A new trailer for The Amazing Spider-Man #75 was just released, promising a story that will massively shake up the series' status quo. The Spider-Man Beyond story arc, coming hot off the end of Nick Spencer’s run, will be a breath of fresh air for the series. It will focus on Ben Reilly, best known for his role as the Scarlet Spider and for taking on the mantle of Spider-Man during the infamous Clone Saga.
Debuting in The Amazing Spider-Man #149 (1975), Ben Reilly was introduced as a nameless clone of Peter Parker created by the supervillain Miles Warren (aka the Jackal). The clone appeared to die in an explosion at the end of the issue, but in reality he survived in secret and took the name Ben Reilly. During the 1994 storyline The Clone Saga, Reilly returned to New York and fostered a brotherly relationship with Peter, becoming the Scarlet Spider to take down the Jackal. The long, convoluted Clone Saga sees the Scarlet Spider die by Norman Osborn's hand at the end, but recent years have seen him return as both a hero and a villain. Unbeknownst to Peter, Ben was resurrected and killed repeatedly by the Jackal in an attempt to perfect his cloning process. Driven mad by the trauma, Ben murdered his creator and became the new Jackal. Peter defeated him, but afterward, the Scarlet Spider came back in the hopes of finding redemption. During the Spider-Geddon storyline, he sacrificed himself and was resurrected one more time by Otto Octavius, finally restoring his sanity.
The new Spider-Man Beyond storyline will be written by Zeb Wells of Robot Chicken fame and illustrated by Stormbreaker artist, Patrick Gleason, both Spider-Man veterans. The trailer released by Marvel features tons of action as well as the promise that only one Spider-Man would “swing out” of the danger. This is followed by the image of a severely injured Peter in a hospital bed with MJ by his side. The implications are clear: that Peter Parker will fall fighting side-by-side with Ben, who will then take his place. It is also hinted that after he becomes Spider-Man, Ben will team up with the mysterious Beyond Corporation.
There are still a ton of questions that haven’t been answered by this trailer, so no one should jump to conclusions. For example, it’s unclear whether or not Peter will literally die. Perhaps he’ll just be injured or crippled, therefore deterring him from fighting crime. The mechanics of how Ben will become involved with the Beyond Corporation aren’t clear either. It also doesn’t resolve if or how Doctor Strange will play into all this, which is important because the most recent issues of The Amazing Spider-Man have shown the Sorcerer Supreme working to save Peter’s soul from Mephisto – a story that has yet to be resolved.
The Amazing Spider-Man #75 is set to be released in October of 2021. Whatever the reason for Peter’s departure from his job as Spider-Man, many will feel saddened by his absence. But many will also likely be ecstatic about the return of Ben Reilly, as his ascent to the role of New York’s number one Web Head offers a lot of creative possibilities. Hopefully, Spider-Man Beyond will provide solid character development that will do both the Scarlet Spider and Spider-Man justice.
Source: Marvel