Spider-Man: Peter Parker’s Death Was Miles Morales’ Uncle Ben Moment

The death of Uncle Ben is considered the defining moment in Spider-Man’s life. The loss of this paternal figure and the circumstances that lead up to this fateful moment changed Peter Parker’s life and taught the new hero about what to do regarding power and responsibility. In the case of Miles Morales, a new Spider-Man with a similar yet different power set in the Ultimate Marvel universe, it was Peter Parker himself whose death would inspire Miles to suit up and use his powers for good.

Although originally appearing in Ultimate: Fallout #4 attempting to carry on the Spider-Man’s legacy, Miles’ origins were fleshed out in the Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man series. Created by Ultimate Spider-Man writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Sara Pichelli, Miles is an intelligent teenager from Brooklyn who balances family, friends, and his recent acceptance into a prestigious charter school. During a secret visit to his uncle Aaron Davis, unbeknownst to him as the criminal Prowler, Miles is bitten by an OZ-enhanced spider who hitched a ride in Aaron’s bag during his recent pilfering of Oscorp’s ruins. Miles soon discovered that he now had superpowers, a secret he only revealed to his best friend Ganke Lee, who revealed that Miles’ powers mimicked the abilities of spiders much like a certain famous web-slinging hero.

Although many people dream or talk about what they’d do if they one day had superpowers, Miles was both frustrated and afraid. Fearing his parent’s reaction, especially from his superhero-distrusting father, Miles swore Ganke to secrecy and attempted to live a normal life. When he couldn’t resist helping people during an apartment fire, the experience and danger seemed awesome to Ganke but near traumatized Miles in the process. Overwhelmed with shock and fear, Miles stated that he wasn’t cut out for such a dangerous and life-threatening lifestyle and that the world did not need two Spider-Men, one of which seemed to be doing just fine. Unfortunately that following night, news of the Spider-Man’s injury and the following battle with the Sinister Six in Queens were too much for Miles to ignore. Making his way to Queens, Miles witnessed the end of Peter Parker’s battle with the Green Goblin, which apparently killed them both. As Spider-Man’s loved ones and friends grieved over his loss, Miles asked a grieving Gwen Stacy what his name was, an identity that would soon be known all over the world.

Later, Miles told Ganke that he blamed himself for Peter’s death, calling himself a coward who could have intervened and possibly helped Peter but chose not to because his desire to be normal was more important. Although Ganke stated that Miles could have died in the process, Miles Morales stated that he was done hiding and being afraid, with his friend stating that perhaps Miles was given these powers so the world would always have a Spider-Man. Miles and Ganke were among the thousands who showed up to pay their respects at Peter’s funeral where he managed to ask Gwen Stacy why Peter chose to be Spider-Man. Whether she recognized him from that night before or she wanted to make a point, the grieving Gwen told Miles about Peter and his Uncle Ben, how his death taught him about great power, and the great responsibility that comes with it.

Bendis and Pichelli sought to create a different Spider-Man, someone who’s life, identity, and experiences would take Peter’s successor in a similar yet different direction. While it took a while before Miles was officially wearing his own costume, gear and title, the new Spider-Man did his best to balance his everyday life while also honoring Peter Parker’s memory as Spider-Man. Whether as a hero or a symbol, Spider-Man continued to inspire others to do better in the same way that Uncle Ben inspired him to push forward in even the darkest of times.

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