Source: MTV Geek
MTV Geek: So to kick this off, I’m pretty excited because you’re just going to straight up tell us who’s under the Scarlet Spider mask. Right? RIGHT???
Chris Yost: YES! I can now reveal that the Scarlet Spider is in fact Wolverine. You heard it hear first! Wait, no. That was the pitch that Spider-Editor Steve Wacker rejected.
Geek: Okay, more seriously, what CAN you tell us about the new (?) Scarlet Spider? What motivates him? Or her??? I think I’m going to wear out the question mark key on my keyboard by the end of this interview, by the way.
CY: After the events of Dan Slott's amazing #spiderisland, Scarlet Spider's entire life has been turned upside down. ScarSpi (like ScarJo) has one motivation -- get the hell out of New York. For reasons that are as yet unrevealed, ScarSpi is on the run, heading down Mexico way. But as the story progresses, those motivations will change because life gets in the way.
Geek: Be honest: we all know this is definitely Spoilers:Felicity Hardy, from the MC2 Universe, right?
CY: Nailed it. You're good. You heard it here first!!
Geek: Awesome! Other than a costume, what makes someone The Scarlet Spider? There’s been a number of characters to use the moniker in history, so is there some sort of connective fiber that joins them together? A web, if you will?
CY: A web of LIFE. Or, as it happens, a web of DEATH. The Scarlet Spider name definitely has some history, some baggage... why would a person take this name? Or are they just taking it BACK? I'll just say that there's a very good reason for our main character (because I can't necessarily say HERO) to take this name. There is a connection, but it might just be in the color. Hair color, costume color...
Geek: Why do you think this is a concept that has endured? We see more and more aspects of the Clone Saga popping up nowadays, and as opposed to say, the past decade, fans seem to be really embracing these characters...
CY: Scarlet Spider back in the day turned the Spider-Man universe upside down. There's a chunk of fandom that really embraced Ben Reilly/Scarlet Spider, and some who even think of Scarlet Spider as 'their' Spider-Man. It's taking the message of Spider-Man and seeing it through a new lens, through a different set of sensibilities. Someone with life experiences different than Peter Parker. And it's a lot of fun.
Geek: Speaking of which, will we be seeing any of the other Scarlet Spiders popping up in the series? Or any other aspects of Spidey-history? We do know that while Scarlet Spider is touring the country, Carnage is doing the same thing in Carnage USA… Are we going to see them come face to face at all?
CY: The history and connections to the Spider-Universe will definitely be there, all the connective tissue will be there... this isn't someone random, it's someone who has a connection to Spider-Man. And you never know. Given Scarlet Spider is taking place in a far different location than New York, you never know who's going to pop up. You'll see new characters, old characters, rarely used characters... there's going to be a lot of local flavor in this.
Editor's Note: Not entirely sure this is on the level. The events of Amazing Spider-Man #671 point to someone else being Scarlet Spidey. We'll have to wait and see to find out. Anyway, here's a preview of the Scarlet Spider costume which debuted at NYCC today.
Scarlet Spider is a fictional character who appeared in the Marvel Comics series Spider-Man. His costume was designed by Tom Lyle. The identity of the Scarlet Spider has been used by several characters: Ben Reilly, Peter Parker (while Ben posed as him in prison), Joe Wade (a villain), and a group of three Michael Van Patrick (MVP) clones working with the Initiative.
In the MC2 alternate future, Felicity Hardy takes the identity of Scarlet Spider to both be a partner to Spider-Girl, and to irritate her mother, Felicia Hardy. While she has no actual powers, she uses her amazing gymnastic talent and martial arts skills, along with an array of spider-themed weaponry, to fight crime, until several near death experiences cause her to give up the identity.
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