Spider-Man (Miles Morales)
Encyclopedia
Miles Morales is a fictional comic book
superhero
published by Marvel Comics
. A teenager of African American and Latino descent, Miles is the second character to go by the name of Spider-Man
in Marvel Comics
' Ultimate Marvel
line of books. First introduced following the death of Peter Parker, the original Spider-Man, Miles became the subject of the new Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man
. Despite Miles portraying Ultimate Spider-Man in the comic book series, he will not be the lead for Marvel's Ultimate Spider-Man
animated series in 2012 on Disney XD
.
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
said, "We realized that we were standing at the brink of America elected (sic) 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 Ultimatum, a 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 enforced by African American actor Donald Glover
's appearance wearing Spider-Man pajamas on "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 an audition for the lead role in the upcoming 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 plans were revived and the character Miles Morales was created. Miles Morales was created by comic book writer Brian Michael Bendis
and artist Sara Pichelli. The Morales character made his debut in the fourth issue of the Ultimate Fallout
limited series, which was released on August 3, 2011. Starting in September 2011, Miles will be the star in the relaunched Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man
series, written by Bendis and drawn by Pichelli. 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 Comics: 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 screentone
s 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".
Although Morales is the first black Spider-Man, he marks the second time a Hispanic 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
. Peter Parker remains alive and still portrays Spider-Man in the main Marvel Universe
; Morales has replaced Parker as Spider-Man only in Ultimate Marvel, a parallel universe that re-imagines the characters.
, New York City
. He is the 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. Miles first appears a short time after the death of Peter Parker
during a battle with the Green Goblin
. Miles makes his first public appearance as Spider-Man when he fights Kangaroo
, stopping him from killing a man who Kangaroo claims owed him money. He originally wears a red Spider-Man suit similar to Peter Parker's, but considers changing it when spectators tell him it is in "bad taste".
A flashback to events eleven months earlier reveals Miles' origin. Norman Osborn had continued to experiment on spiders with various strains of the Oz formula. However, one of the spiders escaped. A few days later, the Prowler
(Miles' uncle) infiltrates the facility and breaks into Osborn's personal safe, failing to notice the spider climbing into his bag. When Miles goes to visit his uncle a few days later, the spider bites him and he passes out. After the accident, Miles discovers he has the ability to turn invisible. While walking down the street Miles' is taunted around by street thugs and zaps one of them on the chest with a new ability called "Spider Stinger".
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 results by audiences. Some readers felt the decision was an attempt by Marvel Comics to be politically correct
, while others felt that a non-Caucasian Spider-Man would set a positive example for minority readers, particularly children. Some believed the introduction of a minority Spider-Man was simply a publicity stunt
to attract more readers. 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 the character should be based on the quality of its stories rather than his appearance or ethnicity.
Prominent radio host and conservative pundit Lou Dobbs
expressed outrage over the original Spider-Man being replaced by the new biracial hero. Political comedian Jon Stewart
subsequently mocked Dobbs' reaction on The Daily Show
, while also pointing out that Morales replaced Spider-Man only in the Ultimate universe, and that the original Peter Parker would still be appearing in several titles. Similarly, conservative talkshow host Glenn Beck
was parodied by comedian Stephen Colbert
for expressing a dislike for the new character. However, unlike Dobbs, Beck said he didn't care about Miles' race, and also pointed out that this was not the mainstream Spider-Man. Axel Alonso denied the character was created out of political correctness: "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."
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
published by Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
. A teenager of African American and Latino descent, Miles is the second character to go by the name of Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
in Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
' Ultimate Marvel
Ultimate Marvel
Ultimate Marvel is an imprint of comic books published by Marvel Comics, featuring reimagined and updated versions of the company's superhero characters, including Spider-Man, the X-Men, the Avengers, and the Fantastic Four. The imprint was launched in 2000 with the publication of the series...
line of books. First introduced following the death of Peter Parker, the original Spider-Man, Miles became the subject of the new Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man
Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man
Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man is a comic book series published by Marvel Comics that debuted in August 2009 as part of the relaunch of Ultimate Marvel under the new "Ultimate Comics" imprint. It serves as a continuation of Ultimate Spider-Man, as well as an all-new series...
. Despite Miles portraying Ultimate Spider-Man in the comic book series, he will not be the lead for Marvel's Ultimate Spider-Man
Ultimate Spider-Man (TV series)
Ultimate Spider-Man is an upcoming American cartoon series based on the superhero character published by Marvel Comics and written by Brian Bendis, Paul Dini, and Man of Action Ultimate Spider-Man is an upcoming American cartoon series based on the superhero character published by Marvel Comics and...
animated series in 2012 on Disney XD
Disney XD
Disney XD is a brand of children's TV channels worldwide targeting young males, owned by The Walt Disney Company. The channel was formerly known as Toon Disney and/or Jetix in most areas. According to Gary Marsh, President of Entertainment for Disney Channel Worldwide, "XD" does not "stand for...
.
Publication history
The concept of an African American Spider-ManSpider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
was first discussed a few months before the November 2008 election
United States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
of Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
as President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
. Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
editor-in-chief Axel Alonso
Axel Alonso
Axel Alonso is American comic book creator, known primarily as an editor at DC Comics from 1994–2000, and at Marvel Comics from 2000 to the present. At DC, he edited a number of books published under their Vertigo line, such as Doom Patrol, Animal Man, Hellblazer, Preacher and 100 Bullets...
said, "We realized that we were standing at the brink of America elected (sic) 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 Ultimatum, a story arc that restructured much of the Ultimate Marvel
Ultimate Marvel
Ultimate Marvel is an imprint of comic books published by Marvel Comics, featuring reimagined and updated versions of the company's superhero characters, including Spider-Man, the X-Men, the Avengers, and the Fantastic Four. The imprint was launched in 2000 with the publication of the series...
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 enforced by African American actor Donald Glover
Donald Glover
Donald McKinley Glover is an American actor, writer, comedian, and musician. Glover first came to attention for his work in the sketch group Derrick Comedy, and is best known for his role as community college student Troy Barnes on the NBC comedy series Community...
's appearance wearing Spider-Man pajamas on "Anthropology 101
Anthropology 101
"Anthropology 101" is the second season premiere of the American television series Community. It was originally broadcast on September 23, 2010 on NBC...
", the second season
Community (season 2)
The second season of the television comedy series Community premiered on September 23, 2010 and concluded on May 12, 2011, on NBC and aired on Thursdays at 8:00 pm ET as part of Comedy Night Done Right.-Starring:*Joel McHale as Jeff Winger...
premiere of the television comedy series Community
Community (TV series)
Community is an American television comedy series created by Dan Harmon that airs on NBC. The series is about a group of students at a community college in the fictional locale of Greendale, Colorado. The series heavily uses meta-humor and pop culture references, often parodying film and television...
. This was a reference to an unsuccessful online campaign that attempted to secure an audition for the lead role in the upcoming film The Amazing Spider-Man
The Amazing Spider-Man (2012 film)
The Amazing Spider-Man is an upcoming American superhero film based on the comic book of the same name that is currently in post-production. It is the fourth Columbia Pictures film based on the Marvel Comics character Spider-Man and the first film in a rebooted Spider-Man film franchise. The film...
. 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
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
staff decided that the Ultimate universe's Peter Parker would be killed in the 2011 storyline "Death of Spider-Man", the plans were revived and the character Miles Morales was created. Miles Morales was created by comic book writer Brian Michael Bendis
Brian Michael Bendis
Brian Michael Bendis is an American comic book writer and erstwhile artist. He has won critical acclaim for his self-published, Image Comics and Marvel Comics work, and is one of the most successful writers working in mainstream comics, with his books selling consistently highly for over a...
and artist Sara Pichelli. The Morales character made his debut in the fourth issue of the Ultimate Fallout
Ultimate Fallout
Ultimate Comics: Fallout is a comic book limited series published by Marvel Comics that debuted in July 2011 as part of the second re-launch of the Ultimate Universe...
limited series, which was released on August 3, 2011. Starting in September 2011, Miles will be the star in the relaunched Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man
Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man
Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man is a comic book series published by Marvel Comics that debuted in August 2009 as part of the relaunch of Ultimate Marvel under the new "Ultimate Comics" imprint. It serves as a continuation of Ultimate Spider-Man, as well as an all-new series...
series, written by Bendis and drawn by Pichelli. 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 Comics: Spider-Man
Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man
Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man is a comic book series published by Marvel Comics that debuted in August 2009 as part of the relaunch of Ultimate Marvel under the new "Ultimate Comics" imprint. It serves as a continuation of Ultimate Spider-Man, as well as an all-new series...
before she was approached to work on the new title with Miles Morales. Pichelli, who works with a Cintiq 12wx graphic tablet, added more screentone
Screentone
Screentone is a technique for applying textures and shades to drawings, used as an alternative to hatching. In the conventional process, patterns are transferred to paper from preprinted sheets, but the technique is also simulated in computer graphics...
s 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".
Although Morales is the first black Spider-Man, he marks the second time a Hispanic 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
Spider-Man 2099
Spider-Man 2099 is a fictional comic book superhero, created by Peter David and Rick Leonardi in 1992 for Marvel Comics' Marvel 2099 line. His secret alter ego is Miguel O'Hara, a brilliant geneticist living in New York in the year 2099 A.D...
. Peter Parker remains alive and still portrays Spider-Man in the main Marvel Universe
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
; Morales has replaced Parker as Spider-Man only in Ultimate Marvel, a parallel universe that re-imagines the characters.
Fictional character biography
Miles Morales was born and raised in BrooklynBrooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. He is the son of an African American father and a Puerto Rican mother. Axel Alonso has described Miles as an intelligent nerd
Nerd
Nerd is a derogatory slang term for an intelligent but socially awkward and obsessive person who spends time on unpopular or obscure pursuits, to the exclusion of more mainstream activities. Nerds are considered to be awkward, shy, and unattractive...
with an aptitude for science similar to his predecessor, Peter Parker. Miles first appears a short time after the death of Peter Parker
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
during a battle with the Green Goblin
Green Goblin
The Green Goblin is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #14 ....
. Miles makes his first public appearance as Spider-Man when he fights Kangaroo
Kangaroo (comics)
The Kangaroo is the alias of two fictional Spider-Man villains in the Marvel Universe. The first was introduced in The Amazing Spider-Man #81 in 1970; the second was first seen in Cage #13 in 1993 and made his debut in The Spectacular Spider-Man #242 in 1997...
, stopping him from killing a man who Kangaroo claims owed him money. He originally wears a red Spider-Man suit similar to Peter Parker's, but considers changing it when spectators tell him it is in "bad taste".
A flashback to events eleven months earlier reveals Miles' origin. Norman Osborn had continued to experiment on spiders with various strains of the Oz formula. However, one of the spiders escaped. A few days later, the Prowler
Prowler (comics)
The Prowler is the name of three fictional characters owned by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The original Prowler character was a criminal-turned-superhero named Hobie Brown. He debuted in The Amazing Spider-Man #78...
(Miles' uncle) infiltrates the facility and breaks into Osborn's personal safe, failing to notice the spider climbing into his bag. When Miles goes to visit his uncle a few days later, the spider bites him and he passes out. After the accident, Miles discovers he has the ability to turn invisible. While walking down the street Miles' is taunted around by street thugs and zaps one of them on the chest with a new ability called "Spider Stinger".
Powers and abilities
Bitten by the same type of genetically-engineered spider that granted Peter Parker his powers, Miles possesses similar abilities. During his confrontation with the Kangaroo, he displays enhanced strength and agility, as well as Peter's trademark "Spider-sense", which gives Miles the ability to sense oncoming danger. However, Miles is apparently unaware of exactly what function this ability serves, as he is shown confused when it activates during the battle. After initially being bitten, Miles also displays the ability to render himself invisible. Another ability he has displayed is called "Spider Stinger", allowing Miles to paralyze a person with the touch of his hands, and later sticking on solid surfaces.Reception
When it was announced in April 2011 that someone else would replace Peter Parker as Spider-Man, rumors began circulating immediately that it might be a woman or ethnic minority. The character Miles Morales was first reported by the USA TodayUSA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
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 results by audiences. Some readers felt the decision was an attempt by Marvel Comics to be politically correct
Political correctness
Political correctness is a term which denotes language, ideas, policies, and behavior seen as seeking to minimize social and institutional offense in occupational, gender, racial, cultural, sexual orientation, certain other religions, beliefs or ideologies, disability, and age-related contexts,...
, while others felt that a non-Caucasian Spider-Man would set a positive example for minority readers, particularly children. Some believed the introduction of a minority Spider-Man was simply a publicity stunt
Publicity stunt
A publicity stunt is a planned event designed to attract the public's attention to the event's organizers or their cause. Publicity stunts can be professionally organized or set up by amateurs...
to attract more readers. 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
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
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 the character should be based on the quality of its stories rather than his appearance or ethnicity.
Prominent radio host and conservative pundit Lou Dobbs
Lou Dobbs
Louis Carl "Lou" Dobbs is an American journalist, radio host, television host on the Fox Business Network, and author. He anchored CNN's Lou Dobbs Tonight until November 2009 when he announced on the air that he would leave the 24-hour cable news television network.He was born in Texas and lived...
expressed outrage over the original Spider-Man being replaced by the new biracial hero. Political comedian Jon Stewart
Jon Stewart
Jon Stewart is an American political satirist, writer, television host, actor, media critic and stand-up comedian...
subsequently mocked Dobbs' reaction on The Daily Show
The Daily Show
The Daily Show , is an American late night satirical television program airing each Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central. The half-hour long show premiered on July 21, 1996, and was hosted by Craig Kilborn until December 1998...
, while also pointing out that Morales replaced Spider-Man only in the Ultimate universe, and that the original Peter Parker would still be appearing in several titles. Similarly, conservative talkshow host Glenn Beck
Glenn Beck
Glenn Edward Lee Beck is an American conservative radio host, vlogger, author, entrepreneur, political commentator and former television host. He hosts the Glenn Beck Program, a nationally syndicated talk-radio show that airs throughout the United States on Premiere Radio Networks...
was parodied by comedian Stephen Colbert
Stephen Colbert
Stephen Tyrone Colbert is an American political satirist, writer, comedian, television host, and actor. He is the host of Comedy Central's The Colbert Report, a satirical news show in which Colbert portrays a caricatured version of conservative political pundits.Colbert originally studied to be an...
for expressing a dislike for the new character. However, unlike Dobbs, Beck said he didn't care about Miles' race, and also pointed out that this was not the mainstream Spider-Man. Axel Alonso denied the character was created out of political correctness: "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."
In other media
- Miles Morales' Spider-Man suit is available as an alternate costume in Spider-Man: Edge of TimeSpider-Man: Edge of TimeSpider-Man: Edge of Time is a video game developed by the Activision-owned developer Beenox, based on the superhero Spider-Man. The story was written by Peter David, and gameplay has a "cause-and-effect" system where one Spider-Man's actions will affect the other and vice versa. It was released on...
. - The Miles Morales Spider-Man design is also available as a playable character in Marvel Super Hero Squad OnlineMarvel Super Hero Squad OnlineMarvel Super Hero Squad Online is a MMOG for younger audiences based on the Marvel Super Hero Squad franchise.The MMOG officially was released as a open beta on April 29, 2011 and a closed beta was released in early 2011. The first debut trailer for Marvel Super Hero Squad Online was released on...
, voiced by Antony Del Rio.