The call started with Slott disclosing that he long had enthusiasm to use Ben Reilly in a story, but the character was long tied up at Marvel in a different planned story that never came to fruition; which was partly why Kaine returned as the new Scarlet Spider. So when Reilly became available, “Clone Conspiracy” started to come together. Slott pointed out that a lot of fans have wanted to see the character return, and for some readers, he was their Spider-Man growing up.
Marvel publicity’s Chris D’Lando revealed that “Amazing Spider-Man” #22 will be a Ben Reilly-focused issue, with lots of answers coming. “It’s one of the more intense issues of any comic you can read,” Lowe said of “Amazing Spider-Man” #22. “It’s messed up,” Slott added.
“There have been some intense, dark Spider-Man stories, even from the beginning, but you forget that,” Lowe said. “We’ve had really cool events, but they’re usually like pyrotechnic blockbusters. This is like a Darren Aronofsky blockbuster. We go to some dark, dark places.”
“[Amazing Spider-Man] #23 is all about Peter and Gwen,” Lowe said. “After you read #22, the events of #24 will seem all the more inevitable, without giving anything away.”
Asked if Ben Reilly is the “villain of the story,” Slott responded that “Ben does not see himself as the villain.” “That’s the core of this story,” Lowe added. “That’s what’s made this such an interesting Spider-Man story to me. Every step of the way, it’s been weird what he’s been doing. The whole Electro thing was weird. Everything with the Rhino. Everything with the Kingpin. This is not the behavior of any villain that I know of. Even in ‘Clone Conspiracy’ #2, when he reveals all those villains, and they don’t attack. If you’re Spider-Man, what do you do with this?”