Check Out Bendis’s Original Idea to Introduce 616’s MILES MORALES!

I just received my copy of Brian Michael Bendis’s new book Words For Pictures.    In it, Bendis explains how to create a pitch document to submit to publishers.  He uses his pitch for Spider-Men as an example.

Now, in the published version of Spider-Men, the 616’s Miles Morales never appears.  Only Peter (and Mysterio) crosses universes and most of the story takes place in the Ultimate Universe.  After returning to his home universe, on the last page, Peter searches Miles’s name in Google and is shocked by what he finds.  That’s where the story ends- we are left guessing what 616 Miles is like (there are rumors that 616 Miles is named Barack). 

In Bendis’s original pitch for the story, instead of having the crossover take place only in the Ultimate Universe, the Ultimate U’s Miles and 616’s Peter would have to cross into the 616 universe.  In order to stop Mysterio, they would have to locate the 616’s Miles for help.  Along the way, they would bump into the New Avengers (damn, I would love to have seen Luke’s reaction to Miles).

Wow, that would have been awesome.

The pitch lists ideas for future storylines Marvel could run with.  Bendis wrote, “We introduce the mainstream Marvel universe Miles Morales and incorporate him into Amazing Spider-Man as an ongoing supporting player.  A new best friend for Peter Parker?”

Hmmmmmmmm, why didn’t Marvel and/or Bendis go along with this plan?  It should be noted- pitches are very rough.  Sometimes a writer will stray from their original plans naturally.  Also, after reading the pitch, often an editor will request changes be made to the planned story.  This could occur because a character is not available, or they have other plans for him or her.  Could they have something bigger in store for Mr. Morales in the 616?

See the second page of the pitch for yourself (the rest of the pitch is in the book):

Note:

It is interesting that in the Spider-Man: Season One graphic novel, Spidey rescues a kiddo with a jacket that says Morales on the back.  The lil guy then gives his momma a hug, and she looks fairly similar to Miles Morales’s mother in the Ultimate U.  Since the Season One books are weird modern takes on character’s origins, it is kinda sketchy if they are cannon or not, but it is something to think about.

Here are pics from that book:

Sources: Words For Pictures by Brian Michael Bendis, ComicBookCast2