Miles Morales‘ superhero name is something of a touchy topic in the world of superhero fandom. While the character became Spider-Man in a world where Peter Parker had died, problems arose when Miles was integrated into the main 616 universe, where Peter was very much alive and still Spider-Man.
While Marvel Comics and movies have been content with Miles and Peter sharing the title of Spider-Man, there is a contingent of fans who maintain that two characters sharing the same codename is confusing.
Famously, to avoid that conflict, the Disney Junior TV show Spidey and His Amazing Friends gave Miles the codename of Spin. For better or worse, that title for Miles has been canonized by an official Marvel Comic, and the result is actually more confusing than the alternative.
Miles Morales Officially Goes By Spin in Marvel Comics
Spider-Man’s Miles Morales in a yellow and black suit using his venom blast.
Friendly Neighborhood Assessment · MCU Era Tom Holland’s Spider-Man Trivia
🏠Homecoming2017 ✈️Far From Home2019 🌌No Way Home2021 😈VillainsSinister… 🤖MCUAvengers
01 Before getting his own solo film, Tom Holland’s Peter Parker made his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut by being recruited by Tony Stark to help in a massive superhero conflict. In which MCU film did Holland first appear as Spider-Man?
✓ Correct! Tom Holland first appeared as Spider-Man in Captain America: Civil War (2016), where Tony Stark visits Peter in Queens and recruits him for the airport battle against Team Cap. His quippy, starstruck portrayal instantly won over audiences.
✗ Web miss! The answer is Captain America: Civil War. Holland debuted in the 2016 film before Homecoming (2017). He was recruited by Tony Stark for the iconic airport fight scene, stealing Captain America’s shield with his webs in one of the film’s most memorable moments.
02 In Spider-Man: Homecoming, Peter faces a blue-collar salvage contractor who turned to arms dealing after being shut out of the Chitauri cleanup by Damage Control. Using an alien-tech wingsuit, he becomes one of Spider-Man’s most grounded villains. Who is he?
✓ Correct! Adrian Toomes, played brilliantly by Michael Keaton, is the Vulture — a working-class father who builds a criminal empire selling alien-derived weapons. The twist that he’s the father of Peter’s date Liz is one of the MCU’s best surprises.
✗ Web miss! The answer is The Vulture (Adrian Toomes). The Shocker and Tinkerer are his henchmen in the film, and Scorpion (Mac Gargan) only briefly appears. Toomes is the main antagonist who personally confronts Peter in the unforgettable car ride scene.
03 Tony Stark built Peter a high-tech suit loaded with features Peter didn’t even know about, including an AI assistant that helps him in combat, provides tactical analysis, and even gives dating advice. What name does Peter give this AI?
✓ Correct! Peter names his suit’s AI “Karen,” voiced by Jennifer Connelly. She assists him with web shooter modes, reconnaissance, and even his love life. Friday is Tony Stark’s AI, and E.D.I.T.H. is the Stark satellite system that appears in Far From Home.
✗ Web miss! The answer is Karen. Friday is Tony Stark’s personal AI, E.D.I.T.H. is the Stark defense satellite Peter inherits in Far From Home, and Jocasta is an AI from the comics. Karen, voiced by Jennifer Connelly, is Peter’s suit assistant throughout Homecoming.
04 In Spider-Man: Far From Home, Peter encounters a seemingly heroic figure who claims to be from an alternate Earth, battling elemental creatures across Europe. In reality, he’s a disgruntled former Stark Industries employee using advanced holographic drones. What is his real name?
✓ Correct! Quentin Beck, played by Jake Gyllenhaal, is Mysterio — a master of illusion who uses Stark Industries’ B.A.R.F. holographic technology and weaponized drones to fabricate the Elementals and pose as a hero. His final act of revenge shapes the entire third film.
✗ Web miss! The answer is Quentin Beck. William Ginter Riva is one of Beck’s team members, Aldrich Killian is the villain of Iron Man 3, and Justin Hammer is from Iron Man 2. Beck is Mysterio, the illusionist who manipulated Peter’s trust across Europe.
05 In one of the MCU’s most shocking mid-credits scenes, J. Jonah Jameson broadcasts doctored footage from Mysterio’s final moments that completely upends Peter Parker’s life. What does this broadcast reveal to the entire world?
✓ Correct! Mysterio’s doctored footage, broadcast by J. Jonah Jameson (J.K. Simmons reprising his iconic role), exposes Spider-Man’s identity as Peter Parker to the entire world. This revelation drives the entire plot of No Way Home as Peter desperately seeks to undo the damage.
✗ Web miss! The answer is that Spider-Man is Peter Parker. While the footage also frames Spider-Man for the London drone attack, the earth-shattering reveal is Peter’s unmasked identity being broadcast globally by The Daily Bugle’s J. Jonah Jameson.
06 With his identity exposed and his loved ones under threat, Peter seeks help from a powerful sorcerer to cast a spell that would make the world forget he is Spider-Man. Peter’s constant modifications to the spell cause it to fracture the multiverse. Which sorcerer casts this spell?
✓ Correct! Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) casts the memory-wiping spell at Peter’s request, but Peter keeps asking for exceptions — for MJ, Ned, May, and Happy to still remember him. These constant changes corrupt the spell and tear open the multiverse, pulling in villains from other Spider-Man universes.
✗ Web miss! The answer is Doctor Strange. While Wong is the Sorcerer Supreme and actually warns Strange against it, it is Stephen Strange who agrees to cast the spell. Wanda’s multiverse interference occurs in Multiverse of Madness, not here.
07 Throughout all three films, Peter’s loyal best friend serves as his “guy in the chair,” helping with tech support and keeping his secret. In No Way Home, this character even discovers he can open magical portals using a Sling Ring. Who is Peter’s best friend?
✓ Correct! Ned Leeds, played by Jacob Batalon, is Peter’s best friend and self-proclaimed “guy in the chair.” He discovers Peter’s secret identity in Homecoming, supports him across all three films, and in No Way Home he accidentally uses Doctor Strange’s Sling Ring to open portals to other Spider-Men.
✗ Web miss! The answer is Ned Leeds. Flash Thompson is Peter’s rival and bully who ironically idolizes Spider-Man. Harry Osborn is Peter’s friend in the Raimi and Webb films but doesn’t appear in Holland’s trilogy. Miles Morales is only hinted at. Ned is the irreplaceable “guy in the chair.”
08 At the emotional climax of No Way Home, Peter makes an enormous personal sacrifice to save the multiverse. Doctor Strange completes the spell, and when it takes effect, Peter is left completely alone. What does the final spell do?
✓ Correct! The final spell makes every person in every universe forget that Peter Parker exists. MJ, Ned, Happy, the Avengers — everyone. Peter visits MJ at the coffee shop afterward but decides not to re-introduce himself, choosing to protect them. He starts over completely alone, sewing his own suit in a small apartment.
✗ Web miss! The answer is that everyone forgets who Peter Parker is. The spell doesn’t erase Spider-Man — people still know the hero exists — but nobody remembers Peter Parker the person. This devastating sacrifice means MJ, Ned, and even Happy Hogan have no memory of him at all.
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As a result, Peter Parker takes a heavy dose of radiation to combat the virus’ effects, leading to all sorts of side effects, such as a set of extra limbs. In this new universe, a grown Miles sports a yellow and black variation of his classic costume and goes by Spin.
Though that might seem weird, Miles abandoning the Spider-Man codename does make a certain amount of sense in context. Aunt May in this universe was given some sort of ultra-powerful ability by the mutant virus, and it’s hinted that this led to the death of Miles’ family.
Given Miles’ contentious relationship with Peter, his abandoning of the Spider-Man moniker adds up. What doesn’t add up, however, is why he goes by Spin in this new universe.
Why Fans Hate Miles Morales’ Spin Codename So Much
Miles Morales stands in front of Spider-Man, Doom, and other characters in Ultimate Invasion
In the Spidey children’s cartoon, Miles goes by Spin because of a specific move he does. While that doesn’t make a ton of sense, there is at least some logic to it.
In Radioactive Spider-Man, however, there’s pretty much no justification for the name. Miles can spin a web, sure, but every spider hero can do that. Miles isn’t special in that regard.
If Miles really had to be given a new codename aside from Spider-Man, it would have made more sense to base it on one of his unique abilities. Miles has a Venom Strike attack and camouflage, two abilities that set him apart from Peter and Gwen. A name like Sting or possibly Hide still wouldn’t be great, but it would fit the character better than Spin.
Marvel and DC Have a Habit of Renaming Heroes Who Share Codenames
Tim Drake aka Robin rubs his chin while he hangs from a building
Outside those cases and a few others, the comics industry generally allows superheroes to share codenames. Marvel has had two Spider-Men, two Captain Americas, and two Wolverines, while DC has two Robins, two Flashes, and a whole army of Green Lanterns. These characters generally have wildly different designs, so readers tend not to get anyone mixed up.
Agent Anti-Venom, Flash Thompson’s symbiote alter ego, is set to join the battle against one of Spider-Man’s deadliest villains to date.
Given this, the real head-scratcher is why Marvel would go out of their way to rebrand Miles Morales, a marquee character, with a name from a show for very young children. For anyone who grew up watching Into the Spider-Verse, Miles Morales is Spider-Man as much, if not more, than Peter Parker.
Fortunately, it’s unlikely that this name will stick for Miles outside of Age of Revelation. In the main 616 Marvel Universe, Miles Morales is still Spider-Man, and fans can only hope it stays that way.
First Appearance
Amazing Fantasy
Alias
Peter Parker, Ben Reilly, Otto Octavius, Yu Komori, Kaine Parker, Pavitr Prabhakar, William Braddock, Miles Morales, Kurt Wagner
Alliance
Avengers, Fantastic Four, X-Men, Secret Defenders, Future Foundation, Heroes for Hire, Mighty Avengers, New Avengers, Web-Warriors
