Spider-Man.... Or Spider-Clone?

Following his final battle against the Jackal and his Spider-Clone, Peter Parker is not sure if he's the original Peter Parker or just the clone with the memories of the original. He decides that he needs help in a big way, and so he changes into Spider-Man and web-slings out to the lab of Curt Connors. There he tells Connors of his plight, and Connors agrees to run a series of tests to determine if Spider-Man is the real deal or a clone. As this test is going on, both men are unaware that Spider-Man is once more being targeted by Spencer Smythe who is once more trying to get revenge against the wall-crawler.

With all the tests done, Connors needs time to go over the results and asks Spider-Man to relax in his waiting room. Spider-Man nods off, however, he is awoken when he hears someone shouting at him from outside. Looking out the window he sees the Vulture outside, who is challenging him to a duel.

After a brief fight, Spider-Man bests the Vulture and he suddenly vanishes in a puff of smoke. Spider-Man is similarly attacked by both the Sandman and the Kingpin, who meet the same fates when Spider-Man defeats them. It all makes sense when Spencer Smythe appears in his Spider-Slayer robot, telling the wall-crawler they were all robot duplicates of his foes.

During their fight, the Spider-Slayer grabs hold of Spider-Man, who is about to give up because he has his doubts about being the original Peter Parker. However, when his thoughts turn towards his feelings for Mary Jane, Spider-Man realizes that he has to be original because emotions are only learned from outside stimuli, a while a clone may have his memories it wouldn't have the emotional attachment to them. Convinced that he's the real Spider-Man, Spidey breaks free and smashes Smyth's Spider-Slayer. He then "thanks" Smythe for helping him through his ordeal with a knock-out punch.

Spider-Man returns to Connors lab where he finds Connors fast asleep at his desk with the test results in an envelope. Spider-Man takes them and sends the report to the four winds, feeling that he doesn't need to see the results because he feels he knows the true answer after tonight battle.

Recurring Characters

Spider-Man, Curt Connors, Spencer Smythe

Continuity Notes

• Spider-Man mentions his battle with the Jackal and the Spider-Clone at Shae Stadium last issue. The location of the battle should be considered a topical reference per the Sliding Timescale of Earth-616, particularly since Shea Stadium was demolished in 2009.

• Spider-Man mentions the last time he and the Vulture battled it out. The footnote points out that this was Amazing Spider-Man #64. However, it was actually in Spider-Man/Human Torch #2. The omission here is because Spider-Man Human Torch #2 was published years later.

• Spider-Man points out that the Sandman robot is dressed in the villain's trademark street clothes. This is a reference to the outfit he wore early in his career starting in Amazing Spider-Man #4, this story also references Amazing Spider-Man #18-19. At the time of this story, the Sandman has been wearing a technological costume he put together in Fantastic Four #61.

• Spider-Man likens this battle to the dream he had when he tried to eliminate his spider-powers in Amazing Spider-Man #100.

• Spider-Man tosses the lab results confident that he is the real Spider-Man and not a clone. This has an overreaching consequence years later during the Clone Saga. The Jackal had intended to swap out Peter Parker with his clone as part of a grand scheme. However, Norman Osborn interfered with this plot so no actual swap happened, adding even more confusion and anguish when the Jackal tried to reveal his scheme. See Spider-Man: The Osborn Journal #1 for all the sordid details.