It was. Ben was never the problem with Clone Saga, and it's a miracle he emerged as a beloved character distinct from Peter. All those stories that filled in the important life moments that defined him are the reasons why, and I refuse to believe it's some impossible task for modern writers to look to those stories and faithfully carry that character forward into new adventures that don't overlap with Peter. I've stated before, if Ben lacks all the elements that made him Ben, then the character is currently suffering an identity death and is in essence a different person, and I'm not fond of the "new guy" running around as Chasm. Chasm is the pale mockery of what Ben was, ironically far more than Ben ever was an inferior imitation of Peter.
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is it weird that i'd read an ultimate ben reilly before i'd read a new chasm or 616 reilly story?
troo fan or death
Honestly, I’m kinda interested in seeing what they would have done with the original Ultimate Ben Reilly from the last Ultimate Universe; the one who helped Otto with the cloning process. Before they created Miles I was 100000 percent certain that was them setting us up to get a Black Spider-Man.
Wish I'd Never Been Born at All, a Ben Reilly fanfic I found on Archive of Our Own that diverges from the Clone Conspiracy's backstory. Lots of angst, given all he's been through by the time Peter and Kaine manage to find and save him from Miles Warren's clutches, and a nod to the fact that Peter and Mary Jane (who are still together or together again here) were supposed to have a daughter that would have been a toddler at that point, though despite the title, it ends up being pretty hopeful, all things considered.
The spider is always on the hunt.
Ben Reilly vs. The Joker by Steven Butler:
"The Enigma Force is not a tool to be manipulated by mortals. The Enigma Force comes to those it deems worthy. What temerity, what arrogance, makes you think you are worthy? Have you not all made mistakes? Unforgiveable ones?" - Captain Universe
"Call me an Avenging Angel, Baron, come to safeguard Earth...call me CAPTAIN UNIVERSE!" - Ray Coffin
"You're my heart, Mary Jane Watson...you're my jackpot." - Peter Parker
What’s weird about that callback is in the Spidey/Batman crossover they live in a shared universe (Gotham is just another city in the US that Pete travels to), but in Marvel/DC they are from two distinct universes that are part of the multiverse. So it renders the original impossible, but somehow it’s still canon? *shrug*
Former CBR writer. See my old articles here.