Ben Reilly - Chasm gets a giga-buffed power upgrade and a surprising new MCU role

Amazing Spider-Man #18 listing
(Image credit: Marvel Comics)

Current X-Men/Spider-Man crossover Dark Web reaches its penultimate chapter in January 25's Amazing Spider-Man #18 from writer Zeb Wells, artists Ed McGuiness, Cliff Rathburn, Marcio Menyz, and Erick Arciniega, and letterer Joe Caramagna.

And just as Madelyne Pryor/the Goblin Queen moved from foe to friend in the previous chapter, Dark Web: X-Men #3, so too in Amazing Spider-Man #18 does Ben Reilly/Chasm get a surprising new status quo along with a significant power-up leading into the crossover's finale. 

Spoilers ahead for Amazing Spider-Man #18

(Image credit: Marvel Comics)

Amazing Spider-Man #18 picks up where Dark Web: X-Men #3 left off, with Madelyne Pryor reconciling with the X-Men and vowing to help end the terror of the demonic denizens of Limbo on Earth. 

But Ben Reilly AKA Chasm isn't interested in surrender. He states he can wait as long as it takes for Peter Parker to fall under the spell that will allow Chasm to absorb his memories and take his place as the "true" Peter Parker.

(Image credit: Marvel Comics)

Madelyne refuses to allow his fight to continue, breaking the memory-absorbing spell herself, vowing again to end Limbo's assault on Earth. However, Chasm's partner Hallow's Eve jumps in, throwing Madelyne off a cliff and stealing the scythe that gives Goblin Queen control of Limbo.

She gives it to Chasm, elevating him to the new King of Limbo - a position he vows to use to keep on sending Limbo demons to Earth.

As Spider-Man and his allies manage to cross the threshold from Limbo back to Earth, Chasm shows up to challenge him in his newly evolved form - just as Madelyne Pryor and the X-Men arrive to help Spider-Man defeat Chasm once and for all.

(Image credit: Marvel Comics)

The action reaches its conclusion in February 1's Dark Web: Dawn #1 one-shot, which caps off the entire Dark Web crossover.

Stay on top of all the new X-Men comics and new Spider-Man comics Marvel has planned release after Dark Web concludes.

George Marston

I've been Newsarama's resident Marvel Comics expert and general comic book historian since 2011. I've also been the on-site reporter at most major comic conventions such as Comic-Con International: San Diego, New York Comic Con, and C2E2. Outside of comic journalism, I am the artist of many weird pictures, and the guitarist of many heavy riffs. (They/Them)

Read more
Juggernaut stomps.
Juggernaut meets his maker as the X-Men arrive to fight Cyttorak in Amazing Spider-Man #67
Amazing Spider-Man #70 cover
Meet the Spider-Naut, as Spider-Man is enhanced with the power of the Juggernaut in March
Spider-Man reels in pain.
Peter Parker must face the unbearable truth as The 8 Deaths of Spider-Man continues
Hellgate takes down various Spider-people
Amazing Spider-Man #1 will introduce major new Marvel villain Hellgate, Peter Parker's "greatest challenge in the new era"
Juggernaut and Cyclops.
The Amazing Spider-Man #68.DEATHS is a major turning point for one former X-Men villain
Web of Spider-Verse: New Blood #1
Spider-Hulk, Spider-Prowler, Count Parker, and more are the latest Spider-Man variants as the Spider-Verse and Venomverse prepare to go to war
Latest in Marvel Comics
Kamala Khan holds Jean Grey's body in an homage to the cover of Uncanny X-Men #136
45 years after the original Dark Phoenix Saga, Ms. Marvel Kamala Khan will travel back in time to save X-Men history
Doctor Doom facing off with the students of Doom Academy
Doom Academy #5 brings the series to a close with a confrontation between Doctor Doom and his students
Daredevil leaping into action by Chris Samnee
Who is Daredevil? Everything you ever wanted to know about Marvel's Man Without Fear before Daredevil: Born Again
Juggernaut and Cyclops.
The Amazing Spider-Man #68.DEATHS is a major turning point for one former X-Men villain
Uncanny X-Men #11
Professor Xavier goes into cardiac arrest as X-Manhunt kicks off in Uncanny X-Men #11
Concert of Champions #1
Concert of Champions brings together Luna Snow of Marvel Rivals, Dazzler of the X-Men, and many more for the biggest music festival in Marvel Universe history
Latest in News
The Last of Us
The Last of Us season 2 is giving a game character the Bill and Frank treatment – and he's so deep-cut you might barely remember him
Cities: Skylines 2
Cities: Skylines 2 on console is still delayed at least until summer as devs work on "improving performance and stability"
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 screenshot showing a group of medieval men sitting at a table with food, cheering together with wooden mugs of beer lifted high
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is getting its new 1.2 update soon, and it sounds absolutely massive as Warhorse reveals there are "34 pages of patch notes"
Game pieces from Artistry which have an art noveau style
After raising $220,000 on Kickstarter, this art history board game is ready to be the prettiest one in your collection
The Last of Us season 2 first look
The Last of Us season 2 will tell "a different version" of the story, but Neil Druckmann loves the changes they've made: "Its DNA is in there"
Doom
Doom: The Dark Ages' new cutscenes exist because of fans' unlikely obsession with the series' lore: "A Doom game that doesn’t have a story is just an arcade game”