So...uh...yeah. (Ultimate) Peter Parker is dead. 160 issues, just under 11 years, and tons of stories later he is no more. Next month we'll probably get his funeral with Ultimate Comics Fallout, which may go for a few issues, I don't know, because there's no set launch date for Ultimate Comics Spider-Man (yes, they're going back to that title), but what I'm most curious about is who the next Spider-Man is going to be.

Personally, I want it to be Jessica Drew, Spider-Woman, who is a female clone of Peter Parker in the Ultimate Universe. She'd be perfect. Think about it: she's got all of the same memories as Peter up to her birth as a clone, so she's got that inborn affinity for Aunt May, MJ, and Gwen built in already. Do we really need another origin story for some kid who gets spider powers? Last the Ultimate Universe heard of Jessica Drew she was an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., which we already know was tired of Peter Parker damaging up the city with no responsibility. The relationship is there and it already makes sense.

Unfortunately, as you can see in this link, it seems like they're going in a different direction. I suppose a female lead for UC Spider-Man might not resonate with readers, but I just have no clue what's going on here. Will they just cherry pick another Spider-Man clone to fill the part? I do think that Kaine died and Tarantula has too many arms, but there is an x-factor that meets most of Jessica's criteria, but is male. See, Ultimate Scorpion is also a clone of Peter Parker and he was last seen in S.H.I.E.L.D. custody. Would Bendis use him as the new Spider-Man?

The story could be intriguing, I guess. Ultimate Scorpion didn't really demonstrate having spider powers (I don't think, that was a long time ago), but he did demonstrate having Parker memories. If Bendis wanted to turn him loose as a Not-Peter who was Peter it would be good for drama, I suppose, but I think it would be kind of cheap in a way that using Jessica Drew wouldn't be. Having someone who looked like Peter, but wasn't Peter seems like a copout to me, I dunno (even though Drew is also a clone, her gender differences make her different enough that no one would mistake her for Peter). It doesn't help that Peter's face was photographed and seen during his final fight with Osborn, so a clone wouldn't be able to have the home life that we've come to love with Peter Parker. Said home life doesn't even seem to exist what with Ultimate Comics X-Men taking Bobby, Kitty, and Johnny out of the Parker home. Anyway, I'm rambling, but I'm excited to see where they take UC Spider-Man. Will they launch alongside the DC revamp and try to cannibalize sales or will they wait until October to be clear of the big event? I'm too impatient to wait!

Originally on my blog

Maybe someone else with a name that is alliterative will become Spider-Man, like Barry Bonds, Alan Alda, Finsterer Fred Fürchterlich or Marty McFly.

@sesquipedalophobe: Numbers cannot express how much money I would pay to read a book where Barry Bonds was the next Spider-Man. Not young BB, old, kind of fat, about to go to prison Barry Bonds.

@labarith: I'm down with most of this except for the lesbian relationship with MJ. Too pander-y, although it's more plausible than usual considering she's a female clone of a male.

The lesbian thing isn't as enticing, unless I'm lesbian or a vampire. Either way, lesbian vampire Barry Bonds will be a homerun.

@sesquipedalophobe: I see what you did there with "home run". You win the comments.

Is it possible it'll be an all-new character?

@sesquipedalophobe: @fodigg: Marvel posted a Q&A with Bendis today that says we'll see the new U Spider-Man in issue #6 of Fallout which is a heartbreakingly long way away.

I am guessing they will introduce Ultimate Ben Reiley...he may not be a clone this time, but the original marvel U tried to replace spidey with him in the 90's 
Bendis seems to like to do things similar to 616 but less stupid.
 
Just a thought

@Shoe: Ben Reiley already exists in the Ultimate Universe. He's a geneticist or something like that, he's African-American, and he's not related to Peter in anyway, clone or otherwise.

Miguel O'Hara?

I always thought tha Ultimate Scorpion could be Ben Reilly.

@Sapphire Warlock: I hope not, haha

@Primmaster64: Ben Reiley is a geneticist in the Ultimate Universe who did some experiments with Peter's DNA, but didn't show any indication of Spider-powers before. Doesn't seem like a likely candidate, but we'll see next week.