Written by C Hues
February 28, 2022
Miles Morales’ unique powers reflect his status as a teenager and the changes that he undergoes because of puberty. Miles has the powers of invisibility and electric shock, which none of the other Spider-people in the film seem to possess. His power of invisibility relates to the feelings that many teenagers have, particularly those who are bullied and ostracized. His powers of electricity show that we all have a “spark” inside of us which makes us unique. We can only find our “spark” if we believe in ourselves.
Miles Morales’ unique powers are directly connected to his character development. The school that Miles attends is ironically called “Visions Academy”, but Miles prefers to remain unseen. He is embarrassed by his dad before he goes to school, where the other students mock his situation by mimicking his dad. He fails one of his true/false tests purposely to get himself kicked out of school, but the teacher is quick to his game. Even after getting bit by the spider and gaining his powers, Miles remains awkward and almost pulls out all of Gwen Stacy’s hair. The more Miles tries to remain invisible, the more visible he becomes. He gets teased and called a “weirdo” by his peers, leading him to feel alone. Right after Miles becomes the unwanted center of attention, he runs across a platform at the school with the words “VISIONS” in capital letters. Miles tries to explain the situation to Gwen as being the result of “puberty”. In one scene, Stan Lee cameos as a store owner who gives Miles a cheap Spider-Man costume and discusses the death of the Peter Parker of Miles’ universe. The exchange follows,
Stan Lee: I’m…going to miss him.
Miles Morales: Yeah.
Stan Lee: We were friends you know.
Miles Morales: Can I return it if it doesn’t fit?
Stan Lee: It always fits…eventually.
This meta-scene confirms the original theme that Stan Lee wanted to convey with Spider-Man: puberty. This theme of puberty correlates to Miles’ powers because just as it would take him time to grow into his suit, it takes him time to grow into his powers. When the other Spider-people meet up with Miles in Aunt May’s basement, they demand that Miles turn invisible and show them his powers. Miles wants more than anything to be invisible, to not stand out, and to be a “normal kid”, yet he can’t will himself to be invisible. The idea of Spider-Man as a reluctant hero is corroborated by the writer Douglas Wolk, who writes that Spider-Man is defined by “the amazing powers he never asked for” and that “he’s gained a responsibility that he never wanted but accepts anyway.” He goes on to write that Spider-Man is “alienated from everyone” and that “the popular kids in his school mock him.” Miles’ power of invisibility and the theme of “Vision” is also tied to Peter B. Parker’s statement that he won’t know when he is ready, but he needs “a leap of faith”. Miles may not be able to see or know when he’s ready to be a hero, but the first step to being a hero is confidence. Miles believes that he suffers from being socially awkward or has a commonsense problem, but the truth is that he has a confidence problem. When Miles believes in himself, then he realizes that he is ready to be a superhero. When he finally is ready for the world to see him, that is when he can ultimately turn invisible. It is only through Miles’ repeated failures that he eventually finds success. Stan Lee believed that “the key to Spider-Man…was failure”. Although Miles fails on his first attempt to use the move that his uncle Aaron taught him (to impress Gwen), by the end of the film he successfully uses the move on Kingpin to defeat him.
The electric power that Miles manifests seems to be a metaphor for the “spark” that Jefferson Davis (Miles’ dad) tells him that he is waiting for him to let out. The electricity, or “spark” is a power that connects to Miles Morales’ limitless potential and creative genius. Just as Miles’ teacher would not let him quit, a key theme of Spider-Man is that he “never gives up”. Miles’ spark is also tied to the theme of his essay, “Great Expectations”. Miles incessantly buckles under the pressure that his parents, teachers, and the other Spider-people place on him, and feels like a failure because he thinks he cannot live up to their expectations. However, Miles realizes that he must define what he expects from himself and set his own goals. Therefore, Miles eventually spray-paints all over the original Spider-Man costume because he is not Peter Parker. Miles realizes he must live to the standards of Miles Morales alone; not Peter, Gwen, Penny, his father, his teachers, or anyone else. He gives the costume his own unique color scheme of black and red, and spray paints it in honor of his uncle (the one person who he felt placed no expectations on him).
Miles Morales is a teenager who carries on the legacy of Peter Parker and represents someone that the underdog can identify with and understand. He also embodies the courage, creativity, and intellectual genius that the original Spider-Man had, while having his own individual sense of personality and motivations. Although Miles begins his story lacking confidence, he “grows into” who he really is and can tap into and control his powers.
CITATIONS
- Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Rating: PG (Mild Language|Frenetic Action Violence|Thematic Elements)
Genre: Action, Kids & Family, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Animation. Original Language: English. Director:Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman. Producer: Avi Arad, Amy Pascal, Phil Lord, Chris Miller, Christina Steinberg. Writer: Phil Lord, Rodney Rothman. Release Date (Theaters): Dec 14, 2018 Wide. Release Date (Streaming): Mar 19, 2019. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/spider_man_into_the_spider_verse
2. The Ultimate Guide to Spider-Man. Entertainment Weekly. “Along Came a Spider-Man.” Douglas Wolk. P4.
3. The Ultimate Guide to Spider-Man. Entertainment Weekly. Sara Vilkomerson. P 36
4. The Ultimate Guide to Spider-Man. Entertainment Weekly. Sara Vilkomerson. P 39.