ok.

Not sure how to do the equivalent of var with a movieclip, however.

This is what confuses me - hypothetical:

[1]
I create a movieclip using the shapes option on the menu, on, say, frame 2. In frame 2 I this duplicate using AS.

[2]
The movie loops between 3 and 4. The clips do not show.

[3]
If I copy the original clip to frame 3, duplicated clips show whenever frame 3 shows, disappear when frame 4 is displayed, rendered, whatever.

[4]
If I copy the original clip to frame 4, all clips show all the time.

.. Sometimes .. However, sometimes when the original is only in frame 3 they show all the time.