Kaine Parker is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character has been depicted as a superhero and former supervillain who serves as an ally, an enemy, and foil to Peter Parker/Spider-Man and Ben Reilly. Created by Terry Kavanagh and Steven Butler, the character first appeared in Web of Spider-Man #119 (December 1994) as the Jackal's first failed attempt of a clone of Spider-Man. He later appeared as the new Scarlet Spider in the Marvel Point One one-shot in November 2011 before starring in his own series.
Kaine Parker/Scarlet Spider made his cinematic debut in the 2023 feature film Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.
Fictional character biography Kaine's debut
Kaine is the Jackal's first temporary success to clone Peter Parker but the flawed cloning process left him deformed and mentally unstable. The Jackal discards Kaine due to him showing early signs of degeneration, which will eventually kill him. Kaine experiences a strong feeling of rejection similar to that between a father and son. Kaine's degeneration gives him an enhanced version of Peter's powers, including a "precognitive sense" that shows him flashes of the future (an amplified version of Peter's spider-sense). He also possesses a "Mark of Kaine", a burning touch that he uses to leave eaten away hand prints on his victims' faces. In a later interview, former Spider-Man editor/writer Glenn Greenberg revealed that the Mark of Kaine was meant to be another analog of one of Spider-Man's powers, namely the ability to cling to walls.
The Jackal goes on to create a new, better clone which would be known as Ben Reilly. When the Jackal uses Reilly against Peter, the ensuing battle leaves Reilly and the Jackal for dead. They both manage to survive; the Jackal places himself into suspended animation in a cloning pod to awaken later; and Reilly leaves New York.The Spectacular Spider-Man #223 (April 1995)
Trial of Peter Parker Due to Norman Osborn manipulating them, Ben and Kaine each believe themselves to be the original and Peter Parker to be the clone. For a time, Kaine finds love in police detective Louise Kennedy of Salt Lake City, until he discovers she is working for criminals. This revelation, coupled with Kaine's increased cellular degeneration, pushes Kaine even further towards insanity and he kills Louise. Kaine continues to stalk Ben, making it appear as though Janine Godbe, Ben's new love, has committed suicide. Kaine frames Ben for a number of murders he commits since they have identical fingerprints, and Peter Parker is convicted for Kaine's crimes.The Spectacular Spider-Man #224 (May 1995) Kaine refuses to confess to his crimes, with Peter considering revealing his secret identity to the courtroom. Kaine convinces Peter not to reveal his identity and reveals the truth about the murders.Spider-Man #60 (July 1995)
Maximum Clonage Kaine confronts the Jackal with the intent of destroying him, with the Jackal manipulating his mind into believing that he will be cured of the degeneration process. Once Jackal reveals this to be false, Kaine leaves, feeling dejected. Kaine returns to the Jackal's lab in time to assist Ben in a battle against numerous Spider-clones. In the ensuing battle, Spidercide impales Kaine, fatally wounding him. Despite showing disdain for Kaine, the Jackal recovers his body and places him in a pod to recover.The Spectacular Spider-Man #227 (August 1995)
Redemption Kaine is freed from his pod by James Johnsmeyer, a sponsor of the Great Game tournament.The Amazing Spider-Man #409 (March 1996) After Kaine refuses to partake in the tournament, Johnsmeyer sends several of the competitors to attack him. During a later encounter with Ben Reilly, Kaine gives up his hatred of Ben and acknowledges him as his brother. At that point, it is revealed that Kaine's degeneration is killing him, and he allows himself to be incarcerated in the Vault to atone for his previous crimes.Spider-Man: Redemption #1 - 4 (September - December 1996) However, he escapes along with many other criminals in the pages of Thunderbolts.Thunderbolts '97 one-shot (August 1997)
Return Kaine later appears in New York City, attacking Spider-Man as he is tracking down Raptor.The Amazing Spider-Man #608 (December 2009) He reveals that he has sought Raptor out, hoping that he could cure his cellular degeneration, and attacks Spider-Man to keep him from the villain. He also seems to hold some enmity towards Peter, perhaps after finding out he is the actual original Spider-Man.The Amazing Spider-Man #609 (December 2009) He also is one of the few people to have remembered Peter's secret identity after the worldwide mindwipe of this knowledge by Mephisto.The Amazing Spider-Man #634 (August 2010)
It is later revealed that Kaine had secretly been working with Raptor. However, he later learns that Raptor had lied to him about being able to cure his degeneration to get him on his side. Furious, Kaine chokes Raptor, seemingly killing him.The Amazing Spider-Man #610 (January 2010)
Grim Hunt Kaine is next seen being hunted by Ana Kravinoff and Alyosha Kravinoff.The Amazing Spider-Man #632 (July 2010) Kaine is brutally beaten, but escapes and warns Peter before falling unconscious. Later that night, after shaving his beard and cutting his hair, Kaine aids Spider-Man, Arachne, and Anya Corazon against the Kraven clan. Kaine is mauled and ultimately sacrificed to bring Kraven the Hunter back from the dead. The Kravens do not realize they have killed the wrong 'spider' until later that night. As a result of this, Kraven is now undead and can only be killed by the original Spider-Man.The Amazing Spider-Man #636 (August 2010) In the epilogue of "Grim Hunt", Kaine climbs out of his grave with mutated features, including extra eyes in a spider-like pattern on his forehead.The Amazing Spider-Man #637 (September 2010)
Spider-Island During the Spider Island storyline, the Jackal further mutates Kaine into Tarantula, a spider-like creature resembling Man-Spider.The Amazing Spider-Man #666 (September 2011) As Tarantula, he is put under Adriana Soria's control, acting as a henchman to the Jackal. Knowing about the genetic relationship between Kaine and Peter, Soria sends Kaine to Horizon Labs to tamper with a cure being developed for the "Spider-Virus". This culminates in a battle with Peter, during which Kaine is forcefully submerged in a pool of the cure. Kaine re-emerges, his mind-link with Soria broken and his degeneration healed.The Amazing Spider-Man #671 (December 2011)
While Peter goes to the Empire State Building with Mary Jane Watson to cure New York, Kaine stays behind with the Avengers to fight the Spider Queen. As Peter weakens the Spider Queen, Kaine launches himself at the Spider-Queen and kills her by stabbing her through the throat with his newly activated arm-mounted stingers. Kaine's new powers are linked to the Other and are stated to have been activated after his death and resurrection.The Amazing Spider-Man #672 (December 2011)
After the battle, Kaine evades the other heroes during the aftermath of the battle using his stealth suit, but Madame Web is able to 'see' him regardless, and talks to him about his future. Kaine meets up with Peter at the airport and informs him that he is leaving New York.The Amazing Spider-Man #673 (January 2012)
Scarlet Spider solo series
Having been cured of his mutation, but not his spider-powers, Kaine assumes the Scarlet Spider mantle and moves to Houston. Although planning to simply pass through the city and move on to Mexico, he is distracted when he discovered a human trafficking ring. Kaine saves Aracely Penalba, a girl who was smuggled into America, and decides to protect her.Scarlet Spider (vol. 2) #1 (January 2012)Scarlet Spider (vol. 2) #2 (February 2012)
Shortly after, Aracely has prophetic dreams concerning the Sixth Creation, Aztlán, her missing parents, gods, a talking coyote, and the rise of Mictlān. She and Kaine are attacked by the Lobo Brothers, the criminals behind her abduction, who intend to kill her to begin the Sixth Creation. During the fight, Aracely escapes, but Kaine is beaten and killed. His spirit encounters the Other, embraces her power, and is reborn as a monstrous spider creature. Aracely restores Kaine to his human form and proclaims him as her "champion", though he retains his connection to the Other.Scarlet Spider (vol. 2) #13 - 15 (January - March 2013) The two later join the New Warriors.The New Warriors (vol. 5) #1 (February 2014)
Spider-Verse During the Spider-Verse storyline, Kaine is with the New Warriors in Eastern Europe when they are attacked by Daemos of the Inheritors. Daemos realizes that Kaine is the current receptacle of the Other and that his energy can sustain him for several days. Daemos is attacked by a multiversal group of Spiders, including Old Man Spider-Man, Spider-Man of Earth-70105 (Bruce Banner), and Spider-Woman of Earth-65. After Daemos breaks Banner's spine, Kaine escapes through a portal to Earth-13, also known as the Safe Zone.The Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 3) #9 (January 2015)
The Spiders learn that the Inheritors have mastered cloning technology, allowing them to continuously be reborn in clone bodies with their memories intact. Kaine, Ben Reilly, and Black Widow attack the Inheritors' cloning facility and kill Jennix, only for her to be resurrected. After realizing that the top of the Baxter Building is a receiver that enables the Inheritors to be resurrected, Ben sacrifices himself to remove the Inheritors' safety net. Kaine takes off to Loomworld to face the Inheritors alone.Scarlet Spiders #3 (January 2015)
After confronting the Inheritors, Kaine kills Solus, the group's patriarch. In retaliation, Morlun kills Kaine in his monstrous spider form by ripping off one of his arms and impaling him in the skull.The Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 3) #13 (March 2015) After Karn becomes the Master Weaver and returns all the spiders to their home universes, a human hand bursts out of Kaine's husk, revealing that he is still alive.The Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 3) #15 (April 2015)
Dead No More: The Clone Conspiracy Kaine returns in the Dead No More: The Clone Conspiracy storyline, where he and Spider-Gwen attempt to help Peter escape New U Technologies. It is revealed that Kaine's human body emerged from the corpse of his spider form and was greeted by Karn, who realized that he is no longer connected to the Other and is dying from the Carrion virus. Karn shows Kaine a number of realities where the virus has caused a zombie apocalypse, and Kaine decides to visit these realities to find a possible way to stop it. Kaine discovers that all the downfalls of these realities was caused by Parker Industries working with New U to spread Miles Warren's technology, which inadvertently spread the virus. Karn reveals that the events Kaine encountered in the other realities is starting to happen in Kaine's own reality. Since it is in the early process and Peter has not formed a full partnership with Warren yet, they still have a chance to stop it from happening.The Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 4) #21 (January 2017)
After Doctor Octopus attacks the Jackal for infecting Anna Maria Marconi, he accidentally activates a kill switch that will kill Kaine, Jackal, and everyone who the Jackal had resurrected in a clone body. Kaine soon realizes that Ben Reilly is alive and is now the Jackal. Spider-Man manages to deactivate and destroy the kill switch, saving Kaine's life. In the aftermath, Kaine vows to find Ben and have him answer for his crimes.Dead No More: The Clone Conspiracy #2–5 (January - April 2017)
Ben Reilly: The Scarlet Spider