Recently, Marvel Comics announced another storyline about Gwen Stacy, one of those characters who has been killed but never came back to life. At least, it was not the original Gwen who came back. Her death is probably one of the most iconic and well-known in the medium’s entire history, one that had such an impact on Spider-Man that touching it would be considered sacrilegious to many fans. This never stops the House of Ideas from trying to find a way around it, making Gwen Stacy a sensible subject. As a character, her life was short in comparison to many others, but her influence is still felt to this day.
The Creation of Gwen Stacy
Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, Gwen Stacy first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #31 (1965). She was introduced as one of Peter Parker’s college classmates at Empire State University, alongside Harry Osborn. Initially, Gwen was a background character, but as Ditko departed the book and John Romita Sr. took over as the main artist, her role expanded.
Lee and Romita made Gwen a sophisticated and fashionable young woman. She became Peter Parker’s primary love interest, embodying an idealized romance often filled with drama, misunderstandings, and heartbreak. Being Spider-Man always complicated Peter’s relationships, and with Gwen, this often led to conflicts. Following the death of her father, NYPD Captain George Stacy, in The Amazing Spider-Man #90, Gwen blamed Spider-Man for the tragedy, not realizing Peter was behind the mask, and she decided to leave for Europe as a way to grieve far away from everything that reminded her of the tragedy. However, her love for Peter quickly brought her back to New York and they rebuilt their relationship.
The Death of Gwen Stacy
In 1972, Stan Lee stepped away from his writing duties on the main Spider-Man comic book to become Marvel’s publisher and Gerry Conway took over.
He may have co-created The Punisher, Hammerhead, The Jackal, and more, developed Peter’s relationship with Mary-Jane, the one between Doctor Octopus and Aunt May, and changed Flash Thompson from bully to friend, but when it comes to talking about Conway’s time as a writer on The Amazing Spider-Man comics (and Marvel Team-Up), the discussion always starts with the death of Gwen Stacy.
When Romita, now Art Director at Marvel, proposed killing a supporting character to revitalize the series, Aunt May was the logical choice, but the artist suggested something more unexpected, Gwen Stacy or Mary-Jane Watson! For Conway, MJ was the interesting character, and Gwen whom he called “a non-entity, a pretty face” (see Marvel: The Untold Story) had to go to let her take center stage. Surprisingly, Stan Lee was enthusiastic about the idea.
In the story “The Night Gwen Stacy Died” in The Amazing Spider-Man #121 (1973) written by Conway and illustrated by Gil Kane, Gwen Stacy is kidnapped by the Green Goblin. He eventually threw her from the George Washington Bridge (later referred to as the Brooklyn Bridge) and, in a desperate attempt to save her, Spider-Man caught Gwen with a web-line. The sudden stop caused her neck to snap, killing her instantly.
What is less discussed nowadays is what came after. Peter Parker wanted vengeance and, in The Amazing Spider-Man #122, tracked down Norman Osborn and confronted him. Peter stops himself from murdering him, but the Globin is still killed, impaled by his own glider flying back to him, directly into his chest. While this death was impactful at the time, its significance was somewhat diminished when Norman Osborn eventually returned—unlike Gwen Stacy, who remained dead.
The Clones of Gwen Stacy
As the face of Marvel Comics, Stan Lee frequently received fan inquiries demanding an explanation for Gwen Stacy’s death. To appease them, Lee promised her return and ordered Gerry Conway to write it. A decision that would lead to one of the most impactful storylines of Spider-Man’s history: The Clone Saga (the original from 1975).
In the comics leading to the event, Spider-Man started to see glimpses of Gwen, attributing these apparitions to illusions created by Mysterio, but in The Amazing Spider-Man #144, she finally made her shocking comeback. But it was not the original Gwen Stacy. She was soon revealed to be a clone, created by Professor Miles Warren, also known as the Jackal, the college biology professor who had fallen in love with his student. When Gwen died, Warren started working on creating a clone, one that retained her memories up to a point, not knowing she had been killed.
Peter Parker’s life had changed. Though the new Gwen was still in love with him, he had moved on and started a serious relationship with Mary Jane. When Spider-Man won his battle with a clone of himself the Jackal also created, the fake Gwen moved on, leaving behind her the man who didn’t love her.
Gwen’s clone would eventually come back. First during the 1988 crossover The Evolutionary War, then during the second Clone Saga. Other clones of Gwen would later appear, including in Dead No More: The Clone Conspiracy.
As for the real Gwen Stacy, she would reappear in flashbacks with elements of her story occasionally developed with new elements–like the controversial Sins Past storyline by J. Michael Straczynski that introduced her “twins,” which would later be retcon during the Sinister War event.
The Other Versions of Gwen Stacy
She may have been a non-entity while she was alive, but Gwen Stacy has become an iconic character after her death. Beyond cloning, Gwen has reappeared in various alternate realities and what-if scenarios.
During the “Age of Apocalypse,” she was not killed by the Green Goblin and became the bodyguard of Donald Blake. In the “House of M” storyline, Scarlet Witch’s altered reality shows us a world where she becomes a powerful businesswoman who marries Peter and they have a son. In the Ultimate Universe, Gwen’s story is revisited and she eventually dies, but this time it was by Carnage’s hand. And countless other versions of Gwen Stacy continue to appear!
But one Gwen Stacy stood apart: Spider-Gwen (now known as Ghost-Spider). Introduced in 2014’s Edge of Spider-Verse #2, Gwen was the one bitten by the radioactive spider, taking on the mantle of Spider-Woman while Peter Parker tragically perished instead.
Gwen Stacy may still appear in one form or another, but the original is still dead. She’s one of the rare (with Uncle Ben) to stay that way as her death had meaning. She changed Spider-Man and even the comic book world.