Web of Scarlet Spider #1
There's a New Spider In Town
The Clone Saga continues from The Spectacular Spider-Man #229...
While attempting to stop a gang of muggers, the Scarlet Spider is mistaken for Spider-Man. when they realize they are actually facing the Scarlet Spider, they begin to mock the hero as nothing more than an imitator and amateur. However, their confidence is quickly trounced as the web-slinger takes them down with a barrage of impact-webbing and stingers. As he swings away, the Spider is upset that he is treated as an amateur when he is the real Peter Parker. He recalls how five years ago, he was convinced that he was a clone of Spider-Man and left New York while the real clone resumed the life of Peter Parker. Having come back and gotten revenge against the Jackal, he discovered that he was the real Spider-Man all along. Since the clone has taken over his Peter Parker identity and retired as Spider-Man, Ben Reilly wants to get a fresh start in both his civilian and costumed identity.[1] On a nearby rooftop, Ben begins to take off his costume when his spider-sense goes off, warning him of a nearby helicopter passing by. As he goes for cover, Ben wonders what kind of threat the helicopter may pose.
Suddenly, a magnetic device is dropped from the chopper onto the roof of a van driving down the street. Inside the device are two armed men who begin pumping bullets into the roof of the van. Inside, a mobster named Orlando Kannor and his partner Vic begin to panic over what to do next. That's when the Scarlet Spider swings in to stop the gunmen. However, before attacking the gunmen, something warns the wall-crawler against attacking the gunmen directly. However, when he tries to incapacitate them with his impact webbing, he still manages to set off the smoke bombs that they have rigged on their bodies. By this point, Kanno and Vic have pulled over the car and are making a run for it. When the Scarlet Spider tries to leap onto the helicopter, but it, and the gunmen have disappeared in the thick clouds of smoke. Soon, the authorities arrive on the scene and begin searching the van, discovering that it contained stolen computer processors.[2] The Scarlet Spider gets down on himself for helping a pair of thieves, and wonders why he bothers. Meanwhile, the armed men contact their leader, the new Doctor Octopus to report their failure. She is upset that the Scarlet Spider is interfering with her plans once again and smashes the monitor with her mechanical arms. Her assistant, the computer program known as the Master Programmer, tells her to ignore the Spider and reminds her that they need to get the stolen components in order to carry out their plans.
Later, the Scarlet Spider returns to the penthouse apartment of his friend Seward Trainer. He is upset that he is not doing very well as a crime fighter. However, Seward reminds him that being a crime fighter was Peter Parker's specialty and that Ben will have to learn to adapt to his own. Reilly agrees, and thanks Seward for putting him up while he tries to get his life together. Trainer offers Ben the chance to work for him, but Ben wants get his own job and earn his keep. However, he thinks of some way that Seward Trainer can do to help him. Meanwhile, Orlando Kannor and Vic report back to their employer, the crime boss known as Jason Tso. He is angry that they failed to deliver the computer processors that they had stolen. He places blame on Vic and orders his men to gun him down for his failure. The next day, Ben Reilly goes job hunting but is turned down for every job he applies for. His last stop is a trendy nightclub called Club Noir, which is looking for a waiter. At first, he is turned down for not having any references. However, when a waitress named Rachel trips, Ben's spider-sense allows him to catch the drink tray before the beverage can be spilled. Joey, the bar manager, is so impressed by this, he hires Ben right on the spot. Later that day, the helicopter owned by Doctor Octopus reappears and uses its magnetic crane to steal the van filled with the stolen computer processors from the police impound yard. The Scarlet Spider has been waiting and this time, with a special gas mask made by Seward Trainer, figures that he is prepared for the thieves this time.
However, when he boards the helicopter it turns out that the minions of Doctor Octopus have replaced their smoke bombs in favor of electrified suits. Stunned into submission, the web-slinger is helpless when the thieves push him out of the helicopter. Thankfully, the Scarlet Spider is able to save his life by catching the chopper with a web-line. Unfortunately, the thieves see this and begin trying to shake the hero off of their vehicle. When this doesn't work, they start shooting at the Spider, forcing him to let go. In order to save himself from a lethal fall, he quickly spins himself a make-shift hanglider out of his webbing to slow his descent. Flying over a nearby lake, he then fashions some waterskis to finally stop himself. By this time, the news of the daring theft has reached Jason Tso, who is furious to learn that the processors were stolen out from police custody. When he pulls up to Club Noir, he asks his manager what has been going on with his business while he was gone. Joey tells Mister Tso that he just hired a new waiter named Ben Reilly.
This story continues in Amazing Scarlet Spider #1...
Continuity Notes
There is a lot facts and misdirections recounted here during Ben Reilly's exposition. These facts are:
First, he mentions how Spider-Man was cloned by the Jackal. That happened in Amazing Spider-Man #149.
The clone was seemingly killed and disposed of in Amazing Spider-Man #151. However, the clone survived and went on the road.
Ben states that he was on the road for five years. This is a factual reference per the Sliding Timescale of Earth-616. Five years is roughly the length of time between Amazing Spider-Man #149 and this story.
Ben Reilly was convinced that he was the real Peter Parker all along in The Spectacular Spider-Man #226. This is all a deception orchestrated by the Green Goblin as revealed in Spider-Man: The Osborn Journal #1.
Ben also states that Peter Parker married his longtime girlfriend Mary Jane Watson. That happened in Amazing Spider-Man Annual #21. However, years later, their marriage is erased from existence by Mephisto in Amazing Spider-Man #545. As such they should be considered a common-law couple here.
Peter Parker retired as Spider-Man in The Spectacular Spider-Man #229.
All the technological references made in this story were considered cutting edge when this story was written in 1995. However, they should be considered a topical reference per the Sliding Timescale of Earth-616.
