Comics Brand New Day vs Alternate Clone Saga Ending

[Hobgoblin]

Many people, myself included, still are not happy about the new status quo of BND. It made me wonder, what if the Clone Saga had ended differently, and Ben had been Spider-Man in one city and Peter had stayed married to MJ and acted as Spidey in another city? That way Marvel and fans of BND get their single Spider-Man and fans of the marriage get to keep Peter and MJ.

Which would you prefer?

Personally, I think the idea of two Spider-Men could get confusing (how would you differentiate between them? Spider-Man One and Spider-Man Two?) but could also be interesting. They were two different people with different ways of doing things, which could make for cool team ups and misunderstandings among villains and the public.

 

[Spider-ManHero12]

it all depends. Personally, I love where Amazing SPider-Man is at in the comic world. I was pissed with the change in 2007, but overall, I've REALLY been enjoying the book again since BND. Before BND, the last fantastic run we had was JMS/JRJR. Back In Black was cool (especially the Kingpin fight), but BND really rought it back, IMO. Sadly, they had to sacrifice the marriage.

 

[SpideyInATree]

Honestly I prefer the Clone Saga ending with Ben still as the one true Spider-Man. There were so many awesome story opportunities to be explored and Ben was really starting to flesh out so well. It would, and still would be, a great What If story. Baby May could be in early childhood discovering her spider powers and every once in a while the two Spider-Men have to team up. Could have had two separate titles and you could have gone with one or the other or both. Alas, it was not to be!

 

[Spider-ManHero12]

I deifnitely aggree that it would be a great What If? story though as well.

 

[Spider-Aziz]

I loooooove BND and beyond, but I chose the alternate Clone Saga for one main reason:
No Mephisto = More satisfied readers + No continuous whining about BND
One problem alone held that move from happening back in the day, fans thinking "I've been keeping tabs on a clone since Amazing Spider-Man 149? A f******** clone?"

 

[WOLVERINE25TH]

This was an idea I proposed in two forms:

My original Epic Comics pitch, which had Ben survive SM #75 and Peter keeping the baby, leaving him retired (though not out of webs entirely for long) and Ben keeping on as Spidey.

Then another pitch I came up with over in the Official Fans of Reilly Thread where it was revealed Ben was brainwashed into becoming a Goblin ala Peter in ASM/SM v2 #25, and Kaine returned baby May to Peter. The result was Ben leaving to refind himself and leading to his adventures as a spider in another city.

There was also a third idea I did back in '97 which was rendered implausible when I learned the real reason behind Illyana Rasputin's rapid aging (when I did it I had bits and pieces of various stories, so I didn't know as much as I needed when I did it). Applying the mistaken interpretation of it I had Osborn age baby May and turn her into a Scarlet Spider against the Spider-Men. Bringing her out of his control, she goes off to find herself having lost most of her life while the Spiders continued in New York, sharing all (then) 7 titles between the both of them.

 

[Infidel]

The Ben Reilly stories are superior. He's actually Spider-man (in spirit). He's not super-dumb happy guy. He's happy, but not dumb.

 

[TwilightPro101]

Clone Saga, with a different ending

 

[C. Pumpkins]

I was one of those guys that loved the return of GG and hated that Ben was killed! I don't think there would of been too much confusion about there being two Spideys, just have them in different cities.

 

[shinlyle]

I've recently jumped back onboard Spidey. They've quit throwing the dissolution of the marriage in our faces every 10 pages, so I can read it again. Also, Dan Slott is where its at. Period.

That being said, choosing between Ben Reilly and Brand New Day is like asking if I want my hand ground off with a belt sander or put through a meat grinder. Either way, it's going to be slow, painful, and I'm going to be minus a hand when its all over.

I vote for NEITHER.

 

[GoblinScrier]

I guess at the end of the day I still don't get why the stories couldn't be told with MJ as his wife...really the only thing that would need to change would be all these new girls hitting all over Peter? The clone saga would be ideal in some respects...the marriage, the baby...but alas its over for me as long as Peter and MJ are no longer married....

 

[Hobgoblin]

I guess at the end of the day I still don't get why the stories couldn't be told with MJ as his wife...really the only thing that would need to change would be all these new girls hitting all over Peter? The clone saga would be ideal in some respects...the marriage, the baby...but alas its over for me as long as Peter and MJ are no longer married....

My thoughts exactly. Those are the only stories that could only be told without MJ. Marvel Editorial wanted Peter to be able to hook up. There are no other reasons why the marriage had to end.