Marvel Psychologist - Chapter 184: My Name Is Silk, I Come From Another Universe!

Lorien never could have imagined it.

This Spider-Woman actually tried to kiss his Gwen!

How could there be a lesbian here?

The moment the Spider-Woman cupped Gwen’s face and leaned in, Lorien instantly grabbed her hair, stopping her cold. Gwen was terrified.

“You!…”

She frantically slapped the Spider-Woman’s hands away, then darted back to Lorien’s side, even dispelling her Symbiote suit in the process.

Gwen worried that might have been the cause.

And the result? It really did seem to be.

Once Gwen removed her suit and stepped aside, the Spider-Woman’s eyes suddenly cleared, her willpower returning to a calm, detached state.

She glanced at Lorien’s hand still gripping her hair. Lorien released her, patted her shoulder, and used spatial power to pin her in place.

Only after seeing the Spider-Woman immobilized did Gwen step forward, arms crossed.

“Who are you? What were you trying to do just now? Why did you kiss me? Are you a lesbian?”

Lesbian, meaning a woman attracted to women.

Based on what had just happened, Lorien had assumed the same.

But the Spider-Woman quickly waved her hands.

“My name is Cindy Moon. The people used to call me Silk. I’m not a lesbian—you’ve misunderstood me.”

Clearly, Gwen didn’t believe it.

“Not? Then what exactly were you trying to do?”

Hearing that, Silk looked a little embarrassed. She gave an awkward smile but still, with a strange urgency, met Gwen’s eyes.

“I don’t know.”

“The moment I saw you, I felt this urge.”

“When I got close to you just now, I couldn’t hold it back anymore.”

Gwen: ???

So this wasn’t even conscious attraction? This was… physical attraction?!

Normally, lesbians liked the same sex because of personality or conscious preference. But according to Silk, she didn’t even consciously like Gwen—her body reacted first!?

Ah, what the hell…

Lorien was dumbfounded.

“Are you sure it was your body reacting first, not your mind liking her?” Lorien asked seriously. “That makes a huge difference.”

Silk nodded firmly.

“Yes. It was pure physical impulse, from the very first glance.”

Alright then…

So it really was love at first sight.

Or rather—lust at first sight?

Lorien thought for a moment. Given his past experiences—like with Devourer Girl or Hela—he quickly considered another possibility.

Without turning, he said to Gwen,

“Transform again. Let’s see if she’s reacting to your face, or your power.”

Yes, that needed to be clarified.

If it was attraction to Gwen’s beauty, then it was pure same-sex attraction. In that case, Lorien had no interest in getting involved and would just take Gwen away.

But if it was her abilities causing the reaction, then there was clearly another reason. That would mean Silk’s physiological response was overpowering her conscious will.

That was different. That was solvable.

Hearing Lorien, Gwen thought it over and agreed. She summoned her suit again.

Swish~

The black, white, and pink Symbiote suit instantly wrapped around her body.

Sure enough, Silk’s eyes locked on her at once. Her gaze softened, no longer detached and cold like before.

Ah, hell…

Lorien sighed.

So it really was ability-related.

How could Gwen transforming actually bend someone’s orientation? What the hell was this…

He waved his hand.

“Retract.”

Swish.

The suit vanished, and slowly, Silk’s eyes cleared again.

But… another problem arose.

Silk looked at Gwen, then at Lorien.

“Even now that she’s retracted the suit, I still feel this urge. It’s like my body has memorized her.”

Lorien: …

Gwen: …

Isn’t this… a little too bizarre?

Lorien crossed his arms, thinking.

“First, we can confirm this is ability-related. Second, you’re really not a lesbian?”

Silk shook her head immediately. She looked at Lorien calmly.

“While I don’t feel the need for a relationship, if I had to choose, I think you’d be my ideal type.”

Lorien: …

Well, she said it herself. She probably wasn’t a lesbian. Just her powers twisting her body’s instincts, while her mind remained heterosexual.

Gwen: !!!

Hearing that explanation, Gwen immediately glared at Silk.

“Keep your hands off Lorien! You perverted Spider-Woman.”

Silk spread her hands helplessly. She didn’t want it to be this way either. She wasn’t even a lesbian. But whenever she saw Gwen, she just couldn’t control herself.

It was like her brain short-circuited. The whole situation gave her a massive headache.

Still, she had managed to pick up some information. The girl’s name was Gwen, the guy’s name was Lorien. They were most likely a couple and had known each other for some time.

Not that it mattered much to her.

Lorien was still thinking. After a moment, he looked at Silk and said,

“If we want to figure out the reason, I need to examine your body. Otherwise, you’ll keep craving Gwen.”

Gwen immediately nodded.

“Right! You need Lorien to check your—huh?!”

She froze, staring at Lorien. Was this the kind of “examination” she was thinking of? Surely not, right?

Silk’s eyes widened as well. She looked at Lorien in shock. Wasn’t this moving a little fast? Sure, she had said he was her ideal type, but there should be a process. Who could handle things progressing this quickly?

This wasn’t the same impulse she had felt toward Gwen just moments ago. Unless… the target of that impulse had suddenly switched?

Seeing their reactions, Lorien gave a helpless smile.

“I meant with powers. What are you thinking? This isn’t some modern medical checkup.”

After all, some medical exams were embarrassing—lots of looking, sometimes even touching. But that wasn’t what Lorien meant.

He raised his hand and snapped his fingers.

“Snap~”

A small phoenix of flame flew into Silk’s body. She trembled as the Phoenix Force spread through her, scanning every part of her.

It was a simple process—just run the energy through her body.

Moments later, Lorien nodded in understanding.

“Alright. It’s confirmed. Your impulses come from your ability—or rather, your primal instincts.”

“Simply put, there are two points. Listen carefully.”

Hearing this, Gwen and Silk both nodded at once.

Lorien began his explanation.

“First: Silk, when you saw Gwen’s strength, it triggered an instinctive urge to submit to power. That’s the root cause.”

“Second: Spiders have natural traits of asexual reproduction and even same-sex physiological tendencies. That’s the reason.”

“Even though it’s a flaw, same-sex attraction can exist for a time—or at least until this instinctive phase ends.”

“So that explains your behavior. But this ties back to your original mutation. How did you mutate?”

Gwen’s mutation was still somewhat unclear, but ultimately, it too came from a spider. Across the Multiverse, though, the kind of spider—or event—that created Spider-Man varied greatly. Different spiders led to different Spider-Men.

That’s why Lorien needed to know what spider, and what event, had transformed Silk.

When he asked, Silk hesitated, not answering immediately. A normal reaction.

Gwen noticed her hesitation and spoke first.

“I got my powers when a radioactive spider bit me during a high school biology field trip. What about you?”

Silk’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Me too.”

“When did you mutate?”

Gwen thought for a moment. “It’s been a while… almost a year?”

Silk calculated her own time.

“I’ve had mine for less than three months.”

“Same as you, I was bitten by a radioactive spider during a high school biology field trip. But in my world, someone pretended to help me, when really they wanted to lock me away.”

“I realized just in time and broke free… and that’s how I ended up here.”

“I’ve only been here a few days. I’m still not familiar with this world.”

“And then I ran into that Rhino.”

From Silk’s story, two things became clear.

First: Cindy, also known as Silk, had only been Spider-Woman in her world for less than three months.

Second: The only enemy she’d faced was the one who tried to imprison her. When she resisted, she somehow ended up here.

Still, Lorien was curious.

“How did you know you were in another world—or rather, another universe?”

She had only been here a few days. And all of it in New York. Yet she already knew she’d crossed universes? Strange.

Silk explained,

“I didn’t have direct proof. It was just a feeling.”

“A feeling?” Gwen repeated.

“Yes.” Silk nodded and looked toward the sky. “The moment I arrived in this universe, I felt it—I knew I’d entered another one.”

“So I hid for two days, made sure no one had noticed me, and then planned to test my theory. That’s when all this happened.”

Oh…

Lorien understood.

“It’s Spider-Sense,” Gwen said.

Lorien nodded. That made sense.

Spider-Women’s Spider-Senses were far stronger and broader than Spider-Man’s—so powerful they could even pick up on crises unfolding in another universe.

Absurd, but possible.

Back to the main point: the spider that bit Silk was most likely the same type that bit Gwen. Not much of a difference.

Of course, even a small variation could explain Silk’s current condition.

But if it was the same type, then that was a relief.

Lorien couldn’t help but breathe easier.

“Since you and Gwen are the same kind, it means the difference in you comes from a slight mutation or variation.”

“In other words, you’re just an isolated case, not the result of some other kind of radioactive spider.”

Gwen tilted her head curiously.

“Why is it better that we’re the same kind?”

Lorien chuckled and patted Gwen’s shoulder.

“If it were a different kind of spider, then it would mean the Multiverse has an entire category of Spider-Men—maybe all gay men, maybe all lesbians.”

“That would make it a group.”

“Not just a unique case like Silk.”

“Imagine that scene.”

Gwen thought about it and immediately felt uncomfortable. A whole group of lesbians, a whole group of gay men. That would be so weird.

Silk, hearing this, also felt relieved. Luckily, she was just an anomaly.

No—she wasn’t even lesbian. She was just temporarily being influenced by the primal instincts of her powers!

Phew...

With everything sorted out, Lorien waved his hand, and the spatial restraint binding Silk dissolved.

He looked at her and said,

“If you really can’t control yourself, then just ask Gwen to tie you up. She’s stronger than you, so you don’t have to worry about hurting her.”

“...”

Hearing that, Gwen lifted her chin proudly.

“Hmph~~”

Silk knew very well just how strong Gwen was. That sword strike earlier—actually releasing sword energy—was far too impressive.

At the same time, she asked curiously,

“Once I reach the same stage of growth you’re at, will I become as strong as you?”

Gwen: …

Gwen immediately rolled her eyes.

“What are you thinking, Silk?”

“My strength has long surpassed what spider powers alone could give me.”

Yes. Gwen’s current power came from many sources—the Ancestral Symbiote Suit, the Black Necrosword, the Power Stone, the Twelve Talismans, her spider abilities, and more.

If she only had spider powers, her strength would instantly drop from half a Universal-level, or even beyond Sky Father-level, down to not even reaching Elder God-level.

Hearing this only made Silk more curious.

“Then where did your abilities come from—oh, no, sorry.”

She cut herself off mid-question, realizing it wasn’t right to ask.

Gwen glanced at Lorien, then spread her hands helplessly.

“My path to power can’t be replicated. There’s no way for you to obtain the same abilities as me, Silk.”

Silk noticed how Gwen had first looked to Lorien when the subject of powers came up. That alone told her everything—Gwen’s abilities were connected to him.

But she also understood. Gwen’s success wasn’t something anyone else could copy.

So she nodded.

“I understand.”

...

By now it was already 6:00 PM. The sun was sinking over New York, the sky painted in shades of red and gold. Dusk was coming fast.

Lorien glanced at the time. After exchanging a look with Gwen, he spoke directly, right in front of Silk.

“What’s your decision, Gwen? Help her, or not?”

“If we help, there are two ways. If not, we can go home right now.”

After all, they were both Spider-Women. Lorien left the decision to Gwen.

Gwen looked at Silk. She thought for a moment before asking instead,

“Do you still feel attached to your original universe?”

“Not really,” Silk said. “My family disappeared long ago. I’m an orphan.”

“Then what do you want?” Gwen asked, folding her arms. “Do you want to be the good kind of Spider-Woman, protecting the city and fighting crime? Do you want to be an ordinary Spider-Woman, going back to a normal life? Or do you want to be the bad kind of Spider-Woman—because if that’s the case, I’ll kill you right now.”

Silk looked at Gwen, knowing she wasn’t wrong. She thought carefully before answering,

“I want to fight crime for the city. But I also want a normal life.”

Lorien could only sigh.

As expected. That was the essence of Spider-Man. Marvel’s chosen sons and daughters were rarely villains—they were always the ones closest to ordinary people.

And from the moment she had stepped in to fight Rhino, it was obvious. Silk wasn’t a bad person. She was a Spider-Woman through and through.

So Gwen nodded.

“Since you want to stay in this universe, and you’re willing to contribute to the city, then Lorien and I can help you live a normal life here.”

“Huh?” Silk blinked in surprise. “Here? Is it really that hard for superheroes to live a normal life?”

Gwen laughed.

“Little spider, times have changed.”