Spider-Man: Clone Conspiracy
(Dead No More)
by Phil Perich for the True Believers Blog
A huge storyline is coming to shake up Spider-Man’s life in Marvel Comics. Several events in issues of Amazing Spider-Man and Spider-Man/Deadpool have fans asking if the controversial events of the 2007 One More Day storyline are about to be reversed. From Mephisto taunting Peter Parker once again, to Tony Stark’s memories of the Parkers living in Stark Tower, to Aunt May seemingly at death’s door again. But as much as I’m a fan of the Peter Parker/Mary Jane Watson marriage, I believe these event may be red herrings. A little before this year’s Free Comic Book Day, it was revealed that a big storyline this Fall may alter Spider-Man’s life in a big way. At first, all we got was a title—Dead No More. Who would be dead no more? Then we got a prologue in an issue from Free Comic Book Day and then this image was released:
We see many people from Peter Parker’s past that have died in this image including his Uncle Ben, his former love Gwen Stacy, and is that Otto Octavius in the middle there? Doctor Octopus’s body may be dead but his mind lives on in the form of the Living Brain robot. And just within the last week or so we got a new image and another title that confirmed my first theory about who will be the evil mastermind behind these events and how the “dead” will rise. The title? Spider-Man: Clone Conspiracy.
And if these people are clones, the man in the red suit and mask must be Miles Warren, aka the Jackal. He’s spent years creating various clones of Spider-Man and obsessed with Gwen Stacy, even after her death. While I would hope Peter and Mary Jane would finally be reunited, is this the point where Marvel reunites Peter and Gwen Stacy after 43 years? Or is this another red herring?
Is it only one character coming back from the dead (through cloning) or multiple characters? If not Gwen, who could it be? Would Marvel be so bold as to bring back Uncle Ben, the whole inspiration for Peter to use his powers in responsible ways?
What about Otto Octavious, the villain I mentioned before? His mind is still active. Could he return in a version of his original body or as another clone of Peter, giving us the Superior Spider-Man once again?
And lastly, this one seems like a long shot to me, but I’d love to see the return of Ben Reilly as the Scarlet Spider. The clone who not only became as close to Peter as a brother, but also operated as Spider-Man for awhile. I didn't want him to be Spider-Man, but as a partner for Peter? Peter needs all the help he can get, especially now.
So what do you think? Who lives? Who dies? Who comes back? Send me your theories nightwingpdp@gmail.com or @Nightwingpdp on Twitter and Charlie Esser (@CharlieEsser) and I will discuss it on the All New Marvel Roundup and Superconnectivity, just 2 of the shows on the Nuff Said Podcast. I also write another blog, Legends of DC. You can find all of my podcasts, blogs, and those of others at www.southgatemediagroup.com. And for one stop shopping of all of my creative endeavors, please visit www.philperich.wordpress.com.
Until next time, with great cloning comes great confusion, NUFF SAID!