Warning: Spoilers for The Spectacular Spider-Men #3 ahead!

Marvel wastes no time in complicating Miles Morales‘ life by confirming what readers have long suspected: that Miles harbors romantic feelings for his friend and teammate, Ms. Marvel. In a bombshell reveal, Miles and Kamala share their first kiss after a perfect date – but of course, things are never as simple as they first seem.

Romance is everywhere in The Spectacular Spider-Men #3 by Greg Weisman, Humberto Ramos, Victor Olazaba, Edgar Delgado, and Joe Caramagna. The issue begins with Kamala arriving for her date with Miles. After a charmingly awkward dinner, the two admit that they aren’t “just friends” any more before sharing a tender, joyful kiss.

There is a catch, of course: none of this is real. Instead, Miles is trapped in Arcade and Mentallo’s “Arcadium” complex, a virtual world that grants the deepest desires of its inhabitants. This implies that one of Miles’ deepest desires is a romance with Kamala.

Miles Morales Is In Love With Kamala Khan

The Start Of Another Classic Spider-Man Love Quadrangle?

The chemistry between Miles and Kamala is certainly undeniable. As key members of the Champions, the two have shared death-defying adventures and trusted each other with their lives; they also share the same kind of playful, irreverent energy, coupled with their compassion. Kamala and Miles effortlessly fit into each other’s lives, as seen when Kamala seamlessly joins Miles, Shift, Ganke and Billie for their art walk shenanigans in Miles Morales: Spider-Man (2022) #20. The two absolutely have the compatibility to be an incredible couple.

Miles’ desire for Kamala isn’t without its roadblocks. As of the writing of this article, Miles is in a healthy and reciprocal relationship with Tiana Toomes aka Starling, with the two showing no interest in breaking up. There’s also potential romantic interest between him and Gwen Stacy of Earth-65 aka Spider-Gwen, who has now migrated over to the 616 continuity. And of course, Kamala herself has her own romantic entanglements in her own series – none of which have yet to involve Miles.

What Does Miles Morales’ Heart Truly Desire?

The Spectacular Spider-Men has been littered with examples of others’ romantic exploits in Arcadium. Notably, Miles’ friend Cedric confuses his crush Katie’s affections for him in Arcadium for her feelings in the real world, where she is already in a relationship with someone else. Given Miles’ ongoing relationship with Tiana Toomes, Cedric’s situation may foreshadow Miles’ feelings for Kamala – just because Miles’ desire is there doesn’t mean he would be willing to sacrifice his relationship with Tiana, or even that Kamala would necessarily return his affections.

Ultimately, this issue confirms Miles’ deep feelings for Kamala, regardless of whether those feelings are one-sided. It’s a fascinating glimpse into young love, especially in a medium where characters tend to have distinct, codified love interests; as enticing as the notion of a single, destined partner is, it is possible to have romantic feelings for multiple people, and being in a committed relationship does not invalidate romantic feelings for others outside of one’s partner. Miles Morales is certainly in love with Ms. Marvel…but only time will tell if their partnership is meant to be.