Dead No More: The Clone Conspiracy
"Dead No More: The Clone Conspiracy" is a 2016–17 Marvel Comics storyline starring Spider-Man. The story was notable for resurrecting Spider-Man supporting character Ben Reilly, who was killed in 1996 at the end of the Clone Saga. The storyline led Kaine Parker to reclaim the heroic Scarlet Spider mantle and appear in his own comic book series. The story received generally mixed reviews, with critics praising the art style and action, however criticized the story and the retcons, as well as the treatment of Ben Reilly.
Premise
This storyline details Jackal resurfacing. He manages to get Rhino, Lizard, Doctor Octopus and a female Electro on his side with a chance to reunite with their loved ones.Plot
Prologue
resurfaces in the form of a mysterious man in a red suit with an Anubis mask. Approaching several of Spider-Man's enemies, Jackal offers a deal to them in the form of the chance to revive their lost loved ones if they follow his orders. He starts with Rhino presenting him with a mysteriously revived Oksana. Rhino accepts the deal.Jackal then heads to Andru Correctional Facility where he visits Lizard. Lizard accepts Jackal's offer when introduced to the revived Martha Connors and Billy Connors.
Giving Rhino a new black version of his suit, Jackal sends Rhino to break out Lizard and a depowered Electro from Andru Correctional Facility. Afterwards, he offers Electro help to regain his electrical powers.
Jackal later sends Rhino to convince Kingpin to join up with him while using a revived Vanessa Fisk as persuasion. Kingpin snaps Vanessa's neck, calling her an abomination and not his real wife. Spider-Man appears at Fisk Industries as Kingpin goes after Rhino. Upon hearing that Kingpin declined the offer, Jackal tells Rhino that he has gained one strike. Jackal is then seen with a revived Gwen Stacy at his side.
Lead-in plot
After J. Jonah Jameson Sr. is hospitalized at Mount Sinai Hospital, Peter Parker, Aunt May, and J. Jonah Jameson visit him. Jameson Jr. blames Peter for what happened to his father, but is told by the doctor that the disease is hereditary. Peter and Jameson are approached by Dr. Rita Clarkson of New U Technologies, who says New U Technologies has cutting-edge technology that could help Jameson Sr. Jameson storms off in anger while Parker asks for more details.At Edmond, Oklahoma, a chemical plant owned by Parker Industries catches fire. On his plane, Peter reads the research from New U Technologies that involves synthesizing healthy organs. While Anna Maria Marconi is suspicious, Parker wants to consider the possibilities. Within the Living Brain, Doctor Octopus' consciousness takes note of the procedure. Parker and Anna get word about what happened in Edmond, Oklahoma.
Meanwhile, Jackal works with the Lizard and Martha Connors on a method to restore Electro's powers. Jackal overcomes Electro's reluctance to proceed by producing a revived Francine Frye. Before continuing, Martha informs Jackal about the fire in Edmond, Oklahoma and watches the news to see Spider-Man's arrival as none of them had any involvement with the incident. Spider-Man arrives at the scene of the explosion and rescues six trapped workers. One worker, Jerry Salteres, has lung and heart damage due to inhaling chemical vapors. Parker contacts Dr. Clarkson to have her people work on Salteres in order to save his life. The operation is a success, but Peter's spider-senses go off. At New U Technologies' headquarters in San Francisco, Jameson meets with Clarkson and asks for proof that their technology works. He gets his proof when Clarkson brings out a revived Marla Jameson, the wife of Jonah.
It is revealed that the revived ones are clones, created by Jackal to convince villains to do his bidding. Jackal's plan goes awry when Francine fatally absorbs Electro's electricity powers; this was due to Jackal combining Francine's DNA with Electro's. Francine becomes the new Electro. When Prowler infiltrates New U Technologies on Parker's behalf and is accidentally killed by Francine, but Jackal manages to revive him. Jackal has Prowler find out what Parker Industries is up to.
When Parker scans the Living Brain to find out why it is acting unusually, Doctor Octopus' consciousness asks why it was erased. Realizing the truth, Parker shuts down Living Brain only for Doctor Octopus' consciousness to reactivate it and cause it to self-destruct, then escaping in the Octobot. Arriving at New U Enterprises, the Doctor Octopus-possessed Octobot plans to get his biological body back, convinced that the consciousness in Parker's body was 'infected' by its time in Spider-Man's body to believe that Peter was superior rather than himself.
With Jameson Sr.'s health declining, Peter has to endure Jonah's and May's concerns for his extreme skepticism abut New U, with his secret identity preventing him from informing them of the real reason he doubts them. Peter remains adamant with sticking to the conventional procedure and Jameson Sr. has sided with him. Peter's superheroic endeavors prevent him from accompanying May and Jonah as Jameson Sr.'s health reaches critical status and he undergoes conventional surgery. Despite the surgery, Jameson Sr. dies.
Main plot
J. Jonah Jameson Sr. is revealed to have contracted an illness while in Madagascar with Aunt May, which led to his death. After Jameson Sr.'s funeral, Peter decides to pay Jerry Salteres a visit in order to investigate why his spider-sense went off in his presence. At Salteres' house, his wife Emma reveals that New U had mysteriously taken Jerry away after he forgot to take a daily pill prescribed by New U and his health decayed. As Spider-Man, Peter infiltrates the New U HQ and tries to locate Jerry using a spider-tracer he had placed on him. Spider-Man discovers several stasis tubes, with one of them containing Jerry's still living nervous system. Spider-Man is spotted by one of Miles Warren's clone/assistants, who calls the Rhino and Electro for help. After dispatching the two villains, Spider-Man pursues Miles, only to find Gwen Stacy behind a closed door. The shock of Gwen's presence prevents Spidey from reacting to his spider-sense in time, and he is sucker-punched by Doctor Octopus.In a side-story, Gwen is resurrected by Jackal and his clones. The Jackal claims that she is not a clone, but the real Gwen who was harvested from her remains and remembers her former life, including her death and Peter's secret identity. Jackal offers Gwen the opportunity to be his partner as he tries to change the world with his new technology. Gwen is hesitant at first, but accepts when the Jackal reveals he has reanimated her father George Stacy.
After the Jackal breaks up the fight between Spider-Man and Doctor Octopus, he shows Spider-Man around the New U Technologies. Jackal has reanimated the villains Alistair Smythe, Green Goblin, Frederick Foswell, Eduardo Lobo, Hitman, Hobgoblin, Jack O'Lantern, Kangaroo, Massacre, Mirage, Montana, Mysterio, Ox, Rose, Spencer Smythe, Stilt-Man, and Tarantula as well as Ashley Kafka, Jean DeWolff, and Spider-Woman. George Stacy sees something off about Gwen's face and pulls a gun at her. It is revealed that Gwen is actually the Gwen Stacy of Earth-65 that Spider-Man found. The real Gwen Stacy is kidnapped by Kaine and taken to Parker Industries to be studied. Kaine reveals that he and Spider-Woman of Earth-65 came to Earth-616 because they saw on other Earths Spider-Man allying with the Jackal results in a global disaster from the Carrion virus.
Spider-Man and Spider-Woman of Earth-65 escape thanks to the Prowler. Back at Horizon University, Kaine tells Max Modell, Hector Baez, and the rest of the employees about the Carrion virus and reveals his condition. The scientists figure they can use Kaine to find a cure for the virus since he is not contagious. They alert the police to a possible possible epidemic. Police Chief Anderson, secretly in league with the Jackal, informs him of Gwen's location. Jackal sends Electro and Rhino to retrieve Gwen and attends a meeting where he reveals his plan to move into Phase 2 of his project, allowing more New U Technologies factories and less government oversights. Doctor Octopus, working on improving the cloning process, is told by Jackal that he is moving to a new location since Spider-Man knows where he is. At Horizon University, Rhino and Electro retrieve Gwen, but she tells them to take Kaine as his condition could help with Jackal's experiments. Anna Maria Marconi volunteers to come since she has studied both Kaine and the drug. Spider-Man and Spider-Woman of Earth-65 arrive too late to stop them. Before they rescue Kaine and Anna, Kingpin arrives and reveals he has been following the Jackal's trail since the encounter with his cloned wife. He gives Spider-Man the location of a meeting that Jackal will be at so Spider-Man can take him down for revenge. Spider-Man arrives at the airstrip where Jackal is receiving a large box and attacks him. Jackal displays enhanced strength and speed and overcomes Spider-Man. Jackal takes off his mask and reveals himself to be not Miles Warren, but instead Ben Reilly. He offers Peter the chance to bring back Uncle Ben as his corpse is in the large box.
In the Jackal's laboratory, Doctor Octopus is studying Kaine and Electro to perfect his "proto clone." Anna Maria arrives but becomes uncomfortable when Doctor Octopus appeals toward his love interest. Spider-Woman of Earth-65 follows her Earth-616 counterpart into the South New U Technologies facility to find Kaine. After Ben and Peter's confrontation, Ben drives Spider-Man to the New U Technologies facility with Uncle Ben's corpse and explains to Peter that he was able to make his vision come to life by emotionally blackmailing the higher-ups of society. He shows Peter the "Haven," a section of the facility set up like a normal neighborhood where Peter sees all of his resurrected friends and enemies. He apologizes to the Stacys and Marla Jameson tells Spider-Man that she was honored by his vow not to let other people die. After J. Jonah Jameson leaves to promote the New U Technologies on television, Spider-Man confronts Jackal and tells him that the reason he has not brought Uncle Ben back yet is because Peter knows Uncle Ben would tell Jackal that he is wrong and that he is using this power without responsibility. Jackal orders Spider-Man's rogues gallery to kill the hero and plans to replace Peter when he is dead. Prowler assists Spider-Man in battling the villains as Jackal heads back to his laboratory. Anna Maria reveals she knows how to stop the decaying process on the clones and Jackal offers her the "proto clone" body in exchange for the formula. Doctor Octopus takes offense to Jackal's comments on Maria's dwarfism and attacks him. Spider-Woman of Earth-65 tries to free Kaine, but is attacked by Electro. Doctor Octopus pulls a switch which activates the Carrion virus in all the clones and causes them to rapidly decay from clone degeneration. Spider-Woman of Earth-65 escapes with Kaine as the Carrion virus starts spreading, and Anna is also affected. Spider-Man tries to appeal to Ben, but Jackal ignores him and takes over J. Jonah's broadcast to tell the world that they will all die and be reborn.
As New U Technologies' subjects continue to decay from clone degeneration, Spider-Man heads to Jackal's laboratory. After George Stacy deteriorates in Gwen Stacy's arms, she helps Peter get to the lab. When they arrive, Gwen locks Spider-Man inside the lab and sacrifices herself to the reanimated Hobgoblin and Green Goblin to give Spider-Man more time. Kaine is knocked out of the facility by Jackal. Spider-Woman of Earth-65 and Prowler assist him in containing the infected villains. During the ensuing melee, Lizard and his family escape, with Lizard stating that he can cure both Martha and Billy. In the lab, Anna Maria tells Spider-Man that she has invented an inverse frequency that can fix most of the problem. Doctor Octopus fights Jackal to allow Peter and Anna Maria the time to transmit the frequency. They go to the Fact Channel's filming location to transmit the signal and find Silk there, who tells them that Marla Jameson shut down the signal before deteriorating in her husband's arms. Jameson admits to Spider-Man that Parker was right about the situation. Spider-Man hacks into the Webware Emergency System from Parker Industries, sending a signal that stops some of the victims from decaying, but turns Jackal, Doctor Octopus, and Gwen Stacy to dust. Anna notes that the "proto clone," or "Ultimate Template," appears missing. The Prowler and DeWolff clones die fighting, while Electro and some of the cloned villains survive the frequency and get away. Dr. Clarkson takes Spider-Man and his team downstairs where some of the New U Technologies patients are still alive. Some of the patients like Prowler are cured of the virus and still have a chance at living. Jerry Salteres emerges from one of the pods and Spider-Man tells him that he is unsure of how much of the promise he had made to Jerry's family to bring him home he can keep. Jerry is understanding and tells Spider-Man that he is only human.