Warning: preview images for Silk #4 are ahead.
In a new preview, Marvel Comics just confirmed a terrifying reality for spider powers ahead of the newest issue of Silk. It's safe to say that heroes in the Spider-Verse are some of the most popular characters in Marvel. From Miles Morales to the original character that started it all, Peter Parker, there's just something about the relatability of these characters that has made Marvel fans love them for years. However, one of the things these comics have most in common is keeping them at a youngish age to appeal to the widest range of readers. This means that Marvel hasn't closely examined these characters at an older age much...until now, and the results bring a pretty grim future to these beloved webheads.
The latest arc for Silk by Emily Kim and Takeshi Miyazawa saw issue #3 end with a massive cliffhanger. While taking on the mysterious Korean witch to stop her from sapping the youth from social media influencers, Cindy Moon, aka Silk, suddenly fell to the very thing she was trying to stop. Using the webs connected to her fingertips, the Witch takes away Silk's youth, making Cindy older. Now, Marvel has released the latest preview for this week's coming issue, and it's making her chances at taking the witch on harder...as well as showing a horrifying future for all Spider-Man adjacent heroes.
When Cindy discovers that there's someone in need of her help, she notices something odd going on with her powers. In her now old age, her Silk sense is looking off. It appears...weaker than usual. When she finds the source of the trouble though, she attempts to help out. When she shoots out a web though, it stops midway through and hits the ground without doing anything. Marvel has thus confirmed that when someone with spider powers reaches an older age, their abilities begin to diminish to the point that they're basically unreliable. Not only does this affect Cindy Moon because it will make it harder for her to track down the Korean witch and get her youth back, but it also affects every single hero in the wide-ranging Spider-Verse.
Just imagine what this would mean in a universe where Peter Parker is the only superhero with spider powers. Once he reaches an old age and there's no one to take up the mantle, he would essentially be the one and only spider-powered hero that would exist in that potential universe. The same can be said for Miles Morales. Even though he was the second of that universe to become Spider-Man, he still essentially became the only one after Peter Parker's death, meaning that once he hits that old-age point, he will stop being Spider-Man because his powers will become unusable. No matter where each hero with spider powers is in the endless Marvel multiverse, their powers have an expiration date.
It's scary to think that just like people, spider powers have a biological clock that's always ticking down. Once they hit that point, they will have to hang up the suit for good. Of course, in the coming issue of Silk, it's doubtful that Cindy's going to let this newfound revelation bring her down. In fact, she'll likely find a workaround to make things work and restore her youth...while also having a newfound respect for her powers that will make her never take them for granted again. One thing's for sure though, Marvel Comics has revealed a major new detail about everyone's favorite spider-powered heroes like Silk, and it's something that will make them realize just how special they are when in their prime.
Silk #4 will be available from Marvel Comics on April 27th!
