Who is Silk? Marvel Comic Origins And Spider-Powers Explained

In a universe of countless Spider-People (and animals), there is one that ushered in them all in the lead up to the Spider-Verse. The introduction of the hero known as Silk was the precursor to the first Marvel Comics Spider-Verse event, which would later be the inspiration for the film Into the Spider-Verse. But who is Silk? And how did she get her powers? Read on to discover who Cindy Moon a.k.a. Silk is!

The Origin of Silk in Marvel Comics

Even the most casual fan knows the origins of Spider-Man, a radioactive spider and a nerdy teen named Peter Parker. But what fans might not know is Peter Parker was not the only person bit by that fabled spider. There was another person but right after Peter: Cindy Moon, a Korean American student. But instead of taking up an alter-ego and fighting crime, she locks herself away in a doomsday bunker. On the advice of the Spider-Powered Ezekiel Sims who has knowledge of Spider-Totems, Cindy agreed to separate herself from everyone she knew and loved and lock herself away to hide from the totem vampires known as the Inheritors. And there she remained, for years.

Cindy stayed in the bunker for thirteen years, until the events of the Original Sin storyline, where the Orb unleashed The Watcher’s secrets to the world. One of these secrets was revealed to Spider-Man, which told him of another that was bit by the spider. When Peter found out this revelation, he went to free Cindy from the bunker. Initially resistant to being released for fear of Morlun and the Inheritors, Peter reassures her that Morlun was dead. Realizing that this meant she was truly free, Cindy improvises a costume made out of webbing and leaves the bunker for the New York City skyline.

How Silk’s Superpowers Compare To Spider-Man’s

Cindy was bitten by the same spider as Peter, so her abilities are similar to Spider-Man, yet some of her abilities are distinctly unique to her. In her and Spider-Man’s first encounter they discover that she is considerably faster than Spider-Man when she easily outmaneuvers him, but she is not nearly as strong as he is. Her spider-sense (or “silk sense” as she calls it) is much stronger than Peter’s, as it has a further range, and can even sense the identity of an attacker. However, while her sense is sharper, it has been proven to be unreliable. Silk also has the ability to generate organic webbing from her fingertips. Her webbing has the same abilities as Spider-Man’s artificial webbing, but she has also can use her webbing to make clothing — something Spider-Man has struggled with.

The Future of Silk in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe?

A live-action Silk TV show is in the works at Sony. How this fits into the greater MCU or specific to the Sony Spider-Man Universe remains to be seen, as does who will play the hero. However, Cindy Moon has already been introduced in the MCU. First appearing in Spider-Man: Homecoming as a classmate of Peter Parker, Cindy Moon (Tiffany Espensen) member of the decathlon team. After the events of Avengers: Infinity War, it is revealed that Cindy survived Thanos’ snap, and this offers up a unique opportunity to integrate the MCU into the coming TV series.

Sony has a number of options available to them regarding the direction of Cindy Moon. Will the TV show follow the comics and have her go into the bunker for her own safety after being bit by the spider after meeting a businessman named Ezekiel? Doing so could usher in the beginning of Sony’s own live-action Spider-Verse with the Inheritors as the main antagonist. Or, did Cindy take up her super-hero persona Silk during the 5-year blip, filling the shoes left behind by a vacant Spider-Man.

Regardless of the direction Sony takes with Cindy Moon in the live-action TV series, it offers a unique opportunity to show a different take on the iconic spider-bite sequence. Showing the bite scene from the point of view of Cindy rather than Peter would offer the perfect way to show a fresh take on spider bite origin that fans have already seen. And having Peter Parker (Tom Holland) cameo in the scene is the perfect way to tie the series into the greater Marvel Universe. Silk will become a household name soon.

About The Author

Kirk Smith
(103 Articles Published)

Kirk Smith: Accountant from 9 – 5 and full out comic book nerd on evening and weekends.

By gifting him an issue of the Amazing Spider-Man #408, Kirk’s grandfather introduced him to the world of comics at the tender age of eight. The striking cover of Spider-Man laying in pure white snow is still a fond memory today. Perhaps living in the frozen tundra, better known as the Canadian prairies, has something to do with the lasting impression the issue made on him. Kirk’s wife even let him frame this issue and hang it up in their basement.

From that point on, Kirk fell deep into the world of Marvel comics and became completely obsessed with anything and everything related to comics. So much so that he even had aspirations to become an illustrator and artist like his grandfather, and the analytical side of his brain eventually lead him to the thrilling world of accounting.

As self professed Marvel fanboy who continues to try and break into the wonderful world of DC, Kirk is fascinated by the art and storytelling of any and all comics. He is simply fascinated with the world of comics and everything that has subsequently been developed from it, from television series to blockbuster movies, he loves it all, even all the action figures that come along with it. He cannot believe his boyhood obsession has broken into mainstream media, and he can finally share his love of Spider-Man instead of his respect for bookkeeping.

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