Ben Reilly

This article is about the fictional character. For the similarly named musician, see Ben Riley. For the similarly named British politician, see Ben Riley (politician).

Ben Reilly
Ben Reilly as Scarlet Spider, as appeared in Spider-Man Collectors' Preview #1 (December 1994).
Character design by Tom Lyle
Publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics
First appearanceAs Peter Parker's clone:
The Amazing Spider-Man #149 (October 1975)
Return:
Web of Spider-Man #114
(May 1994)
Identified as Ben Reilly:
Spider-Man #51 (October 1994)
As Scarlet Spider:
Web of Spider-Man #118
(November 1994)
As Spider-Man:
Sensational Spider-Man #0
(January 1996)
As Jackal:
The Clone Conspiracy #3
(December 2016)
As Chasm:
The Amazing Spider-Man #93
(March 2022)
Created byGerry Conway (writer)
Ross Andru (artist)
(based upon Spider-Man by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko)
In-story information
Full nameBenjamin Reilly (né Peter Parker)
SpeciesHuman mutate clone
Place of originThe Catskill Mountains, New York
Team affiliationsThe New Warriors
New U Technologies
The Midnight Sons
The Spider-Army/Web-Warriors
Notable aliasesChasm, Scarlet Spider, Spider-Man, Spider-Carnage, Peter Parker, Henry Jones, Jackal, Man in Red, Canadian Spider-Man[1]
AbilitiesAs Scarlet Spider:
  • Superhuman strength, speed, durability, agility, stamina, reflexes/reactions, coordination, balance and endurance
  • Spider physiology: high pain tolerance, precognitive spider-sense ability, cling to most solid surfaces
  • Master hand-to-hand combatant and expert swordsman
  • Spider-sense helps against enemies
  • Genius-level intellect:
    Proficient scientist and inventor
  • Utilizes wrist-worn web-shooters to fire various projectiles include a strong air-expanding adhesive substance in variety of forms of artificial webbings (web-lines and impact webbing), sedative stingers, and mini-dot tracers
  • Undetectable to Spider-Man's spider-sense

As Spider-Carnage:

Benjamin "Ben" Reilly (/ˈraɪli/), also known as the Scarlet Spider, is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Grown in a lab by Miles Warren/Jackal, he is a clone of Peter Parker/Spider-Man tasked with fighting him but instead becoming an ally, later even regarded as a "brother". Created by writer Gerry Conway, the character first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #149 (October 1975) and is seemingly killed in the same issue. The character returned and featured prominently in the 1994–96 "Clone Saga" storyline, adopting the "Scarlet Spider" alias with a costume similar to Spider-Man's consisting of a red spandex bodysuit and mask complemented by a blue sleeveless hoodie sweatshirt adorned with a large spider symbol on both sides, along with a utility belt and bulkier web-shooters. This Scarlet Spider costume was designed by artist Tom Lyle.[2] When Peter Parker temporarily left the Spider-Man role, Ben became the new Spider-Man while wearing a new costume variation designed by artist Mark Bagley. However, Reilly dies at the hands of Norman Osborn/Green Goblin, sacrificing himself to save Parker who then resumes the Spider-Man role.

In 2017's Dead No More: The Clone Conspiracy story, the character is revealed to be alive, his mind forcibly transferred to new clone bodies by the Jackal repeatedly before his resurrection was successful. Driven mad by the experience of being reborn and dying repeatedly, he became the new Jackal and started his own criminal enterprise. After being defeated by Spider-Man and others, Reilly reclaims his Scarlet Spider identity in the series Ben Reilly: The Scarlet Spider. Reimagined as an antihero, he first hopes to escape his past then embarks on a spiritual quest to redeem himself. This arc is completed in "Spider-Geddon" (2018), during which he sacrifices himself to protect others when his life force is absorbed by an enemy who inadvertently absorbs his many death traumas as well. Ben is then resurrected in a new clone body, his mind and soul healed and restored. During the events of the 2021–2022 storyline "Beyond", Ben temporarily became Spider-Man again, only for him to have his memories purged from him and becoming a new villain called Chasm. Due to his many resurrections in different clone bodies, the 2017–2018 comic series Ben Reilly: The Scarlet Spider states he has died and returned more than anyone else in the Marvel Universe, leading to him becoming favored by Lady Death.

The character made his cinematic debut in the 2023 feature film Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse voiced by Andy Samberg.[3]

  1. ^ Cosmic Ghost Rider destroys Marvel History #6. Marvel Comics
  2. ^ Peter David (w), Mark Bagley (a), Devin Lewis (ed). "Scarlet Letters" Ben Reilly: The Scarlet Spider, no. 1, p. 22 (26 April 2017). Marvel Comics.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Spider-Verse was invoked but never defined (see the help page).