Who the Clix? Miles Morales

Who the Clix? is a series of articles featuring information on comic book characters that have been made into figures for the popular tabletop game Heroclix. These articles are meant to help Heroclix players learn more about the characters behind their favorite pieces.

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Appearances in Heroclix: War of the Realms, Spider-Man and Venom Absolute Carnage, Earth X, Wizkids Marvel 19, Superior Foes of Spider-Man, Amazing Spider-Man
First Appearance: Ultimate Fallout #4 (August 2011)
Team Affiliations: Avengers, Champions, The Ultimates, Web-Warriors
Powers/Abilities: Superhuman strength, speed, agility, durability and reflexes; Ability to cling to solid surfaces; Camouflage; Venom strike/venom blast; Bio-electric energy threads produced from fingers; Precognitive spider-sense ability; Wrist-mounted web-shooters
Created by: Sara Pichelli and Brian Michael Bendis

Miles Morales is a young man born on Earth-1610. His mother, Rio Morales, is a nurse and his father, Jefferson Davis, is an officer in the NYPD. Miles' uncle, Aaron Davis, is a criminal known as the Prowler who steals a formula from Dr. Conrad Markus that can duplicate the spider-powers of Peter Parker. During the theft, a spider mutated by Markus finds its way into Aaron's duffel bag. A few days later during Miles' visit to his uncle's apartment, the spider bites him and he soon develops powers similar to Parker.

These powers create a conflict within the young boy as his father distrusts superheroes. He also recognizes that he is very young and using these powers to beat up criminals could easily cost him his life. Resistant to the idea of adventuring, he can only confide in his friend Ganke Lee about his new powers. Very soon, Peter Parker is killed by the Green Goblin and Miles is shaken. Not only does he feel guilt, because he could have helped and possibly saved Peter's life, but he sees that Peter is only a few years older than him. Ganke pushes Miles to assume the Spider-Man mantle and, as a civilian, Miles talks to Gwen Stacy about why Peter chose to be a hero.

Miles buys a retail version of Spider-Man's costume and stops the Kangaroo a short time after Peter's funeral. The onlookers find it in incredibly poor taste for him to be wearing dead man's costume, which further adds to Miles' internal struggle. Spider-Woman also takes issue with him using the Spider-Man identity and arrests him before taking him to SHIELD headquarters.

Fury informs Miles that he is well aware of the comings and goings of Miles' family, including his uncle. Miles is pressed into service to help subdue Electro and does, earning Fury's approval. He is gifted a red and black version of the Spider-Man costume and released. The 616 Spider-Man also briefly crosses dimensions and gives Miles his blessing early on.

After news of a new Spider-Man comes out, Aaron quickly realizes it's Miles. He offers to train his nephew and uses him against the crime lord Scorpion. Miles realizes he's being used for criminal ends and refuses to help his uncle any more. Aaron threatens to tell Miles' father about what's going on but Miles still refuses to help him. The two end up in a fight where Aaron's weapons malfunction and explode, killing him.

Miles is symbolically adopted by Parker's loved ones and they help him by gifting him Peter's web shooters. Miles also is recognized by the Ultimates and works alongside several of its members. Eventually, Betty Brant is determined to find out the identity of the new Spider-Man and incorrectly fingers Miles' father. Dr. Markus, who has become the new Venom host, kills Brant and attacks Jefferson based on this bad information. Venom and Spider-Man eventually confront each other at the hospital where Jefferson is being treated. It is here that Rio discovers Miles is Spider-Man. Both Rio and Venom are critically injured due to police gunfire but before she dies, she tells Miles not to reveal the truth to his father. This is too much for the young man and he quits being Spider-Man for one year.

A year later, he has a girlfriend named Kate Bishop and plans to tell her the truth about his past but SHIELD pressures him to become Spider-Man once again. Ganke and Spider-Woman also tell him that they believe there should always be a Spider-Man, which leads Miles to assuming the mantle once more. When the 616 Galactus arrives in the Ultimate universe, Miles truly believes the world is about to end. He reveals the truth to his father only for Jefferson to blame him for the death of both Rio and Aaron. Shockingly, Jefferson disowns Miles in the face of the end of the world.

After helping to save the world, Miles encounters a strangely resurrected Peter Parker. The two speak and Peter reveals he has no intentions of returning to heroics. Soon, the Goblin is also revealed to be alive and attacks both Spider-Men. In the ensuing battle, the Goblin is killed and Peter realizes the world is safe with Miles as Spider-Man. Peter officially retires and intends on having a quiet life with Mary Jane and his family.

Jefferson returns to Miles' life and explains his past with Aaron. That they both had worked for the Kingpin and Jefferson had acted as a mole for SHIELD. And the shock of Miles' confession stirred up bad old feelings from those days. He apologizes for abandoning his son and does not blame him for Rio's death.

Miles soon reveals his identity to Kate who proceeds to run away from him. Soon after, Miles, Jefferson and Ganke are all drugged and kidnapped by Kate's family, who are sleeper agents for Hydra. They are to be experimented on under the direction of Dr. Doom but they are ultimately freed by the Young Ultimates. Kate expresses regrets for having Miles tortured but he breaks up with her and she is knocked out by Dagger.

Soon after, both the 616 and Utlimate universe are destroyed in an incursion. Miles is able to sneak aboard a raft built by the Cabal and survives the incursion, awakening eight years later on Battleworld. Miles is able to reconnect with the surviving 616 heroes and helps their plan to overthrow God Emperor Doom and restore the Multiverse. At a critical moment, Miles has a cheeseburger to gift the very hungry Molecule Man. In return for this kindness, Molecule Man resurrects Miles' family and gives them a new start in the 616.

Miles life is strange, as he does not have memories of his prior life at first. These eventually resurface which creates some conflicted feelings. His father still knows of Miles' double life but his mother only later learns it. Otherwise, Miles continues to be another great Spider-Man, having numerous adventures and even joining the Avengers and Champions.