Ben Reilly: Spider-Man/Scarlet Spider Appreciation 2022

[Refrax5]

You know, this entire narrative that they’re pushing with Ben claiming that Peter stole everything from him has already gotten exceptionally old especially when Maxine was the one who caused him to become the way he is now and he just let her get away with it. Peter meanwhile basically is getting blamed for existing as the original even when he expressed wanting to help Ben. Ben’s entire character motivation has basically been reduced to PIS. Like, at this point, I really wish Peter would ring Ben’s bell while calling him out on his bullshit just to knock some sense into him.

I don't have the issue in front of me, but didn't Maxine more or less manipulate Ben into thinking Peter was to blame? It's possible he doesn't even remember much about Maxine.

[Kurolegacy]

I don't have the issue in front of me, but didn't Maxine more or less manipulate Ben into thinking Peter was to blame? It's possible he doesn't even remember much about Maxine.

iirc, she didn’t make him think Peter was to blame, she basically told him that they deleted his memories that they took and that he could get them if he took them from Peter, basically having PIS take over to have Ben make a selfish call rather than actually talking to Peter.

[Sr. Bungle]

iirc, she didn’t make him think Peter was to blame, she basically told him that they deleted his memories that they took and that he could get them if he took them from Peter, basically having PIS take over to have Ben make a selfish call rather than actually talking to Peter.

He was brain damaged and hallucinating when he made that call.

[Kurolegacy]

He was brain damaged and hallucinating when he made that call.

He wasn’t at hallucinating yet at that point. As for brain damage, he was lacking his Peter Parker memories at the time. We’ve seen Spider-Man without those memories before. He might become more reckless, but he doesn’t become an idiot.

[Sr. Bungle]

He wasn’t at hallucinating yet at that point. As for brain damage, he was lacking his Peter Parker memories at the time. We’ve seen Spider-Man without those memories before. He might become more reckless, but he doesn’t become an idiot.

He was seeing his mask as a face and holes in hands and could barely swing during the previous issues.

[Huntsman Spider]

was the goo suppose to give him a power up

We still don't know what it did to his body. We know it further corroded his mind, but with all the glowing green ether coming off him, not to mention it being described as "psycho-reactive quantum-shifting polymers in a liquid suspension," it ought to have done something.

[All Star Superman]

It's time to get Tom DeFalco back and have him reveal that Norman has been keeping the original Ben Reilly clone in stasis all these years. Miles Warrens' tortured clone was just another clone Norman had made to further screw with Peter.

[Refrax5]

He wasn’t at hallucinating yet at that point. As for brain damage, he was lacking his Peter Parker memories at the time. We’ve seen Spider-Man without those memories before. He might become more reckless, but he doesn’t become an idiot.

He was hallucinating and she told him they deleted those memories per Ben's own request and that only Peter could help him.

Also, they stated during Beyond that clone memories don't function like regular memories and that tampering with them can cause more damage than it would to a regular person. Obviously that's true since he becomes more cold, unstable and disoriented without them. Also, he fell in that stuff that rearranges matter and was given that weird piece of fruit in Limbo (which clearly implies some sort of corruption if it doesn't literally say it). There's clearly more to it than just amnesia.

[Refrax5]

It's time to get Tom DeFalco back and have him reveal that Norman has been keeping the original Ben Reilly clone in stasis all these years. Miles Warrens' tortured clone was just another clone Norman had made to further screw with Peter.

I've said this plenty of times, but that would only serve to make Ben's story even more convoluted and inaccessible, not to mention ripping off the people that have been buying these stories for years. I don't think making it a cliche evil twin in a story notorious for bad plot twists is a workable solution.

There's a more elegant solution where they just...give him his mind back and give him a redemption arc. It's not like he's the first superhero to go nuts and become a villain for a while. In Ben's case, it's even easier to reverse since all of this was done to him. He's a victim.

[bob.schoonover]

It's time to get Tom DeFalco back and have him reveal that Norman has been keeping the original Ben Reilly clone in stasis all these years. Miles Warrens' tortured clone was just another clone Norman had made to further screw with Peter.

We don't need Norman any more intertwined than he already is in the Spider-mythos. Judas Traveller, The Jackal, AI Harry, or even a total weirdo would be preferable, honestly. I don't think this particular retcon is necessary, personally - there are any number of clean slate options that'd work just as well.

[The Black Death]

It's time to get Tom DeFalco back and have him reveal that Norman has been keeping the original Ben Reilly clone in stasis all these years. Miles Warrens' tortured clone was just another clone Norman had made to further screw with Peter.

Yikes! Good joke, but at this point that no longer makes sense even more when recently in the reunion between Ben and Norman was highlighted again that it is still the same Ben of the 90's, because Ben still remembers how his life was fucked by Norman, even in passing Ben gave Norman a beating that was very satisfying to see, so I feel sorry for you but that will not happen.

Also I doubt Tom DeFalco will ever want to have any kind of relationship with Spider-Man comics again, unless Marvel pays good old DeFalco a nice sum of money .

[Matt Rat]

Yikes! Good joke, but at this point that no longer makes sense even more when recently in the reunion between Ben and Norman was highlighted again that it is still the same Ben of the 90's, because Ben still remembers how his life was fucked by Norman, even in passing Ben gave Norman a beating that was very satisfying to see, so I feel sorry for you but that will not happen.

Implanted memories. Sorted. Anything and everything can be retconned.

[Obsidian Spider]

Just have Chasm wear the blue hoodie and I'll be happy.

[HypnoHustler]

I think my 30 year love affair with Ben might be over, even if he redeems himself. Getting too much whiplash from all these bad-good-bad-good heel turns.

[The Black Death]

Implanted memories. Sorted. Anything and everything can be retconned.

Mattie, your COPIUM is too high! Look, despite all our differences I really do appreciate you seriously, I really do. But you have to start accepting the reality that today's modern Ben Reilly is still the same old Ben Reilly, this Ben being poorly written and poorly characterized? Yeah, but it's the same old Ben Reilly, the sooner you start accepting that reality the better it will be for you.