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Will This Clone Conspiracy Spoiler Really Break Apart The Spider-Verse?

CBR readers had a poll. Who is The Jackal? The results were divided.

Back in October,  Marvel SVP – Marketing, David Gabriel, made a presentation to retailers at MCM London Comic Con.

He promised that in Clone Conspiracy #3, chief cloning scientist The Jackal would make a tantalising offer to Peter Parker that we don't know if he'll want to turn down and for lovers of the Clone Saga, we are to expect a reveal to "truly crack the Spider-Verse in half".

There was of course one popular theory as to what that may be.

With writer Dan Slott and Spider-Man editor Nick Lowe at one particular convention panel exclaiming to each other, "We could never bring Uncle Ben back! That would be crazy! Fans would kill us!"

Today it all comes out. And initial reactions from readers may be backing that up. We have seen in alternate universes that Peter Parker has been working with cloning scientist Miles Warren and is partially responsible for the clone zombie plagues that destroy worlds.

But on Marvel's Prime Earth, Spider-Man is still going toe-to-toe with the Jackal. But who is he…?

Darker than red? oh well, that's…

Ben Reilly. The Scarlet Spider.

The character was originally introduced in the seventies as a clone of Spider-Man. He died and his body was disposed of.

Except that was then retconned away. We were told that the clone Spider-Man was actually the real Spider-Man and survived, taking the name Ben Reilly, dying his hair blonde and living his own life and becoming the Scarlet Spider. And the stories of Spider-Man told since then were actually of the clone.

And then it was revealed that, no, Ben Reilly was the actual clone after all, when reader reaction against that twist was so strong. And then he died.

Like that.

Now, in The Clone Conspiracy, The Jackal has returned, has been bringing back key Spider-characters from the dead as part of a new company known as the New U, and is not Professor Miles Warren anymore,

And all that teasing from previously has also born out…

The return of Uncle Ben? Uncle Ben?

Properly this time?

Clone Conspiracy #3 by Dan Slott and Jim Cheung is published today.

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