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The thrill of “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” comes with the introduction of Afro-Latinx teen Miles Morales. But what about the other new heroes we encounter in the Spider-Verse?
Check out the backstories of all the Spider-People, new and old, that we learn about in the movie.
Spider-Man
Real Name: Miles Gonzalo Morales
First Appearance: Ultimate Fallout, Issue #4 (August 2011)
Backstory: Miles Morales is an Afro-Latinx (Black on his dad’s side and Puerto Rican on his mom’s side) Brooklyn native teen. Morales is bitten by a spider injected with the same formula that made Peter Parker into Spider-Man while he is visiting his uncle Aaron Davis (who also moonlights as villain Prowler).
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Spider-Gwen
Real Name: Gwen Stacy
First Appearance: Edge of Spider-Verse, Issue #2 and Spider-Gwen, Vol. 1 (November 2015)
Backstory: In Gwen Stacy’s alternate universe (Earth-65), she was the best friend of Peter Parker and Harry Osborn (son of supervillain Norman Osborn a.k.a. Green Goblin). She was bitten by a genetically-engineered spider and started a career as “Spider-Woman,” despite her police officer father’s hatred of vigilante superheroes.
In her universe, Peter Parker is bullied and desperate to become just like his idol Spider-Woman. He conducts an experiment that turns him into a Lizard-like creature and Gwen is forced to fight him and accidentally kills him.
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Spider-Ham
Real Name: Peter Porker
First Appearance: Marvel Tails Starring Peter Porker, the Spectacular Spider-Ham (November 1983)
Back Story: Inhabitant of Earth-8311, Peter was born a spider who lived in the basement lab of May Porker. After an experiment gone wrong, May accidentally bit Peter who transformed into an anthropomorphic pig just like May Porker. He turned into a pig with spider abilities and decided to used his new powers to fight crime.
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Spider-Man Noir
Real Name: Peter Parker
First Appearance: Spider-Man Noir, Issue #1 (February 2009)
Back Story: Peter Parker was raised by his aunt and uncle May and Ben Parker, but in Earth-90214, the backdrop for his story takes place in the Great Depression. While trying to avenge the death of his Uncle Ben, he finds himself in a warehouse of stolen antiques, including a spider statute. When it breaks open, it released a horde of spiders, one of which bites Peter and causes him to pass out and wake up with Spider powers.
He creates a costume based on his uncle’s World War I era airman uniform and becomes the vigilante, Spider-Man.
SP//dr
Real Name: Peni Parker
First Appearance: Edge of Spider-Verse, Issue #5 (October 2014)
Back Story: When Peni was nine, her father died piloting the SP//dr suit. Because she was the only one with the DNA coding to operate it, she had to be bitten by the radioactive spider that formed SP//dr’s CPU and finish the project.
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Spider-Man
Real Name: Peter Parker
First Appearance: Amazing Fantasy, Issue #15 (August 1962)
Back Story: We pretty much all know the story with Peter Parker of Earth 616—Peter gets infected by a spider while visiting a nuclear lab. Uncle Ben dies. Peter uses his powers to save New York City. The rest is history.
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