Spider-Man: 10 Mind-Blowing Facts You Didn't Know About Miles Morales
Without Barack Obama and Donald Glover, there would be no Miles Morales.
During the millennium, Marvel created a separate reboot of their comics for modern readers called Ultimate Marvel. It was a big risk to remake all of the company's most iconic characters but it was an instant hit.
There were even times where the Ultimate series was outselling the classic comics. Some readers speculated that the reboot could actually replace the original series.
Sadly, it was too good to last. There was a story written that was so bad, it nearly destroyed the entire Ultimate comic line. With sales plummeting, the writers realised that they had to do something drastic or pull the plug.
And so, they made one of the boldest decisions in comic history; they killed off Peter Parker, allowing a black teenager called Miles Morales to become the new Spider-Man.
Although this decision could have come across as gimmicky or disrespectful, Miles was hailed as the greatest success of the Ultimate series. He was so beloved, he was absorbed into the mainstream Marvel universe after the Ultimate series was cancelled.
So what makes Miles so interesting? What inspired the company to create him? What makes him different to the original Spider-Man?
Here are some mind-blowing facts you didn't know about Miles Morales.
10. He Was Inspired By Barack Obama And Donald Glover
When the Marvel staff learned Barack Obama's favourite superhero was Spider-Man, they whipped up a story where Spidey rescues the president from the Chameleon. Obama thanked the wallcrawler for his help, and was cool enough to give him a fist bump, kickstarting an idea in writer Brian Michael Bendis' head.
Around the same time, actor and singer Donald Glover announced through social media that he would love to portray Spidey in a movie. When the Childish Gambino's campaign went viral, Bendis felt like it was a perfect opportunity to update the Spider-Man franchise.
The writer would oversee the story The Death of Spider-Man, which concluded with Peter Parker being killed by the Green Goblin. In the follow-up series, Ultimate Fallout, Bendis introduced a thirteen-year-old Afro-Latino called Miles Morales as the new Spider-Man.
Was there backlash when a young black man took on the mantle of Marvel's most iconic superhero? Absolutely. Bendis always knew that was going to happen.
But Miles proved to be a strong superhero, a great character, and a worthy Spider-Man. (Also, he has the best Spider-Man film. No contest.)