This article contains spoilers for Amazing Spider-Man #48.

Peter Parker has officially chosen Miles Morales to succeed him as the next Spider-Man. Let's face it, if you choose being a superhero as your career, your life expectancy isn't particularly good - and no insurance company will be willing to touch you. Granted, most superheroes won't worry too much about this, because you also have a good chance of being promptly resurrected.

Peter Parker is tied to the Web of Life and Destiny, and as such he will always have a successor. In the wake of "Spider-Verse," Peter was almost able to hand over the mantle to Mary Jane. But in truth, he has no shortage of candidates, ranging from Silk to the dimension-hopping Spider-Gwen, from Jessica Drew's Spider-Woman to the second Madame Web. Still, in this week's Amazing Spider-Man #48 the wall-crawler revealed who he would choose as his own replacement.

Related: Spider-Man's Enemy Just Became Marvel's Version of JOKER

Amazing Spider-Man #48 saw Spider-Man wrestle with an ethical dilemma, seeking guidance from the rest of the Spiders. Spider-Man is caught between two enemies, the new Sin-Eater and his classic foe the Green Goblin. As always, Peter's maxim of power and responsibility means he can't simply let the two villains take each other on; for one thing, he has no way of knowing who else might get caught in the crossfire. Miles cautions that it might be best to allow the Sin-Eater to get to Norman Osborn first, simply because that may well mean Spider-Man is safe from his threat. But, of course, Peter Parker rejects that idea. "If that is what's gonna happen," he tells Miles, "at least I already know somebody will be there to step up when I'm gone."

Spider-Man and Miles Morales

Amusingly, the comment goes completely over Miles' head. He focuses on the idea he still needs to step up, feeling he's been reduced to a second-stringer or B-lister. What he fails to realize, though, is that Spider-Man has singled him out as the one Spider who is ready to take his place. He's discarding older and more experienced heroes such as Silk or Spider-Woman, and instead trusting his legacy to Miles. That's a pretty staggering declaration of confidence in Miles.

It remains to be seen whether this confidence is misplaced, though. When Amazing Spider-Man #48 comes to a close, the various Spiders have agreed they must stop Peter Parker from interfering. In their view, the Sin-Eater should be allowed to get to the Green Goblin - and they're united in that opinion. It seems Miles Morales' philosophical perspective is very different to Peter's, and that may well mean his friend comes to regret considering him a worthy successor as Spider-Man.

More: A Spider-Man Comic Was Written By A.I. And The Result Is Madness