Dead No More: The Clone Conspiracy #4 Spoilers Via Amazing Spider-Man #22 Review! Ben Reilly Becomes Marvel’s Jackal & Peter Parker’s Reaction?

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Amazing Spider-Man #22 Spoilers and Review follow including lead in to Dead No More: The Clone Conspiracy #4!

Following the starting revelations in the Clone Conspiracy #3 (spoilers here and here), Amazing Spider-Man #22 takes up from the last page of that issue as Ben Reilly explains what got him to this point…. after being pummeled by Peter Parker / Spider-Man.

Turns out Miles Warren the original Jackal found scooped up the remains of Ben Reilly after he disintegrated.

He had found a way to make his clones indistinguishable from the real subject. The problem was that there was cellar degradation in this new clone, Ben Reilly, despite being rather real and remembering his past including his death. So, Miles Warren does what any good mad scientist would do…

…he kills Ben Reilly and brings him back as a new clone over and…

…over and over…

… and over again to try to find a way to fix the cellular degradation problem.

Ben Reilly finally escapes, seemingly somehow stronger that Peter Parker’s upper strength limits studied by Miles Warren.

While it seems the several deaths and rebirths of Ben Reilly may have made him slightly crazy, I mean look at his eyes in the preceding pages final panel, he still draws the line at killing.

Ben Reilly creates multiple clones of Miles Warren who all think it’s the real thing. One of them is the real one and not a clone, but Ben Reilly indicates he doesn’t know which one. While Ben wasn’t able to fix the cellular degradation problem, he has developed a pill that would need to be ingested regularly that stops or slows the degradation process. All the Miles Warren clones and the real Warren, not clear which one, take the pill to live.

The all serve Ben Reilly in his new identity as the Anubis masked Jackal.

For those keeping score, Anubis was/is the Egyptian god associated with the afterlife and is canine-like in appearance.

Peter Parker as Spider-Man is crushed by Ben Reilly’s ordeal. And, Ben Reilly tells Peter Parker that bringing Uncle Ben Parker back as this rather “real” clone is a gift.

Peter listens…

…and this all leads into January 2017’s the Clone Conspiracy #4!

This is all on the road to Amazing Spider-Man #25, but issue #24 certainly hints at a renewed Miles Warren vs. Ben Reilly, Jackal vs. Jackal, match-up coming.

So…

This issue was an important issue to explain what happened to Ben Reilly. I’m curious how much will be retold in the Clone Conspiracy #4 to ensure its a self-contained mini-series for those that only want to read it. A very touching backstory for Ben Reilly that makes me, and Peter, look at his Jackal crusade differently. Decent art and story. The book is more drama than action, but a satisfying read. 8 out of 10.

John is a long-time pop culture fan, comics historian, and blogger. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief at Comics Nexus. Prior to being EIC he has produced several column series including DEMYTHIFY, NEAR MINT MEMORIES and the ONE FAN'S TRIALS at the Nexus plus a stint at Bleeding Cool producing the COMICS REALISM column. As BabosScribe, John is active on his twitter account, his facebook page, his instagram feed and welcomes any and all feedback. Bring it on!