Looking back at the original Spider-Man Clone Saga with its creator, Gerry Conway

Gerry Conway is easily one of the most consequential writers in Spider-Man history. Conway began writing for Marvel Comics as a teenager, and took over scripting duties for Amazing Spider-Man when he was just 19 years old. His first run on the title was explosive. Conway killed Gwen Stacy and the Green Goblin, transformed Harry Osborn into the second Green Goblin, introduced the Punisher, almost had Doctor Octopus marry Aunt May, and introduced the Spider-Clone who eventually became Ben Reilly.

The Clone Saga came from a Stan Lee mandate to bring Gwen Stacy back. This mandate snowballed into one of the biggest events in Spider-Man’s publishing history. Although Conway’s original clone storyline only ran from Amazing Spider-Man #144-149 (1975), it was later used as the basis for the multiyear saga of the same name that ran across all the Spider-Man titles in the '90s. For a time it was promoted by Marvel Comics that Ben Reilly, the clone introduced during Conway’s story-arc, was the true Spider-Man.

Popverse had the chance to sit down with Gerry Conway during Dragon Con 2022 to chat about the legacy of his original clone saga. The critically-acclaimed writer shared some insights on how the saga came together, why he tried to retcon it in the '80s, his opinion on the '90s sequel, and the ultimate legacy of the story.

Popverse: In Amazing Spider-Man #129 you introduced the Jackal, alongside the Punisher. Did you know then that the Jackal would be revealed as Peter’s college professor Miles Warren?

Gerry Conway: Yes, I planned it out pretty extensively what I was going to do in the broadest terms. The individual issues were developed separately, but I knew from the beginning that it was Professor Warren, and that he had an inappropriate interest in Gwen Stacy. I knew that it was going to culminate in a battle between Peter and his clone. I had all of those elements pretty much in line.

The Clone Saga kicks off with Peter and Mary Jane sharing their first kiss, right before Peter heads to Paris with Joe Robertson. Can you talk about what went into crafting this iconic scene?

It was an inevitable plan. I wanted Mary Jane to be his love interest after Gwen, but he couldn't switch from mourning Gwen to falling in love with Mary Jane overnight. So it was intended to be kind of a gradual thing. And the idea of separation being the motivator for that romantic connection was kind of based on my own experiences as a young adult. I realized that I was falling in love with someone when I went away on a trip. And the notion of the separation made it clear to me that there was something going on there. That sort of gave me the inspiration for