Clone Conspiracy #5

[DV1Band]

I read it and re-read it, trying to answer one question: I know that Kaime is in the new Scarlet Spider ongoing, but... is he cured now, or still dying? Did the frequency stabilize him?

[Scarlet Spider-Man]

I read it and re-read it, trying to answer one question: I know that Kaime is in the new Scarlet Spider ongoing, but... is he cured now, or still dying? Did the frequency stabilize him?

Nobody really knows. The "conclusion" didn't really explain/resolve much. Maybe ASM #24/CCO will clarify things a bit.

[LOSTie-chan]

I reread this issue again and still have no idea how Ben could turn to dust IF he did indeed turn to dust. He had perfected his cloning and was NEVER shown to be taking the pills to maintain his health, so then he'd have to be in a perfect clone body, no? Then he also made the comment to the clones dying from the frequency that not to worry as "THEY ALL" would be reborn and have the same birthday together. IF that is true, and he'd die along with the other clones, then who would clone them all to bring them back to life?

You're right that is a huge plot hole.
I can't remember if Ben was deteriorating or not but it doesn't make any sense for him to be doing so cuz like you said he needs to be around to re-clone everyone.

Maybe Ben faked his death... for some reason?

[Scarlet Spider-Man]

I think some of the unsettled elements are for introducing new elements into ASM going forward.
spoilers:

Not just the missing villains, but the Conners for example. That was also a less than definitive ending for Gwen.

end of spoilers

I half-expect Martha and Billy to end up Lizard-people from Curt's "cure." A whole family of Lizards!

[Scarlet Spider-Man]

I reread this issue again and still have no idea how Ben could turn to dust IF he did indeed turn to dust. He had perfected his cloning and was NEVER shown to be taking the pills to maintain his health, so then he'd have to be in a perfect clone body, no? Then he also made the comment to the clones dying from the frequency that not to worry as "THEY ALL" would be reborn and have the same birthday together. IF that is true, and he'd die along with the other clones, then who would clone them all to bring them back to life?

Not to mention that it's highly unlikely that Ben would have enough pills for the entire population of Earth.

[Scarlet Spider-Man]

So is next week the next part of this story book train wreck?

Yep. And very likely my last issue of ASM until Slott is off the book.

[Scarlet Spider-Man]

I`m not a fan in the least of any idea of Ock or Spidercicle or whatever the frag being meshed together with Ben`s DNA. Good or bad let Ben be Ben. All you need is Warren to come out of the curtain and reveal that Ben`s memories in this event were part of his torture after all and whatever he actually dusted again or it`s part of the set up itself, let it go from there.

I wonder if the cover of ASM #24 is actually figurative rather than literal. Meaning, Ben is actually fighting Miles Warren within his own mind.

Superior Scarlet Spider! Blech.

[xpyred]

I wonder if the cover of ASM #24 is actually figurative rather than literal. Meaning, Ben is actually fighting Miles Warren within his own mind.

Superior Scarlet Spider! Blech.

Comicvine has a preview for Amazing 24 up. Seems like it's not a jackal mind swap problem.

[Pav]

I gotta agree with the majority: this "final" issue of Clone Conspiracy was underwhelming. I was hoping we'd have an army of Carrion zombies against Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends, but that didn't really happen. There were definitely some things to like - the way Gwen went out in this issue was a real highlight - but overall I think the first half of this event was certainly the stronger half. That being said, we haven't really read the true ending yet, as we have the "Omega" issue to potentially explain what's going on with some of the loose ends.

I was reading this because I'm a Ben fan, so obviously I'm looking forward to seeing what happened with him. My guess? He did die - that is, Ben27 (as others have taken to calling him) - but that he previously set things up so that a new Ben would be reborn if anything happened to him. So we'll get a "new" Ben, who will be the lead of the upcoming Scarlet title.

I'm also interested in seeing what happens with the Lizard and his family - I agree with whoever said they might all become Lizards now - as well as Rhino and the new Electro.

Also, I gotta say: I thought killing off the Prowler clone and then having the original not be dead was kinda cheesy, even if it did make for a happy ending - especially for the family of that worker guy, Jerry. Honestly, for a second I thought we were going to see Kaine as the new Prowler.

If you're a fan of Ben, don't bother, it'll just piss you off, in fact don't bother period, it was a lame ending to a lame story

Speak for yourself. I put my Ben fandom up against anyone's, and I enjoyed the series for the most part, even if the ending was a little meh.

But I don't get pissed off about comic books, so maybe I'm a weirdo or something.

And they're supposed to be launching a Ben Reilly book out of this? Who wants to read about this character, presented in this way?

-Pav, who raises his hand...

[Scarlet Spider-Man]

Comicvine has a preview for Amazing 24 up. Seems like it's not a jackal mind swap problem.

Ah, thanks for the heads-up.

Man, the dialogue in that preview is bad. Really cheesy.

[George Ndebele]

Issue 1=Great
issue 2=Great
Issue 3=Great
Issue 4=Okay
Issue 5=Meh

This had potential to be a great event but that ending??? well unless the Omega issue explains things

[rckstr1253]

I still don't get how in the previews for ASM 24, the Ben27 is degenerating and tell's Otto he is the only one who can stop it, but is he degenerating for being a clone or due to the carrion virus? If the carrion virus is the cause, than how come the original Miles Warren who is surrounded by clones degenerating, doesn't get sick from the carrion virus? This story makes no sense!

[Scott Taylor]

I half-expect Martha and Billy to end up Lizard-people from Curt's "cure." A whole family of Lizards!

That would be such a Slott thing to do.

[Kurolegacy]

I still don't get how in the previews for ASM 24, the Ben27 is degenerating and tell's Otto he is the only one who can stop it, but is he degenerating for being a clone or due to the carrion virus? If the carrion virus is the cause, than how come the original Miles Warren who is surrounded by clones degenerating, doesn't get sick from the carrion virus? This story makes no sense!

He's degenerating because when he was cloned by Warren, unfortunately, whatever was special about his original body that he was a perfect clone didn't carry over and his body was prone to clone degeneration. It's the reason Warren kept killing him over and over; he was trying to crack what had made Ben a perfect clone.

[suemorphplus209]

The point seemed to be "the villains get to come back." That's why we largely saw the "good guys" die again. Which kind of makes you wonder what the point of all of this is, really. By that logic, Spider-Man will ultimately lose because his villains will always come back. It also kind of makes Peter look like an arrogant ass by his "choosing" to let those people die all over again.

My theory here about Ben Reilly. The villains were brought back to give the new Ben Reilly something to do. I think it is possible that Ben was either being controlled, or the Ben in the new Scarlet Spider series is a different Ben, a backup clone, if you will. Either way, clone conspiracy set up a bunch of villains that can be the work of the new Scarlet Spider to take care of.