To be like someone does not mean to be one. After all, whatever one may say, you still have to live your life. Ben Reilly was always just a copy, albeit the best, but what he had to endure had little to do with the life of Peter Parker.
First meeting
Benjamin Reilly (Scarlet Spider) is considered the most successful clone of Spider-Man. Rumor had it that he owed his appearance to a genetically modified person, a fighter against good - the Jackal. The goal was the destruction of Peter Parker. And to look at the results of his work, he kidnaps the real Spider-Man and brings him to the Shey stadium. There the first meeting of two spiders took place.
During the battle, they practically kill each other, but stop in time, realizing that they are better off working together. And a little later, trying to save
Gwen Stacy, the Scarlet Spider (Ben Reilly) dies. At least, it seemed to Spider-Man, so he got rid of his body so that the secret about him would not be revealed.
New life
Only Ben Reilly is not dead. He lived for several years away from New York. The guy completely shut up and lost confidence, because he realized that he was just a copy of Peter Parker. But an old friend of Seward Trainer brought him back to life. He found work for him and helped him to his feet. With him, Benjamin forgot what is a clone, and felt like a full-fledged personality.
At a new job, Ben met with Janina Godby, who at first did not pay attention to him at all. But when they began to communicate closer, he found out about her past life. It turns out that her real name is Elizabeth Tyne, and in childhood she was very hard. She was often beaten by her father, and once a girl, unable to withstand bullying, killed him. Ben also decided to open up, so he said that he was a clone of Spider-Man. Secrets brought the guys even closer. They began to meet, but did not stay together for long - somewhere around a year. Ben Reilly did not even suspect that the enemy was already very close.
The fact is that all this time he was tracked by Cain - another clone of Spider-Man. He managed to set Ben up, leaving fingerprints (and they match) on the body of the woman he killed. And after that, Elizabeth deprived him, staging her death.
Return to New York
After some time, Benjamin finds out about Aunt May's poor health, so she reappears in New York. To avoid trouble with the original spider, he decides to meet with him and explain the reason for his appearance. Peter Parker at first distrusts him, but later accepts the guy, and their relationship again takes on a friendly character.
They continue to fight crime, and Ben even puts on a similar suit. The difference in his outfit is only a blue sweater with a spider in the middle. Now his name is different - Scarlet Spider-Man. In this guise, he had to fight with many villains.
Contract
They did not have to cooperate for a long time, because Seward Trainer appears in New York. He does some analysis and tells Ben that he is the real Spider-Man, and Parker is just a clone. This upset Peter a little, and the guys decided to temporarily stop working together.
Later, due to the pregnancy of Mary Jane, Peter had to forget about heroism for a while. Therefore, he finds the Scarlet Spider to ask him to be Spider-Man in his place. Ben Reilly (Marvel) is happy for a friend and does not mind replacing him. He puts on almost the same suit, only the spider logo does more.
While Ben got accustomed to the role, Peter Parker decided to check on his friend. It turns out that Seward Trainer is a man of
Norman Osbourne, who in fact is the creator of all the clones of Spider-Man. His goal was to drive Parker crazy, making him believe he was a copy too. And he set this task to Ben Reilly's old friend.
The death of Ben Reilly. True or not?
Having revealed Osborne’s plans, both spiders find him. A battle ensues between them, in which the Scarlet Spider, covering Peter with his body, is mortally wounded.
But he does not die. Just Benjamin understands that the world is enough for one Spider-Man. Therefore, he pretends his own death and leaves for Portland, where he arranges to work as a janitor in a school named Henry Jones.
Abilities
It would be logical to assume that the Spider-Man clone should have exactly the same abilities and skills:
- Strength. The inhuman force allows Ben Reilly to lift more than 5 tons.
- Agility. The mobility of the Scarlet Spider is explained by very flexible tendons and connective tissues.
- Endurance. Those who volunteered to keep order in the city have no days off. At any time, someone may need his help. It is good that he is hardy enough to fight crime without rest for a very long time.
- Resistant to damage. Thanks to strong bones and muscles, Ben Reilly can endure more injuries and injuries than an ordinary person. In addition to this, the Scarlet Spider body regenerates. True, you can still hurt him.
- Overreaction. Simply put, it is this ability that allows him to be invulnerable to firearms or any other weapon.
- Super sense. The Scarlet Spider does not have eyes on the back of his head, but there is something better - a spider instinct that warns him of danger in advance. Thus, he avoids numerous injuries.
In addition, Ben Reilly is a great photographer. He inherited this skill from Peter Parker. Of the weapons he has only a mixture that resembles a web. It is placed in special containers and when in contact with air turns into a strong and sticky fiber.