Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales Lets Me Be The Hometown Hero I Always Needed

The city that never sleeps is as dangerous as it’s ever been, but Harlem’s friendly-neighborhood Spider-Man does it all, from saving helpless bodega cats to dismantling nuclear time bombs. Spider-Man is a modern-day celebrity who responds to fans on Twitter and takes silly photos with his adoring followers. The new web-slinger may be as reliable and friendly as anyone, but his most secretive secrets are mine. Miles Morales (the young man behind that mask) loves video games, creating groovy Hip-Hop beats and carrying out elaborate science experiments. His hair is a constant battle in the mirror, and he has an unhealthy love for dulce de cacao. He looks just like me. 

Growing up in Spanish Harlem, I was an Afro-Latino boy with bright eyes. Every apartment had a different mix of salsa and hip-hop music playing. At the closest basketball court, lifelong friendships were formed. The helado wagon that was located just across the street from me middle school, as well as the block parties during summer where people opened fire hydrants for us to go to the beach. A haircut by someone other than your barber was disrespectful. Some local pizzerias gave kids free slices of pepperoni and slushies. At night, I’d fall asleep to distant car alarms; Héctor Lavoe’s smooth voice or Willie Colón’s raspy trumpet vibrating through my thin bedroom walls.

It was surreal to return to Harlem after being an adult. The neighborhood is different than it once was. Luxury condos and high-end supermarkets have replaced family businesses with luxurious condominiums and mid-range fast-food restaurants. Racial profiling is more common because of increased police surveillance. Rent at many apartment buildings is not affordable and the prices of food, including deli sandwiches, remind one of midtown’s high costs. Harlem’s long-time residents are losing their homes to Gentrification. The constant sirens of the trucks and overbearing truck horns can make it difficult to hear the hard hitting bass notes of reggaeton. Street artists create elaborate murals to preserve Harlem’s rich history in the shadows of expensive hotels. It is a culture that endures. 

Marvel’s Spider-Man Miles Morales depicts my neighborhood in crisis. Roxxon, a petroleum conglomerate, establishes Manhattan’s headquarters in Harlem. The tower is visible from both the Upper West Side and East Sides. Miles just relocated from Brooklyn at the beginning of the game. He struggles to adjust to the change in his location. Miles’ best friend Ganke and his mother’s motivational speeches are key to his growth. He visits Teo’s Bodega with his cat to play; and he meets Harlemites at various music festivals. When a substantial amount of community supplies get stolen, the homeless shelter closes because of gang activity, and Roxxon’s evil intentions come to light, I don the mask with Miles and become the hometown hero I always wished I could be. 

There’s one moment toward the end of the game that sticks out to me even now, a year after completing the central narrative. Hailey Cooper (a local street artist) pulls Spider-Man over to his side, saying, “It’s been New York protected since I was young, but having one that cares about my home and me is amazing.” Miles laughs like he does every time he feels flustered. He replies “It is my home, too.” Finally – even if it’s just in some digital game world or etched onto the page of a widely read comic book – my community got the protector it deserved. It was possible to be the protector if my timing and button tapping were perfect. My superhero fantasies were simply being fulfilled by Miles Morales, as I soared high above Harlem’s busy markets or fought a mob robbers in filmic fashion. But in those quieter moments – when listening to the sounds of the city through Uncle Aaron’s old music recordings or gazing at BLM wall art through watery eyes – it’s me under that mask.

This article originally appeared in Issue 333 of Game Informer.