Watchmen Profile: Silk Spectre II

Malin Akerman plays the second incarnation of Silk Spetre in the big screen adaptation of "Watchmen."

Credit: Warner Bros.

Over the next week we'll be profiling the key characters in Zack Snyder's upcoming big screen adaptation of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbon's classic graphic novel "Watchmen."  And with a nod to another comic publication that debuted in the same era, "The Official Handbook" of that other comic book company, we proudly begin with the sexy, firey and kick ass Silk Spectre, Laurie Juspeczyk edition.


SILK SPECTRE II

Real Name: Laurel Jane Juspeczyk

Born: 1949

Identity/Class: Human

Occupation: Professional companion, former masked crimefighter

Group Membership: Crimbebusters, aka Watchmen (disbanded)
Enemies: Unknown

Known Relatives: Sally Jupiter (Silk Spectre I)

Aliases: Laurie Juspeczyk

Base of Operations: Dr. Manhattan's research lab at Rockefeller military base.

Powers/Abilities: Jupiter has no superhuman abilities, but is in top flight shape for her age and has been trained in numerous forms of combat and martial arts by her mother.  

History: Raised by one of the most popular female crimefighters of the 1940s, Laurie Jupiter took over her mother's identity as the Silk Spectre in 1966.  Around that time, she met the powerful Dr. Manhattan at the first and last meeting of the Crimebusters.  They began a romantic relationship that lasted until the events of "Watchmen."  The duo worked together on government and domestic assignments including halting protestors during the police strike riots in 1977.  Never seemingly comfortable with being a costumed hero, she willingly retired her superhero identity when the Keen Act made all but government-sponsored superheroes illegal vigilantes. By 1985, she's grown frustrated with the increasingly detached Dr. Manhattan and has a strained relationship with her mother who has secrets about Laurie's past that she's been afraid to reveal.

[ Silk Spectre is portrayed in the big screen adaptation of "Watchmen" by Malin Akerman.  The 30-year-old actress is best known for her role as the "not as cool as I thought she was" bride to Ben Stiller's groom in the bomb "The Heartbreak Kid."  However, she has a significant resume in Hollywood having starred in the ill-fated TV series "The Comeback" and with supporting roles in movies such as "The Brothers Solomon" and "27 Dresses."  "Watchmen" is one of her first serious roles, but she's returning to her comedy comfort zone in the upcoming romantic comedies "The Proposal" and "Couples Retreat."]

Watch Silk Spectre in action:

Remain Calm
Nite Owl and Silk Spectre attempt to help tenants trapped in an apartment building fire.

Future Darker
Silk Spectre has a serious conversation with her mother, the original Spectre.

Look for more "Watchmen" profiles all this week on HitFix:

Sunday: Ozymandias
Monday: Nite Owl II
Tuesday: The Comedian
Wednesday: Rorschach
Thursday: Dr. Manhattan

Read Drew McWeeny's Motion/Captured review of "Watchmen" here.

Find out more about the DVD "Watchmen: Tales of the Black Freighter."
Find out more about the DVD "Watchmen: Motion Comics."
Find out more about the "Watchmen" Movie Soundtrack.

Enter for a chance to win 3 Exclusive "Watchmen" Books here.

"Watchmen" opens nationwide and on IMAX on March 6.

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Gregory Ellwood
Editor-in-Chief, Co-Founder

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With over a decade of experience in the movie industry, Ellwood survived working for two major studios and has written for Variety, MSN and the LA Times. A co-founder of HitFix, Ellwood spends his time relaxing hitting 3’s on the basketball court and following his beloved Clippers.