1995-1996

ASM 407-412, TAC 230-234, SM 64-68, Sensational Spider-Man 0-5, SMU 11-12, SMTU 2, Marvel Vs. DC 1-4. Web of Spider-Man comes to an end and is replaced by Sensational Spider-Man, where Ben debuts his inferior new Spider-Man costume. Ben Reilly becomes our focus, and since he can’t interact with basically anyone due to being a clone of Peter, he needs his own cast. Just throwing out everything that made this character work for 30 years. Ben gets a job at a coffee shop, immediately starts a love triangle with two women like Peter/Gwen/MJ of old, and that’s the cast. For a few months. Then, behind the scenes, the decision to make him the permanent new Spider-Man is reversed almost as soon as it starts, so Peter & MJ move back from Portland to start undoing this insane choice. Mysterio & Hobgoblin get really bad new looks. The Human Torch, Silver Sable & Sandman, Silver Surfer, Black Cat and Molten Man all have urn-ins with the new Spider-Man, and all realize it’s not the same guy. Kaine returns. New villains Armada and Gaunt are introduced, the latter being a villain so mysterious even the people making these comics don’t know who he really is. And just in case things weren’t stupid enough, the smokestack Peter disposed of the dead clone in back in the 70s is bulldozed, and human remains in a Spider-Man costume are found. Is this the actual, real Spider-Man? No, it’s just another red herring. No copies. Originally drawing #10. As we move through the eras, I try to emulate the coloring styles, and we’re really getting to the point where compute color changed the look of comics.