Silk #4 — Nick Peron

Dec 26

Dec 26 Silk #4

Silk has agreed to allow Mister Fantastic to run some virtual reality tests to gauge her abilities, which have been acting up recently. When facing a VR simulation of Galactus, Silk’s speed impresses the leader of the Fantastic Four. The Human Torch thinks Silk is cute and begins pressing Spider-Man for details, but he doesn’t want to set them up. Meanwhile, Silk manages to trip “Galactus” with her webbing.

When she goes into Reed’s office for a consultation. Silk figures that her exposure to radiation in another reality is the likely culprit to her powers acting up.[1] Instead, Reed asks her how long she spent in captivity.[2] After getting the details he problems are due to her mental health, suggesting she is suffering from anxiety. Reed then gives her the contact details to Dr. Sinclair, a pscyhologist he knew from his days at Columbia University. Silk is reluctant to call, but Reed says that she should look into it if only for a second opinion. When she finally exits Reed’s lab, Johnny is tripping over himself to ask her out. Peter cuts in to ask how she is doing and she punches Peter in the face and walks out. This makes Johnny even more smitten, prompting the Thing to tell the Torch to pace himself.

Silk is furious that Spider-Man told Mister Fantastic about her personal life. Peter apologizes, saying he just wanted to help. Before Cindy can hit him again, Johnny invites her to stay for some food and watch some movies. Cindy turns this down because she has to go to work, but surprises everyone when she agrees to go out on a date with the Torch later that evening. When she leaves the Baxter Building, she dismisses Reed’s suggestion to get professional help, thinking her only problem is the Black Cat. She goes to the Fact Channel offices to research her foe. She is found by J. Jonah Jameson who tells her that she should be there on a Saturday and to go out and be young.

Cindy then goes out dancing with her co-worker Lola and Rafferty. When they get off the dance floor, she asks Lola about anxiety, raising her friend’s concern for her. When she asks if Cindy is okay it triggers an old memory. It was a Sunday morning and her parents had come knocking at her door to tell her to hurry up because they were going to be late for work. When she told them she can’t go because there was something wrong, her parents forced their way inside. They are shocked to see the room covered in webbing. Cindy told them she can’t make it stop. Instead of reacting in fear, her parents hugged her and promised to see her through this sudden and traumatic change. Instead of telling Lola the truth, Cindy says that she is just anxious about her date with Johnny, admitting that she hadn’t been on a date in a while. Lola and Rafferty both tell her not to worry about it, saying dating is like a bike.

When Cindy later meets up with Johnny at a restaurant, they both find this awkward and agree to go out on patrol instead. As the two stop crimes across the city they get to talking about the Black Cat.[3] Johnny warns Cindy about the Cat’s bad luck powers, saying the only way to beat them is to be faster than her. The two stop at a construction site to watch the sun come up. There, Cindy asks Johnny if Reed is always right. When Johnny confirms this, Cindy thanks him for a fun night out and leaves after kissing him on the cheek.

Meanwhile, the Black Cat is at the shop where she inspects the Repairman’s work. He tells her that he has tossed in some extra gear for his best customer. Impressed with the upgrades given to her minions and tells them to go out and get Silk.

Recurring Characters

Silk, Spider-Man, Fantastic Four (Mister Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch, Thing), Franklin Richards, J. Jonah Jameson, Natalie Long, Lola, Rafferty, Black Cat, the Repairman, (in flashback) Albert Moon, Nari Moon

Continuity Notes

Silk sought refuge from the Inheritors on Earth-3145 a world that ended in a nuclear holocaust. See Spider-Woman (vol. 2) #2.
Silk was locked away in a bunker for over a decade to try and keep Morlun from finding her. See Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 3) #4-6.
Mention is made of the Black Cat “breaking bad”, meaning she has become a villain again. For years the Cat had been mostly good until she was busted by the Doc Ock Spider-Man in Superior Spider-Man #20.