Meet the 6 heroes of Sony's new ‘Spider-Man’ movie — and yes, one’s a talking pig

It’s one of the most popular origin stories of any character in fiction, and you don’t even have to be a comic book fan to know it: The bite of an irradiated spider gave amazing powers to an otherwise normal youth who, after suffering from a tremendous personal tragedy, decides to suit up and make the city neighborhood safer than it was.

But what if that story belonged not just to a single spectacular, spider-themed sensation, but to dozens upon dozens of do-gooders across the multiverse — or should we say, across the Spider-verse?

That’s the basic premise of "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse," an upcoming animated feature from Sony and Columbia Pictures.

Partially inspired by a 2014 comic book crossover story, "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" puts a new spin on an aspect of the titular character that has never been explored before on the silver screen: the fact that if you didn’t know his secret identity, you’d think it could literally be anyone under that mask.

That’s why the film features six main spider-powered characters — and this time, the spotlight isn’t even on Peter Parker.

1. Miles Morales, the Ultimate Spider-Man

Since the character’s comic book debut in 2011’s "Ultimate Fallout #4," Miles Morales’ fanbase has been steadily growing. As the second bi-racial Spider-Man to appear in the comics — the first being Miguel O’Hara, the Spider-Man of the year 2099 — and the first African-American to wear the webs, the half-Hispanic hero took the place of his reality’s Peter Parker after the latter was slain in battle.

While Miles gained his powers in the same way his predecessor did, he has a slightly different powerset: Miles can also camouflage himself and disable his opponents with a paralyzing touch, in addition to the proportionate speed, strength, and agility of a spider.

Miles may have started as a substitute Spider, but he is no longer overshadowed by the one he replaced — and the fact that he’s the central character of ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ attests to that.

2. Peter Parker, the Amazing Spider-Man

The original webslinger, Peter Benjamin Parker debuted in "Amazing Fantasy #15" in August 1962, breaking the rules of superhero fiction and changing comic books forever. A far cry from the square-jawed superheroes of that era, Peter Parker was a teenager beset with money problems and pestered by bullies, bearing the guilt of being indirectly responsible for his uncle’s death while balancing the demands of both the student life and the spandex life.

In "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse," we see a more seasoned and experienced Peter Parker, complete with graying temples and a noticeably aged visage. While he will likely act as a mentor to Miles and the other young Spiders in this film, you can bet that this friendly neighborhood old-timer still has a few tricks up his webshooters.

3. Gwen Stacy, Spider-Woman

Most audiences know Gwendolyne Stacy as the ill-fated love interest of Peter Parker in Marc Webb’s "The Amazing Spider-Man" films. However, in an alternate reality, it was Gwen who was bitten by the spider — and it was her world’s Peter Parker who died, prompting her to continue fighting crime in his honor as Spider-Woman.

Affectionately called “Spider-Gwen” by her ever-growing fanbase, the heroine who now goes by “Ghost Spider” debuted in 2014’s ‘Edge of Spider-Verse’ #2. Far from being a damsel in distress, this version of Gwen is a rock drummer, a capable crime-fighter, and a worthy addition to the Spider-verse.

4. Peni Parker, SP//dr

"Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" features arguably the most adorable Spider-person of all: Peni Parker, a little schoolgirl who pilots an Evangelion-inspired Spider-mech suit.

Going by the rather unpronounceable moniker SP//dr, Peni Parker first appeared in ‘Edge of Spider-Verse’ #4 in 2014. If the entire SP//dr concept sounds wonderfully outlandish to you, it probably wouldn’t surprise you that Peni and her mech suit were created by an equally flamboyant figure in the music world: My Chemical Romance’s frontman, Gerard Way.

Fun fact: Within 24 hours after Peni Parker was confirmed to appear in "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse," her Wikipedia page views ballooned to 82,000.

5. Spider-Man Noir

An all-black Spider-Man seemingly plucked straight from 1930's detective fiction, Spider-Man Noir appears to be the toughest, meanest, and most hard-edged hero among the arachnid-themed stars of "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" — and the fact that veteran actor Nicolas Cage is voicing him makes it even better. Clad in a trench coat and fedora, this decidedly unfriendly version of Spider-Man first appeared in his eponymous comic in 2009. Not much has been revealed about how ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ will portray this unique character, but his no-nonsense personality will definitely make him stand out among this eccentric bunch.

6. Peter Porker, Spider-Ham

The perfect example of an idea that’s so bad it’s good, the anthropomorphic pig called Spider-Ham first popped up in 1983’s ‘Marvel Tails’ #1, a humorous take on the Marvel universe that featured animal-inspired versions of the company’s most popular heroes and villains. This pint-sized, porcine protagonist comes with an equally bizarre origin story: Peter Porker was originally a spider bitten by a radioactive pig. With his ridiculous appearance and typically sardonic wit, it wouldn’t be surprising if Spider-Ham were to end up “hogging” the spotlight. — LA, GMA News

Helmed by filmmaking duo Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (‘The LEGO Movie’, ‘21 Jump Street’), ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ swings into Philippine cinemas December 12.