Peter, Miles and the other Miles
Spider-Men II is a 2017 comic book by Brian Michael Bendis and Sara Pichelli, a sequel to Spider-Men. That story was a crossover between Peter Parker, the Spider-Man of the Marvel Universe (THE Spider-Man), and Miles Morales, the Spider-Man of the Ultimate Marvel universe. When this story was written, however, the Ultimate universe had been destroyed in Secret Wars (2015) and Miles was transferred to the Marvel universe, with the two of them taking the Spider-Man name.
The main premise of the comic is to answer the Sequel Hook of the first work: introduce us to the Miles Morales of the Marvel Universe. He is an adult, and has been the best friend of The Kingpin for years.
Spider-Men II provides examples of:
- Accidental Public Confession: A non-verbal case. Miles unmasked himself, thinking that he was alone with Peter, but they were photographed from a distance. He does not know about this other Miles Morales, but when he saw those photos... the other Miles Morales knew about him.
- Adaptational Villainy: While he left to settle down, Miles's 616 counterpart was a member of the Rigoletto gang and friends with the Kingpin.
- Age Lift: The Ultimate version of Miles is 13 when he replaced a 16 year old Peter. The Earth-616 version is an adult when Fisk first became the Kingpin, making him older than Peter.
- Alternate Self: Miles Morales' Earth-616 counterpart makes his debut appearance.
- Always Someone Better: Peter is jealous that Miles does not just have a better costume, but also an invisibility power... and worse, now he learns that he also has a mega venom blast!
- And the Adventure Continues: Ultimate Spider-Man and Spider-Woman go away, heading for new adventures.
- Armed with Canon: Bendis outright ignored the costume change of Spider-Woman that took place in All-New Ultimates (that he did not write), and returned her to her classic suit for her cameo.
- Artifact Title: Spider-Men #3 narrates the background of the adult Miles Morales. And, other than the cover pin-up, there is no Spider-Man in all the issue.
- Art Shift: The art style shifts to Mark Bagley's once 616!Miles enters the Ultimate Universe.
- As You Know: When Peter and Miles arrive at the site of the portal to the Ultimate universe, Peter made a recap of the portal as seen in the first story.
- Big Bad: Taskmaster, or an alternate version of him, has activated and is using Mysterio's dimensional portal, leading Peter to wonder where it leads to now that Earth-1610 is destroyed. Peter should double-think that assumption.
- Blade Reflection: The cover of issue #2 shows both Spider-Men reflected on the Taskmaster's sword.
- Broad Strokes: Captain America died and Thor lost his hammer in Cataclysm, S.H.I.E.L.D. had been disbanded, and Riri had never been in the Ultimate universe, but who cares? The Ultimate universe is back!
- Bullying a Dragon: Many years ago, Wilson Fisk, enforcer of the Rigoletto family, was jailed. Some other prisoner threatened him that Rigoletto is not there to protect him... and Fisk chews his nose out of his face.
- Call-Back: The series has several to the original Spider-Men story, though it's Darker and Edgier.
- The Cameo: The Taskmaster talked in the phone with one "Miles Morales". What is going on? Needing some answers, Peter Parker hires a private investigator... Jessica Jones!
- Canon Immigrant: As mentioned before, this marks the debut of 616!Miles.
- C-List Fodder: Spider-Man is fighting against a guy in an armadillo suit. He refuses to lower himself to talk to him, and if it turns out he actually calls himself "armadillo" he will walk away from the fight.
- Continuity Nod: Peter mentions that Reed Richards once blew him off so hard that he cried inside his mask. He's talking about the time he tried to join the Fantastic Four, way back in Amazing Spider-Man #1.
- Conveniently Cellmates: Many years ago, the adult Miles Morales was in prison, covering up his cousin. Kingpin, enforcer of the Rigoletto family, was jailed and placed in his cell. He had a message for him from the don: that he is grateful, and will help him out.
- Conveniently Timed Attack from Behind: "Small hands" has super speed, thanks to the MGH drug, and is about to kill Wilson Fisk... and then he's stabbed from behind by the adult Miles Morales. Not enough to kill him just yet, but Fisk took advantage of the distraction and finished him.
- Crazy-Prepared: Taskmaster has his suit rigged for people like the Spider-Men. And if that fails, even his getaway car is prepared to explode.
- Decoy Protagonist: On paper, this is a team-up of both Spider-Men. Actually, it's the story of the adult Miles Morales, with both Spider-Men thrown there. They have little actual weight in the plot. They ever even find out where the portal leads to, nor there is an eye-to-eye meeting of both Miles.
- Due to the Dead: Wilson Fisk crossed the whole country to attend the funeral of Barbara.
- Earn Your Happy Ending: The Miles of Earth-616 meets an alternate version of his wife (and they immediately get along swimmingly) when he crosses over to the next universe... and it's a revived Ultimate Universe! The characters who died like Captain America and Thor are back to life, there is an Ironheart, Peter and MJ are still together, Kong joined the Army and is now coming back home, Aunt May has a new boyfriend and they are still close to their friends. The last shot is Jessica shooting a knowing glance to the reader before racing off to join Peter.
- Eiffel Tower Effect: The adult Miles Morales has made it to the other dimension. The first time we see it, we recognize it's the Ultimate Marvel universe because, besides the Daily Bugle, there's the Baxter Building with the top part destroyed (something that happened in Ultimate Doomsday), and the Triskelion with S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarriers nearby.
- Even Evil Has Loved Ones: Wilson Fisk has a real and genuine friendship with the adult Miles Morales. He never betrays him or uses him as a tool of some master plan, and even goes to great lengths for him (such as crossing the whole country to attend Barbara's funeral). They are friends.
- Every Scar Has a Story: The adult Miles has a blind date with Barbara, who is surprised by his huge scar in the face. Wilson Fisk steps in to "salute" him and mentions that he got that scar while saving his life.
- For Your Own Good: Peter is talking with Miles, and suddenly he webs him in the face. That's because Taskmaster has entered the building and released a gas attack, but webs can filter it.
- Good Scars, Evil Scars: The other Miles has some seriously nasty ones, which he gained defending a young Wilson Fisk while they were in prison.
- Hero of Another Story: In trying to solve the mystery of Miles Morales-616, Peter Parker reaches out to Jessica Jones at Alias Investigations. She quickly mentions she did an exhaustive search, while the art shows a few panels of what she's been up to: a team-up with Spider-Woman, a Dazzler concert, a battle with the Red Hulk, wrestling the Blob, interviewing Moon Girl, and running from what appear to be motorcycling ninjas.
- History Repeats: Peter admits to Miles (while trying to patch things up with him over his outburst) that Reed Richards had once blown off Peter not unlike how Peter (unwittingly) blew off Miles, and Peter was so upset about that he cried in his mask.
- How We Got Here: The story opens up with Peter and Miles webbed together, arguing as an unknown person — implied to be Earth-616 Miles Morales — escapes in a jet. Miles frees them but fails to catch the plane in time, causing Peter to take back his Passing the Torch from the Spider-Man (2016) series and say he should have never let Miles become Spider-Man. The story then jumps back to Peter and Miles investigating the sudden reactivation of Mysterio's portal to Earth-1610.
- Humble Goal: Wilson Fisk and the adult Miles Morales have deposed Don Rigoletto and replaced him at the top of the mafia. Fisk wants to go on being the Kingpin of crime, but not Miles: he wants to simply take his earnings, take Barbara and have a simple life out of crime from then on. He fears that once you get in that lifestyle you can never leave it, but fortunately he has Wilson Fisk to help him do that.
- I Owe You My Life: The adult Miles Morales saved Wilson Fisk's in prison, from a gangster that had taken a drug that gave him super speed. Despite his usual tendencies, he was sincere, and they have been best friends since then.
- It Makes Sense in Context: Miles is nuts about the idea of there being another Miles Morales, and Peter pointed that he also was, the first time he was cloned. And then he realizes that the words "first time I was cloned" do sound so bizarre...
- It's All My Fault: The plane has escaped, and Miles could not stop it or board it. Peter thinks that it is his fault, for allowing Miles to be Spider-Man.
- Joke and Receive: Peter and Miles are trapped, and Peter, who blames Miles for it all, sarcastically asks if he doesn't have some secret Spider superpower that would help them to get away. And actually, he does...Peter Parker: WHY DO YOU HAVE MEGA VENOM BLAST AND I DON'T?
- The Lost Lenore: The adult Miles Morales met Barbara by the end of issue #3. Issue #4 starts in her funeral, and his angst is the purpose that drives him since then, including in the present.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Issue #5 reveals that Peter said what he said to Miles in the heat of the moment. His actual opinion was that Miles shouldn't have to shoulder the kind of stress he deals with (while also admitting he can't help but feel weird about Miles being Spider-Man).
- Non-Answer: Miles saved Barbara using his powers. She asked if he's a mutant, an inhuman, something else, all of the above... and he replied that needs time to figure out how to answer.
- No, You: The comic starts with Peter and Miles having such a discussionMiles Morales: Man, you have some nerve!
Peter Parker: Me? I have some nerve? You have some nerve for saying that I have some nerve!
Miles Morales: You said this was my fault? This?! Well, yeah man, then you got some nerve! - Off on a Technicality: The adult Miles Morales had at least three years of prison, but don Rigoleto was grateful with him. He found a technicality, and he was released in a pair of weeks, as soon as the paperwork was completed.
- Oh, No... Not Again!: Peter is talking about their duty of being responsible with themselves and each other, and that reminds him of something his uncle used to say. Miles protests that the line is his answer for everything.
- Pet the Dog: It's a bit rare to see the Kingpin having a friend, and not betray him, use him, or pretend friendship in order to gain something. The adult Miles Morales is truly a friend, and he actually cares about him.
- Power of Trust: When they became cellmates, the adult Miles Morales proved his trust to Fisk. "Small hands" had given him a grand to kill Fisk in his sleep, but Miles told him this, and gave him the money. Fisk appreciated the gesture, but let him keep the money anyway.
- The Reveal: We finally learn just what Peter saw back at the end of Spider-Men when he looked up Miles Morales... Nothing. Not a bean. As far as Earth-616 was concerned, Miles Morales doesn't exist. Which later turns out to be because Wilson Fisk helped erase all knowledge of him so he could live a quiet life.
- Screw This, I'm Out of Here!: 616!Miles wanted to quit being a criminal. Wilson Fisk helped him get out of the life and settle down in the suburbs.
- Shipper on Deck
- Ganke called Barbara Rodriguez and forced Miles to overcome his doubts and talk to her.
- Similarily, Wilson Fisk helped the adult Miles with his own Barbara in their first date, when she was surprised by his huge scar.
- Social Media Before Reason: A giant piece of a robot has fallen in the schoolyard. Some pages later, Miles is leaving to investigate, the police are making crowd control... and a pair of students take a selfie in front of it.
- Start of Darkness: 616!Miles helped Wilson Fisk become the Kingpin.
- Sudden Downer Ending: Inverted. 616!Miles winds up in the next universe and meets the alternate version of his wife at a wine bar, and then proceeds to hit it off... but in the background, a group of people runs away in fear, before the window behind them explodes... which, as it turns out, is because the 1610!Green Goblin crashed through the window as he was fighting Spider-Man and the Ultimates.
- Superpowers for a Day: "Small hands" took a dose of MGH to kill Wilson Fisk. This drug gives random super powers for a day to those who take them. However, it does not give the Required Secondary Powers: some time ago someone took it, got Wreathed in Flames and died as a result.
- This Is Gonna Suck: When he saw the portal up close, Miles delivered the "I have a bad feeling about this" line of Star Wars fame. He even clarified that it was not Spider-Sense.
- Took a Level in Badass: As Spider-Man put it, Taskmaster is a master-fighter person, not a power-glowing person.
- Unusually Uninteresting Sight: A giant piece of a robot falls on the school's yard. Initially, only Miles and Ganke are interested in it.
- Villainous Friendship: Wilson Fisk and the 616 Miles Morales have been close ever since Miles saved Fisk's life in prison. They later ran a restaurant together and Fisk arranged for Miles' retirement from the criminal life.
- Why Won't You Die?: Green Goblin boasts that he can't be killed. Spider-Man already knows, and does not want to be reminded of it.
