In 2012, Marvel published the five issue issue miniseries, "Spider-Men", which was significant for being the first crossover between the mainstream 616 Marvel universe and the Ultimate universe created in 2000. In that story, 616 Peter Parker had been transported to the Ultimate universe, where at this point, his young counterpart had been killed in action as 13 year old Miles Morales became his successor. The meeting between the two was the main focus as you could probably guess. At the end of the story when Peter got back home, he Googled Miles Morales to find out about his own world's version. The results of the search surprise Peter, but are left unknown to the reader, as there was intent to produce a sequel to this story, which has just been announced to begin this July. However, a lot has happened in this five year interval.
In 2014, Peter and Miles would team up again along with every other version of Spider-Man ever created across the multiverse in the "Spider-Verse" event, fighting Morlun and his family, the Inheritors, who sought to eradicate the spiders once and for all. Later in 2015's "Secret Wars" event, Peter and Miles were among the few survivors of the 616 and Ultimate worlds who remembered how things were supposed to be after Dr. Doom used his new godly abilities to recreate reality to his whim. By the end of that story, elements of the Ultimate universe were integrated into the 616 universe, including Miles Morales and his supporting cast. Since then, Miles has lived in the prime Marvel universe, creating ties with many characters, joining the Avengers, and being a key player in "Civil War II" (screw that comic). With Miles being such a prominent character now and living in the same universe as Peter Parker, why is "Spider-Men II" necessary, especially when the two have interacted several times since their first meeting?
Of course, the story will apparently deal with the other Miles Morales that Peter Googled before. But I see a few problems with that. Including Miles, here are the other elements of the Ultimate universe that have made it over into the main universe:
* The Triskelion, which was the main base of SHIELD and headquarters to the Ultimates in the Ultiamte universe, is now part of the main universe, their own version of the Ultimates included.
* Ultimate Reed Richards, who had a mental breakdown and became a villain known as the Maker, had been causing trouble in the pages of New Avengers.
* The Mjolnir of the Ultimate version of Thor has mysteriously appeared on Asgard and someone yet to be revealed has been deemed worthy of its power.
* Most recently, Jimmy Hudson, the son of Wolverine in the Ultimate universe, has returned in the pages of X-Men Blue.
Now, when it comes to Reed Richards, he apparently remembers his own universe and the events of Secret Wars. Ultimate Mjolnir is also seen as a different version than the proper hammer, just like the Reeds are. Those would be considered surviving elements of the Ultimate universe. The Triskelion however is a new addition to the prime Marvel universe, apparently existing for sometime as when the multiverse was reset, it was shown fully built. As for Jimmy Hudson, that's still up in the air. He could be another survivor of the Ultimate universe, or he could also have been integrated into the prime universe. Let's be honest, it wouldn't be surprising of Logan to get around. If the case is the former, this would make Jimmy the second Wolverine centric character to be stranded from his proper universe, the first being Old Man Logan.
As for Miles, it's pretty clear that his character has been integrated from the Ultimate universe into the prime one. The best evidence to suggest this is that his family (including his now resurrected mother), his best friend Ganke, and even superpowered ally Lana/Bombshell (and by extension her own villainous mother) have also made the trip. Hell, Miles' father, Jefferson Davis, and his time as a SHIELD agent has also been established as being part of the main universe.
The conclusion I'm reaching here is that prior to "Secret Wars", there may very well have been a 616 version of Miles. But with the merger of the two universes, for all intents and purposes, the Miles Morales we've been reading for six years now IS the 616 Miles. He's not a survivor of a lost world, as it appears he's lead some semblance of a normal life entirely in the 616.
What made the first "Spider-Men" story interesting was Peter discovering a very different world, one where he died no less, and he gave his blessing to Miles to be that world's sole Spider-Man. A "Spider-Men II" where Miles visited the 616 and met his own doppelganger would have been interesting...if it happened prior to "Secret Wars" and the universes merging. Peter and Miles live in the same universe now and have been for, in real time, a year and a half now, and if there was another Miles, I feel he should have been brought up by now. Had the Ultimate universe been fully destroyed and Miles survived as a refugee, this story may have still had potential. But that's not what happened.
Who knows though? Maybe the story will be good, and based on reviews, I could still pick it up as a trade. But at this point knowing only the concept of the story, I don't feel like it's worth shelling out $3.99 an issue.
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