Marvel’s Silk Searches For Her Identity in the Face of Existential Dread
3 min readIn Volume 6 of Marvel Comics’ Silk (written by Emily Kim with artists Takeshi Miyazawa, Ian Herring, and VC’s Ariana Maher), Cindy Moon not only faces an ancient shaman, but she also faces an enemy many people fight on a daily basis – existential dread. She tries finding hobbies, focusing on work, and even dating, but still feels as if something is missing. She begins to wonder: who is she beyond her Silk persona? After a Korean shaman turns her into an old woman, Cindy learns a valuable lesson during her journey of self-discovery.
Cindy Moon was first introduced in 2014 in Amazing Spider-Man Volume 3, #1 during the Original Sin event. She was bitten by the same radioactive spider that Peter Parker was bitten by. Instead of becoming a hero, she was locked in a doomsday bunker for thirteen years. After she regained her freedom, she searched for her family and was able to reunite with her younger brother, Albert.
Since then, she’s been living her day-to-day life, still processing the trauma but also figuring out who she is beyond being Silk. It’s the same routine she’s been doing for years. Meanwhile, her friends and family are moving on with their lives. Albert, has found his passion in fashion. Her friends Rafferty and Lola bought a house. Cindy finds it hard to navigate through the world now that everything is influenced by social media. All this makes her feel lost. Throughout the series, she looks for something that would help define her and give her purpose beyond being Silk at the advice of her therapist, Dr. Sinclair.
She starts by focusing on her job at Threats and Menaces. When that doesn’t quite work, she takes classes in cooking, woodworking, meditation, pottery, and even programming. None of these things spark that feeling she’s been trying to find.
Soon after, an ancient Korean shaman known as a manyeo returns from the dead after her remains are relocated to a museum. She gains power by sapping the energy of others. Specifically, she takes the energy from internet influencers, aging them into elders. When she goes toe to toe with the manyeo in Silk #3, she ends up becoming one of her victims.
White hair, wrinkles, and bad hips ail her within minutes. This takes a toll on her, not just physically, but mentally as well. She finds herself incapable of doing the things she used to be able to do, especially as Silk. She took solace that despite her abnormal life, she could always be Silk, but now, she wonders to who she is without her superheroic identity.
This situation has her turning to an unlikely ally — J. Jonah Jameson. He quickly picks up on her downbeat attitude, and she asks him if things ever make him feel old. Jameson is honest with her, and explains that age is just another way for the world to judge him. He explains that he used to stress about the future, but after the death of his wife and kid, he realized that focusing on the things that made him happy right now was important.
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When the manyeo strikes again, Silk takes her on, still stuck as an old lady. During this fight, she realizes that she doesn’t need to find a new thing. She’s happy being Silk. It gives her purpose and has shaped her into the person she is today. Realizing this not only allows her to defeat the shaman, but to return to her life with a better mindset.
Cindy’s existential dread is something many fans can relate to. Many readers no doubt wonder they’re on the right path, or if they have a purpose. The lesson Cindy learns during this series rings true for everyone, and can be applied to fans of all ages. As she learned, you don’t have to find a new “thing” to give you purpose. Your purpose comes from whatever makes you happy.
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