Okay, so this is just my personal opinion, but Miles Morales really, really needs his own codename. Of course it didn’t matter when he was introduced in the Ultimate Universe, because Peter Parker was dead, and he was the only Spider-Man in town.
But after the 2015 Secret Wars, Miles joined the 616 cannon, where they already had a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man! So you’d think they’d call Miles something else? Something unique right? Nope. They still called him Spider-Man. They even doubled down by titling his relaunch Spider-Man. No “Miles Morales” or “Ultimate”. Just Spider-Man. Talk about confusing the brand!
Miles not having a different codename to distinguish him from Peter’s Parker’s Spider-Man is an issue that has led to people getting… creative… for a solution. Some TV shows took to making up names for him (of course when they’re marketing toys, they need different names on the packages so kids know what to write on their Christmas lists!). In Ultimate Spider-Man, they called him Kid Arachnid. I thought it was dumb at first, but I got used to it. They could’ve, and probably should’ve, stuck with that! Now in this new show, Spidey and his Amazing Friends, a Disney Junior show for kids (like, little kids), they call him Spin. Spin!!! My friend Johnathan put it perfectly when he said that sounds like a Symbiote reject that was just a little too inbred!
Of course, in the media where they don’t make up a name for him, like the 2017 Marvel’s Spider-Man show and the 2018 video game, (and, you know, all of comics) Peter and Miles just shout each other’s real names across the battlefield! They’ll be tangling with Rhino, and Peter will be like:
“Miles! Web his legs!”
And Miles will say:
“You got it Pete!”
I mean, that’s not good! Right? Am I crazy for thinking that? Spider-Man is one of the few heroes that still cherishes his secret identity! Shouting it for the world to hear doesn’t behoove him in any way. Honestly, this whole situation didn’t bother me before, it really didn’t. But the more popular the character gets, the bigger a problem it becomes.
They had the same problem with Gwen! When she launched, she was “Spider-Gwen” which, hey bad guys, my name’s Gwen by the way! But, to be fair, she was never meant to go past her Edge of Spider-Verse story, and she was called Spider-Woman in-universe. Which also wouldn’t fly because there were already about 50 of them before the Spider-Verse! So they changed it to Ghost-Spider. Twice. In cannon, she literally had the idea to change her name to Ghost-Spider twice. And they’ve called her that ever since; comics, movies, TV shows, you name it, she’s Ghost-Spider. It’s still catching on, because it’s hard to change a name when so many people utilized the first one, but it’s happening! Because they committed!
With Miles, it’s like they don’t care! Call him something, anything! They could have just kept calling him Ultimate Spider-Man, to be honest. I don’t understand. He’s already had a feature-length movie and a AAA video game, and my guy doesn’t even have his own name. Honestly, I think it’s too late now. Spider-Man will forever be distinguished from Spider-Man by his secret identity, Miles Morales. Poor kid. That's it for me, Face Front True Believers, and I'll see you in the Multiverse!
I completely agree with you! I’ve been stating this fact for overs 3 years now. That Miles Morales needs his “VERY OWN” codename! Look…I agree that Miles has earned the title of Spider-man and like you said if he were still in the 1610 then he’d be fine as Spider-man. But he’s not. He’s in the 616 with the original Spidey, Peter Parker himself. So just like Gwen needed a new code name, so does Miles. And nothing as horrible as Spy-D…Ugh, Kid Arachnid…God awful, or Spin…Cringe!
He will always be the new Spider-man, the other Spider-man or the next Spider-man. Which in itself is fine. But there is still “THE” Spider-man that co-exists in Peter Parker. Because for one, like you, I am tired of people constantly calling him by his real name! In the comics, the cartoons and the video games! Hell, they do it so much he might as well not even have a secret identity. So again, like Gwen, Miles needs a separate code name unique to himself.
Now here me out would…..
I’ve thought about this for some time now and I’ve come up with 3 possible names for Miles Morales. The first is my least favorite, Web-man. The name comes from a 80s side adventure comic where Spider-man PP of course fights a color swap version of himself created by Dr. Doom. I know the name is so-so. The second is very suitable, Ultimate Spider. Being that Spider-man MM is basically Ultimate Series Spider-man, this title isn’t a far stretch of the imagination. The third and final is indeed the best to me, Shadow Spider. I love this name because it compliments Miles on so many levels. It’s particularly appropriate because of the color scheme of his costume, his able to camouflage himself as if being there but not being there, hence being under a shadow and it contrasts so perfectly with Ghost Spider’s costume color scheme. And its mysterious and brings forth a possible different outlook for Miles as a Spider-Hero.
But most people I’ve told these ideas too think its not right. They’ve said that The Web-man sounds stupid. The Ultimate Spider makes Miles seem greater than all the other Spiders including Peter. And The Shadow Spider came off as being racially insensitive. Especially being that Miles Morales is dark skinned and of black and brown ancestry. Otherwise meaning of Afro-American and Puerto Rican ethnicity. But I don’t see it that way, being that I myself am a black man. And I know that black is beautiful and brown is lovely on several levels. And it doesn’t take away from who Miles is as another Spider-man! I mean Scarlet Spider is a clone of Peter Parker Spider-man and of course is white. His costume is majorly red. Ghost Spider is a blonde haired, blue-eyed white girl in a mostly white costume. These things have nothing to do with the character. But I digress. Those are my choices.
So what do you think? Too controversial or just about right. Let me know and thanks follow Spidey fan!!!
I don’t know how I missed your reply, so sorry I’m late, but I’m glad you agree with me and I love that you’ve thought of this. I am a black man as well, and I don’t think Shadow-Spider is offensive at all. It’s actually a really cool name, and like you said, plays off of Ghost-Spider really well. Also, Miles can turn invisible!!! I mean, come on! Shadow-Spider is great! I don’t know if Marvel will ever give him his own code name, but if guys like you and me keep pushing the point, maybe one day it’ll happen! Thank you for sharing, I really appreciated your insight.