Gwendolyne Stacy (Earth-616)

Gwen Stacy
Name	Gwendolyne "Gwen" Stacy
Aliases	Gwendolyn Stacy, Gwen Stacey (alternate spellings), Gwendy
Affiliation and Relationships
Affiliation	New U Technologies; former ally of Spider-Man
Relatives	Helen Stacy (mother), George Stacy (father; deceased), Arthur Stacy (uncle), Nancy Stacy (aunt), Paul Stacy (cousin), Jill Stacy (cousin), Sarah Stacy (daughter), Gabriel Stacy (son), Abby-L (1st clone; deceased), Joyce Delaney (2nd clone; deceased), Various other clones (presumably deceased)
Marital Status	Single
Physical Characteristics
Gender	Female
Height	5′7″ (1.7 m)
Weight	130 lbs (58.97 kg)
Eyes	Irises: Blue
Hair	Blond
Origin and Living Status
Origin	Human
Living Status	Deceased
Reality	Earth-616
Place of Birth	Unknown, presumed to be New York.
Place of Death	Transamerica Pyramid, San Francisco, California
Personal Information
Identity	No Dual
Citizenship	American
Occupation	Model, student
Education	College educated, science major (incomplete)
Base of Operations	New York City, New York
Creators and Appearances
Creators	Stan Lee, Steve Ditko
First	Amazing Spider-Man #31 (September, 1965)
First	Amazing Spider-Man #31 (September, 1965)
Death	Clone Conspiracy #5 (February, 2017)
Death	Clone Conspiracy #5 (February, 2017)

 You said "Peter Parker doesn't have the guts"?!! ... You crummy, dim-witted loudmouth! He could be half the man he is... and still make up ten of you!!! 

—Gwen Stacy

History

Beginnings

Peter Parker met Gwen while they were undergraduates at Empire State University. Initially, Peter's problems as Spider-Man made him ignore her advances, and in return, she felt insulted by his aloofness. Gradually, however, a romance developed. Gwen, a science major, seemed to appreciate Peter's intellectual personality, different from that of jocks like Flash Thompson and preppies like Harry Osborn. She was Peter Parker's first true love.

When Peter's Aunt May lay sick, Peter gave everyone the cold shoulder including new classmates Harry Osborn and Gwen Stacy. While trying to go about a normal day, Peter this time gets snubbed by Gwen Stacy and Harry Osborn for being anti-social.

Gwen later attends a space exhibit and Peter happens to show up as well. Gwen becomes frustrated when Peter only notices the exhibits and is completely oblivious to her presence. The criminal known as the Looter shows up to steal the meteor and Spider-Man arrives to prevent it. The Looter uses his dazzle gun to blind everyone and escape. Peter returns to try and talk to Gwen but she writes him off as a coward when he ran and changed. Over time Gwen starts to see Peter in a positive light, admiring his strength and courage.

When Harry was dropped off by his dad, he asks if anything is wrong, his dad snaps angrily at him and Harry begins to worry. Pete sees what’s wrong and Harry starts confiding in him his concerns much to the delight of Gwen.

When Pete is going to school on his bike, Gwen notices his new ride and mentions it. As he tells her she’s got a lot to learn about him, they both really notice each other for the first time.

At Empire State University Gwen invites Peter to a Party at her house on Sunday but he must decline as he is to meet his neighbors niece Mary Jane Watson. Gwen and her friends later learn that Flash Thompson has been drafted for the war. Gwen meets up with Peter, Harry and Flash at a local café. While talking about Flash’s draft, Mary Jane walks in and the boys are stunned. They’re even more surprised when Peter knows her and Gwen is jealous when they leave together.

Harry tells Pete that Gwen is having a party for Flash and Pete explains to his friends why he hasn't been around because of his money issues. Harry offers to talk to his father to see if he can get him a job. Gwen hears about the news the Peter and Harry are getting an apartment together. Gwen and her friends plan a going away party for Flash Thompson before he is leaving for the armed forces to fight in Vietnam.

After the fight with the Vulture. Peter returns to his apartment which he shares with Harry Osborn, health hasn't improved for the better and forces himself to rest up until he gets better. He is visited by his Aunt May, Mary Jane, and Gwen Stacy while he's recuperating.

Gwen starts to notice that Peter is depressed over his Aunts sickness which are effecting his grades. With Gwen and her friends help Peter is made to feel better about his life. Flash Thompson returns home on furlough from the war, meet with the gang: Harry Osborn, Gwen Stacy, and Mary Jane Watson.

Peter asks Gwen to accompany him to a science symposium with Professor Warren and she says yes. At the symposium, Doctor Octopus attacks and steals a device called a “nullifier”, a device designed as missile defense. Spider-Man tries to stop him, leaving Gwen on her own feeling abandoned by her date.

Peter visits Mary Jane and Gwen Stacy where both compete for a date with him, but he leaves them both to check on his Aunt May. Gwen and her friends all get together at the Coffee Bean Barn. Peter and Mary Jane go to his Aunt May's House to assess the damage, done by the attack by Dr. Octopus when they're joined by Gwen. Peter goes missing and has gotten Gwen and all his friends and family worried as they have no clue where he could have gone.

Soon news about Spider-Man's possible involvement in the disappearance of Peter Parker hit the press. When Spider-Man overhears the story, he goes to the police station where he admits to George Stacy, his daughter Gwen and John Jameson that he has amnesia and doesn't remember if he had anything to do with Parker's disappearance. But Gwen is still unsure what happened to Peter during his absence.

Gwen, Peter and the rest of their friends meet up and decide to go and check out a nightclub where Mary Jane has taken up a job as a go-go dancer. However, the club is a criminal front where Dr. Winkler's brainwashing techniques are being utilized to further a criminal organization. They give Mary Jane a special camera that briefly puts people under their control so that they go in back and get brainwashed. When this is done to Captain George Stacy, Gwen begins to worry about her father when he doesn't return from getting fresh air. Peter, also finding it suspicious decides to go look for him but as Spider-Man. Spidey goes in back and catches Winkler in the process of brainwashing George Stacy, but before Spider-Man can stop him, he's grabbed by Winkler's employer the Kingpin.

The Kingpin manages to complete his brainwashing and lets Stacy go. Stacy meets up with Gwen and Harry who are being told by Mary Jane about Spider-Man's appearance at the club; George alleviates any concern they have about what happened. When Peter later tries to confront George as Peter Parker, Stacy attacks him forcing Peter to defend himself. Gwen walks in on the situation, and her father accuses Peter of going mad and attacking him. Gwen won't listen to anything Peter says and demands that he leaves.

When Gwen Stacy confronts her father about his involvement in the attempted theft of top-secret plans, his brainwashing wears off and he tells her the truth of what happened. With George wanted by the police and slated to be killed by the Kingpin's men, they decide to try and flee the city. Peter (having deduced they may be in trouble from the Kingpin's men) comes to their rescue, but arrives to find their home full of the Kingpin's goons. When Spidey defeats them, he finds that they have also been brainwashed and are useless for getting anymore information from Kingpin.

While elsewhere, Harry Osborn drives Mary Jane to the club where she dances as a go-go girl and they find that it's been abruptly closed. And Harry's father is slowly beginning to regain his memories about being the Green Goblin when he sees an advertisement for a documentary about the Goblin. Later Norman shows up at his lab and yells at Dr. Winkler for going over his head in getting equipment, unaware that Winkler is hiding out the Kingpin in his lab.

After Osborn leaves, the Kingpin demands the death of the Stacys and Peter Parker, the only people that can pin this recent crime on the Kingpin. As Peter develops a special gas mask to protect him from the Kingpin's gases and begins searching for any clue to his hide out, his men manage to stop Gwen and George at the airport.

They are taken back to Osborn Industries, and are about to be killed by a giant vat of a boiling hot chemical. This is interrupted by the arrival of both Norman Osborn and Spider-Man. The two fight off the Kingpin and his goons, and while Winkler is killed, and the Kingpin escapes, Spider-Man saves Gwen and George from a painful death. Afterwards, the true story comes out and with Osborn's corroboration of the events, George Stacy's name is cleared of any wrong doing. Peter Parker tries to patch things up with Gwen, to no avail. Peter attends classes as usual and attempts to patch things up with Gwen.

Gwen is told by her father whose memories from when he was brainwashed have come back that Peter never attacked him when he was under the Kingpin's influence, which brings Gwen happiness as she hopes to patch things up with Peter. However, her joy is replaced with worry when Betty Brant and Ned Leeds tell Gwen that Peter was on the roof of the Bugle building when the Vultures attacked. Gwens father is taken hostage in prison but is rescued by Spider-Man who had recently arrested. Peter repairs his relationship with Gwen and Captain Stacy.

After a fight with the Synthetic Man Peter is left bed ridden and Gwen and Mary Jane come over to look after him but end up both going out with Harry instead.

When Peter picks up Gwen for a date and drives away they witness the Man Monster attack the home of Captain Stacy. Peter sends Gwen for help and then changes into Spider-Man in an attempt to save Captain Stacy.

Harry calls Peter, telling that his dad is back, and to celebrate his wellness, he's inviting Peter, MJ, and Gwen to a party he's throwing. Peter sees right through it as a trap, but picks up Gwen and goes anyway, despite the danger. When the two arrive, Harry, MJ, and Norman are already there. After a little while, they start dinner. Norman starts to lose his grip and would've attacked Peter in front of everyone if dinner had lasted longer. After the Goblin and Spider-Man battle, Harry, MJ, and Gwen meet with Peter again, as Harry meets with his father again while Peter walks out with the girls, still worrying about the Goblin returning.

Gwen Stacy visits her father. When the phone rings, Gwen hopes it's Peter, but it turns out to be only Joe Robertson checking to see if there's been any new word on Mysterio.

When Peter and Gwen visit Aunt May, May pretends to be in better health than she really is so as not to spoil the young lovers happiness.

A group of student protesters were arrested in connection with the theft of an ancient clay tablet. When Gwen Stacy arrives at the police station, she slaps one of the protesters in the face when he calls Peter a coward. When she tells her father about it, he asks her if maybe she was more worried that it's truth, a question which Gwen isn't sure of the answer. Peter is later told off by Gwen for not calling him and she confronts him with the fact that she thinks he's a coward.

When Peter later meets up with Gwen, they are surprised to see Flash Thompson is back in town on leave. However, when Flash makes a harmless flirtatious remark towards her Peter loses his temper. Which upsets both Flash and Gwen who leaves Peter to mull over his current relationship problems.

Spider-Man has come to the Stacy home to ask George Stacy if he can provide any clues about where the Shocker may have taken the tablet stolen from his home. After overhearing Gwen talking about Peter to her father, Spider-Man makes his presence known to Stacy, after some consideration George gives Spider-Man the only lead he can think of: The address of the Shocker's ex-girlfriend.

At Empire State University campus, Peter walks around in a complete daze and doesn't even notice Harry Osborn's new mustache. Harry is puzzled by Peter's lack of reaction, but Gwen Stacy sticks up for her man. She tells Harry, "The man is uptight! He needs help -- not hostility! If you are his friend, then act like one!".

Peter later visits the Stacy home, and meets with Gwen, who asks Peter to share his secret with her because his disappearances have gone on far too long. Peter promises he'll tell her soon, but not yet. Before going out on a date, they are interrupted by George Stacy and Joe Robertson, who have been talking about Spider-Man. George asks Peter to come back sometime soon and discuss what he knows about Spider-Man, having taken so many pictures of the wall crawler.

When Peter asks Gwen to meet with him, she tells him she's busy, Pete completely unaware that she has Flash Thompson over for a visit. Peter tries to study, but finds that he cannot get Gwen off the brain, and decides to go and see her anyway, coming up with an excuse for his visit. However, along the way, he spies Gwen with Flash Thompson when he walks pass the Coffee Pot cafe. Unaware that she's seeking advice about Peter and his secret, Peter assumes that the two of them have become an item and storms off. The next day, while Peter is on the campus of ESU he is confronted by Gwen, who is upset with him ignoring her, he confronts her with the fact that he saw her out with Flash Thompson the night before and leaves before she has a chance to explain.

At his apartment mulling over how to deal with what he believes is a relationship going on between Flash Thompson and Gwen Stacy, Harry comes home with Flash. Peter loses his temper and almost pummels his former rival, when Flash explains the truth of what happened: That Gwen came to him for advice over her troubled relationship with Peter. Realizing what a fool he's made of himself, Peter calls Gwen to apologize and the two make up and agree to go to the Midtown Museum exhibit that her father is in charge of guarding priceless paintings. Peter rushes there as Spider-Man so he can meet Gwen on time.

When Peter and Gwen steal a kiss, Peter's spider-sense goes off but it appears to only be George Stacy, although Peter finds it strange that George walked by as if he didn't recognize it. When the painting that was on display turns out to be stolen, Peter and Gwen realize that George is nowhere to be found. They rush back to the Stacy home where they find a dazed and confused George Stacy with no recollection of making it out to the museum. In reality, the "George Stacy" at the museum is really the Chameleon.

Gwen calls and invites Peter out to Flash Thompson's farewell party as he is returning to duty in Vietnam. As Peter's financial woes get the better of him, causing him to snap at another one of Flash's harmless flirtations towards Gwen, he storms out of the going away party.

Peter and his friends bid farewell to Flash Thompson who is going back to fight in Vietnam. Later as Peter and Gwen are strolling through the streets, Peter is about to confide in Gwen that he's really Spider-Man. At that moment, the Schemer's men attack another one of the Kingpin's trucks. When it's jackknifed off the road, it pins Peter and Gwen under it. Gwen is knocked out and Peter uses his spider-strength to get them out of anymore harms way. With no leads to go on, Spider-Man changes back into Peter Parker and goes back to Gwen in the hospital. Gwen has just come out of her coma and is upset that Peter wasn't there by her side. She asks her father to escort Peter away. As they are leaving, George tries to console Peter telling him that Gwen will be in a better mood the next day. Before leaving, Peter almost lets slip to George that he's really Spider-Man, before catching himself and quickly departing.

With no leads on the Schemer Peter and decides to pay a visit to Gwen who is recovering at home following her release from the hospital. At first Gwen gives him a cold reception because of his leaving her at the hospital, however as they discuss just how Peter managed to not be harmed in the accident is too close for the Stacy's learning the truth about his secret identity that Peter makes an excuse for an abrupt departure.

While at the apartment that Peter Parker shares with Harry Osborn, Peter mulls over his studies while thinking about how he's so broke he can't afford a present for Gwen's upcoming birthday. He's roused from his work when Gwen and her father come by for a visit and start asking him questions about his connection with Spider-Man. George is suspicious about how Peter can be present so many times when Spider-Man is in action. Using the fact that he has pictures to develop as an excuse to go into his dark room, Peter quickly changes into Spider-Man and enters in through another window. Pretending to be a different person, Spidey demands to see Peter Parker for his cut of the money for the pictures that Parker takes. The Stacy's fall for it, and "cover" for Peter by telling Spider-Man that he isn't there. Satisfied that his secret is safe, Spider-Man departs, and waits for the Stacy's to leave. As Spider-Man succeeds in capturing the Schemer, Gwen and George Stacy return to Parker's home to find it empty. They wonder if Peter was either kidnapped or willingly left with Spider-Man, this prompts George to call the local precinct.

When Spider-Man is about to enter his apartment when he spies Harry Osborn, Gwen and George Stacy waiting for him. Sneaking some clothing, Spidey changes back into Peter Parker and enters the apartment. When Gwen sees the bruises on his face, she demands to know what sort of trouble he's in. When Peter isn't forthcoming with answers, she tells him not to call her until he can promise not to get involved with Spider-Man ever again, and leaves with her father.

Coming to the conclusion that his spider-powers are fading for good, the ailing Peter Parker realizes that today is Gwen Stacy's birthday and he hasn't been able to get her a gift. In a moment of desperation he uses his fading spider-powers to steal a pearl necklace from the jewelry store, but stops himself at the last moment. As Gwen's birthday party begins, Gwen becomes aware of Peter's absence and begins to get upset. The party is then suddenly shocked when Peter enters the party, Spider-Man mask in hand and tells everyone that because his powers are fading, he can finally reveal that he's Spider-Man. When George Stacy points out that Peter is feverish and sick, Peter realizes that he's putting Gwen through enough distress to cause hysteria and flees.

Taking off his costume and disguising his face, Peter visits Hobie Brown and asks him to help fool everyone into once more believing that Peter Parker and Spider-Man are two different people. Peter then goes to visit the Stacy's home and explains to Gwen, George, Mary Jane and Harry that he was in a fever state and didn't know what he's saying. When Gwen doesn't immediately believe Peter, Hobie (dressed in Spider-Man's costume) enters through the window and his performance in front of everyone convinces the others that Peter's story is true. His mission accomplished, Hobie leaves the scene and stashes Spider-Man's costume where he was told. Afterwords, Peter departs from the Stacy home, secure in the fact that his secret identity has been protected, but still has an uneasy feeling as though he's walking on egg shells. Gwen and Peter's relationship was now back on track, but this was short lived due to the on coming battle with Doctor Octopus.

Death of Captain Stacy

As Spider-Man and Doctor Octopus battle on the rooftops on the ground there stands a child directly in the path of the falling bricks and Captain Stacy also in the crowd below pushes the child out of the way to save him. Unfortunately Captain Stacy is hit full on with the bricks and Spider-Man goes down to save him. Pulling him out of the rubble and once atop the rooftop, Stacy dies in Spider-Man's hands, but not without first revealing that he knows Spider-Man is Peter Parker. Spider-Man is given instructions to look after Gwen Stacy, while Spider-Man worries that she may learn that her father died because of him.

At the funeral of George Stacy and everyone close to the late police captain is in attendance. Peter is there to support Gwen during this time, however he begins to consider what would happen if Gwen who blames Spider-Man for her fathers death ever found out that Peter is Spider-Man. Also in attendance is Sam Bullit, a man who was competing with George for the job of district attorney. When Gwen later asks to aid on Bullit's campaign, it's another advantage to Bullit. Spider-Man then heads back to his apartment. Entering he is suddenly startled when the lights are turned on by Bullit who had come there with Gwen Stacy, because he knew there was a connection between Parker and Spider-Man.

Spider-Man has just been confronted by Sam Bullit and Gwen Stacy at Peter Parker's apartment. Spider-Man, hoping to talk sense into Gwen, grabs the girl and makes an exit. However, this is spotted by Robert Drake, who is out on a date. He changes into Iceman and attacks Spider-Man, whom he thinks will harm the girl, forcing Spidey to make an escape. Bullit thanks Ice Man for his help and asks him to track down and capture Spider-Man.

While dealing with the grief of her father's death, and Peter's sudden strange behavior, Gwen gets a call from her Uncle Arthur offering her to come out to England to live with them, a decision she needs to think about. She goes to see Peter to see if he wants her to stay, however when she mentions her hatred of Spider-Man, it causes him to be reluctant to tell her to stay and Gwen, hurt, leaves Peter's apartment. Peter then storms off and loses his temper over how his alter ego constantly ruins his life. Swinging to Gwen's apartment, Spider-Man finds the land lady cleaning the place up. He learns from her that Gwen had left for the airport to go to England. Rushing there, Peter arrives moments too late, and watches in agony as her plane takes off. Realizing that his slow decision cost him the girl he loves, Peter leaves the airport. Now in England and away from Peter she is able to deal with her fathers death.

When Robbie Robertson learns that of what happened to Gwen, he sends Peter on "Assignment" to England on the condition he takes news photos for the Bugle while he's out there. Peter and is about to see Gwen, he notices the news reports about Spider-Man being in England, and realizes that Gwen could put two and two together and figure out his secret identity. Cursing his stupidity, Peter is forced to go home without visiting the girl he loves.

Norman Osborn, the Green Goblin's alter ego, fathered twins, a boy and a girl, with Gwen Stacy while she was still in a relationship with Peter, to whom she gave birth while she was in France. Feeling ashamed, she vowed that she would raise them with Peter.

Meanwhile in England, Gwen Stacy begins to realize that leaving Peter behind to move to England was a big mistake and decides to return back to New York and find Peter, and hopefully patch things up. When Peter returns home he is greeted by Gwen.

After a day out with Gwen Stacy, Peter decides that it's time he gets his personal life in order and tries to find a steady job. Disappointed that he doesn't have the money to take his girlfriend out, Peter arrives at Gwen's and tells her the news. Gwen tells Peter he's being silly and doesn't need to take her out and they opt to stay in, while she cooks them supper for a nice romantic night indoors.

Peter still trying to improve his life with Gwen takes a formula to remove his powers making him normal, but the reverse happened. Peter panics, thinking of himself as a freak, he snaps back to reality when his phone rings, its Gwen, inviting him to come see a movie, Peter moans at her so that she'll hate him and forget him just in case they don't see each other again, Gwen gets the message and hangs up. Gwen Stacy sits at home worrying about what happened to Peter. When she calls Aunt May, she becomes even more worried when Aunt May tells her she hasn't heard from Peter either.

Jameson figures this is the scoop that the Bugle needs to stay afloat and decide to bring some of his staff to the Savage Land in order to snap pictures of this illusive beast. When Joe calls Peter to secure him for the expedition, Peter instantly agrees as he needs the money. This upsets Gwen, and Peter decides to take her to the Bugle. When he arrives there Jameson sees what he's has thought was missing from this expedition to begin with: A woman's perspective, and asks Gwen if she'd like to come. When they arrive a creature grabs Gwen and leaves, Peter tries to stop the monster but is swatted away and lands in a near by river. Gwen is then taken to a man who's "adopted" the monster, none other than Spider-Man's old foe, Kraven the Hunter. As Caulkin and Jameson go after the monster, they run into Ka-Zar and his sabertooth tiger Zabu and enlist his aid in trying to find Gwen. Meanwhile, Peter has changed into Spider-Man and begins his own search for Gwen as well .

Gog has brought Gwen to Kraven the Hunter, who has decided to take Gwen as his mate. Spider-Man battles Kraven with the help of Ka-Zar who then rushes Gwen back to Jameson and Caulkin. After thanking Ka-Zar for his help and bidding him farewell, they depart from the Savage Land. Peter and Gwen arrive back in New York safely.

When Peter meets up with Gwen, he learns that they aren't going out on a date so much as checking in on Flash Thompson, who Gwen is worried about since he's come back from Vietnam. When Flash Thompson loses his temper over their concern, the couple decides to leave him be and go out for a romantic evening together.

Gwen meets with Randy Robertson who is in a good mood after the Daily Bugle does a report of the protest against the police surveillance cameras. She is later confronted by Flash who apologizes for how he acted. When he tries to express his feelings for her she stops him and tells him that her feelings for Peter are real. She then confronts him with the fact that that is not the only thing bothering him, Flash declines to talk about it. On his way back from the Daily Bugle Peter spots Gwen walking with Flash. He spots two military men pull up in a vehicle and escort Flash away, leaving Gwen in tears. Spider-Man wonders if this spectacle will change things between him and Gwen.

When Peter tries to go off after them, Gwen stops him, calling him on the fact that everyone thinks him a coward. Peter is stuck by Gwen, unable to go after Flash's attackers as Spider-Man because Gwen would think Peter Parker is a coward. While at Harry Osborn's apartment, Gwen arrives and tells Harry that Peter has been "kidnapped" by Spider-Man. When Aunt May enters the room, Gwen lashes out at her when she calls Peter a boy, but she quickly apologizes for her outburst and the two make peace. After he rescues Flash he tells Spider-Man that the whole story will be great to tell Gwen. Spider-Man departs and wonders how Peter Parker is going to be able to compete with Flash's feelings for Gwen now that he's a civilian again.

When he returns home he finds Gwen and Aunt May waiting for him. When May suddenly changes her tone when she catches herself fussing over Peter, Gwen tells Peter how she and May had an argument about how she is too coddling over Peter. Peter, too tired to do anything passes out in Gwen's arm and she puts him to rest of the couch. When Flash arrives to tell everyone he's okay, Harry asks him to walk Gwen home. Peter wakes up only in time to see Gwen and Flash leave the apartment and assumes the worst before dropping back to sleep. When Peter returned home and tells Gwen that Aunt May has left, but tells her not to be hard on herself because her harsh words to Aunt May were long coming. Gwen and Peter then go searching for Aunt May as she has been kidnapped.When Peter stumbles home and collapses in bed. After fevered dreams of Aunt May being held hostage and dying at the hands of Dr. Octopus, Peter is awakened by Gwen Stacy. She and Harry have summoned Doctor Bromwell after realizing how ill Peter was. After examining Peter, Doctor Bromwell determines that Peter is suffering from nervous exhaustion and possibly has an ulcer to boot. The doctor gives Harry a prescription for Peter and Gwen promises to take good care of him. While on the campus of ESU, Dr. Miles Warren confronts Gwen Stacy about the rumors he's heard about Peter Parker, she confirms them for him. She is then met by Flash Thompson, who makes a crack about Peter's ulcer. This upsets Gwen who tells him off and storms away.

Gwen goes to the Daily Bugle, to see if they've heard anything about Aunt May. When Ned Leeds finishes the story he was trying to tell Peter, that someone fitting Aunt May's description was hired by an employment agency and sent to a place in Westchester, Joe Robertson, Ned, and Gwen all leave to go to that location to see if May is there. Peter Parker, and appears shortly after Joe, Gwen and Ned arrive. When Peter meets with his Aunt May, she's called by Dr. Octopus briefly. When she comes back, she tells Peter that she's not coming back home, that Peter is a grown man and can make his own decisions, and that she's decided to stay here and keep watch of Dr. Octopus' home as per his request.

Spider-Man and web-slings across the city to meet up with Gwen for a date, but can't help but keep an eye out for the Smasher. Meeting up with Gwen, Gwen feels bad for Aunt May's decisions of late because they were influenced over Gwen's criticisms of Aunt May's mothering of Peter, she reassures Peter that Flash is only a friend and he has nothing to worry about. The couple then go to a fundraiser for Raleigh's campaign, where they meet with Mary Jane. During the event, Peter's spider-sense goes off, he notices the roof of the reception hall is about to collapse. Killing the lights Peter, with no time to change into his Spider-Man costume, tries to stop the collapse with his webbing, however it's not enough, and unless he comes up with an idea fast, the roof will collapse and kill everyone there, including Gwen. Gwen and Mary Jane attend a youth rally for Raleigh. Peter joins Harry, Gwen and Mary Jane in driving a campaign truck for Raleigh's campaign. It's shortly attacked by the Smasher. Everyone gets out safely before the Smasher destroyed the truck

Peter calls from Canada to check in on Gwen, she tells Peter to come back to the States as quickly as possible because Harry has had a relapse from his previous drug overdose. Peter tells her that he has to finish business in Canada but he will be back as soon as possible.

Peter holding Gwen's dead body

The Night Gwen Stacy Died

While waiting for Peter in his apartment, Gwen is ambushed by The Green Goblin, secretly the father of her children. He announces that he was looking for Peter, but he can kidnap Gwen instead to lure him into a trap; however, his real intentions are that he sees her as a threat to his potential "heirs". Gwen throws a lamp at the Goblin, who knocks her out with gas from a pumpkin, which he leaves in Peter's apartment for him to later find. He brings the unconscious Gwen to the George Washington Bridge. Spider-Man later arrived to fight the Goblin, but Spider-Man was sick and not performing as well as usual. Before they fight, Gwen revives and overhears the Goblin announce that Peter is Spider-Man. She goes into a state of shock, thinking that her boyfriend killed her father. Later, when Spider-Man goes to save her, she wants to tell him to stay away from her, but her mouth is still frozen in shock. The Green Goblin pushes her off a bridge, while she feels nothing inside. Spider-Man caught her by a leg with a string of web. The sudden stop in midair also snapped Gwen's neck, having difficulty to breathe. She was still alive seeing the battle while the revelation of Peter's secret identity made her die in feeling betrayed, but her last thoughts were what she did to deserve this. Spider-Man initially thought he had saved her, but when he pulled Gwen back up onto the bridge, he realized that she had died. In anger, Spider-Man almost killed the Green Goblin in retaliation, but chose not to do so in the end. The Green Goblin still seemingly died anyway when he was impaled by his own Goblin Glider in an attempt to kill Spider-Man (the Green Goblin was later discovered to have survived).

Post Mortem

The death of Gwen Stacy had enormous repercussions. Mary Jane, a close friend of Gwen Stacy, was deeply affected by Gwen's death. Mary Jane became much more serious. Gwen's death also drew Peter and Mary Jane into a closer friendship, and eventually a romantic relationship. The Punisher tried to hunt down Spider-Man, as he wrongly believed Spider-Man to be Gwen's murderer.

The Punisher had been manipulated into going after Spider-Man by a supervillain called the Jackal. The Jackal was once Miles Warren, a former professor of Gwen, who had secretly been in love with her. Following her death, Warren grew increasingly insane and adopted the persona of the Jackal. He also became completely obsessed with Gwen and created a clone of her. The Green Goblin manipulated the Jackal and the clone of Gwen and used both of them in the Clone Saga. Eventually, the clone established her own identity, but later was killed by her own prototype, who also later died.

Sins Past

Norman Osborn raised Gwen's two children, a boy and a girl Gwen had named Gabriel and Sarah, respectively. Due to Norman's enhanced blood, the twins aged faster than normal and became adults within the span of a few years. Osborn told them that Peter was really their father and was responsible for their mother's death.

The twins then attacked Spider-Man. Spider-Man told Mary Jane about his initial encounter with Gabriel and Sarah, whereupon Mary Jane revealed that she knew about Norman's involvement with Gwen and told all to Peter. She had kept it from him all these years because Gwen was distraught and begged her not to say anything. Peter told the twins the truth. Sarah believed Peter, but Gabriel did not. Gabriel took the Green Goblin formula and briefly became a new Grey Goblin.

Dead No More

A new clone of Gwen Stacy was created years later by the new Jackal. The Jackal's new cloning technique allowed for the clone to possess all of the memories of the real Gwen up to the point of her dead, which convinced both of them that the clone was in fact the real Gwen Stacy brought back from the dead. Unfortunately, this new cloning technique afflicted all of its subjects with cellular decay, which was prevented with the daily consumption of a pill. This new Jackal was in turn a clone of Peter Parker known as Ben Reilly. Gwen noticed the similarities between him and Peter even though he used a voice modulator to hide his identity. She went along with his plan to extend the reach of his new cloning technology for a better world since she saw some of Peter Parker within Ben.

In order to investigate the Jackal's new enterprise, New U Technologies, an alternate reality spider-powered version of Gwen known as Spider-Woman kidnapped the cloned Gwen and impersonated her. The cloned Gwen was kept hostage by Scarlet Spider, but she returned to New U after the impostor was outed.

At New U's headquarters, Gwen reunited with Spider-Man, who the Jackal had brought to his base to convince him to join forces. During a private conversation, Gwen forgave Peter for her and her father's deaths. She also tried to convince Peter to join the Jackal, but her reassurances that her and all of the people cloned back to life by the Jackal were the originals had no effect on him.

All of the Jackal's clones, including Gwen, began to decay when their creator started to broadcast globally a frequency that accelerated the cellular degeneration. Gwen helped Spider-Man by directing him to the Jackal's lab and stayed behind and confronted Green Goblin, Hobgoblin and Jack O'Lantern on her own to buy time for Peter. Gwen was among the majority of the clones which disintegrated before Spider-Man stopped the decay.

Attributes

Power Grid

Abilities

Gifted biochemistry student.

Weaknesses

Pill Dependence: In order to avoid cellular degradation, Gwen has to ingest New U Pills daily.

Notes

• J.M. Straczynski stated that he originally wanted Peter Parker to be the father of Gwen's kids but the editors nixed the idea. The powers that be felt that it would age Peter Parker too much if he had two adult kids running around. It was then decided by the whole creative and editorial team that Norman Osborn would be the father.
• The original comic featured a "snap" sound effect next to her head in the panel in which Spider-Man's webbing catches her. Some fans believe this indicates that her neck was broken by being caught by Spider-Man's web. Other fans do not think this sound effect implies this. Further confusing the issue, some reprints of the story take out the "snap" sound effect.
• In Amazing Spider-Man #125 (October 1973), Roy Thomas wrote in the letters column that "it saddens us to have to say that the Whiplash effect she underwent when Spidey's webbing stopped her so suddenly was, in fact, what killed her. In short, it was impossible for Peter to save her. He couldn't have swung down in time; the action he did take resulted in her death; if he had done nothing, she still would certainly have perished. There was no way out." They also explained that Gerry Conway, Roy Thomas and Stan Lee had decided that she had to die because Peter Parker wasn't ready for marriage, and the relationship was too often off and on again.
• In the 1987 edition of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe, Gwen’s death is attributed to the fall.
• In an issue of What If?, Spider-Man saved Gwen not by letting her fall, but by leaping down in time to catch her - also, when the same is done to Mary Jane in the first Spider-Man movie, he swings down from his web to save her instead of trying to stop her in mid-air.
  • It is also interesting to note that Mayday Parker in MC2 does the same thing to save Gwen during a vision Gwen's death.

What do you see here?

• The Green Goblin's status in Spider-Man's rogues gallery was elevated by his murder of Gwen Stacy. Before the death of Gwen Stacy, Doctor Octopus had seemed to be Spider-Man's primary arch nemesis, but the death of Gwen Stacy was key to making the Green Goblin, even more than Doctor Octopus, Spider-Man's primary arch nemesis.
• Several subsequent adventures have contained echoes of Gwen's death when other women have fallen great heights during Spider-Man's battles. On most occasions he has saved them by jumping after them and working with their momentum, rather than trying to stop them with his webbing. Most recently, in the final issue of Superior Spider-Man, Anna Maria fell from the roof of Alchemax. Spider-Man used his web to catch her arm, stating that he had been training thousands of times in case this situation happened again, so that he wouldn't live this nightmare ever again.
  • Other examples of this include Amazing Spider-Man #275, Web of Spider-Man #125, Marvel Knights: Spider-Man #12, and Superior Spider-Man #2; with Peter saving Sha Shan, Joyce Delaney, Mary Jane, and Mary Jane again, respectively, from a Goblin and a fall.
  • In the Ultimate Universe, Peter saved MJ after the Green Goblin threw her off a bridge in Ultimate Spider-Man #25, but that universe's version of Gwen died differently in issue #62.
• A discrepancy is established in the story "Spider-Man Revenge of the Green Goblin" (2002) that Norman Osborn believes he has no heir which "Sins Past" implies he has twin heirs. Osborn says "I have no heir, my son is dead...and my grandson Normie is much too young to carry on my stead".
• In the House of M storyline, Gwen was never killed, and instead was married to Peter with a young son. The shock of having his true life's memories returned greatly devastated him. When the world was returned to normal by the Scarlet Witch at the conclusion of the story, Gwen remained dead and Mary Jane was again married to Peter.
• Gwen was to be "resurrected" along with Harry Osborn in Amazing Spider-Man #545, but when the issue was released only Harry came back.
• Gwen's death has ranked as the number 1 on Watchmojo's Top 10 Shocking Moments in Comic Books.
• Aunt May was originally going to die instead of Gwen.

Trivia

• Gwen's death is one of the most famous moments in comic book history.
• When Gwen first met Peter in college, she was shocked to see that Peter gave no interest in her (as Aunt May was missing) causing her to be more interested in him.
• Deadpool once had Arnim Zola make four Gwen Stacy clones in exchange for sparing his life.

See Also

• 196 appearance(s) of Gwendolyne Stacy (Earth-616)
• 13 appearance(s) in handbook(s) of Gwendolyne Stacy (Earth-616)
• 148 minor appearance(s) of Gwendolyne Stacy (Earth-616)
• 192 mention(s) of Gwendolyne Stacy (Earth-616)
• 5 mention(s) in handbook(s) of Gwendolyne Stacy (Earth-616)
• 225 image(s) of Gwendolyne Stacy (Earth-616)
• 9 quotation(s) by or about Gwendolyne Stacy (Earth-616)
• 1 victim(s) killed by Gwendolyne Stacy (Earth-616)

Links and References

• Stacy Wikipedia:Gwen Stacy
• Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe (Vol. 2) #19