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Kaine Parker
Marvel Comics character From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Kaine Parker is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character has been depicted as a superhero and former supervillain who serves as an ally, an enemy, and foil to Peter Parker/Spider-Man and Ben Reilly. Created by Terry Kavanagh and Steven Butler, the character first appeared in Web of Spider-Man #119 (December 1994) as the Jackal's first failed attempt of a clone of Spider-Man.[2] He later appeared as the new Scarlet Spider in the Marvel Point One one-shot in November 2011 before starring in his own series.
Kaine Parker/Scarlet Spider made his cinematic debut in the 2023 feature film Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.[3]
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Fictional character biography
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Kaine's debut
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Art by Mark Bagley
Kaine is the Jackal's first temporary success to clone Peter Parker but the flawed cloning process left him deformed and mentally unstable. The Jackal discards Kaine due to him showing early signs of degeneration, which will eventually kill him. Kaine experiences a strong feeling of rejection similar to that between a father and son. Kaine's degeneration gives him an enhanced version of Peter's powers, including a "precognitive sense" that shows him flashes of the future (an amplified version of Peter's spider-sense). He also possesses a "Mark of Kaine", a burning touch that he uses to leave eaten away hand prints on his victims' faces. Though never explicitly stated within the story, in a later interview former Spider-Man editor/writer Glenn Greenberg revealed that the Mark of Kaine was meant to be another analog of one of Spider-Man's powers, namely the ability to cling to walls.[4]
The Jackal goes on to create a new, better clone which would be known as Ben Reilly. When the Jackal uses Reilly against Peter, the ensuing battle leaves Reilly and the Jackal for dead. They both manage to survive; the Jackal places himself into suspended animation in a cloning pod to awaken later; and Reilly leaves New York.[5]
Trial of Peter Parker
Due to Norman Osborn manipulating them, Ben and Kaine each believe themselves to be the original and Peter Parker to be the clone. Kaine frames Ben for a number of murders he commits since they have identical fingerprints, and Peter Parker is convicted for Kaine's crimes.[6] The two are placed in a mock trial where Peter is on trial, Kaine is his attorney, Carnage is the prosecutor, several Ravencroft inmates are the jury, and Judas Traveller is the judge.[7] However, Kaine refuses to confess to his crimes, so Peter considers revealing his secret identity to the courtroom. Kaine convinces Peter not to do this and eventually reveals the truth about the murders.[8]
Maximum Clonage
After Peter Parker gives in to the news of being a clone and Ben Reilly is the true individual, he allies himself with the Jackal. Kaine refuses to let him throw his life away. He confronts the Jackal with the intent of destroying him, but the Jackal manipulates Kaine into believing he will be cured of the degeneration process. Once Jackal reveals he has lied again, Kaine leaves feeling dejected. He goes back to Mary Jane Watson for answers, and after a conversation of power and responsibility, Kaine returns to the Jackal's lab in time to assist Ben in a battle against numerous Spider-clones. In the ensuing battle, Spidercide fatally injures Kaine, but the Jackal places him in a pod to heal him.[9]
Redemption
Kaine is freed from his pod by James Johnsmeyer, a sponsor of the Great Game tournament.[10] During a later encounter with Ben Reilly, Kaine gives up his hatred of Ben and acknowledges him as his brother. At that point, it is revealed that Kaine's degeneration is killing him, and he allows himself to be incarcerated in the Vault to atone for his previous crimes.[11] However, he escapes along with many other criminals in the pages of Thunderbolts.[12]
Grim Hunt
In the "Grim Hunt" storyline, Kaine is hunted by Ana Kravinoff and Alyosha Kravinoff.[13] The two maul Kaine and sacrifice him to resurrect Kraven the Hunter. However, the resurrection is flawed due to Kaine not truly being Spider-Man and brings back Kraven in an undead state.[14] In the epilogue of "Grim Hunt", Kaine climbs out of his grave with mutated features, including extra eyes in a spider-like pattern on his forehead.[15]
Spider-Island
During the Spider Island storyline, the Jackal further mutates Kaine into Tarantula, a spider-like creature resembling Man-Spider.[16] As Tarantula, he is put under Adriana Soria's control, acting as a henchman to the Jackal. During a battle with Spider-Man, Kaine is submerged in a pool of highly concentrated cure for the Spider-Virus, breaking his mental link with Soria and curing his degeneration.[17]
Scarlet Spider solo series
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Scarlet Spider vol. 2 #1 variant cover. Art by Mark Bagley.
Having been cured of his mutation, but not his spider-powers, Kaine assumes the Scarlet Spider mantle and moves to Houston. Although planning to simply pass through the city and move on to Mexico, he is distracted when he discovered a human trafficking ring. Kaine saves Aracely Penalba, a girl who was smuggled into America, and decides to protect her.[18][19]
Shortly after, Aracely has prophetic dreams concerning the Sixth Creation, Aztlán, her missing parents, gods, a talking coyote, and the rise of Mictlān. She and Kaine are attacked by the Lobo Brothers, the criminals behind her abduction, who intend to kill her to begin the Sixth Creation. During the fight, Aracely escapes, but Kaine is beaten and eventually killed. His spirit encounters the Other, embraces her power, and is reborn as a monstrous spider creature. Aracely restores Kaine to his human form and proclaims him as her "champion", though he retains his connection to the Other.[20] The two later join the New Warriors.[21]
Spider-Verse
During the Spider-Verse storyline, Kaine is with the New Warriors when they are attacked by Daemos of the Inheritors. As Daemos realizes that Kaine is the current receptacle of the Other and plans to absorb his essence, he is confronted by several alternate universe versions of Spider-Man, including Old Man Spider-Man, Spider-Man of Earth-70105, and Spider-Woman of Earth-65. Kaine escapes into a portal to Earth-13, also known as the Safe Zone.[22]
While battling the Inheritors, Kaine kills Solus, the group's patriarch. In retaliation, Morlun kills Kaine in his monstrous spider form by ripping off one of his arms and impaling him in the skull.[23] After Karn becomes the Master Weaver and returns all the spiders to their home universes, a human hand bursts out of Kaine's husk, revealing that he is still alive.[24]
Dead No More: The Clone Conspiracy
Kaine returns in the Dead No More: The Clone Conspiracy storyline, where he and Spider-Gwen attempt to help Peter escape New U Technologies. It is revealed that Kaine's human body emerged from the corpse of his spider form and was greeted by Karn, who realized that he is no longer connected to the Other and is dying from the Carrion virus.[25] Peter Parker uses the Webware Emergency System to cure the Carrion virus, which heals Kaine and reduces his facial scars.[26]
Spider-Geddon
During the "Spider-Geddon" storyline, Superior Octopus becomes Superior Spider-Man again and recruits Kaine to help fight the return of the Inheritors.[27] Kaine volunteers for a suicide mission to Earth-3145, where the Inheritors were trapped after the events of Spider-Verse. Kaine recruits Ashley Barton from Earth-807128 and "Charlie", the Peter Parker of Earth-218, to battle Verna of the Inheritors.[28] Kaine sacrifices himself to Verna's hounds so that Ashley and Charlie can escape Earth-3145.[29] However, he is resurrected by Julia Carpenter using a talisman given to her by the spider goddess Neith.[30]
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Powers and abilities
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As Kaine
As an imperfect clone of Spider-Man, Kaine has superhuman strength, speed, agility, reflexes, and equilibrium all at higher levels than Spider-Man due to his continued mutation.[31]
Kaine's spider-sense is even stronger than Spider-Man's Spider-Sense. Kaine Parker can sense danger, see short glimpses of the future, and can sense Venom unlike Spider-Man. Kaine also does not set off Parker or Reilly's spider-senses, but they do not set off his either.
Like Spider-Man his clinging ability is because of the Van der Waals force, but also left a distinctive scarring into surfaces (and people), which he calls the "Mark of Kaine". Additionally, Kaine possesses a retractable bone spike on the underside of each forearm.[volume & issue needed]
Being a clone of Spider-Man, Kaine is immune to the worldwide mind purging of Spider-Man's identity and retains this knowledge.[32] However, Kaine was never implanted with Peter's memories and thus lacks his scientific knowledge.[33]
As Tarantula
The extent of Kaine's powers in his Tarantula state are not fully known. Tarantula has four large spider legs that protrude from his back much like Spider-Man's Iron Spider costume. He retained all of the abilities he had as Kaine, with the addition of organic web shooters.
As Scarlet Spider
As Scarlet Spider, Kaine generate organic webbing from his wrists, similar to Spider-Man's web-shooters, and possesses an accelerated healing factor.[34] He also possesses enhanced vision, which grants him the ability to see in the dark, and a psychic connection with spiders and other arachnids.[35]
After the events of Spider Island, Kaine retained the stealth suit, which Peter Parker created at Horizon Labs and used against the Spider-Queen. This gives Kaine invisibility to both visual and audio means, along with immunity to sonic-based attacks.[34]
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Reception
Other versions
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MC2
An alternate universe variant of Kaine Parker from Earth-982 appears in the MC2 imprint. This version is a former ally of the Kingpin who attempted to kill him after being betrayed. However, he is defeated by Spider-Girl and imprisoned.[37][38] There, he is recruited by special agent Arthur Whedon to lead a group of redeemed supervillains consisting of Big Man, Quickwire, Raptor and Normie Osborn.[volume & issue needed]
Spider-Man: Clone Saga
An alternate universe variant of Kaine Parker from Earth-91101 appears in Spider-Man: The Clone Saga. This version works for the Jackal and Harry Osborn before defying the two after kidnapping May Parker, the infant daughter of Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson.[39]
Ultimate Marvel
An alternate universe variant of Kaine Parker from Earth-1610 appears in Ultimate Spider-Man. This version was created by Doctor Octopus and sports a version of Ben Reilly's Spider-Man costume. Kaine kidnaps Mary Jane Watson and attempts to give her superpowers, causing her to transform into a red goblin-like creature despite the Tarantula's efforts. While trying to prevent Mary Jane from being taken, Kaine is killed by Nick Fury's Spider Slayers.[40]
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Collected editions
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In other media
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Television
Several variations of Kaine Parker appear in Ultimate Spider-Man:
- The comic version's aggressive personality and Scarlet Spider costume are amalgamated with Ben Reilly (voiced by Scott Porter).[41]
- Kaine appears in the three-part episode "The Spider-Slayers", voiced by Drake Bell.[42] This version is an imperfect synthezoid Spider-Slayer created by Doctor Octopus using Peter Parker's DNA and Arnim Zola's technology who is highly resistant to damage, can reattach lost limbs, and absorb life energy from Spider-themed individuals or other synthezoids. He first emerges after Spider-Man and Spider-Woman find one of Hydra's abandoned labs and they seemingly defeat him. Kaine reemerges as a deformed, mutated monster, absorbs the other synthezoids, and becomes the Ultimate Spider-Slayer, only to be defeated by Agent Venom.
Film
Kaine Parker as the Scarlet Spider makes a non-speaking appearance in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse as a member of Miguel O'Hara's Spider-Society.[3]
Video games
- Kaine Parker as the Scarlet Spider appears as an unlockable costume for Peter Parker / Spider-Man in The Amazing Spider-Man and The Amazing Spider-Man 2.[43]
- Kaine Parker as the Scarlet Spider, the Tarantula, and the Other appear as separate playable characters in Spider-Man Unlimited.
- Kaine Parker's Scarlet Spider suit appears as an unlockable costume for Peter Parker / Spider-Man in Spider-Man (2018) via "The Heist" DLC.[44]
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References
External links
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