Reading guide · 1994–96
The Clone Saga: reading order and where to read it
Everything you need to read The Clone Saga: the issues in order, what it is about without spoilers, why it matters, and the books in print today.
Start with the original clone story in Amazing Spider-Man #149 (1975), then read the saga from Web of Spider-Man #117 (1994) in Clone Saga Omnibus Vol. 1 and Vol. 2. It ends in Spider-Man #75 (1996).
- Published
- 1994–96
- Length
- More than 100 issues
- By
- Terry Kavanagh, Howard Mackie, Tom DeFalco, J.M. DeMatteis, Todd Dezago and others
- Good for new readers?
- No. Read some classic stories first. The saga assumes you know Peter, Mary Jane, the Jackal and the Green Goblin, and it runs for more than two years.
- Start with
- Spider-Man: Clone Saga Omnibus Vol. 1
Reading order
In this order. The notes are spoiler-free.
| # | Read | Year | What happens |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amazing Spider-Man #149 | 1975 | The original: the Jackal makes a clone of Spider-Man, and only one Spider-Man walks away. The clone is thought dead. |
| 2 | Web of Spider-Man #117 | 1994 | The saga officially begins, with the clone, now calling himself Ben Reilly, back in Peter's life. |
| 3 | Clone Saga Omnibus Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 | 1994–95 | The first year: Ben becomes the Scarlet Spider, the Jackal returns, and nothing is what it seems. |
| 4 | Spectacular Spider-Man #226 | 1995 | The twist that made the saga infamous: a test says Peter is the clone, and Ben is the original. |
| 5 | Sensational Spider-Man #0 | 1996 | Ben Reilly takes on the role of Spider-Man while Peter steps away. |
| 6 | Spider-Man #75 | 1996 | Revelations: the end of the saga, and the truth about who is the clone. |
What it's about
Twenty years after the Jackal's clone of Spider-Man seemed to die, he comes back, calling himself Ben Reilly, and the question of which one is the real Peter Parker tears both their lives apart. Along the way come more clones, the Jackal, the Scarlet Spider and a mastermind pulling the strings.
Why it matters
It was meant to last less than a year and ran for more than two, across every Spider-Man title, and it is still the most argued-about Spider-Man story of the 1990s. It also gave fans Ben Reilly, who became a favorite in his own right. Read it for the big swings, and skip freely: the omnibuses include a lot of filler.
The big twist (spoilers)
Show the spoilers
Peter is the original after all. In Spider-Man #75 (1996), Ben Reilly dies saving Peter, his body breaks down the way the Jackal's clones do, and the mastermind is revealed as Norman Osborn, alive again for the first time since 1973.
Where to read it
The first half
Spider-Man: Clone Saga Omnibus Vol. 1
Collects: Web of Spider-Man #117–125; Amazing Spider-Man #394–401; Spider-Man #51–58; Spectacular Spider-Man #217–224; Spider-Man Unlimited #7–9; Spider-Man: Funeral for an Octopus #1–3; Spider-Man: The Clone Journal
Hardcover, 1,240 pages (2024 printing).
The second half
Spider-Man: Clone Saga Omnibus Vol. 2
Collects: Amazing Spider-Man #402–406; Spider-Man #59–63; Spectacular Spider-Man #225–229; Web of Spider-Man #126–129; Maximum Clonage; Spider-Man: The Lost Years #1–3; and more
Hardcover, 1,288 pages (2024 printing).
The 1975 original, Amazing Spider-Man #149, is in the 1970s volumes of the Amazing Spider-Man Epic Collection. Ben Reilly's time as Spider-Man and the ending, Spider-Man #75, come after Omnibus Vol. 2 and are collected in later Ben Reilly-era editions.
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Who would win?
The characters at the heart of this story, rated one-on-one under this site's fight rules.
- Spider-Man vs. JackalSpider-Man rogueSpider-Man 80%
- Ben Reilly vs. JackalBen Reilly (Scarlet Spider)Ben Reilly wins 81%
What to read before and after
Questions and answers
Where does the Clone Saga start?
The 1990s saga officially starts in Web of Spider-Man #117 (1994). The clone himself comes from Amazing Spider-Man #149 (1975).
How long is the Clone Saga?
It ran from October 1994 to December 1996 across every Spider-Man title, more than 100 issues in all.
Is Peter Parker the clone?
No. The saga claims he is in Spectacular Spider-Man #226 (1995), but Spider-Man #75 (1996) reveals that Peter was the original all along.
Where can I read the Clone Saga?
Spider-Man: Clone Saga Omnibus Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 cover the first half. It is also on Marvel Unlimited.
All Spider-Man reading guides · The essential Spider-Man comics, in order