Miles Morales finally got the mainstream attention he deserved with Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse. The animated Spider-Man film follows Miles Morales. Miles is taking his first tentative steps on the path to becoming Spider-Man in the wake of Peter Parker's death. Unfortunately, things get complicated when Kingpin starts messing with the barrier between dimensions. This does mean, however, that Miles has other Spider-people to show him the ropes.
Into The Spider-Verse presents an excellent adaptation of Miles Morales' character, but it did make a handful of notable changes from its comic book source material. Of course, these things happen in adaptation, but it's worth observing what changed.
10 The Costume Didn't Involve A Jacket, Shorts, Or Shoes
Miles' first costume in Into The Spider-Verse perfectly lines up with his initial costume in the comics. Miles chose a Spider-Man Halloween costume for his first adventure as Spider-Man.
However, Miles' original costume in Into The Spider-Verse departs from the comics in many ways. While the color palette largely remains the same, Miles' Spider-Man costume is a one-piece spandex suit with a mask (much like Peter Parker's). Miles doesn't wear a hoodie, shoes, or gym shorts. That said, Miles just got a new costume in the comics that does involve an oversized sweater and shoes that are separate from the costume.
9 Ganke Lee Was A Big Part Of Miles' Early Spider-Career
Audiences did get some glimpses of Miles' roommate at Brooklyn Visions Academy in Into The Spider-Verse, but little is revealed about him. In the comics, Miles' roommate is his best friend, Ganke Lee. Ganke knew Miles was Spider-Man from the start, and he helps Miles to become the best Spider-Man he can be.
Ganke sticks with Miles through thick and thin and even provides some support with his computer skills. Ganke is a bit goofy and easily distractable, but he's also saved Miles several times.
8 The Spider Came From Norman Osborn Instead Of Alchemax
Norman Osborn is a centerpiece of Ultimate Spider-Man lore (the Ultimate Marvel Universe is the world from which comic book Miles originated). The spider that bit Peter Parker was injected with the OZ Compound instead of being radioactive in the Ultimate Marvel Universe. The OZ Compound was created by Norman Osborn and his company, Osborn Industries.
In Into The Spider-Verse, the spider that bit Miles was a dimensionally-displaced spider experimented on by Alchemax. In the comics, it's a spider that was also exposed to the OZ Compound, hence why Miles got similar powers.
7 Peter And Miles Didn't Have Any Interaction Before Peter's Death
In Into The Spider-Verse, Miles and Peter have a brief interaction where Peter recognizes that Miles has powers like his own. It's a brief and gut-wrenching scene where Peter has to put his trust in a kid that he's never met before. In the comics, Peter and Miles get no interaction, words, or recognition before Peter dies. Miles only watches as Peter exchanges final words with his Aunt May before passing away.
6 Miles' First Supervillain Was The Kangaroo
Miles Morales had to deal with a gaggle of villains in his earliest Spider-Man adventures in Into The Spider-Verse. Scorpion, Tombstone, Doctor Octopus, Green Goblin, and the Kingpin each pose a threat to Miles and his allies while they try to stop the Kingpin's scheme.
In the comics, Miles faces one of Peter's lowest-rung villains on his first mission: the Kangaroo. He's essentially a strong guy who can jump far. However, Miles was unprepared and the Kangaroo got away. That said, Spider-Man and the Prowler would soon have a showdown with the Scorpion that had a lot of similarities with Uncle Aaron's death in Into The Spider-Verse.
5 Miles Didn't Have Other Spider-People To Guide Him On His Journey
In Into The Spider-Verse, there was a dimensional portal delivering a variety of Spider-People from across the Multiverse. This portal wasn't present during Miles' first Spider-Man adventures in the comics. Miles Morales had to do without Spider-Ham, Ghost-Spider, Spider-Man Noir, and Peni Parker. The closest thing that Miles got to instruction from other Spider-Men was a video of Peter Parker fighting Doctor Octopus that Ganke found.
4 Miles Morales Originally Worked With Nick Fury
While Miles didn't have help from Spider-Men when he first became Spider-Man, he did have some help from others in the comics. Nick Fury, the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D saw Miles' first fight with the Kangaroo. He brought Miles to the Triskelion for interrogation. However, Electro broke loose inside the facility, and Miles helped S.H.I.E.L.D. capture him. Nick Fury and Spider-Woman gave Miles their blessing after that. It was after this that Nick Fury and Spider-Woman gave Miles the costume that would become his iconic look.
3 Miles' Dad Was An Agent Of S.H.I.E.L.D
Miles' father, Jefferson Davis (now Jefferson Morales) was a police officer in Into The Spider-Verse. This is a fairly grounded job that didn't require a lot of explanation or backstory.
In the comics, where there is more room to expand on backstory, it's revealed that Jefferson works for S.H.I.E.L.D. In fact, he was recruited by Nick Fury himself, and Jefferson went undercover in the Kingpin's criminal organization for a time.
2 Miles Was Only Slightly Younger Than Peter Parker
The Ultimate Marvel Universe had a far younger Spider-Man than Into The Spider-Verse or even Earth-616 (the mainstream Marvel Universe). He was still a teenager and in high school. This is similar to Spider-Man's earliest days on Earth-616, but enough time has passed for him to have graduated, gone to college, and become a full-grown adult.
In Into The Spider-Verse, Peter Parker is a grown man when he dies in front of Miles Morales. This has a different effect on Miles than it would if Peter were just a kid. A kid seeing someone their own age die can be even more traumatic than seeing an adult perish.
1 The Peter Parker Of Miles' World Actually Survived
In the comics, it's later revealed that Peter Parker actually survived. The OZ Formula somehow revived Peter Parker after his death, and it did the same for the Green Goblin (who also "died" during his last fight with Spider-Man). The OZ Formula seems to have made Peter Parker and Norman Osborn functionally immortal, and Peter didn't know what that meant yet.
This led to a confrontation between Miles and Peter, as Miles couldn't believe that Peter Parker was still alive. In the end, Peter agrees to pass the mantle onto Miles and leave New York to start a new life.
