Spider Man (Miles Morales)

Publication history

The concept of a black Spider-Man was first discussed a few months before the November 2008 election of Barack Obama as President of the United States. Marvel Comics editor-in-chief Axel Alonso describes the catalyst, "When we were planning "Ultimatum," we realized that we were standing at the brink of America electing its first African-American President and we acknowledged that maybe it was time to take a good look at one of our icons." This new Spider-Man was considered a possible part of the 2008–09 "Ultimatum" story arc that restructured much of the Ultimate Marvel universe, but those early thoughts were abandoned because the story for that character had not yet been developed. Bendis said thoughts about the character were further reinforced by African American actor Donald Glover's appearance wearing Spider-Man pajamas in "Anthropology 101", the second season premiere of the television comedy series Community. This was a reference to an unsuccessful online campaign that attempted to secure Glover an audition for the lead role in the 2012 film The Amazing Spider-Man. Bendis said of Glover, "I saw him in the costume and thought, 'I would like to read that book.' So I was glad I was writing that book."

When the Marvel Comics staff decided that the Ultimate universe's Peter Parker would be killed in the 2011 storyline "Death of Spider-Man", the character Miles Morales was created. Although Morales is the first black Spider-Man, he marks the second time a Latino character has taken the Spider-Man identity. Miguel O'Hara, who is of half Mexican descent, was the title character in the series Spider-Man 2099. Morales has replaced Parker as Spider-Man only in Ultimate Marvel, a parallel universe that re-imagines the characters.

Miles Morales was created by comic book writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Sara Pichelli. Morales was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York City, the then-13-year-old son of an African American father and a Puerto Rican mother. Axel Alonso has described Miles as an intelligent nerd with an aptitude for science similar to his predecessor, Peter Parker. The character made his debut in the fourth issue of the Ultimate Fallout limited series, which was released on August 3, 2011. He later starred in the relaunched Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man series, written by Bendis and drawn by Pichelli, in September 2011.

In contrasting Miles with Peter Parker, Bendis has depicted different conflicts and anxieties for the character. Right after acquiring his superhuman abilities from a spider bite at the home of his uncle, Aaron, whom Miles admires but he does not initially know is a career criminal, Miles' father, Jefferson, explains to Miles that before Miles was born, Jefferson and Aaron were thieves who spent time in prison, and that while Jefferson reformed when he got older, Aaron has not. According to Bendis, this gives Miles cause to wonder if the traits that lead to criminal behavior are hardwired into his DNA, leading him to question whether he is essentially a good person or not, and what his future holds for him. These issues further haunt Miles after he becomes disillusioned with Aaron, and Aaron dies from an accidental explosion triggered during a battle between the two of them, saying, "You are just like me" to Miles before dying.

In creating the visual look for Miles, Pichelli followed her usual practice of approaching the design by giving thought to the character's personality, including the background that influenced it, and the distinctive traits that he would exhibit, such as the clothing he wears, his body language and expressions. Pichelli also designed Spider-Man's new costume, a mostly black outfit with red webbing and a red spider logo. Pichelli had worked on four issues of Ultimate Spider-Man before she was approached to work on the new title with Miles Morales. Pichelli, who works with a Cintiq 12wx graphic tablet, added more screentones to her illustrations to give what she called "a more 'pop' feeling to the book, because I think it would fit perfectly with the new series".

In 2012, Morales appeared in the miniseries Spider-Men, in which he encounters the Spider-Man of the original Marvel universe.

In June 2013, the character appeared in the climax of Age of Ultron #10 (also written by Brian Michael Bendis). In the storyline, which depicts major changes to the space-time continuum as a result of the time travel on the part of the original Marvel versions of Susan Richards and Wolverine, Miles witnesses the coming of the mainstream Marvel Galactus to Earth.

Despite its initial press and critical reception, Ultimate Comics Spider-Man was not a huge hit in the direct market. By August 2013, sales on the title had slipped, and sales for the other two Ultimate titles, Ultimate Comics X-Men and Ultimate Comics The Ultimates, had dropped to numbers at which mainstream Marvel titles are cancelled. That November, Ultimate Comics Spider-Man ended its run with issue #28, and the other two titles ended along with it, to make way for the miniseries Cataclysm: Ultimate Spider-Man, one of the books in the crossover storyline "Cataclysm", in which the heroes of the Ultimate universe face the threat of the Marvel 616 Galactus, and Miles is transported to the mainstream Marvel universe.

In January 2014, it was announced that following "Cataclysm", Miles would begin starring in a new title called Miles Morales: Ultimate Spider-Man, as part of Ultimate Marvel Now, an initiative with which Marvel will relaunch the Ultimate Marvel line. Miles Morales will also be a main character in the All-New Ultimates, in which he will join a team of young heroes that will include Kitty Pryde, Bombshell, Cloak and Dagger, and a new Black Widow. The former title is written by Bendis, while the latter is written by Michel Fiffe and drawn by Amilcar Pinna. both series ran for 12 issues. The twelfth and final issue of Miles Morales: Ultimate Spider-Man concluded with a cliffhanger that led directly into the 2015 "Secret Wars" storyline.

Marvel ended the Ultimate Marvel imprint with the "Secret Wars" storyline, in which the Marvel Universe was merged with other alternate universes, including the Ultimate Universe. Following "Secret Wars", Miles become a character of the mainstream Marvel Universe, and a member of the titular team in All-New, All-Different Avengers. He also headlines a new series, titled simply Spider-Man, which debuted February 3, 2016, with Bendis and Pichelli returning as the creative team. In the storyline, Peter Parker expands the scope of his activities globally, while the now-16-year-old Miles continues to patrol New York City, and deals with issues such as confrontations with Parker's rogues gallery, the public's reaction to his ethnicity, and his love life.

First appearance

Miles Morales first appears in Ultimate Comics: Fallout #4, which was published in August 2011, in which he foils a murder by Kangaroo, a short time after Peter Parker's death. He wears a Spider-Man costume similar to Peter Parker's, but considers changing it when spectators tell him it is in "bad taste".

Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man

The opening story arc of Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man, which premiered in September 2011, is set prior to Ultimate Fallout #4, and details how Miles received his superhuman abilities. After Oscorp scientist Dr. Markus uses Parker's blood to recreate the Oz formula that created Spider-Man, the Prowler (Aaron Davis) steals the formula, and in the process, one of the spiders created by Markus crawls into the Prowler's duffel bag. Days later, the Prowler's nephew, grade-schooler Miles Morales, is bitten by the spider during a visit to Aaron's apartment. Morales develops superhuman abilities similar to those Peter Parker has, but does not tell his parents, Jefferson and Rio, due to his father's distrust of superheroes, confiding only in his best friend, Ganke Lee.

Miles, who just wants a normal life, is unhappy about having these abilities, and initially nauseated at the idea of risking his life to engage in superheroics, a reaction that Bendis wrote to further contrast Miles with Parker. However, after witnessing Spider-Man's death at the hands of the Green Goblin, the guilt-ridden Miles realizes he could have helped. After Ganke suggests he assume the mantle of Spider-Man, and learns from Gwen Stacy why Parker did what he did, Miles is inspired to try his hand at costumed crimefighting. During his first foray into costumed superheroics, he is confronted not only by those who feel his use of the Spider-Man costume is in bad taste, but also by Spider-Woman, a member of the government superhuman team, the Ultimates, over his use of the Spider-Man identity.

Spider-Woman unmasks and arrests Miles and takes him to S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, where Nick Fury reveals that he knows all about Miles and his family, including his uncle's criminal activity. After he helps S.H.I.E.L.D. subdue the escaped supervillain Electro, S.H.I.E.L.D. releases Miles and gives him a modified black and red version of the Spider-Man costume, which Ganke feels makes Miles "officially" the new Spider-Man. He also receives the blessing of the Earth-616 Peter Parker during the 2012 Spider-Men miniseries, in which Parker briefly visits the Ultimate Marvel universe and meets Miles. After the newspapers begin reporting the emergence of a new Spider-Man, Aaron deduces that it is really Miles, and offers to train Miles and work with him. After Aaron uses Miles in his ongoing conflict with the Mexican crime lord Scorpion, Miles realizes he is being exploited, and refuses to assist his uncle further, despite Aaron's threat to inform Miles' father of his secret. This leads to an altercation between the uncle and nephew that results in the malfunction of Aaron's weapons, which explode, killing Aaron.

In subsequent storylines, Miles subsequently becomes acquainted with Peter Parker's loved ones, May Parker, Gwen Stacy and Mary Jane Watson, who know of his secret identity, and give him Parker's web shooters. He also encounters Captain America, who reluctantly agrees to train Miles.

In a 2013 storyline, investigative reporter Betty Brant incorrectly concludes that Miles' father, Jefferson, is the new Spider-Man. However, publisher J. Jonah Jameson, in light of the death of Peter Parker, refuses to publish her theory, on the grounds that it will merely ruin a family's life and deprive the city of another hero. When Brant tries to publish her findings in a book, she is murdered by former Oscorp and then-Roxxon scientist Dr. Conrad Marcus, who has become the newest host to the Venom symbiote. In the subsequent "Venom War" storyline, Venom learns of Brant's findings, and confronts Jefferson at his home, where Spider-Man repels the creature. Jefferson is critically injured and hospitalized in this battle, and Miles is confronted by former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent turned New York Police detective Maria Hill, who has also deduced his secret. When Venom later appears at the hospital, Spider-Man again confronts him, during which Miles' mother, Rio, also learns that her son is Spider-Man. By the end of the brawl, Marcus is separated from the symbiote and killed by police gunfire, as is Rio, who tells Miles not to reveal his secret to his father before dying.

The storyline then jumps ahead one year. Miles has a girlfriend named Katie Bishop, and is planning on telling her about his former life as Spider-Man. Though he has not engaged in heroics in a year, he is pressured to return to that life, by S.H.I.E.L.D. He reluctantly does so, after Ganke and Spider-Woman convinces him that there needs to be a Spider-Man. Along with Spider-Woman, Bombshell and Cloak and Dagger, Miles helps arrest Donald Roxxon, the head of the Roxxon corporation, who reveals that he knows of Miles' identity, and that he was the one who hired Aaron to break into Oscorp the night that the spider who gave Miles his powers was accidentally brought to Aaron's home. He also reveals that he was responsible for the creation of Bombshell, Cloak and Dagger, which involved kidnapping underage people and experimenting on them using untested genetic technology. After Roxxon's arrest, Miles thanks Ganke for his support, and affirms in earnest that he is Spider-Man.

"Cataclysm"

In the "Cataclysm" storyline, the mainstream Marvel Galactus comes to Earth to consume it for its energy. During the course of this story, Miles comes to believe the world is coming to an end, and reveals his double life to his father, who believes he is responsible for the death of Aaron and Rio, and disowns him. Miles also journeys to the mainstream Marvel universe with Reed Richards to acquire information on how to repel Galactus.

Miles Morales: Ultimate Spider-Man

During the course of his second solo series, Miles Morales: Ultimate Spider-Man, Miles encounters a very much alive Peter Parker, who cannot explain his reappearance, and who does not intend to return to his former life. Together, the two Spider-Men defeat Norman Osborn, who is also revealed to be alive, but who is killed during the course of the story. After witnessing Miles courageously battle Osborn, Peter acknowledges Miles a worthy successor, and decides to retire from superheroics for a life with his family and Mary Jane.

Miles' father also reappears, and relates to his son that as a young man, he and Aaron went to work for a criminal named Turk after Jefferson was recruited by S.H.I.E.L.D. as a spy in order to infiltrate the organization of the then-up-and-coming international criminal Wilson Fisk. Jefferson did this for a time, but after the Kingpin was arrested and convicted for his crimes, and Jefferson offered a chance to be a full-fledged S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, he refused, not wanting any part of his brother's world. He met Rio a week later and fell in love with her. Jefferson fled after learning that Miles was Spider-Man because it brought back unresolved from that earlier time in his life, and tells Miles that he does not blame Miles for his mother's death, and regrets abandoning him.

When Miles reveals his secret identity to his girlfriend, Katie Bishop, she and her parents are revealed to be sleeper agents for the terrorist group Hydra, who then kidnap Miles, his father and Ganke, as part of a plan involving Dr. Doom. Miles and the other prisoners are freed, however, in part with help from Miles' dorm mate, Judge, Maria Hill, and other superhuman colleagues.

End of Ultimate imprint and merge with Marvel-616

During the events of the 2015 "Secret Wars" storyline, both the Ultimate Marvel universe and the mainstream Earth-616 universe are destroyed. Miles manages to survive the destruction by infiltrating an escape ship designed by the Cabal. After eight years in stasis, Miles awakens on the planet Battleworld, a new planet created from the remains of the various alternate Earths that had been destroyed. Miles is reunited with Earth-616's Peter Parker and the other surviving 616 heroes, who battle against Doctor Doom, who has used newly acquired powers to appoint himself a God Emperor over the planet. At the conclusion of the storyline, the Ultimate Universe is wiped out of existence, but the Molecule Man, in gratitude for Miles' earlier compassion to him, arranges for Earth-616 to be restored, with Miles and his family among its inhabitants, including his mother, who has been indicated to have been restored to life in the process. Both Miles and Peter share the mantle of Spider-Man in the new universe, though the now-16-year-old Miles will patrol New York City, while Peter Parker acts globally. Miles is also a member of the latest team of Avengers, which debuts in the 2016 series All-New, All-Different Avengers, and is being trained by Spider-Man to act as New York's resident spider-themed hero while his work with Parker Industries allows the original Spider-Man to act on a global scale.

Miles goes on to star in another solo series, Spider-Man, that debuts in 2016, with Bendis continuing as writer, and Sarah Pichelli and David Marquez alternating on art. In this new continuity, Miles' father is aware of his double life, but his mother is not, nor is S.H.I.E.L.D. During the series' first year, Miles' circle of fellow superheroes who know of his double identity also expands to include Kamala Khan, the fourth Ms. Marvel, and the former X-Man Fabio Medina, aka Goldballs, who becomes a roommate to him and Ganke at school. Miles is a central figure in the 2016–2017 "Civil War II" storyline, in which Ulysses Cain, an Inhuman with precognitive powers, experiences a vision that is interpreted by the superhero community to mean that Miles would kill Steve Rogers, though this scenario does not come to pass. Following "Civil War II", Miles becomes romantically involved with the Gwen Stacy version of Spider-Woman, and forms a new group, the Champions, with Ms. Marvel, Nova, the Amadeus Cho incarnation of the Hulk, Viv Vision, and the time-displaced teenage Cyclops, who feature in their own series. In an issue of The Unbelivable Gwenpool, Gwenpool accidentally restores Miles' memories of the Ultimate Universe and his mother having previously been dead; this fact is later referenced in Spider-Man and Spider-Gwen.

Powers and abilities

Bitten by a slightly different genetically engineered spider than the one that granted Peter Parker's powers, Miles Morales possesses abilities similar to the original Spider-Man's, including enhanced strength and agility, the ability to adhere to walls and ceilings with his hands and feet, and a "spider sense" that warns him of danger with a buzzing sensation in his head. Though his strength and agility are similar to those of the original Spider-Man, his spider-sense is not as strong, as it only warns him of immediate danger.

He has two abilities that the original Spider-Man did not have: the ability to camouflage himself, including his clothing, to match his surroundings, and a "venom sting" that can paralyze almost anyone with just a touch. The venom sting can be conducted through Miles' gloves, and can be used against an opponent at a distance by conducting it through a material in which both Miles and his opponent are in contact, such as the webbing of the Earth-616's Spider-Man. It can break chains being used to restrain Miles, and even repels non-ferrous objects, such as plastic Lego bricks. The venom sting is powerful enough to render unconscious a person as large as Hank Pym's Giant Man. It is powerful enough to drive away the symbiotic villain Venom during Miles' first encounter with the creature, but by their second encounter, Venom has developed such a tolerance to the strike that Miles has to be completely enveloped by the symbiote before the venom sting can separate the symbiote from its host. The effect of the venom strike manifests itself a few seconds after it is implemented, and is described by Bendis as being comparable to the feeling of being kicked in the testicles. Miles can also utilize a "venom blast", which is powerful enough to destroy zero point energy fields made by Ultimate Doctor Doom. Using it requires much more power than the venom sting, and cannot be used multiple times in rapid succession without a "recharging" period for Miles, though he can still make conventional use of it against people.

Miles' body also possesses a strong resistance to injury. During an altercation with the Roxxon mercenary Taskmaster, Miles is thrown through a brick wall without any apparent serious injury, though the experience is painful for him.

Miles wears a costume given to him by S.H.I.E.L.D., and initially uses Peter Parker's web shooters, which are given to him by May Parker. He is eventually given a new set of webshooters by S.H.I.E.L.D. as well.

Reception

The character Miles Morales was first reported by USA Today on August 2, 2011, shortly before the character officially debuted in Ultimate Fallout #4. The announcement received international coverage in the mainstream media and was met with mixed reactions by audiences. Chris Huntington of The New York Times lauded the creation of Morales, relating that it gave his adopted Ethiopian son Dagim a superhero who looks like him. Some fans and commentators felt the decision was an attempt by Marvel Comics to be politically correct and that the introduction of a minority Spider-Man was simply a publicity stunt to attract more readers, while others felt that a person of color as Spider-Man would set a positive example for minority readers, particularly children. Many Spider-Man fans were disappointed that Peter Parker was killed, regardless of who replaced him. The wide-ranging critical reception prompted The Washington Post to run an article called, "Sorry, Peter Parker. The response to the black Spider-Man shows why we need one", in which writer Alexandra Petri wrote that the character should be judged on the quality of its stories rather than on his appearance or ethnicity.

Similarly, conservative talkshow host Glenn Beck, claiming that Miles resembled President Barack Obama, argued that the new Spider-Man was a result of a comment from Michelle Obama about changing traditions. However, Beck said he did not care about Miles' race, and also acknowledged out that this was not the mainstream Spider-Man. Axel Alonso denied the character was created out of political correctness, stating "Simple fact is Marvel comics reflect the world in all its shapes, sizes and colors. We believe there's an audience of people out there who is thirsty for a character like Miles Morales." Original Spider-Man co-creator Stan Lee approved of Miles, stating that "Doing our bit to try to make our nation, and the world, color blind is definitely the right thing."

In a review for the first issue, David Pepose of Newsarama wrote, "The biggest victory that Bendis scores with Miles Morales is that he makes us care about him, and care about him quickly. Even though we're still scratching the surface of what makes him tick, we're seeing the world through his eyes, and it's similar to Peter Parker's but a whole lot tougher. But that kind of Parker-style guilt—that neurotic, nearly masochistic tendency for self-sacrifice that comes with great power and greater responsibility—is still intact." Jesse Schedeen of IGN wrote that "Miles still feels like a bit of an outsider in his own book. Bendis never quite paints a complete picture of Miles—his thoughts, motivations, personality quirks, and so forth. Miles is largely a reactionary figure throughout the book as he confronts struggles like registering for a charter school or dealing with family squabbles." Schedeen also opined that "Miles occupies a more urban, racially diverse, and tense landscape. All the story doesn't pander or lean too heavily on elements like racial and economic tension to move forward. Miles is simply a character who speaks to a slightly different teen experience, and one not nearly as well represented in superhero comics as Peter's". James Hunt of Comic Book Resources rated the issue #1 four and a half out of five stars, lauding Bendis for emphasizing Morales' character and his supporting cast instead of rushing him into costume. The first issue holds a score of 7.8 out of 10 at the review aggregator website Comic Book Roundup, based on 11 reviews, while the final issue, #28, holds a score of 8.3, based on 9 reviews, and the series overall holds an average issue rating of 8.2.

The second solo series, Miles Morales: Ultimate Spider-Man, has an average issue rating of 8.2 at Comic Book Roundup, while the third series, which debuted in 2016, Spider-Man, holds a rating of 7.8.

Other versions

At the conclusion of the 2012 miniseries Spider-Men, in which the mainstream Marvel Universe Peter Parker briefly visits the Ultimate Marvel universe and meets Miles Morales, Parker returns to his home universe, and uses a Google search to see if his universe has a version of Miles Morales. He is shocked by what he finds, but the exact nature of what he finds is left unrevealed to the reader.

In Deadpool Killustrated #1 (2012), Miles Morales' corpse is seen among those of various Spider-Men across various dimensions of the multiverse that an alternate Deadpool has killed.

Television

Miles Morales appears in the Ultimate Spider-Man TV series where he is initially voiced by Donald Glover in the Web Warriors season and by Ogie Banks starting with the episode "Miles from Home". Miles Morales' name and picture appear in the episode "I Am Spider-Man" on a list of understudies for the part of Spider-Man in Phil Coulson's high school play. He is the second to last choice, while Peter Parker is the last choice. In May 2014, the Sunday badge for the 2014 New York Comic Con was revealed, featuring the third season title Ultimate Spider-Man: Web-Warriors, and showing various incarnations of Spider-Man, including one wearing Miles Morales' costume. Web Warriors is a third season storyline in which Peter Parker travels through various parallel universes, and encounters those dimensions' versions of Spider-Man, including Miles Morales. It was later announced that Miles would return for the show's fourth season, Ultimate Spider-Man vs The Sinister 6, under the alias Kid Arachnid.

Miles Morales will appear in the upcoming Spider-Man series as one of the three main characters alongside Peter Parker and Gwen Stacey.

Film

Writer Brian Michael Bendis has stated that he favors incorporating Miles into the Spider-Man feature films in some way, as did actor Andrew Garfield, who played Spider-Man in The Amazing Spider-Man feature film series. Producers Avi Arad and Matt Tolmach have indicated in 2014 that they did not intend to have Miles or any other character replace Peter Parker in the role. However, after Marvel brokered a deal with Sony, which holds the feature film rights to all Spider-Man characters, Kevin Feige stated that while Miles Morales will not be appearing in the Marvel Cinematic Universe for the foreseeable future, he is still interested in exploring opportunities to explore the character.

On January 18, 2017, Sony Animation announced that it was developing an animated Spider-Man feature film that will star the Miles Morales version of the character. It will be executive produced by Phil Lord and Chris Miller, with Lord writing the screenplay, and co-directed by Peter Ramsey and Bob Persichetti.

Video games