There have been a few different Scarlet Spiders over the years, and they don't look alike. This guide builds the one most people picture when they hear the name: Ben Reilly's original 1990s costume from the Clone Saga — an all-red Spider-Man-style suit worn under a cut-off teal hoodie, not the darker, more armored black-and-red suit Kaine Parker wore as Scarlet Spider years later. Ben's version is the one with the hood, the frayed sleeves, and the plain spider silhouette instead of Spider-Man's full web pattern, and it's the far easier one to actually build.
How to Make Scarlet Spider Costume
Red Muscle-Print Long Sleeve BodysuitBlue Sleeveless Hoodie with Spider LogoRed Balaclava Ski MaskSpider Mask Eye Lens KitBlack Web Belt with Silver BuckleBlack Buckle Wrist Cuffs (Pair)Red Stretch Costume GlovesRed Knee-High Costume BootsBlack Buckle Ankle Cuffs (Pair)Adult Scarlet Spider Zentai CostumeScarlet Spider Zentai Costume, Alternate SellerReplica Utility Belt, Wrist and Ankle Pouch Set (Etsy)SaveTap any item in the photo to shop itClick any item in the photo to shop it
| # | Item | Description | Shop |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Red Muscle-Print Long Sleeve Bodysuit | A solid red spandex zentai suit with a muscle print — no web lines, no blue anywhere. This is the base layer that shows at the neck, arms and legs once the hoodie goes on top. | 🛒 Check on Amazon |
| 2 | Blue Sleeveless Hoodie with Spider Logo | A sleeveless gym hoodie in royal blue with the big black spider emblem already printed on the chest, so there's nothing to iron on. It runs bluer than Ben's blue-green original. Leave it untucked with the drawstrings loose. For a plain teal version, the Teal Cut-Off Sleeveless Hoodie is the budget swap. | 🛒 Check on Amazon |
| 3 | Red Balaclava Ski Mask | A thin red stretch balaclava that covers the whole head, standing in for Ben's red mask. It's the base that the eye lenses go on, and you see through the fabric. | 🛒 Check on Amazon |
| 4 | Spider Mask Eye Lens Kit | Stick-on DIY lenses with a mesh see-through centre. Glue or sew them over the eyes of the balaclava to turn it into a spider mask. Ben's lenses are white, so spray or paint them white, or choose a white-lens style if the listing offers one. For a ready-made mask, a made-to-order 3D-printed Ben Reilly helmet on Etsy is the pricier option. | 🛒 Check on Amazon |
| 5 | Black Web Belt with Silver Buckle | A plain black canvas belt with a flat silver buckle, worn over the hoodie at the waist to match the dark utility belt on the licensed suit. Simple on purpose: Ben's belt is a plain utility belt, not a decorated one. | 🛒 Check on Amazon |
| 6 | Black Buckle Wrist Cuffs (Pair) | Wide black faux-leather cuffs with buckles, worn over the gloves at each wrist as Ben's web-shooter bracers. They read as hardware, where the old plain white sweatbands read as gym wear. | 🛒 Check on Amazon |
| 7 | Red Stretch Costume Gloves | Short red spandex gloves that continue the suit's red down to the hands, since the bodysuit itself stops at the wrist. | 🛒 Check on Amazon |
| 8 | Red Knee-High Costume Boots | Plain red knee-high boots with a low heel, so the red suit carries straight down to the floor like the built-in boots on the licensed suit. Tuck the red suit legs inside. For a cheaper option, pull red superhero boot covers over any black shoes. | 🛒 Check on Amazon |
| 9 | Black Buckle Ankle Cuffs (Pair) | Adjustable black faux-leather ankle straps worn over the top of the boots or the red suit leg, echoing the wrist cuffs. These are sold as fashion anklets, so tighten them over the suit fabric rather than the boot. | 🛒 Check on Amazon |
| 10 | Adult Red-and-Blue Hooded Zentai Suit | A full one-piece option: red suit with the blue hoodie-and-spider torso printed on, belt and wrist details included, plus the hooded mask. Skip items 1-9 if you buy this. | 🛒 Check on Amazon |
| 11 | Hooded Zentai Suit, Alternate Seller | The same hooded red-and-blue design from another seller, in case the first runs out of your size. | 🛒 Check on Amazon |
| 12 | Replica Utility Belt, Wrist and Ankle Pouch Set (Etsy) | A made-to-order replica set with the buckled utility belt, wrist cuffs and ankle cuffs, far more detailed than the Amazon cuffs and belt above. It's the most-favourited Scarlet Spider accessory listing on Etsy. Swap it in for items 5, 6 and 9 if you want the screen-accurate gear. A 3D-printed belt buckle alone is a cheap upgrade. | 🛒 Check on Etsy |
The hoodie does the identity work here: put the same person in just the red suit and mask and they read as generic Spider-Man, not Scarlet Spider. What makes it Ben Reilly's look specifically is that teal hoodie worn open on top, with a plain black spider silhouette on the chest instead of Spider-Man's full web-spinner emblem — you can iron on a simple spider shape from black fabric or a patch if the hoodie is blank. Keep it loose and a little rough-looking rather than fitted; in the comics it's drawn like something Ben threw on over the suit, sleeves torn off at the shoulder, not a tailored piece. If you want the mask to read more like Ben's specifically, a strip of gray or teal fabric glued around the eye area (echoing the webbing color on his mask in the original art) sells it further, though the plain red-and-black version above works fine on its own.
If you'd rather skip layering two garments, items 10 and 11 are one-piece Scarlet Spider zentai suits with the blue hoodie torso printed on — they trade the hoodie's texture and movement for convenience, and leans closer to later, sleeker redesigns of the suit than Ben's original hoodie look. And if you're actually after Kaine Parker's Scarlet Spider instead — the tattered, more armored black-and-red suit from his own 2010s series — that's a different costume entirely and not what's built here.
About Scarlet Spider / Ben Reilly
Ben Reilly was created by writer Gerry Conway and artist Ross Andru, first appearing in The Amazing Spider-Man #149 (1975) as a clone of Peter Parker grown by the villain Miles Warren, the Jackal. The story originally killed him off in that same issue, seemingly ending the idea — until Marvel revived it two decades later.
Reilly became a major character during the Clone Saga, a sprawling storyline that ran across Spider-Man's titles from 1994 to 1996. Having spent years living quietly and anonymously after his "death," Ben returned to New York and, not wanting to simply pass himself off as Peter Parker, took on his own costumed identity: the Scarlet Spider. Marvel has said the hoodie-over-bodysuit design, created by artist Tom Lyle, won over the other artists working on the books unanimously when it was pitched. For a stretch during the Clone Saga's climax, Marvel's editorial even had Ben take over as Spider-Man outright while Peter stepped back — before reversing course and confirming Peter had been the original all along.
Years later, a second failed Parker clone, Kaine Parker, took up the Scarlet Spider name for himself, starting with Scarlet Spider (2012) by Chris Yost — a grimmer, more reluctant hero in a black-and-red suit with a very different look and tone from Ben's. Both men also went on to headline their own ongoing "Scarlet Spider" comics decades apart, which is a large part of why the name means two different costumes to different readers.
