title: New wave of British heavy metal

text: Towards the end of the 1970s, British metalheads coalesced into a closed community of peers that exalted power and celebrated masculinity. According to Deena Weinstein's analysis, their male camaraderie and the general absence of women in their ranks did not turn into machismo and misogyny. In the same article, she wrote that British heavy metal: "is not racist, despite its uniformly white performers, and its lyrics are devoid of racial references." Another characteristic of the subculture was its latent homophobia, less violent, but not dissimilar to British skinheads' disposition; in his book "Running with the Devil: Power, Gender and Madness in Heavy Metal Music", Robert Walser calls it a "collective affirmation of heterosexuality", and in a journal British sociologist John Clarke regards it as "a reaction against the erosion of traditionally available stereotypes of masculinity".


title: New wave of British heavy metal

text: Headbangers showed little interest in political and social problems, finding in each other's company, in the consumption of beer and in the music, the means to escape their bleak reality; for this reason they were often accused of nihilism or escapism. In contrast with punks, they loved musicianship and made idols of virtuoso guitarists and vocalists, viewing the live show as the full realisation of their status. The fans were very loyal to the music, to each other and to the bands with whom they shared origins and from whom they required coherence with their values, authenticity and continuous accessibility. To depart from this strict code meant being marked as a "sell out" or "poseur" and being somewhat excluded from the community. The lyrics of the song "Denim and Leather" by Saxon reflect precisely the condition of British metalheads in those years of great enthusiasm. Access to this male-dominated world for female musicians and fans was not easy, and only women who adapted to their male counterparts' standards and codes were accepted, as attested by Girlschool and Rock Goddess, the only notable all-female heavy metal bands of that era.


title: New wave of British heavy metal

text: The music, philosophy and lifestyle of heavy metal bands and fans were often panned by both left-wing critics and conservative public opinion, described as senseless, ridiculous to the limit of self-parody, and even dangerous for the young generation. The 1984 mockumentary "This Is Spinal Tap" addressed many idiosyncrasies of British metal bands, showing comic sides of that world which external observers would judge absurd. Instead metal musicians regarded the movie's content as much too real.


title: New wave of British heavy metal

text: The dress code of the British headbangers reflected the newly found cohesion of the movement and recalled the look of 1960s rockers and American bikers. The common elements were long hair and jeans, black or white T-shirts with band logos and cover art and leather jackets or denim vests adorned with patches. Following the example of Judas Priest, elements of S&M fashion entered the metal wardrobe of the 1980s and it became typical to show off metallic studs and ornaments, or for metal musicians to wear spandex or leather trousers. Elements of militaria, such as bullet belts and insignia, were also introduced at this time. This style of dress quickly became the uniform of metalheads worldwide.


title: New wave of British heavy metal

text: Most bands of the NWOBHM had the same look as their fans and produced rock shows without special visual effects. A notable exception was Iron Maiden, which created the grisly character Eddie the Head as a stage prop to enrich their performances very early in their career. Other exceptions were Demon, Cloven Hoof and Samson, which used various props, costumes and tricks in their shows, while Pagan Altar and Venom became well known for their elaborate scenography inspired by shock rock and Satanism.


title: New wave of British heavy metal

text: The NWOBHM – comprising bands with very different influences and styles – was promoted as both a movement and a distinct music genre only in its formative years during the mid-to-late 1970s. Especially in those early years, what characterised the flood of new music was its raw sound, due in large part to low-budget productions, but also to the amateurish talents of many young bands. Those young musicians were also linked by a shared inspiration from the works of the aforementioned successful heavy rock bands of the late 1960s and 1970s, and kept a sort of continuity with the earlier acts, whose music had temporarily gone out of fashion, but was still thriving underground. However, the media of the 1980s and the promotional literature of record labels typically placed rock music that employed loud guitars, but was not classifiable as "punk" under the blanket term "heavy metal", subsuming the entire spectrum of NWOBHM bands within a single music genre.


title: New wave of British heavy metal

text: Following a largely organic and uncalculated impulse, many of these new bands infused classic heavy metal with the immediacy of pub rock and the intensity of punk rock, implementing to various degrees the crossover of genres started by Motörhead; in general they shunned ballads, de-emphasised harmonies and produced shorter songs with fast tempos and a very aggressive sound based on riffs and power chords, featuring vocals ranging from high pitched wails to gruff and low growls. Iron Maiden, Angel Witch, Saxon, Holocaust, Tygers of Pan Tang, Girlschool, Tank and More are notable performers of this style, which bands such as Atomkraft, Jaguar, Raven and Venom stretched to produce even more extreme results. Critics consider this new approach to heavy metal the greatest musical accomplishment of the NWOBHM and an important evolutionary step for the genre.


title: New wave of British heavy metal

text: A style more melodic and more akin to the hard rock of bands like Rainbow, Magnum, UFO, Thin Lizzy and Whitesnake was equally represented during the NWOBHM. The music of Def Leppard, Praying Mantis, White Spirit, Demon, Shy, Gaskin, Dedringer and many others, contained hooks as much as riffs, often retained a closer link with blues rock, included power ballads and featured keyboards, acoustic instruments and melodic and soaring vocals. After the peak of the movement in 1981, this style was favoured by the media and gained greater acceptance among the British audience; it became prevalent when bands usually playing the more aggressive style of metal adapted to the more popular sound, which resembled that of mainstream American acts. These changes in musical direction disoriented some fans and led them to reject those bands which were perceived as having compromised key elements of their musical identity in the pursuit of success.


title: New wave of British heavy metal

text: These two styles do not exhaust all of the musical influences found in the British heavy metal music of the early 1980s, because many bands were also inspired by progressive rock (Iron Maiden, Diamond Head, Blitzkrieg, Demon, Saracen, Shiva, Witchfynde), boogie rock (Saxon, Vardis, Spider, Le Griffe) and glam rock (Girl, Wrathchild). Doom metal bands Pagan Altar and Witchfinder General were also part of the NWOBHM and their albums are considered among the best examples of that already established subgenre.


title: New wave of British heavy metal

text: British writer John Tucker writes that NWOBHM bands were in general fuelled by their first experiences with adult life and "their lyrics rolled everything into one big youthful fantasy". They usually avoided social and political themes in their lyrics, or treated them in a shallow "street-level" way, preferring topics from mythology, the occult, fantasy, science fiction and horror films. Songs about romance and lust were rare, but the frequent lyrics about male bonding and the rock lifestyle contain many sexist allusions. Christian symbolism is often present in the lyrics and cover art, as is the figure of Satan, used more as a shocking and macabre subject than as the antireligious device of 1990s' black metal subculture.


title: New wave of British heavy metal

text: Popular heavy rock bands such as Thin Lizzy, UFO and Judas Priest were already major successes and playing international arenas, when new heavy metal bands, composed of younger people, debuted in small venues in many cities in the UK. The country's larger venues were usually reserved for chart-topping disco music, because their use as rock music clubs was considered less profitable. Like most British bands in the past, the new groups spent their formative years playing live in clubs, pubs, dance halls and social circles for low wages; this training honed their skills, created a dedicated local fan base and enabled them to come in contact with managers and record label agents.


title: New wave of British heavy metal

text: Angel Witch, Iron Maiden, Praying Mantis and Samson from London, Son of a Bitch (later Saxon) from Barnsley, Diamond Head from Stourbridge, Marseille from Liverpool, White Spirit from Hartlepool, Witchfynde from Derbyshire, Vardis from Wakefield, Def Leppard from Sheffield, Raven and Tygers of Pan Tang from around Newcastle, and Holocaust from Edinburgh were the most important metal bands founded between 1975 and 1977 that animated the club scene in their respective cities and towns. The first bands of the newborn musical movement competed for space in venues with punk outfits, often causing clubs to specialise, presenting only punk or only rock and hard rock. Differences in ideology, attitude and looks also caused heated rivalries between the two audiences. What punk and NWOBHM musicians had in common was their "do-it-yourself" attitude toward the music business and the consequent practice of self-production and self-distribution of recorded material in the form of audio cassette demos, or privately pressed singles, aimed initially at local supporters.


title: New wave of British heavy metal

text: It also led to the birth and diffusion of small independent record labels, often an extension of record shops and independent recording studios, which sometimes produced both punk and metal releases. Indie labels are considered important to the movement's evolution, because they removed the intrusion of corporate business which had hindered rock music in the late 1970s, giving local bands the chance to experiment with more extreme forms of music.


title: New wave of British heavy metal

text: While British and international media covered punk intensively, the new grassroots metal movement remained underground until 1978, largely ignored by popular music magazines such as "New Musical Express", "The Face" and "Melody Maker" and by radio stations. News about the bands and music circulated by word-of-mouth and fanzines, or through interested DJs, who travelled the country from club to club. Neal Kay was one of those DJs; he started to work in 1975 at a called The Bandwagon in Kingsbury, North West London, housed in the back-room of the Prince of Wales pub and equipped with a massive sound system. He transformed his nights at The Bandwagon into The Heavy Metal Soundhouse, a spot specialising in hard rock and heavy metal music and a place to listen to albums of established acts and to demos of new bands, which circulated among fans through cassette trading. NWOBHM International Heroes' lead singer and songwriter, Sean T. Wright, was a renowned cassette trader at the time.


title: New wave of British heavy metal

text: Besides participating in air guitar competitions and watching live shows, the audience could also vote for Kay's selections. The DJ made a weekly Heavy Metal Top 100 list of the most requested songs at The Soundhouse, by both newcomers and established bands and sent it to record shops and to the music journal "Sounds", the only paper that showed interest in the developing scene. Many young musicians realised that they were not alone in playing metal only through that weekly list, which included bands from all over the country. At the time, Geoff Barton was a staffer at "Sounds" who wrote features on the new up-and-coming metal bands and was pivotal in directing the developing subculture of metalheads with his articles. At the suggestion of his editor Alan Lewis, and in an attempt to find a common stylistic element in the bands' music, he used the term "New Wave of British Heavy Metal" for the first time in his review of a gig on the "Metal Crusade" tour featuring Angel Witch, Iron Maiden and Samson at The Music Machine in London on 8 May 1979. The term soon became the identifier for the whole movement.


title: New wave of British heavy metal

text: Compilation albums featuring bands from the nascent movement started to circulate, issued by Neat Records, Heavy Metal Records and Ebony Records, companies that became leaders in the independent metal label market during the 1980s. The fresh outlet of Neal Kay's chart, the attention of "Sounds" and the many compilations issued by independent labels, focused the efforts of the new bands on producing demos and singles. Iron Maiden's "The Soundhouse Tapes" is one of the best known collections of such demos. As Barton recalled: "There were hundreds of these bands. Maybe even thousands. Barely a day would go by without a clutch of new NWOBHM singles arriving in the "Sounds" office."


title: New wave of British heavy metal

text: Tommy Vance, a BBC radio host, took notice of the phenomenon and played singles by the new metal bands on his late night "Friday Rock Show" on BBC Radio 1. Along with John Peel's broadcast, Vance's was the only mainstream radio show to feature songs from underground metal acts, many of whom were invited to play live at BBC studios under the supervision of long-time collaborator and producer, Tony Wilson. Alice's Restaurant Rock Radio, a pirate FM radio station in London, also championed the new bands on air and with their own "roadshow" in rock pubs and clubs.


title: New wave of British heavy metal

text: Despite the transition of the young bands from being local attractions to touring extensively in the UK, major record labels' A&R agents still did not recognise the rising new trend. Thus, most new bands signed contracts with small independent labels, which could afford only limited printings of singles and albums and usually offered only national distribution. Many other bands, including Iron Maiden, Def Leppard and Diamond Head, self-produced their first releases and sold them through mail order or at concerts. Saxon were the first to sign with an internationally distributed label, the French Carrere Records, followed by Def Leppard with Phonogram in August 1979, and Iron Maiden with EMI in December 1979. In early 1980, EMI tested the market with the Neal Kay-compiled album "Metal for Muthas" and a UK tour of the bands that had contributed to the compilation, eventually signing Angel Witch (who were dropped after the release of their first single) and Ethel the Frog.


title: New wave of British heavy metal

text: "Sounds" gave "Metal for Muthas" a poor review, but the album was nevertheless a commercial success and may have been instrumental in encouraging major labels to sign a few more bands. A II Z, Fist, White Spirit and Praying Mantis were dropped after the release of their debut albums, while Tygers of Pan Tang, Samson, More, Demon and Girlschool had more success and lasted longer on major labels' line-ups. The new releases by these bands were better produced and some of them, with the support of intensive tours in the UK and Europe, obtained good chart results. The best chart performances of that period were for Iron Maiden's debut album "Iron Maiden" and for "Wheels of Steel" by Saxon, which reached No. 4 and No. 5 on the UK Albums Chart respectively, while their singles "Running Free", "Wheels of Steel" and "747 (Strangers in the Night)" entered the UK Singles Chart Top 50. The immediate consequence of that success was increased media coverage for metal bands, which included appearances on the British music TV shows "Top of the Pops" and "The Old Grey Whistle Test". The emergence of many new bands in the period between 1978 and 1980 was another remarkable effect of the promotion of the movement to a relevant national phenomenon.


title: New wave of British heavy metal

text: The momentum behind the NWOBHM also benefited already established bands, which reclaimed the spotlight with new and acclaimed releases. Ex-Deep Purple singer Ian Gillan returned to sing heavy metal with the album "Mr. Universe" in 1979 and was on the forefront of the British metal scene with his band Gillan in the following years. His former Deep Purple bandmate Ritchie Blackmore also climbed the UK charts with his hard rock group Rainbow's releases "Down to Earth" (1979) and "Difficult to Cure" (1981). Black Sabbath recovered and returned to success with the albums "Heaven and Hell" (1980) and "Mob Rules" (1981), featuring the ex-Rainbow singer Ronnie James Dio. 1980 saw several other entries by hard rock and heavy metal bands in the top 10 of the British charts: MSG's first album peaked at No. 8, Whitesnake's "Ready an' Willing" at No. 6, Judas Priest's best-seller "British Steel" and Motörhead's "Ace of Spades" at No. 4, while "Back in Black" by AC/DC reached number one.


title: New wave of British heavy metal

text: As proof of the successful revival of the British hard rock and metal scene, tours and gigs of old and new acts were sold out, both at home and in other European countries, where the movement had spread. Groups arising from the NWOBHM were no longer precluded from world tours and were often chosen as opening acts for major bands in arenas and stadiums. Iron Maiden supported Kiss in Europe in 1980, embarking on their first world tour as headliners in 1981, as well as opening for Judas Priest and UFO in the US. Def Leppard visited the US for the first time in 1980 for a three-month trek supporting Pat Travers, Judas Priest, Ted Nugent, AC/DC and Sammy Hagar. Saxon opened for Judas Priest in Europe and for Rush and AC/DC in the US in 1981. NWOBHM bands were already present on the roster of the famous Reading Festival in 1980, and were quickly promoted to headliners for the 1981 and 1982 events. The 1980 edition was also remarkable for the violent protests against Def Leppard, whose declared interest in the American market was received badly by British fans. In addition to Reading, a new festival called Monsters of Rock was created in 1980 at Castle Donington, England, to showcase only hard rock and heavy metal acts.


title: New wave of British heavy metal

text: The NWOBHM eventually found space in newspapers and music magazines other than "Sounds", as journalists caught up with the "next big thing" happening in the UK. "Melody Maker" even published a weekly heavy metal chart based on record shop sales. "Sounds" publisher exploited his support of the movement to launch the first issue of "Kerrang!", a colour magazine directed by Geoff Barton devoted exclusively to hard rock and heavy metal, in June 1981. "Kerrang!" was an unexpected success and soon became the reference magazine for metalheads worldwide, followed shortly by the American "Circus" and "Hit Parader", the Dutch "Aardschok", the German "Metal Hammer" and the British "Metal Forces". The attention of international media meant more record sales and more world tours for NWOBHM bands, whose albums entered many foreign charts. Their attempts to climb the British charts culminated in Iron Maiden's "The Number of the Beast" topping the UK Albums Chart on 10 April 1982 and staying at number 1 for two weeks. The album charted at number 33 in the US, where the band acquired a reputation as Devil-worshippers due to the album cover's depiction of a hellish scene.


title: New wave of British heavy metal

text: The success of the music produced by the movement and its passage from underground phenomenon to mainstream genre, prompted its main promoter Geoff Barton to declare the NWOBHM finished in 1981. He felt disappointed by the low quality of the new bands and frustrated by the ease with which record labels exploited enthusiasm for heavy metal. Coincidentally, in the same year, the Bandwagon was closed and the Prince of Wales pub was subsequently demolished to build a restaurant. Although the movement had lost some of its appeal for diehard fans, as evidenced by the increased popularity of American-influenced AOR releases on sales-based national polls, it retained enough vitality to launch a second wave of bands, which rose from the underground and released their first albums in 1982 and 1983.


title: New wave of British heavy metal

text: NWOBHM bands had been touring steadily in the United States, but had not yet received enough FM radio airplay there to make a significant impression on American charts. Def Leppard remedied that, releasing "Pyromania" at the beginning of 1983, an album with a more melodic and FM-friendly approach in comparison with the more aggressive sound of their earlier music. The band's goal of reaching a wider international audience, which included many female fans, was attained completely in the US, where "Pyromania" peaked at No. 2 on the "Billboard" 200 chart behind Michael Jackson's "Thriller". Thanks to a string of hit singles and the heavy rotation of their music videos on the recently launched MTV, the album had sold more than six millions copies in the US by 1984 and made Def Leppard superstars. The overwhelming international success of "Pyromania" induced both American and British bands to follow Def Leppard's example, giving a decisive boost to the more commercial and melodic glam metal and heralding the end of the NWOBHM.


title: New wave of British heavy metal

text: The UK had been a home for music video pioneers. When the music video cable channel MTV started broadcasting in 1982, the importance of videos abruptly grew, changing the video from an occasional promotional tool to an indispensable means of reaching an audience. MTV filled its programmes with many hard rock and heavy metal videos, but these were too expensive for bands who either had no recording contract or had signed to small, independent labels. Moreover, music videos exalted the visual appeal of a band, an area where some British metal groups were deficient. So the NWOBHM suffered the same decline as other musical phenomena that were based on low-budget productions and an underground following. Many of its leaders, such as Diamond Head, Tygers of Pan Tang, Angel Witch and Samson, were unable to follow up on their initial success; their attempts to update their look and sound to match new expectations of the wider audience not only failed, but also alienated their original fans.


title: New wave of British heavy metal

text: By the mid-1980s, image-driven, sex-celebrating glam metal emanating from Hollywood's Sunset Strip, spearheaded by Van Halen and followed by bands such as Mötley Crüe, Quiet Riot, Dokken, Great White, Ratt and W.A.S.P., quickly replaced other styles of metal in the tastes of many British rock fans. New Jersey act Bon Jovi and the Swedish Europe, thanks to their successful fusion of hard rock and romantic pop, also became very popular in the UK, with the former even headlining the 1987 Monsters of Rock Festival. Record companies latched on to the more polished glam metal subgenre over the NWOBHM bands, which maintained a fan base elsewhere in Europe, but found themselves crowded out of the UK and US markets by the success of these American groups. While the attention devoted to the NWOBHM bands waned, a new succession of far less mainstream metal subgenres began to emerge and attract many British metalheads. Power metal and thrash metal, both stemming from the NWOBHM and maintaining much of its ethos, were gaining critical acclaim and commercial success in the second half of the 1980s with their even faster and heavier sound. Bands such as Helloween, Savatage, Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, and Anthrax captured much of the market share of those metalheads who were not content with the sound or style of more mainstream, pop-oriented metal bands.


title: New wave of British heavy metal

text: "The N.W.O.B.H.M. Encyclopedia" by Malc Macmillan lists more than 500 recording bands established in the decade between 1975 and 1985 and related to the movement. Probably as many bands launched in the same period, but never emerged from their local club scene, or recorded nothing more than demo tapes or limited pressings of self-produced singles. The record labels' lack of interest, poor management of bands, internal struggles and musical choices that turned off much of their original fan base, resulted in most groups disbanding and disappearing by the end of the decade. A few of the best known groups, such as Praying Mantis in Japan and Saxon, Demon and Tokyo Blade in mainland Europe, survived in foreign markets. Some others, namely Raven, Girlschool and Grim Reaper, tried to break through in the US market signing with American labels, but their attempts were unsuccessful. Two of the more popular bands of the movement, however, went on to considerable, lasting success. Iron Maiden has since become one of the most commercially successful and influential heavy metal bands of all time, even after adopting a more progressive style. Def Leppard became even more successful, targeting the American mainstream rock market with their more refined hard rock sound.


title: New wave of British heavy metal

text: The widespread popularity of the Internet in the late 1990s/early 2000s helped NWOBHM fans and musicians to reconnect and rekindle their shared enthusiasm. The NWOBHM experienced a minor underground revival, highlighted by the good sales of old vinyl and collectibles and by the demand for new performances. Statements of appreciation by metal bands of the 1990s, the success of tribute bands, the re-issues of old albums and the production of new thoroughly edited compilations, attracted the media's attention and encouraged many of the original groups to reunite for festival appearances and tours. According to Macmillan and AllMusic reviewer Eduardo Rivadavia, probably the most important of those compilation albums was "New Wave of British Heavy Metal '79 Revisited", compiled by Metallica's drummer Lars Ulrich and former "Sounds" and "Kerrang!" journalist Geoff Barton. It was released in 1990 as a double CD, featuring bands as obscure as Hollow Ground right through to the major acts of the era.


title: New wave of British heavy metal

text: A new publication called "Classic Rock", featuring Barton and many of the writers from "Kerrang!"'s first run, championed the NWOBHM revival and continues to focus much of its attention on rock acts from the 1980s. Starting in the 2000s, many reunited bands recorded new albums and revisited their original styles, abandoned in the second half of the 1980s. Their presence, at metal festivals and on the international rock club circuit, has been constant ever since.


title: New wave of British heavy metal

text: The NWOBHM triggered a renaissance in a stagnant rock genre, but took on heavy criticism for the excessive local media hype surrounding a legion of typically mediocre musicians. Detractors think that, unlike heavy metal of the preceding decades, their music was unoriginal and included no classic rock recordings. Nevertheless, these bands and their diverse output offered a blueprint that counterparts across the Western world would later emulate and expand. The collision of styles that characterised the NWOBHM is now seen as key to the diversification of heavy metal in the second half of the 1980s into various subgenres that came to the fore in the 1990s. The stardom of Def Leppard in the US provided a catalyst for the growth of glam metal, just as bands like Angel Witch, Witchfynde, Cloven Hoof and especially Venom generated the music, lyrics, cover art and attitude that sparked black metal in its various forms in Europe and America. Motörhead, Iron Maiden, Raven, Tank, Venom and several minor groups are viewed as precursors of speed metal and thrash metal, two subgenres which carried forward the crossover with punk, incorporating elements of hardcore while amplifying volume, velocity and aggressive tone.


title: New wave of British heavy metal

text: Starting around 1982, distant points such as North America, West Germany, and Brazil each became the locus of its own distinctive thrash metal scenes – East Coast and Bay Area, Teutonic, and Brazilian thrash metal. Their debt to the NWOBHM was acknowledged for example by Metallica's Lars Ulrich, an active fan and avid collector of NWOBHM recordings and memorabilia. Under his influence, the setlists of Metallica's early shows were filled with covers of British metal groups. The sound of the NWOBHM even "cross-pollinated" a subgenre of punk, as UK 82 street punk bands like Discharge blended punk music with elements of metal. The birth of speed metal in the early 1980s was also pivotal for the evolution of power metal in the latter half of the decade, as exemplified by Helloween from Germany, and Manowar, Savatage, and Virgin Steele from the US.


title: New wave of British heavy metal

text: Since the beginning of the NWOBHM, North American bands like Anvil, Riot, Twisted Sister, Manowar, Virgin Steele, The Rods, Hellion, Cirith Ungol, and Exciter had a continuous exchange with the other side of the Atlantic, where their music was appreciated by British metalheads. In this climate of reciprocity, Manowar and Virgin Steele initially signed with the British indie label Music for Nations, while Twisted Sister recorded their first two albums in London.


title: New wave of British heavy metal

text: The sound of Japanese bands Earthshaker, Loudness, Anthem and other minor groups was also influenced by the NWOBHM, whose British sound engineers were used for their early albums. The Japanese band Bow Wow even transferred to England to be part of the British metal scene. Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Belgium, Netherlands, France, Spain and Yugoslavia promptly welcomed the new British bands and spawned imitators almost immediately. Acts like Accept, Grave Digger, Sinner and Warlock from Germany, E. F. Band from Sweden, Mercyful Fate from Denmark, Killer and Ostrogoth from Belgium, Picture and Bodine from the Netherlands, Trust and Nightmare from France, Barón Rojo and Ángeles del Infierno from Spain, Gordi, Orange and Warriors from Yugoslavia, and Luzbel from Mexico formed between 1978 and 1982 and were heavily influenced by the sound of the NWOBHM. Many of these bands signed with the Dutch Roadrunner Records or with the Belgian Mausoleum Records, independent labels that also published recordings of British NWOBHM acts.


The Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) (; abbr. CPN (UML)) is the second largest political party in Nepal. As per the results of recent elections, "CPN (UML)" stands as the second largest party of Nepal at all levels of government. There have been four prime ministers from the party while the party has led the government five times. CPN (UML) currently serves as the opposition in the Federal Parliament of Nepal and all of the seven provincial assemblies. As of 2021, the party claims to have nearly 600,000 members.


title: Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist)

text: CPN (UML) was the main opposition after the first election following the restoration of multi-party democracy. The party led a minority government under Manmohan Adhikari following the 1994 election. The party joined a coalition government with CPN (Maoist) in 2008 in the first elections after the end of monarchy in Nepal and led two governments under Madhav Kumar Nepal and Jhala Nath Khanal during the term of the 1st Constituent Assembly. The party also led the first government after the promulgation of the new constitution with KP Sharma Oli serving as prime minister. Oli again served as prime minister following the 2017 election.


text: The party was formed in January 1991 after the merger of the Communist Party of Nepal (Marxist) and the Communist Party of Nepal (Marxist–Leninist). The party merged with CPN (Maoist Centre) to form the Nepal Communist Party on 17 May 2018 but the new party was dissolved and CPN (UML) was revived by a Supreme Court decision on 8 March 2021.


text: The United Left Front was formed in 1990 to protest the Panchayat system and restore multi-party democracy. They organized a joint movement with the Nepali Congress, and King Birendra yielded to their Jana Andolan in November 1990. Two constituents of the United Left Front, CPN (Marxist) and CPN (Marxist–Leninist), merged on 6 January 1991 to form the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) before the 1991 elections, and the United Left Front became inactive.


text: In the 1991 elections, the party won 69 of 205 seats and was the second-largest party in the House of Representatives. Man Mohan Adhikari was elected head of the parliamentary group, and became the Leader of the Opposition in May 1991. On 28 June 1991, CPN (Burma) which had reconstituted itself after breaking away from CPN (United) merged into the party. The fifth party congress was held in Kathmandu in January 1993, and People's Multiparty Democracy was adopted as its main ideology. The same ideology of People's Multiparty Democracy theorized by Madhan Bhandari made it one of the most prominent political parties in years to come. In the fifth party congress, Adhikari was elected chairman, and Madan Bhandari was elected general secretary. Bhandari was killed in a vehicle accident in Chitwan later that year, and Madhav Kumar Nepal became the party's general secretary. In November 1993, CPN (Amatya) led by Tulsi Lal Amatya, which had also broken off from CPN (United), merged into the party.


text: After the mid-term elections in 1994, the party won 88 of 205 seats in a hung parliament and formed a minority government under Man Mohan Adhikari. The government lasted for nine months after Adhikari was forced to resign when he lost a no-confidence motion in September 1995. The party was back in the government in March 1997, after supporting the Lokendra Bahadur Chand-led Rastriya Prajatantra Party government. Following dissension in the RPP, Lokendra Bahadur Chand resigned and CPN (UML) returned to the opposition.


text: The party faced its first split in March 1998, after disagreements about a water-sharing agreement with India. The new party formed with 46 legislators from the mother party as the Communist Party of Nepal (Marxist–Leninist), under the leadership of Bam Dev Gautam. The party joined the government again in December 1998, backing the Girija Prasad Koirala-led Nepali Congress–Nepal Sadbhawana Party coalition government. In the 1999 elections, the party won 70 of 205 seats and was the second-largest party in the House of Representatives.


text: Most members of the Communist Party of Nepal (Marxist–Leninist) rejoined the parent party on 15 February 2002, while other members led by Chandra Prakash Mainali decided to restructure the party. The party's seventh general convention was held in Janakpur on February 1–6, 2003. The convention decided to abolish the post of party chair, vacant after the death of Man Mohan Adhikari and Madhav Kumar Nepal was unanimously reelected as general secretary of the party.When King Gyanendra dissolved Parliament and sacked Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba of Nepali Congress in 2003, five other parties protested his decision. However, when Deuba was reinstated CPN (UML) joined the provisional government with Bharat Mohan Adhikari as deputy prime minister. This government was dissolved by the king on 1 February 2005 and Seven Party Alliance was formed to protest his decision. Following an agreement with the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), a joint struggle was launched against the king's direct rule. On 10 April 2006, the parliament was reconvened by the king and a government was formed under Congress leader Girija Prasad Koirala.


text: In the 2008 Constituent Assembly elections, the party won 108 of 605 seats and finished third. Madhav Kumar Nepal resigned as general secretary, and was replaced by Jhala Nath Khanal. The party backed Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) candidate Pushpa Kamal Dahal, and joined his government in August 2008. Khanal was elected party chairman and Ishwor Pokhrel general secretary by the eighth general convention in Butwal in February 2009.


text: In early May 2009, the CPN (UML) joined several other parties in leaving Dahal's coalition government after he sacked Army Chief of Staff Rookmangud Katawal. Following their withdrawal, they formed a new coalition government with the Nepali Congress and the Madhesi Jana Adhikar Forum under Madhav Kumar Nepal. Nepal resigned in June 2010 after failing to draft a new constitution. Following more than seven months of political stalemate, Khanal was elected prime minister in February 2011 with support from the UCPN (Maoist). He resigned in August after he failed to reach a consensus with the other parties on drafting a new constitution and the peace process. The party joined the next government, led by Baburam Bhattarai, on 28 August 2011. On November 2012, Ashok Kumar Rai broke away from the party along with other indigenous leaders and formed the Federal Socialist Party claiming that the party failed to address their concerns during the discussions for promulgation of the constitution.


text: Following Bhattarai's dissolution of the 1st Constituent Assembly after its failure to draft a new constitution before the deadline, the CPN (UML) became the second-largest party after winning 175 of 575 elected seats in the 2013 elections. The party joined a coalition government under Sushil Koirala with the ruling Nepali Congress and the Rastriya Prajatantra Party. In July 2014, Khadga Prasad Oli became party chair after he defeated Madhav Kumar Nepal in the party's ninth general convention.


text: The new constitution was delivered by the coalition government government on 20 September 2015. After the new constitution was drafted, Sushil Koirala resigned and party chairman Khadga Prasad Oli was elected prime minister with support from the UCPN (Maoist), the Rastriya Prajatantra Party Nepal and other parties. Oli resigned in July 2016 before a motion of no confidence supported by the Nepali Congress and the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre).


text: In the 2017 local elections, 14,099 councilors, including 294 municipal mayors and rural chairs, were elected from the party to local governments. Candidates for the party were elected as mayors in major cities, including the two largest cities Kathmandu and Pokhara Lekhnath.


text: UserThe party announced an alliance with the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) before the 2017 legislative and provincial elections. The party won 121 seats, becoming the largest party in the House of Representatives, and became the largest party in six of Nepal's seven provinces. After the election, the party maintained its alliance with the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) and formed coalition governments in Nepal's centre and six of the seven provinces. According to the power-sharing agreement, the CPN (UML) would lead governments in Province 1, Province 3, Province 4 and Province 5. In accordance with the agreement Sher Dhan Rai, Dormani Paudel, Prithivi Subba Gurung and Shankar Pokharel were appointed as chief ministers of their respective provinces.


text: In the 6 February 2018 National Assembly election, the CPN (UML) won 27 of 56 contested seats and again became the country's largest party. Party chairman Oli was elected the party's parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives and appointed prime minister on February 15. Bidya Devi Bhandari was re-elected president on March 13. After eight months of planning, the Unification Coordination Committee met to finalize plans for the merger of Nepal's biggest left-wing parties. On 17 May 2018, the party was dissolved and a new party, the Nepal Communist Party was formed from the CPN (UML) and the CPN (Maoist Centre).


text: On 8 March 2021, the Supreme Court of Nepal stated that the allocation of the name "Nepal Communist Party" upon the merger of the CPN (UML) and CPN (Maoist Centre), and by extension the merger itself, was void ab initio, as the name was already allotted to a party led by Rishiram Kattel, and that the NCP stood "dismissed". The Election Commission on 9 March 2021 formally split the party and the CPN (UML) was revived. Four members of the House of Representatives and one member of the National Assembly for CPN (Maoist Centre) also defected to CPN (UML) during the split but were dismissed as parliamentarians following their defection.KP Sharma Oli lost a no-confidence motion on 9 May 2021 but was reappointed as prime minister four days later after the opposition failed to prove a majority. Chief minister of Gandaki, Prithvi Subba Gurung resigned before a no-confidence motion and chief Minister of Lumbini, Shankar Pokharel also lost a no-confidence motion but were similarly reappointed after the opposition failed to prove their majority.


text: A cabinet meeting chaired by prime minister and party chairman KP Sharma Oli recommended the president to dissolve the House of Representatives on 22 May 2021 after members of his party led by former prime ministers Madhav Kumar Nepal and Jhala Nath Khanal supported Nepali Congress leader Sher Bahadur Deuba as the next prime minister. The Supreme Court reinstated the House of Representatives on 12 July 2021 and Oli resigned from his post the next day and Deuba was appointed prime minister. Twenty-two members of the CPN (UML) voted for Deuba during his confidence vote defying the party whip.


text: The party also lost its government in Gandaki and Lumbini with Gurung losing a no-confidence motion and Pokharel resigning. Province 1 chief minister, Sher Dhan Rai and Bagmati chief minister Dormani Paudel were replaced in August of that year after losing support within their parliamentary party. They were replaced by Bhim Acharya and Asta Laxmi Shakya respectively who were elected by the parliamentary party.


text: On 25 August 2021, former prime ministers Madhav Kumar Nepal and Jhala Nath Khanal split from the party along with 55 members of the Central Committee, 25 members of the House of Representatives and seven members of the National Assembly and formed the CPN (Unified Socialist). Following the split, the party lost its majority in Bagmati and Province 1 and Shakya and Acharya resigned following which the party was in opposition in all seven provinces.


text: The 10th National Convention of the party was held in Chitwan between 26 and 29 November 2021. The convention reelected KP Sharma Oli as the party chair. Hridayesh Tripathi who had been elected to the House of Representatives from the CPN (UML) formed a separate party, the People's Progressive Party in December 2021. Bamdev Gautam who served as the senior vice-chairman left the party in September 2021 and in June 2022 announced the formation of CPN (Unity National Campaign).


text: In the 2022 local elections, 11,929 councillors were elected from the party including 206 mayors and rural chairs. The party lost their mayoral seats in Kathmandu and Pokhara and failed to win the mayoral elections in any of the six metropolitan cities in the country.


text: The party formed electoral pacts with People's Socialist Party, Rastriya Prajatantra Party and other minor parties to contest the 2022 general and provincial elections. Former deputy prime minister and Rastriya Prajatantra Party Nepal chair Kamal Thapa also contested the election under the party's electoral symbol. Influential leaders and incumbent members of parliament including Bhim Rawal, Ghanashyam Bhusal and Ram Bir Manandhar were denied tickets from the party. Bhusal and Manandhar later filed their candidacy as independents. Leaders associated with former MP Prabhu Sah who had joined the party from CPN (Maoist Centre) in 2021 also decided to contest the election as independents following dissatisfaction with the electoral pact with People's Socialist Party in Madhesh. The three leaders were later supported by the Democratic Left Alliance during the elections.


text: The guiding principle of the party is Marxism–Leninism and it supports a socialism oriented economy but within the confines of a parliamentary system of governance. The party had adopted the line of People's Multiparty Democracy which was proposed by Madan Bhandari at the party's 5th National Convention in 1993. The party supports the establishment of a welfare system that guarantees social security and social justice to all citizens.


text: The election symbol of CPN (UML) is the sun which is also present in the party logo. The hammer and sickle, a common symbol of communism, is also used in the party flag and logo. The party constitution determines that a golden hammer and sickle inside a red sun is the party's logo.


text: The National Convention is the supreme body of CPN (UML) and it is organized every five years by the party's Central Committee. The national convention elects the central secretariat and the central committee of the party. The convention also discusses and approves political documents, organisational proposals and amendments to the party constitution.


text: The Central Committee of the party is the highest decision making body within general conventions and is responsible to the national convention. The National Convention elects a Central Secretariat consisting of a chair, a senior vice-chair, six vice-chairs, one general secretary, three deputy general secretaries and seven secretaries. The Central Secretariat along with other elected members make up the 301-member Central Committee of the party. The chairs of the seven provincial committees of the party are also ex-officio members of the Central Committee. One-third of the committee is also required to be female. The Central Committee also elects a 99-member Politburo and a 45-member Standing Committee among its members.


text: When the Central Committee is not in session the Politburo is the highest decision making body, the Standing Committee follows the Politburo in hierarchy and the Central Secretariat follows the Standing Committee. The National Convention also elects a Central Disciplinary Commission, a Central Accounts Commission and a Central Electoral Commission. A Central Advisory Council can also be formed by the Central Committee if needed.


text: Party committees exist at the provincial, district, local, ward and neighborhood level. In addition to this the party has a separate special committee in the Kathmandu Valley which is in the same level as the provincial committees in the party. The provincial committee holds a provincial convention every four years and the rest of the committees hold a convention every three years except for neighborhood committees which hold a convention every two years. The convention elects the leadership and members of the committee which is the supreme decision making body in between conventions. The party also has organisational committees for areas where the party does not have presence yet.


title: Ben Reilly

text: Benjamin "Ben" Reilly (), also known as the Scarlet Spider, is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Grown in a lab by the Miles Warren / Jackal, he is a clone of Peter Parker / Spider-Man tasked with fighting the hero but instead becoming an ally, later even regarded as a "brother". Created by writer Gerry Conway, the character first appeared in "The Amazing Spider-Man" #149 (October 1975) and is seemingly killed in the same issue. The character returned and featured prominently in the 1994-96 "Clone Saga" storyline, adopting the "Scarlet Spider" alias with a costume similar to Spider-Man's consisting of a red spandex bodysuit and mask complemented by a blue sleeveless hoodie sweatshirt adorned with a large spider symbol on both sides, along with a utility belt and bulkier web-shooters. This Scarlet Spider costume was designed by artist Tom Lyle. When Peter Parker temporarily left the Spider-Man role, Ben became the new Spider-Man while wearing a new costume variation designed by artist Mark Bagley. However, Reilly dies at the hands of Norman Osborn / Green Goblin, sacrificing himself to save Parker who then resumes the Spider-Man role.


title: Ben Reilly

text: In 2017's "" story, the character is revealed to be alive, his mind forcibly transferred to new clone bodies by the Jackal repeatedly before his resurrection was successful. Driven mad by the experience of being reborn and dying repeatedly, he became the new Jackal and started his own criminal enterprise. After being defeated by Spider-Man and others, Reilly reclaims his Scarlet Spider identity in the series "Ben Reilly: The Scarlet Spider". Reimagined as an antihero, he first hopes to escape his past then embarks on a spiritual quest to redeem himself. This arc is completed in "Spider-Geddon" (2018), during which he sacrifices himself to protect others when his life force is absorbed by an enemy who inadvertently absorbs his many death traumas as well. Ben is then resurrected in a new clone body, his mind and soul healed and restored. During the events of the 2021-2022 storyline "Beyond", Ben temporally become Spider-Man again, only for him to have his memories purged from him and becoming a new villain called Chasm. Due to his many resurrections in different clone bodies, the 2017–2018 comic series "Ben Reilly: The Scarlet Spider" states he has died and returned more than anyone else in the Marvel Universe, leading to him becoming favored by Lady Death.


title: Ben Reilly

text: Ben Reilly was first featured as Spider-Man in "The Amazing Spider-Man" #149 as a nameless clone of Peter Parker who seemingly dies alongside his creator the Jackal, who had also created a clone of Parker's lost love Gwen Stacy. The events of the issue were later revisited in several comics such as "What If" #30. Asked why he created the character, writer Gerry Conway explained:


title: Ben Reilly

text: Though Conway had no intention of using the character beyond this initial story in which he dies, Reilly returned to the comics during the "Clone Saga", which ran from October 1994 to December 1996 through all five of the concurrent Spider-Man titles — "The Amazing Spider-Man", "Web of Spider-Man", "", "Spider-Man Unlimited", and "The Spectacular Spider-Man". Editor Danny Fingeroth directed the Spider-Man artists to design a costume for the character which would stand out from conventional superhero costumes by emphasizing simple functionality rather than flash. The artists worked on costume ideas independently, and according to Mark Bagley, Tom Lyle's "hoodie" design won unanimous approval among them. The original costume was later replaced by an updated Spider-Man costume designed by Bagley with minor alterations by Bob Budiansky.


title: Ben Reilly

text: Between November and December 1995, the Scarlet Spider replaced Spider-Man in all five of the comics' titles, which were renamed "The Amazing Scarlet Spider", "Web of Scarlet Spider", "Scarlet Spider", "Scarlet-Spider Unlimited", and "The Spectacular Scarlet Spider". Reilly was also featured prominently in the supplemental material provided for the storyline, including "Spider-Man: The Lost Years" and "Spider-Man: Clone Journals". The storyline was later revisited in "What If" (vol. 2) #86. Reilly was passed the mantle of Spider-Man and was featured throughout the Spider-Man titles "The Amazing Spider-Man", "The Spectacular Spider-Man", "Spider-Man", "Spider-Man Unlimited", and "The Sensational Spider-Man", which replaced "Web of Spider-Man" as an ongoing monthly title. Reilly remained as the featured Spider-Man between January and December 1996. During this period, the character also featured in two intercompany crossovers "DC vs. Marvel" with DC Comics and "Backlash/Spider-Man" with Image Comics.


title: Ben Reilly

text: Though the character has not been used in mainstream continuity since his death in "Spider-Man" #75, the character is often alluded to and provided the foundation to the backstory in the Spider-Girl mythology. In January 2009, Reilly returned to comics as Spider-Man in the third part of Marvel's "X-Men/Spider-Man" miniseries. Written by Christos Gage, the series explores episodes in the histories of both the X-Men and Spider-Man, sticking thoroughly to the source material of the time frames that the stories take place in. Issue #3 marked the first new adventure featuring Reilly in more than 12 years. Starting in 2009, and continuing into 2010, Marvel published a six-issue miniseries titled "Spider-Man: The Clone Saga" that was a retelling of the story as it had originally been envisioned. In 2010, Marvel began collecting the story in trade paperback and hardcover forms (). The epic spans five books and covers Reilly's time on the road, through his encounters with Peter and Mary Jane Watson, up to his role as the Scarlet Spider, as the lone spider hero in New York.


title: Ben Reilly

text: On July 25, 2010, at the San Diego Comic-Con, fans expressed their desire to see a return of Ben Reilly. To this, assistant editor Tom Brennan replied, "It's being worked on". During the 2011 San Diego Comic-Con, a teaser image was posted on Marvel.com of Reilly's shirt in flames, entitled "The return of The Scarlet Spider?" It is revealed in "The Amazing Spider-Man" #673 and the Marvel "Point One" one-shot that Kaine will be the new Scarlet Spider in his own ongoing series, which was confirmed by editor Steve Wacker in the "Letters to the Editor" page of #673. Later, Ben Reilly in his Scarlet Spider uniform appears to be fighting Kaine on the cover of "Scarlet Spider" #21. At the climax of the issue it is revealed that this is Kraven the Hunter impersonating Reilly.


title: Ben Reilly

text: Ben Reilly returns in the storyline "", where it was revealed that he was repeatedly killed and resurrected by the Jackal as the villain tried to perfect a new cloning process. Broken by the memory and experience of over two dozen deaths, Ben took control of the Jackal's scheme, even adopting the villain's name for himself, and created a new cloning process that included a better memory transfer but required the clone to ingest a pill on a daily basis to maintain their cellular composition, lest their flesh, muscles, organs, and bones deteriorate until only the nervous system, eyes, and brain remain. He eventually planned to save the human race from death and disease by killing everyone and transferring their memories to the super clones who could then continually have their memories transferred to new bodies if they ever suffered fatal injury, viewing these creations as continuations of the original person rather than copies and calling them "reanimates." After a final confrontation with Peter forces him to abandon his plans and resources, Ben relocates to Las Vegas. He initially tries to escape his past and punishment for his actions while being haunted by hallucinations, adopting the Scarlet Spider identity again. His experiences eventually help restore some of his sanity and set him back on the path to be a hero, and his appearance in the 2018 "Spider-Geddon" storyline finishes the redemption arc.


title: Ben Reilly

text: Professor Miles Warren, unhealthily obsessed with his late student Gwen Stacy who died at the Green Goblin's hands, attempts various experiments, learning Peter Parker was Spider-Man. Blaming the web-slinger for making Gwen as a target, the Jackal attempts to clone the hero. Parker's first clone suffers from clone degeneration and is dismissed, but successful clones of both Parker and Stacy with stable cell structures are later created. After multiple attacks on Spider-Man, the Jackal forces the hero and his clone to fight, each believing the other is the clone. The two team up to save Parker's colleague Ned Leeds and Gwen's clone. In the process, Warren and Spider-Man's clone appear to be killed in an explosion. Spider-Man's clone survives and realizes he is not the real Peter Parker. Rather than attempt to replace Parker, he leaves New York to embark on a nomadic life, dubbing himself "Ben Reilly" as a nod to his original self's uncle Ben Parker and May Parker's maiden surname.


title: Ben Reilly

text: During his travels, Ben Reilly befriends geneticist Seward Trainer, becoming the man's lab assistant and honing his scientific prowess to university graduate level under his mentorship. Ben trusts Trainer with his secrets and the man becomes a father figure. During his travels, Reilly is hunted by Kaine, the scarred and resentful failed clone of Peter Parker. Later, Reilly works with scientist Damon Ryder, who mutates himself into a man/dinosaur hybrid. An attack by Kaine causes a fire that kills Ryder's family, though the scientist blames Reilly for this tragedy. At one point, Reilly finds love with college student Janine Godbe who then reveals her true identity is Elizabeth Tyne, a fugitive who killed her father after enduring incestuous rape. After Janine apparently commits suicide out of guilt for her crime, Reilly continues his travels.


title: Ben Reilly

text: Five years after leaving New York City, Ben Reilly discovers May Parker suffered a stroke and may not recover. He returns to New York City, leading to a confrontation with the original Peter Parker who at this time is bitter, angry, and prone to violent rages following recent traumatic events. After the two handle a hostage situation at the mental hospital Ravencroft Institute, Peter attempts to reclaim his humanity and Ben decides to remain in the city for a while.


title: Ben Reilly

text: When Venom (Eddie Brock) goes on a rampage, Reilly decides to stop Venom, donning a red bodysuit along with a blue spider hoodie he buys at a museum. Armed with improved web-shooters he developed, he defeats Venom and is dubbed the "Scarlet Spider" by "Daily Bugle" reporter Ken Ellis (a name Ben dislikes at first). Ben and Peter later reunite and discover the Jackal is alive. After Seward Trainer finds indicators that Peter is actually the clone and Ben the original, Peter and Ben use his equipment and come to the same results. This leads into "Maximum Clonage" where the Jackal hopes to eliminate the human race with a new version of the Carrion virus and replace people with genetically improved clones. Initially feeling lost, Peter works with the Jackal and his new henchman, an evil clone called Spidercide. Eventually, Peter joins Ben in stopping the Jackal who seemingly falls to his death. Ben concedes he has no desire to be Spider-Man again since he has evolved into a different person.


title: Ben Reilly

text: After working with them to stop the Carrion virus, Scarlet Spider joins the New Warriors for a brief time and develops an attraction to teammate Firestar. After a few more adventures, Peter is nearly killed in action and decides to retire as Spider-Man to be a better husband and father. He and Mary Jane leave New York City. During gang warfare between the second Doctor Octopus and Alistair Smythe, a holographic duplicate of the Scarlet Spider ruins Reilly's costumed reputation with a vicious rampage. Reilly decides to drop the Scarlet Spider identity.


title: Ben Reilly

text: Ben Reilly adopts the Spider-Man identity with a new costume. Only a few heroes and villains realize this equivalent of Spider-Man is a different person than before. In his civilian life, Ben dyes his hair blonde and starts working at a café called the Daily Grind. He bonded with the Carnage symbiote as Spider-Carnage which John Jameson helped in removing. He starts a relationship with Jessica Carradine, a student at Centennial University with a personal vendetta against Spider-Man, convinced the hero is a murderer. Ben later discovers her late father was the burglar who killed Ben Parker and went into foster care after the man's arrest. Jessica then reveals her father told her he had been framed by the web-slinger for Ben Parker's murder. She blames the wall-crawling vigilante not only for taking away her parent, but for his death during another encounter with Spider-Man, unwilling to believe it was simply a heart-attack brought on by stress. After Jessica discovers Ben is Spider-Man, she confronts the truth of her father. She decides to start a new life on her own rather than remain with Reilly.


title: Ben Reilly

text: Ben's life and work are targeted by the Hobgoblin on orders of Spider-Man's old enemy Mendel Stromm, now called Gaunt. After Peter and Mary Jane return to New York, Ben realizes Seward Trainer has been working with Gaunt for years. Peter and Ben cement their relationship, now regarding each other as brothers and enjoying that they share the same childhood memories. Ben introduces Peter to the Daily Grind staff as his "cousin". Reilly's former lover Janine Godbe is revealed to be alive, forced to fake her death years ago by Kaine as a means of hurting Ben. After multiple confrontations, Kaine accepts he has been avoiding responsibility for his actions and turns himself over to the authorities. Inspired, Janine does the same.


title: Ben Reilly

text: Ben befriends Giachomo "Jimmy-6" Fortunato, who does not wish to follow the legacy of his crime-lord-father Vincente. Temporarily hiding from the mob, Jimmy-6 becomes Ben's roommate for a time.


title: Ben Reilly

text: During the 1996 "DC vs. Marvel" inter-company crossover, Ben Reilly winds up in the parallel reality of DC Comics. Not sure how to return home, he temporarily gets a photographer-job at the "Daily Planet" under the name Peter Parker and meets top reporters Lois Lane and Clark Kent. Eventually, two cosmic entities force fighters from both the DC and Marvel realities to engage in a series of duels. Reilly is chosen to fight Superboy, the hybrid-clone of Superman and Lex Luthor, and wins. Soon afterward, he and Superboy are temporarily merged into Spider-Boy, a hero of the Amalgam-Comics-universe created by a fusion of DC- and Marvel-realities. At the end of the crossover, the universes are restored and Ben is returned home.


title: Ben Reilly

text: During the ""-crossover, the Avengers, Fantastic Four, and others seemingly die. This leads Ben and Peter to later discuss the possibility of both operating as Spider-Men since New York is without many of its defenders now. Soon afterward, Trainer learns that Gaunt's secret boss is the long-thought-to-be-dead Norman Osborn. He attempts to warn Ben but is killed. After having both Ben and Peter captured, Osborn reveals himself to be the architect behind Parker's last few years of trauma, all part of a plan to drive the hero insane, including having Trainer create false lab results so he would mistakenly believe he was the clone and Reilly the original. Since Peter has withstood his many trials, Osborn has lost patience and decided to act directly. While Mary Jane is poisoned and loses her child in stillbirth, the original Goblin fights Parker. The battle ends when Reilly takes a fatal wound intended for Peter. Dying, he asks Peter to resume the role of Spider-Man and hopes that his and Mary Jane's child will be told about their "Uncle Ben". Reilly dies and his body decomposes rapidly, confirming he was actually a clone. Peter reclaims the Spider-Man identity. Not long afterward, Peter is accidentally transported to Counter-Earth where he finds the believed-to-be-dead Avengers and Fantastic Four still alive, joining them on their return home.


title: Ben Reilly

text: During the 2006 "Civil War" storyline, Peter Parker's identity is public and is wanted by authorities for being an unregistered superhero. Forced to go undercover, Peter briefly uses the pseudonym Ben Reilly and a holographic-disguise device given by the Beast.


title: Ben Reilly

text: The Avengers Initiative program later assigns three clones of the hero MVP to aid in the capture of the Sinister Syndicate. These clones adopt the identities of the Scarlet Spiders, each wearing a copy of the high-tech Iron Spider suit. Later on, the villain Mister Hyde gives Spider-Man's powers to a person who wears Ben's Scarlet Spider suit.


title: Ben Reilly

text: Ben's old associate turned enemy Damon Ryder, using the alias "Raptor", attacks Parker who is mistaken for Reilly and goaded by Kaine. Spider-Man defeats him.


title: Ben Reilly

text: Ben Reilly appears as part of the 2015 All-New, All-Different Marvel branding, in the form of the mysterious man in a brilliant red suit with a mask of Anubis, the jackal-headed Egyptian god of death. It is eventually revealed that Miles Warren survived "Maximum Clonage" and collected Ben's remains after the hero died at the hands of Norman Osborn. Warren clones Ben again, transferring all his memories including his death. When the new body has problems with cellular degradation, Warren kills Ben and tries again. He does this many times, with Ben's memory transfer ensuring he recalls each death leading up to his stable 27th body. Traumatized by the memory of 26 deaths, Ben breaks free, defeats Warren, and decides to use his technology and operation to prevent anyone else from suffering the tragedy of death. He adopts a mask of Anubis and as the new Jackal he improves process the cloning process, now seeing his new clone creations as "reanimates," continuations of the original person rather than simply copies. His reanimates seem improved in many ways but carry a latent form of a new Carrion virus in their cells.


title: Ben Reilly

text: Publicly, Reilly uses the company New U Technologies to offer cutting edge healing and organ replacement for people, even those with terminal conditions. Peter Parker, head of Parker Industries at the time, becomes suspicious and investigates. Reilly later reveals himself and shows he has resurrected people whose deaths have caused Spider-Man guilt, all of whom now live in a neighborhood-like facility called "Haven." Reilly asks Peter to join him and but the latter concludes the new Jackal is using power without considering the responsibility of his actions. A signal is activated that destabilizes the bodies of the reanimates, meaning the new airborne Carrion virus will now activate in most if not all of them. Reilly decides to let this plague spread across Earth so he can replace everyone with genetically improved reanimates, but his plan is stopped. With his own clone body breaking down, Reilly saves himself using New U Pills and Webware Technology, but now bears scars all over his face and body. After a brief confrontation with the original Jackal, Ben leaves to start a new life, still believing his work was for the good of humanity.


title: Ben Reilly

text: Relocating to Las Vegas, the disfigured Ben is tracked down by former New U Technologies client Cassandra Mercury, owner of the Mercury Rising casino, who wants revenge for his failure to cure her daughter Abigail's terminal disease. Ben buys time by telling Cassandra he can develop a cure in exchange for a lab and resources. He lives and works in the Mercury Rising casino, identifying himself as "Peter." During this time, Ben is haunted by hallucinations of his old self telling him to be more heroic and his Jackal self defending their actions. He steals a Spider-Man cosplayer's hooded costume, then later takes a copy of his original Scarlet Spider outfit from a Spider-Man fan. Operating at times as a vigilante, he uses harsher methods than before, sometimes using a gun to deliver nonlethal injuries.


title: Ben Reilly

text: Kaine Parker arrives in Las Vegas, desiring Ben's death for his actions as the Jackal. Reilly argues he is trying to cure Abigail Mercury's condition, but his untested serum backfires and kills the girl. Kaine attacks only to then be seemingly killed by the embodiment of Death. Death explains no other person has been brought back to life as often as Ben and this has corrupted his soul; one more resurrection will likely shatter his soul and sanity. She offers to restore Abigail or Kaine to life, but Ben asks her to save both and take him instead. Impressed, Death heals Kaine and Abigail and removes Ben's scars. During a later battle, Ben uses excessive force and regains scarring around an eye. Death explains he is still being tested and will manifest more scars again if he engages in corrupt behavior.


title: Ben Reilly

text: Ben later injects Abigail with what seems to be a blood sample from the angel Gabriel, though Abigail nevertheless succumbed to her fatal disease. The demon lord Mephisto then tricks Kaine into killing Reilly. The blood however had indeed saved Abigail, however not in the form everyone thought. Abigail actually ascended to an angelic level of existence and decides to resurrect Ben since Mephisto overstepped his bounds by arranging the man to die earlier than he should. Ben however refuses, remembering Death's warning that his soul will be shattered and he might become evil. Abigail assures him he's still a hero at heart and soon afterwards Ben awakes in a body bag in an ambulance. After escaping from the ambulance, he is confronted by Misty Beck, only for him to punch her through her stomach and exposes her true nature as an android. Ben quickly discovered that he had been driven sociopathic and he enjoyed it. He then assaulted Kaine and injured him, threatening him to leave Las Vegas if he survived. However, after he left, he soon broke down in an alleyway, crying.


title: Ben Reilly

text: During "Spider-Geddon", Otto Octavius recruits Kaine to help fight the Inheritors, vampiric beings who feed on the life force of animal totems, particularly Spider heroes across reality. Overhearing that the Inheritors plan to use New U Technologies to rebuild their cloning machine to ensure they can't die, Ben, still suffering from his evil soul, volunteers his services, wishing to prevent his technology from causing more harm. Octavius begrudgingly agrees only to apparently betray Ben later, by offering him to the Inheritors in exchange for leaving other Spiders alone. The Inheritor called Jennix takes Ben's life force, but also absorbs the experience of Ben's 27 deaths which drives the Inheritor insane, just as planned. Following his sacrifice and Jennix absorbing his death traumas, Octavius resurrects Ben a 28th time with his mindset and stability restored.


title: Ben Reilly

text: Returning to Las Vegas, Ben Reilly continues to operate as the Scarlet Spider and tries to restore his tarnished reputation by capturing thieves in the city of sin. Conan the Barbarian was also in the city on his quest for the powerful Serpent Crown when he was mistaken by Scarlet Spider for a criminal. He was caught off guard by Conan's ally Nyla Skin, which allowed Conan to easily take him out by throwing him into an electrical sign and knocking him out. While Reilly learned he had been making his rep among Las Vegas' criminal community, he didn't hold out long against Conan the Barbarian.


title: Ben Reilly

text: Ben Reilly returned to New York City and started working at the Metropolitan Museum of Art where he was first inspired to create the Scarlet Spider identity. He was recruited by Tony Stark/Iron Man alongside a quickly assembled team of heroes that included Misty Knight, Gargoyle, Frog-Man, Halcyon, and Hellcat. They were brought on board to help Iron Man save a captured James Rhodes from the reborn android from the future known as Korvac as he attempted to attain cosmic godhood once again by stealing power from Galactus' worldship.


title: Ben Reilly

text: At some as-yet unspecified point, Ben returns to Earth and is recruited by the Beyond Corporation, taking on the mantle of Spider-Man for a second time. He takes a newly modified costume designed by Beyond into the field when Bushwacker seizes control of a building in Dallas, Texas. Ben arrives to stop him, Bushwacker takes note of the new costume and asks when heroes like Ben ever have time to sew, before training his weapon on his hostages. Ben shields them from a blast with his own body, his costume is made of impact-thickening foam polymers that absorb the energy burst. Bushwacker's arms morph into larger cannons but Ben plugs them with a fist, and the blasts backfire on Bushwacker, severely crippling his arms and causing damage to the building. Ben is horrified and calls in the Beyond corporation, who assure him they will take care of the clean up operation, providing counselling for the hostages as well as a contractor to repair the building.


title: Ben Reilly

text: Ben is impressed with the Beyond corp's services as well as the effectiveness of the new Spider-Man suit and agrees to join them. Beyond corp tell him to get rid of his Scarlet Spider outfit, comparing it to something a fourteen year old would wear at a birthday party. Ben is concerned he'll be mistaken for the real Spider-Man, Beyond corp tell him that, to them, he is the real deal.


title: Ben Reilly

text: In order to assure Ben's unwavering loyalty, the Beyond corporation arrange for the prison release of Elizabeth Tyne, Ben's true love.


title: Ben Reilly

text: While taking the new Spider-Man suit out for another of Beyond's 'test drives', Ben encounters Peter Parker, who pursues him, demanding to know who he is. Ben eventually gives Parker the slip using one of his costume's devices to trap him. Ben eventually arranges a meeting with Peter where he confesses to being the Spider-Man he encountered earlier. He informs Peter of his recent recruitment by Beyond and that they have acquired, through the remains of Parker Industries, the rights and license to the Spider-Man name. Peter tells Ben he can't just ask for a piece of his life in this manner, but Ben makes it clear he is not simply 'asking'.


title: Ben Reilly

text: When the U-Foes attack Empire State University, both Peter and Ben team up to stop them. The confrontation leads to one of the U-Foes unleashing a radio-volatile gas explosion. Ben's new Spider-Man suit is able to protect him, but this leaves Peter exposed and he is poisoned.


title: Ben Reilly

text: Mary Jane and Peter's Aunt May are summoned by Ben to the hospital, with Ben posing as Peter over the phone. Aunt May is less convinced than MJ that Ben is Peter, but goes anyway. Ben arrives, much to MJ's annoyance, and tells Peter he's not good with asking for things, so says his 'therapist' (Doctor Kafka), but now he feels compelled to try. Peter gives Ben his blessing to be Spider-Man. When Ben departs, Peter tells MJ he wanted to wait until he was out of earshot and sight before confessing that he can't feel anything in his body. He goes into convulsions and doctors scramble to stabilize him, but they appear to be losing him. Ben in the meantime suits up and confronts the U-Foes as Spider-Man


title: Ben Reilly

text: Having triumphed over the U-Foes, Ben resumes training at Beyond with Coleen Wing and Misty Knight and meets with the head of superhero development at the company Maxine Danger, Maxine, annoyed that Ben had turned off his coms twice over the course of a few days, asks Ben if she can still rely upon his skills and service. Ben assures her he can and then visits Doctor Kafka for a therapy session. Ben makes an attempt to discuss his connection to Peter's Uncle Ben, but finds it hard even with his cloned memories to recollect something specific Ben had said to Peter long ago. Ben returns to his room, where his and Elizabeth/Janine's dinner plans are spoiled by yet another call to action. Ben is transported downtown where he stumbles upon the living vampire Morbius in the midst of a feeding frenzy.


title: Ben Reilly

text: Morbius attacks Ben, sinking his fangs into him. Ben's costume is damaged but proves capable of self-repair. Ben lures Morbius back to his apartment at Beyond headquarters, where the automated defence systems are able to fend him off, slicing off one of his arms. As Coleen and Misty take care of Morbius, Ben collapses from the bite he received earlier and is rushed into surgery by the Beyond personnel. Maxine Danger is at first hesitant to give Ben any anti-toxins in the event he develops a mutation from the bite that could enhance his powers, which would benefit Beyond greatly, but eventually is convinced to approve treatment. Afterwards, Ben and Elizabeth spend an evening together. As they share a kiss in the park, they are observed by the latest version of Kraven The Hunter.


title: Ben Reilly

text: Ben is attacked by Kraven, Ben sees shapeless faces as part of his hallucinations, very much as Peter Parker has in recent times. He is taken by Kraven to an off shore ocean platform where the Hunter has captured other Beyond staff. Ben eventually recovers and beats Kraven, who escapes. Ben returns home to Elizabeth, while Maxine prepares to make a move against Miles Morales, who has turned down several legal requests to cease using the Spider-Man trademark now that it is licensed by the Beyond corporation


title: Ben Reilly

text: Ben checks in on Peter, only to find Felicia Hardy holding vigil by his bedside. Felicia makes it clear to Ben she does not approve of him using her ex-lover's costumed identity. Before they can argue further, they are summoned to the sanctum of the Sorcerer Supreme Stephen Strange, where they are tasked with several feats that the good doctor cannot deal with on account of having been very recently murdered. Over the course of this arduous evening fulfilling Strange's requests, Ben and Felicia come to an understanding, and Felicia begrudgingly accepts that, for now, Ben has earned the title of Spider-Man, but she is determined to get Peter out of bed and back on his feet.


title: Ben Reilly

text: Ben attends therapy with Ashley Kafka, and talks about recent dreams he has had concerning Peter's Uncle Ben. The therapy pays off and a joyous Ben scoops up Kafka in his arms to thank her, but she tells him this is not appropriate. Later that evening Ben and Janine make preparations for a night on the town but Ben is called away to deal with a break-in at Beyond Branch C-47. Discovering Otto Octavius, Ben battles the sinister six-armed scientist, managing to temporarily disable his tentacles with a spot of Beyond tech, but Otto is still able to outwit and injure Ben through other means and successfully makes off with a computer drive containing classified information that Maxine Danger requests that Ben retrieve at all costs. Maxine also informs Ben he is becoming more of a liability and there were other options before him that Beyond were considering for the role of Spider-Man


title: Ben Reilly

text: When Octavius attacks Maxine at Beyond headquarters, Ben comes to her rescue and is able to get the better of Octopus this time. Soundly beaten, Octavius offers Ben information on why Beyond selected him. Ben discovers to his horror Beyond considers him emotionally compromised and easy to manipulate. Taking the drive with him and hiding it within his mask, Ben returns home to Janine. Secluded in the bathroom, he shatters a mirror in frustration


title: Ben Reilly

text: Ben talks with Kafka. Over the course of their conversation, Ben reveals he no longer believes he is a clone. This is in part to Beyond, per Maxine's instructions, significantly altering his memories so he is more easily controllable. Realizing Ben is on to them, Beyond betray both him and Kafka. Ben's mind is further tampered with, and he loses all sense of Uncle Ben's teachings about great responsibility, which later puts Janine and Mary Jane in great danger when they are confronted by Doctor Kafka, who has been transformed by Beyond into a new and dangerous enemy they christen the Queen Goblin. Unable to remember Ben Parker's greatest lesson, Ben flees with Janine and leaves Mary Jane to the Goblin, but Janine and Ben talk things through, he lets her go to Peter's hospital bed and fetch him so he can rescue MJ. Peter eventually finds Ben, though Reilly struggles to recollect Peter The two team up and head to Beyond's villain depot, where they are joined by Colleen and Misty. Maxine Danger appears before Ben as a hologram and threatens to open the facility's mysterious Door Z, but Ben decides to open it himself and use whatever is inside to keep Peter and the daughters of the dragon preoccupied while he deals with Maxine and Beyond himself. He abandons his allies to face what lies behind Door Z...The Lizard


title: Ben Reilly

text: It all comes to a head as Ben begins to lose his artificially implanted memories of Peter Parker's life. The Beyond Corporation attempts to pit the increasingly unstable Ben against Peter, telling him they've built a device that can repair and restore the pieces of his memories and personality that Ben believes are fading away.


title: Ben Reilly

text: But sensing a trap, Peter refuses to submit to the device, leading Ben to try and force him to use it. In the ensuing conflict, Ben is swept up under strange chemicals called "quantum-shifting polymers in a psycho-reactive medium" which are unleashed to rewrite and remake the actual physical matter of their headquarters to hide the evidence of their misdeeds.


title: Ben Reilly

text: Despite suffering serious injuries, Peter survives, but Ben seems to be lost in the wreckage of the former Beyond Corporation headquarters. However, months later, Ben resurfaces - and he's undergone some changes due to his exposure to the "quantum-shifting polymers."


title: Ben Reilly

text: The issues with Ben's memory have become worse, with the literal holes in his visual memories where the faces of his loved ones used to be creeping into his actual perceptions, leaving Ben unable to even perceive his own face in the mirror. Perhaps even worse, he's now bathed in some kind of green and black energy that seems related to the shifting properties of the chemicals.


title: Ben Reilly

text: Donning a twisted green and purple version of his Spider-Man suit, Ben declares his old self "dead," implying that the memories and larger personality that once resided in his physical form have been erased, which seems to be confirmed by his inability to even perceive his own face, along with his previously established amnesia. Instead, all that's left within him is a chasm, giving his new villainous persona that name.


title: Ben Reilly

text: As Chasm, Ben soon finds allies that assist him in his campaign against Peter, such as Madelyne Pryor


title: Ben Reilly

text: As Spider-Man's clone, Ben Reilly possesses proportionate spider-like abilities and traits identical to Peter Parker's, including superhuman strength, speed, reflexes, stamina, resiliency, and agility, along with the ability to cling to almost any surface granted by consciously commanding his body to do so (the process seems similar to the van der Waals force and has been described as "the ability to mentally control the flux of the inner-atomic attraction between molecular boundary layers). Reilly's reflexes and stamina operate up to 40 times faster than an average person's, while his strength allows him to lift 150 times his own weight (approximate limit of 10 tons). He can leap thirty feet into the air from a standing position. Ben's superhumanly enhanced muscles, bones, and body are more resistant to injury than the average human. Like Peter, Ben has a precognitive "spider-sense" warning him of incoming danger and threats, manifesting as a buzzing in the base of his skull. In battle, Ben can allow this sense to guide his reflexes to help dodge attacks.


title: Ben Reilly

text: Ben possesses Peter Parker's genius-level scientific intellect with particular talents towards applied science, chemistry, biology, engineering, physics, mathematics, and mechanics. During his travels, Ben was able to spend more time improving his scientific knowledge and experience and came to surpass Peter's skill in some fields. Because Reilly was not in the role of Spider-Man for five years while traveling, and didn't engage in regular combat during his time as the Jackal, his fighting style is less polished than Parker's. Kaine notes that Reilly is more reliant on tactics rather than his physical skill and is a calculating and cunning combatant.


title: Ben Reilly

text: Like Peter Parker, Ben is armed with wrist-worn web-shooters that each holds several cartridges of "web-fluid", a chemical mixture that solidifies on exposure to air. Released from a pressurized valve, the web-fluid can (depending on the valve's adjustment) become an expanding net, a thin web-line, or an adhesive, malleable goo. Reilly's web-shooters use more advanced triggers than Parker's and include features such as "impact webbing", temporary paralysis-inducing "stingers", and "mini-dot" tracers (a smaller version of Parker's spider-tracers). Due to these advances, Reilly's web-shooters are bulkier than Parker's, so he wears them on the outside of his costumes. Like Parker, Reilly wears a belt carries spare web-fluid cartridges.


title: Ben Reilly

text: Following "Dead No More: The Clone Conspiracy", Ben had scarring on his face and body. After his encounter with the cosmic entity Death, the scars were removed but would return if he behaved in corrupt ways. Following his resurrection in "Spider-Geddon", these scars are completely gone.


title: Ben Reilly

text: When operating as the new Jackal, Ben Reilly begun harvesting the DNA from the remains of those he planned to clone, rather than using the blood sample that Miles Warren had gathered to grow the clones. Dubbing them "Reanimations," these new creations have all the memories that span all the way to their deaths. The following are reanimations created by Jackal:


title: Ben Reilly

text: Ben Reilly is one of the heroes on the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier who survived the zombie plague. He is seen battling the zombies; however, this plan falls apart. Reilly's fate is unknown.


title: Ben Reilly

text: The Ultimate Marvel version of Ben Reilly is an African-American scientist who worked with Dr. Curt Connors at Empire State University. He combines a sample of Spider-Man's DNA with the Lizard's and the Venom symbiote to create the Carnage organism, and steals a second sample of Spider-Man's DNA from the lab. Reilly later works with Doctor Octopus, creating five clones of Spider-Man while employed by the CIA.


title: Ben Reilly

text: One clone has Kaine's insane personality and facial scars and wears a makeshift version of Ben Reilly's costume.


title: Ben Reilly

text: "Spider-Man: Life Story" features an alternate continuity where the characters naturally age after Peter Parker becomes Spider-Man in 1962. Miles Warren was ordered by Norman Osborn to create clones of Norman and Peter. In 1977, Norman convinced Harry to attack Miles after discovering that Warren had created a clone of Gwen as well. Harry deduces that Norman had Miles clone Peter because Norman still viewed Peter as a more worthy successor over him and blows up the containment tubes with the clones. Peter's clone was the only survivor thanks to inheriting Spider-Man's powers. However, Miles reveals that the "Gwen" Peter was with was actually her clone while the real Gwen died in the explosion. A year later, Peter and Gwen's clones rename themselves as Ben and Helen Parker (later Reilly) and move out of New York for a second chance at life.


title: Ben Reilly

text: Ben eventually becomes a photojournalist in Chicago, where he also operates as the hero known as "the Red Mask". In 1995, he and Peter are kidnapped by Doctor Octopus and taken to Oscorp so Otto could learn how to extend his life by cloning. In the process, Otto discovers that Peter is supposedly the clone, while Ben was the original. Ben lashes out at Otto for the revelation before Otto attempts to kill them both and ends up murdering Harry instead. As Ben begins to have an identity crisis, Peter gives him a folder detailing his own life from the last 20 years and allows Ben the opportunity to retake his life as "Peter Parker" once more. It is later revealed that Peter found out that Norman had manipulated Otto into kidnapping them and rigged the results, meaning that Ben is still the clone. However, Peter allowed Ben to take over his life so he could live quietly with Mary Jane and his children.


title: Ben Reilly

text: In 2006, Ben is murdered by Morlun, as Peter ignored Ezekiel's warnings about him in this timeline, prompting Peter to return to New York to reveal that he is the true Peter Parker so he could prevent Morlun from coming after his family and stop Tony Stark from taking over Parker Industries.


title: Ben Reilly

text: In September 2009, a six-issue miniseries based on the Clone Saga comics of the 1990s, titled "Spider-Man: The Clone Saga", was issued. The purpose of the miniseries was to tell the story as it was initially conceived. It is a condensed version of the Clone Saga without the plot points involving Traveler, Scrier, and covers several months of a fictional time period. The first issue introduces readers to the characters Ben Reilly and Kaine, and addresses Mary Jane's pregnancy and Aunt May's hospitalization. Reilly and Parker bond after Kaine attacks them, and Reilly decides to stay in New York, pretending to be Peter's blonde-haired cousin so that he can build his own life. Reilly adopts the identity of the Scarlet Spider and begins working at the Daily Grind.


title: Ben Reilly

text: Reilly and Parker later work with Kaine to reach the lair of the shadowy figure responsible for infecting Mary Jane and Aunt May with a deadly genetic virus. The mysterious villain is revealed to be the Jackal, who captures all three and reveals his plans to make an army of Spider-Man clones in order to take over the world. Since Reilly is the only stable clone, the Jackal takes a sample of his blood to perfect his cloning technique. When the Jackal reveals another stage of his plan, to clone Gwen Stacy and another unknown figure, Kaine goes berserk and breaks himself, Parker and Reilly free. During the subsequent fight, the clones dissolve and the Jackal plants the first seed of doubt over who is the original Peter Parker. After Kaine kills the Jackal, Reilly and Parker escape with the cure for Aunt May's and Mary Jane's virus. Parker retires and hands the Spider-Man identity to Reilly. Reilly spends several months in the role, while Parker gets ready to become a father. Reilly is shown as a less-polished Spider-Man and is somewhat insecure due to his relative inexperience because of his exile. Eventually, Mary Jane gives birth, Allison Mongrain kidnaps the baby, and later gives it to Kaine.


title: Ben Reilly

text: When Reilly goes searching for the baby, he is attacked by the Green Goblin, who is revealed to be Harry Osborn and working with Kaine. Though Reilly appears to gain the upper hand in the ensuing fight, the Goblin impales him in the back with his Goblin Glider. Miraculously, Reilly survives the attack. Osborn had been plotting his revenge against Parker since his apparent heart attack. Osborn creates a clone of his father, Norman, to help him defeat Parker and Reilly; however, Norman jumps in front of Harry's Goblin Glider as it is about to hit Parker and is impaled in the back. Afterwards, Kaine returns baby May to Parker and Mary Jane, Aunt May survives and wants to help raise the child, and Ben Reilly leaves once again to travel the world and find a life for himself.


title: Ben Reilly

text: During the 2014 "Spider-Verse" storyline, Ben Reilly of Earth-94 was recruited into a team of multiverse Spider-Totems who were teaming up to fend off the Inheritors, who were trying to devour each and every Spider-Totem. In this particular universe, Peter Parker's powers did not return, with Peter remaining in Oregon while Ben has developed into a far lighter character without the burden of Peter's past, particularly aided by the string of successes that he had as Spider-Man, including saving Marla Jameson from Alistair Smythe and preventing Doctor Octopus from taking his body.


title: Ben Reilly

text: This version of Ben Reilly lead a team featuring fellow clones Kaine of Earth-616 and the Jessica Drew of Earth-1610 who are sent on a mission that requires their 'expertise' as clones of Spider-Man. Their mission sends them to Earth-802, a world conquered by the Inheritors and ruled over by the Inheritor Jennix, whose efforts to clone Spider-Totems failed to clone the Spider-Essence itself. Despite their best efforts to infiltrate said world, the Spider-Clones would end up doing battle with the dimension's versions of Iron Man and the Human Torch, as well as Jennix himself, before Reilly later sacrificed himself to destroy the Inheritors' cloning facility; which they used to resurrect themselves if they fell during their trips to other worlds.


title: Ben Reilly

text: Ben Reilly / Scarlet Spider will appear in the upcoming film "" as a member of Miguel O'Hara's Spider-Forces.


title: Ben Reilly

text: Action figures of the character have been released over the years, including some released after the character's death:


title: Check (film)

text: Check is a 2021 Indian Telugu-language prison drama film written and directed by Chandra Sekhar Yeleti. Produced by V. Anand Prasad's Bhavya Creations, the film stars Nithiin, Rakul Preet Singh, Priya Prakash Varrier (in her Telugu film debut), and Simran Choudhary. Nithiin plays Aditya, a chess player who is on death row. The film was released on 26 February 2021. It received generally mixed reviews and became a flop in the box office .


title: Check (film)

text: Aditya escapes from the orphanage along with his friend, who gets separated. He later works under a magician, learning every trick and gimmick he could. He grows up to be a con artist indulging in white-collar crimes. He befriends Yatra and falls for her. Yatra falsely frames him as a terrorist, and he ends up in a prison with a death sentence. He grows interest in chess and masters it in the prison under the guidance of Srimannarayana, a fellow inmate. He starts participating in National level competitions. Alongside this, he tries to prove his innocence and nullify his death penalty with the help of Manasa, a lawyer, but is not successful. He then tries for presidential pardon by becoming popular by playing chess where he wins the National level competition and enters Commonwealth games and wins the tournament. During the process of asking the president pardon, there is a terrorist attack that leads the president to turn down his petition.


title: Check (film)

text: Just before his death sentence is carried out, he requests to play his final game with the chess grandmaster Viswanathan Anand as a last wish. During the game, he escapes from the prison, which he was planning from the start after meeting his childhood friend and the fellow inmate who helped him to learn chess. In the end, he narrates how he planned and escaped the prison after realising he wouldn’t be released from the prison even after getting the president’s pardon. He justifies his escape by claiming he is not guilty and will prove his innocence to the world.


title: Check (film)

text: The film was officially announced on 23 June 2019. Although principal photography began in early 2020, filming was paused due to COVID-19 lockdown in India. Filming was resumed in October 2020. The film's title was announced on 1 October 2020.


title: Check (film)

text: This film's soundtrack is composed by Kalyani Malik, marking his second collaboration with Yeleti after "Aithe" (2003).


title: Check (film)

text: The film's only song is "Ninnu Chudakunda Undalekapothunnanu", sung by Haricharan and Shakthisree Gopalan.


title: Check (film)

text: "Check" was released theatrically on 26 February 2021. It is later released in Streaming media via Sun NXT on 14 May 2021.


title: Check (film)

text: The film's Hindi dubbed version was premiered on Sony Max on 9 January 2022 and available on SonyLIV later released on YouTube by Aditya Movies on 25 January 2022.


title: Check (film)

text: "Check" opened to mixed reviews. "The Times of India" critic Neeshita Nyayapati rated the film 2.5/5 and wrote, ""Check" has the potential to be an engaging prison drama but falters in portions it’s supposed to excel in." Hemanth Kumar in his review for "Firstpost" says, "For all the drama director Chandrasekhar Yeleti tries to create, the proceedings aren’t engaging enough and the protagonist's journey is lacklustre at best."


title: Check (film)

text: Sangeetha Devi of "The Hindu" opined that ""Check" might be one of Chandra Sekhar Yeleti’s weakest films." She felt that the narrative seemed shaky, and the story arc seemed predictable. On the technical aspects, Devi added that "Rahul Srivastav’s cinematography, Kalyani Malik’s background score, and the production design work well for the film." "The Indian Express" journalist Gabbeta Ranjith Kumar stated, "Despite its novel idea and some good performances, Nithiin-starrer starts resembling "The Shawshank Redemption" as it inches closer to the climax."


title: Check (film)

text: "Check" grossed 14 crore in its opening weekend with a distributor share of 7 crore. By the end of its first week, it earned distributors a share of 9 crore.


title: Victor Buono

text: Victor Charles Buono (February 3, 1938January 1, 1982) was an American actor, comic, and briefly a recording artist. He was known for playing the villain King Tut in the television series "Batman" (1966–1968) and musician Edwin Flagg in "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?" (1962), the latter of which earned him Academy Award and Golden Globe Award nominations. He was a busy actor from his late teens until his death at the age of 43 and, with his large size and sonorous voice, he made a career of playing men much older than he was.


title: Victor Buono

text: Buono was the son of Victor F. Buono. His father was a former police officer and bail bondsman who was sentenced to life imprisonment after being found guilty of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit robbery in 1959. Released on parole after seven years but forced to serve a further sentence due to a previous conviction for bird smuggling, Victor Sr. continued to manage the affairs of his son whilst in prison. Buono's maternal grandmother, Myrtle Glied, was a vaudeville performer on the Orpheum Circuit. When he was a boy, she taught him songs and recitations and encouraged him to perform for visitors.


title: Victor Buono

text: He started appearing on local radio and television stations, and at age 18 joined the Globe Theater Players in San Diego. The director had confidence in Buono and cast him in "Volpone," "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and other Globe presentations. He received good notices for his various Shakespearean roles and in modern plays such as "The Man Who Came to Dinner" and "Witness for the Prosecution".