Anyone who knows comics knows the 1990s was a dark time for the industry as it was faced with low sales, poor storytelling and crossover after crossover. Batmans Knightfall saga and Supermans Death and Return stand-out among the 90s fiascoes, but its Spider-Mans Clone Saga which is the most prime example of the industrys stagnation during this decade. The Clone Sage ran throughout the majority of Spider-Man titles for two years with almost no end in sight, but it wasnt just the length of this story or the numerous delays which upset fans, but the constant retcons within the story. First it was revealed a clone of Peter Parker had survived an encounter with The Jackal years earlier, then fans learnt Parker himself was the clone and Ben Reilly the original, then Peter quit being Spidey and left New York before revealing Norman Osborn was in fact alive and had orchestrated the whole thing, including faking the lab results to trick Peter into thinking he was the clone in order to break his spirit. Marvel had to force their way out of a corner they put themselves in by opening the floor to all their writers in an effort to end The Clone Saga and restore Peter Parker as the one true Spider-Man, but only after several writers and editors either quit or were fired. This wouldnt be the first time Marvel meddled with Spider-Mans history either, as later entries will show.
Richard Church has a Bachelor of Arts in English and a diploma in Television Writing and Producing. He is an aspiring writer for short stories, novels and screenplays. He is also an avid fan of comic books and graphic novels.
