Ben Reilly: Spider-Man/Scarlet Spider Appreciation 2022

[HypnoHustler]

Yeah, I don't think Ben is unsalvageable.

Debatable. It’d take a REALLY good writer and story to unscrew him at this point. And even then all this crap would still linger like a bad fart in his history/continuity.

[Sr. Bungle]

Now it could be a good time to Kaine to try and help Ben after he made his life hell

[LordUltimus]

Debatable. It’d take a REALLY good writer and story to unscrew him at this point. And even then all this crap would still linger like a bad fart in his history/continuity.

Not really, you just need to fix his soul/memories.

[Huntsman Spider]

Now it could be a good time to Kaine to try and help Ben after he made his life hell

That would make a lot of sense. Hell, Kaine should have shown up in Beyond a long time before this.

[Sr. Bungle]

Debatable. It’d take a REALLY good writer and story to unscrew him at this point. And even then all this crap would still linger like a bad fart in his history/continuity.

Not that hard to do. Thing is, I don't trust current Marvel editorial to do that.

[MisterC]

I don't think he's unsalvageable but Clone Conspiracy was 6 years ago. Another half decade to get him back to where he was before this arc doesn't sound appealing, especially considering how stupid and worthless the position they have him in right now is.

Say a Ben story starts in June and runs 6 issues and is just dedicated to fixing him. That puts us at 8 months just to get Ben back to a spot where a story anyone would want to read about him is even possible.

If he's gonna play a part in Wells run, that's at least a year, again assuming the intent is to fix him. Then however long for anyone to do anything of him.

It will likely be 2-3 years before Ben is even in a position where a viable story could even be told with him and that's assuming a best possible outcome where they realize they blew it and care to reverse course.

Obviously the best possible story would be to pick up immediately after this reveal with Janine popping her head out that broken window and berating Ben for being an idiot and his hideous costume and moronic new moniker. Then remind him that a he's a genius and be there are like 37 different means of transferring consciousness or restoring memories available in the Marvel universe including the one he knows about with Doc Ock that was used to transfer his mind into the Clone body. And then they go and someone just quickly fixes this and has a good laugh about how stupid the purple and green costume looked. 5 pages tops

[Sr. Bungle]

Obviously the best possible story would be to pick up immediately after this reveal with Janine popping her head out that broken window and berating Ben for being an idiot and his hideous costume and moronic new moniker. Then remind him that a he's a genius and be there are like 37 different means of transferring consciousness or restoring memories available in the Marvel universe including the one he knows about with Doc Ock that was used to transfer his mind into the Clone body. And then they go and someone just quickly fixes this and has a good laugh about how stupid the purple and green costume looked. 5 pages tops

That made me chuckle in real life. Thanks, I needed it

[Refrax5]

I don't think he's unsalvageable but Clone Conspiracy was 6 years ago. Another half decade to get him back to where he was before this arc doesn't sound appealing, especially considering how stupid and worthless the position they have him in right now is.

Say a Ben story starts in June and runs 6 issues and is just dedicated to fixing him. That puts us at 8 months just to get Ben back to a spot where a story anyone would want to read about him is even possible.

If he's gonna play a part in Wells run, that's at least a year, again assuming the intent is to fix him. Then however long for anyone to do anything of him.

It will likely be 2-3 years before Ben is even in a position where a viable story could even be told with him and that's assuming a best possible outcome where they realize they blew it and care to reverse course.

Obviously the best possible story would be to pick up immediately after this reveal with Janine popping her head out that broken window and berating Ben for being an idiot and his hideous costume and moronic new moniker. Then remind him that a he's a genius and be there are like 37 different means of transferring consciousness or restoring memories available in the Marvel universe including the one he knows about with Doc Ock that was used to transfer his mind into the Clone body. And then they go and someone just quickly fixes this and has a good laugh about how stupid the purple and green costume looked. 5 pages tops

The costume thing is also weird. How can a guy with no Peter memories build what appear to be new web-shooters? How can a guy with a blank mind that's hallucinating design a new Spidey-esque costume at all?

[HypnoHustler]

Obviously the best possible story would be to pick up immediately after this reveal with Janine popping her head out that broken window and berating Ben for being an idiot and his hideous costume and moronic new moniker. Then remind him that a he's a genius and be there are like 37 different means of transferring consciousness or restoring memories available in the Marvel universe including the one he knows about with Doc Ock that was used to transfer his mind into the Clone body. And then they go and someone just quickly fixes this and has a good laugh about how stupid the purple and green costume looked. 5 pages tops

I don’t understand the spoilers from this issue. It seems a practically brain-dead Ben who is talking like an angry toddler gets devoured by techno-organic spiders. Then … what, Janine recovers him and lives with him for a few months? Can he even independently support himself? Does he go outside? I’m not trying to make light of it, but it almost seems like advanced Alzheimer’s. What has Janine been doing with him between his fight with Peter and Ben suddenly growing some cyber-punk suit and jumping out a window calling himself “CHASM!”?

[MisterC]

I don’t understand the spoilers from this issue. It seems a practically brain-dead Ben who is talking like an angry toddler gets devoured by techno-organic spiders. Then … what, Janine recovers him and lives with him for a few months? Can he even independently support himself? Does he go outside? I’m not trying to make light of it, but it almost seems like advanced Alzheimer’s. What has Janine been doing with him between his fight with Peter and Ben suddenly growing some cyber-punk suit and jumping out a window calling himself “CHASM!”?

I think it's what Kakfa was talking about, without the "scaffolding" of his original Peter memories he suffered a total personality collapse. We see him focusing on small things to keep himself going and staving off the collapse, like his memories with Janine. But I guess he just breaks and his personality chasms out. Maybe the goo and spider bots did something too, I don't know why he's glowing.

It's just so stupid

[Sr. Bungle]

I think it's what Kakfa was talking about, without the "scaffolding" of his original Peter memories he suffered a total personality collapse. We see him focusing on small things to keep himself going and staving off the collapse, like his memories with Janine. But I guess he just breaks and his personality chasms out. Maybe the goo and spider bots did something too, I don't know why he's glowing.

It's just so stupid

Can't wait to read the adventures of one of favourite characters in his new brain-damaged, Alzheimer, teen angsty edgy adventures

[Refrax5]

I think it's what Kakfa was talking about, without the "scaffolding" of his original Peter memories he suffered a total personality collapse. We see him focusing on small things to keep himself going and staving off the collapse, like his memories with Janine. But I guess he just breaks and his personality chasms out. Maybe the goo and spider bots did something too, I don't know why he's glowing.

It's just so stupid

I assume the greenish goo has something to do with the green glow. But yeah, I don't get the appeal of a character with no actual personality or how he's supposed to function with his mind in the state it's in.

[JustLuke]

I just realized.
Are they gonna try and make Ben the Wolverine of the Spider-Man Family? For fucks sake

[the illustrious mr. kenway]

I just realized.
Are they gonna try and make Ben the Wolverine of the Spider-Man Family? For fucks sake

I thought that was Kaine's job.

[HypnoHustler]

I just realized.
Are they gonna try and make Ben the Wolverine of the Spider-Man Family? For fucks sake

Even better! Wolverine doesn’t see his own face as a…. wait for it…. chasm! What’s cooler than a character that sees collapsed nothingness in everyone’s face? /s

Well… at least now we know who had that Uncle Ben dream back in ASM#75 at the beginning of this mess.