Warning! This post contains a PREVIEW for Dark Web: Finale #1
A new preview for Spider-Man's Dark Web finale reveals even Peter Parker thinks this new chapter of his ongoing Clone Saga with Ben Reilly is dumb. Having been corrupted due to the loss of his copied long-term memories from Parker, Ben Reilly has become the dark and vengeful Chasm, kickstarting a demonic invasion from Limbo in a bid to steal Spider-Man's soul and accompanying memories. However, Spider-Man is very confident that he and the X-Men can beat the new ruler of Limbo, revealing a core truth about his now-evil clone.
In the new preview for Dark Web: Finale #1 from Zeb Wells and Adam Kubert, Chasm and his girlfriend Hallow's Eve are preparing their demon forces for a major assault on New York City, daring Spider-Man to try and stop them. Having taken the Scythe of Sorrows from Jean's clone Madelyne Pryor, Chasm has become Limbo's new ruler. However, Spider-Man reveals that Ben hates him so much that it makes him stupid, meaning that he and his allies have a chance at beating him considering his entire plot against Peter has been fairly lackluster (the Webslinger freely admits it). Here are the preview pages and synopsis for the upcoming issue:
Spider-Man Joins Forces With The X-Men To Face "King Chasm"
- DARK WEB FINALE #1
- IN THE BLEAK MIDWINTER The dawn rises after the demonic invasion of New York City, but what will that light reveal? It will reveal Chasm’s final gambit and the new denizens of Hell he helped create and unleash on Spider-Man and the X-Men! See how Dark Web changed this city’s landscape forever!
Spider-Man makes an excellent point about Chasm. Tricking Peter into coming to Limbo and eating a fruit meant to take his soul wasn't exactly the smartest plan Ben has ever come up with. He certainly hasn't succeeded. Furthermore, Madelyne and Chasm had been allies in their shared goal of revenge against those they were cloned from...right up until Jean proved how easy it was to reconcile with her clone and share with Madelyne the memories she was after. The same thing could absolutely happen for Peter and Ben, but "King Chasm" seems to be far too obsessed with his own vendetta.
As interesting as Dark Web has been for the X-Men, Eddie Brock's Venom who made an appearance, and to some degree Spider-Man himself, this isn't even the first time Ben Reilly has gone dark as a villain or been at odds with Peter. It's a very played-out dynamic across their Clone Saga which began way back in the 90s. It needs to come to an end, one way or the other.
While it would be nice to see Ben being redeemed as Dark Web comes to a close, Marvel has put themselves in a box where bringing him back to the light again would feel like a major retread. Likewise, Spider-Man himself is already claiming that Ben has become stupid with rage amid his fairly dumb schemes, so he may be too far gone. However it all shakes out, the full Dark Web: Finale #1 will release on February 1st from Marvel Comics.