Miles Morales

Miles Gonzalo Morales was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Jefferson Davis, an African-American man, and Rio Morales, an Afro-Puerto Rican nurse. He attended Brooklyn Visions Academy, a prestigious charter school. His uncle, Aaron Davis, operated as the villain Prowler and stole a genetically engineered spider from Osborn Industries, created by Dr. Conrad Markus using Peter Parker's blood. During the theft, one spider crawled into Aaron's duffel bag. Days later, while visiting his uncle's apartment, 13-year-old Miles was bitten by that spider, granting him powers similar to Peter Parker's.

Initially, Miles chose not to use his abilities. He witnessed the final battle between Spider-Man (Peter Parker) and the Green Goblin, which ended with both dead. Blaming himself for not intervening, Miles attended Peter's funeral, where Gwen Stacy relayed Uncle Ben's lesson about great power and great responsibility. Inspired, he began fighting crime in a makeshift Halloween Spider-Man costume. After proving himself to S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Jessica Drew (Spider-Woman), she provided him with his iconic black-and-red suit, officially starting his career as the new Spider-Man. [edit]

Miles is defined by humility, empathy, and a strong sense of responsibility. Unlike Peter Parker's guilt-driven heroism, Miles draws strength from his community and family. He is initially hesitant and insecure about his powers, but grows into a confident leader. He values collaboration over lone-wolf tactics, often seeking advice from allies like Ganke Lee and Peter Parker. Miles is also deeply loyal, refusing to kill even his worst enemies, as shown when he defeated an evil Captain America but spared his life. His Afro-Latino heritage shapes his worldview, grounding him in a rich cultural identity that influences his approach to justice. [edit]

Miles's early crime-fighting was marked by inexperience and a fear of heights. His best friend Ganke helped him study footage of Peter Parker's fights to learn techniques. His first major battle against Omega Red revealed his unique bio-electric venom strike. After crossing to Earth-616, Miles trained with Peter Parker and joined the Avengers. However, disillusioned by the events of the second Civil War, he left the team and co-founded the Champions with Kamala Khan and Sam Alexander, later adding Amadeus Cho, Viv Vision, and a time-displaced Cyclops.

During Hydra's takeover of the United States under an evil Captain America, Miles and the Champions formed a resistance. He joined Black Widow in a plan to assassinate the evil Captain America, but she stopped him to prevent him from becoming like her, sacrificing herself. Miles defeated the evil Captain America but chose not to kill him. In the 2024 Blood Hunt storyline, Blade turned Miles into a vampire; he was later cured by the goddess Bast after meeting Anansi. Miles also discovered a surviving clone brother, Shift, who later learned English and was named Jaime Morales after Miles's late grandfather.[edit]

Miles Morales's introduction generated significant cultural discussion. Spider-Man co-creator Stan Lee endorsed the character as a positive role model for children of color. However, some fans objected to replacing Peter Parker, with Fox News and The Guardian reporting accusations of political correctness. Editor Axel Alonso denied it was a publicity stunt, and Alexandra Petri of The Washington Post urged readers to judge the character on story quality, which earned positive reviews.

Miles's popularity grew substantially after the 2018 film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, which won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and introduced him to a global audience. His arc of self-acceptance and embracing responsibility resonated with diverse audiences. As of June 2026, he ranks #3213 overall with a score of 4.78, and #155 among characters of his type on IFanN.[edit]