Who Is Scarlet Spider? An Across the Spider-Verse Guide.

One of the most beloved versions of Spider-Man to appear in Across the Spider-Verse is Ben Reilly's Scarlet Spider, a clone of Peter Parker.

WARNING: THIS BLOG CONTAINS SPOILERS ABOUT THE MOVIE!

Fans awaited the return of Miles Morales, Gwen Stacy, and the introduction of Miguel O'Hara, the Spider-Man of 2099, in Across the Spider-Verse. Yet, one variant of the hero appears only briefly. And to understand why the Scarlet Spider was so emotional in the movie, fans have to understand the history of Ben Reilly.

In a way, the Scarlet Spider is perhaps the oldest of all the Spider-Man variants, appearing first in The Amazing Spider-Man #149 in 1975 by Gerry Conway and Ross Andru. The Jackal, the costumed alter-ego of scientist Miles Warren, cloned Peter Parker. The clone apparently died at the end of the story, but the Scarlet Spider comes back from the dead an excessive amount, even for a comic character. The name "Scarlet Spider" has also been used by several characters, including a villain, though the most famous is the clone of Peter Parker. Across the Spider-Verse mostly plays this character for laughs, but his story is one of the most tragic in Marvel Comics.

WHO IS SCARLET SPIDER?

Aside from Peter, four people have used the Scarlet Spider alias. Joe Wade was an FBI agent who turned into a villainous incarnation of the character. Michael Van Patrick, introduced in Avengers: The Initiative, was the great-grandson of Dr. Abraham Erskine. He was killed, but not before four clones were created, three of whom operated as "The Scarlet Spiders." The fifth Scarlet Spider is another Peter clone who goes by the name Kaine Parker and can be seen as part of Miguel's Spider Society. Yet, the original clone, who adopted the name Ben Reilly, is the most prominent of the Scarlet Spiders in the film.

In the comics, Ben was reintroduced during the infamous Clone Saga of the 1990s. For a time, he was thought to be the original Peter Parker, taking on his name and the identity of Spider-Man. Eventually, he was revealed to be the clone, and he re-adopted the Scarlet Spider moniker. His costume is often used as Peter's "homemade" costume, like in Spider-Man: Homecoming and the 2017 animated series Marvel's Spider-Man. It's essentially a full-body red spandex suit over which he wears a blue sleeveless hoodie with a spider on it.

In the film, Ben is portrayed as overwrought by his tortured backstory. This is likely inspired by the 2018 story Dead No More: The Clone Conspiracy. Ben is killed and resurrected over and over again. The trauma eventually makes him break bad until he's able to resolve (most) of his trauma and become a hero once again. Also, for a brief time, he bonded with the Carnage symbiote.

WHAT ARE SCARLET SPIDER'S POWERS?

Because Ben is a clone of Peter made after he got his powers, the Scarlet Spider has the same abilities as Spider-Man. For such a prominent Spider-Person, Ben is not in the movie all that much. He's a trusted ally of Miguel. In fact, after Miles escapes, Ben is the only other Spider-person Miguel trusts, outside of Jessica Drew, to bring him back. The Scarlet Spider in Across the Spider-Verse is very good at "posing" on ledges but easily falls for Gwen's deception. He's last seen in the movie going through a portal that leads to his home universe, the Nueva York universe or perhaps even Gwen's.

Again, this version of the Scarlet Spider is mostly comic relief. Typically, the character is shown to be just as intelligent as Peter, more when it comes to cloning. Like the first Spider-Man, Ben invented his own web-shooters. They are chunkier than the type worn by the others, resting outside of the costume like a bracelet. This allows the Scarlet Spider to carry more webbing and other projectile weapons. He uses stinger darts that knock out baddies, as well as spider-tracers attuned to his Spider-Sense. Of course, it also shoots a variety of webbing, from the usual strands to specialty webbing, like those used in the Marvel Studios films.

The Scarlet Spider has all the physical enhancements that Spider-Man does. He's super-strong, durable and possesses incredible speed and reflexes. In the comics, he's able to beat Spider-Man sometimes because, like the Venom symbiote, Scarlet Spider doesn't trigger Peter's Spider-Sense. When it comes to powers and abilities, the Scarlet Spider doesn't differ from the original in any significant ways. However, his traumatic experiences changed how he uses those abilities, treading the line between "hero" and "anti-hero" at times.

Who Plays Scarlet Spider in Across the Spider-Verse?

The Scarlet Spider has appeared in a number of animated Marvel Series, including a brief cameo in the 1990s Fantastic Four. In Spider-Man: The Animated Series, he's voiced by Christopher Daniel Barnes. In Ultimate Spider-Man, Ben is played by Scott Porter, though his character is hybridized with the Kaine Parker version. He also appeared in the Marvel Super Hero Squad Online video game, voiced by Chris Cox. In Across the Spider-Verse, actor Andy Samberg joins the club of Scarlet Spider voice actors.

Andy Samberg is best known for his comedic roles in series like Saturday Night Live and Brooklyn 99. He's also played some significant voice roles in animation. He played Ham in the early 2000s film Space Chimps. He was also the voice of "Baby" Brent in Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and guested on series like SpongeBob Squarepants, Adventure Time and Bob's Burgers. He even played a brief role in The Boys: Diabolical for Prime Video. His most famous voice role, however, is probably Johnny from the Hotel Transylvania series.

His role in Across the Spider-Verse is brief, but given that he's playing such a beloved character, it's still big. Fans may be upset that Ben Reilly is played so comedically. However, the film didn't need another major character. Unceremoniously dispatched by Spider-Woman, the Scarlet Spider will surely return in Beyond the Spider-Verse, due in theaters in March 2024. Also, it's possible that along with a future live-action Miles Morales movie, Sony could do more with the Scarlet Spider in other projects.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is currently playing in theaters.

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