Warning: Spoilers for The Spectacular Spider-Men (2024) ahead!
Peter Parker’s tenure as Spider-Man has been defined by two major romances – but now fellow Spider-Man, Miles Morales appears set to have an iconic love story of his own with Kamala Khan. As The Spectacular Spider-Men (2024) explores themes of romance and desire, it raises the strong possibility that the two fan-favorite characters will find more than friendship blossoming between them.
The Spectacular Spider-Men (2024) #2 – by Greg Weisman, Humberto Ramos, Victor Olazaba, Edgar Delgado, and Joe Caramagna – expands on the series’ main mystery, as regulars of a university coffee shop appear to fall under the sway of a VR project called Arcadium – one that promises to fulfill the user’s hidden dreams and desires.
The issue ends with a teaser image of the next issue, suggesting what Peter and Miles may see in Arcadium: Peter holds Gwen Stacy close, and Miles walks arm-in-arm with Kamala, framing them as potential love interests.
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Kamala Khan Adds A Complication To Miles Morales’ Love Life
Spectacular Spider-Man Teases An Iconic Romance
This end-note to Spectacular Spider-Man #2 is significant, given many panels featuring the dreams of Arcadium participants are romantic in nature; by framing Miles’ relationship with Kamala alongside Peter’s long-time romance with Gwen, the suggestion that Mile has at least a one-sided interest in his superhero colleague is clear. Certainly, Miles and Kamala have chemistry together. The two became fast friends during their time together as Champions, forming a unique bond both in and out of costume and setting the precedent for a potential evolution of their dynamic into something more than platonic.
The problem here is that Miles is already dating someone else – Tiana Toomes, also known as the heroine Starling. Tiana is still very much a part of Miles’ life, making the potential undercurrent of romantic feelings for Kamala that Spectacular Spider-Man teases into a source of tension rather than excitement. In terms of fan acceptance, the popularity of the Spider-Verse film franchise means that the films’ pairing of Miles with Gwen Stacy (of Earth-65) is considered a much more prominent romantic pairing than Miles/Starling, or even Miles/Kamala, in readers’ estimation.
Miles And Kamala Could Make Marvel’s Next Great Love Story
Of course, all of this potential romantic snarl is just from Miles’ perspective, before even taking into consideration how Kamala might feel about Miles in return. The Spectacular Spider-Man #2 leaves this question up to the voracious speculation of the book’s readers in anticipation of more information next issue. So far, the series has emphasized Miles’ growth as Spider-Man since taking up the mantle – which means it is inevitable that dramatic complications, both personal and professional, will begin to mount in order to put him to the test once more.
In any case, this teaser image suggests that Arcadium’s wish-fulfillment scenarios will soon prove whether Miles is truly carrying a torch for Kamala. The two do make a compelling couple: they share an easy camaraderie from their time together as Champions, and, as some of Marvel’s most prominent young heroes, represent their generation in a way few other heroes can match. Miles Morales and Ms. Marvel certainly have the potential to become Marvel’s next power couple – but only time will tell if this pairing is the real deal, or little more than a fantasy.
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