Miles Morales may be well-known now thanks to his explosion in popularity with the release of the Academy Award-winning 2018 animated film, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, but the character's conception in the late 2000s made way for his grand debut in comics early last decade. Miles Morales, donning the now iconic black and red suit that differentiated him from Peter Parker, quickly became a fan-favourite in the comic book and cinematic world, and is on track to become a favourite as well in the video game world with Insomniac's upcoming Spider-Man: Miles Morales. Let's explore the origins of this pop culture icon.

Conception & First Appearance



The idea for a black Spider-Man was actually first pitched leading into the November 2008 election of then US President Barack Obama. Marvel Comics' editor-in-chief at the time, Axel Alonso, stated, "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." However, the character wouldn't make his debut until 2011 when writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Sara Pichelli officially created Miles Morales.

Bendis would later state that musician, actor and comedian Donald Glover also played a part in helping the character finally come to life, as he was once speculated to play the role of Spider-Man in the movies before Andrew Garfield was cast. This was also spurred on by his appearance in the television sitcom, Community, which showed Glover wearing Spider-Man pajamas in one episode. "He looked fantastic!" Bendis said about 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."

The superhero made his first appearance in Ultimate Fallout Issue #4, following the death of Peter Parker. Miles Morales stepped up as the new kid on the block, and prominently featured in Marvel's Ultimate series for the next few years. When Marvel ended their Ultimate run in 2015, though, Miles would join the main Marvel Universe and spin off his own comic book series.

Backstory


Miles Morales was born in Brooklyn, New York City, an Afro-Latino teenager with Afro-Puerto Rican ancestry (born to an African-American father and Puerto Rican mother). Even as a kid, Miles was considered a very intelligent youth who showed an interest in science, much like Peter Parker. Following his fateful encounter with a spider bite that gifted him his superhuman powers, Miles created his own tech that he would use against villains around New York City. Miles bumped heads with many of Spider-Man's familiar rogues gallery, and eventually would receive mentorship under Peter Parker in an iteration of the character in the comics.

Miles' character motivations run a bit deeper than Peter, though - and some would argue, a bit more tragic. Miles' uncle, Aaron (whom he strongly admired), lived a double life as a career criminal. Miles' father, Jefferson, explained to the teenager that him and his brother were once thieves who spent time in prison. While Jefferson would reform and in one case, become a police officer, Aaron continued his ways as a career criminal in Brooklyn. This caused Miles to question whether or not he was born with criminal intentions, but this internal struggle lead to Miles ultimately making the decision to become Spider-Man and protect people. When Miles eventually crosses paths with his uncle, though, an accidental explosion killed Aaron, but not before he could utter the words "you're just like me" before dying. Miles' motivations were set from this point on - and it become a solid story arc as well in Into The Spider-Verse.

Miles exudes an intelligence that matches Peter Parker, is tech-savvy, and most importantly, street-smart - having been raised in a more crime-ridden section of Brooklyn, Miles is familiar with the rampant crime and violence that plagues the area. Apart from that, some personal characteristics includes his love for hip-hop (which, by the way, I would love his Spotify playlist if the soundtrack for Into The Spider-Verse and Insomniac's upcoming game is anything to go by), and a more aggressive style of combat that's bolstered by his knowledge in creating gadgets and tech.

Rise in Popularity


Miles Morales' sleek red and black suit caught the eyes of many comic book readers, who dove into the character's history in order to find out what defined this new Spider-Man. Across the 2010s, Miles would make appearances in several multiverse crossovers, such as 2012's Spider-Men and Cataclysm, which officially brought Miles into the mainline Marvel universe.

However, he wasn't an immediate hit. Sales for Ultimate Comics Spider-Man would slip in 2013, right before Cataclysm, but would find some success in the comic Miles Morales: Ultimate Spider-Man, once again penned by Bendis. This twelve-issue series would later conclude with the 2015 Secret Wars comic saga. Following the conclusion of Marvel's new Secret Wars storyline, Miles would get his third solo outing with a new comic series simply called Spider-Man, with Bendis and Pichelli headlining the writer and artist duo, respectively. It was here that Miles would begin to grow his popularity before finally landing a hit with 2018's animated film, Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse.

While the character was already featured in many crossovers and animated television shows, it could be argued that Into The Spider-Verse was the film that put Miles on the map and made him such a beloved fan-favourite Spider-Man. Despite not performing as well as the live-action movies in the box office, Into The Spider-Verse would win the 2018 Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and become one of the highest-rated films of the year in general. With the upcoming release of the PlayStation-exclusive video game, Spider-Man: Miles Morales, he had solidified himself within the pop culture spectrum.

What's Next


As of 2020, Miles Morales is one of the most well-known versions of Spider-Man next to Peter Parker - arguably the second most popular. The character will play the lead role in Insomniac Games' Spider-Man: Miles Morales, releasing on PS4 and PS5 this November, and will likely feature in its inevitable mainline sequel as well. Sony Pictures has already greenlit the sequel to Into The Spider-Verse, scheduled to release in 2022.

Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales launches on November 12th, 2020 for PS4 and PS5.