Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #1

[cyberghostface]

So here we are with the first issue of Ultimate Comics Spider-Man with Miles Morales as Peter Parker's successor. True to Bendis fashion, it appears that we're going to be dealing with an arc-long origin story. If you were expecting this to pick up from Miles' appearance in Fallout with him already dressed up as Spidey, you're going to be disappointed. Personally, I thought it was a good start.

So like Peter Parker, Norman Osborn has his fingers in the origin of this Spidey, albeit from a distance. He was trying to replicate the same spider that bit Peter.

Our introduction to Miles:



This time it goes differently:



Now what appears to be the Ultimate version of the Prowler is seen breaking into OsCorp (at this point, Norman is gone, having been exposed as the Green Goblin) to steal some stuff (mostly money) but unbeknownst to him, the new OsCorp spider has snuck into his bag. This Prowler appears to be Miles' uncle (or at the very least, is connected to the Prowler). Miles goes to visit him, and the spider sneaks out of his bag and...



Miles has a bit more dramatic reaction than Peter does, and is foaming at the mouth. He gets better, but Miles' father comes in and gets into a big argument with the uncle about Miles visiting him. Appears there's some bad blood between them. Miles runs out of the room.

His father goes to look for him, but he can't find him...only thing is, Miles is right there.

Comments

[aaron_bourque]

That's an acceptable shorthand for a variety of sensory inputs. Spiders don't have a spider sense, but they have more specialized senses that humans don't have.

Spiders absolutely do not turn invisible.

[tsunamiwombat]

Trap Door Spider?

[sinisterlink]

I would love to see someone with those "powers". Have someone like Wolverine walking around in the woods one day and then someone just pops out of a hidden hole in the ground and drags him off. lawl.

[practicalcat]

I approve of Wolverine getting kidnapped by spiders for a while. Let's make it happen!

[sinisterlink]

It would be fun. Knowing Logan though, he'd probably end up becoming their king or something. I just want to see Wolvie get kidnapped and have nobody notice he's missing for a few weeks because he's on so many teams.

Captain America: Hey, where's Logan?
Hawkeye: I don't know. Probably with the X-Men somewhere.
Cyclops: Hey, where's Logan?
Magneto: I don't know. Probably with his kill squad team that he thinks no one knows about.
Deadpool: Hey, where's Logan?
Psylocke: I don't know. Probably out on one of his soul searching lone wolf hikes or something.

[nezchan]

Brown Recluse Spider-Man, perhaps.

[cyberghostface]

Yes, but they don't have a special precognitive ability that tells them ahead of time that danger is nearby like Spider-Man does. Ergo, Spider-Man's "spider sense" isn't an accurate depiction of a spider's abilities.

If we're talking about scientific realism in comics now, being bitten by a radiated spider wouldn't give you super powers. It would make you sick. Being caught in a gamma explosion wouldn't turn you into a giant green monster either.

[darkblade]

If we're going to be like that about it the radiation would probably have killed the Spider before it could bite anyone.

[aaron_bourque]

Yes, but they don't have a special precognitive ability that tells them ahead of time that danger is nearby like Spider-Man does.

It depends on the writer, whether he really does have some kind of precognition or if that's just how his brain interprets his "spider-sense."

Since it is unlikely "turn invisible" will be up to interpretation based on writer, yeah, NO SPIDER TURNS INVISIBLE.

[cyberghostface]

You're missing the point.

Spiders don't have what Spider-Man has. They don't have a sensation or precognitive ability or whatever that tells them about impending danger. In short, Stan Lee was taking liberties with actual spider's powers when designing his character. His character wasn't meant to be scientifically accurate.

If you can't suspend your disbelief that a genetically altered spider can make someone turn invisible because spiders don't turn invisible, then there is no reason why you should be able to suspend your disbelief that an irradiated one can give someone precognitive abilities because spiders don't have that ability.

And for what it's worth, Miles' ability is called "spider-camouflage", and many spiders do possess the power to blend in with their surroundings. A stretch, sure, but no more of a stretch than a spider's senses equating to precognition.

[aaron_bourque]

If you can't suspend your disbelief that a genetically altered spider can make someone turn invisible because spiders don't turn invisible

That's not artistic liberties. It's not a matter of suspending my disbelief, it's mere confusion. What part of ANYTHING spiders can do = invisibility?

Strength, speed, agility, all that I get. Sticking to walls, sure, okay. I can even rationalize the spider sense. But, invisibility? That is . . . WHAT DOES INVISIBILITY HAVE TO DO WITH SPIDERS?

[cyberghostface]

Simple. Many spiders are able to blend in with their surroundings with camouflage. Miles Morales' abilities are called "spider-camouflage"--he's able to blend in to his surroundings. Ergo, his abilities are derived from actual spider mannerisms.

It's less of a stretch than spider-sense, being that spiders don't have any precognitive abilities but many are able to blend in with their surroundings.

[aaron_bourque]

a) That's not invisibility

b) spiders don't have any precognitive abilities

Neither does Pete, usually.

[cyberghostface]

It's camouflage. That's what Miles has.

Unless you have any proof that actual spiders have a special sense that warns them of impending danger, you don't have much of a leg to stand on here. You're refusing to accept one power not directly found in spiders while handwaving another just because.

[aaron_bourque]

It's camouflage. That's what Miles has.

Camoflage is not see-through. See-through is what Miles has.

Unless you have any proof that actual spiders have a special sense that warns them of impending danger, you don't have much of a leg to stand on here.

Have you ever tried to squash a spider? Yes, I know that they have a more specialized sense of touch that essentially alerts them when something gets close, but that's USUALLY how Pete's spider sense works, too.

You're refusing to accept one power not directly found in spiders while handwaving another just because.

Fine. I'm a old curmudgeon and the Spider Sense gets grandfathered in. I'm still confused by the invisibility. WHICH IS NOT CAMOFLAGE.

[bj_l]

Anoles camouflage is often depicted in the same way, by the by.

[thehood]

It's camouflage. Besides, the Oz that altered the Spider probably had something to do with it too.

[newnumber6]

When you think about, in a world where super powers can arise from biological processes like Evolution (I know mutants were created in the Ultimate-verse, but still), the ability to turn invisible would be a huge benefit for a spider... and a spider species who had that ability might well go unnoticed for quite some time.

Or Osborn injected Invisible Woman's DNA in there, just to see what would happen.

[sinisterlink]

Oh please, spiders can totally turn invisible. There's one behind you right now. :p

[speedingtortoise]

. . . I actually turned around to look

[sinisterlink]

And even if they were there, you wouldn't see them. Because they are invisible. Mwahahahaha.

[speedingtortoise]

I don't like this. I don't like this at all. :(

[valtyr]

The proportional strength of a spider does not multiply up to ten tons. And they're not particularly agile.