The Prowler Returns to Battle Miles Morales Spider-Man

Miles Morales' uncle, Aaron Davis, is back on the prowl. Aaron was the Prowler of Earth-1610 — the Ultimate Universe — who ended up in the mainstream Marvel Universe along with his nephew. Earth-616's original Prowler was the inventor Hobie Brown, but his purple and green-clad criminal moniker was later adopted by the Cat Burglar, Rick Lawson, and Hobie's old partner, Eric Cross. Hobie has since assumed a new identity — the heroic Hornet, one of Spider-Man's former alter-egos during his Identity Crisis of the '90s — while Miles' seemingly reformed uncle Aaron has returned to a life of crime as part of the Hobgoblin's gang in Gang War.

In this week's Miles Morales: Spider-Man #14, the Hobgoblin hires the Prowler and the Enforcers — Montana, Fancy Dan, and Ox — after equipping the Bumbler's Buzz Boys and the Frost Pharaoh with powerful new tech (in issue #13). Their mission? Kill Brooklyn's Spider-Man and claim the borough while the rest of New York's crime families wage all-out war for territory.

Agent Gao dispatches the speedster Hightail and her Cape Killers — Mac Gargan, a.k.a. Scorpion, and the wind-wielding Jade Jackson, a.k.a. Gust — to apprehend Spidey and his mentors, Misty Knight and Colleen Wing, for violating former Mayor Wilson Fisk's Anti-Vigilante Act outlawing superheroes. Team Spider-Man — including Miles, She-Hulk, and Spider-Woman — have been deputized by Mayor Luke Cage to defend the city during the gang war, but Misty and Colleen are arrested.

Meanwhile, Miles has entrusted Starling — Tiana Toomes, the granddaughter of the original Vulture — with recruiting a team to defend Brooklyn. The first recruit is Shift, a shape-shifting Miles clone, and the second is a former Champion from New Jersey...

Back in Brooklyn, the Hobgoblin tells his crew that he wants to "give her as much time as possible to perfect her prototypes. 'Cause once these designs are complete, this city is as good as mine." (She seems to be Miles' arch-nemesis Raneem Rashad, a.k.a. the technopath Rabble.) Outfitted with upgraded tech, the Prowler and the Enforcers attack Spider-Man and the Cape Killers. Miles is surprised that his pumpkin bombs-slinging uncle Aaron is working for Hobgoblin, which Prowler says is "just business."

"It's complicated," Prowler tells Spider-Man, who thought his uncle was a good guy. "Trust me, it's gonna be good for us in the end." As the formidable Enforcers battle Scorpion and Gust with their advanced tech, the Prowler goes toe-to-toe with Spider-Man with his own armored upgrades. Miles demands answers about his uncle's new suit and his regression to supervillainy, but Aaron says only that he has his reasons — reasons he can't divulge just yet.

Spider-Man and Scorpion team up to target Prowler, so the claws come out: Prowler subdues Scorpion and Gust, then prepares to attack his nephew, who has channeled his bio-electricity into a Venom-Saber. But before the Spider-Man vs. Prowler rematch can continue, the fight is interrupted when Starling arrives with reinforcements: Shift and Kamala Khan, a.k.a. Ms. Marvel, who died and was then resurrected by the X-Men.

Miles Morales: Spider-Man #14 is on sale now from Marvel Comics.