The 1990s weren't a great time for the comic book industry, either creatively or in terms of sales. Marvel Comics very nearly went bankrupt, and in the pages of Amazing Spider-Man, attempted to give the web-slinger a fresh start.
Through a highly convoluted series of events, Peter Parker discovered that he was a clone and that the real Peter, now going by Ben Reilly, had spent five years on the road, pursued by another twisted clone, Kaine. Peter retired to spend more time with his wife, Mary Jane, and the baby she was carrying, leaving Ben—who went by "Scarlet Spider" for a time—to resume being Spider-Man.
Fans rejected the change (unwilling to accept this new Spider-Man and that the past five years had been stories revolving around a clone), meaning we'd later learn that Peter was the real deal.
If it sounds complicated, well, that's because it was. However, we believe that all the right ingredients are here to make "The Clone Saga" a compelling direction to take the MCU's Spider-Man in. Here's why...
6. At Its Core, The Clone Saga Is A Great Story
The Clone Saga features some dreadful moments. Those included the apparent kidnapping/death of baby May Parker, pretty much everything with Judas Traveller, and the many times the story became almost unbearably muddled as Marvel Comics attempted to figure out what the heck it was doing.
Take all that aside, though, and the idea of a resurrected Green Goblin enacting his revenge on Peter by making him doubt his own existence through The Jackal's cloning experiments is an effective hook. As a whole, the premise was great; the execution, however, was often flawed.
The horror of learning that he's a clone so soon after his Aunt May's death breaks Peter, and when Marvel Comics eventually course-corrected, his journey to establishing that he was the real Spider-Man made for thrilling reading. Of course, as all this was happening, we got to spend time with Ben Reilly...
5. Ben Reilly's Story Arc
As much as fans didn't want Ben to take Peter's place, it was a blast discovering how he'd spent his five years away from New York. Then, when he returned and became the Scarlet Spider, we got to spend time with a very different Spider-Man who had to rediscover his responsibility.
Eventually becoming the official Spider-Man again, Ben took on all manner of threats and developed a bond with Peter that saw them consider each other brothers. He'd even make the ultimate sacrifice for his "clone," only to eventually be resurrected by The Jackal years later.
More than two dozen deaths and resurrections pushed Ben into madness, but he found redemption and became Spider-Man again...only to lose many of Peter's formative memories and become the villainous Chasm. Not everything here worked, but enough did to make Ben a fascinating character in his own right (and a hero whose story deserves to be told).
4. Tom Holland Can Pull Double Duty
So, how can this storyline be brought into this MCU? It goes without saying that a lot of changes should be made, both to improve on the source material and to make it fit into this live-action franchise.
The prospect of Tom Holland playing Peter Parker and Ben Reilly is hugely exciting to us, especially if the latter has the same baggage as his comic book counterpart. Ben isn't just Peter with blonde hair, and exploring the emotional complexities of these characters as they argue over who is "real" and the mental toll doubting their entire reality takes on them would allow Holland to excel.
If the Multiverse somehow comes into play (that or time travel might be key in reimagining The Clone Saga), then Sony may even have the chance to launch its own, separate Spider-Man franchise that runs concurrently with the MCU.
3. ...Or Make That Triple Duty
Kaine is a failed Peter Parker clone who descends into madness and villainy after being left horribly scarred and in constant pain. He'd eventually see the error of his ways and, through a set of typically convoluted circumstances, became the hardened, badass Scarlet Spider.
Given that Kaine is an imperfect clone, another actor could step in to lead a spin-off franchise, though we'd love to see what Holland could do as this villain. However, he's also far from the only threat that we'd like to see step into the wall-crawler's world from this era.
There's the duplicitous Seward Trainer, his daughter, the new female Doctor Octopus, and obviously The Jackal himself. Obsessed with Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy, the college professor is a twisted psychopath who'd benefit from a present-day makeover without the '90s cheesiness.
2. It Expands The Franchise In More Ways Than One
As we pointed out above, a Spider-Man clone could be key to giving Sony what it wants: more Spider-Man. Venom, Morbius, and Kraven the Hunter all suffered without the web-slinger, so Ben spending some time in another universe before being reunited with Peter could give the studio—and fans—the best of both worlds.
There's also the matter of a new supporting cast to flesh out this corner of the MCU. Characters like Janine Godbe, the cast of The Daily Grind coffee shop, where Ben works (Shirley Lewis and Desiree Winthrop, for example), and the dogged Detective Jacob Raven.
Holland has struggled to find success outside of Spidey, so why not headline Spider-Man and Scarlet Spider franchises? An adaptation of "The Lost Years," a story that saw Ben on the run from his past and a murderous Kaine, could even be an R-rated tale. Preferably told by Marvel Studios, of course.
1. The Green Goblin's Return
In some ways, Marvel Studios has already laid the groundwork for The Clone Saga. Aunt May's death means Peter is going to fully embrace being Spidey, and the mystery of the hero's origin story surely opens the door to some sort of cloning reveal by way of retcon.
Crucially, the MCU's Spider-Man has crossed paths with the Green Goblin. Whether Willem Dafoe's Variant did track down Earth 616's Norman Osborn to prepare him for his greatest foe or could somehow return to madness, eager to finish the job he started in Spider-Man: No Way Home, the impact of the Green Goblin being revealed as the mastermind behind this story would be significant.
In the comics, we learned that he wanted to destroy Peter in revenge for his son's death and orchestrated the entire Clone Saga to do so. Returning to New York, he engaged both Spider-Men in battle, leading to Ben throwing himself in front of the Goblin's glider to save Peter. He then crumbled to dust, confirming he was the clone all along...
Do you think The Clone Saga should be adapted for the MCU? As always, let us know your thoughts in the comments section.