Spider-Man's Clone Saga was one of the biggest comic-book storylines of the 90s, and while it led to its fair share of criticism, it made a massive impact on the character's universe. Replacing iconic comic-book characters was a big trend in the mid-90s, with Superman and Batman both taken out of commission for varying periods. The Clone Saga brought back Peter Parker's clone, living under the name Ben Reilly, after he was first introduced years earlier. Eventually, following a sprawling storyline involving identity-crises and the return of the presumed-dead Green Goblin, Peter actually retired, leaving Reilly to adopt the Spider-Man mantle temporarily. While this is a complex plot for any filmmaker to attempt in its entirety, the bare bones of it could make for a compelling future movie, putting Peter in a different situation to those previous adaptations. It would also allow for a Spider-Man on Spider-Man brawl and open up possibilities for future spin-offs based around Reilly. The questions of identity and why being the 'original' matters are always fascinating in clone-based storylines, and would add real emotional, philosophical depth. Given how well the Marvel Cinematic Universe has managed to tackle the Infinity Gauntlet plot and the forthcoming Civil War, there's no reason it couldn't make room for the Clone Saga in one form or another too.
Kyle McManus is a freelance writer with a love of Star Wars, comics, books, 2000 AD, and scribbling his own bizarre brand of fiction. He hopes you enjoy reading the words he writes.
