In the latest issue of The Clone Conspiracy, The Jackal was revealed to be a resurrected Ben Reilly. While we don’t really know what to expect from him in that rest of that event series, he’s clearly going to survive and attempt to do good again. Comic Book Resources reveals that Peter David and Mark Bagley are teaming up for a brand new ongoing featuring the fan-favourite clone of Peter Parker.

Titled Ben Reilly: The Scarlet Spider, he’s been given a brand new costume, and while it attempts to pay homage to the classic hoodie, it looks…kind of awful? The peculiar looking mouth may be the biggest issue, though fans of The Clone Saga will no doubt realise that it’s very similar to the evil Spidercide.

Is it a hint that Ben isn’t truly a hero? Well, it sounds like he’s going to struggle with that. « He is trying to decide what to do with his Jackal personality, and he is literally being haunted by his earlier incarnations. He has his Scarlet Spider identity on one shoulder, urging him to follow his better angels, and the Jackal on the other hand, trying to get him to return to the path that led him to disaster. He’s trapped in the middle, endeavoring to balance the two. Of all the characters I’ve written who are having identity problems — I’ve done a few — Ben is easily the most unhinged. »

David also indicated that Kaine (the last Scarlet Spider) will have a major role in the series, and it sounds like the world will believe Ben is dead when The Clone Conspiracy ends. The action is also going to take place in a different city to New York

Source : COMICS: Ben Reilly Is Back As The SCARLET SPIDER But His New Costume Leaves A Lot To Be Desired