Silk Spectre is the name of two
fictional superheroines in the
graphic novel
A graphic novel is a long-form, fictional work of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comic scholars and industry ...
limited series Limited series may refer to:
*Limited series, individual storylines within an anthology series
*Limited series, a particular run of collectables, usually individually numbered
*Limited series (comics), a comics series with a predetermined number of ...
''
Watchmen
''Watchmen'' is an American comic book Limited series (comics), maxiseries by the British creative team of writer Alan Moore, artist Dave Gibbons and colorist John Higgins (comics), John Higgins. It was published monthly by DC Comics in 1986 a ...
'', published by
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery.
DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...
. Created by
Alan Moore
Alan Moore (born 18 November 1953) is an English author known primarily for his work in comic books including ''Watchmen'', ''V for Vendetta'', ''The Ballad of Halo Jones'', ''Swamp Thing'', ''Batman:'' ''The Killing Joke'', and ''From Hell' ...
and
Dave Gibbons
David Chester Gibbons (born 14 April 1949) is an English comics artist, writer and sometimes letterer. He is best known for his collaborations with writer Alan Moore, which include the miniseries ''Watchmen'' and the Superman story "For the Man ...
, the original Silk Spectre, Sally "Jupiter" Juspeczyk, was a member of the crimefighting team the Minutemen, while the second, Sally's daughter Laurel "Laurie" Jane Juspeczyk, became a member of the vigilante team Crimebusters, also known as the titular Watchmen.
In the early stages of the series' development, the characters were
Charlton Comics
Charlton Comics was an American comic book publishing company that existed from 1945 to 1986, having begun under a different name: T.W.O. Charles Company, in 1940. It was based in Derby, Connecticut. The comic-book line was a division of Charlton ...
superheroes and the female superhero was supposed to be
Nightshade
The Solanaceae , or nightshades, are a family of flowering plants that ranges from annual and perennial herbs to vines, lianas, epiphytes, shrubs, and trees, and includes a number of agricultural crops, medicinal plants, spices, weeds, and orna ...
.
[per Alan Moore's original character drafts, as reproduced in ''Absolute Watchmen'', Titan Books, 2005, p. 443] However, Moore did not find Nightshade particularly interesting
[Cooke, Jon B]
"Alan Moore discusses the Charlton-Watchmen Connection"
''Comic Book Artist'' #9 and was not even very familiar with the character.
After the idea of using Charlton characters was abandoned, he decided to model Silk Spectre on superheroines like
Phantom Lady
Phantom Lady is a Fictional character, fictional Superhero#Female superheroes and villains, superheroine, one of the first such characters to debut in the 1940s Golden Age of Comic Books. Originally published by Quality Comics, the character was ...
and
Black Canary
The Black Canary is the name of two superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics: Dinah Drake and her daughter Dinah Laurel Lance. The original version was created by the writer-artist team of Robert Kanigher and ...
(also an alias shared by mother and daughter).
The Sally and Laurie Juspeczyk versions of Silk Spectre made their live-action debuts in the 2009 film ''
Watchmen
''Watchmen'' is an American comic book Limited series (comics), maxiseries by the British creative team of writer Alan Moore, artist Dave Gibbons and colorist John Higgins (comics), John Higgins. It was published monthly by DC Comics in 1986 a ...
'', in which they were played by
Carla Gugino
Carla Gugino (; born August 29, 1971) is an American actress. After appearing in ''Troop Beverly Hills'' (1989) and ''This Boy's Life'' (1993), she received recognition for her starring roles as Ingrid Cortez in the ''Spy Kids'' trilogy (2001â ...
and
Malin Ã…kerman
Malin Maria Ã…kerman (born 12 May 1978) is a Swedish actress. In the early 2000s, she had several small television and film parts in both Canadian and American productions, including '' The Utopian Society'' (2003) and ''Harold & Kumar Go to Wh ...
, respectively. An older version of Laurie Juspeczyk, now known as Laurie Blake, appeared in the 2019 limited television ''
Watchmen
''Watchmen'' is an American comic book Limited series (comics), maxiseries by the British creative team of writer Alan Moore, artist Dave Gibbons and colorist John Higgins (comics), John Higgins. It was published monthly by DC Comics in 1986 a ...
'', played by
Jean Smart
Jean Elizabeth Smart (born September 13, 1951) is an American actress. After beginning her career in regional theater in the Pacific Northwest, she appeared on Broadway in 1981 as Marlene Dietrich in the biographical play '' Piaf''. Smart was l ...
.
Fictional character history
Sally Jupiter
The first Silk Spectre was a frizzy-haired, redheaded former waitress and burlesque dancer Sally Jupiter (her real last name was ''Juspeczyk'', which she changed to hide her Polish ancestry). She assumed the identity of Silk Spectre sometime around 1938 at age 18, in order to advance her modeling career. She became a sex symbol by whom criminals didn't mind being caught (or so went her press). She was an action heroine version of a pin-up girl and, even in her old age, she was proud of her sex symbol status, apparently enjoying male attention, as indicated by her reaction to lurid fan letters and her enjoyment of a
Tijuana bible
Tijuana bibles (also known as eight-pagers, Tillie-and-Mac books, Jiggs-and-Maggie books, jo-jo books, bluesies, blue-bibles, gray-backs, and two-by-fours) were palm-sized pornographic comic books produced in the United States from the 1920s to ...
based on her (much to her daughter's disapproval).
She was soon invited by Captain Metropolis to join The Minutemen, a group of costumed heroes. On October 2, 1940, after a meeting of the Minutemen, Edward Blake, alias
The Comedian tried to rape her. He was thwarted in his attempt by fellow Minuteman
Hooded Justice, who gave him a vicious beating. The event would have a profound impact on Sally's life. Her agent, Laurence Schexnayder, persuaded her not to press charges against the Comedian for fear of damaging the group's image. More celebrity than vigilante, Silk Spectre provided a cover for Hooded Justice's homosexuality by being his glamorous girlfriend. In an interview, she admitted that she didn't really like
The Silhouette
''The Silhouette'' (founded circa 1930) is a student newspaper at McMaster University, located in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The masthead staff consists of the Editor-in-Chief, a recently graduated student from McMaster, and approximately 15 pa ...
, a.k.a. Ursula Zandt, who had often pestered her about her Polish heritage, but later expressed regret that she was expelled from the group simply because she was a lesbian, especially since there were men on the team who were gay (though she did not identify them). In 1947, Sally retired from crime-fighting and married her agent, Laurence Schexnayder, while keeping in touch with Hollis Mason (The
Nite Owl
Nite Owl is the name of superhero, fictional superheroes in the graphic novel Limited series (comics), limited series ''Watchmen'', published by DC Comics. Created by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, the original Nite Owl, Hollis T. Mason, was a memb ...
) and Nelson Gardner (
Captain Metropolis
''Watchmen'' is a twelve-issue comic book Limited series (comics), limited series created by Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons, and John Higgins (comics), John Higgins, published by DC Comics in 1986 and 1987. ''Watchmen
''Watchmen'' is an American ...
). In 1949, she gave birth to daughter Lauriel Jane Juspeczyk, commonly known as Laurie. It was known to both parents that Laurie was not Laurence's child, but The Comedian's, from a sexual encounter years after the assault, and this caused conflict in the family, leading the couple to divorce in 1956. While not explicitly stated, it is implied that Sally's second sexual encounter with The Comedian was consensual, and that, despite his earlier attack on her, she did have feelings for him.
In the pages of ''
Doomsday Clock
The Doomsday Clock is a symbol that represents the likelihood of a man-made global catastrophe, in the opinion of the members of the ''Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists''. Maintained since 1947, the clock is a metaphor for threats to humanity ...
'', it was revealed that Ozymandias spoke at her funeral. While in an asylum,
Reggie Long was taught some of Sally's moves by fellow inmate Mothman where they both heard of her death.
Laurie Juspeczyk
Sally pushed her daughter into the "family business of crimefighting." Laurel Jane "Laurie" Juspeczyk never held much interest in becoming her mother's successor, but went along with Sally's wishes anyway. Growing up, the brunette Laurie knew Laurence Schexnayder was not her real father, and she always believed, incorrectly, that her real father was Hooded Justice. Laurie Juspeczyk is a liberal-thinking, modern woman. She is vocal in her feminist and humanitarian concerns, and is quite a conditioned fighter. At the start of the story she is shown to have a strained relationship with her mother. Driven by the memories of her own experience, Sally tries to keep Laurie from knowing some of the harsher realities of the crime fighting life. For example, she did not allow her to read the Hollis Mason (
Nite-Owl I) autobiography ''Under the Hood'' (which included mention of The Comedian's sexual assault on Sally, something Laurie knew nothing of). Sally acted like an agent for her daughter, picking out her costume, and chauffeuring her to "Crimebusters" meetings. After the first of these meetings, Laurie met The Comedian outside, who complimented her for being the spitting image of her mother, but their conversation was broken off quickly by an angry Sally Jupiter. Laurie noted that the Comedian looked sad as he watched them drive away, and felt sorry for him. When Laurie later learned of the sexual assault, she hated The Comedian, though it seems that as time passed, and in a complicated way, Sally was able to come to terms with it, even to the point that she was willing to defend The Comedian from Laurie's derogatory remarks after he was murdered. At the same Crimebuster's meeting, Laurie met Doctor Manhattan, and the two quickly became attracted to one another, to his long-time girlfriend Janey Slater's anger. Shortly afterwards, 16-year-old Laurie became involved with thirty-something
Doctor Manhattan
Doctor Manhattan (Dr. Jonathan Osterman), often shortened to Dr. Manhattan or simply Manhattan is a fictional character who appears in comics published by DC Comics. He debuted in the graphic novel limited series ''Watchmen''. Doctor Manhattan ...
, something her mother did not approve of, likening Laurie's relationship with Manhattan to being the equivalent of sleeping with an
H-bomb
A thermonuclear weapon, fusion weapon or hydrogen bomb (H bomb) is a second-generation nuclear weapon design. Its greater sophistication affords it vastly greater destructive power than first-generation nuclear bombs, a more compact size, a lowe ...
. Drawn to him from the moment she first saw him, Laurie worked with Doctor Manhattan in some of his various domestic assignments, including the suppression of riots during the police strike of 1977. Never exactly happy being a vigilante and not happy with the government taking advantage with her relationship with the superhuman Manhattan, Laurie was more than pleased to quit being a superhero when the Keene Act of 1977 forced all but government-sponsored superheroes to retire.
Events of ''Watchmen''
After retiring, Laurie lived with Manhattan for almost 20 years. However, their relationship became strained, owing to Manhattan's growing disconnection with humanity. Laurie eventually left him and moved in with Dan Dreiberg, a.k.a. the second
Nite Owl
Nite Owl is the name of superhero, fictional superheroes in the graphic novel Limited series (comics), limited series ''Watchmen'', published by DC Comics. Created by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, the original Nite Owl, Hollis T. Mason, was a memb ...
, and the two soon became romantically involved. Dreiberg and Laurie decided to don their old costumes and take Dreiberg's airship Archie out. During their flight, they found a building on fire and rescued the inhabitants. Soon after, Laurie was brought to
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second-smallest planet in the Solar System, only being larger than Mercury (planet), Mercury. In the English language, Mars is named for the Mars (mythology), Roman god of war. Mars is a terr ...
by Dr. Manhattan, where she attempted to convince him to save humanity from impending nuclear war. During their conversation, Laurie finally came to the realization that her real father was The Comedian. Moved by the sheer unlikelihood of two people as different as Sally Jupiter and the Comedian producing a child, and the child being Laurie, Dr. Manhattan realized the miracle and value of human life and agreed to save the planet. The pair returned to earth, only to find half of New York City destroyed by
Ozymandias' creature. They then teleport to Ozymandias' lair in
Antarctica
Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth-largest contine ...
, where Laurie attempts to shoot Ozymandias, only to be thwarted by Ozymandias' untried
ability to catch bullets. After realizing that Ozymandias' plan had worked, and that, despite the loss of several million lives, nuclear war had been averted while also uniting the nations of the world, the heroes (with the exception of
Rorschach Rorschach may refer to:
* Hermann Rorschach, a Swiss psychiatrist
** Rorschach test, his psychological evaluation method involving inkblots
* Rorschach (character), a character from the comics ''Watchmen''
* Rorschach (comic book), a 2020 comic
* ...
) decide that Ozymandias' plan should be kept secret to serve the greater good.
Shortly after these events, Laurie and Dan Drieberg adopt new appearances and identities, now calling themselves Sam and Sandra Hollis, and sporting blond hair. They visit Sally Jupiter—now living in a retirement home—and Laurie tells her mother that she has realized the truth about her father. The issue is put to rest for Laurie, who accepts that the situation between her mother and the Comedian is too complicated, and she forgives her. "Sam and Sandra" leave soon afterward, indicating that they will continue to adventure, although Laurie expresses the wish for a better superhero identity: leather for better protection, a mask to hide her identity, and a firearm to better fight. This parallels her father's,
the Comedian, change from a gaudy yellow clown suit to light leather armor with a mask to cover his scar and a variety of guns. After watching them leave, Sally picks up an old photograph of the Minutemen, which includes the Comedian, and kisses his half of the picture as tears roll down her face.
2010s
The 2012 miniseries ''Before Watchmen: Silk Spectre'' revealed that Laurie got her start as a super-hero being trained by her mother to continue the family legacy, before running away from home at the age of 16 and relocating to San Francisco with her boyfriend.
In the 2018 miniseries ''Doomsday Clock'', it is revealed that seven years after the events of ''Watchmen'', "Sam and Sandra Hollis" have a daughter together. They also adopt Clark, the son of two costumed villains, Mime and Marionette. After jailing the pair following an aborted bank robbery, Dr. Manhattan noted that Marionette was pregnant. He sensed that the child had a bright future ahead of him. In order to preserve that future, he took the boy as an infant following his birth in a prison hospital. Dr. Manhattan named him Clark (after
Superman
Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book ''Action Comics'' #1 (cover-dated June 1938 and publi ...
), raised him nearly to his teen years, and after bequeathing Clark his powers and infusing his life force into the planet, brought Clark to the Hollises to raise.
Powers and abilities
Both Silk Spectres are expert gymnasts and are experts at hand-to-hand combat.
In other media
Television
* Both Silk Spectre incarnations appear in ''
Watchmen: Motion Comic'', where both of them, along with every other character in the series, are voiced by
Tom Stechschulte
Thomas Andrew Stechschulte (November 1948 – June 7, 2021) was an American film and television actor. His most prominent role may have been that of the Presidential candidate Robert Arthur in ''The Manchurian Candidate''. He has also had guest a ...
.
* Both Silk Spectre incarnations appear in ''
Watchmen
''Watchmen'' is an American comic book Limited series (comics), maxiseries by the British creative team of writer Alan Moore, artist Dave Gibbons and colorist John Higgins (comics), John Higgins. It was published monthly by DC Comics in 1986 a ...
''.
Jean Smart
Jean Elizabeth Smart (born September 13, 1951) is an American actress. After beginning her career in regional theater in the Pacific Northwest, she appeared on Broadway in 1981 as Marlene Dietrich in the biographical play '' Piaf''. Smart was l ...
portrays the second Silk Spectre, Laurie Juspeczyk, and an uncredited actress portrays the original, Sally Jupiter. In supplementary materials, it is revealed that Laurie and Night Owl II ended their relationship in the 1990s, as he desired children while she wished to keep fighting crime, with Laurie assuming the identity of The Comedienne and her father's surname Blake. After foiling the
Oklahoma City bombing
The Oklahoma City bombing was a domestic terrorist truck bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States, on April 19, 1995. Perpetrated by two anti-government extremists, Timothy McVeigh and Terry N ...
, they were arrested by the
FBI
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and its principal Federal law enforcement in the United States, federal law enforcement age ...
for violating the Keene Act, and through a
plea bargain
A plea bargain (also plea agreement or plea deal) is an agreement in criminal law proceedings, whereby the prosecutor provides a concession to the defendant in exchange for a plea of guilt or '' nolo contendere.'' This may mean that the defendan ...
, Laurie retired from vigilante life. She later works as a member of the FBI anti-vigilante task force who confronts a plot to steal
Dr. Manhattan's powers.
Film
Both Silk Spectre incarnations appear in ''
Watchmen
''Watchmen'' is an American comic book Limited series (comics), maxiseries by the British creative team of writer Alan Moore, artist Dave Gibbons and colorist John Higgins (comics), John Higgins. It was published monthly by DC Comics in 1986 a ...
''.
Malin Ã…kerman
Malin Maria Ã…kerman (born 12 May 1978) is a Swedish actress. In the early 2000s, she had several small television and film parts in both Canadian and American productions, including '' The Utopian Society'' (2003) and ''Harold & Kumar Go to Wh ...
portrays the second Silk Spectre, Laurie Juspeczyk, and
Carla Gugino
Carla Gugino (; born August 29, 1971) is an American actress. After appearing in ''Troop Beverly Hills'' (1989) and ''This Boy's Life'' (1993), she received recognition for her starring roles as Ingrid Cortez in the ''Spy Kids'' trilogy (2001â ...
portrays the original Silk Spectre, Sally Jupiter. Haley Guiel portrays a young Laurie Jupiter in flashbacks.
[''Watchmen'' Cast Confirmed!]
on ''SuperHeroHype.com'' (July 26, 2007).
Video games
Silk Spectre II appears in a
cutscene
A cutscene or event scene (sometimes in-game cinematic or in-game movie) is a sequence in a video game that is not interactive, interrupting the gameplay. Such scenes are used to show conversations between characters, set the mood, reward the ...
in ''
Watchmen: The End Is Nigh'', voiced by
Andrea Baker
Andrea Baker (née Taylor) is an American actress. In film, she is known for her role as Peggy Jane in the 1998 film ''Pleasantville (film), Pleasantville'', as well as her voice roles portraying List of characters in Totally Spies!#Clover, Clove ...
.
References
{{Watchmen
Articles about multiple fictional characters
Watchmen characters
DC Comics female superheroes
Comics characters introduced in 1986
Fictional characters from New York City
Fictional Polish-American people
Black Canary
Fictional Polish people