A surgical instrument , comprising: a cartridge jaw , comprising: a cartridge body ; and staples removably stored in said cartridge body; a staple firing system , comprising: an electric motor ; a motor control system in communication with said electric motor , wherein said motor control system is configured to control the speed of said electric motor ; and a firing member movable through a staple firing stroke by said electric motor to eject said staples from said cartridge body ; an anvil jaw comprising staple forming pockets configured to deform said staples during said staple firing stroke, wherein each said staple forming pocket is configured to deform a said staple ; and means for detecting when a said staple has been malformed against said anvil jaw and for detecting when a said staple has missed said anvil jaw , wherein said motor control system is configured to slow down said electric motor and said staple firing stroke when a said staple has been malformed against said anvil jaw and to slow down said electric motor and said staple firing stroke when a said staple has missed said anvil jaw ; characterized in that said motor control system comprises a current sensor circuit configured to detect spikes in the electrical current drawn by said electric motor and compare the magnitude of said detected current spikes to the magnitude of expected current spikes and slow down said electric motor if the difference between the magnitude of said detected current spikes and the magnitude of said expected current spikes exceeds a predetermined threshold for at least two consecutive detected current spikes . a cartridge jaw , comprising: a cartridge body ; and staples removably stored in said cartridge body; a cartridge body ; and staples removably stored in said cartridge body; a staple firing system , comprising: an electric motor ; a motor control system in communication with said electric motor , wherein said motor control system is configured to control the speed of said electric motor ; and a firing member movable through a staple firing stroke by said electric motor to eject said staples from said cartridge body ; an electric motor ; a motor control system in communication with said electric motor , wherein said motor control system is configured to control the speed of said electric motor ; and a firing member movable through a staple firing stroke by said electric motor to eject said staples from said cartridge body ; an anvil jaw comprising staple forming pockets configured to deform said staples during said staple firing stroke, wherein each said staple forming pocket is configured to deform a said staple ; and means for detecting when a said staple has been malformed against said anvil jaw and for detecting when a said staple has missed said anvil jaw , wherein said motor control system is configured to slow down said electric motor and said staple firing stroke when a said staple has been malformed against said anvil jaw and to slow down said electric motor and said staple firing stroke when a said staple has missed said anvil jaw ; characterized in that said motor control system comprises a current sensor circuit configured to detect spikes in the electrical current drawn by said electric motor and compare the magnitude of said detected current spikes to the magnitude of expected current spikes and slow down said electric motor if the difference between the magnitude of said detected current spikes and the magnitude of said expected current spikes exceeds a predetermined threshold for at least two consecutive detected current spikes . <EOS>