Type: Divergent Earth
EARTH-199606 (EARTH-SCARLET SPIDER KILLED SPIDER-MAN)
Type: Divergent Earth
Environment: Earth-like
Usual means of access: Presumably vibrational attunement
Dominant Life Form: Humans
Significant Inhabitants: Betty Brant, the Green Goblin, Felicia Hardy, the Jackal (Miles Warren), J. Jonah Jameson, Maximum Carnage, Michael Morbius, the New Warriors (Firestar, Justice, Alex Power, Speedball, Turbo), Mary Jane Parker, May Parker, Joe Robertson, "Flash" Thompson, Scarlet Spider (Ben Reilly), Spider-Man (Peter Parker)
Significant Locations: The Daily Bugle, Four Freedoms Plaza
First Appearance: What If? II#86 (June, 1996)
History: (What If? II#86) - Following the birth of his daughter May, Peter Parker retiring as Spider-Man and moving into the old home that he grew up with his aunt. Soon after, the Green Goblin secretly activated a failsafe that had been placed brain of Peter Parker by the Jackal that programmed him to kill Mary Jane. He soon attacked MJ in his Spider-Man costume, but was met in battle by Ben Reilly, the clone of Peter known as the Scarlet Spider. Scarlet Spider attempted to find a way to break the programming until the New Warriors also arrived on the scene and attacked Spider-Man. Spider-Man managed to escape and attempted to kill Mary Jane once more, all the while exclaiming how he couldn't control himself. Scarlet Spider soon made his way to Peter again and knocked them both into a nearby building, webbing up the entrance to prevent the New Warriors' intrusion. Removing Peter's mask, Ben was shocked to see a crying Peter begging Ben to keep him from hurting Mary Jane. In order to protect MJ, Ben webbed some of the machinery above them and pulled it down on top of Peter, killing him. The fires started soon caused the building to collapse and explode, with Scarlet Spider washing ashore in shock. When he awoke, he found himself surrounded by Peter Parker's friends and family, who welcomed "Peter" back to consciousness. Ben considered telling them who he really was, but when he saw Mary Jane crying, he decided to let her continue believing that he was really Peter Parker. Not long after, "Peter" and Mary Jane took the infant May to a doctor where she was diagnosed with blood poisoning. Ben continued as both Peter and Spider-Man, battling such menaces as Maximum Carnage and plagued with dreams of Mary Jane finding out who he really was. After waking from a particularly realistic dream, Ben went to check on the now-three-year-old May, only to find her missing. Leaping outside in horror, Ben noticed a flying figure. Giving chase, he discovered that the Green Goblin had kidnapped May to use her irradiated blood as a way to supercharge his Goblin formula. The two battled until the Goblin hurled May from a bridge, where Ben was able to save her using his impact webbing. The two soon fell into the river with Ben emerging victorious with the Goblin's mask in hand. When he returned May to Mary Jane, she thanked him and revealed that she really had discovered his true identity. She then left him, explaining that he now had a chance to find his own identity.
Comments: Created by Terry Kavanagh, Doug Braithwaite, and Sean Hardy.
This reality's divergence point was when Mary Jane gave birth to May, which
actually occured in Amazing Spider-Man I#418 (December, 1996), two months
after this issue was published.
The Green Goblin's identity was never given in the issue, although Ben mentioned
two suspects. I believe that it was Norman Osborn, just like the Norman of
Earth-616, who reappeared shortly before Ben's death in 616.
Clarifications:
Earth-Scarlet Spider Killed Spider-Man has no known connection to
GREEN GOBLIN
The Green Goblin was the mastermind behind Peter Parker's brainwashing. He remained out of the spotlight for three years until he reappeared and kidnapped Peter and Mary Jane's daughter May, using her blood to supercharge his Goblin formula. He battled Ben Reilly as Spider-Man until they both fell into the river, where he escaped without his mask.
The supercharged Goblin had superhuman strength, flight, and could project energy sparks from his fingertips (although this could be from his gloves, like the Earth-616's Goblins). He also flew around on two mechanical "Glider-Bats."
--What If? II#86
MAXIMUM CARNAGE
While the origins of Maximum Carnage were not revealed, it appeared a gigantic symbiote (perhaps a combination of Venom and Carnage, given the coloring of the symbiote?). After Ben Reilly took over Peter Parker's identity as both Parker and Spider-Man, he battled Maximum Carnage as Spider-Man. During the battle, Ben destroyed the symbiote with a sonic blaster.
Maximum Carnage could alter his hands into symbiotic weapons and presumably had the normal abilities of an alien symbiote, just on a larger scale.
--What If? II#86 (#86d,
MARY JANE PARKER
Mary Jane was the same as her Earth-616 counterpart up until she gave birth to May Parker. Shortly after May's birth, her husband Peter was programmed to kill her but was stopped by Ben Reilly, the clone of Spider-Man. When Ben washed up on the shore following his battle with the brainwashed Peter, Mary Jane and Peter's friends thought that he was the real Peter. Ben continued to let MJ believe that to save her additional pain and took Peter's place as her husband. Three years later, after a battle between Ben and the Green Goblin, Mary Jane revealed that she had discovered that Ben had taken Peter's identity. She thanked him for saving May but left him, claiming that he now had time to find himself a real identity.
--What If? II#86
MAY PARKER
May Parker was the daughter of Peter and Mary Jane Parker who was born with blood poisoning due to Peter's irradiated blood. When she was three, she was kidnapped by the Green Goblin, who used her blood to supercharge his Goblin formula. She was soon saved by Ben Reilly, who had taken Peter's identity as her father following Peter's death.
--What If? II#86
SCARLET
SPIDER/SPIDER-MAN
Ben Reilly was the clone of Peter Parker who took on the superheroic identity of the Scarlet Spider. Following the birth of Peter's daughter May, Peter was brainwashed by the Green Goblin into killing his own wife. Peter was stopped by the arrival of Ben who battled Peter until he had to kill him to save Mary Jane from further harm. Washing ashore after the battle, Ben Reilly was believed to be the real Peter Parker and in order to spare Mary Jane further worry, he took on the identity of now-deceased Peter Parker. Three years later, he saved May from the Green Goblin and afterwards, Mary Jane explained that she had discovered his true identity and left him.
Ben Reilly had the proportionate strength, agility, danger sense, and ability to stick to solid surfaces like his Earth-616 counterpart. He also used web-shooters to fire webbing from his wrists.
--What If? II#86
SPIDER-MAN
Peter Parker was the superhero known as Spider-Man, who retired following the birth of his daughter May. Soon after, the Green Goblin activated old mental programming in Peter's mind that forced him to kill Mary Jane. He was stopped during his attempt of Mary Jane's life by the Scarlet Spider and the New Warriors. When the Scarlet Spider isolated the battle to just the two of them, a desperate Peter begged the Scarlet Spider to do anything necessary to keep him from hurting his wife. In order to spare Mary Jane further harm, the Scarlet Spider collapsed a building on top of Peter, killing him.
Peter Parker had the proportionate strength, agility, danger sense, and ability to stick to walls that his Earth-616 counterpart had. He also used web-shooters to fire webbing from his wrists.
--What If? II#86
images: (not counting ads)
What If? II#86, p6, pan1 (Spider-Man)
p6, pan2 (Scarlet Spider vs. Spider-Man, main pic)
p15, pan4 (Maximum Carnage)
p21, pan3 (Scarlet Spider/Spider-Man)
p22, pan5 (Green Goblin)
p24, pan2 (May Parker)
p26, pan4 (Mary Jane Parker)
What If? II#86 (June, 1996)
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Last Updated: 06/24/06
Non-Marvel Copyright
info
All other characters mentioned or pictured are ™ and ©
1941-2099 Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved. If you like this stuff,
you should check out the real thing!
Please visit The Marvel Official Site at:
http://www.marvel.com