Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #2
Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #2 (November 2011) is the issue where Ganke Lee makes his debut — the best friend who would become the emotional and practical cornerstone of Miles Morales's entire superhero career, a supporting character so well-drawn that he eventually inspired a near-analog in the mainstream Marvel Universe. The issue also marks the story's first on-panel demonstration of what would become Miles's signature 'Venom Blast' ability, a power that distinguishes him from every previous Spider-Man and has defined his fighting style across comics, animation, and video games ever since. Set within Brian Michael Bendis's deliberately paced, character-first origin arc, this chapter plants the flag for a new kind of Spider-Man story — one rooted in family tension, working-class Brooklyn geography, and the very real anxiety of a kid who desperately does not want extraordinary responsibility — and in doing so helped make Miles Morales one of the most culturally resonant superhero creations of the 21st century.
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The series that contains this issue launched in September 2011 as Marvel's second relaunch of the Ultimate imprint, a direct sequel to the 'Death of Spider-Man' arc that killed Ultimate Peter Parker. Writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Sara Pichelli — with colors by Justin Ponsor and editing by Mark Paniccia and Sana Amanat — built the opening arc as a prequel set roughly eleven months before Peter's death, deliberately mirroring Bendis's own slow-burn approach to Peter Parker's origin years earlier. A notable publishing wrinkle: the first three issues of this run were originally released under the indicia title Ultimate Spider-Man Vol. 3, with the 'Ultimate Comics Spider-Man' name only officially applied from issue #4 onward; Marvel later retroactively relabeled all three early issues to match the rest of the series in its catalog listings.
Trivia · 7 facts
- First appearance of Ganke Lee (Earth-1610), Miles Morales's best friend and chief confidant throughout his entire superhero career.
- First on-panel use of what will be named Miles's 'Venom Blast' power — he instinctively shocks a street bully who grabs his bag, the same bioelectric ability that later becomes one of his defining combat tools.
- Miles also demonstrates camouflage/invisibility in this issue, involuntarily vanishing in front of bystanders who shout that he must be a mutant — the first public manifestation of that power.
- Jefferson Davis appears as a speaking character (his role deepened from #1), warning Miles away from Uncle Aaron and revealing their shared criminal past, laying the groundwork for one of the series' central family-drama threads.
- Iceman (Bobby Drake) and Human Torch (Johnny Storm) of the Ultimate Universe appear in cameo, flying overhead while Jefferson Davis makes a pointed anti-mutant comment — a scene that contextualizes the social climate Miles navigates.
- Written by Brian Michael Bendis, drawn by Sara Pichelli, colored by Justin Ponsor, with cover art by Kaare Andrews; edited by Mark Paniccia, Jon Moisan, and Sana Amanat under Editor-in-Chief Axel Alonso.
- The issue has been reprinted in multiple collections including Ultimate Comics Spider-Man Vol. 1 (issues #1–5), the Miles Morales: Ultimate Spider-Man Omnibus, and the 2025 Miles Morales: Spider-Man Modern Era Epic Collection – Hero in Training.
Cast · 10 characters
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Full plot ⚠ may contain spoilers
▸ Reveal full plot — may contain spoilers
Miles shares the discovery of his powers with his friend Ganke.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).