"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.
"Clone Conspiracy" was followed by the series Ben Reilly: Scarlet Spider, which has Reilly returning to the identity of Scarlet Spider. In 2025, "Clone Conspiracy" served as the basis for the storyline "All-New, All-Deadly", in which the clone Gwen Stacy is resurrected.
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 Jackal 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 his resurrected wife Oksana.The Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 4) #2 He then meets with Lizard, reuniting him with his deceased wife and son Martha Connors and Billy Connors.The Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 4) #4 Giving Rhino a new black version of his suit, Jackal sends Rhino to break out Lizard and a depowered Electro from prison. Afterwards, he offers Electro help to regain his electrical powers.The Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 4) #10
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. Jackal is then seen with a revived Gwen Stacy at his side.FCBD 2016 Captain America #1The Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 4) #19
Lead-in plot After J. Jonah Jameson Sr. is hospitalized at Mount Sinai Hospital, Peter Parker and Jameson's son J. Jonah Jameson are approached by Rita Clarkson of New U Technologies, who offers to treat Jameson with the company's technology. It is revealed that the individuals the Jackal revived are clones created to do his bidding. Jackal's plans go awry when Francine Frye absorbs Electro's electricity powers, killing him. Prowler infiltrates New U Technologies on Peter'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.The Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 4) #17
When Peter scans the Living Brain to find out why it is acting unusually, Doctor Octopus' consciousness asks why it was erased. Realizing the truth, Peter shuts down Living Brain only for Doctor Octopus' consciousness to reactivate and escape in the Octobot. Arriving at New U Enterprises, the Doctor Octopus-possessed Octobot plans to get his biological body back.The Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 4) #18
With Jameson Sr.'s health declining, Peter has to endure Jonah's and May's concerns for his extreme skepticism about 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 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.Slott, Dan (w), Cheung, Jim; Frenz, Ron (p), Cheung, Jim; Delgado, Edgar (i). "Dead No More Part One: The Land of the Living", "The Night I Died", The Clone Conspiracy #1 (December 2016) Marvel Comics.
After the Jackal breaks up the fight between Spider-Man and Doctor Octopus, he shows Spider-Man around New U Technologies. 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 (Spider-Woman) 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 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.Slott, Dan (w), Cheung, Jim (p), Dell, John III (i). The Clone Conspiracy #2 (January 2017) Marvel Comics.
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 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.Slott, Dan (w), Cheung, Jim (p), Dell, John III (i). The Clone Conspiracy #3 (February 2017) Marvel Comics.
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 alludes to his romantic interest in her. Spider-Woman 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 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 degenerate.Slott, Dan (w), Cheung, Jim (p), Dell, John III; Smith, Cory T. (i). The Clone Conspiracy #4 (March 2017) Marvel Comics.
As New U Technologies' subjects continue to decay, 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 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 escape. 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.Slott, Dan (w), Cheung, Jim (p), Dell, John III; Leisten, Jay (i). The Clone Conspiracy #5 (April 2017) Marvel Comics.
Tie-ins The Amazing Spider-Man