Clone Saga

[upbeat music]

Welcome to A Clone in the Dark, a podcast that attempts to untangle the dark web that enshrouds the Clone Saga's most divisive character, Ben Reilly.

I'm your co-host, Spider-Dan, and I'm joined by the Clone Tones, Tony Farina and Tony Holt Jr., to make some, if any sense, of Marvel's most controversial and convoluted storyline.

It's been a little while, guys.

Um, it's been a while, but last time we talked about Spider-Man 1000, which is about to drop.

Um, there has been some controversy.

In this podcast, we do see the return or the, the beginning of John Romita Jr.'s involvement in the Clone Saga.

Um, he w- If you remember around this time, this is when the Parker Legacy came out, so 400 and during Aftershocks as well.

We are talking about the excess of the 1990s.

We are talking about Spider-Man, the clone saga.

The absolute white whale, or perhaps the Titanic, of controversial comic book events.

According to the Deep Dive by Annie Banks, this is historically considered one of the absolute worst, most frustrating Spider-Man story arcs ever published.

It really did.

The arc introduced Kane Parker, and more importantly, it introduced Ben Reilly, the Scarlet Spider.

And today, this source confirms the Clone Saga is actually embraced by the fandom.

Not as a literary masterpiece, but as a, quote, enjoyable romp.

It says...

Deadline has reported that Prime Video is nearing a green light on a series set in Sony Pictures' Marvel Universe that will be based on the popular Clone Saga storyline from the comics, focusing on two Spider-Man clones.

The news arrives after the brutal cancellation of Spider-Man Noir, which I thought was good, which cage as Ben Reilly the Spider.

Interestingly, Much like the comic book event, this new Spider-Man series will be inspired by the show could reportedly feature its own version of Ben Reilly, which would help explain why Spider-Man Noir was canceled after a single season despite trending on Prime Video's charts for a long period of time.

What's the name of the show? That's all I want.

Okay.

Spider-Man series is based on the second clone saga from Marvel comics, which focus on Ben Riley, who found his own superhero identity as the Scarlet spider and Kane, the unsuccessful first clone of Peter Parker.

Okay.

That's all the everything other than news.

So what is the Clone Saga show?

What is this? I don't know much yet, but apparently Sony is developing a series likely for Amazon Prime that will tell the story of the Clone Saga.

Did they say if this was animated or not, Glenn?

No, they just said it's going to star Ben and Kim.

Yeah.

Okay.

I mean, I love the Clone Saga, but a lot of that's nostalgia.

To understand why this run is so vital, you have to understand that the 1990s were an incredibly dark and alienating time for Spider-Man fans.

You mentioned earlier that the mythology got bogged down by the infamous Clone Saga.

Break down the mechanics of why that alienated so many readers.

Like, what actually happened?

The Clone Saga was an editorial mandate that spun completely out of control.

Essentially, Marvel revealed that a clone of Peter Parker, named Ben Reilly, was actually the real Peter Parker.

Wait, what?

They are kindred spirits.