Our penultimate Indispensable Spider-Man has landed! Yes, we will be ending our listing of the essential issues in the Spider-Man timeline soon, as we will be taking a loooooong break after the next installment, which will go up to the “Final Chapter” storyline that occurs just before the Amazing Spider-Man numbering “reboot”.
This is perhaps the most controversial list, as it covers Ben Reilly’s time as the focus of the monthly Spider-Man. Some would remove these issues entirely, though Peter is an important secondary character in many issues.
But before we get down to the dirty, gritty details, here’s the how we decided which issues make our list:
- What are considered the best issues in the main Spider-Man Timeline are central
- Storylines that include an important change in status quo are also central
- Very important issues are marked with two asterisks (**), while issues that are part of those storylines, without the major event, are also included and marked with a diminutive one asterisk (*).
Spider-Man Timeline from 1995-1996 : What You Need To Know
What makes the cut? What doesn’t?
Generally, this list of essential issues Spider-Man timeline follows Peter Parker. Revealing (Spoiler!) Ben Reilly as the clone after all renders his time as Spider-Man as much less essential. Overall, his time as Spider-Man was more of a side trip, and a distraction for some. still, many issues featured the end and return of Peter Parker, and were an important arc for the character, and issues chronicling these events are kept. The same goes for other characters, such as villains and supporting cast. Curating this list was perhaps the hardest of all, and I hope to have kept the most interesting issues, essential issues that take you through this era, while shedding enough issues to satisfy Clone Saga haters.
Creators of the 1995-1996 Spider-Man Timeline Essential Issues
DeFalco continues on Amazing Spider-Man with Mark Bagley ending his run as Ron Garney and Steve Skroce pick up his duties. Dan Jurgens debuts but cuts his run short, to be replaced by DeZago who takes on writing two titles with this, and a short but notable run by Wieringo. Mackie and Romita Jr provide some consistency and familiarity by continuing their run on the adjectiveless Spider-Man title. Sal Buscema ends an extremely long and influential run in the Spider-Man timeline, with Luke Ross taking over for him. (As much as I liked Luke Ross on Spectacular, I dream of what Spectacular Spider-Man would have been if DeMatteis’s eventual return would have been paired with his original artist/inker had Buscema stayed on. Alas!)
1995-1996 Spider-Man Timeline Essential Titles
Web of Spider-Man is replaced by Sensational Spider-Man, which joins Amazing Spider-Man, Spectacular Spider-Man, , Spider-Man and Spider-Man Unlimited are the core titles of Spider-Man Timeline era.
Events within the 1995-1996 Spider-Man Timeline Essential Issues
Here are the most important events in this Spider-Man Timeline period:
- Kaine escapes his “rejuvenation” pod.
- Ben Reilly quits as Scarlet Spider to become the next Spider-Man
- Peter Parker moves to Portland, loses his powers
- Kaine returns
- The original clone’s skeleton discovered in smoke stack
- Peter returns to the New York to help Ben Reilly (and the Bugle) with the Skeleton “Saga”
- Macendale gains Cybernetic enhancement as the Hobgoblin
- Peter moves back to NY
- Peter flatlines, returns with his powers back
- Norman Osborn, the Green Goblin, returns, kills Ben Reilly, revealed as mastermind of the clone saga
- Mary Jane loses her baby during birth
- Peter becomes Spider-Man once again
Collections of the 1995-1996 Spider-Man Timeline era
Unfortunately, you can’t read these issues of this part Spider-Man Timeline condensed as they are in the list below through trade paperbacks. However, unlike most eras, every issue is available in trade paperback form:
Spider-Man: The Complete Ben Reilly Epic Book 1
Spider-Man: The Complete Ben Reilly Epic Book 2
Spider-Man: The Complete Ben Reilly Epic Book 3
Spider-Man: The Complete Ben Reilly Epic Book 4
Spider-Man: The Complete Ben Reilly Epic Book 5
The Indispensable Spider-Man Timeline Master List
| Order | Year | Age | Issue | Creators | Details | ** |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 406.04 | 1995 | Modern | Scarlet Spider Unlimited #1 | Clone Saga, Ben Reilly, Kaine | * | |
| 406.06 | 1995 | Modern | Amazing Scarlet Spider #1 | DeFalco, Bagley | Virtual Mortality, Clone Saga, Ben Reilly | * |
| 406.14 | 1996 | Modern | Sensational Spider-Man #0 | Jurgens | Clone Saga, Ben Reilly becomes Spider-Man, Suit! | ** |
| 407.02 | 1996 | Modern | Spider-Man: Final Adventure #1 | Nicieza, Robertson | Clone Saga, Peter moves to portland | ** |
| 407.03 | 1996 | Modern | Spider-Man: Final Adventure #2 | Nicieza, Robertson | Clone Saga | ** |
| 407.04 | 1996 | Modern | Spider-Man: Final Adventure #3 | Nicieza, Robertson | Clone Saga | ** |
| 407.05 | 1996 | Modern | Spider-Man: Final Adventure #4 | Nicieza, Robertson | Clone Saga, Peter loses his powers | ** |
| 408.03 | 1996 | Modern | Spectacular Spider-Man #231 | DeZago, Sal Buscema | Return of Kaine, Clone Saga, Ben Reilly, Kaine | * |
| 408.04 | 1996 | Modern | Sensational Spider-Man #2 | Jurgens | Return of Kaine, Clone Saga, Ben Reilly, Kane | * |
| 409.01 | 1996 | Modern | Amazing Spider-Man 1st series #409 | DeFalco, Bagley | Return of Kaine, Clone Saga, Ben Reilly | * |
| 409.02 | 1996 | Modern | Spider-Man #66 | Mackie, Romita Jr | Return of Kaine, Clone Saga, Ben Reilly, Kane | * |
| 409.03 | 1996 | Modern | Spectacular Spider-Man #232 | DeZago, Sal Buscema | Clone Saga, Ben Reilly | * |
| 409.04 | 1996 | Modern | Sensational Spider-Man #3 | Jurgens | Web of Carnage, Clone Saga, Ben Reilly | * |
| 410.04 | 1996 | Modern | Sensational Spider-Man #4 | Jurgens | Blood Brothers, Clone Saga, Revealed! Reilly caught on camera, Ben Reilly | * |
| 411.01 | 1996 | Modern | Amazing Spider-Man 1st series #411 | DeFalco, Bagley | Blood Brothers, Clone Saga, Ben Reilly | * |
| 411.02 | 1996 | Modern | Spider-Man #68 | Mackie, Romita Jr | Blood Brothers, Clone Saga, Ben Reilly, Hobgoblin II | * |
| 411.03 | 1996 | Modern | Spectacular Spider-Man #234 | DeZago, Sal Buscema | Blood Brothers, Clone Saga, Ben Reilly, Hobgoblin II | * |
| 411.04 | 1996 | Modern | Sensational Spider-Man #5 | Jurgens | Blood Brothers, Clone Saga, Ben Reilly, Hobgoblin II, Molten Man | * |
| 412.01 | 1996 | Modern | Amazing Spider-Man 1st series #412 | DeFalco, Bagley | Blood Brothers, Clone Saga, Ben Reilly | * |
| 412.02 | 1996 | Modern | Spider-Man Unlimited #12 | Clone Saga, Revealed! through reconstruction of bones, Ben Reilly | * | |
| 412.03 | 1996 | Modern | Spider-Man #69 | Mackie, Romita Jr | Clone Saga, Ben Reilly, Hobgoblin II, Peter moves back to NY | ** |
| 413.03 | 1996 | Modern | Spider-Man #70 | Mackie, Romita Jr | Clone Saga, Ben Reilly | ** |
| 413.09 | 1996 | Modern | Sensational Spider-Man #7 | DeZago, Luke Ross | Clone Saga, Ben Reilly | * |
| 414.02 | 1996 | Modern | Spider-Man #71 | Mackie, Romita Jr | Clone Saga, Ben Reilly, Peter flatlines | ** |
| 414.03 | 1996 | Modern | Spectacular Spider-Man #237 | DeZago, Sal Buscema | Clone Saga, Ben Reilly, Lizard, Peter regains powers | ** |
| 415.01 | 1996 | Modern | Amazing Spider-Man 1st series #415 | DeFalco, Bagley | Onslaught, Clone Saga, Ben Reilly | * |
| 415.02 | 1996 | Modern | Spider-Man #72 | Mackie, Romita Jr | Onslaught, Clone Saga, Ben Reilly | * |
| 415.03 | 1996 | Modern | Sensational Spider-Man #9 | DeZago, Wieringo | Clone Saga, Ben Reilly, MJ sonogram | * |
| 415.04 | 1996 | Modern | Sensational Spider-Man #10 | DeZago, Wieringo | Clone Saga, Ben Reilly | * |
| 416.04 | 1996 | Modern | Spectacular Spider-Man #238 | DeZago, Sal Buscema | Clone Saga, Ben Reilly, Lizard | * |
| 416.05 | 1996 | Modern | Spectacular Spider-Man #239 | DeZago, Luke Ross | Clone Saga, Ben Reilly, Lizard | * |
| 417.01 | 1996 | Modern | Amazing Spider-Man 1st series #417 | DeFalco, Garney | Clone Saga, Ben Reilly, Traveller | * |
| 417.02 | 1996 | Modern | Spectacular Spider-Man #240 | DeZago, Luke Ross | Revelations, Clone Saga, Ben Reilly | ** |
| 417.03 | 1996 | Modern | Sensational Spider-Man #11 | DeZago, Wieringo | Revelations, Clone Saga, Ben Reilly, Green Goblin | ** |
| 418.01 | 1996 | Modern | Amazing Spider-Man 1st series #418 | DeFalco, Skroce | Revelations, Clone Saga, Ben Reilly, Green Goblin | ** |
| 418.02 | 1996 | Modern | Spider-Man #75 | Mackie, Romita Jr | Best! Revelations, Clone Saga, Ben Reilly dies, Green Goblin, Peter becomes Spider-Man | ** |
Please, help us make this list better by contributing your thoughts on what should be included. We would love to pared own this list even further, though we don’t want you to miss out on some great runs. Drop us a line in the comments for changes to this Spider-Man Timeline, which will be reflected in our larger Spider-Man Timeline list here: