Neutral Good

TBD

Jefferson Davis met Rio Morales at his physical therapist’s office in the great borough of Brooklyn, New York. Now, you can call it whatever you want – sappy, stupid, cliché – but the fact of the matter is, it was love at first sight. The moment he laid eyes on her, he knew that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. And so, after much time spent debating whether or not it was a good idea, Jefferson came to the conclusion that he should ask her out on a date. And so he did.

The first date became the second. The second became the third. The third, the fourth. Before they knew it, they’d moved in together. After two months of knowing each other, they got married.

Talk about moving fast.

On the 3rd of August, 2002, they were given the greatest gift they could ever imagine: their son, Miles. Living in a small apartment in the sunny side of Brooklyn, Jefferson and Rio watched as their little boy grew into the slightly bigger boy they always wanted him to be. He was smart, thoughtful, resourceful; every bit his parents’ son. There was no way they could love him any more than they already did. But despite all his great qualities, they were saddened to see him struggle with other kids. To them, he was nothing more than a geek. But lucky for him, there was another boy that happened to be ten times the nerdzoid he was: Ganke Lee, legophile and proud. They soon became inseparable, and Jefferson and Rio couldn’t be happier.

The years sped by, and the family of three soon found themselves in a state of anxiety like no other. Miles, now aged thirteen, had applied for one of New York’s finest charter schools, Hawthorne Academy, and the day had arrived where he would find out if he’d been accepted. After sitting through a nerve-wracking admittance ceremony, he was relieved to find out that he was.

After celebrating with his parents at a nice little restaurant, Miles rushed over to his Uncle Aaron’s to give him the good news. Unbeknownst to him, a spider there awaited him, one that would change his life forever.

It bit him, and Miles, having fainted, then come to, then fainted again, was forevermore banned from visiting his uncle at the behest of his father.

Over the following two months, the young man discovered and then tested some nifty powers he’d gained courtesy of the spider, sharing the knowledge of his newfound gifts with Ganke. Ganke, as hyped as one could be, told Miles that he should become Spider-Man’s sidekick. Miles, being opposed to the idea, told Ganke that he should go stick it where ideas don’t stick. Months passed, and Miles was able to control the urge to use his powers – but eventually, all things must come to an end.

Walking along the streets of Brooklyn, he bore witness to a building in flames, the screams of its inhabitants shrill and urgent. The fire department was on its way, but the fire was getting worse and worse in their absence. He didn’t have a choice. Hoodie up, he leapt into the inferno, carrying the family that was stuck in there to safety, one by one. As the firemen arrived Miles left, using his powers to appear intangible as he crawled up to the rooftops, where he would remain unseen. Little did he know that keener eyes saw inconsistencies in the light, and through further concentration were able to make out his form in the daylight. And so Spider-Man followed him, having observed his heroics, seeking to have words with the now fourteen year-old.

After getting over the stutter initiated by seeing his idol in the flesh, Miles heard Spider-Man out, who hoped to convince him to continue using his powers for good. Before he left, the web-slinger imparted a saying to Miles that would stay with him forever:


Encourage by these words, Miles went back to his dorm with new vigour. Sewing together a costume with Ganke’s help, he took to the streets as New York’s second Spider-Man, hampered by a lack of webs but nonetheless making do.

A few weeks in to his new career, Miles ran into his first real problem as a superhero – and it came in the shape of his uncle, Aaron. Aaron explained how he was a criminal, and how it was him that stole the spider that bit Miles. More than that, however – he knew that Miles was the new Spider-Man. As Miles tried to recover from that shock, he went on to explain that he owed money to some very bad people, and that they wanted him, for lack of a better word, dead. He then gave Miles an ultimatum: help his dear old uncle get rid of the competition, or let Aaron tell his father, a deadset anti-superhero, that his son was the very thing he hates.

Given a day to mull things over, he let Ganke know of his dilemma, desperate for guidance. At midnight, he made his decision.

He refused his uncle’s offer, rain falling around them as they stood on a rooftop. Needless to say, Aaron didn’t take it very kindly. Wearing a suit made by the Tinkerer, he attacked Miles, their fight quickly spinning out of control as it spilled onto the street. Miles, determined to bring his uncle to justice, slowly gained the upper hand – but in a last ditch effort to escape, Aaron set off an explosion to escape, disappearing without a trace. He hasn’t been seen since.

It’s been a few months since then, and the superhero life is treating Miles well – at least, as well as it can treat a fourteen year-old. Nothing but the future knows what it holds for him. Here’s hoping that it’s bright.

The only real difference from the source material here is the fact that Peter Parker isn’t dead. Instead, he serves as Miles’ idol, his guide in superheroics, and, eventually, his mentor. There are other minor differences, like the fact that Miles’ uncle didn’t die in their fight, but believe me when I say that they’ve been made for a purpose. Other than that, this is the Miles as seen in the comics (both Ultimate and his recent 616 run), who I hope will be able to make as much of a mark on this world as Eddie’s Peter.