Spider-Man Beyond

[Spiderfan001]

I'm not saying Ben doesn't deserve another chance to shine, it would just feel...kind of out-of-nowhere at this point? At least to me.

This doesn't really effect Miles at all. He has his own concurrent Spider-Man title and doesn't have anything to do with Peter's baggage that someone who succeeds Peter would actually need to deal with.

I agree.After this Kindred stuff we should get an actual Peter story and not just kill or retire him.Spencer cleared the board for this so damn well.
Yeah Miles doesn't need that sort of weight on him.He would crack like a egg under a hydraulic press.

[Spiderfan001]

I really hope it's a relaunch plan in the fashion of Hickman's X-staff with multiple titles and staff on each rotating around. Spidey has a big enough extended universe of characters that it could work very easily.

Reilly though... Miles is right there and already Spidey. Seems pretty goofy to tag in the guy who holds a title of universal flop character to fill in for Parker, but I'm willing to give it a chance.

That always been the problem with Miles.When he was brought into 616 he was already spider-man.
Also we already saw this stroyline with Miles.Makes no sense for him to be a big part of this.

[Mister Mets]

Ben Reilly is proof positive to how no matter how the wallet votes, a white male character will keep getting second chances over those who have proven themselves.

He failed and sunk the Clone Saga.
The Clone Conspiracy was another failure and disappointment.
And now here he comes as a star attraction for the interlude caretaker Spider-Event between Spencer's run and the one that comes next.

While Mayday Parker/Spider-Girl the first (and so far only) Marvel female superhero to reach 100 issues in an ongoing is indefinitely shelved even if she was the more successful story/character to come out of the 2nd Clone Saga.

Mayday Parker wouldn't really make sense as a caretaker Spider-Man, if that's indeed the story they're going with.

[Tien Long]

Interested in what this is all about. Me from 25 years ago would have been pissed and angry that Pete would die and be replaced by Ben. This time around I'm curious and excited. Hopefully get to see Ben redeem himself. And that new Spider-Man design looks great!

[Mister Mets]

I'd have thought One More Day erased her from existence. I guess I should just say she's dead, though.

Technically One More Day wouldn't affect her status either way.

[Spiderfan001]

I'd be pretty shocked if Marvel decided to have Ben replace Peter again especially given that they have no real familial relationship like they had during the CS but i guess we'll see. My question if they do indeed go this route is would the fandom now give Ben a fair shot that with it being established beyond the shadow of a doubt that he's the clone?

Yeah.
I like Ben but the entire point of Spencer's run was to clean up the past and pave the way for a new future.Doing this now makes no sense.If they actually kill of Peter then I'm done.
Also Ben and Peter haven't interacted in a long while.Also Ben better be the clone or we riot.

[Spiderfan001]

Alright boys, theory time.
Since we are dealing with multiversal shenanigans I think Pete will get lost in different time or dimension or something.They will have Ben Reilly take over by the looks of it.
Then maybe after some time they may bring him back.The classic Batman omega beam strat.
Also makes sense since it is vaguely similar to NWH.
I am disappointed we won't get just Spider-man Spider-manning since that seems like the best direction to go but I'll give it a chance.
Let's hope whatever the hell this is does our boy Pete justice.

[Pav]

Yesterday, my Pistons get the #1 pick.

Today, news that Ben Reilly may be back in a big way.

Such wonderful gifts from the universe!

-Pav, who will enjoy the moment...

EDIT: BEN SPIDEY IS BEST SPIDEY. NO DEBATE NEEDED. REAL ONES KNOW

[Spiderfan001]

Yesterday, my Pistons get the #1 pick.

Today, news that Ben Reilly may be back in a big way.

Such wonderful gifts from the universe!

-Pav, who will enjoy the moment...

EDIT: BEN SPIDEY IS BEST SPIDEY. NO DEBATE NEEDED. REAL ONES KNOW

Nah fam.
As someone who read through the entire clone saga and as someone who is happy that Ben is back if it is at the cost of Peter it's not worth it.
Also while some may be okay with this the sales at large will drop if Ben is the main in ASM.
I don't mind giving him a solo but ASM is for Peter.

[Thundershot]

They’re not going to kill Peter. However, I can see Peter getting hurt and Ben steps in..

[Spiderfan001]

They’re not going to kill Peter. However, I can see Peter getting hurt and Ben steps in..

That's even worse.
So basically we still get no Peter.
I hope we get them working in a partnership.Maybe Peter has to take care of the Beyond corp and needs someone to hold down the fort in NYC.

[Frontier]

I agree.After this Kindred stuff we should get an actual Peter story and not just kill or retire him.Spencer cleared the board for this so damn well.
Yeah Miles doesn't need that sort of weight on him.He would crack like a egg under a hydraulic press.

I mean, I think he's up for any weight, it's just you don't really expect Miles to have to deal with Peter's supporting cast and all his villains if he took over like you would a character like Ben who at least has some tangential connection to them.

[Spiderfan001]

I mean, I think he's up for any weight, it's just you don't really expect Miles to have to deal with Peter's supporting cast and all his villains if he took over like you would a character like Ben who at least has some tangential connection to them.

Not really.
He has had a much easier life than teen Pete(has an entire family, financially stable, doesn't need a part time job, friends who know who he is and can talk to in both school and superhero community, generally supported by media and other heroes unlike peter who was under much more fire with media, etc. )and his villains for the most part have been much more tame.
He could not deal with adult Pete's villains.He and most others would straight up crack.
Seriously he was tortured once and is still in tears about it.Peter has been crucified and tortured for a day before breaking himself out, has been killed in the most gruesome ways and sent to hell and then brought back 8 times.Morlun fights.
The worst is the mental trauma.People like Goblin have tortured him psycologically in ways Miles just couldn't take.
Also being burried alive,House of M,etc.
Miles ain't nearly ready for that yet.

[PCN24454]

Not really.
He has had a much easier life than teen Pete(has an entire family, financially stable, doesn't need a part time job, friends who know who he is and can talk to in both school and superhero community, generally supported by media and other heroes unlike peter who was under much more fire with media, etc. )and his villains for the most part have been much more tame.
He could not deal with adult Pete's villains.He and most others would straight up crack.
Seriously he was tortured once and is still in tears about it.Peter has been crucified and tortured for a day before breaking himself out, has been killed in the most gruesome ways and sent to hell and then brought back 8 times.Morlun fights.
The worst is the mental trauma.People like Goblin have tortured him psycologically in ways Miles just couldn't take.
Also being burried alive,House of M,etc.
Miles ain't nearly ready for that yet.

Well, Peter doesn't really handle it either. He more gets thrown from plot point to plot point.

Miles'll be fine. He has main character status. Main characters are never allowed to be non-functional for long.

[Somecrazyaussie]

The problem is that Ben Reilly was created to be the original Peter Parker of AF#15 while the one readers had been following for 20 years (between ASM#150 to Michelinie's last issue) was some impostor. Essentially it amounted to saying that the Peter who romanced Mary Jane, then Felicia, who fought Juggernaut, met The Kid Who Collects Spider-Man, who fought Secret Wars, married MJ, survived Kraven's Last Hunt, fought Venom, wasn't the true Peter Parker. That was the evil purpose for which Ben Reilly was created.

The problem is that the Clonistas made a mess and they padded the story too long with the character as "Ben Reilly" in a blonde wig, with a "Scarlet Spider" sidekick identity for readers to accept him as "the one true Peter Parker". People like Ben Reilly as Nightwing to Spider-Man's Batman but that was absolutely not the purpose for his creation. And once they made a go with the switch, the audience stayed away in droves.Now of course in theory it could have worked, just like Lee and Kirby thawing Cap out of ice worked. When they did that, they told readers that the Cap they had been reading since the 40s, i.e. the Commie-Smashing one was some impostor (which Englehart canonized). It worked because that version of Cap was unpopular and forgotten. Ultimately it was a referendum and between "single Peter" and married Peter, audiences overwhelmingly voted for the married Peter. Only thing is people only listen to "votes with wallets" when the audience supports their prejudices and not when they don't. So they made another go with removing the marriage, and they keep giving Ben Reilly enough references that some young people might be led to believe he's some important figure in the mythos.



Calling it as it is isn't playing the card.



No Miles Morales is. Ben Reilly's biggest period of success was when he was called "Scarlet Spider".



Reilly never had the success that Spider-Girl did, leave alone Miles Morales (Spider-Man's most successful legacy by far). Heck even Spider-Man 2099 (in publ. terms, Peter's first legacy) was more successful.



Wally West actually headlined Flash for a decade plus and oversaw the Speed-Force mythos generated around him that's become central for the franchise.

That's not remotely comparable to Ben Reilly.

Ben Reilly never achieved even an inch of that. And people act as if he's in the same class as Wally West.

Remember Ben Reilly was only popular as Peter's sidekick and new best friend, never popular in the role and purpose he was created to be -- the one true Peter Parker. The minute writers put that story, audiences rejected Ben.

Ben Reilly didn't sink the Clone Saga. Editorial being gimps to the marketing department caused that. The writers knew where the story was going, but it had to keep on being extended with endless twists, fake outs and plot threads that went nowhere.

Ben may have lasted longer if they had kept Peter and MJ around. As you said, his brotherly relationship with Peter was one of the draw points. But the book had more problems contributing to its loss of sales - 1. Older villains were phased out for new ones that didn't cut the mustard, 2. A new supporting cast that didn't match up to Peter's.