Ben Reilly

Ben Reilly is one of Marvel's most compelling and tragic figures — a clone of Peter Parker created by the Jackal, first introduced in The Amazing Spider-Man #149 (1975), a landmark issue that every serious Spider-Man collector should have on their radar. That single issue launched one of the most controversial and fascinating ongoing mysteries in comics history: which Spider-Man is the real one? Ben spent years wandering the country as a fugitive from his own existence, eventually returning to New York and carving out his own identity as the Scarlet Spider, a street-level hero whose distinct blue hoodie-and-red bodysuit look became instantly iconic.

The 1990s Clone Saga remains one of the most talked-about events in Spider-Man history, and Ben Reilly sits at the center of it. Whether fans loved it or debated it, the era produced a massive wave of collectible issues, including Ben's evolution from Scarlet Spider to briefly taking up the mantle of Spider-Man himself. His time as Spider-Man in the mid-90s run of titles — and his shocking fate at the end of the saga — cemented him as a character with genuine emotional weight and a devoted fanbase that never forgot him.

Ben's story didn't end there. His resurrection and transformation into the villainous Chasm in recent years added a dark new chapter, making him relevant to modern collectors hunting key issues from both classic and contemporary runs. His associations with groups like the New Warriors, the Midnight Sons, and even the sinister Beyond Corporation have kept him woven into the broader Marvel universe in unexpected ways, adding depth to his back-issue trail.

For collectors, Ben Reilly's key books span five decades of Spider-Man publishing history. Amazing Spider-Man #149 is the foundational first appearance, but the Scarlet Spider debut issues, his Spider-Man tenure in the mid-90s, and his modern Chasm transformation all represent distinct and desirable collecting targets. Few characters offer such a rich and varied key issue checklist across so many eras of Marvel Comics.