In Marvel Comics, there are not one but two iconic heroes who simultaneously hold the mantle of Spider-Man: Peter Parker and Miles Morales. Peter had been the one and only Spider-Man since the 1960s, helping to skyrocket Marvel Comics into the cultural touchstone it is today. Miles Morales, in contrast, is the Spider-Man of the next generation, who has already become one of Marvel’s most popular characters despite only debuting in 2011. With their incredible spider-based abilities, Peter and Miles are two of the strongest street-level heroes in Marvel Comics. But if the two were to have a serious fight, which of these Web-Heads would come out on top?
Two heroes with the same superhero name unsurprisingly have very similar origins and core power sets. Peter and Miles were both bitten by spiders that gave them spider-like abilities, including enhanced strength, agility, durability, and wall-crawling. They both have the famous Spider-Sense that alerts them to incoming danger and are equipped with web-shooters that allow them to swing through the city and subdue enemies. Where the two differ is that Miles has several additional abilities: the power to generate bioelectricity and turn invisible. Still, this fight would be determined by more than just surface-level differences in power-sets, but by who has the ability to use their skills most effectively.
Peter Parker is the Physically Stronger Spider-Man
Image Courtesy of Marvel Comics
Peter and Miles are incredibly strong and durable. For example, they both can survive blows from powerful characters like the Rhino and Morlun. Also, they are both capable of throwing large cars and lifting several tons of debris. At first glance, in terms of raw strength, it could go either way. However, upon closer inspection of their histories, Peter has had much more consistent and greater feats of strength that would give him an edge against Miles.
Miles has shown incredible physical strength over the years, including knocking Green Goblin through a building, breaking a weaker version of Captain America’s shield with a single punch, and using his webbing to yank an axe out of the grip of Ares, the Greek God of War. Miles’ durability also received a significant boost when he was given a suit made from a thin layer of vibranium, the same material as Black Panther’s suit that can absorb kinetic energy. While not as tough as Black Panther’s version, Miles’ vibranium suit can still withstand significant amounts of force. The suit was even tough enough to shatter one of Deadpool’s swords. However, these feats of strength and a durable suit aren’t enough to contend with the original Spider-Man.
Peter has had acts of strength far beyond anything Miles has ever shown. Peter has lifted a train car, held up a subway tunnel weighed down by the East River, and held a support beam to prevent a 50-story-tall skyscraper from collapsing. He even once acted as a landing gear for a crashing jet, forcibly pushing out the wheel and having several thousand tons compress into his body as the jet landed. He can also punch with enough force to make an evil version of the Hulk bleed. If all of this wasn’t enough, when Doc Ock possessed Peter’s body in Superior Spider-Man, he could punch and knock out robots wearing Wakandan kinetic-absorbing vibranium armor, like Miles’ suit. Peter’s strength would be too much for Miles to handle.
Peter Parker’s Brains and Experience Counter Miles’ Abilities
Image Courtesy of Marvel Comics
At first glance, when looking at Miles’ larger power set, it would seem that he would easily emerge triumphant if he and Peter were to fight. Miles can use his bioelectricity to release powerful bursts of energy, conduct electricity through his webbing and even generate a sword made of electricity. Miles can send his bioelectric powers into overdrive, which drastically boosts his strength, speed, and electrical capabilities. His invisibility also makes him imperceptible to the naked eye and difficult to fight. However, whatever he lacks in superpowers, Peter more than makes up for in intelligence and experience. These intangible abilities give him the decisive edge against Miles.
Miles has only been fighting crime for a few years and is still very young. In contrast, Peter has been web-slinging and battling supervillains for over a decade longer. Peter’s greater experience has allowed him to fully master his powers in a way that Miles hasn’t. Miles has had some formal training from heroes like Captain America and Black Panther, but Peter has been trained by one of Marvel’s greatest martial artists: Shang-Chi. With Shang Chi’s tutelage, Peter developed his own martial arts style that takes full advantage of his Spider-Sense. Miles’s training is simply not comparable to Peter’s. Additionally, from his bouts with Invisible Woman, Peter’s Spider-Senses have become attuned to track and react to imperceptible opponents, taking away the advantage of Miles’ invisibility power.
Peter is also a scientific and tactical genius, skilled at quickly devising plans and using the environment to his advantage to fight villains. Peter is one of the smartest heroes in the Marvel Universe. He often has developed incredible inventions and rapidly calculated equations to formulate plans. Peter consistently uses his intelligence to outsmart physically stronger foes like Carnage and Electro by leading them into traps or exploiting their weaknesses. Miles, in contrast, while bright and good at improvising, is nowhere near the super genius or strategist that Peter is. Combining Peter’s mastery of his Spider-Sense with his agility-based fighting style, and you’ve got a hero who can both outmaneuver and outthink Miles in combat.
Winner: Peter Parker
Image Courtesy of Marvel Comics
It’s important to stress that Miles is nowhere near his full potential and is still relatively young and new to mastering his powers compared to Peter, a seasoned superhero. Given time and training, Miles could very well one day surpass his friend and beat him in a fight. As it stands now, though, while Peter may lack Miles’ invisibility and bioelectric powers, he more than compensates with his other powers and skills. Given Peter’s many years fighting countless superhumans, including Venom, Electro, and numerous clones of himself, there’s nothing in Miles’ arsenal that Peter hasn’t encountered before and conquered time and again. With his superior strength, intellect, and experience, Peter Parker is undoubtedly the superior Spider-Man.
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