Marvel Comics' New Ultimate Spider-Man Unmasked

After the killing off of Peter Parker in Ultimate Spider-Man Issue 160 in June, fans of the famous web-slinger knew big changes had to be in store for their favorite hero. On August 2, 2011, Marvel Comics unveiled the biggest change of all: Spider-Man's ethnicity.

The new Spider-Man, who will be revealed in Marvel Comics' Ultimate Fallout Issue 4, is Miles Morales, a half-Black, half-Hispanic teenager who takes over for the dearly departed Peter Parker. Morales, according to writer Brian Michael Bendis in a FOX News interview, was inspired to take up the Spider-Man mantle after the death of Parker. Bendis explains that it is not just Morales' ethnicity that makes him a brand new hero.

"He's younger than Peter Parker," Bendis explained. "He's coming from a completely different background [and] a completely different world view."

The new man behind the mask isn't the only thing that will be different for Spider-Man fans. The new Spider-Man also dons a new costume. Rather than the traditional red and blue suit fans have come to know and love, Morales wears a sleek new red and black costume.

Many fans have had mixed reactions to the announcement that Marvel Comics has termed "pop culture history." Some, like Trystin Bailey, a resident of Brooklyn, New York, take the news in stride, noting that the new web-slinger exists only in the Ultimate line.

"In the past decade or so, the Ultimate line has solidified its spot in nerd-dom as that take-no-prisoners, progressive outlet, able to really reflect our times and ideals without being trapped in 60 years of history like Peter Parker, Fantastic Four, et cetera," Bailey notes. "[But] our friendly neighborhood Peter Parker is still very much alive and kicking and reigning as the one and only Spider-Man [in the mainstream Marvel Universe]."

Rachel Williams of Camp Hill, Pennsylvania thinks it was a good idea to reboot Spider-Man, particularly after the last Toby Maguire-led Spider-Man feature film left a bad taste in her mouth for the character.

Particularly in light of their plans to release an Avengers film in 2012, "[Marvel Comics needs] to renew their characters," Williams stated, adding that the Marvel franchise needs to create "a cast who will work well for a possible Justice League movie" as well.

Stephanie Gustafson, a Spider-Man fan from St. Paul, Minnesota, agrees that the revamped Spider-Man was a good idea.

"I think the decision of including a mixed-race hero was a good one on the part of Marvel," Gustafson said, though she added that killing off a long-standing protagonist like Peter Parker is "never a good idea."

Tara Clapper of Lindenwold, New Jersey, agrees that a mixed-race hero is a good idea, but suggests Marvel Comics should have gone about it differently.

"I've noticed a racially diverse audience at comic book movies recently and it's great that Marvel wants to have a mixed-race superhero," Clapper stated. "However I think a majority of fans will dislike this move. They should have made a new superhero."

Clapper, as well as many other fans, also points out that changes like this one for Spider-Man seem to reflect fan reactions to other representations of favorite heroes, such as the somewhat negative reaction many Spider-Man fans had to Tobey Maguire's representation of Spider-Man in the film franchise of the 2000's. The ethnicity change for Spider-Man also leaves room for criticism of other elements of the modern comic book culture.

"It [would be nice] to see a comic book movie in which women weren't simply playing supporting roles," Clapper said.

Various news sources, including USA Today, have hinted that the ethnicity-change for Spider-Man came in response to the cultural shift in America resulting from the election of Barack Obama, a half-Black, half-White man, as President of the United States. Axel Alonso, Marvel's editor-in-chief, has suggested that such an idea is not far from the truth.

"This was a conscious decision," he stated. "Here at Marvel, we pride ourselves on reflecting the real world in all its diversity."

Spider-Man fans need not worry that a new leading man in the Ultimate Universe may mean a complete switchover from the Spider-Man they're used to. According to Marvel, Morales will get his powers in the same way Peter Parker did. While he will have new struggles--and, according to Marvel, some added abilities--he will also have the support of some familiar figures, including Peter Parker's Aunt May.

Readers can look forward to a further explanation of Morales' origins and his role as Spider-Man in September when Ultimate Spider-Man relaunches with a new Issue No. 1 that Marvel is calling "the most groundbreaking reinvention in comic book history." But they can rest assured that, as Bendis notes, the theme of the comic series "is the same: With great power comes great responsibility."

Sources:

Brian Truitt, "Half-black, half-Hispanic Spider-Man revealed," USA Today

The Associated Press, "Meet the New Latino Spider-Man, Miles Morales," Fox News Lationo

Marvel Comics, "The New Ultimate Comics Spider-Man," Marvel Comics