Ben Reilly and Kaine are two different clones of Peter Parker who have both used the Scarlet Spider name in Marvel comics. Ben adopted it first during the 1990s Clone Saga. Kaine, initially an antagonist in that story, took up the mantle during a redemption arc that began in 2012. Scarlet Spider is a superhero identity, not evidence that the two are the same person or counterparts from separate universes.
Spoiler warning: this article discusses comic-book plot developments, including the Clone Saga and later Ben Reilly stories.
How Ben Reilly became the first Scarlet Spider
The clones trace back to The Amazing Spider-Man #149, published in 1975, and Miles Warren, the Jackal. That comic provides the foundation for Peter Parker’s clone story, but it is not the issue in which Ben first assumes the Scarlet Spider name. The superhero identity emerged later, during the sprawling Clone Saga published from 1994 to 1996.
By the time he reentered Peter’s life in Web of Spider-Man #117, Ben had already chosen a separate name: Ben after Peter’s uncle and Reilly from Aunt May’s maiden name. He wanted a life of his own even though he shared Peter’s memories and many of his powers. He subsequently fought crime in a red suit and sleeveless blue hoodie, earning the nickname Scarlet Spider from the press.
The Clone Saga complicated matters by suggesting for a time that Ben might be the original Peter. Ben even wore a Spider-Man costume and stepped into that role. The storyline ultimately established that Ben was the clone and Peter the original. Being Scarlet Spider and being Spider-Man are therefore distinct chapters in Ben’s history.
Why Kaine also became Scarlet Spider
Kaine likewise comes from experiments using Peter’s DNA, but he is not Ben in a different costume. He is a separate, unstable clone scarred by painful experiences. During the Clone Saga he was a violent figure who pursued Ben and committed crimes. Their relationship involves rivalry, guilt and ties that Marvel describes in terms of a complicated brotherhood between clones.
Years later Marvel gave Kaine a chance to seek redemption. Scarlet Spider #1 was released on January 11, 2012, with Christopher Yost writing and Ryan Stegman drawing. The run follows Kaine as a vigilante in Houston, Texas. Marvel’s own retrospective confirms that he protects the city under the Scarlet Spider name and faces threats that include Shathra.
For Kaine, the name signals a new responsibility. It does not retroactively replace Ben in the Clone Saga or change who used the name first. The date and title provide a simple guide: Scarlet Spider in the 1990s usually refers to Ben; the series launched in 2012 follows Kaine.
A timeline of the Scarlet Spider mantle
- 1975: The Amazing Spider-Man #149 establishes the background of Peter Parker’s cloning story. The Scarlet Spider codename has not yet debuted.
- 1994 to 1996: the Clone Saga brings Ben Reilly back, introduces his Scarlet Spider phase and later briefly puts him in the role of Spider-Man.
- 2012 to 2013: Scarlet Spider stars Kaine, who uses the name while seeking redemption as a protector of Houston.
- 2017 to 2018: Ben returns to the mantle in Ben Reilly: Scarlet Spider, which also revisits his conflicts and uneasy connections with Kaine.
- 2024: in Chasm: Curse of Kaine #1, Kaine hunts Ben, who is identified as Chasm. The comic shows why a character’s current identity cannot simply be inferred from an earlier codename.
How to tell them apart beyond their costumes
Ben is the clone tied to the identity crisis at the heart of the Clone Saga. His classic look combines a red suit, white eye lenses and a sleeveless blue hoodie; his path includes stints as Scarlet Spider, Spider-Man and eventually Chasm. Kaine is another Peter clone with a more violent past and a heroic career strongly associated with Houston. His outfits are often darker, although costumes and designs change with the creative team and period.
That is why the safest question when looking at a cover or synopsis is not simply which colors appear. Check the civilian identity, the series and the continuity period. Ben Reilly: Scarlet Spider, launched in 2017, follows Ben; Scarlet Spider, launched in 2012, follows Kaine. Both belong to the clone stories of Marvel’s main comic continuity. There is no need to import details from films, animated adaptations or games to establish this history.
Key comics for following the change
- The Amazing Spider-Man #149 (1975): foundations of the conflict surrounding Peter Parker’s cloning.
- Web of Spider-Man #117 (1994): Ben Reilly’s return that sets the Clone Saga in motion.
- Scarlet Spider #1 (2012): starting point for Kaine’s Houston vigilante period.
- Ben Reilly: Scarlet Spider (2017), particularly #14 (2018): a clear example of Ben reclaiming the name.
- Chasm: Curse of Kaine #1 (2024): a later meeting of Kaine’s story and Ben’s, with Ben now going by Chasm.
Does that mean two Scarlet Spiders are active at once?
Two characters have legitimately carried the same mantle, but that does not mean every story features two active heroes using the name at the same time. The identity has been adopted, set aside and reclaimed at different points as Ben and Kaine followed separate paths and occasionally crossed again. In comics, the answer depends on the period being discussed; adaptations outside the comics may rearrange identities and cannot establish this chronology.
