Origin
Spidercide is a clone of Peter Parker the original Spider-Man. He was created by the Jackal.
Creation
Spidercide is created by Tom DeFalco and Sal Buscema and first appeared in The Spectacular Spider-Man issue 222 (1995).
Major Story Arcs
The Third Clone
Having returned to New York city upon hearing of Aunt May‘s ill health the Scarlet Spider finds himself starting to have visions of his creator, the Jackal. Trying to prove to himself he is not going insane, Ben follows the baits of the vision and eventually finds himself somewhere within the Catskill Mountains confronted by some very real creations of the Jackal that have seemingly hid away within one of his hidden labs since his earlier demise. Spider-Man meanwhile begins to suffer from the same visions and, having collapsed from the strain of them, also sets off to find the source, seeing visions of a collapsed Scarlet Spider as he makes his way to the mountains, only adding to his resolve to follow the visions wherever they may be leading him.
Eventually reaching the unconscious Ben and seeing the Jackal like creature that was tormenting him, Peter agrees to team up with Ben to find out what has been going on. Finding their way into the lab the pair are shocked to find that both the creature they followed and the hulking brute that got the better of Ben are also clones of Peter that the Jackal had made. The situation just becomes more confusing when one of the cloning vats in the room begins to open, revealing a new genetically altered Jackal who is now an equal match for the Spider’s in power. This causes Scarlet and Spidey to reluctantly let Jackal explain himself so they can get the answers they came for. As tensions unsurprisingly flare, the Jackal adds even more madness to the proceedings by opening another of the cloning vats, revealing to the Spider’s surprise the ‘original’ Gwen Stacy.
Peter finds the stress of the situation too much and once again lashes out at Jackal until Gwen manages to calm him down. The peace is short lived when Peter refuses to accept Gwen as the real thing, causing her to burst into tears and Peter to lash out at one of the computer consoles nearby. During this, Jackal psychologically torments Ben trying to provoke a battle between the two Spiders. As more fighting kicks off between Jackal, Jack and Ben, Spidey finally gains some focus and punches Jackal and throws him to the ground, his anger still controlling his actions as Jackal throws more taunts at him. As Gwen slowly begins turning into a pile of goop, revealing she was truly a clone and not the real deal as Jackal had originally claimed, both the Spiders to lash out and beat Jackal before he makes his escape through a mirror looking portal. This leaves Peter and Ben desperately trying to catch up as the lab begins a self destruct sequence. Realising they won’t catch Jackal now the pair follow Jack and just barely escape the explosion of the lab. Eventually they leave more confused than ever as Jackal watches on in delight from the distance, neither realising that one cloning vat managed to survive the explosion…
Shortly after, Scarlet Spider’s enemy Kaine (who had been watching everything that happened all along), makes his way through the wreckage of the lab, hoping to find definitive proof that Peter Parker is real and Ben is, like commonly thought, nothing more than a clone. Upon trying to gain the data from the computers a failsafe in the system activates and the vat that managed to survive the lab’s earlier explosion opens, revealing another Peter Parker. As this happens the Jackal and Jack arrive and a battle promptly ensues and during the struggle the third Parker manages to sneak out of the lab much to Kaine’s annoyance. Eventually the clone makes its way to a road and hitches a lift with a trucker, not sure who he is or where he needs to go, just accepting the truckers offer to keep him company until he remembered something about who he was…
Who am I?
After reaching a truck stop the clone sneaks away and makes his way behind a dumpster and curls up into a ball, unable to cope with the strange circumstances that followed his awakening in the strange lab. Eventually he falls asleep as three muggers make their way up to him and surround the clone hoping to rob him. Thanks to his Spider-Sense however, the clone awakens and much to his shock and horror, manages to do some amazing Spider-Man acrobatics and easily defeats the would be muggers. Realising there is something wrong with himself the clone goes into a rage as he tries to comprehend what is happening to him, desperately seeking answers to questions he doesn’t even understand to begin with.
The next day the clone sits alone on a bench with his head in his arms, still trying to figure out who he is and where he comes from. Having been at this same bench with his head in his arms for two hours the clone is nudged by a police officer who has been keeping an eye on him, telling the clone to go home and sleep it off. When the clone tells the officer he doesn’t remember where his home is the officer doesn’t seem concerned in the slightest, telling the clone he should have thought about that before drinking himself into a stupor. Hearing the officer thinks he is nothing but a common drunk the clone gets offended, shouting in surprise causing the officer the tell him to calm down and show some I.D. When the clone isn’t able to show any I.D and explains he doesn’t remember who he is the officer tells the clone that whether he is drunk or genuinely unable to remember his identity they should head to the police station, causing the already spooked clone’s Spider-Sense to go off and causing him to flee following the instinct by jumping onto the nearby building and crawling up the side to safety, the display of even more unusual abilities only scaring the clone more than he already was.
Following the events with the police officer the clone manages to make his way back to where Peter grew up as a child, the vague memories apparently drawing him there as the slowly begin to surface in his mind. While walking the clone is unable to understand why the streets are so familiar but his train of thought is distracted upon hearing someone shouting thief. Once again letting the vague memories take control the clone jumps right in front of the mugger and throws him into some trash cans causing the mugger to reveal a knife. As the mugger tells the clone he should have stayed out of his business he lunges forward with his knife as the clone easily jumps out of the muggers path. As he lands and takes out the thug the clone states that he seems to have some kind of powers and with those comes responsibility, or so he thinks he has been told at some point in his life. The man who was being mugged tells the clone he’s a hero and doesn’t understand why he is leaving but his words fall on deaf ears, the clone simply walks on whilst saying ‘Power and responsibility’ to himself. Having found him way onto a rooftop the clone looks down on the city as he states he needs to find out who he is, and he knows where he has to go to do so.
While looking at a paper stand the clone notices a paper with Peter on the cover, having been falsely arrested charged for several murders that were actually caused by Kaine. The clone realises he looks exactly like Peter, and reading the name he realises he has heard it somewhere before, and that he has a mission to do that is one of great responsibility but he is still unsure as to what that mission is exactly and so he moves on hoping to trigger more memories. After walking around for several more hours the clone finds himself at a derelict building that triggers another memory, one that defined his entire life (Where Peter captured Uncle Ben’s killer) and as more memories start to flood to him he runs off realizing where he needs to go next to get more answers, all the while being watched from the rooftops by the villain called Scrier. Having made his way to the cemetery the clone collapses as he finally sees the final trigger he needed, the graves of Aunt May and Uncle Ben, and all of the memories of Peter’s life begin filling his head in a massive rush driving his already flimsy sanity to its limits as he finally remembers everything and cries out ‘I am Parker! PETER PARKER!’
Family reunion
With Peter’s memories now as his own the clone makes his way back to Aunt May’s house in Queens convinced the man in jail for the murders is his clone, and not the other way around like it is in reality. Upon entering his old room the clone’s anger grows as he sees the layers of dust that have gathered in Aunt May’s absence, partially ruining the memory that the house was May’s pride and joy in life that it is now growing cold and uncared for. The reality that Aunt May is now dead tips the clones rage over the edge, the uncertainty of what has happened in his absence coupled with the unknown time of his absence from Peter’s memories causes him to lash out and break a table as he cries out to know who did all this to him. Hearing himself become so full of rage causes the clone to snap back to reality, determined to not let whatever has happened destroy him, convinced still that he is the true Peter Parker and not just a clone. Needing to find out who it is in the prison cell under ‘his’ name the clone sets off in search of more answers.
Having visited the lab of Ben’s geneticist friend Seward Trainer in order to find out if Peter’s irradiated blood could have an adverse affect on their unborn child Mary Jane makes her way home, unable to stand the stress of both the pregnancy worries and Peter’s current confinement in prison. As she walks down the street and past a mancover Kaine’s hand appears from below and grabs the unsuspecting woman down into the sewers as she cries out for Peter to help. Believing Kaine is trying to hurt her Mary Jane becomes nervous, unaware that in reality Kaine is actually, and rather out of character, wanting to help her. Upon hearing Kaine tell her that her end is nearer than she could imagine Mary Jane misinterprets the situation and turns a flood pipe on sending Kaine flying back as water gushes out in his direction. Taking her chance to escape Mary Jane climbs back up the drain’s ladder and into the street, intent on escaping from her would be captor only to be pulled aside down an alley by ‘Peter’, in reality the latest clone, who begs her to help him.
Mary Jane stands stunned as the clone informs her that he isn’t the Peter she married and that her husband is just a fraud who stole his life, terrifying her as he screams he is the real Peter Parker. Despite her fear and confusion Mary Jane tells the clone that now isn’t the time, she is being chased by Kaine, who promptly appears behind the pair, who tells Mary Jane the clone isn’t Peter or Ben, confirming that the man in front of her is yet another clone. Seeing the new clone as the lesser of two evils Mary Jane chooses to believe Kaine is lying to her as the clone begs Mary Jane to believe he is real and not to fall for Kaine’s lies. Mary Jane stands stunned at everything that is happening, snapping back to reality only to tell the clone that if he is Peter then prove it by protecting her from Kaine. Still believing all of Peter’s memories are his own the clone tells Mary Jane that he always has protected her and always will as he lunges at Kaine and punches the villain into a wall before continuing to pounce at him, only to be headbutted, punched and slammed into the wall for his efforts, knocking him unconscious in the process.
Awakening only a few moments later the clone gives into his anger over the five years he believes he has lost and uses it to push himself onward through the pain and proceeds to climb the building and leap from building to building determined to find and protect Mary Jane from Kaine. Having successfully made her way back to her apartment Mary Jane feels disgusted as she pulls out a gun that she secretly bought and kept hidden from Peter just as ‘Peter’ appears behind her in his Spider-Man costume. When she cautiously asks if its Peter he says nothing could keep them apart but as Mary Jane looks on she asks him to take his mask off and, much to her horror, she instantly realises it isn’t her husband, it is just the latest clone to intrude on her life. She tells the clone to not take another step towards her as she raises the gun and threatens to shoot him if he ignores her. Despite his Spider-Sense going off wildly throughout the clone slowly steps towards to Mary Jane, reaching out to her as if he was her husband, only stopping as the gun goes off and both he and Mary Jane stand looking on shocked. Although the clone isn’t shot, the picture of Peter and Mary Jane just inches away from his head is and as Mary Jane drops the gun in horror the clone prepares to go over to comfort her, only to be knocked out once again by Kaine, who has finally caught up with the them.
When Scarlet Spider gets to the apartment he finds ‘Peter’ laying on the ground and asks why he is there, thinking Peter should still be in prison, and then asks where Mary Jane is. Before the clone can answer the real Peter comes through the door and says that is exactly what he wants to know as the trio stand looking at one another in both shock and confusion…
Battle with Freakface
As the clone sees the other Peter he instantly tells both Peter and Ben to get out and leave he and Mary Jane alone, this instantly causing Peter to become enraged and grab the clone telling him he is Peter Parker and he will only ask once more where Mary Jane is. Hearing Peter declare himself the owner of the identity causes the clone to kick Peter across the room and then pouncing towards him telling Peter he won’t let his life be taken again, the eventual fight only being stopped by Ben coming between the two demanding they stop and telling them fighting won’t help the situation or find Mary Jane before going on to ask, rather embarrassingly, if it really is Peter he is talking too as the clone just stands glaring. As Peter informs Ben of how Judas Traveller helped him escape prison so he could protect Mary Jane from Kaine, the mention of the villain who had tormented Ben so much in the past causing him to become enraged and grabbing the clone and demanding to be told what happened at the apartment. The clone just manages to inform the pair that he was knocked unconscious but didn’t see who by and that he doesn’t want either of them to save Mary Jane as that is his job but before he can act he passes out once more.
Having followed the signal of Mary Jane’s emergency tracer both Spider-Man (Now in a combination of his prison outfit and parts of his old black suit) and Scarlet Spider make their way down into the sewers joined just moments later by the clone who apparently has awakened from his injuries and followed the pair. Again he demands that the two leave and let him save ‘his’ wife before punching the wall next to him, revealing a hidden passage just metres away from Kaine’s hideout. Mary Jane runs for the tunnel but is stopped by Kaine as the trio of Spider-Men enter, the clone shouting for Kaine to get away from his wife as Kaine looks stunned at the head count. When Kaine tells Mary Jane to get back so she won’t die the clone pounces at Kaine telling him the only one to die will be his wife’s captor. As Kaine punches the clone with ease Peter and Ben join the fight as Mary Jane runs for safety, but during the battle neither Ben, Peter or Kaine notice that the clone has slipped away and followed after Mary Jane. Having caught up with her the clone informs Mary Jane that she doesn’t have to run any more but Mary Jane coldly states he isn’t Peter just as the real Peter appears behind the clone and punches him in the face. As Peter takes off his mask and Mary Jane falls into his arms knowing that he is truly her husband the clone begins screaming that he is the real Peter Parker and now he has found his wife he has to kill all the imposter’s. As Peter tries to lead Mary Jane to safety the clone’s behaviour becomes even more erratic just as Mary Jane informs Peter that the other exit has also been blocked by Kaine who stands holding Ben’s unconscious body.
The stress of the entire ordeal finally catching up with him causes the clone’s genetic trigger to activate and begins to spasm and mutate in front of the horrified Peter and Mary Jane as Kaine reminds them that the clone is just another weapon made by the Jackal before telling the pair to escape, he will take care of the monstrosity now in front of them. Having secretly been playing possum with Kaine up to this point Ben springs awake and kicks Kaine in the face releasing him from the villains grip as Peter and Mary Jane begin making their escape. Having thrown Ben into the clone Kaine proceeds to lunge at it, stating how hideous he is and how the Jackal has truly outdone himself with his latest creation as the clone, still holding onto the belief he is the genuine Parker, telling Kaine that he isn’t a genetic tool grown in a lab but he has just had his DNA transformed by Jackal and won’t have it restored until he defeats all of Jackal’s enemies. As the fight continues the clone begins displaying even more unusual abilities, morphing his hands into giant square fists as he tries to pound both Ben and Kaine into dust as the pair strike up a rather unexpected alliance to take down the latest threat to their lives. Using Ben as a distraction Kaine brings the ceiling down on top of the clone before falling into an argument with his current ally, only to have the clone grow his mass into a hulking behemoth, apparently now able to morph his body at will.
The battle now restarted Kaine throws himself at the clone and grabs his face, preparing to disfigure and kill him with his touch like he has done to many others before. Much to his shock his attack is useless and the clone states his DNA was mutated specifically to stand against Kaine’s as Jackal wants him dead and proceeds to stretch his body around Kaine like a snake causing Ben to unleash a flurry of attacks on the clone that only just managed to distract the clone long enough for Kaine to escape his grip. Realising that enclosed area is helping the clone win the battle Ben and Kaine make a run for the surface but as Kaine jumps out from the manhole the entire street begins to burst out from beneath him as the clone appears, only to be hit by a steel girder launched by Peter who stayed behind to help Ben. The clone proceeds to pick up a car and throw it at Peter before running to grab a van to follow it up, only to be hit by a car in return courtesy of Kaine that causes a massive explosion that appears to destroy maniacal clone, rather easily, once and for all.
The Birth of Spidercide
Having been secretly resurrected by Scrier the clone rejoins Jackal and aids in his plan to release a new strain of the Carrion virus in Springville, Pennsylvania, now back in the humanoid Peter form he had before his last encounter with the Spiders. Having been the one to release the virus the clone sits emotionless as he watches the people around him collapsing dead in front of him only to have Jackal come over to him and begin joking about the situation, turning the conversation into a chance to get one up on the clone psychologically upon realising the lack of humour in his minions eyes. As the pair stroll down the empty streets and Jackal discusses the father and son relationship between the two the pair fail to notice that down one of the alleyways they pass that one person seems to have survived the Carrion virus’ effects and awakens in pain.
Upon hearing about the survivor several hours later via a radio tap to the response team sent to access the cause of the mass deaths in the town Jackal sends the clone out to capture him in order to learn how he was able to avoid what was thought to be certain death. Now wearing his own outfit and his size greatly increased (having gained control of his mutation powers upon being resurrected) the clone sets out into a forest near to Springville and begins to track the survivor, who also has gone through mutations of his own and has become a hulking behemoth, unaware that both Scarlet Spider and the New Warriors are also attempting to find the survivor before he does any damage with his new abilities.
While the New Warriors and Scarlet Spider battle in the distance, having suffered a case of mistaken identity, the clone manages to catch up with the survivor and asks why he isn’t dead before a scream alerts the others of the pair’s location after the clone tried to capture him. Seeing the potential nuisance the New Warriors and Scarlet Spider could make for him the clone throws the survivor into the air telling the others to go get him if they want him so badly. Upon doing so the survivor shows his ability to alter his body to suit his surroundings and promptly grows wings. As the New Warriors try to capture the survivor Scarlet Spider is left to deal with the clone, unaware of his identity until the clone reveals that while he is hurt that Ben doesn’t remember him he can’t be blamed, the last time they met he didn’t look as good as he does now before revealing the nickname Ben gave him in the sewers – Freakface.
Ben lunges at the clone upon realising his identity but the clone avoids the attack by turning his arm into water before saying he goes by a much better name now, one given to him by his father, Spidercide. After throwing Justice into Firestar (Having grabbed him by the throat while easily avoiding damage from Scarlet Spider’s earlier attack) the clone continues to turn the rest of his body into water and jumps into a nearby stream and tells Ben that he is his own clone now and he (Jackal) has gone back to where it all began. After finally managing to capture the survivor Scarlet Spider and the New Warriors discuss ‘the other Spider-Guy’ while the helicopter to transport the survivor is loaded, unaware that the pilot is actually Spidercide in disguise…
Everything is Clear
During the height of confusion during the clone saga Peter finds himself working alongside Jackal after being told HE is the clone and Ben is actually the original Spider-Man, having saved Jackal from taking a bullet from the Punisher by taking him back to his lab and placing him in one of the cellular regeneration pods. While waiting to find out if the process has saved his new ‘mentor’ Peter is confronted by Ben, trying to reach out to the traumatised Peter before he does anything rash after finding out the earth shattering news. His pleas of understanding falling on death ears, Ben finds himself being punched by Peter several times before Peter finally relents and walks off into the shadows leaving Ben to look on in disappointment that he couldn’t help his ‘clone’. Before Ben can do anything more he finds himself being grabbed by the face by Spidercide who states he doesn’t think Ben should be there and slams his opponent into the ground before surrounding Ben in his water form trying to drown the intruder to the lab.
After being released from the regeneration pod by Kaine, Jackal decides to check on Kaine’s ‘brothers’ and runs in as Ben finally frees himself from Spidercide’s grip, having burst his gel like form, and tells the pair that there won’t be any rough housing in his lab. After a few moments of peace more fighting erupts between the Spiders, Kaine and Jackal and none of them notice that Spidercide has left the room and walks into a remote part of the lab having been summoned by Scrier. Spidercide asks who the man is, realising he knows him somehow but unsure of why. Without a word Scrier simply lays a finger on Spidercide’s head and in an instant Spidercide understands everything and notes that now everything is clear to him. Having made his way back to the ‘family reunion’ Spidercide offers to deal with Ben for Jackal after their latest fallout but Jackal denies the request by saying Ben is too important and so orders him to kill Kaine. After a short breakdown Kaine leaves having fallen victim for Jackal’s games for the last time and Jackal stands pompously commenting on how Ben must be feeling woozy now after secretly drugging him after swiping him with his claws during the earlier battle. Spidercide proceeds to carry the now semi conscious Scarlet Spider to his room, all the while remaining totally silent.
Having followed Peter and Jackal and listening silently to their conversation Spidercide watches and Peter swings off to find the ‘perfect’ Gwen Stacey clone and Jackal asks if Spidercide can believe some people can fall for, to which he quietly responds that he can’t, all the while grinning as he watches Jackal thinking he has the upper hand. With his other creations busy Jackal proceeds with his studies on the survivor from the Carrion incident in Springville, commenting on how exasperating he finds the man’s survival. Spidercide says he can easily destroy the man if it bothers Jackal so much, causing his master to comment on how maybe it escaped his attention but he is no closer to understanding why that one person managed to survive where thousands of others did not. Spidercide then asks why one single anomaly is such a big deal causing Jackal to walk out of the room as he explains one person in such a small town equals thousands worldwide if the virus was released, and that if he is going to eradicate mankind he will do it totally or not at all, leaving Spidercide watching from the shadows of the lab silently.
After surviving an army of bad degenerative Spider-clones Ben and Kaine fall through the labs ceiling causing Jackal to become startled by the intrusion and call for Spidercide but getting no response from his faithful ‘son’ while mocking him for actually taking the name he gave him. Having made his way to one of the labs computer rooms Jackal finds Spidercide downloading a copy of all of Jackal’s data on the Carrion virus and the survivor for Scrier. Enraged that Spidercide is betraying him to Scrier Jackal proceeds to click his fingers to activate the self degeneration sequence he placed in him upon his creation only to find that it does nothing, Spidercide just mockingly joking about the pain as he stands there unaffected before informing Jackal that Scrier removed the degeneration factor during his earlier encounter with the man. While throwing his former master to the ground Spidercide informs Jackal that Scrier found him a disappointment as he prepares to crush him by forming his hands into a giant mace, only to be knocked away by Kaine who finally caught up with the pair.
As Kaine and Spidercide proceed to battle, all the while egged on by Jackal, Kaine begins to suffer from one of his visions about Mary Jane’s death, the momentarily lapse in his movements giving Spidercide the chance to grab some machinery and impaling Kaine in the chest for his ‘rudeness’ of blanking his adversary mid battle. Before Spidercide can impale Kaine again Ben jumps down and knocks Spidercide through a window as the wiled up clone tells Ben not to worry as he has plenty planned for him too. As the pair continue to battle in the next room Ben punches Spidercide into a power line electrocuting the villain but also releasing the survivor from Springville incident from his containment as the room begins to fall apart all around Ben and Spidercide as Jackal sets his degenerated Spider-clone goo on Ben. With Ben distracted and Jackal on the run Spidercide proceeds to follow, the role Scrier gave him not yet complete…
Splat Goes the Spider
Setting his master plan into action the Jackal, and several clones of his Jack’s, head to the roof of the Daily Bugle and begin laying a Carrion virus bomb which is still not perfected due to all of the distractions Jackal was given by his ‘sons’. Scrier then appears to Jackal and orders him to stop what he is doing, only to have Jackal to state his confusion given how both Scrier and Judas Traveller helped him start it all, to which Scrier simply states that it is none of his concern. After pulling a gun on Scrier, which the villain promptly teleports away from Jackal, before Jackal is told the death of humanity cannot be allowed, but HIS death is a necessity and as Spidercide appears behind him ready to continue his mission for Scrier Jackal looks around in shock and disbelief.
Having escaped from the lab with his life Scarlet Spider reaches the Bugle and heads in Jonah Jameson’s office telling him to evacuate, aware of Jackal’s master plan. Before Jonah can even question why the building needs evacuating both Spidercide and Jackal crash through the ceiling punching one another without regard for anyones safety. As both Jackal and Ben dodge Spidercide’s attacks the room continues to get smashed into oblivion so, realising Spidercide is doing more harm than good, Ben tries to stop or at least distract him only for the hulking Spider to continue regardless as Jackal and Ben bicker between themselves.
Noticing that some of the Bugle’s staff are in danger Ben jumps to save them with his webbing, but as he does Spidercide takes the opportunity to smash Ben’s twisted ankle with his hammer shaped hand allowing him to focus on killing Jackal. After pinning Jackal to the wall Spidercide is shocked as the wall begins to melt behind his father, Jackal using a concealed gun to get out of the tight situation leaving the pair to fall from the building with little regard for their lives. Ben shoots webbing to save the pair, still maintaining his ethics despite all the torture he has suffered from them both but the webbing only manages to grab a hold of Jackal’s leg leaving Spidercide to fall to the streets below screaming in anger.
After managing to stop bomb from going off and Jackal dying from another fall from the building Ben, Peter, Mary Jane and the Gwen clone make their way down to the streets which are now filled with police. One of the officers calls the Peter and Ben over and tells them they’ve got a blob of ‘something’ to which Ben tells him to call Spidercide, before the officer informs them that they put it into a stasis chamber because although it looked pretty dead they didn’t know if it was still a threat to which the pair seem to agree is best, although it leaves Spidercide’s exact wellbeing unknown…
Powers and Abilities
Spidercide has all the abilities and powers that Spider-Man has and then some. He has a malleable body much like Mr. Fantastic but not as extreme and can create sharp weapons with his body. Spidercide can also turn into a liquid form and re-materialize into a solid. He can also shape-shift, and grow at will.
Other Media
Even though Spidercide has never directly been in any other media. There has been resemblings of him in both the videogame Spiderman: Friend or Foe and in the 1994 animated TV show.