Web of Spider-Man #117
Shadow Rising
This story is continued from The Spectacular Spider-Man #216...
On the roof of a hospital in Forest Hills, Spider-Man comes face-to-face with... Peter Parker!? However, after a number of manipulations, the wall-crawler refuses to believe that this is anything but an impostor and attacks.[1] However, despite Spider-Man's efforts to stop this apparent impostor, "Peter Parker" has comparable spider-powers to the wall-crawler, although he is a little rusty with these abilities. Ultimately, Spider-Man knocks his double into a nearby warehouse. The double tries to talk sense into the web-slinger, calling him by name. This angers Spider-Man who is angered by the mere mention of his civilian name.[2]
Meanwhile, at Ravencroft Institute, Doctor Ashley Kafka and John Jameson welcome the arrival of the famous psychologist Judas Traveller and his associates.[3] Judas introduces his students as Chakra, Boone, Mister Nacht, and Medea. They are then taken on the tour of the facility.[4] Back in New York City, Spider-Man continues attacking his apparent impostor. He is convinced that this is some kind of artificial construct because this "Peter Parker" doesn't even set off his spider-sense. Suddenly, the wall-crawler pauses, wondering why this other Peter Parker is so interested in visiting his Aunt May in the hospital.[5] That's when the double pulls off Spider-Man's mask and explains that he is a clone of Peter Parker. Realizing that this is the pawn of Miles Warren, angers the real Peter Parker and he renews his attack.[6] The clone tells Peter that his days as Miles Warren's pawn are long over. Attempting to knock Spider-Man out, the clone intends to be long gone by the time Peter wakes up.
By this point, Ashley Kafka's tour of Ravencroft is over and she leaves Judas Traveller and his students to the library to begin their work. Having seen this facility, Traveller is satisfied that this will suit his needs for his ultimate experiment. Walking through one of the walls, Judas ends up in the cell occupied by the Chameleon. He remarks over the spies catatonic state, the result of his recent defeat at the hands of Spider-Man.[7] He next goes into Shriek's cell where she tries to attack Judas. However, Traveller easily subdues the woman and sees someone whose rage and pain have also been drowned out by Spider-Man. In yet another cell, Judas Traveller confronts Carnage who is interested in starting a fight. However, this stranger is able to separate Cletus Kasady from his symbiote with a mere hand gesture. Once more he is surprised to see that this is yet another criminally insane individual whose life was altered by Spider-Man.[8]
With this, Judas Traveller telepathically commands his students to put their plan into action in the hopes of drawing Spider-Man to the institute. With that, Chakra sends out her astral form to contact the wall-crawler while Boone goes outside to prepare for his arrival. In the security control room, Medea knocks out John Jameson while Mr. Nacht takes control of the facility's security. Judas Traveller then enters Ashley Kafka's office. There he uses his power to knock out both Ashley and her assistant Edward Wheland. At that moment, Spider-Man wakes up to discover that his clone has disappeared. As he puts his mask back on he is confronted by the astral form of Chakra. She warns Spider-Man that Judas Traveller has taken over Ravencroft Institute. She tells him that if he chooses to do nothing, Traveller will kill everyone inside the facility. However, if Spider-Man manages to defeat Traveller, he will release all the prisoners upon society. As Spider-Man swings off for Ravencroft, the clone comes out of the shadows. He fears that Spider-Man is in no shape to face this danger alone and digs out an old Spider-Man mask and gloves out of his back-pack. While across the street in the hospital, Mary Jane is watching over Aunt May. She is joined by her own Aunt Anna who came up from Florida after hearing the news. When Anna asks where Mary Jane's husband Peter is, Mary Jane struggles to try and find an answer.[9]
A short time later, Spider-Man arrives at Ravencroft Institute to find a strange barrier erected around it. Not only are the authorities on the scene, but Spider-Man is relieved to discover that Ashley Kafka and her staff were also released. With the wall-crawler on the scene, Judas appears before them. When the authorities open fire, Judas Traveller merely shrugs off their bullets. He then reissues his challenge to Spider-Man, reminding him that if he does nothing all the prisoners inside the facility will die. Unwilling to allow anyone to die, Spider-Man accepts Judas Traveller's offer and enters the Ravencroft Institute.
... This story continues in Amazing Spider-Man #394.
Recurring Characters
Spider-Man, Ben Reilly, Ashley Kafka, Aunt May (imposter), Mary Jane Watson, Anna Waston, Judas Traveller, The Host (Chakra, Boone, Mister Nacht, Medea), John Jameson, Chameleon, Shriek, Carnage, Edward Whelan
Continuity Notes
Spider-Man mentions other-dimensional doppelgangers, replicas, and the Chameleon as possible explanations for this other Peter Parker. These are all references to recent incidents that Spider-Man experienced. He first faced the Spider-Doppelganger, the other-dimensional doppelganger in Infinity War #1, the replicoids were impostors posing as his parents from Amazing Spider-Man #363-388. Lastly, the Chameleon, who has impersonated either Spider-Man or Peter Parker on a number of occasions dating back to their first encounter back in Amazing Spider-Man #1.
Following the stroke of his Aunt May in Amazing Spider-Man #391, Spider-Man had decided to abandon his civilian identity as seen in Amazing Spider-Man #392.
Mention is made of Shriek's recent attempt to break out of the facility which occurred in Amazing Spider-Man #390-393, which is also when Ashley Kafka was injured.
Ashley Kafka mentions the recent riot, this also instigated by Shriek, that happened in Web of Spider-Man Annual #10.
Aunt May suffered a stroke in Amazing Spider-Man #391. However, the woman currently is an impostor, the real May Parker swapped out at some point during Amazing Spider-Man #392. However, this is not revealed until Spider-Man #97.
The clone of Peter Parker was created in an attempt to destroy the real Spider-Man by Miles Warren -- aka the Jackal. This happened in Amazing Spider-Man #149. When the clone seemingly died during that battle, Spider-Man disposed of its body in a smokestack in Amazing Spider-Man #151. How the clone survived to be here now is later explained in Spider-Man: The Osborn Journal #1.
Spider-Man discovered that the Chameleon was responsible for the creation of the replicants of his parents in Amazing Spider-Man #388. He later hunted down the Chameleon during the Pursuit storyline, which ended with the Chameleon being placed in a catatonic state.
At the time of this story, Spider-Man had recently recaptured Carnage after his escape from captivity in Amazing Spider-Man Annual #28.
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.
Born Again!
From the darkness of a cloning tank comes the spark of life. This single embryo is nursed to life and its aging process sped up causing the fetus to rapidly grow. Once it reaches young adulthood this clone, a clone of Peter Parker emerges from the tank and is greeted by its creator, the scientist known as Miles Warren.
The clone is confused as to who or what he is, and when Warren orders him to come to him, his spider-sense begins going off. Unfortunately, the clone doesn't know what this means and his insubordination angers Miles who tries to force the Parker clone out of the tank. Instinctually, the Parker clone reaches out and grabs Miles' arm. This angers his creator who uses a device to beat the clone into submission. His hatred for the real Peter Parker comes to the surface as he beats his creation into unconsciousness.[1]
The clone soon finds himself locked in a cell where Miles Warren continues his experiments in order to make his clone identical to the real Spider-Man once he is released into the world. In fear for his life, the clone strikes back and manages to overpower Miles Warren and escape from his cell. Running out of the facility, the clone ignores Warren's pleas for him to come back. Breaking free, the clone finds himself out on the cold streets and is left to wonder what to do next and, more importantly, find out who he really is.
Recurring Characters
Ben Reilly, Miles Warren
Continuity Notes
Miles Warren discovered that Peter Parker was Spider-Man after taking a DNA sample of him, as revealed in Amazing Spider-Man #149. Warren blames Spider-Man for the death of Gwen Stacy, who was murdered by the Green Goblin in Amazing Spider-Man #121.
