Spider-Man: The Clone Saga- Secrets!
PART 15
Writer: Tom DeFalco
Artist: Ron Garney
SECRETS!’ attempts to retcon Judas Traveller and Scrier are ultimately mixed, with more success for Scrier than Traveller...
Ranking: 3 stars
Welcome to the 15th part of CLONE MADNESS lovers of sequential art, where we untangle the infamous CLONE SAGA, which while creating some truly great characters like Ben Reilly and Kaine, also produced some incredibly boring ones like Judas Traveller.
In my last CLONE SAGA review, REDEMPTION, I elaborated on how that story effectively provided satisfying resolutions to the development of some of my favorite characters like Ben Reilly, Kaine, and Janine. Today’s story arc, SECRETS!, is somewhat of the reverse of the REDEMPTION in that regard, as while that story concluded the character arcs for some of the saga’s best character’s, today’s comic does the same for some of the saga’s worst characters, particularly Judas Traveller and Scrier. Ah yes… Judas Traveller, I haven’t brought him up since my review of THE TRIAL OF PETER PARKER, and thank goodness for that. Judas Traveller is quite easily the single worst character of the entire CLONE SAGA in my opinion (even more than Spidercide or it’s version of the Jackal). Traveller is not only a god-like being that has no backstory, defined role in Spidey’s mythos, or relevance to the overall plot, but he was also one of the most boring villains that I have ever come across. He would continuously monologue about his supposed mission to uncover the truth about good and evil, continuously rambling about pseudo-philosophical bull-crap that makes no sense when you actually think about it, and they just went on and on. Yeah, in case you haven’t noticed, I kind of hate Judas Traveller’s guts. I’m not the only one who dislikes this character, as not only is he heavily criticized in other reviews I see about THE CLONE SAGA, but several writers working on saga disliked him as well, particularly Glenn Greenberg. The primary reason for this was, as Greenberg perfectly stated in THE LIFE OF REILLY, not even the writers and editors knew what the Traveller’s purpose in THE CLONE SAGA was. Because of Traveller lacked an established character or role in the plot, whenever he appeared in the saga, I would instantly be taken out of the story and lose whatever interest I had. In essence, Traveller was a constant source of annoyance (and boredom) for me, as he would interrupt the ongoing narrative of the saga and distract me from the characters that I was actually invested in. Today’s story line SECRETS! however, attempts to rectify the sins of Judas Traveller (as well as his ally Scrier, who was another god-like being that was completely pointless), by providing him somewhat a purpose to the saga’s narrative. SECRETS! is ultimately a mixed bag, as while the story somewhat falter’s in its attempts to redeem Judas Traveller, it finds greater success in providing Scrier an interesting purpose in THE CLONE SAGA narrative.
The story opens with Peter Parker having an ominous nightmare about Judas Traveller. In the dream, Traveller is bound up and chained while attempting to warn Peter that both of them have been betrayed and manipulated. As Peter ponders over this disturbing dream, one of Traveller’s allies, Chakra (who I have to admit is actually kind of cool, if only for the fact that her name reminds me of NARUTO), is being chased across the streets by the rest of Traveller’s group of followers known as the Host. It turns out that while Chakra remained loyal to Traveller (why she does baffles me…), the other members were secretly working for someone else behind Traveller’s back. It is revealed that this mysterious mastermind that the Host truly answers to is indeed the same one who has been manipulating the entire CLONE SAGA from behind the scenes, which is evidenced by Traveller’s strongest subordinate, Scrier, secretly meeting with Gaunt, the cyborg henchman of this mastermind who was introduced back in BLOOD BROTHERS. Chakra is soon able to escape from her pursuers, and contacts Peter and Ben to help her rescue Traveller, who has been imprisoned inside an airtight casket hidden underneath a gymnasium swimming pool. As Peter and Ben accompany Chakra to rescue her master, she reveals that despite all evidence portrayed in previous CLONE SAGA stories, neither Traveller nor Scrier are the god-like beings that they claimed to be. With this newfound knowledge, will Peter and Ben be able to rescue Judas Traveller and overcome the true threat behind Scrier, and if they do, will they be left with more answers or questions?
My feelings on SECRETS! are ultimately mixed as the entire purpose of this issue is to retcon two characters that previously lacked a purpose in the saga’s narrative, and attempt to provide them one. For those who are unaware, “retcon” is a fancy term for retroactive continuity, meaning that a particular character or plot point from the past is altered to something different than what it was originally intended to be. Retcons are quite easily the most volatile plot device in the medium of comics, as while retcons can effectively expand upon a character’s history and provide further dimension to them, they also have the capability to damage that character if they contradict what was previously established about that character. This is why I take such issue with THE CLONE SAGA’s version of the Jackal, as the Jackal from the 1970’s was a pathetic and perverted college professor who used cloning technology to bring back the woman he loved from the dead while also getting his revenge on Spider-Man. The Jackal in THE CLONE SAGA however, was a one-dimensional rip-off of the Joker who wanted to take over the world for no apparent reason. Essentially, where I’m going with all of this is that writers need to be extremely careful when retconing previously established characterization and backstory, as it could easily hurt what already existed about said characters if not handled correctly. In the case of SECRETS! however, the retcons for Judas Traveller are largely inconsistent, while those for Scrier I thought actually helped expand what little to his character there was.
As I’ve mentioned in my reviews of POWER AND RESPONSIBILITY and THE TRIAL OF PETER PARKER, Judas Traveller was portrayed as a god-like being that possessed nigh-omnipotent power, and was practically invincible. Traveller was not only capable of morphing into weird bird-like creatures, but he could also walk through walls, cause streets to explode with a snap of his fingers, summon swords from out of nowhere, and also have complete control over the space-time continuum (this is more of the kind of thing you’d see in a THOR or SILVER SURFER comic!). Not only did this make the character feel completely out of place in Spider-Man’s mythos, as Spidey’s enemies are primarily street-level criminals or simple individuals who are corrupted by the influence of power, but it also contributed to the boredom surrounding Traveller as well. Because Traveller was presented as so powerful, it made any conflict between him and Peter or Ben Reilly feel too unbelievable, as there was no realistic way that two humans with spider powers could defeat an omnipotent being. This also meant that any retconing the character from his god-like status would also be a difficult challenge for the writers, as they would have to provide some logical explanation.
To a degree, the writers do succeed in providing somewhat of a satisfactory retcon for Traveller’s powers, though at the same time, it does result in some unnecessary inconstancies with the character (as if there weren’t enough already!). Here in SECRETS!, it is revealed that Judas Traveller was never the god-like being that he claimed to be, but that he was rather a mutant with the ability to alter people’s perceptions of reality. Apparently, this power extended to himself as well, as it caused Traveller to suffer a nervous breakdown that made him believe that he was a god-like being. In some ways, this change is good, as it not only makes Traveller less absurdly powerful (and thank goodness for that!), but it also serves as a decent explanation for how his powers worked. With acts such as him summoning swords or exploding streets, the idea that they were all illusions is fairly plausible. Despite the good changes that this retcon provides, it does create several flaws and inconstancies as well. If Traveller was able to cast illusions to alter people’s senses, then how was he able to shape shift into a bird?! Was he casting the illusion on himself as well? Also, if his allies like Scrier and the Host knew that Traveller’s powers were illusionary, than why were they so concerned about them literally ripping-apart the fabric of space and time back in the dreadful CROSSFIRE arc. Inconsistencies such as these only serve to create more plot holes, therefore making Traveller’s character a bigger mess than he already was. Still though… at least he’s no longer a god-like being, and I am definitely happy for that!
While the retcons for Judas Traveller are only semi-effective, I actually found the one’s for Scrier to be quite creative and clever! Ironically, while I’ve complained about both Scrier and Traveller as being unnecessary and underdeveloped villains, I honestly have not talked that much about Scrier in these CLONE SAGA reviews. The reason for that is while Scrier was also supposedly a god-like being, he was never a major annoyance for me or interrupted the narrative flow like Traveller did. The reason for that is because Scrier was largely restricted to being a figure in the background throughout the majority of THE CLONE SAGA, constantly watching events from the shadows. Scrier was also a bit more interesting than Traveller, as while Traveller’s goal was a confusing quest to discover the true nature of good and evil, Scrier seemed to have his own hidden agenda that was separate from Traveller’s, therefore creating some degree of suspense and intrigue around his character.
SECRETS! finally reveals both Scrier’s hidden agenda and his true nature, as Peter and Ben discover that not only is Scrier not a god-like being that they originally thought he was, but that he’s actually not a single individual. In actuality, Scrier is actually an organization of several people who all wear the exact same cloak and ghost-like mask and utilize advanced technology to provide the illusion of magical abilities. Most other reviewers I’ve come across have criticized this plot-twist about Scrier, as they feel the idea of him being several people makes no sense and overcomplicates the saga even more. Personally though, I have to disagree with them as I feel that this retcon is not only clever, but actually benefits the ongoing CLONE SAGA narrative. As I stated back in my BLOOD BROTHERS review, the writers decided to reveal that a mysterious mastermind working from behind the scenes has manipulated all of the events of THE CLONE SAGA. In order to make this idea plausible however, this mastermind would require field operatives that not only conveyed information to him about Peter and Ben’s activities, but also conducted some of the dirty work as well. Therefore, the idea of Scrier being multiple individuals contributes to this plot thread, as the Cabal of Scriers not only serve as the field operatives of this mysterious mastermind, but by all of them wearing the exact same costume, they can easily avoid suspicion as well. This also serves towards explaining how Scrier previously made people believe that he was a god-like being, as throughout the saga, Scrier seemingly possessed the uncanny ability to appear and disappear at any random location, regardless of time or distance. The information SECRETS! provides fits well within previously established continuity as Scrier being multiple people effectively explains how he was able to appear and disappear so randomly. Other reviews feel that this has only made the character even more confusing and overly complicated. I have to disagree with them in that regard, as I not only found the possibility that every time we saw Scrier in a previous story it was a different person to be intriguing, but that it also made the character feel more intimidating and somewhat scary. Overall, the retcons for Scrier’s character work effectively in my opinion as they not only redeem the character as an antagonist, but also provide him an actual purpose within THE CLONE SAGA narrative.
For me, SECRETS! is a mixed bag, as while it is well written and fairly entertaining, it’s successes and failures are ultimately determined by the retcons introduced for Judas Traveller and Scrier. While the retcons for Traveller are only half-effective and ultimately inconsistent with previous CLONE SAGA stories, the retcons for Scrier were actually well thought out in my opinion and manage to provide the character a clear and defined purpose in the saga’s plot. Overall, SECRETS! is a perfect representation of both the positive and negative effects that retcons can have on comic book stories and characters. In the case of Scrier, they can provide new information that helps benefit the character, while with Traveller, they can easily contradict previously established continuity and hurt the character. Whether or not all of the retcons established by SECRETS! were successful, they were all necessary in my opinion as they not only cleansed Traveller and Scrier of the elements that made them huge distractions in the first place, but also showed that the writers were attempting to rectify mistakes they had previously made, even if they were not 100% successful. Another benefit to SECRETS! was that it also provided further suspense and build-up to THE CLONE SAGA’s last story arc, REVELATIONS, which I’ll be covering in my next and final CLONE MADNESS review!
“All in the eye of the beholder - Some of the most destructive forces in the world (Fire & Water), can also have the power of beauty.”
― Martin R. Lemieux
