Ben Reilly

Few characters in Marvel history have carried as much weight — or as much heartbreak — as Ben Reilly, who burst onto the scene in 1994's The Amazing Spider-Man #394, brought to life by the legendary team of J. M. DeMatteis and Mark Bagley during one of the most talked-about storylines of the Copper/Modern Age. With 219 catalog appearances spanning an remarkable 32 years and eight key issues to his name, Ben is far more than a footnote — he's a figure who has kept company with Peter Parker, Mary Jane Watson, Venom, and the Scarlet Spider across the pages of Marvel's flagship title, planting him at the very center of Spider-Man's most complex and emotionally charged chapters. That kind of longevity and key-issue density tells you everything: this is a character who resonates, who refuses to fade, and who rewards every collector and reader willing to follow his layered, decades-long journey through the Marvel Universe.