Amazing Spider-Man #404
In the Name of the Father
This story continues from Web of Spider-Man #127...
The life of Peter Parker has been turned upside down by the Jackal's revelation that he is actually a clone. This makes Peter think that his entire life means nothing, not his marriage, or even the child Mary Jane now carries. His thoughts are interrupted by the Scarlet Spider, who has managed to track down Peter. Ben tries to empathize with Peter, telling him he knows exactly what it's like believing you are a clone without a life or a past. However, this attempt only serves to make Peter angry and he lashes out at Ben, telling him that he doesn't know what it's like to lose everything. Reilly doesn't fight back and continues to try and get Peter to listen to him. However, Parker is not willing to listen and tells Ben that they have nothing in common and walks away.
Before Ben can follow after Peter, he is attacked by the Spidercide, who tells Reilly that this facility is for clones only. Overpowering the Scarlet Spider, Spidercide turns into water in an attempt to drown his foe. Watching this from above is Kaine, who is satisfied to leave the Scarlet Spider to die. He then finds the Jackal's rejuvenation tank and rips him out of it. Kaine is furious with how the Jackal dashed away all the hopes that Peter Parker has by telling him the alleged truth. However, the Jackal easily overpowers him and tells Kaine that they can keep on fighting or he can allow the Jackal to cure him of his degeneration. This prompts Kaine to stop fighting. The Jackal then tells him to help track down his "brothers". By this time, Spidercide has made his body mass solid in another attempt to smother the Scarlet Spider. Unfortunately for him, Ben Reilly manages to break free. Despite being shattered into pieces, Spidercide manages to pull himself back together and resume human form. Before the fight can continue, the Jackal and Kaine enter the room. The Jackal orders Spidercide to stop fighting and then calls for Spider-Man to come down from the shadows above. The Jackal explains that Spider-Man has joined him because he is convinced that he is a clone. As such, Peter's unique biology will allow him to complete his cloning experiments.
He then turns to the Scarlet Spider and tells him that he is free to go and bares him no grudge. The Scarlet Spider, however, refuses to turn the other cheek and attacks the Jackal. He is furious for having his life taken away from him thanks to the machinations of Miles Warren. Surprisingly, the Scarlet Spider is stopped by Spider-Man, who tells Ben that he can go and reclaim his life. Ben tries to talk sense to Peter but he is knocked out by a single blow from Kaine. While this is going on, Spidercide slips away to try and make sense of his thoughts. That's when he runs into Scrier, and vaguely remembers meeting him before. Without a single word, Scrier places a finger on Spidercide's forehead, making him remember who he is.
Meanwhile, the Scarlet Spider still struggles to break free from Spider-Man and Kaine's grasp. The Jackal then decides to let Ben go into the regeneration tanks, offering to make him a new man and they can all work together to create a new world. Aware that the Jackal wiped out the entire town of Springville, the Spider refuses to help, prompting the Jackal to slap him across the face. It's then that Spidercide rejoins them and offers to help. The Jackal refuses to kill Ben Reilly, and orders Spidercide to eliminate Kaine instead. Kain protests this, reminding the Jackal that he promised to cure him of his degeneration. However, his pathetic sobs do little to move his creator. Realizing that he should never have trusted the Jackal, Kaine walks out of the facility, vowing to return and kill his creator. By this point, the Scarlet Spider beigns to feel drowsy and blacks out. When he comes around, he finds himself being dragged to another room. When the Spider is tossed into the darkened room he is left to face an army of Spider-Man clones.
... Maximum Clonage continues in Spider-Man #61.
Recurring Characters
Spider-Man, Scarlet Spider, Kaine, Jackal, Spidercide, Scrier
Per Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 4) #22, this is not the real Miles Warren, but a clone.
The Jackal made this claim in Spider-Man: Maximum Clonage Alpha #1, reaffirming a test made on the Spectacular Spider-Man #226. However, this is a deception on the part of the Jackal as explained in Spider-Man: The Osborn Journal #1.
Peter and Mary Jane are referred to as husband and wife here. However, years later, their marriage is erased from existence by Mephisto in Amazing Spider-Man #545. As such they should be considered a common-law couple here. Mary Jane revealed that she was pregnant in The Spectacular Spider-Man #220.
Peter states that the Jackal is in a regeneration tank after taking bullets meant for him. The Jackal was shot by the Punisher in Web of Spider-Man #127.
The Scarlet Spider mentions the apparent death of May Parker. The woman everyone believed was Aunt May died in Amazing Spider-Man #400. However, it is later revealed in Spider-Man #97 that this woman was actually an impostor.
Spidercide last met Scrier in Spider-Man Unlimited #9, however his memories of this encounter were erased. The Scrier is referred to as being thousands of years old. However, this is a deception, as there is no individual Scrier but an entire organization. This is explained in Spider-Man: The Osborn Journal #1.
Jackal killed the entire population of Springville in Spider-Man: Maximum Clonage Alpha #1 to prepare replacing the entire town with clones.
