted as "The Return of Spider-Man," and an all-new monthly Spider-Man title to replace WEB. Why the hell, then, would WEB OF SCARLET SPIDER still be in existence, competing against Ben's debut as Spider-Man? From an editorial standpoint, it made absolutely no sense. But the sales and marketing guys rattled off their sales projections and their statistics and whatever else they had in their arsenal, and in the end, they got what they wanted - two more months of the Scarlet Spider. Well, not THE Scarlet Spider...

I Love the ‘90s: There’s a “hidden image” 3-D poster bound into the middle of the comic, promoting a tie-in with FOX’s Spider-Man animated series and Fruit Roll-Ups. You might remember these 3-D posters from late night re-airings of Mallrats.

Review: Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the final issue of Web of Spider-Man. And it sucks. “Time Bomb” was originally intended to be the absolute final “Ben or Peter?” storyline, culminating with Peter’s decision to retire and Ben accepting his birthright as the one, true Spider-Man. And, like every other storyline that was supposed to do this, it did nothing of the sort. This is blatant filler, with no purpose outside of perhaps promoting the New Warriors’ title, which had somehow been shoehorned into the Spider-office’s domain. To the creators’ credit, they do at least have Peter verbalizing that he honestly doesn’t want to kill MJ, which perhaps lessens the impact of two full issues dedicated to Spider-Man trying to murder his pregnant wife. Of course, Peter isn’t the real Spider-Man, so who cares what ridiculous, insulting b.s. we put him through anyway, right?

The final, final, final resolution (for now) to “Who will wear the webs?” is the next crossover, "The Greatest Responsibility." And, even then, the titles undergo a fake cancelation and renumbering as the Scarlet Spider line before Ben officially becomes Spider-Man. Web of Scarlet Spider runs two issues longer than the other titles, and once the event is over, Web is no more. Viewed internally as the weakest and most easily disposable of all the Spider-titles, Web is replaced with a brand new book, a title that will usher in the new age of Ben Reilly as Spider-Man and showcase the talents of Dan Jurgens -- Sensational Spider-Man. Spoiler alert…it doesn’t end well.

WEB OF SPIDER-MAN SUPER SPECIAL #1 - October 1995

Planet of the Symbiotes Conclusion - Mortal Victory

Credits: David Michelinie (writer), Steve Lightle (artist), Bill Oakley & N.J.O (letters), Marianne Lightle & Malibu (colors)

The Plot: Spider-Man, Scarlet Spider, and Venom narrowly avoid a forty-foot tall Carnage and an army of alien symbiotes. They regroup at Peter’s home, much to MJ’s dismay. Venom develops a plan to overwhelm the symbiotes with psychic agony and force them into comas. While Venom harnesses his anguish at Our Lady of Sorrows, the two Spider-Men face Carnage again. During the battle, Carnage is knocked unconscious by an exploding gas truck, while the invading symbiotes suddenly disintegrate. Spider-Man realizes that Venom knew all along that his wave of mental sorrow would force the symbiotes into suicide. With MJ’s help, he decides the ends justified the means.

The Subplots: None.

Web of Continuity: Our Lady of Sorrows is the church where Eddie Brock contemplated suicide shortly before he joined with the alien symbiote and became Venom.

I Love the ‘90s: MJ sleeps in a Hootie & the Blowfish t-shirt.

Review: Wow, they wasted hired David Michelinie and Steve Lightle for this? I don’t think anyone considers “Planet of the Symbiotes” a classic, but to the editorial team’s credit, they did at least try to hire respectable creators for the project. This is the only chapter of this storyline I’ve ever read, so I imagine my enjoyment of the issue is hindered by coming in to the story so late. As a fan of David Michelinie’s early Venom stories, I can appreciate the significance of MJ meeting Venom face to face again, and his return to Our Lady of Sorrows, but the story’s so rushed and chaotic those scenes barely make an impact. As a kid, I always wondered if the alien symbiotes would get an origin story, or if we would ever see more of them arrive on Earth. This storyline covers all of that territory, but unfortunately it had to be published during a mega-event I viewed as utterly dumb and borderline insulting at the time, so I intentionally stayed away. Charging $3.95 a chapter for a five-part story also struck me as highway robbery anyway, so I didn’t mind missing out on this one. There were overpriced X-Men books I had to buy, anyway.

Cats and Robbers

Credits: Karl Kesel (writer), Patrick Zircher (penciler), Jeff Albrecht (inker), Jim Novak (letters), Tom Smith & Malibu (colors)

The Plot: Black Cat stakes out five-star restaurant Mikkal’s, anticipating a pair of thieves named Leather and Lace. While battling the duo, she notices Flash Thompson is on a date with a woman named Cinda inside. After defeating Leather and Lace, Black Cat asks Mikkal to return the favor and comp Flash’s meal.

Web of Continuity: Black Cat claims this is the first time she’s seen Flash since they broke up. She’s also using an unseen informant named Loop to tip her off to future crimes, enabling her to sell her services for “protection.” I had never heard of Loop, but apparently he's appeared a few times.

Review: Wow, they wasted hired Karl Kesel and Patrick Zircher for this? That’s certainly a higher level of quality than your average Web annual back-up. The premise of the story simply has Black Cat fighting two characters that somehow predate Jim Balent’s Tarot work, but it’s a fun read. The ending is also sweet, showing a side of Black Cat’s personality that most writers would probably ignore. One of the better Flash/Felicia stories, even if it does take place after their break-up.

Growing Pains Part Five - Where Monsters Dwell

Credits: Terry Kavanagh (writer), Roger Robinson (penciler), Saleem Crawford (inker), Loretta Krol (letterer), Chia-Chi Wang (colorist)

The Plot: Ben Reilly encounters the newly mutated Lizard at Empire State Hospital, Ben’s new employer. The Lizard escapes, leading the Scarlet Spider to seek the aid of a new hero, Strongarm. Together, they track Lizard to a nearby zoo. Scarlet Spider defeats the Lizard by freezing him with fire extinguishers and trapping him in his webbing. Later, Strongarm visits a friend in the hospital who was injured by the Lizard.

The Subplots: Ben is trying to win over a coworker, Rick Barron, who seems to irrationally hate him. Rick’s girlfriend, Toni Moore, walks in on Ben in the hospital’s locker room.

*See _________ For Details: Ben knows that he’s the “real” Peter Parker, following the revelations of Spectacular Spider-Man #226. The Lizard previously attacked “Doc Purl’s party” in Spectacular Spider-Man Super Special #1.

Creative Differences: Once again from the Life of Reilly, Glenn Greenberg on this project:

Now, I would be remiss if I didn't discuss the "flip-book feature" in these five Super Specials-namely the SCARLET SPIDER five-parter that Tom Brevoort and I edited. Stretching across all five Super Specials, this would essentially be a Scarlet Spider limited series, which I thought was a pretty cool idea. Tom B. and I really did want to make it special, to produce a worthwhile story that further explored Ben Reilly as a character and deserved all the space that was being devoted to it. It was the kind of project that J.M. DeMatteis would have been perfect for, but I don't remember why we didn't get him to write it. He was probably too busy, or Tom B. and I simply wanted to use this project as an opportunity to bring in a different writer, one that we'd always wanted to work with.

Again, Danny Fingeroth was overseeing us on this, and somehow, for some reason, he got it into his head that we would be bringing back the Lizard for this story. Tom B. and I were present at the Spider-Man writers' conference where the idea had been mentioned in passing as a possibility, but we'd never committed to it as anything other than a possibility. And as I recall, neither Tom B. nor I had any real enthusiasm for the idea, so it wasn't something we were going to actively pursue.

Tom B. and I brought in John Ostrander, a writer who had greatly impressed me with his work on DC's SPECTRE series. The initial idea that John pitched us was very intriguing, about whether or not a clone could have a soul. Unfortunately, it conflicted with future plans in the main Spider-Man books. I think John took another stab or two at coming up with a story line, but for whatever reasons, we couldn't get his ideas approved, and John eventually decided to just move on. Not only that, but every time any new story idea came in, be it from Ostrander or another writer, Danny would ask, "Where's the Lizard?" Tom and I would roll our eyes and try to muddle through.

Eventually, it became clear that Danny would simply not approve any story idea that did not include the Lizard, and he had already started to push his own choice writers upon us. With time-and our patience-running out, Tom and I simply submitted to Danny's will and did whatever he wanted. Terry Kavanagh ended up writing the story, which featured the return of the Lizard.

This was one of the few instances where Tom Brevoort and I felt completely disconnected-creatively and emotionally-from a project we were working on. It became a project we had to endure, rather than something that we could really take any pride in having put together. Some time later, this Lizard story was systematically undone in the pages of SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN, and no one was more pleased by this than Tom B. and myself.

Review: Wow, they wasted hired Terry Kavanagh and Roger Robinson for this? No, wait. That sounds about right. Yes, this is as bad as you expect. The Lizard has been mutated into a Jurassic Park reject, yet another Kooky Kavanagh Kreation is shoehorned into the story, and the art resembles something straight out of 1995’s Extreme Studios. I also have to wonder how exactly Ben’s found a job and cultivated a new supporting cast in such a short amount of time. I know about Ben’s career at the Daily Grind, but I had no idea there was a previous attempt to set him up as a staff assistant in a hospital. Regardless, Kavanagh doesn’t seem to have any new ideas for the personal drama, either. Did anyone really think giving Peter Ben yet another redheaded bully who hates him for no reason was clever? There’s even an appearance by a new Blonde Girl Who's out of His League, this one named Toni Moore. Man, I can’t wait to read about the orderly with the rich father and bizarre hairstyle who asks Ben to become his new roommate.

WEB OF SPIDER-MAN #128 - September 1995

Exiled Part One: Who Will Wear the Webs?

Credits: Tom DeFalco (plot), Todd Dezago (script), Steven Butler (penciler), Randy Emberlin (inker), Steve Dutro (letterer), Kevin Tinsley & Malibu (colors)

The Plot: The Black Cat questions if her relationship with Peter was real, following her discovery that he’s a clone. D’Spayre exploits her feelings and brainwashes her into hating Peter. Later, Peter and Ben visit Uncle Ben and Aunt May’s graves. They follow a mystery man who’s trailing them, only to discover he’s an employee of the Black Cat’s detective firm. He’s trailing people who might know about her disappearance. Peter and Ben search for Black Cat, only to be ambushed by her on a rooftop. Ben senses D’Spayre’s presence, as Black Cat fights off his influence. Afterward, Peter offers to sacrifice his Spider-Man identity to Ben, but Ben refuses.

The Subplots: Hoping to restart her modeling career, Mary Jane meets with a representative of a maternity clothing line.

Web of Continuity: An editor’s note informs us that Ben encountered D’Spayre in an untold tale from the past.

*See _________ For Details: A bewildered Black Cat visited Ben in prison in Spider-Man Unlimited #10.

Creative Differences: A few noticeable lettering corrections clarify some plot points, such as the connection between Peter and Ben’s “stalker” and the Black Cat. Two added balloons at the end of the D’Spayre fight have Ben Reilly explaining that the differences between him and Peter allowed them to defeat D’Spayre.

Review: “Exiled” was more time killer, although it’s thankfully less gimmicky and needlessly confusing than many of the clone saga’s mini-crossovers. We’re now at the point where Ben’s supposed to be taking over, yet Marvel still doesn’t seem to be able to let Peter Parker go. So, we get a few more months of Peter and Ben fighting throwaway villains with a couple of conversation scenes thrown in emphasizing that each character is his “own man.” Marvel tried to sell this line to placate fans who only knew the post-1975 Peter as the “real” one (which, let’s face it, was almost all of them), but it’s clearly a weak concession. Even after Peter is finally written out of the books, I don’t think he went more than a few weeks without an appearance, since Marvel immediately released a few miniseries to detail his new life in Portland.

Obviously, Marvel’s reluctant to do what they set out to do a year earlier and no one seems willing to admit that regardless of the attention the storyline originally brought to the titles, this was simply a bad idea that dragged on for too long. Maybe fandom was willing to embrace a new Green Lantern, or Iron Man’s best friend taking over, or the Flash’s sidekick replacing his mentor…but Spider-Man’s different. People buy the Spider-Man books to read about Peter Parker, and discovering that they haven’t been reading about him for the past twenty-five years is too bitter a pill to swallow. Tease the idea if you want, taunt the audience with the possibility of it being true for six months if you must, but you don’t actually do it. It’s unbelievable that Marvel let this story reach this point, but expecting the audience to tolerate months of filler while editorial finally makes up its mind is even more offensive.

WEB OF SPIDER-MAN #127 - August 1995

Maximum Clonage Part One - The Last Temptation of Peter Parker

Credits: Todd Dezago (writer), Steven Butler (penciler), Randy Emberlin (inker), Steve Dutro (letterer), Kevin Tinsley (colorist)

The Plot: The Punisher, unhinged by recent events, has targeted the Jackal for retaliation. Spider-Man, following the revelation that he is a clone of Peter Parker, has sided with the Jackal. When the Punisher takes aim, the Jackal intentionally takes a hail of bullets headed for Spider-Man. Leaving Punisher for the police, Spider-Man takes Jackal to his lab where he’s placed in a regenerative pod. Meanwhile, Punisher evades the SWAT team in the sewers.

The Subplots: Kaine is furious with Peter for siding with their “father.” He also has another vision of Mary Jane’s death. Meanwhile, MJ and Aunt Anna clean up Aunt May’s old place.

Web of Continuity: Since the last issue, we know now that Peter is the clone, Ben is the original, and Kaine is the failed original clone. None of this will ever be retconned, nosiree.

*See _________ For Details: Spider-Man joined the Jackal in Spider-Man: Maximum Clonage: Alpha. Unspecified events sent the Punisher over the edge in something called Double Edge: Omega. Wow, Marvel’s never going to be desperate enough to use those “Alpha” and “Omega” gimmicks again, right?

Review: Well, at least Steven Butler is back. His steroid-freak rendition of the Punisher is way too much (and those elaborate boots, which I guess were a part of his design at the time, are ridiculous), but it’s nice to see him drawing Spider-Man again. As for the story…I think Glenn Greenberg summed it up best when he called this the “nadir” of the clone saga. Honestly, I don’t think there’s anything I could add here that wasn’t expressed in a thousand Wizard letters pages at the time. It’s bad enough Peter was mentally unstable when this storyline started, but now he’s smacked his wife and joined forces with the Jackal, the Jackal has a personality and motivation that bears no resemblance to his established persona, the Punisher’s motivation is asinine, even if he is supposed to be insane, Kaine is still laughably angsty and repetitive, the supporting cast has largely been lost in the shuffle. This stuff never ends.

WEB OF SPIDER-MAN #126 - July 1995

Opening Statements- The Trial of Peter Parker Part One

Credits: Todd Dezago (writer), Roy Burdine (penciler), Randy Emberlin & Don Hudson (inkers), Krul, Crespi, & Babcock (letters), Kevin Tinsley (colors)

The Plot: As Ben Reilly takes Peter Parker’s place on trial, Spider-Man confronts Kaine. He tries to convince Kaine to confess to framing Ben, but he refuses. Detective Raven and Stunner arrive to apprehend Kaine, but they’re interrupted by Judas Traveller. Traveller teleports Spider-Man and Kaine away.

The Subplots: None.

*See _________ For Details: Detective Raven was convinced by the Scarlet Spider of Peter Parker’s innocence in Amazing Spider-Man #402.

Review: A bizarre sickness struck the American public in the 1990s, convincing them that courtroom trials are inherently fascinating. Or perhaps it was just the media, since the average stint of jury duty would’ve disabused most people of this myth. I can understand why the public was enthralled by the OJ Simpson trial in its early days, but I’ll never understand the years of relentless OJ mania that followed the white Bronco chase. Now, this nonsense has invaded my superhero comics, and it really hasn’t aged well.

Almost half of the issue is devoted to the opening arguments of the Peter Parker murder trial. Aside from a few attempts at establishing that this is a high-profile case with excessive media coverage, the courtroom scenes are as boring as real court. The only character that’s supposed to be exhibiting any personality is Peter/Ben’s defense attorney, who’s allegedly an F. Lee Bailey style legal genius, but Dezago gives him a fairly generic opening statement. Not that you can really blame Dezago, I guess, since he’s writing comics for a living instead of defending celebrities in court. As for the celebrity aspect of the trial, I’ve always hated that. I could live with Peter making a few local talk show appearances to promote his photo book Webs, but making him a notorious alleged killer in the middle of a national media circus was way too much. That’s imitating OJ for the sake of imitating OJ.

The action portion of the issue is yet another Spider-Man vs. Kaine sequence. Roy Burdine’s doing a blatant McFarlane riff, but is unfortunately imitating the uglier aspects of that style. Almost every panel in the fight is excessively large, making the padding of the issue even more noticeable. The actual content of the brawl is also disappointing, as Spider-Man and Kaine have a redundant conversation about his apparently irrational hatred of Ben Reilly. And, somehow through it all, Peter Parker still can’t grasp that Kaine is another one of his clones. Yikes. This just might be the worst clone saga chapter so far.

WEB OF SPIDER-MAN #125 - June 1995

Lives Unlived

Credits: Terry Kavanagh (writer), Steven Butler (breakdowns), Randy Emberlin (finishes), Steve Dutro & Janice Chiang (letterers), Kevin Tinsley (colorist)

The Plot: Spider-Man investigates the Daily Bugle morgue for information on Miles Warren. He tracks him to a suburban New Jersey town, unaware that the new Green Goblin has followed him. Spider-Man enters Warren’s home and is shocked to discover he’s married to Gwen Stacy’s original clone. Warren knocks Spider-Man unconscious and escapes with Gwen. Spider-Man recovers and follows their car. When Warren sees Spider-Man in the rearview mirror, he irrationally drives off the George Washington Bridge. Spider-Man, with Green Goblin’s help, rescues Gwen, but Warren dies in the accident. His body degenerates, confirming that he’s another clone.

The Subplots: Ben Reilly, who’s taken Peter’s place in jail, reflects on recent events. Meanwhile, MJ asks Black Cat to find Peter, who hasn’t told her about his trip to New Jersey.

Web of Continuity: The new Green Goblin’s full identity isn’t revealed, but we do learn he’s Ben Urich’s nephew. The climax at the George Washington Bridge is an obvious callback to Amazing Spider-Man #122; however, the bridge in Gwen’s famous death scene is supposed to be the Brooklyn Bridge. It was misidentified in the original story, but corrected in subsequent reprints. (Original dialogue from Amazing #122 was even altered to remove any references to the G. W. Bridge.)

*See _________ For Details: Ben took Peter’s place in prison in Spectacular Spider-Man #224. Black Cat visited Ben in prison, thinking he was Peter, in Spider-Man Unlimited #9. Spectacular Spider-Man annual #8 had a “super being named Dreamweaver” convince Gwen’s clone that she was a woman named Joyce Delany who had been infected with a virus that caused her DNA to imitate Gwen’s. She now believes Dreamweaver was committing an “act of mercy” to disguise the real truth.

Forever Young: Peter wonders if he would’ve settled down in suburbia by now if he had married Gwen instead of MJ.

Creative Differences: Two added thought balloons cast doubt that Peter can trust Miles Warren’s notes, opening up yet another door for even more retcons (although I believe this Gwen’s status as the original clone remains unchanged.) Almost the entire final panel of the story is completely re-lettered. Aside from misspelling Gwen’s last name, the captions emphasize that Gwen now realizes she is a clone and must deal with the truth.

“Huh?” Moments: The Daily Bugle ran a story on Miles Warren, who’s publicly known as dead, marrying Gwen Stacy, who’s also publicly known as dead, at some point in the past and no one, not even Peter Parker, noticed. Later, Warren comments that he and Gwen have changed their identities over the years, but that contradicts the very first scene of the comic. Peter finds their home by searching for Miles Warren’s name in the Bugle’s files.

Gimmicks: This issue is forty-eight pages, printed on slick paper, with a special “holodisk” cover. The cover price is an appalling $3.95. Editor Glenn Greenberg on the holodisks, as quoted on the Life of Reilly: “The holodisks were yet another in a long line of gimmick covers that were all the rage back then. We had just done a gimmick cover for AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #400 that did not turn out very well, and these holodisks were not much of an improvement. They looked GREAT in the prototype stage, but when we got the final versions, it was clear that you needed to view them under a light that was about as powerful as the sun to really get the full effect of the 3-D live action. Strike two!”
Someone must’ve realized that the cover gimmick had problems, since this issue’s hype page encourages fans to ask their retailers about the Spider-Man penlights that have been manufactured especially for these covers.

Review: I remember shopping at a local bookstore’s going out of business sale when I was fourteen. I swear to you, they had a comic book rack stuffed full of unsold copies of Web of Spider-Man #125. Now, this is a bad comic, but was it bad enough to kill a small business? Reasonable people would say no, but sometimes I wonder (not really) if this overpriced collection of dead trees and its lumpy, blurry hologram were the breaking point for the struggling storefront.

One of the many reasons why the clone saga wasn’t exactly the best idea in the world goes back to Gerry Conway’s late ‘80s run on Spectacular Spider-Man. Conway was apparently never happy with his work on the original clone storyline and used his return to Spider-Man to smooth over some of the more absurd points of the story. Conway dismissed the idea of instantaneous cloning, revealing instead that the original “clones” from the ‘70s storyline were actually full-grown adults who had been injected with a genetic virus. A virus that happened to morph their DNA into a copy of someone else’s. Spider-Man’s clone was actually another ESU student named Anthony Serba, for example. Still implausible, but in terms of comic book science, it’s perfectly reasonable.

A few members of the ‘90s creative team realized that Conway’s retcons needed to be addressed if they were serious about reintroducing Miles Warren’s cloning process. Apparently, this issue was supposed to address the problem. Clearly, it does not. Kavanagh’s dismissal of Conway’s retcons is to reveal, over the course of two panels, that Dreamweaver (a minor character from the “Evolutionary Wars” crossover) just made up the lie and sold it to Gwen…to be nice, apparently. This is not how you retcon a retcon. I believe Howard Mackie was given another pass at addressing Conway’s later stories, and fared about as well. Finally, Glenn Herdling, assistant editor of the Spider-titles when Conway’s retcons were initially published, penned a Spider-Man Unlimited story that resolved the problem. Why exactly was it so hard to resolve this? Beats me. Why is this storyline still dragging on, anyway?

Now, if Marvel really wanted to revive the original clone, Conway’s Spectacular Spider-Man run wasn't that much of a hindrance in the first place. Why is it so important that the “clone” who apparently died back in the ‘70s actually be a clone? Couldn’t the story work just as well if Ben Reilly was a “genetic duplicate” instead of a clone? Wouldn’t it add another layer to his characterization if he had another life before coming into contact with Miles Warren and Spider-Man?

Anyway, there’s more to this comic than sloppy continuity. It’s the touching love story of the clone of a pervy college professor obsessed with his teenage student, and the clone of said student who decides to marry the professor’s clone when she realizes she has no life of her own. Okay, maybe Peter Milligan could do something with this…but, yeah, we don’t have Milligan. Kavanagh handles the story about as well as you would expect, right down to the cliché “Gwen falls from the bridge” scene. The debut of a new, heroic Green Goblin during the scene is an ironic twist, I suppose, but even that’s too obvious to work. Of course that’s how they introduced the hero Green Goblin.

Shining Armor

Credits: Terry Kavanagh (plot), Mike Lackey (script), Tod Smith (breakdowns), Jimmy Palmiotti (finishes), Loretta Krol (letterer), Nel Yomtov (colorist)

The Plot: In the past, Miles Warren’s clone comforts Gwen Stacy’s clone. They grow close and marry.

Review: This brief backup just spells out the details hinted at in the main story, only now with uglier art. Hooking Miles Warren and Gwen Stacy up could be a disturbing, creepy idea if executed properly, but there’s no chance of that here. Apparently, no one cared enough about this backup to notice that a narrative caption describes Gwen’s eyes as green when they’re clearly colored blue in the same panel. That’s the level of quality we’re dealing with.

WEB OF SPIDER-MAN #124 - May 1995

The Mark of Kaine Part One - Walls

Credits: Terry Kavanagh (writer), Steven Butler (breakdowns), Randy Emberlin (finishes), Steve Dutro (letterer), Kevin Tinsley (colorist)

The Plot: Peter Parker is placed on trial for murder, while Ben Reilly and his friend Dr. Seward Trainer look after an expecting Mary Jane. When an inmate accidentally starts a fire with a cigarette, Peter pulls open his cell bars and performs CPR on the dying prisoner. He narrowly returns to his cell before the firefighters arrive.

The Subplots: Jonah Jameson is secretly paying for Peter’s high-profile lawyer, and attempting to bury the story in the Daily Bugle. The third Peter Parker returns to Aunt May’s home, distraught over her death. Stunner is convinced that Peter is innocent. She turns to Detective Jacob Raven for help, certain that the true killer also killed Doctor Octopus. Kaine, still convinced that MJ is destined to die soon, drags her into the sewers to warn her. She runs away and crashes into the third Peter Parker on the street.

Web of Continuity: Aunt May passed away in Amazing Spider-Man #400…or so we naively thought. A few years later, the perfectly logical explanation that she had been replaced by a dying, genetically-altered actress is given. Norman Osborn, who of course has been secretly alive since Amazing Spider-Man #122, arranged the deception and kept the real Aunt May prisoner in a secluded hunting lodge in upstate New York.

*See _________ For Details: Ben Reilly convinced Peter and MJ to trust his friend Dr. Seward Trainer in Spider-Man #57.

Review: I’m not sure if even hardcore Clone Saga fans like the trial of Peter Parker storyline. Aside from slowing down the overall story arc, it’s based on the premise that mimicking the OJ trial with Peter Parker as a stand-in is somehow a good idea. Wasn’t everyone absolutely sick of OJ by this point? Did we really want to be reminded of the never-ending trial while purchasing the latest ill-conceived Spider-crossover? I realize the creators had to stretch things out during this period, but I can’t believe this is the best they could generate.

Mercifully, Terry Kavanagh doesn’t seem too interested in the trial, either (or perhaps he’s been told to buy time and delay the actual start of the trial for a future chapter). So, we get a healthy dose of subplots, leading in to new storylines that of course aren’t resolved in this title. Ben and Dr. Trainer, who bizarrely dresses like an X-Man circa 1991, check on MJ’s baby, which turns out to be yet another hard sell for Ben, allowing him to take care of Peter’s fatherly duties while he’s in jail. MJ’s pregnancy is more of an excuse to write her and Peter out of the book than a story in its own right, so I consider that another strike against the idea. I do like Jonah Jameson’s scenes, which have him exhibiting his often-hidden paternal feelings for Peter. The Stunner/Detective Raven subplot sets up the resolution to the murder mystery, which is so obvious anyone should be able to guess, yet it somehow manages to be several chapters away. Kaine’s story is essentially a lie, since apparently no one at the time honestly planned on killing MJ (I seem to recall the resolution to his “vision” is particularly bad). And…what else? Oh, yes. The third Peter Parker. Another idea that’s a needless time-killer, and a gratuitous way to screw with the readers. So, this is by and large a sorry lot, even if we are spared the courtroom scenes.

WEB OF SPIDER-MAN #123 - April 1995

Players and Pawns Part Two - True Lies

Credits: Terry Kavanagh (writer), Steven Butler (penciler), Randy Emberlin (inker), Steve Dutro (letterer), Kevin Tinsley (colorist)

The Plot: Flash Thompson and his students are targeted by the Jackal. Ben Reilly defeats him, unaware the Jackal wants to be placed in Ravencroft. As the Jackal is taken away, Jack hands Ben a disc that he claims proves Ben is the original Peter. A verbal command from the Jackal immediately causes Jack to deteriorate. Meanwhile, Kaine has handed Peter Parker documents that allegedly prove that he is the original. When Kaine refuses to answer all of Peter’s questions, Peter charges him. Kaine throws Peter off of a building and escapes. Later, Ben throws the disc into the river, confident in his own identity.

The Subplots: Aunt May awakens from her coma. Meanwhile, another clone travels to New York. Finally, Detective Trevane pursues an arrest warrant.

Web of Continuity: Flash Thompson is now a grade school gym teacher. The third Peter Parker is a needless distraction that only serves to pad the story out even longer. The arrest warrant is for Peter, of course, leading in to the OJ-inspired “Trial of Peter Parker” storyline.

*See _________ For Details: Peter and Ben shut down the Jackal’s lab in Spider-Man #56. Kaine presented Peter with his “evidence” in Spectacular Spider-Man #222; the same issue the mystery of the third Peter Parker began. Ben returns to the smokestack that allegedly incinerated him in Amazing Spider-Man #150 before throwing the disc away.

Creative Differences: Several added thought balloons establish that the Jackal is attacking Flash and his students in order to provoke Ben Reilly. Later, more added thought balloons have the Jackal boasting that he wants to go to Ravencroft because “something” there belongs to him.

Review: The clone storyline was originally supposed to end in Amazing Spider-Man #400, which went on sale the same month this issue was released. Clearly, this was not to be. The standard explanation from the creators is that Marvel’s marketing machine became enamored with the concept and pressured them to keep it going, requiring them to develop one inane plot twist after another to prevent the story from reaching its natural conclusion. Okay, maybe no one involved with the books ever used the phrase “inane plot twist” (in public, at least), but that’s clearly what’s happening by this point. Ben’s the real Peter! No, Peter is…Kaine says so! Who’s Kaine? We can’t say yet, but Peter’s going to fight him for no reason this issue! Wait, this third Peter is the real one…you can trust us now! Uh-oh…the Jackal’s plan is still in motion behind bars! By the way…we’re killing Aunt May next week, but Peter will be too busy digesting prison food to mourn his loss!

As exasperating as the overall storyline is by now, there are a few decent moments in this issue. Ben’s interaction with the original supporting cast has been interesting so far, so working in Flash and his students is a smart move on the creators’ part. Ben’s decision to throw away the evidence that “proves” he’s not a clone is reminiscent of Peter’s choice to throw his test results away in ASM #151, which is a clever callback. Ben’s just as confident in his own identity now as Peter was back then, which is ironic given that Ben’s so adamant that he isn’t Peter anymore. Finally, Steven Butler returns with full pencils, producing the best-looking issue in a while. Unfortunately, he’s still stuck drawing the horrific Scarlet Spider costume, which is several months away from retirement. Yet another reason why this story needs to move on.

WEB OF SPIDER-MAN #122 - March 1995

Smoke and Mirrors Part One - The Call

Credits: J. M. DeMatteis (plot), Todd Dezago (script), Steven Butler (breakdowns), Randy Emberlin (finishes), Steve Dutro (letterer), Kevin Tinsley (colorist)

The Plot: Peter Parker and Ben Reilly are suddenly assaulted with visions of the past. A subconscious prompt sends Ben to the mountains. There, he encounters Jack, a diminutive clone of the Jackal. Another deformed Peter Parker clone attacks him, leaving Ben for dead in the snow. Meanwhile, Peter tries to fight off his hallucinations, until he has a vision of Ben’s lifeless body. He declares that he won’t turn his back on Ben.

The Subplots: Kaine watches Ben’s battle with the clone from a distance. In New York, MJ and Anna Watson keep vigil over Aunt May. MJ’s adamant that May will live to see her baby, but Anna prepares her for the worst.

Web of Continuity: Peter has visions of awakening in the Jackal’s lab, causing him to question for the first time if he is in fact the clone.

*See _________ For Details: MJ announced her pregnancy in Spectacular Spider-Man #220. The next chapter of “Smoke and Mirrors” is Amazing Spider-Man #399.

Miscellaneous Note: The Statement of Ownership lists average sales for the year as 199,708 copies with the most recent issue selling 152,500.

Review: And now begins the clone saga phase that has every ridiculous idea from the original storyline exhumed and hauled into modern times. I can understand why the creators would want to revive the Jackal in a storyline about the original clone, but I consider it one of those ideas that is so obvious it's not really worth doing. The Jackal already did everything he needed to do for this storyline back in the ‘70s. He created the clone. And as Gerry Conway revealed while he went out of the way to make his silly old story a bit more respectable, the Jackal wasn’t even capable of cloning in the first place.

Hardly anyone even remembered the Jackal at this point -- his true claim to fame was hiring the Punisher for his first appearance -- so what exactly was served by bringing him back? Apparently, someone thought it was a good idea to give him a tiny clone, a drastically altered “funny” personality, and a ridiculous new motivation that changed his desires from “hot blonde co-ed” to “world domination.” He’s the Jackal in name only, and yet he’s just as pathetic a villain now as ever. I can’t imagine the people invested in this story, the ones who were dying to know about Ben’s past and whether or not Peter was a clone, cared anything about the Jackal, his annoying clone, or his stupid genetic time bombs. He’s just a distraction that unnecessarily stretches the story out for a few more months. Unfortunately, he won’t be the only one.

WEB OF SPIDER-MAN #121 - February 1995

Web of Life Part Three - The Hunting

Credits: Todd Dezago (writer), Phil Gosier (breakdowns), Sam De La Rosa & Randy Emberlin (finishes), Steve Dutro (letterer), Kevin Tinsley (colorist)

The Plot: Kaine encounters a gang of thugs who are terrorizing a homeless woman and murders them. Meanwhile, Ben Reilly races to Peter Parker’s home, hoping to catch the Grim Hunter. He’s soon confronted by Kaine, who knocks him unconscious. When the Grim Hunter arrives, Kaine faces him.

The Subplots: Gregor, a friend of the late Kraven the Hunter, fears for his son’s sanity. Elsewhere, Detective Jacob Raven has tracked Kaine’s fingerprints to New York.

*See _________ For Details: The Grim Hunter ended his pursuit of Ben Reilly in Spider-Man #54 after discovering that Ben wasn’t the same Spider-Man he faced earlier. The conclusion to this story arc occurs in Spider-Man #55.

Creative Differences: Portions of Gregor’s monologue are lettering corrections, and an added thought balloon emphasizes that Grim Hunter escaped from Ben in the previous chapter.

Review: Terry Kavanagh isn’t officially gone at this point, but apparently some behind-the-scenes disagreements will soon lead to his departure. Todd Dezago will show up during the early days of the clone saga as a fill-in writer before taking over Sensational Spider-Man after Dan Jurgens’ brief stint. Just based on this issue, I would say he has a better ear for dialogue than Kavanagh, but there’s no noticeable improvement in the plotting. Since Web is released during the first week of the month, it’s placed in an odd position during the crossovers. It always starts the storylines, but never finishes them, leaving every other issue as the third chapter in a four-part storyline. In other words, every other issue is largely “Middle.”

It’s obvious that this issue has a lot of time to kill. Kaine’s opening scene just reiterates the character’s brutal nature (even towards the person he's allegedly saving), while Ben’s introductory action piece is just an elaborate setup for a Miracle on 34^th Street reference. A few more pages are eaten up with a monologue by Gregor, a character who’s never appeared in this book before, but apparently has a connection with the Kraven-spawn that’s about to be killed off. Exciting. We’re halfway through the issue by now. A Kaine subplot establishes that the police are on his trail, so that’s at least one plot advancement. Ben and Kaine then trade off monologues for a couple of pages before having a fight scene that drops a few vague hints about their shared past. Of course, we’re still several months away before any true revelations are made, so this is more stalling, really. Finally, Kaine and Grim Hunter face off on the final page, leading us directly into a different comic that will actually resolve this story. Would even a hardcore completist want to keep buying a comic with stories like this? At the very least, a competent artist could’ve redeemed the action scenes, but the rushed, faux-McFarlane style art just drags the material down even deeper.

WEB OF SPIDER-MAN #120 - January 1995

Web of Life Part One - Lure of the Spider

Credits: Terry Kavanagh (writer), Steven Butler (breakdowns), Randy Emberlin & Don Hudson (finishes), Kevin Tinsley (colorist), Krol, Powell, & Crespi (letterers)

The Plot: Ben Reilly fills in for the missing Spider-Man, defeating Tombstone and the terrorist group A.R.E.S. on the same night. After spotting Ken Ellis and Betty Brant during one of his fights, Ben visits Betty and considers offering her his story. Instead, he changes his mind and leaves. Meanwhile, the Grim Hunter follows Ben’s path.

The Subplots: Kaine keeps a vigil near Aunt May’s hospital room. He suddenly has a vision of MJ’s death. In Pittsburgh, MJ says goodbye to her sister Gayle.

Web of Continuity: Gayle comments that MJ is “positively glowing,” a subtle hint that she’s pregnant (which is apparently no longer in continuity, regardless of Marvel’s claims that all of your old Spider-Man comics still happened with a shacked-up Peter and MJ). MJ traveled to Pittsburgh to reconcile with her family a few issues earlier in Amazing Spider-Man.

*See _________ For Details: Tombstone’s previous attempts to become a crimelord occurred in Spectacular Spider-Man #204-206. A footnote corrects a narrative caption’s claim that Kraven’s mansion has been abandoned since his death with a reference to the “Pursuit” storyline. A brief shot of Peter Parker near death is accompanied with a plug for the Amazing/Spectacular crossover “Web of Death.” Finally, this story is continued in Spider-Man #54, and a very special announcement will be made in Spectacular Spider-Man #220.

Gimmicks: This is a forty-eight page flipbook. The other side of the comic is a reprint of “Cold Blood” by Greg Cox, a Spider-Man vs. Morbius prose story from the Ultimate Spider-Man collection.

Miscellaneous Note: Ben’s rooftop meeting with Betty is a pretty obvious homage to the Superman/Lois Lane interview scene in the original Superman movie.

Review: Well, if nothing else, there’s a lot going on here. Defenders of the clone saga will always point to the increased sales of the storyline’s opening issues, which is a fair enough argument. After years of lackluster spinoffs and an occasionally bland lead title, the return of the clone (prefaced by the degeneration of Peter Parker into an irrational lunatic) absolutely kicked some excitement back into the titles. That doesn’t mean the idea itself was particularly good, but it was ostentatious enough to make anyone pay attention.

When Mike Sterling says that he sells more clone saga back issues to kids than current Amazing issues at his shop, I’m not surprised. These issues are filled with crazy events -- new mystery characters, death prophesies, numerous villains, a potential replacement for Peter Parker…and somehow, the supporting cast is actually receiving a little more attention as well. (Setting Betty up as a potential love interest for Ben is a far better use of the character than abruptly turning her into a tough-as-nails butch reporter.) A few issues prior, the big drama was whether or not Peter would accept a job taking publicity photos for MJ’s soap opera. Now, he’s undergoing an emotional breakdown while his clone (who might not be a clone) has come out of retirement to fulfill his responsibilities. Even if you think this is a train wreck, it’s hard to ignore.