Why Fans Are In An Uproar Over This Miles Morales Reveal
The release of Spider-Man: Miles Morales is just a few short weeks away, and fans are ready to discover all of the action-packed surprises it has in store. Unfortunately, Marvel and Insomniac Games seem to have just dropped a huge spoiler for the upcoming superhero title.
Late last week, Marvel debuted a series of variant covers for upcoming Spider-Man comics. These covers feature artwork contributed by people who have worked on the new Spider-Man game, and they feature plenty of Miles-centric action. Yesterday, Marvel unveiled one more variant cover that depicts Miles being snuck up on by the supervillain known as the Prowler. This is the first confirmation that the Prowler will be in Spider-Man: Miles Morales, and fans aren't exactly thrilled with how it was announced.
Your Spider-Senses are sharp! Here's a look at Prowler's outfit from "Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales" Creative Director Brian Horton's variant cover for "Amazing Spider-Man" #55. #MilesMoralesPS5 #BeYourself #BeGreater pic.twitter.com/vqMgCaz792
— Marvel Entertainment (@Marvel) October 27, 2020
If there was any doubt that maybe the Prowler wouldn't actually be making an appearance in the video game, that is quickly dispelled by the caption that accompanied Marvel's announcement of the cover. The official tweet from Marvel Entertainment read, "Here's a look at Prowler's outfit from 'Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales' Creative Director Brian Horton's variant cover for 'Amazing Spider-Man' #55." This seems to indicate that this is also officially the costume the Prowler will be wearing in the game.
While it is exciting to see Marvel promoting Miles Morales in such a big way, fans have been less than enthusiastic about this marketing tactic. See, Insomniac Games hadn't fully revealed that the Prowler would be making an appearance in the new video game. Seeing the Prowler prominently displayed on a variant cover meant to promote Spider-Man: Miles Morales has led many fans to believe that this image is a major spoiler.
The Prowler reveal has been seeing significant backlash from gamers who were hoping to go into the game knowing as little as possible. One fan tweeted that they wished they had found out about the Prowler while they were actually playing. Another expressed disbelief that this variant cover was how the character was revealed.
Other fans are less frustrated about potential spoilers and are more disappointed by the design of the suit itself. One fan considered the design to be "an obvious downgrade" from other looks for the character. Another fan commented that the suit looked too much like the Scorpion, another member of Spider-Man's rogues gallery. One person simply commented that this was a "Crap design."
On the bright side, it seems as though this announcement was made with Insomniac's blessing. Shortly after Marvel posted a look at the variant cover featuring the Prowler, the image was retweeted by Insomniac with the caption "Well it seems Spider-Man the Cat is out of the bag." This is obviously a reference to the Prowler reveal being kept a secret for so long, but it also refers to the Miles' new companion in the game, the adorable Spider-Cat.
Again, people responded to Insomniac's post lamenting the fact that the Prowler's presence in the game was revealed early. Even though the reveal was apparently planned, Miles Morales biggest fans are likely to be most dismayed by this spoiler, considering what an important part the Prowler has played in Miles' story over the years.
A few different Marvel Comics supervillains have used the Prowler name over the years. Debuting in The Amazing Spider #78, the original Prowler was Hobie Brown, a young kid who turned to robbery out of desperation. Donning a purple and green costume, Hobie was quickly defeated by Spider-Man, who convinced him to use his natural talents to become a superhero instead. Hobie would eventually become one of Peter Parker's most trusted allies, to the point where Peter hired Hobie to impersonate Spider-Man on several occasions to protect his own identity.
Perhaps the most famous version of the Prowler is Aaron Davis, first introduced in Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man #1. Aaron Davis was not only a prolific thief and mercenary, but he was also the uncle of Miles Morales. When he discovered Miles' secret identity as the new Spider-Man, Davis blackmailed his nephew into helping him commit crimes. This Prowler died in battle with Miles when the rookie Spider-Man accidentally overloaded one of Davis' weapons with his Venom Shock ability. However, a later storyline restored the Prowler to life, where he tried and failed to give up his criminal ways.
The Aaron Davis iteration of the Prowler has made two appearances in films based on Spider-Man. Donald Glover portrayed the character as a small-time crook in Spider-Man: Homecoming, while Mahershala Ali voiced a more high-tech version of the Prowler in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. With the character proving to be such an integral part of Miles' history, it's no surprise that he'd have some role in the new video game. However, it seems that many fans would have appreciated the Prowler's appearance being a little bit more of a surprise.
Spider-Man: Miles Morales will be released for the PlayStation 4 and 5 on Nov. 12, 2020.