Ben Reilly - The Life and Death of Scarlet Spider-Man

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Being like someone is not the same as being them. After all, whatever one may say, you still have to live your life. Ben Reilly has always been just a copy, albeit the best, but what he went through has little to do with the life of Peter Parker.

First meeting

Benjamin Reilly (Scarlet Spider) is considered the most successful clone of Spider-Man. There were rumors that he owes his appearance to a genetically modified person, a fighter with good - the Jackal. The goal was to destroy Peter Parker. And to see the results of his work, he kidnaps the real Spider-Man and brings him to Shea Stadium. There the first meeting of two spiders took place.

In the process of fighting, they almost kill each other, but they stop in time, realizing that it is better for them to work together. And a little later, while trying to save Gwen Stacy, Scarlet Spider (Ben Reilly) dies. At least that's how it seemed to Spider-Man, so he got rid of his body so that the secret about him would not be revealed.

New life

Only Ben Reilly didn't die. He lived away from New York for several years. The guy completely closed himself and lost confidence in himself, because he realizedthat he's just a copy of Peter Parker. But old friend Seward Trainer brought him back to life. He found him a job and helped him get back on his feet. With it, Benjamin forgot that he was a clone and felt like a complete person.

At his new job, Ben met Janina Godby, who didn't pay any attention to him at first. But when they began to communicate closer, he learned about her past life. It turns out that her real name is Elizabeth Tyne, and it was very difficult for her as a child. She was often beaten by her father, and one day the girl, unable to bear the bullying, killed him. Ben also decided to open up, so he revealed that he was a clone of Spider-Man. Secrets brought the guys even closer. They began to meet, but did not stay together for long - about a year. Ben Reilly did not even suspect that the enemy was already very close.

The fact is that all this time he was tracked down by Cain - another clone of Spider-Man. He managed to frame Ben by leaving fingerprints (and they match) on the body of the woman he killed. And then he took it from Elizabeth, faking her death.

Return to New York

After some time, Benjamin learns of Aunt May's poor he alth, so he reappears in New York. To avoid trouble with the original spider, he decides to meet with him and explain the reason for his appearance. Peter Parker is at first distrustful of him, but later accepts the guy, and their relationship becomes friendly again.

They keep fightingcrime, and Ben even wears a similar costume. The only difference in his outfit is a blue sweater with a picture of a spider in the middle. Now his name is different - Scarlet Spider-Man. In this guise, he had to fight many villains.

Agreement

Only they did not have to cooperate for a long time, because Seward Trainer appears in New York. He runs some tests and tells Ben that he is the real Spider-Man and Parker is just a clone. This upset Peter a little, and the guys decided to stop working together for a while.

Later, because of Mary Jane's pregnancy, Peter had to forget about heroism for a while. So he finds the Scarlet Spider to ask him to be Spider-Man in his place. Ben Reilly (Marvel) is happy for his friend and doesn't mind replacing him. He wears pretty much the same costume, only the spider logo makes it look bigger.

While Ben was getting into character, Peter Parker decided to check on his friend. It turns out that Seward Trainer is Norman Osborn's man, who is actually the creator of all the Spider-Man clones. His goal was to drive Parker insane into believing he was also a copy. And he set this task to an old friend of Ben Reilly.

Death of Ben Reilly. True or not?

Revealing Osborn's plans, both spiders find him. A fight ensues between them, in which the Scarlet Spider, covering Peter with his body, is mortally wounded.

But he doesn't die. It's just that Benjamin understands that one Spider-Man is enough for the world. Therefore, he stages his owndeath and leaves for Portland, where he gets a job at a school as a janitor named Henry Jones.

Abilities

It would be logical to assume that a clone of Spider-Man should have exactly the same abilities and skills:

• Strength. Superhuman strength allows Ben Reilly to lift more than 5 tons.
• Agility. The mobility of the Scarlet Spider is due to the very elastic tendons and connective tissues.
• Stamina. The one who volunteered to keep order in the city does not have days off. At any moment someone may need his help. It's good that he's tough enough to fight crime without rest for a very long time.

• Resistant to damage. With strong bones and muscles, Ben Reilly can endure more injury and damage than the average person. On top of that, the Scarlet Spider's body regenerates. True, it is still possible to hurt him.
• Overreaction. Simply put, it is this ability that allows him to be invulnerable to firearms or any other weapon.
• Superior Sense. The Scarlet Spider doesn't have eyes in the back of its head, but it does have something better - a spider sense that warns it in advance of danger. Thus, he avoids numerous injuries.

Besides this, Ben Reilly is an excellent photographer. He inherited this skill from Peter Parker. Of the weapons, he has only a mixture that resembles a web. It is housed in special containers and, upon contact with air, turns into a strong and sticky fiber.