Echoes

At an undisclosed maximum security prison, the Peter Parker clone known as Kaine is under observation as the cellular degeneration that has plagued him his entire life continues to eat away at his body. Thinking back to his own creation, he wonders if a man is never truly born can he truly live or can he die? He recalls how he was the first attempt by Miles Warren — aka the Jackal — to clone Peter Parker and he was a flawed creation at that.[1] As he awakens from his slumber he wonders if all of his feelings are nothing more than lies. Breaking free from his restraints, Kaine tries to escape this facility, not remember its name or where its located. He recalls the few times he’s been allowed outside, pumped so full of drugs to fight the pain that he doesn’t even remember who he is. Eventually, the pain becomes too much and Kaine collapses to the floor.

Put back in his restraints and pumped full of drugs again, Kain begins to hallucinate and he sees the image of Ben Reilly standing before him. Kaine can hardly believe it because he knows that Ben Reilly is dead.[2] Ben points out that moments ago Kaine was wondering if a clone could ever really die. Still, Kaine refuses to accept that Reilly is really there, that he is just a chemical imbalance in his mind. Ben retorts that if this is the case, he has nothing to lose and holds out his hand. Surprisingly, Kaine rises out of his chair even though his physical body is still sitting in it. Ben Reilly says that he has come to help Kaine finally let go and embrace death. As they wander the prison, Ben points out that Kaine has always wanted to die. Kaine doesn’t deny this but says he wants it to be on his terms and not because of the cellular degeneration. That’s when Ben points out that it was Kaine’s choice to surrender and be locked up in this prison. While that may be true, Kaine points out that he has been locked away with other failed experiments. Facing down one of these inmates he says that while they have black souls they fear him the most because he has no soul at all. As if to confirm this, the inmate flinches backwards so Kaine uses his “Mark of Kaine” to kill him. Reilly says that self-pity doesn’t suit Kaine and explains how even though he may be just a copy of Peter Parker at least whatever he did, he lived a life and tried to make a difference in the world.

Suddenly, Ben is killed by the Jackal admits that Ben Reilly was nothing more than a puppet of Peter Parker trying to become something he was not. However, he says that Kaine was different. He suggests that Kaine knew what he the Jackal knew from the beginning, that Kaine wasn’t something outside of humanity, but he was elevated above it. Kaine begins attacking the Jackal who takes his creation’s blows the whole while trying to convince Kaine that he is far beyond an ordinary man and that he has the power to transcend humanity. Kaine rebukes this, reminding the Jackal of the cellular degeneration, how near the end he needed to wear a special suit all the time to slow down the degeneration.[3] The moment he mentions this costume, Kaine is suddenly wearing it. As Kaine subdues him, the Jackal suggests that Kaine might not actually be dying that the “cellular regeneration” could be his body has been absorbing raw power and that he’s not reaching the end of his life but a new beginning. As Kain fights a wave of pain, the Jackal suggests that Kaine surrender to the anguish as he may rise up again as new man. When Kaine accuses the Jackal of lying, he reminds Kaine that he thinks that these are just echos of memories in his mind and that he is a voice of Kaine’s own subconscious. He then directs Kaine’s attention to the scientist that are working to save his life and he overhears how they are debating putting Kaine out of his misery, considering him something less than human.

Suddenly, Kaine finds himself transported to the mountains outside of Salt Lake City, Utah. There he is greeted by Louise Kennedy who reminds him that she never saw him as a monster, in fact, she learned to love him. They begin to kiss but suddenly they are ambushed by another version of Kaine. This other Kaine then snaps Louise’s neck.[4] The evil Kaine says that his love for Louise was a sham and that he was the one who murdered her that he did it to himself. The evil Kaine then explains that he represents the cold reason in his mind that has helped him survive all of these years. Surprisingly, Kaine stops fighting his other self and admits that the death of Louise Kennedy was his fault. Accepting this truth, Kaine finally allows himself to let go and waits for the inevitable death that he has feared all his life. However, he is visited by one last vision, that of Peter Parker. Peter tells He tells Kaine that he’s has represented the shadow of Peter Parker. However, the real Parker has mistakes, particularly the death of his Uncle Ben, and has lived with that guilt for years. Although Kaine was a monster who committed many atrocities but it was Peter Parker’s humanity that made him want to atone for those past mistakes and he can keep on doing that and become a new person. He tells Kaine to use the courage that was passed on to him from Peter Parker’s DNA and Kaine will surprise a lot of people, including himself. Finding a new will to live, Kaine wakes up from his hallucination just as the doctors witness his vitals become stable. At first, he wakes up screaming, but Kaine stops when he sees the astonished look on the faces of the scientists working to keep him alive. That look of surprise makes him smile.

Recurring Characters

Kaine

Continuity Notes

1. Kaine’s origins were detailed in Spider-Man #61 and Spider-Man: The Osborn Journal #1.

2. At the time of this story, Ben Reilly is dead having been impaled in the back by Norman Osborn’s Goblin Glider in Spider-Man #75.

3. Kain began wearing the costume to prevent further cellular degeneration in Web of Spider-Man #118.

4. Kaine’s romance with Louise Kennedy and later murdered her in Spider-Man: The Lost Years #1-3.

The Last Stand of the Fabulous Frog-Man

Spider-Man is ambushed by the Kangaroo who has come seeking revenge against the wall-crawler. Unphased by this, Spider-Man strikes the Kangaroo with a punch that leaves him dazed. That’s when Frog-Man arrives to lend a hand. Spider-Man reminds Eugene that he’s not looking for a sidekick. Frog-Man totally agrees with this and that’s why he has decided to ask Spider-Man that they become crime-fighting partners.

Spider-Man tries to convince Frog-Man why this won’t work out when they are suddenly interrupted by a young boy in a costume calling himself Tenacous Tadpole. The web-slinger is not ready to deal with yet another misguided youngster trying to be his sidekick. However, as it turns out, Tadpole is a fan of Frog-Man and wants to be his sidekick. Tadpole then shows off his abilities which Spider-Man finds absurd and the fact he’s covered in goo disgusting. With Kangaroo dealt with, Spider-Man decides to take him off to prison, leaving Frog-Man with the task of letting down his biggest fan.

Recurring Characters

Spider-Man, Frog-Man

Continuity Notes

1. Leap-Frog previously attempted to become Spider-Man’s sidekick in Amazing Spider-Man #266.