Warning! Spoilers ahead for Amazing Spider-Man #81
In recent comics, Miles Morales just confirmed a potentially big plot hole when it comes to Marvel Comics’ various Spider-Verse events. A new Spider-Man has taken over for Peter Parker while he’s in the hospital, and it’s none other than his clone Ben Reilly, the former Scarlet Spider. However, even though Ben fought in Spider-Geddon alongside Miles, the Spider-Man of Brooklyn doesn’t recognize the new Spider-Man at first which doesn’t make much sense.
While the first Spider-Verse event began in 2014, the 2018 Spider-Geddon sequel event saw Morlun and his family of Inheritors escaping their prison, prompting a new alliance of Spiders from all over the multiverse to come together and stop the powerful villains seeking to feast on their collective life forces. Between both stories, almost every known alternate universe spider hero was featured (with only a select few spiders who were banned from the Spider-Verse events). However, the new Amazing Spider-Man #81 from writer Saladin Ahmed and artist Carlos Gómez exposes a plot hole in regards to the multiverse events.
In the new issue, Miles doesn’t immediately recognize Ben Reilly’s Spider-Man, which is confusing given their time fighting together in Spider-Geddon. However, the lack of recognition is necessary for this particular story in order for Miles to distrust Ben because he’s not Peter, only recognizing his voice later on when it becomes appropriate for the two to team up. Essentially, every notable character who’s had spider-powers since 2014 should have fought in the Spider-Verse and should know those they fought alongside. Despite its inconvenience to the plot of this issue, Miles and Ben Reilly know each other and have fought together in the past. The new Spider-Man shouldn’t be all that new to Miles, especially considering that fact they’re from the same reality.
While it should be noted that Ben Reilly was wearing a new suit which may have contributed to Miles not recognizing Ben right away, the fact remains that Miles has revealed an even bigger plot that’s just waiting to happen. All it takes is one spider hero who’s not aware of the multiverse. Thanks to Spider-Verse, all of them have experience with alternate universes and should respond to multiversal crises as such, especially if they meet another spider hero as Miles does in this issue.
While Miles Morales’ initial distrust of Ben Reilly works within the confines of this single story, it exposes the inherent problem with the Spider-Verse if writers choose to ignore or gloss over the events. The only spider heroes who should be unfamiliar with the multiverse and other spiders from different realities should be those who got their powers after Spider-Verse. Other than that, nearly all of Marvel’s spiders should have a working knowledge and familiarity in order to avoid this type of plot hole.
