Ben Reilly: Spider-Man/Scarlet Spider Appreciation 2022

[Huntsman Spider]

Amazing Spider-Man #93 wasn't the worst thing I've ever read. Taken as a thing on it's it was actually well written, Ben's was wildly out of character but in the context of his mind falling apart it's understandable and even Peter didn't hold a grudge against him. It's not a good place the character has been left in but I think it's better than were PAD left him were his soul seemed permanently tainted.

I'm much more forgiving of Ben being a darker anti-hero than most fans of the character. For me the ideal scenario would be he'd just put on his 90s Spidey costume and be Spider-Man again I after all we already have multiple Spider-Mans...but I'm also a realist in the sense that if the book has any chance to catch on he needs something to distinguish him from Peter. The darker anti-hero thing worked for characters that were in similar positions like Bucky Barnes and Jason Todd so it would make sense. A series were he's based in another city or travelling around doing good trying to redeem himself for the things he did as the Jackal would have been fine but that's not what Peter David's series was and as for Chasm...I guess the jury is still out but it doesn't look good. Like I think dark would work for the character but not edge lord. Ben looks positively villainous with knockoff symbiote powers. Who knows maybe the premise for Ben going forward is that he'll hunt down Maxine or go after Beyond's villains maybe the tease that his memories are actually stored somewhere will be used to create drama.

You mean "quantum-shifting polymers with psycho-reactive properties"? That said, I do mostly agree with you, I just wish editorial had been more honest from the start that this was how it was going to end.

[Refrax5]

Amazing Spider-Man #93 wasn't the worst thing I've ever read. Taken as a thing on it's it was actually well written, Ben's was wildly out of character but in the context of his mind falling apart it's understandable and even Peter didn't hold a grudge against him. It's not a good place the character has been left in but I think it's better than were PAD left him were his soul seemed permanently tainted.

I'm much more forgiving of Ben being a darker anti-hero than most fans of the character. For me the ideal scenario would be he'd just put on his 90s Spidey costume and be Spider-Man again I after all we already have multiple Spider-Mans...but I'm also a realist in the sense that if the book has any chance to catch on he needs something to distinguish him from Peter. The darker anti-hero thing worked for characters that were in similar positions like Bucky Barnes and Jason Todd so it would make sense. A series were he's based in another city or travelling around doing good trying to redeem himself for the things he did as the Jackal would have been fine but that's not what Peter David's series was and as for Chasm...I guess the jury is still out but it doesn't look good. Like I think dark would work for the character but not edge lord. Ben looks positively villainous with knockoff symbiote powers. Who knows maybe the premise for Ben going forward is that he'll hunt down Maxine or go after Beyond's villains maybe the tease that his memories are actually stored somewhere will be used to create drama.

I don't even mind him being a darker character. It's just that the story was so slapped together. Nothing was resolved, there was no twist or drama to any of it. It was just Ben being really stupid. Everything he did made him look dumb. He did nothing to drive the plot. He was just a dumb pawn that was manipulated, tortured, tried to commit suicide and turned into some 90s knockoff villain. It was so terribly written. Now nothing remains of who he was and it sounds like there are no plans to use him in the foreseeable future. Just a dumb, boring story with a useless hero and a very ugly message.

[HypnoHustler]

Did anyone get Spider-Carnage vibes from Chasm? Spider-Carnage is pretty popular, so it wouldn’t surprise me if that’s what they were going for a bit.

[Spiderfan001]

Nick Lowe "apology" LMFAO

Really said we have Miles now and thus no use for Ben as even a Spider

[JustLuke]

Nick Lowe "apology" LMFAO

Really said we have Miles now and thus no use for Ben as even a Spider

Think Nick is projecting himself onto Ben?

[Refrax5]

Nick Lowe "apology" LMFAO

Really said we have Miles now and thus no use for Ben as even a Spider

Meanwhile, we have Miles' clone running around along with the new "Spider-Smasher" so he just keeps on lying.

[HypnoHustler]

Nick Lowe "apology" LMFAO

Really said we have Miles now and thus no use for Ben as even a Spider

I have nothing against Miles fans (live and let live), but the Venn circle of diehard Miles fans and diehard Ben fans probably has very little overlap. I’d think Miles fanbase is probably a lot younger than Ben’s fanbase too.

[Marvel Man]

I have nothing against Miles fans (live and let live), but the Venn circle of diehard Miles fans and diehard Ben fans probably has very little overlap. I’d think Miles fanbase is probably a lot younger than Ben’s fanbase too.

I'm a fan of both. I don't know what to think anymore. Should I hate the part of me that loves Miles because Marvel makes Ben become Chasm? hahahaha.

[HypnoHustler]

I'm a fan of both. I don't know what to think anymore. Should I hate the part of me that loves Miles because Marvel makes Ben become Chasm? hahahaha.

No way. Love who you love. I don’t think characters should compete for our love like picking your favorite child lol. What Marvel does and why they do it is on them, not the characters themselves.

[Sr. Bungle]

Amazing Spider-Man #93 wasn't the worst thing I've ever read. Taken as a thing on it's it was actually well written, Ben's was wildly out of character but in the context of his mind falling apart it's understandable and even Peter didn't hold a grudge against him. It's not a good place the character has been left in but I think it's better than were PAD left him were his soul seemed permanently tainted.

I'm much more forgiving of Ben being a darker anti-hero than most fans of the character. For me the ideal scenario would be he'd just put on his 90s Spidey costume and be Spider-Man again I after all we already have multiple Spider-Mans...but I'm also a realist in the sense that if the book has any chance to catch on he needs something to distinguish him from Peter. The darker anti-hero thing worked for characters that were in similar positions like Bucky Barnes and Jason Todd so it would make sense. A series were he's based in another city or travelling around doing good trying to redeem himself for the things he did as the Jackal would have been fine but that's not what Peter David's series was and as for Chasm...I guess the jury is still out but it doesn't look good. Like I think dark would work for the character but not edge lord. Ben looks positively villainous with knockoff symbiote powers. Who knows maybe the premise for Ben going forward is that he'll hunt down Maxine or go after Beyond's villains maybe the tease that his memories are actually stored somewhere will be used to create drama.

Where do they tease that? I didn't catch it

[Vworp Vworp]

My expectations were low.

And still it was a magnitude worse than I could have ever possibly expected.

[HypnoHustler]

Amazing Spider-Man #93 wasn't the worst thing I've ever read. Taken as a thing on it's it was actually well written, Ben's was wildly out of character but in the context of his mind falling apart it's understandable and even Peter didn't hold a grudge against him. It's not a good place the character has been left in but I think it's better than were PAD left him were his soul seemed permanently tainted.

I'm much more forgiving of Ben being a darker anti-hero than most fans of the character. For me the ideal scenario would be he'd just put on his 90s Spidey costume and be Spider-Man again I after all we already have multiple Spider-Mans...but I'm also a realist in the sense that if the book has any chance to catch on he needs something to distinguish him from Peter. The darker anti-hero thing worked for characters that were in similar positions like Bucky Barnes and Jason Todd so it would make sense. A series were he's based in another city or travelling around doing good trying to redeem himself for the things he did as the Jackal would have been fine but that's not what Peter David's series was and as for Chasm...I guess the jury is still out but it doesn't look good. Like I think dark would work for the character but not edge lord. Ben looks positively villainous with knockoff symbiote powers. Who knows maybe the premise for Ben going forward is that he'll hunt down Maxine or go after Beyond's villains maybe the tease that his memories are actually stored somewhere will be used to create drama.

Good analysis. Yeah, I’m more forgiving of it as I reflect on it. I agree, it wasn’t as bad as the end of PAD’s run or CC. That’s faint praise because I’m still not happy with the status quo, but it is what it is… at least he didn’t do anything unforgivable like try to kill everyone and replace them with clones like in CC.

[Spiderfan001]

I'm a fan of both. I don't know what to think anymore. Should I hate the part of me that loves Miles because Marvel makes Ben become Chasm? hahahaha.

No, I like him too tbh.

I think the part we should be angry at is Marvel trashing older characters because they can't find a way to fit them all in

[Sr. Bungle]

There's lots of easy fixes for this. Remember the gadget Kafka developed right in this storyline. They already wrote an exit. Not to mention Miles Warren or even Carnage should have Ben memories stored

[Kurolegacy]

There's lots of easy fixes for this. Remember the gadget Kafka developed right in this storyline. They already wrote an exit. Not to mention Miles Warren or even Carnage should have Ben memories stored

I guess with Carnage it’s a question of if it even still has Ben’s codex given that the symbiote has been destroyed at least twice in the past few years. And even then, given what it did to Osborn’s psyche, that might just make things a whole lot worse. We don’t need a version of Ben Reilly running around thinking that he’s Cletus Kasady.