WARNING: The following article contains spoilers from Ben Reilly: Spider-Man #3, on sale now from Marvel Comics.
Peter Parker’s life has always been filled with harrowing situations that have shaken the character to his core. One of the best examples of this was during The Clone Saga when he came face to face with another one of his more perfect clones, Ben Reilly. But if Peter had issues handling his personal demons, Reilly may have had it worse as a man who must wrestle with Peter’s past as well as his own present and future. But Ben Reilly: Spider-Man #4 (by J.M. DeMattis, David Baldeon, Israel Silva, and VC’s Joe Caramagna) may have set the stage for the character’s villainous future.
Ben Reilly: Spider-Man follows Ben during the era when he was New York’s Spider-Man, and Peter and MJ moved to Portland to start new lives. But as Ben got accustomed to the city, he also struggled to find his place. Just as he began to build a social circle, he started to get attacked by enemies believed to be long dead or incarcerated. As it turned out, the reason for this was because a failed clone of Miles Warren, Spidercide, was behind Ben’s torment. At first, Spidercide wanted nothing more than to understand humanity and walk among them as an equal rather than an outlier. However, he eventually felt that he was nothing more than an evil blight and monster who should embrace his status.
Ironically, for a story set in the past, it has helped inform Ben Reilly’s future as he’s now evolved from being Spider-Man to a new potential enemy named Chasm. After his stint with the Beyond Corporation, Ben had lost almost all of his memories tied to Peter Parker’s past. As a result, he forgot the most important lessons taught to him and was left with a temporal void. These lost memories ate away at Ben’s psyche and made him more prone to violent outbursts as he felt a part of himself was taken away. Naturally, part of this blame was put on Peter, who was the only reason he existed, and he vowed to exact some form of justice and obtain his memories to fill the chasm left behind. Essentially, everything that made Ben who he was was stripped.
Ben not understanding his purpose or reason for being was a fear he had even in his early years. While identity came naturally for most, it was a concept he so desperately wanted to have a firm grasp on. The other clones felt this as well, like Kaine, who did his best to build a life with a face that wasn’t truly his own. For some time, it was believed that Ben had beaten this insecurity and feelings of worthlessness, and for the most part, he did.
Joining Beyond was the first step in him finally going out into the world on his own and taking it by storm. But with his memories stolen, he was reverted back to his base self, the more unsure version of himself. Now, there’s a greater possibility that he could end up just like Spidercide, who believed he was just a virus and nothing close to human. Although Ben may have suspected it was all part of his act, he could have also internalized the truth in his words but overcame them. But now, with his base emotions exposed like a nerve, he could be even more driven than Spidercide to achieve his goals.
Ben Reilly had always struggled with who he was when no one was looking. For decades, the mask was the only thing that felt natural to him, and to have his first moments of clarity stripped is enough to make anyone angry. But for Ben, it’s another moment where his semblance of freedom and identity were taken. While there’s still hope he could find himself as Peter’s brother and ally, there’s still a chance the chasm in his mind will only grow larger.
Read Next
About The Author