The Bring Back Ben Thread

[Webhead529]

First off, I'd like to say I wish Chris Yost and his team the best of luck on Scarlet Spider. I hope they knock the book out of the park.

Having said that. Kaine is not Ben Reilly. And the more I think it over the more frustrated I become. There is absolutely no reason why after all the teasing, all of the red herrings, and all of the creative effort that's obviously gone into creating a new Scarlet solo book that this could not have been Ben. Especially since it's been established that Kaine was reborn in the same "Other" fashion as Pete. If that's truly the case, Ben could've been reborn as well assuming it's a genetic effect. He was the perfect clone and he disintegrated when he died, why wouldn't Kaine's body do the same after the Grim Hunt? Now his scars are gone, he's the same height as Pete, he's cracking jokes and fighting side by side with a man he seemingly hated as recently as the "Who Was ben Reilly?" arc.

I think it's absurd. There's a very vocal contingency of fans who for 15+ years have been clamoring for Ben's return, and they decide to tease that return to death only to try and convince us that Kaine and Ben are one and the same? Why not just give those fans what they want? Why twist the knife further? Ben Reilly is just as viable a character as Kaine, and I see no reason why the decision was made to give Kaine this book rather than Ben.

Kaine is not Ben, Ben is not Peter. Bring Back Ben.

[rdfnd1253]

Amen brother!!! THough i will be buying the new series I still want ben to reappear!

[SuperCooper]

No one's saying Kaine is Ben.

Miles Morales is not Peter Parker, but he is Spider-Man.

The Scarlet Spider is just a name. Kaine got over some of his issues with Peter during the Grim Hunt, actively striving to save him and, briefly, impersonating him. He's got the Parker genes, so maybe now without a degenerative disease and having to live in shadows he'll be able to loosen up and have a bit more fun, even if that means being Ben-ish or Peter-ish.

And as it's been repeated, Ben disintegrated. What does Slott say, goop on the floor? Kaine is still here. Sure, there were scarlet herrings galore, but that's what those teasers are for: to get people talking. No a vocal group of fans is talking more and more about a series and character, and a small handful may even try the comic out. It's marketing!

[rdfnd1253]

No one's saying Kaine is Ben.

Miles Morales is not Peter Parker, but he is Spider-Man.

The Scarlet Spider is just a name. Kaine got over some of his issues with Peter during the Grim Hunt, actively striving to save him and, briefly, impersonating him. He's got the Parker genes, so maybe now without a degenerative disease and having to live in shadows he'll be able to loosen up and have a bit more fun, even if that means being Ben-ish or Peter-ish.

And as it's been repeated, Ben disintegrated. What does Slott say, goop on the floor? Kaine is still here. Sure, there were scarlet herrings galore, but that's what those teasers are for: to get people talking. No a vocal group of fans is talking more and more about a series and character, and a small handful may even try the comic out. It's marketing!

Yea but why did Ben disintegrate? How come Kaine didn't? If Kaine and Peter died and regenerated like they did, then does this mean peter was the clone all along since we know kaine is a clone and he had the same fate as peter.

[Max B]

There is no consistency to clone death in the MU. So, yes, major loophole there available for Ben to step through.

Though on one level, I'd almost like Ben to be the one death Marvel keeps its integrity with. Well that and the other Ben...

[Sam_Breakfast]

I agree with the original post, and am also a little saddened.

But with this new book on the horizon, and Kaine's "transformation,"
I can't imagine Ben Reilly will be making a return anytime soon. Or ever.
However the new Scarlet Spider book turns out, bringing Ben back into the Marvel U has just been set back years. In my opinion.

[FrogMan]

There is such an easy out for Ben coming back, too. In the Peter Parker: Spider-Man #75 where he died, wasn't it shown that Ben was fine on one page, then it skipped to Peter doing some stuff, then Osborn comes out holding Ben all beaten up? Couldn't Osborn have captured the real Ben, secreted him away for future use and the beaten up Ben we saw was just another clone?

That's how I would bring Ben back. Have him being held captive by Osborn for all these years, and the Ben that died was just another clone that Norman whipped up just so he could have him die in front of Peter.

[Sam_Breakfast]

There is such an easy out for Ben coming back, too. In the Peter Parker: Spider-Man #75 where he died, wasn't it shown that Ben was fine on one page, then it skipped to Peter doing some stuff, then Osborn comes out holding Ben all beaten up? Couldn't Osborn have captured the real Ben, secreted him away for future use and the beaten up Ben we saw was just another clone?

That's how I would bring Ben back. Have him being held captive by Osborn for all these years, and the Ben that died was just another clone that Norman whipped up just so he could have him die in front of Peter.

That totally works, as far as comic book logic goes. I think there would be a lot of ways to bring Ben back. But from an editorial stand-point... I just don't see it happening with Kaine being hyped as the new Scarlet Spider.

[HalaSon]

But from an editorial stand-point... I just don't see it happening with Kaine being hyped as the new Scarlet Spider.

therein lies the bummer, with Kaine as the Scarlet Spider for an unforeseeable amount of time, It'll be much longer before Marvel deems the idea of the Spider-Clone "fresh" again.

I beg of you marvel "Bring Back Ben"

[Kurolegacy]

It's a distinct possibility for Ben to return one of these days after all, Jackal survived Spider Island and loves to screw with Peter. And with Kaine now cured of his clone degeneration and now a perfect clone, I'm sure he'll be interested in him as well. But for the time being, Kaine's got a new lease on life and seems to be making a hero of himself. Let Kaine have his chance to take up the sword of his dead brother.

[Webhead529]

Keeping all other things equal, if they had Ben as the lead in the new SS, rather than Kaine, I guarantee it would sell better.

[Jack]

There are plenty of ways to bring Ben back. Always have been.

[ShaggyB]

There are plenty of ways to bring Ben back. Always have been.

the simplest is to reveal the ben that died was just a clone that norman had setup to die... just to mess with peter some more.

[Webhead529]

the simplest is to reveal the ben that died was just a clone that norman had setup to die... just to mess with peter some more.

Unfortunately, I think this takes away from Ben's sacrifice to save Peter. Though it would be an easy out. Ben could also have an Other rebirth, where maybe one of his cells remained and from that he was reborn. Or just have Strange or someone in the "magic" realm find Ben's consciousness, then transport it to another cloned body. The Jackal is still around, so it's not impossible to think there could be more cloning.

[Specimen 297]

Keeping all other things equal, if they had Ben as the lead in the new SS, rather than Kaine, I guarantee it would sell better.

This is what worries me.... when it sells badly Marvel will claim it's because nobody wants a Scarlet Spider book and will go back down the path of late 90s claiming the clone saga never happened. Ignoring their own incompetence in actually satisfying the people who were demanding a Scarlet Spider book.

With that said, Yost is a fantastic writer and his book will be great, I just am really cynical that it will last... I'm sure he'll do a great job though.