The life of Peter Parker, the Amazing Spider-Man is full of incredible situations and life-changing events. The most famous? Probably The Clone Saga. In fact, there are two sagas. The first one was a storyline published during the 1970s. The second one was more than two years of publications, an editorial nightmare that has affected all the regular Spider-Man series, several limited series, and one-shot issues published between 1994 and 1997.
Everything began after the death of Gwen Stacy, the girlfriend of Peter Parker. It was controversial, to say the least. The editorial team decided to bring back Gwen into Peter’s life in the following story arc. Writer Gerry Conway introduced a new villain called the Jackal, a cloning expert. It was not the real Gwen or the only person that was cloned. The Jackal cloned Peter and the story ends with a touch of doubt. Is it the original Spider-Man or his clone who had perished in the bomb explosion?
A few years later, Spider-Man encountered Carrion, who claimed to be a degenerated clone of Warren. Then, the clone of Gwen Stacy reappeared too—but it was not a clone or Gwen. The truth about Carrion was finally revealed.
Time passed, then came the second clone saga. Spider-Man’s clone reappeared! He had survived and had lived his life under the name Ben Reilly (go here for the dedicated Ben Reilly Reading Order). He returned to New York City and became the Scarlet Spider. Peter and Ben must face a resurrected Jackal and Kaine, the unsuccessful first clone of Spider-Man, but also another clone of Spider-Man who became the villain Spidercide. And that’s not all. That’s just the beginning.
What to read before The Clone Saga?
First, you can check out our Spider-Man Reading Order that covers the adventures of Spidey from the start to today.
The essential though may be the original Clone Saga, the one from the ’70s. The main story starts in Amazing Spider-Man #139 and finds its conclusion in issue #150. Then came the sequel stories in Peter Parker The Spectacular Spider-Man a few years later. Everything and even some follow-up stories can be found in:
- Spider-Man: The Original Clone Saga
Collects Amazing Spider-Man #139-150; Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man (1976) #25-31, #149, #162-163 & Annual #8.
Spider-Man: Clone Saga Reading Order
Part. 1 – The Clone Saga
The Amazing Spider-Man Epic Collection
With Volume #27, the ongoing Amazing Spider-Man Epic Collection entered the Clone Saga.
- The Amazing Spider-Man Epic Collection: The Clone Saga
Collects Web Of Spider-Man (1985) #117-119, Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #394-396, Spider-Man (1990) #51-53, Spectacular Spider-Man (1976) #217-219, Spider-Man Unlimited (1993) #7 And Clone Subplot Pages. - The Amazing Spider-Man Epic Collection: Web of Life, Web of Death (coming fall 2024)
Collects Amazing Spider-Man #397-399; Spectacular Spider-Man #220-222; Web of Spider-Man #120-123; Spider-Man #54-56; Spider-Man Unlimited #8; Spider-Man: Funeral for an Octopus #1-3; Spider-Man: The Clone Journal.
The Previous Collected Editions
- Spider-Man: The Complete Clone Saga Epic Book 1
Collects Spider-Man: The Lost Years #0-3, Web Of Spider-Man #117-119, Amazing Spider-Man #394, Spider-Man #51-53, Spectacular Spider-Man #217, Material From Spider-Man Unlimited #7. - Spider-Man: The Complete Clone Saga Epic Book 2
Collects Amazing Spider-Man #395-399, Spectacular Spider-Man #218-221, Spider-Man #54-56, Spider-Man Unlimited #8, Web Of Spider-Man #120-122, Spider-Man: Funeral For An Octopus #1-3. - Spider-Man: The Complete Clone Saga Epic Book 3
Collects Amazing Spider-Man #400-401, Super Special, Spectacular Spider-Man #222-224, Super Special, Spider-Man #57-58, Super Special, Spider-Man Unlimited #9, Wed of Spider-Man #123-124, Super Special, Spider-Man: The Clone Journal and Venom Super Special. - Spider-Man: The Complete Clone Saga Epic Book 4
Collects Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #402-404; Spectacular Spider-Man (1976) #225-227; Spider-Man (1990) #59-61; Web of Spider-Man #125-127; New Warriors (1990) #61; Spider-Man: The Jackal Files; Spider-Man: Maximum Clonage Alpha, Omega. - Spider-Man: The Complete Clone Saga Epic Book 5
Collects Amazing Spider-Man Super Special, Spider-Man Super Special, Venom Super Special, Spectacular Spider-Man Super Special, Web of Spider-Man Super Special, New Warriors (1990) #62, Web of Spider-Man #128-129, Amazing Spider-Man (1962) #405-406, Spider-Man (1990) #62-63, Spider-Man Unlimited (1993) #10, Spectacular Spider-Man (1976) #228-229, Spider-Man Team-Up #1, Spider-Man: The Parker Years.
Spider-man: The clone saga is also collected in two omnibuses (not necessarily easy to find cheap):
- Spider-Man: Clone Saga Omnibus Vol. 1
Collects Web Of Spider-Man #117-125, Amazing Spider-Man #394-401, Spider-Man #51-58, Spectacular Spider-Man #217-224, Spider-Man Unlimited #7-9. - Spider-Man: Clone Saga Omnibus Vol. 2
Collects Amazing Spider-Man #402-406, Super Special; Spider-Man #59-63, Super Special; Spectacular Spider-Man #225-229, Super Special; Web Of Spider-Man #126-129, Super Special; Venom Super Special; New Warriors #61-66; Spider-Man: The Jackal Files; Spider-Man: Maximum Clonage Alpha, Omega; Spider-Man Unlimited #10; Spider-Man Team-Up #1; Spider-Man: The Lost Years #1-3; Spider-Man: The Parker Years.
Reading The Clone Saga Issue by Issue
- Spider-man – The Lost Years #0-3
- Web of Spider-Man #117
- Amazing Spider-Man #394
- Spider-Man #51
- Spectacular Spider-Man #217
- Web of Spider-Man #118
- Spider-Man Unlimited #7
- Spider-Man #52
- Web of Spider-Man #119
- Spider-Man #53
After that, for a better understanding of what’s to come with Venom, you’ll have to read the miniseries called Venom: Separation Anxiety. See Venom Reading Order for more information about the character.
- Amazing Spider-Man #395
- Spectacular Spider-Man #218
- Amazing Spider-Man #396
- Spectacular Spider-Man #219
- Web of Spider-Man #120
- Amazing Spider-Man #397
- Spider-Man #54
- Spectacular Spider-Man #220
- Amazing Spider-Man #398
- Web of Spider-Man #121
- Spider-Man #55
- Spectacular Spider-Man #221
- Spider-Man Unlimited #8
- Spider-Man Funeral For An Octopus #1-3
- Web of Spider-Man #122
- Amazing Spider-Man #399
- Spider-Man #56
- Spider-Man – The Clone Journal
- Spectacular Spider-Man #222
- Web of Spider-Man #123
What’s coming next is the Planet of the Symbiotes storyline. Before jumping into it, you can read another Venom story: Venom: Carnage Unleashed.
- Amazing Spider-Man Super Special #1
- Spider-Man Super Special #1
- Venom Super Special #1
- Spectacular Spider-Man Super Special #1
- Web of Spider-Man Super Special #1
- Amazing Spider-Man #400
- Spider-Man #57
- Spectacular Spider-Man #223
- Web of Spider-Man #124
- Amazing Spider-Man #401
- Spider-Man #58
- Spectacular Spider-Man #224
- Spider-Man Unlimited 009
- Web of Spider-Man #125
- Amazing Spider-Man #402
- Spider-Man #59
- Spectacular Spider-Man #225
- Web of Spider-Man #126
- Amazing Spider-Man #403
- Spider-Man #60
- Spider-Man 2099 Meets Spider-Man
- Spectacular Spider-Man #226
- Spider-Man – The Jackal Files
- New Warriors #61
- Spider-Man – Maximum Clonage Alpha 001
- Web of Spider-Man #127
- Amazing Spider-Man #404
- Spider-Man #61
- Spectacular Spider-Man #227
- Spider-Man – Maximum Clonage Omega 001
- Amazing Spider-Man Super Special – Lizard
- Spider-Man Super Special – Lizards
- Venom Super Special – Lizard
- Spectacular Spider-Man Super Special – Lizard
- Web of Spider-Man Super Special – Lizard
- Web of Spider-Man #128
- Amazing Spider-Man #405
- Spider-Man #62
- Spider-Man Unlimited #10
- New Warriors #62
- Spectacular Spider-Man #228
- Web of Spider-Man #129
- New Warriors #63-64
- Amazing Spider-Man #406
- Spider-Man #63
- Spider-Man Team-Up #1
- Spectacular Spider-Man #229
Part. 2 – The Ben Reilly Years
With Peter Parker giving up being Spider-Man in order to retire with his pregnant wife Mary Jane, Ben Reilly/the Scarlet Spider took on his duties and became the star of the show, the main spider hero… The Amazing Spider-Man. Even if it’s not called The Clone Saga anymore, it’s still considered as part of the event. Everybody knew that Ben wouldn’t last long and that Peter was destined to come back. Those Ben Reilly adventures lasted longer than anybody imagined. In fact, at one point, Marvel didn’t plan to bring Peter back. Things changed and the saga finally drew to an end.
The Collected Editions
- The Amazing Spider-Man – The Complete Ben Reilly Epic Vol. 1
Collects Spider-Man: The Parker Years, New Warriors #65-66, Scarlet Spider Unlimited #1, Web Of Scarlet Spider #1-2, Amazing Scarlet Spider #1-2, Scarlet Spider #1-2, Spectacular Scarlet Spider #1-2, Green Goblin #3 and Sensational Spider-Man (1996) #0. - The Amazing Spider-Man – The Complete Ben Reilly Epic Vol. 2
Collects Amazing Spider-Man #407-408, New Warriors #67, Sensational Spider-Man #1, Spectacular Spider-Man #230, Spider-Man #64-65, Spider Man/Punisher: Family Plot #1-2, Web Of Scarlet Spider #3-4, and material From Spider-Man Holiday Special And Venom: Along Came A Spider #1-4. - The Amazing Spider-Man – The Complete Ben Reilly Epic Vol. 3
Collects Amazing Spider-Man #409-410, Sensational Spider-Man #2-3, Spectacular Spider-Man #231-233, Spider-Man #66-67, Spider-Man: The Final Adventure #1-4, Spider-Man Team-Up #2 and Spider-Man Unlimited #11.
- The Amazing Spider-Man – The Complete Ben Reilly Epic Vol. 4
Collects Amazing Spider-Man #411-413, Daredevil #354, Sensational Spider-Man #4-6, Spectacular Spider-Man #234, Spider-Man #68-70, Spider-Man: Redemption #1-4, Spider-Man Team-Up #3 And Spider-Man Unlimited #12. - The Amazing Spider-Man – The Complete Ben Reilly Epic Vol. 5
Collects Amazing Spider-Man #414-416, Sensational Spider-Man #7-10, Spectacular Spider-Man #235-239, Spider-Man #71-72, Spider-Man Team-Up #4, Spider-Man Unlimited #13 and material from Amazing Spider-Man Annual ’96. - The Amazing Spider-Man – The Complete Ben Reilly Epic Vol. 6
Collects Amazing Spider-Man #417-418, Sensational Spider-Man #11, Spectacular Spider-Man #240-241, Spider-Man #73-75, Spider-Man Team-Up #5, Spider-Man Unlimited #14, Spider-Man: 101 Ways To End The Clone Saga and material from Spider-Man: Revelations & Spider-Man: The Osborn Journal.
Issue by Issue
- Spider-Man – The Parker Years
- New Warriors #65
- Scarlet Spider Unlimited #1
- Web of Scarlet Spider #1
- Amazing Scarlet Spider #1
- Scarlet Spider #1
- Spectacular Scarlet Spider #1
- Web of Scarlet Spider #2
- Amazing Scarlet Spider #2
- Green Goblin #3
- New Warriors #66
- Scarlet Spider #2
- Spectacular Scarlet Spider #2
That’s when Ben Reilly stopped being Scarlet-Spider and officially became Spider-Man (with a new costume, of course).
- Sensational Spider-Man Wizard Mini Comic #3
- Sensational Spider-Man #0
Not collected in the omnibus for obvious reasons, the Marvel vs DC miniseries. The special crossover series pitted Marvel Comics superheroes against their DC counterparts in battle. It’s really not required reading, to say the least, but I put that here anyway.
- Amazing Spider-Man #407
- Spider-Man #64
- Web of Scarlet Spider #3
- New Warriors #67
- Web of Scarlet Spider #4
- Spectacular Spider-Man #230
- Spider-Man Punisher – Family Plot #1-2
- Venom – Along Came A Spider #1-4
- Sensational Spider-Man #1
- Amazing Spider-Man #408
- Spider-Man #65
- Spider-Man Holiday Special 1995
- Spider-Man – The Final Adventure #1-4
- Spider-Man Unlimited #11
- Spider-Man Team-Up #2 feat. Silver Surfer
- Spectacular Spider-Man #231 — The Return of Kaine.
- Sensational Spider-Man #2
- Amazing Spider-Man #409
- Spider-Man #66
- Spectacular Spider-Man #232
- Sensational Spider-Man #3
- Amazing Spider-Man #410
- Spider-Man #67
- Spectacular Spider-Man #233
Spider-Man made a guest star appearance in the New Warriors to help the team defeat Advent (in New Warriors #70-71). It’s not collected in The Complete Ben Reilly Epic collection.
- Sensational Spider-Man #4
- Amazing Spider-Man #411
- Spider-Man #68
- Spectacular Spider-Man #234
- Sensational Spider-Man #5
- Amazing Spider-Man #412
- Spider-Man Unlimited #12
- Spider-Man #69
- Spider-Man Team-Up #3 feat. Fantastic Four
- Sensational Spider-Man #6
- Spider-Man – Redemption #1-4 — Kaine is back.
- Amazing Spider-Man #413
- Daredevil #354
- Spider-Man #70
- Spectacular Spider-Man #235
Green Goblin #10 - Spectacular Spider-Man #236
- Sensational Spider-Man #7
- Amazing Spider-Man #414
- Spider-Man #71
- Spectacular Spider-Man #237
- Spider-Man Unlimited #13
- Spider-Man Team-Up #4 feat. the Avengers
This is when you’re supposed to read the X-Men: Onslaught event. It was a big saga (but not as big as The Clone Saga) that mostly affected X-Men titles, but some Spider-Man series are still part of the event. What is it about ? The psionic force known only as Onslaught sprang forth from the fractured psyche of mutant mentor Charles Xavier and the genetic terrorist Magneto. Powered by his progenitors’ rage, Onslaught laid siege to humanity – touching off a cataclysmic conflict destined to deprive a world of its most revered icons! A complete Reading Order will be coming soon.
- Sensational Spider-Man #8
- Amazing Spider-Man #415
- Spider-Man #72
- Amazing Spider-Man #416
- Sensational Spider-Man #9
- Sensational Spider-Man #10
- Spectacular Spider-Man #238
- Spectacular Spider-Man #239
- Amazing Spider-Man Annual 1996
- Spider-Man #73
- Spider-Man #74
- Amazing Spider-Man #417
- Spider-Man Unlimited #14
- Spider-Man Team-Up #5 feat. Gambit and Howard the Duck
- Spectacular Spider-Man #240 — The beginning of the end of the Ben Reilly era.
- Sensational Spider-Man #11
- Amazing Spider-Man #418
- Spider-Man #75
- Spectacular Spider-Man #241 — Rebirth! Peter Parker is back as Spider-Man
- Spider-Man – The Osborn Journal
- 101 Ways to End the Clone Saga
- Spider-Man – Dead Man’s Hand
What to read after Spider-Man: The Clone Saga?
From that moment on, Peter Parker is back in the Spider-Man’s costume. The story continues in Spider-Man: Savage Land Saga and so on. One day soon, there will be a full Spider-Man Reading Order published here, but not now, sorry.
For more clones, you’ll have to make a big jump forward to Dead No More: The Clone Conspiracy, a Spider-Man crossover event published in 2017.