Bring Back Ben

We believe Ben Reilly was an awesome character, and the idea of a clone of Spider-Man existing was unique and refreshing. Most people would argue against this point, but Ben Reilly was always written to be more than a clone. He was always written as another character. We also believe he's given a bad rap due to several low-quality storylines with other clones. He was unfairly killed, so we have formed this petition to get Marvel to bring him back. We need at least 250 signatures (Marvel told us this) and we aim for many more.

While it is true that Ben Reilly turned to dust when the Green Goblin killed him in Spider-Man #75, he was killed hastily because Marvel just wanted to get the Clone Saga over with, and that should be exploited. For example, he disintegrated. Why would Ben disintegrate? He was a succesful clone, not a deteriorating one like Kaine or the Guardian. Also, several people have noted that the one who died had different injuries than the one before. So there you have it. A writer could easily state that the Green Goblin had kidnapped Ben and killed a failed clone, or come up with some other plot device that would make sense and tie into continuity.

Actually,

•     Joe Quesada has stated that he thinks a series bringing Ben back would "sell like crazy."
•     The Ultimate Clone Saga is a good sign about Marvel's current feelings about the Clone Saga.
•     There has been a Ben Reilly refference in at least one comic for the last seven months straight.

On November 10, on Marvel Comics Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada’s weekly Newsarama column, New Joe Fridays Week 21, the topic of the Scarlet Spider and Clone Saga was brought up.


Q: “Andrew” - I’m just wondering, from a business and a fan perspective, do you believe that Marvel bringing back the Scarlet Spider or any other elements from the “Clone Saga” to the current Spider-Man titles would be disastrous sales-wise, or do you think that enough time has passed (10 years) that elements could be incorporated again and as long as it is written well, fans will enjoy it and not drop the books en-masse like they did a decade ago?

Quesada: No, I don’t believe it would be disastrous in any way. As a matter of fact, I think it would sell like crazy but it would have to be good. Make it mediocre and fans will deplore it. You have to remember, the “Clone Saga” was huge, arguably the biggest Spider-Man event ever, and in many ways, that’s where the problem lied. Because it was so successful, I believe that Marvel decided to keep it going way too long. So, while many people consider it a bad period for Spidey, commercially, it may have been the greatest period ever. Also, at this point, I think it has also become that thing of legend. While there may be people who read the original, there are many who never did and perhaps want to judge for themselves.

Q: There are still many Spider-Man fans clamoring for some of the loose ends of the Clone Saga to finally be tied up, and given Marvel’s revisiting of other decade-old events in Age of Apocalypse last year and Onslaught/Heroes Reborn now, can we expect to see any type of Clone Saga revisiting in the near-future (if even for the sake of finally putting those old loose ends to rest)?

Quesada: While I can’t discount us perhaps going back, there are no current plans to do so. But, the idea of the “Clone Saga” has always intrigued me.

From issue 16 in the letter page column a fan named Scott had this to say in his last paragraph:

"I was very pleased to see the "return" of Ben Reilly in Friendly Neighborhood Spiderman #14, if for no other reason than simple acknowledgment that the storyline had happened and was an important part of the character's history. Whereas I would love to see the true return of Ben (or, better yet, a trade collection of the entire Clone Saga-much like the "Marvel Visionaries" series), I am satisfied with this re-emergence and look forward to how the "Unmasked" storyline plays out."

Marvel Editorial had this in response:

"Thanks for the loyalty, Scott, and we're glad you dug the Ben Reilly reference. Marvel editorial is very aware of the Clone Saga and its fans; why else would there be an Ultimate Clone Saga? And keep your eyes on the regular Marvel U, because there may be more Clone goodness in your future."