| Ezekiel Sims | |
|---|---|
 Ezekiel Sims as depicted inThe Amazing Spider-Man #33 (July 2001). Art byJ. Scott Campbell and Tim Townsend. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | The Amazing Spider-Man #30 (June 2001) |
| Created by | J. Michael Straczynski John Romita Jr. |
| In-story information | |
| Team affiliations | The Spider-Society |
| Notable aliases | Zeke |
| Abilities |
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Ezekiel "Zeke"Sims is a character appearing inAmerican comic books published byMarvel Comics, usually as asupporting character in stories featuringSpider-Man andSilk.[1] Versions of the character fromalternate timelines are also featured in the 2014 crossover eventSpider-Verse.
Characters based on Ezekiel appear in the filmsSpider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023), voiced byMike Rianda,[2][3] and the live-actionSony's Spider-Man Universe (SSU) filmMadame Web (2024),[4] portrayed byTahar Rahim.[5]
Ezekiel first appeared inThe Amazing Spider-Man vol. 2 #30 (June 2001) and was created byJ. Michael Straczynski andJohn Romita Jr.[6]
Ezekiel Sims is a rich businessman who, in his younger years, ritualistically gained powers similar to those ofSpider-Man. He aspired to use his powers to be a hero, but instead used them to create and develop a corporation, realizing that he could not do anything without a base of operations. He swiftly became too busy to use his powers on a daily basis. When Spider-Man emerged, Ezekiel hired six independent and private detectives to investigate Spider-Man's life, allowing him to piece together who Spider-Man was from the various pieces of information they provided him.
Ezekiel, in his 50s, contacts Spider-Man to explain to him the nature of animal totems: people who gain supernatural abilities from a mystic link to certain animals.[7] He suggests that the spider that bit Peter Parker was not mutated by the radiation, but actually trying to give Peter its powers before the radiation killed it. This means that Spider-Man is now part of the supernatural food chain, becoming a target for other totems and beings who feed on totems. It is also suggested that many of Spider-Man's foes are themed after animals because they sense Peter to be a true totem and are motivated to destroy him, as they are merely impostors.[8] Ezekiel subsequently aids Spider-Man in battlingMorlun, a vampire-like entity that 'fed' on totems, apparently at the cost of his life.[9] It was later revealed that he survived and departed for Africa, where he aided Spider-Man in battlingShathra.[10][11]
It is later revealed that the vast supernatural menaces that Spider-Man had faced were really after Ezekiel. In an attempt to direct the consequences of gaining his powers onto Spider-Man himself, Ezekiel takes Spider-Man to the temple where he had been given his powers and draws blood to attract a massive spider that would take the 'false' totem warrior as a sacrifice.[12] However, Ezekiel realizes that he had done nothing with his powers but help himself, while Peter had selflessly risked his life to save others repeatedly. For this, he sacrifices himself by attacking the spider that would have eaten Peter.[13]
InGrim Hunt, a reanimated Ezekiel (covered in spiders) appears before Spider-Man andArachne.[14] Unknown to Spider-Man, this Ezekiel is really theChameleon in disguise, leading Spider-Man into a trap to carry out the resurrection ofSergei Kravinoff.[15]
During the "Original Sin" storyline, it is revealed that the radioactive spider also bitCindy Moon before dying. Ezekiel had educated Cindy to use her powers, but kept her locked in a bunker to keep her safe from Morlun.[16] Years later, Spider-Man learns about Silk and frees her from Ezekiel's bunker, allowing her to start a new life and career. This ends up triggering themultiversal hunt of all spiders as theInheritors are now aware of Silk's existence.[16]
Ezekiel possesses a number of superhuman attributes that are almost identical to those naturally possessed by Spider-Man. His strength, speed, stamina, agility, reaction time, and resistance to physical injury are all enhanced to superhuman levels. Although Ezekiel is of an advanced age, none of his physical attributes have declined over the decades.
Ezekiel also possesses the ability to stick to most surfaces and crawl along them in the same way as Spider-Man: for this reason, he frequently goesbarefoot, as it makes it more convenient for him to stick to walls.[17] He also possesses a type ofE.S.P. that serves as anearly warning system in much the same way as Spider-Man's spider-sense, although his was not as developed as Spider-Man's. Because of their nearly identical powers, Ezekiel and Spider-Man are immune to each other's early warning system.
In addition to his powers, Ezekiel is extremely wealthy and is a highly skilled businessman and owner of a company with international connections. As with Spider-Man, he is a formidable hand-to-hand combatant though he has had no formal training. He uses a unique type of freestyle fighting that allows him to make full use of his powers. He does not seem to have any web-generating devices like Spider-Man's web-shooters, and is never seen to produce any webbing naturally. In his conversations with Peter Parker, the subject never comes up. He is knowledgeable of the mystical nature of totems, and once told Peter the legend ofthe first "Spider-Man".
During the "Spider-Verse" storyline, different versions of Ezekiel fromalternate timelines are featured:
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