Every Spider-Man Clone, Ranked

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In the world of Spider-Man comics, duplicates of the hero are a recurring motif, and this tradition includes multiple genetic replicas of Peter himself. Many of these counterparts were crafted by a villainous scientist called the Jackal, who aims to manufacture a clone that can defeat the web-slinging superhero. The concept of cloning in Spider-Man comics gained traction in the 1990s through the “Clone Saga,” a complex and controversial narrative. One reason for its controversy is that it hinted at Peter possibly being a clone, an idea later debunked. Despite mixed reviews, Marvel has continued to introduce numerous Spider-Clones, both heroic and villainous, who have since gained popularity among fans and significantly impacted Peter’s character development and the broader Spider-Man storyline.

In the latest edition of “The Amazing Spider-Man,” two fresh interpretations of Spider-Man and Peter Parker make an appearance, each insisting that the other is a fake. The narrative is currently in progress, leaving readers unsure if there’s one clone or two at play. Throughout the years, tales such as this have spawned multiple iterations of the friendly neighborhood web-slinger.

11) Spider-Clone Army

Titled “Maximum Cloneage,” the narrative follows numerous Spider-Man duplicates. The Jackal manufactured this troop to confront Ben Reilly, also known as Scarlet Spider, the heroic Spider-Man clone. Unlike their creator, these clones had no speech or distinct personalities; they served merely as obedient soldiers. Ben joined forces with Kaine, another webslinging hero, to take them down. Yet, this partnership turned out to be superfluous, for the clones were unstable and disintegrated swiftly into a pool of goo. Clearly, the Jackal could have done better in this instance.

10) Web-Man

In simpler terms, Web-Man is a character in the Marvel universe similar to Bizarro from DC Comics, who is a dumb supervillain clone. Unlike the main Marvel timeline (Earth-616), Web-Man was introduced in a kid-friendly series called “Spidey Super Stories” (Earth-57780). Doctor Doom created Web-Man by making an opposite, evil version of Spiderman using a Twin Machine. Unlike the intelligent Spiderman, Web-Man is incredibly stupid. Leveraging this disadvantage, Spiderman outsmarted and defeated Web-Man by destroying Doom’s Twin Machine, causing the dark mirror doppelganger to disappear forever.

9) Guardian

In another unsuccessful attempt by the Jackal, the creature known as the Guardian is a colossal figure whose existence is a constant source of terror. The Guardian grapples with cellular degradation, a condition that causes his cells to deteriorate over time. Yet, this very same being possesses an incredible healing ability, allowing it to mend itself as swiftly as it disintegrates. This contradictory state of cellular decay and self-healing sets the Guardian in an endless cycle of agony. The Jackal awakened this grotesque clone from stasis to wreak havoc on Peter Parker and Ben Reilly when they infiltrated his lair. Initially, the Guardian overpowered them with his enhanced strength. But during the battle, his healing factor reached its limit. Once exhausted, the Guardian’s body succumbed to deterioration and he perished. For this clone, death served as a reprieve.

8) Jack

The Guardian’s closest companion, Jack, was among the very first clones created by the Jackal, modeled after Spider-Man. Despite being a clone, Jack had a less severe form of cellular decay, which resulted in him being short, bald, and frail. The Jackal utilized Jack as his lab assistant and often mistreated and ridiculed him. To further torment Peter and Ben, the villain ordered his minion to taunt them, causing doubt about who among the two was the original and who was the clone. Eventually, weary of the abuse, Jack turned against the Jackal by aiding Peter and Ben in their struggle. Jack believed he had given Ben authentic evidence that proved Peter was the clone but unfortunately passed away before realizing he had provided false information, melted into a puddle due to his cellular decay.

7) Spidercide

In the “Clone Saga,” Jackal produced Spidercide as the third clone, engineered to eliminate Peter Parker and his counterparts, Ben and Kaine. Like other clones created by Jackal, Spidercide was led to believe he was the true Peter Parker, but this notion wasn’t shared among his fellow clones.

Jackal designed Spidercide as a colossal, brutish figure, much more aggressive than his forerunners. He inherited all the abilities of Spider-Man, but his body is extraordinarily flexible, enabling him to shape and generate sharp tools from his physique. In addition, he can transform between solid and liquid forms at his will.

Since then, Spidercide has frequently posed as a formidable adversary for Ben and various other individuals who bear the mantle of Spider-Man.

6) Isotope Accelerator Spider-Man

Have you ever pondered what Spider-Man might be like without his alter-ego, Peter Parker? It’s likely that he would come across as arrogant and reckless. In a lab mishap involving the Neogenic Recombiner device, Spider-Man was divided into two distinct entities: the superpowered Spider-Man and the powerless Peter Parker. While the former took on crime fighting, the latter finally had time to unwind. However, this new Spider-Man lacked the original’s sense of duty and responsibility. He caused extensive property damage and put people in harm’s way during his adventures. Eventually, the powerless Peter used the Neogenic Recombiner to merge them back together. This clone of Spider-Man demonstrated why Peter needs his civilian identity to maintain humility and stay grounded.

5) Doppelganger

Among the most chilling imitators of Spider-Man, Doppelganger is a grotesque monstrosity that’s more beastly than human. During the “Infinity War” narrative, the villain Magus utilized the Infinity Gauntlet to spawn an horde of terrifying alterations of Marvel superheroes, with Doppelganger being one of those nightmarish entities. This mindless, bestial figure perished alongside the others at the conclusion of “Infinity War,” only to be revived by the villain Demogoblin as his servant. Later, Doppelganger became a faithful henchman and pet to Carnage, joining him in his city-wide rampage during the “Maximum Carnage” storyline. Since then, Doppelganger has made sporadic appearances but remains one of the most twisted adaptations of Spider-Man ever conceived.

4) Superior Octopus

In his dying moments, the sinister Doctor Octopus (Doc Ock) exchanged bodies with Peter Parker, becoming the more ruthless Superior Spider-Man. Despite being a formidable protector, Doc Ock had no hesitation in using brutal force against criminals. However, the mind swap didn’t go as planned; Peter’s consciousness remained within his body, struggling for dominance. After experiencing life as a hero, Doc Ock willingly handed back control of his body to Peter and accepted death. But, the villainous Doc Ock wasn’t finished yet – he transferred his mind into a clone body that resembled Peter, transforming into the Superior Octopus.

For a while, Doc Ock returned to heroism, saving Aunt May from Norman Osborn and teaming up with various Spider-People across different realities (the Multiverse) to fight the deadly Inheritors. Yet, as things stand now, the original body of Doctor Octopus has been restored, the clone body abandoned, and he is back to being a villain once more.

3) Ultimate Spider-Clones

In the thrilling world I’ve come to adore, known as the Ultimate Universe, it boasts an intriguing spin on what we know as the “Clone Saga.” Doctor Octopus, a character I deeply respect, took on a fascinating project – creating numerous clones of Peter Parker, each with varying levels of success. Some of these clones mirrored their originals’ paths and became heroes. Among them was Jessica Drew, who donned the mantle of Spider-Woman, and a six-armed hero called Tarantula.

However, Doctor Octopus wasn’t always successful. There were clones who turned to the dark side, such as the menacing Scorpion, armed with a massive tail, and Kaine, a deformed and mentally unstable individual. It’s not just Doctor Octopus who dabbled in Spider-Man clone creation in this universe. The brilliant scientist Kurt Conners, whom I hold in high regard, inadvertently combined his DNA with Peter’s and the Venom symbiote, resulting in a volatile creature named Carnage. This being, responsible for the tragic death of Gwen Stacy, wreaked havoc across the universe.

The Ultimate Universe is often praised for its exceptional take on the infamous “Clone Saga,” as its narrative was more concentrated and impactful than its predecessor.

2) Kaine

Initially introduced as a menacing adversary for Ben Reilly, a clone created by the Jackal named Kaine emerged from the shadows. Much like other clones crafted by the Jackal, Kaine suffered from rapid cellular degradation, resulting in extensive facial scarring and mental instability. However, this condition brought about some unforeseen advantages: Kaine’s strength, endurance, and touch are heightened, with the latter possessing an acidic quality. Moreover, his Spider-Sense allows him to glimpse brief glimpses of the future. Yet, despite these improvements, the Jackal deemed Kaine a failure due to his physical imperfections and favored Ben Reilly as the superior clone. Envious of Ben, Kaine attempted for years to eliminate him, only to be foiled by Peter. Eventually, Kaine came to realize that the Jackal was the root of his troubles and partnered with Ben to put an end to the villain permanently. Since then, Kaine embarked on a journey toward redemption and became a trusted ally of both Ben and Peter. Presently, Kaine holds the Scarlet Spider title, despite being a complex anti-hero who strives for self-improvement.

1) Scarlet Spider

The well-known and accomplished imitator of Spider-Man is Ben Reilly, more famously known as Scarlet Spider. Introduced during the “Clone Saga” storyline, Ben thought he was the original Peter Parker due to their shared memories. Initially, conflict arose between him and Peter over who was genuine and who was a clone. However, they reconciled when they understood that they both held the same moral principles. They teamed up to combat villains like the Jackal, with Ben adopting the superhero name “Scarlet Spider.” Eventually, Ben found out he was indeed a clone, but chose to persist in his heroic actions. Throughout the years, Ben has been one of Peter’s most trusted allies and even assumed the Spider-Man role when Peter was injured or away. Ben has died and come back to life more than thirty times – a characteristic common in comic books. What sets Ben apart as an intriguing superhero is the exploration of identity themes as he grapples with his existence as a clone and strives to establish himself individually. Unfortunately, at this time, his character development has slowed down. Ben has transformed into the villain Chasm following numerous resurrections that left him mentally fractured and dangerously unstable. Here’s hoping that one day soon, Ben’s mind can be healed, and we can once again cherish the hoodie-wearing wall-crawler as we have known him before.

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2025-08-29 15:14