Looks like it may not end well for Ben Reilly

[Spiderfan001]

Yeah. I mean, I want to clarify I understand where some are coming from... to me, I just don't see it stopping Marvel, one way or another. Mind. I'm not 100% certain it'll be her fate, just like someone else said, there's this big red flag when it comes to her. One way or another, however... I don't think she and Ben will be together by the end of this story.

I agree, and if it makes sense in the story I hope they do it.If not then it's a no-no.Some people will complain and call any (female) death fridging but no one is going to stop buying comics for it so if it's something that works in the story go for it.

[boots]

Again side character vs main characters.Main ones are returned to status quo while side characters can change.It's just we have a lot more male main characters and that should be and is being changed.

yeah, that's one reason i linked rather than put in an argument: nuances such as main vs support should be taken into account and an honest examination of past stories might show that the sex or gender of a character shows up more in one category than another, like marz is quoted on that wiki in saying.

that being said, maybe we're at a point in culture where fridging is egalitarian? idk, i've got no data either way. the fact that people here are so aware and cautious of it, says a lot.

thinking about it, janine being fridged has already been subverted in a past story.

[Huntsman Spider]

yeah, that's one reason i linked rather than put in an argument: nuances such as main vs support should be taken into account and an honest examination of past stories might show that the sex or gender of a character shows up more in one category than another, like marz is quoted on that wiki in saying.

that being said, maybe we're at a point in culture where fridging is egalitarian? idk, i've got no data either way. the fact that people here are so aware and cautious of it, says a lot.

thinking about it, janine being fridged has already been subverted in a past story.

Would that be Spider-Man: Redemption? Where it turned out Kaine blackmailed her into faking her death just to make Ben miserable and take away what little shreds of happiness he'd managed to find in his existence as a clone?

[TinkerSpider]

It's not female only, just used more for them since most female characters were/are side characters specially earlier.We have an entire discussion on fridging that just took place on the X-men forum, there's a very recent thread for it and it's been explained there in good detail by me and others.
It's also for no name characters and not popular ones, agency is a part of that.Again it's all in that thread.

The term fridging is taken from Women in Refrigerators. The term was coined in 1999 after Gail Simone noticed female characters were disproportionately killed, tortured or maimed in comics. The list of characters include main ones such as Black Canary and Wonder Woman, not just side characters. It also includes popular characters, such as Betty Ross Banner, not just no-name characters. The website still exists.

Over time, fridging has been expanded to refer to any character killed, maimed, tortured, brainwashed or otherwise incapacited solely to make another character feel really, really sad, with the fridged character's death having no other meaning or story significance. If Janine were to be killed/tortured/maimed/terrorized just so Ben will be hurt/angry/lash out, that is classic fridging. Fridging is bad not only because it usually carries misogynist undertones when it happens to a female character, but also because it is, quite simply, lazy writing.

They took Miles's best story and character development and fridged that which is worse.

Fridging does not mean "i don't like the story given to a character." You're thinking of nerfed, or the classic standbys "out of character/out of continuity," or merely "the writer is hack."

[HypnoHustler]

Would that be Spider-Man: Redemption? Where it turned out Kaine blackmailed her into faking her death just to make Ben miserable and take away what little shreds of happiness he'd managed to find in his existence as a clone?

There’s also a cliffhanger in that mini where Ben thinks Janine is dead, but the next issue it’s revealed to just be a mannequin (not so observant there, Ben). I’m not sure which plot-point he’s referring to.

[boots]

There’s also a cliffhanger in that mini where Ben thinks Janine is dead, but the next issue it’s revealed to just be a mannequin (not so observant there, Ben). I’m not sure which plot-point he’s referring to.

yeah, from memory that had all the boxes ticked for a possible fridge (with ben getting a rage power up) before it was revealed as a fake out. let me know if i've got it wrong.

the mannequin thing might be the best argument yet for anyone who wants to say ben didn't inherit peter's brains.

[boots]

Would that be Spider-Man: Redemption? Where it turned out Kaine blackmailed her into faking her death just to make Ben miserable and take away what little shreds of happiness he'd managed to find in his existence as a clone?

yeah, i think that was all related to the mannequin stuff, right?

i don't know what kaine is like these days as an anti-hero, but it would make sense to me that he would still stalk and terrorise his victims. it's a skill.

[HypnoHustler]

yeah, i think that was all related to the mannequin stuff, right?

i don't know what kaine is like these days as an anti-hero, but it would make sense to me that he would still stalk and terrorise his victims. it's a skill.

Kaine is a good dude now, and ironically more emotionally stable (and probably less traumatized) than either Ben or Peter.

[boots]

Kaine is a good dude now, and ironically more emotionally stable (and probably less traumatized) than either Ben or Peter.

yeah, i hear that. just saying that terrorising bad guys, stalking them, replacing random family members with mannequins...could be a niche.

[Pav]

Kaine is a good dude now, and ironically more emotionally stable (and probably less traumatized) than either Ben or Peter.

I think that remains to be seen. Dude was pretty bloodthirsty in PAD's run.

-Pav, who does hope he shows up eventually during Beyond...

[HypnoHustler]

I think that remains to be seen. Dude was pretty bloodthirsty in PAD's run.

-Pav, who does hope he shows up eventually during Beyond...

Not anymore than Ben was (and issues #24-25 are not canon).

[Sr. Bungle]

Not anymore than Ben was (and issues #24-25 are not canon).

He was an a**hole to Ben, and a pretty judgemental one to make things worst. After all the sh!t he inficted upon Ben for years I feel that Kaine's had not earned the right to do so.

[Reilly]

He was an a**hole to Ben, and a pretty judgemental one to make things worst. After all the sh!t he inficted upon Ben for years I feel that Kaine's had not earned the right to do so.

I agree. As much as I like Kaine, he is the last person who should lecture someone. He was a murderer, constantly meddling with lives of his brothers. I'm rooting for him of course, but I didn't like his attitude towards Ben i BR:SS. After everything Ben's done in the past, Kaine should at least try to talk to him, but his first action was to kill Ben. I don't know, it felt ooc to me (just like almost everything in BR:SS, but taking aside the few good issues, it was a total mess, and luckily ending is non-canon).

[TheKryptonMan]

I have to agree that "fridging" is simply lazy writing. Maybe it was acceptable back in the '90s , but in 2021 violence against women is not acceptable. That doesn't mean that if the story will work better by killing a female or male character, then I think that it's ok.
I think that it all depends on how the death of a character takes place.

[TheCape]

I agree. As much as I like Kaine, he is the last person who should lecture someone. He was a murderer, constantly meddling with lives of his brothers. I'm rooting for him of course, but I didn't like his attitude towards Ben i BR:SS. After everything Ben's done in the past, Kaine should at least try to talk to him, but his first action was to kill Ben. I don't know, it felt ooc to me (just like almost everything in BR:SS, but taking aside the few good issues, it was a total mess, and luckily ending is non-canon).

I feel dirty doing anything close to praise regarding CC, but Kaine saw many alternate realities when Ben destroyed the world with his plan and he was still the same evil ******* once that story was over, so i can see why Kaine wouldn't be willing to give him a chance. Then again, i didn't read PAD Scarlet Spider (is on the list) so i don't know how Kaine or Ben acted.