Who is Miles Morales? Marvel’s other Ultimate Spider-Man explained

If you’re not sure who Miles Morales is, rest assured that there’s a little more to the answer than just “another Spider-Man.” With a universe-ending cataclysm and at least one dead Spider-Man, the character has a wild history with ties to one of Marvel’s most beloved imprints. 

Times are good for Miles Morales fans. The character had one of the biggest movies of the year with Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse (even if fans are still annoyed by that cliffhanger ending!) and has never been a more prominent Marvel Comics character. 

Now he’s returning to video games with Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, a follow-up to his solo spin-off, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales. The new game sees Peter and Miles team up to face Kraven the Hunter, all while the threat of Venom looms on the horizon. 

Ahead of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, there’s no better time to revisit Miles Morales. While the character has a very straightforward history in the game, the comic book Miles has a much more convoluted backstory that involves a whole other life on an alternate Earth. 

Miles Morales is the second Ultimate Spider-Man

Originally, Miles Morales hails from the Ultimate Universe, Earth-1610. He gets spider powers after being bitten by a genetically altered spider that was stolen by his uncle, Aaron Davis, aka The Prowler.

Miles is at first unsure what to do with his powers, but then the Peter Parker of his Earth dies fighting Green Goblin. Miles dons a homemade costume and becomes the new Spider-Man. 

Though he is at first looked down on by others, he earns the blessing of Peter’s Aunt May and his ex-girlfriend, Gwen Stacy. With Peter’s old web shooters and a new costume provided by Nick Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D., Miles officially becomes the all-new Ultimate Spider-Man. 

The Marvel Universe has two Spider-Men after Secret Wars

Earth-1610 and the core Marvel universe, Earth-616, were destroyed after multiple incursions fractured reality. A few heroes and villains had stowed away on their respective lifeboats and survived. Miles, seeing the villain The Maker from his Earth escaping, stowed away on the lifeboat of villains. 

The universe was remade by Doctor Doom with the aid of Molecule Man, creating Battleworld. Here, Miles would ally with Peter Parker, whom he had met briefly on a previous adventure. 

Miles earned the favor of Molecule Man by offering him food. As thanks for the kindness, Molecule Man rewrote Miles and his family into the new Earth-616. In the new timeline, Miles is aware that he originally came from somewhere different, but his personal history is such that he always lived on Earth-616. 

Who is Miles Morales in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2?

The Miles Morales of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is a unique variant with some similarities to Ultimate Miles but a different backstory. The world of Insomniac’s Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is dubbed Earth-1048 and has its own unique timeline. 

The Miles of Earth-1048 was always from this Earth. Rather than being the son of a retired S.H.I.E.L.D. operative, Miles is the son of a police officer. Rather than the spider that bit him having been stolen by his uncle, it’s mistakenly brought from an Oscorp facility by Mary Jane Watson. 

Miles does still have an Uncle Aaron who is The Prowler and has many of the same powers and abilities. His costume is also mostly his own original creation, having modified a suit he received from Peter Parker at the start of his Spider-Man tenure. 

That’s a quick and dirty history of Miles Morales in both comics and Insomniac’s Marvel universe. While waiting for the game to come out, take a look at some of our other handy Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 guides and content:

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2: All confirmed suits for Peter Parker & Miles Morales | Spider-Man 2 story: When does the game take place? | Venom in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 | Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 editions | Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 platforms | Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 switch characters in open world | Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 gameplay trailer