When Cindy Moon was introduced in the Spider-Man comics, it was a horny fantasy that reeked of an unchecked boys’ club. Bitten by the same spider as Peter Parker, the two were attracted to each other’s pheromones, fucking on the ceiling and on the walls, unable to keep themselves off each other. Silk could've been an overnight hit, but because of her origin and skimpy outfit woven from literal webs, that never happened. No adaptation has sought to bring her into the mainstream yet, and despite the strides that later writers like Maurene Goo and Emily Kim have made, her legacy is still tied to her fetishistic origin story.
Moon made a blink-and-you-miss-it cameo in Spider-Man: Homecoming and Silk is getting her own Amazon Prime animated show (unconnected to the Homecoming version), though there’s still no word on when we can expect it. Creator Dan Slott and Marvel’s editorial team had the ingredients to put a Korean-American hero at the forefront of Spider-Man much as the Ultimate comics put a Black-Latino hero front and centre with Miles Morales, but all of that potential was squandered. She’s still waiting for her big break into the limelight, and it’s taking far longer than it should. Now, there’s finally a chance to put things right, and Marvel’s Spider-Man 3 is just the place to do it.
Spoilers follow for Spider-Man 2
Spider-Man 2’s post-credit scene briefly introduces Cindy, removed from the shadow of Peter Parker at long last. She’s the daughter of Rio Morales’ new boyfriend, making her entry into the world of Spiders a mere coincidence. At least, for now. We don’t know if she has powers yet or if she spent her entire life trapped in a vault, but given that she’s with her father, is around Miles’ age, and there were no sightings of a Spider-Woman thwipping downtown, I’d hinge my bets on her being an average kid right now.
The vault story was nothing more than a contrived reason to explain why she never cropped up before her debut, but her age and father mean she is now connected to Miles, rather than Peter. Separating her from this sexualised origin means Insomniac can tell something fresh, which works perfectly with Peter’s (almost certainly fake-out) retirement ending.
After the traumatising events of Spider-Man 2, Peter understandably wants to hang up the spandex and spend more time with MJ, making room for his personal life. Miles has proven he can handle the job by himself, taking down Symbiote Spider-Man and Venom while redeeming Mister Negative. But the obvious path forward is to force Peter into the suit for one final fight, and it looks like that’s the route Insomniac is taking by bringing back Doc Ock and introducing the Green Goblin. Cindy offers another way.
Miles is now the only active Spider-Man in New York City, but the ending of the second game sets up Carnage, Doc Ock, and Goblin - three of the most brutal villains in their rogue’s gallery. Also Chameleon but like, who cares? Miles might be able to handle them, given how much he took on in Spidey 2, but something tells me he’ll need an assist at some point. Odds are that’ll be Peter briefly exiting retirement for a small role in the sequel because he’s what sells, but he should be left to his happy ending. If another Spider is needed to keep NYC safe, it should be Silk that steps up.
Whatever her origin story ends up being in Insomniac’s adaptation, taking on a similar role to that which Miles had in the first game would ease newcomers into her world, letting us get to know who she is and what drives her, before throwing her into a costume and making her fight. The comics didn’t give Silk that chance. She was Peter’s other half, discarded when his arc ended. There was no room to let her be her own person aside from the spin-off comics few people bothered with because of how poorly her introduction was handled.
One of Cindy's driving motivations in the comics is finding her parents, but being introduced in Spider-Man 2 through her father means Insomniac has a blank slate and can make Silk whoever it wants.
Spider-Man 3 can finally make that room, but going beyond that, it can pave the way for a standalone Silk game. An entire experience dedicated to her personal life, her own villains, and her story - much like Miles had after Spider-Man. We can see New York City through her eyes, the communities she finds meaning in, and the struggles that come from her stepping up to be a hero, rather than the struggles she creates for Peter.
Perhaps through such an intimate excursion into the world of Silk, as we had with Peter and Miles before her, things will finally click into place for her character, letting her shed the past she’s so often burdened by. Who knows where that could lead? Hopefully, Spider-Man 3 helps Silk find the audience she’s long deserved.
Next: Spider-Man 2 Convinced Me The Series Needs Its Own Arkham Origins
