10 Best Ben Reilly Spider-Man Comic Books | Screen Rant
Ben Reilly has had a long and tragic story in Marvel Comics and now Spider-Man's clone is becoming Chasm, a terrifying new villain. This latest development isn't completely unexpected as Ben Reilly has sadly had brushes with villainy before, and some of his best comics foreshadow this dark twist that could transform one of Spider-Man's closest allies into one of his greatest enemies.
Ben Reilly is one of the many different versions of Spider-Man in the comics and for the moment, he's one of the few yet to appear in movies. His transformation into Chasm could hint at how he could be depicted when he eventually appears in the MCU or Sony Marvel Universe, where he could fit into any number of scenarios, many of which have been explored in his best comic book appearances.
A new and already significant comic book in Ben Reilly's complex history is The Amazing Spider-Man #93. After being friends and allies with Spider-Man for years, this issue breaks that dynamic in a tragic way, making Ben a villain who is potentially one of the most powerful symbiotes in Marvel Comics.
Written by Zeb Wells and drawn by Patrick Gleason, this issue sees Ben transform into a terrifying new villain known as Chasm. Chasm is a form of alien symbiote similar to Venom, and as a result, this version of Ben could potentially find his way into live-action.
The Amazing Spider-Man #149 is a classic in many regards, putting a (seeming) bow on the tragedy of Gwen Stacy's death and also pitting Spider-Man against an evil version of himself. It would become even more noteworthy for featuring Ben Reilly's first appearance.
Fans wouldn't know it for many years, but the clone in this issue is actually Ben. Though he appears to die at the end, later retcons would reveal he survived, allowing him to become a massive part of Spidey lore into the present day.
What If..? #30 isn't technically a Ben Reilly comic book, but it's a key issue that would have an unexpected impact on the main Marvel continuity. This issue revisits the premise of The Amazing Spider-Man #149 and at the end, imagines if the Ben clone had lived.
The 1981 story was originally one of the strangest What If..? realities in Marvel Comics, but the story would be realized in The Clone Saga in the '90s. with the two different Peter Parkers learning to co-exist alongside each other.
Ben Reilly became a major figure in the Marvel Universe in the '90s and one of his best issues shows how he could add his uniqueness to the world. He joins the New Warriors in issue #62 of their ongoing series, distinguishing him from Spider-Man.
Though the alliance was brief, it showed how Ben could carve out a separate life and role from Peter Parker, who at that time was only loosely affiliated with some superhero teams. It could also foreshadow Ben's role in the MCU if he were to appear.
The Amazing Spider-Man #410 presents one of the most powerful versions of Spider-Man — and one of the most terrifying — when Ben Reilly inadvertently bonds with the Carnage symbiote. Spider-Carnage becomes a brief but memorable villain.
Ben bonded with the symbiote after it separated from its host in an effort to stop it from hurting others. He was mostly successful, and the issue now takes on even more importance as a sad foreshadowing of recent events for Ben.
Though The Clone Saga is unlikely to be ranked among the best Spider-Man story arcs of all time, it did produce some monumental moments. One of the biggest occurred in Spectacular Spider-Man #226, where Ben revealed Peter Parker was actually the clone.
This turned out to be a misunderstanding, but the confusion over which of the two was the real Peter Parker destabilized the status quo in the books for years. This issue would ultimately lead to Ben becoming Spider-Man in Peter's place.
Web of Spider-Man #118 is a key issue in Ben's comic book history for introducing his first distinctive costume — and it's a classic. The Scarlet Spider is a dramatic departure from the iconic Spider-Man look, with a simple design that avoids the excesses of the early '90s.
The casual hoodie is the most distinctive feature and is arguably influential in Miles Morales' later looks. This issue continues the evolution of Ben Reilly as his own person, even as he continued to question his true identity.
In 2015, Ben Reilly would return from the dead in the terrifying guise of the New Jackal. Now embodying the villain who created him, he made The Amazing Spider-Man #16 a key issue in the tragic history of one of Spider-Man's most complex characters.
Cloned over and over after his death in the '90s, Ben is driven into confusion and madness, with ambitions to take up the first Jackal's evil work. Though he regains control of himself, it hints at his lifelong struggle to gain his own identity and agency.
Spider-Geddon #5 is a pivotal issue not just for the Spider-Verse but Ben Reilly as well. He plays a key role in this multiversal battle, with his death at the hands of the Inheritors allowing for a victory by other variants of Spider-Man.
Ben's sacrifice leads to his resurrection, again, this time seemingly whole. His interactions with many other alternate versions of Spider-Man, some of whom have appeared in other media or will, likely signals his eventual appearance in the movies.
A key comic book detailing what happened to Ben Reilly after his apparent death in The Amazing Spider-Man #149 is The Lost Years #1, the beginning of a mini-series that explores his life on the run. Dark and sober, the story isn't likely what fans were expecting.
Written by J.M. DeMatteis, who wrote one of the best Spider-Man story arcs ever in Kraven's Last Hunt, and drawn by legendary artist John Romita Jr., this issue fills in a lot of the blanks about Ben Reilly that would prove crucial to making him the tragic and sympathetic figure he would ultimately become.