Amazing Spider-Man #11 shook up the status quo for the franchise. This has become the norm for a new creative team of Amazing Spider-Man to do. It is a status quo shift that did not only immediately impact Peter Parker. We saw that there are several major Spider-Man characters directly involved with the new status quo that writer Joe Kelly and artists John Romita Jr. and Pepe Larraz introduced. It is something that not only factors into the present but the future with teasers for a big crossover for the franchise. Let’s break it all down.
WHAT WE LEARNED FROM AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #11
The initial main story of Amazing Spider-Man saw “Peter Parker” fighting “Spider-Man.” This left us wondering which one was the real and fake Peter Parker. The answer turned out to be that both were fake.
First learn that Ben Reilly has given himself a makeover to become pose as Peter Parker. Ben revealed to Felicia Hardy through his new “Clone Sense” he was able sense each death Peter experienced during the 8 Deaths of Spider-Man. Ben states he started posing as Peter after Peter mysteriously disappeared sometime between the end of Amazing Spider-Man #9 and before Amazing Spider-Man #10.
As for the new Spider-Man, through the fight with Ben it was made clear that they were not Peter. It was also shown that they did not have Spider-Man’s powers. It’s eventually revealed that this new Spider-Man is Norman Osborn. Norman seems to be motivated by his desire to preserve Peter’s legacy while he is gone, at least what he believes it to be.
Finally, the real Peter Parker is shown on an unknown planet alone and broken. After several weeks of surviving on a desolate planet he is found by a wandering scientist named Dr. Starblood. While on the ship Peter trains to prepare for a rematch with Hellgate and helps Starblood with his experiments.
Eventually Peter learns that Starblood has kidnapped many people across the universe and has viewed Peter as a pet this entire time. Peter finds and uses the Technarch, technology created by the Phalanx, suit to create a new Flexisuit Spider-Man costume and defeat Starblood. Peter frees all of the people Starblood held captive, including Rocket Racoon and the debuting of Symbie.
SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN LASTING LEGACY
This latest status quo is nothing new to Amazing Spider-Man. Someone replacing Peter Parker in both his personal and Spider-Man life has happened many times before. This has been the constant status quo shift we’ve seen Peter put through for the last twelve years, starting with Superior Spider-Man. It can be argued that Dan Slott’s legacy as a Spider-Man writer is making this the go to direction for several creative teams.
So, it is not surprising that Ben Reilly and Norman Osborn are posing as Peter Parker and Spider-Man, respectively. Ben Reilly most recently put on the costume as part of the Spider-Man Beyond direction three years ago. And in the post-Kindred Saga, Norman Osborn’s relationship with Peter has become a father/mentor figure-type.
The two filling in for Peter acts as the 2025 version of Superior Spider-Man. Both are former/current Spider-Man antagonists. It has even been teased that Ben has more sinister plans, more on that in a bit. There have also been teases of Norman being tempted by his Green Goblin persona. The fight Ben and Norman have also shown that both are much more aggressive in their respective role to fill in for Peter. So as with Superior Spider-Man we just wait for Peter to return to how Ben and Norman has altered all sides of his life.
BEN REILLY ULTIMATE DESIRE
With the revelation that the Peter Parker we have been following for the last three issues of Amazing Spider-Man has been Ben Reilly it brings the of why? After his time as Spider-Man Beyond we saw Ben take a villainous turn in becoming Chasm. As Chasm Ben was a lead villain for the Spider-Man and X-Men crossover Dark Web event.
Ben’s recent past as Chasm certainly creates a lot of questions behind why he is impersonating Peter Parker. Because at the end of the Chasm: Curse of Kaine mini-series with Janine Godbe and Kaine’s help he seemingly let go of his villainous desires. Ben even told Peter during a meeting in the October 2024’s Amazing Spider-Man #60 he no longer wanted Peter’s life.
What happened to question Ben’s current motives? Well, what Ben said turned out to be a lie. At the end of Amazing Spider-Man #60 Ben was shown watching Peter from afar in the middle of a double date with Shay, MJ, and Paul. As he watched Ben stated he would “Watch and wait…for my chance to take it all back.” Ben has been shown wanting his memories he had of Peter’s life back since his Spider-Man Beyond days.
Keeping that in mind it does give a completely different context to the conversation Ben has with Felicia Hardy in Amazing Spider-Man #11. Ben played things off as he is simply filling in for Peter after he mysteriously disappeared. When in reality Ben possibly used his “Clone Sense” to detect that Peter was no longer on Earth. That opened the chance for him to finally “take it all back.” Ben could’ve also played a role in what got Peter sent away. Whatever is the case Ben is certainly someone not to trust right now.
SPIDER-MAN EDITORIAL IS PETER PARKER’S GREATEST VILLAIN
The opening image of Peter Parker on an unknown planet in the fetal position spoke volumes. Not just for where Peter is currently but how Spider-Man’s current editorial is running the character. Peter is in a constant fight for his life to simply survive the editorial team Marvel has assigned to the Spider-Man franchise.
Every single time it seems like he is headed towards a positive or forward moving direction the rug is pulled from under Peter. We’ve seen this with the undoing of his marriage with Mary Jane, having his mind swapped with Doc Ock during his Horizon career, Kindred breaking his body and spirit, or a guy from universe causing another break up with MJ. Marvel editorial has constantly found a way to ensure Peter’s life is a mess.
Spider-Man editorial being Peter’s greatest enemy is even more obvious thanks to the current Ultimate Spider-Man series. Spider-Man’s editorial has constantly shown that they view Peter Parker’s creative is at best when he is the sorry, single, “Parker Luck” loser. Zeb Wells recent Amazing Spider-Man run showed this is editorial’s view.
Jonathan Hickman’s Ultimate Spider-Man series has shown that does not need to be the case. If anything, seeing a married Peter who has kids with Mary Jane and a successful professional life made him a more interesting character. There have been several major storylines that are interesting because we had this family man Peter as the central character. It is the most refreshing take on Spider-Man because Peter and those around him are treated as adults who act like it.
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN BUILDING TOWARDS VENOM CROSSOVER
This current direction has created a lot of unknowns for many Spider-Man characters’ present. Though we know what it is all leading towards in the future. That is thanks to the Free Comic Book Day 2025: Amazing Spider-Man/Ultimate Universe one-shot. In that FCBD comic book we got a tease that there will be a Spider-Man, Venom, and Carnage crossover.
The teaser specifically showed Peter as Spider-Man, MJ as Venom, and Eddie as Carnage. Now it would not be the first time a change could happen that has Ben or Norman as the Spider-Man for the crossover with Venom and Carnage. Though given that the teaser has heavy web representation for how the three characters are tied it is likely Peter’s Spider-Man.
Given Amazing Spider-Man’s bi-monthly release schedule there is plenty of time to tell Peter’s space adventures by the end of 2025. One World Under Doom ending in November Marvel needs a big crossover for December. That leaves only Ultimate Universe: Endgame and the X-Men’s Age of Revelation events set to go into 2026. The Age of Revelation will likely end sometime early in 2026.
Both remaining crossovers going into the new year are alternate universe events. That leaves the Spider-Man x Venom x Carnage crossover to fill the next big Marvel Universe crossover. So even if Peter doesn’t make it back to Earth by the end of 2025 he will likely return by early 2026. Peter’s return could be what ends up sparking Spider-Man x Venom x Carnage crossover.
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