In the long history of comics,SuperboyandScarlet Spiderstand apart, as unique attempts to freshen up the ‘tired’ characters of Spider-Man and Superman by replacing them. Not with a successor, but a clone which Marvel and DC felt better represented ‘90s youth. But few fans know which ‘super-clone’ is best, with an epic one-on-one battle between the pair.
The 1990s are often considered the ‘Dark Age’ of comics, given the extreme, action-heavy style of practically every publisher at the time. It was an era which traded captivating storytelling for buff bodies, big guns, and edgier versions of classic superheroes. Batman was replaced with the gun-wielding, armored-up Azreal,Wolverine became a literal feral animal, and the Hulk received a giant firearm that was almost as big as he was. But when a redesign didn’t go far enough, there was one solution: clones.
Both DC & Marvel Agreed: Hip Clones Were The Answer
Clones were an answer for obvious reasons: they look just like the original character, with practically all their same powers, but could be molded into anything or anyone the writers wanted (while still keeping the original version of that character in their back pocket for future stories). DC found its best option withSuperboy (clone of Superman created by Lex Luthor), while Marvel selected Scarlet Spider (clone of Spider-Man created by the Jackal). So, between the two of them, who’s superior?
InDC Versus Marvel#3 by Ron Marz, Dan Jurgens, and Claudio Castellini, select heroes and villains fromthe Marvel and DC Universesare forced to battle each other in tournament-style, one-on-one combat for the fate of one of their realities. Eons ago, at the start of these two separate multiverses, a being came into life who was split into two separate entities, and those two entities (that should have remained one) were the highest powers in their respective multiverses–one Marvel, the other DC. However, before the events of this comic, these beings became aware of each other’s existence, and only one would be allowed to remain. So, to decide which one it would be, the two universes were forced to go to war–and this issue highlighted the battle between Superboy and Scarlet Spider.
Scarlet Spider Beat Superboy in Their Marvel/DC Crossover Battle
While Superboy had a number of advantages thatScarlet Spider couldn’t hope to match, it was Ben Reilly’s wits that saved him in the end. Scarlet Spider lured Superboy to an electrical box and used it to channel deadly levels of electricity through his body, knocking him unconscious and winning the battle for the Marvel team. This fight is easily one of the coolest in the series and a real treat for ‘90s kids because, honestly, it’s one of the most ‘90s’ things to ever happen in comics. Two clones of widely popular heroes go toe-to-toe to prove which ‘hardcore’ version of their original counterparts is the best. It’s so niche to one specific era in comic book history that only a handful of modern fans even still care about, but was prevalent enough at the time to warrant this battle in the first place.
For the sake of the universe, fans didn’t get afight between Superman and Spider-Man, they got Superboy vs Scarlet Spider, because that’s the match-up Marvel and DC thought fans wanted to see more than the older, ‘tired’ heroes duke it out. Both characters were young with the attitude and style of the ‘90s, as both were created specifically for new readers to identify with.
But, even with all the meta similarities betweenSuperboyand Scarlet Spider, which culminated in this epic battle that perfectly captured the ‘90s era, only one could be the best ‘super-clone’, and that wasScarlet Spider.
