Warning: Contains preview pages for The Death of Doctor Strange: Spider-Man ahead!
While Peter Parker lays in a hospital bed, comatose, Ben Reilly has picked up the mantle of Spider-Man, but not everyone trusts him, including long-time Peter ally the Black Cat. In a preview for The Death of Doctor Strange: Spider-Man #1, on sale in print and digital December 1, Black Cat makes it clear how she views Ben Reilly: as a pretender and an opportunistic thief.
As seen in the “Beyond” story currently running through The Amazing Spider-Man, Peter Parker has suffered a horrible injury that has left him in a coma. Ben Reilly, the clone of Peter Parker, is tapped to fill in for Peter. The name and rights to the Spider-Man title have been purchased by the Beyond Corporation, essentially making Spider-Man a corporate hero. It is clear that Beyond has plans for Reilly, and they are not good. Meanwhile, someone has killed Doctor Strange and the hunt is on for his murderer. Marvel's heroes are aided by an astral “clone” of Doctor Strange, created earlier in his career as a failsafe against his death. This version of Strange has a week to find who killed him, and in The Death of Doctor Strange: Spider-Man #1, he enlists the aid of Spider-Man and Black Cat—if they do not kill each other first. The book is written by Jed MacKay, with art by Marcelo Ferreira, inks by Wayne Faucher, colors by Andrew Crossley and Peter Pantazis, and letters by Joe Caramagna.
The book's preview opens with Black Cat sitting vigilant by Peter’s bedside, clearly distressed by his condition. Ben Reilly arrives through the window, asking how Peter is doing. Black Cat does not even turn to face him, and replies in short, terse sentences. She goes on to accuse Ben of trying to steal the name of Spider-Man for himself. He protests, asking if she thinks he is happy being Spider-Man. Black Cat does not back down, but before the fight can escalate further, the astral vision of Doctor Strange appears looking for Spider-Man, unaware this is a different one, asking for his help in finding who killed him. Take a look at the preview below:
Black Cat can barely contain how she feels about Ben Reilly being Spider-Man. She thinks Ben is trying to steal the role away from Peter. However, Ben was Spider-Man once before and he has shown no interest in returning to the role until recently, shooting Black Cat’s argument down. It is possible Ben may not wish to relinquish the role of Spider-Man when Peter inevitably returns, but Black Cat does not know that. She accuses Ben of stealing, an unusual stance for someone who is a thief herself---are her feelings for Peter clouding her judgment? Whatever the case, Ben Reilly and Black Cat must now work together to help Doctor Strange.
Black Cat and Spider-Man go back a long way and have a complex history between them. She has feelings for Peter Parker, and when Ben Reilly takes up the role, she does not trust him, seeing him as an interloper attempting to cash in on a tragedy.