colloquially Colloquialism (also called ''colloquial language'', ''colloquial speech'', ''everyday language'', or ''general parlance'') is the linguistic style used for casual and informal communication. It is the most common form of speech in conversation am ...

superhero A superhero or superheroine is a fictional character who typically possesses ''superpowers'' or abilities beyond those of ordinary people, is frequently costumed concealing their identity, and fits the role of the hero, typically using their ...

American comic book An American comic book is a thin periodical literature originating in the United States, commonly between 24 and 64 pages, containing comics. While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publ ...

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...

Jason Latour David Jason Latour (born August 29, 1977) is an American comic-book and comic-strip artist and writer known for his work for Image Comics, Dark Horse Comics, Marvel Comics, and DC Comics on titles such as ''Wolverine (comic book), Wolverine'', '' ...

Edge of Spider-Verse Spider-Verse is a comic book series issued by Marvel Comics since 2014. Its first major event/storyline started on November 5 in ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' (2014) No. 9 along with an individual issue named ''Spider-Verse Team-Up''. This event ...

Spider-Verse Spider-Verse is a comic book series issued by Marvel Comics since 2014. Its first major event/storyline started on November 5 in ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' (2014) No. 9 along with an individual issue named ''Spider-Verse Team-Up''. This event ...

comic book A comic book, comic-magazine, or simply comic is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panel (comics), panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are often accompanied by descriptive prose and wri ...

Spider-Gwen ''Spider-Gwen'' (also titled ''Radioactive Spider-Gwen'', ''Ghost-Spider'', and ''Gwenom'') is an ongoing comic book series published by Marvel Comics that began February 2015. The series revolves around Gwen Stacy of Earth-65, an alternate un ...

Gwen Stacy Gwendolyne Maxine "Gwen" Stacy is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, usually as a supporting character in those featuring Spider-Man (Peter Parker). A college student and the daughter of George Stacy, Georg ...

Spider-Man Spider-Man is a superhero in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appearance, first appeared in the anthology comic book ''Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in ...

Matt Murdock Daredevil is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Bill Everett, with some input from Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in '' Daredevil'' #1 (April 1964). ...

Frank Castle The Punisher (Francis "Frank" Castle, born Castiglione) is an antihero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Gerry Conway and artists John Romita Sr. and Ross Andru. The Punisher mad ...

cosplay Cosplay, a blend word of "costume play", is an activity and performance art in which participants called cosplayers wear costumes and Fashion accessory, fashion accessories to represent a specific Character (arts), character. Cosplayers often i ...

feminist Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideology, ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social gender equality, equality of the sexes. Feminism holds the position that modern soci ...

Dove Cameron Dove Olivia Cameron (born Chloe Celeste Hosterman; January 15, 1996) is an American singer and actress. She rose to fame for her dual role of the eponymous characters in Disney Channel's comedy series '' Liv and Maddie'' (2013–2017) and her ...

Marvel Rising ''Marvel Rising'' is an American media franchise and shared universe produced by Marvel Animation. The animated media are based on characters that appear in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The franchise includes a made-for- ...

media franchise A media franchise, also known as a multimedia franchise, is a collection of related media in which several derivative works have been produced from an original creative work of fiction, such as a film, a work of literature, a television program, o ...

Laura Bailey Laura Bailey (born May 28, 1981) is an American voice actress. She made her voice acting debut as Trunks (Dragon Ball), Kid Trunks in the Funimation dub of ''Dragon Ball Z'' and has since voiced List of Gunslinger Girl characters#First Generati ...

Ashley Johnson Ashley Suzanne Johnson (born 1983) is an American actress. She became known as a child actor for her role as Chrissy Seaver on the sitcom ''Growing Pains'' (1990–1992). As an adult, her television roles include Amber Ahmed on '' The Killing' ...

Emily Tennant Emily Tennant (born August 9, 1990) is a Canadian actress. She played Ivy Young on the Canadian comedy television series ''Mr. Young'', and voices Polly Pocket in the Polly Pocket (TV series), eponymous animated series. Early life Tennant was bo ...

Hailee Steinfeld Hailee Steinfeld (born December 11, 1996) is an American actress, singer, and songwriter. She had her breakthrough with the western film ''True Grit (2010 film), True Grit'' (2010), which earned her List of awards and nominations received by H ...

Marvel Universe The Marvel Universe is a fictional shared universe where the stories in most American comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Comics take place. Superhero teams such as the Avengers, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, the Guardia ...

Gwen Stacy Gwendolyne Maxine "Gwen" Stacy is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, usually as a supporting character in those featuring Spider-Man (Peter Parker). A college student and the daughter of George Stacy, Georg ...

Spider-Man Spider-Man is a superhero in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appearance, first appeared in the anthology comic book ''Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in ...

The Amazing Spider-Man ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' is an ongoing American superhero American comic book, comic book series featuring the Marvel Comics superhero Spider-Man as its title character and main protagonist. Being in the Earth 616, mainstream continuity of t ...

Dan Slott Daniel "Dan" Slott (born July 3, 1967) is an American comic book writer, known for his work on Marvel Comics books such as ''The Amazing Spider-Man'', as well as ''The Superior Spider-Man'', ''She-Hulk'', ''Silver Surfer (comic book), Silver Surfe ...

Spider-Verse Spider-Verse is a comic book series issued by Marvel Comics since 2014. Its first major event/storyline started on November 5 in ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' (2014) No. 9 along with an individual issue named ''Spider-Verse Team-Up''. This event ...

Spider-Woman Spider-Woman is the code name of several fictional characters in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first major version is Jessica Drew (and later impersonated by Veranke), the second major version is Julia Carpenter, and the third m ...

Nick Lowe Nicholas Drain Lowe (born 24 March 1949) is an English singer-songwriter, musician and producer. A noted figure in Pub rock (United Kingdom), pub rock, power pop and New wave music, new wave, and approached Robbi Rodriguez to design the character. Latour prompted Rodriguez to keep her mysterious and to avoid anything that would prematurely reveal her identity, saying that she "should feel like anyone could be under that mask." Slott previously had envisioned a costume based on her clothing in the two-part death story, "

The Night Gwen Stacy Died "The Night Gwen Stacy Died", alternatively known as "The Green Goblin's Last Stand", is a story arc of the Marvel Comics comic book series ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #121–122 (June–July 1973 in comics, 1973). The two-issue story was written by ...

" (1973), except red and blue with web patterns and a half mask. She would also have had a trench coat that would have been red with webs. Slott ultimately approved of Rodriquez' design. The character debuted in ''Edge of Spider-Verse'' #2 on September 17, 2014 and is commonly referred to as Spider-Gwen. Latour's inspiration for creating the character came when he realized that he was not familiar with Gwen Stacy outside of being a " fridged" character who was killed for the sake of the hero as a plot progression. Latour also felt he grew up in times when white males were dominant in superhero comics, and saw Gwen Stacy as a potential hero to represent women in a better way, "The fact that it's a woman does change the meaning and subtext of everything that's going on. As a creator, that's really enjoyable and it opens up the story to go in a lot of directions it wouldn't have gone before." In October 2014,

Nick Lowe Nicholas Drain Lowe (born 24 March 1949) is an English singer-songwriter, musician and producer. A noted figure in Pub rock (United Kingdom), pub rock, power pop and New wave music, new wave,New York Comic Con The New York Comic Con is an annual New York City fan convention dedicated to comics, Western comics, graphic novels, anime, manga, video games, cosplay, toys, Film, movies, and television. It was first held in 2006. With an attendance of 200,00 ...

2014 that the character would be getting her own ongoing series after much demand. The first issue of ''Spider-Gwen'' experienced commercial success and was the third best-selling comic of February 2015 with sales of over 250,000 copies. The first volume ended after the fifth issue, with the character carrying over into the second volume of ''Spider-Verse'' as part of the ''

Secret Wars ''Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars'', commonly known as ''Secret Wars'', is a 12-issue American comic book Fictional crossover, crossover limited series published from May 1984 to April 1985 by Marvel Comics. The series was written by Jim Shooter ...

'' event. After the conclusion of the event, a second volume by the same creative team began with the first issue as a part of Marvel's

All-New, All-Different Marvel All-New, All-Different Marvel (ANADM) is a 2015–2019 branding for Marvel Comics' entire main line of comics. Taking place after the crossover storyline "Secret Wars", it details the new Marvel Universe, with nearly 60–65 titles relaunched wi ...

imprint entitled ''The Radioactive Spider-Gwen''. Spider-Gwen was featured as a major character in a multi-part crossover entitled ''Spider-Women''. It commenced with ''Spider-Women Alpha'' #1 and ended with ''Spider-Women Omega'' #1, with certain issues of ''

Spider-Woman Spider-Woman is the code name of several fictional characters in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first major version is Jessica Drew (and later impersonated by Veranke), the second major version is Julia Carpenter, and the third m ...

'', ''

Silk Silk is a natural fiber, natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be weaving, woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is most commonly produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoon (silk), c ...

'' and ''Spider-Gwen'' partially depicting the storyline in between. Spider-Gwen also stars in a team-up with the alternate Spider-Man-themed characters from the second volume of ''Spider-Verse'' in a series titled ''Web Warriors'', a name that was coined by Peter Parker from the ''Ultimate Spider-Man'' TV series during the original ''Spider-Verse''. In 2016, the character starred alongside

Miles Morales Spider-Man (Miles Gonzalo MoralesAhmed, Saladin (w), Garrón, Javier (a). ''Miles Morales: Spider-Man'' #1 (2018) Marvel Comics (New York). ) is a superhero and the third predominant Spider-Man to appear in American comic books published by M ...

in a crossover storyline titled ''Sitting in a Tree'', where she sees an alternate reality where she gets romantically involved with Miles, although they remain as friends. Spider-Gwen begins college on Earth-616 at the start of a new series ''Spider-Gwen: Ghost-Spider'' written by

Seanan McGuire Seanan McGuire (pronounced SHAWN-in; born January 5, 1978) is an American author and filker. McGuire is known for her urban fantasy novels. She uses the pseudonym Mira Grant to write science fiction/ horror and the pseudonym A. Deborah Baker to w ...

with pencils by Rosi Kämpe and later

Takeshi Miyazawa Takeshi Miyazawa (born April 19, 1978) is a comic book artist who was born in Canada and attended Queen's University in Ontario to study art. His art style incorporates a manga sensibility. He is the co-creator of Marvel Comics character Amadeus C ...

. After 10 issues, the series was relaunched as simply ''Ghost-Spider'', which ended after an additional 10 issues. The titular Ghost Spider moniker was taken from Stacy's alias in the animated franchise ''

Marvel Rising ''Marvel Rising'' is an American media franchise and shared universe produced by Marvel Animation. The animated media are based on characters that appear in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The franchise includes a made-for- ...

''. In 2022, a new limited series titled ''Spider-Gwen: Gwen-Verse'' by

Tim Seeley Tim Seeley is an American comic book artist and writer known for his work on books such as '' Grayson'', ''Nightwing'', '' G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero'', ''G.I. Joe vs. Transformers'' and '' New Exiles''. He is also the co-creator of the Ima ...

and Jodi Nishijima was published, featuring Stacy traveling through time alongside alternative versions of herself (modeled after other Marvel heroes) to correct a disruption in the timeline. In July 2024, Marvel announced a new limited series titled ''

TVA The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is a federally owned electric utility corporation in the United States. TVA's service area covers all of Tennessee, portions of Alabama, Mississippi, and Kentucky, and small areas of Georgia, North Carolina ...

'' by ''

Loki Loki is a Æsir, god in Norse mythology. He is the son of Fárbauti (a jötunn) and Laufey (mythology), Laufey (a goddess), and the brother of Helblindi and Býleistr. Loki is married to the goddess Sigyn and they have two sons, Narfi (son of Lo ...

''

season 2 Season 2 may refer to: * ''Season 2'' (Infinite album), 2014 * ''2econd Season'', an album by Unk, 2008 * "Season 2", a song by Phoenix from ''Alpha Zulu ''Alpha Zulu'' is the seventh studio album by French indie pop band Phoenix, released on 4 ...

writer Katharyn Blair following the

Marvel Cinematic Universe The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on List of Marvel Cinematic Universe films, a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appe ...

iteration of the organization (retconned as the same iteration as the comic book version), who after the events of ''

Deadpool & Wolverine ''Deadpool & Wolverine'' is a 2024 American superhero film based on Marvel Comics featuring the characters Deadpool and Wolverine (character), Wolverine. Produced by Marvel Studios, Maximum Effort, and 21 Laps Entertainment, and distributed ...

'', place Gwen into temporary "witness protection" on Earth-616 following an unspecified incident.

Fictional character biography

Origin

In the alternate reality designated Earth-65, Gwen Stacy from Midtown High School is a drummer in a band called the Mary Janes, consisting of her and her friends

Mary Jane Watson Mary Jane "MJ" Watson is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, making her first appearance in ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #25 (June 1965), and subsequent ...

,

Betty Brant Elizabeth "Betty" Brant-Leeds is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, usually in stories featuring the superhero Spider-Man. She is the personal secretary of J. Jonah Jameson at the ''Daily Bugle'', ...

, and

Glory Grant Gloriana "Glory" Grant is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She is usually depicted as a supporting character of Spider-Man. She is introduced in ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #140 (January 1975) as ...

, who compete with

Felicia Hardy Black Cat is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Marv Wolfman and Dave Cockrum, the character first appeared in ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #194 in July 1979 as an List of Spider-Man enemies, adver ...

and her band the "Black Cats". Bitten by a radioactive spider, Gwen becomes the hero

Spider-Woman Spider-Woman is the code name of several fictional characters in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first major version is Jessica Drew (and later impersonated by Veranke), the second major version is Julia Carpenter, and the third m ...

. Shortly afterward, her classmate and best friend

Peter Parker Spider-Man is a superhero in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appeared in the anthology comic book ''Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in the Silver Age of ...

attempts to become a superhero, inventing a serum that turns him into Earth-65's version of the

Lizard Lizard is the common name used for all Squamata, squamate reptiles other than snakes (and to a lesser extent amphisbaenians), encompassing over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most Island#Oceanic isla ...

. Unaware of the reptilian figure's true identity, Gwen fights Peter, eventually dealing him mortal injuries. Peter reverts to human form and dies in her arms; in his last words, he says he wanted to be like her. Spider-Woman is devastated by Peter's death and inspired to use her power to protect others as a way to atone for accidentally killing him. She is blamed for Parker's death publicly by

J. Jonah Jameson John Jonah Jameson Jr., known as J. Jonah Jameson, is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, most commonly in association with the superhero Spider-Man. The character was created by writer Stan Lee and artist St ...

. Her father,

NYPD The City of New York Police Department, also referred to as New York City Police Department (NYPD), is the primary law enforcement agency within New York City. Established on May 23, 1845, the NYPD is the largest, and one of the oldest, munic ...

chief of police A chief of police (COP) is the title given to an appointed official or an elected one in the command hierarchy, chain of command of a police department, particularly in North America. A chief of police may also be known as a police chief or somet ...

George Stacy George Stacy is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, primarily in association with Spider-Man. He is Gwen Stacy's father and the police captain from the New York City Police Department. Stacy is a st ...

, hunts for Spider-Woman, aided by his world's Captain

Frank Castle The Punisher (Francis "Frank" Castle, born Castiglione) is an antihero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Gerry Conway and artists John Romita Sr. and Ross Andru. The Punisher mad ...

and Detective

Jean DeWolff Jean DeWolff is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Bill Mantlo and artist Sal Buscema, the character first appeared in ''Marvel Team-Up'' #48 (August 1976). Captain Jean DeWolff is a police ...

. During a confrontation with her father, Gwen reveals her true identity to him. Shocked, he tells her to run.

Spider-Verse

In the "

Spider-Verse Spider-Verse is a comic book series issued by Marvel Comics since 2014. Its first major event/storyline started on November 5 in ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' (2014) No. 9 along with an individual issue named ''Spider-Verse Team-Up''. This event ...

" storyline, Gwen of Earth-65 is one of many other Spider-Totems across the

multiverse The multiverse is the hypothetical set of all universes. Together, these universes are presumed to comprise everything that exists: the entirety of space, time, matter, energy, information, and the physical laws and constants that describ ...

recruited to fight the vampiric

Morlun Morlun () is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by J. Michael Straczynski and John Romita Jr., the character first appeared in ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' vol. 2 #30 (June 2001). Morlun is a centr ...

and the Inheritors. Although she is one of several people called Spider-Women who appear, she seems to be the only Spider who is also Gwen Stacy, leading to the nickname "Spider-Gwen." Gwen realizes most of her counterparts in other universes are dead, including the Earth-616 Gwen Stacy who was the first love of

Peter Parker Spider-Man is a superhero in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appeared in the anthology comic book ''Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in the Silver Age of ...

, leader of the group fighting the Inheritors. Telling Peter she likewise failed to save her version of him, they both agree to look out for each other. Though Gwen deals with both criminals and enemies in the police department, she also makes allies such as her Earth's versions of Captain America (Samantha Wilson), Reed Richards, and

Peggy Carter Margaret Elizabeth "Peggy" Carter is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She is usually depicted as a supporting character in books featuring Captain America. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist ...

, the leader of

S.H.I.E.L.D. S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage, special law enforcement, and counter-terrorism government agency appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, this agency first appeared in ''Strange Tal ...

Web Warriors

Gwen meets Spider heroes of other worlds again on

Battleworld ''Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars'', commonly known as ''Secret Wars'', is a 12-issue American comic book Fictional crossover, crossover limited series published from May 1984 to April 1985 by Marvel Comics. The series was written by Jim Shooter ...

in the ''

Secret Wars ''Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars'', commonly known as ''Secret Wars'', is a 12-issue American comic book Fictional crossover, crossover limited series published from May 1984 to April 1985 by Marvel Comics. The series was written by Jim Shooter ...

'' storyline. During the crossover storyline ''Sitting in a Tree,'' she explores a possible romance with

Miles Morales Spider-Man (Miles Gonzalo MoralesAhmed, Saladin (w), Garrón, Javier (a). ''Miles Morales: Spider-Man'' #1 (2018) Marvel Comics (New York). ) is a superhero and the third predominant Spider-Man to appear in American comic books published by M ...

, but they stay as friends. Along with battling menaces on her own world, Gwen joins the Web Warriors, a group of Spiders with dimensional-travel devices who combat threats to other universes, particularly worlds that no longer have a Spider of its own to defend it. During the '' Dead No More: The Clone Conspiracy'' storyline, as a Web Warrior, she poses as a clone of Earth-616 Gwen Stacy to help Peter and

Kaine Parker Kaine Parker is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character has been depicted as a superhero and former supervillain who serves as an ally, an enemy, and Foil (literature), foil to Spider-Man, Peter Par ...

stop a threat involving

Jackal Jackals are Canidae, canids native to Africa and Eurasia. While the word has historically been used for many canines of the subtribe Canina (subtribe), canina, in modern use it most commonly refers to three species: the closely related black-b ...

's Carrion Virus.

Gwenom

After losing her powers, Gwen seeks aid from the corrupt

Matt Murdock Daredevil is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Bill Everett, with some input from Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in '' Daredevil'' #1 (April 1964). ...

(her universe's version of the Kingpin who used

Wilson Fisk The Kingpin (Wilson Grant Fisk) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by Stan Lee and John Romita Sr., and first appeared in ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #50 (cover-dated July 196 ...

as his proxy) and scientist Elsa Brock. It's discovered that combining the mutagenic Lizard serum with isotopes can form a version of the Venom symbiote, dubbed "Gwenom". Gwen bonds with Elsa Brock's symbiote, restoring her abilities. When Murdock puts out a hit on her father George, Gwen succumbs to the symbiote's baser influence and almost kills Murdock in revenge. After she spares his life, Murdock reveals he was testing to see if Gwen, like him, would be corrupted by power. After defeating Murdock, Gwen takes full control over the symbiote, reveals her identity to the public, and turns herself over to the authorities for her crimes. After turning down an offer from

Captain America Captain America is a superhero created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby who appears in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in '' Captain America Comics'' #1, published on December 20, 1940, by Timely C ...

to perform black ops services in exchange for reduced sentencing, she is convicted for one year for the

manslaughter Manslaughter is a common law legal term for homicide considered by law as less culpable than murder. The distinction between murder and manslaughter is sometimes said to have first been made by the ancient Athenian lawmaker Draco in the 7th ce ...

of Peter Parker (and other offenses) in a maximum security S.H.I.E.L.D. prison.

Spider-Geddon

After serving her prison time, Gwen is informed the Inheritors have returned and joins the "

Spider-Geddon ''Spider-Geddon'' is a 2018 comic book Limited series (comics), limited series and Crossover (comics), crossover Story arc, storyline published by Marvel Comics featuring multiple alternative versions of Spider-Man that had appeared Spider-Man in ...

" storyline.''Spider-Gwen: Ghost Spider'' #1. Marvel Comics. At one point, she is believed by the others to be killed in an explosion. In truth, she survives the explosion but is stranded on Earth-3109, her dimensional transportation device now damaged. The Gwen of that world, who operates as the heroic

Green Goblin The Green Goblin is the alias of several supervillains appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, the first and best-known incarnation of the Green Goblin is Norman Osborn, ...

, creates a new dimensional teleportation device and Earth-65 Gwen returns to the fight against the Inheritors. During the final battle, Miles Morales wonders if Gwen is a ghost after seeing her lost in an explosion, inspiring the new nickname "Ghost-Spider." and later travels to Earth-90214 after the death of

Spider-Man Noir Spider-Man Noir (Peter Parker), often referred to as Spider-Noir, Spider-Man, or simply Noir, is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Part of the Marvel Noir universe (Earth-90214), this alternate version of ...

to consult his loved ones while dressed as an airline pilot. Back on Earth-65, Gwen tries to return to her normal life of superhero activities, drumming with the Mary Janes, and attempting to rekindle her relationships with friend Harry Osborn and her father George. Without her secret identity, things prove challenging, leading to judgments from the public and regular attacks by criminals like the Man-Wolf. Additionally, her symbiote starts causing massive headaches while dropping parts of itself as "gummy spiders." Since Elsa Brock has disappeared from public life, Gwen travels to Earth-616 to find her counterpart Eddie Brock. Peter Parker of Earth-616, now a teacher at Empire State University, volunteers to analyze the symbiote since his world's Eddie Brock is not a scientist. The two heroes then save people from the villain Swarm and Gwen is asked who she is. Since this universe already has a Spider-Woman, Gwen decides she needs a new name. Considering how so many of her multiverse counterparts are dead, as if "Death loves Gwen Stacy," she decides to adopt her "Ghost-Spider" nickname as a new official alias.

Ghost-Spider

Realizing her secret identity is intact in this dimension, Gwen decides to attend college peacefully on Earth-616 without worrying about villains attacking after Mr. Ouroboros of the

Time Variance Authority The Time Variance Authority (TVA) is a fictional organization appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is depicted as a group of timeline monitors tasked with preventing the existence of certain timelines that are deemed to ...

helps her out. It is the condition that Mr. Ouroboros gives her that Gwen not use her Ghost-Spider suit. With Peter's help, she enrolls in Empire State University, explaining to school admissions that she comes from another dimension. This, along with her test records and Parker vouching for her, earns Gwen enrollment and a scholarship that applies to visitors from other worlds and dimensions. Gwen begins regularly attending classes while "commuting" back and forth from her own Earth, regularly encountering Peter. In costume, she fights menaces on both worlds, including Miles Warren whose unhealthy obsession with the Earth-616 Gwen Stacy led to his becoming the villainous Jackal.

Powers and abilities

Spider-Woman was originally depicted as having similar powers to Spider-Man, which originated from a bite by a radioactive spider. These powers include superhuman speed, agility, enhanced strength that enables her to lift about 10 tons, the ability to adhere to surfaces such as walls, and a precognitive "Spider-Sense" that warns her of danger. She uses web-shooters that were created by retired crime fighter and billionaire mogul

Janet van Dyne The Wasp (Janet van Dyne) is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee, Ernie Hart, and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in ''Tales to Astonish'' #44 (June 1963). Janet van Dyne is usu ...

. The mechanisms help filter moisture from the air to create an adhesive web-fluid, not requiring refilling as long as moisture is present. The fluid can creates web nets, ropes and globs, among other shapes. Spider-Woman has a wristwatch-like device that allows her travel to

the multiverse The multiverse is the hypothetical set of all universes. Together, these universes are presumed to comprise everything that exists: the entirety of space, time, matter, energy, information, and the physical laws and constants that describe t ...

after the events of ''Spider-Verse''. She is commonly depicted as using her

smartphone A smartphone is a mobile phone with advanced computing capabilities. It typically has a touchscreen interface, allowing users to access a wide range of applications and services, such as web browsing, email, and social media, as well as multi ...

as superhero equipment. As the daughter of a police captain, Spider-Woman has developed detective skills and analytical thinking. She is not trained in fighting, but has picked up elements from kung fu films. Gwen is depowered by the Earth-65 version of Cindy Moon, but regains her powers after bonding with her universe's version of the

Venom Venom or zootoxin is a type of toxin produced by an animal that is actively delivered through a wound by means of a bite, sting, or similar action. The toxin is delivered through a specially evolved ''venom apparatus'', such as fangs or a sti ...

symbiote. Her symbiote feeds off the nutrients of her body but if it does not consume the correct nutrients, Gwen's powers become unstable. To help keep her symbiote stable, Gwen often eats extra food and has made kale chips a regular part of her diet, since the symbiote responds well to cellulose.

Villains

* A.I.M. - A criminal organization. ** M.O.D.A.A.K. – Short for Mental Organism Designed As America's King, M.O.D.A.A.K. is a variation of

MODOK MODOK (; also written as M.O.D.O.K.; an acronym for Mental/Mobile/Mechanized Organism Designed Only for Killing) is a Character (arts), fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Ja ...

created by A.I.M.''Spider-Gwen Annual'' #1 Latour based this character's appearance and tone on American then-U.S. Presidential candidate

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...

. * The Bodega Bandit – The Bodega Bandit is a petty criminal who was stopped many times by Spider-Woman. He had a dog named Bandito who was later eaten by a Lizard. Spider-Woman made it up to him by giving him a hamster named Pine Cone.''Spider-Gwen'' #1. Marvel Comics. *

Frank Castle The Punisher (Francis "Frank" Castle, born Castiglione) is an antihero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Gerry Conway and artists John Romita Sr. and Ross Andru. The Punisher mad ...

– The Captain of the NYPD's Special Crimes Task Force who succeeds George Stacy as head of the investigation into Spider-Woman, due to George being relieved of duty by Mayor Jameson. Castle is shown to be a cold and brutal individual, with nihilistic tendencies and a one track mind when it comes to dispensing justice. * Doctorangutan – An intelligent orangutan.''Spider-Gwen'' (vol. 2) #10. Marvel Comics. * The Hand - A ninja organization. ** Matt Murdock / Kingpin – In this reality, Matt Murdock is Wilson Fisk's lawyer who was trained by Stick and later the Hand, serving as the Kingpin of Crime. The cause of his blindness is the same as his Earth-616 counterpart.''Edge of Spider-Verse'' #2 **

Rhino A rhinoceros ( ; ; ; : rhinoceros or rhinoceroses), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant taxon, extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates (perissodactyls) in the family (biology), famil ...

– In this reality, Aleksei Sytsevich is a mercenary with gray skin and blue hair who the Kingpin once hired to kill George Stacy. He later became the Rhino upon joining the Hand. After the Rhino beat up George Stacy, Spider-Woman wanted revenge only to find that Captain Frank Castle had beaten her to it when he killed the Rhino. * The Koala Kommander – The masked

koala The koala (''Phascolarctos cinereus''), sometimes inaccurately called the koala bear, is an arboreal herbivorous marsupial native to Australia. It is the only Extant taxon, extant representative of the Family (biology), family ''Phascolar ...

-weaponizing menace of New York. In hindsight, this character exercised poor judgment in creating living weapons. *

Kraven the Hunter Kraven the Hunter (Sergei Nikolaevich Kravinoff; Russian: Сергей Николаевич Кравинов) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, th ...

– A hunter enlisted by Frank Castle. * Peter Parker / Lizard – Peter's life largely mirrors that of his Earth-616 counterpart but he is never bitten by the spider. He was best friends with Gwen Stacy, and was regularly tormented by bullies. As a result of the latter, Peter had begun to develop an inferiority complex and an obsession with Spider-Woman after her emergence, wanting to become "special" like her. He eventually injected himself with a serum that would turn him into the Lizard, and would come into conflict with Spider-Woman. During their fight, Peter fatally suffers under the physical strain of both Spider-Woman's attacks and the serum, resulting in his death and Spider-Woman gaining criminal status, as she was blamed for killing him. Peter's death serves as the main catalyst for much of the challenges Gwen faces over the course of the comic books. * Harry Osborn / The Green Goblin / Lizard – In this reality, Harry watched his best friend Peter Parker get beaten to death by Spider-Woman. His intense feeling of guilt drives him to join and subsequently betray S.H.I.E.L.D. on his quest to kill Spider-Woman. During the "Radioactive" story arc in the comics, Harry comes back into Gwen's life, and later battles Spider-Woman with a super suit and glider. After Harry injects himself with the Lizard formula, he discovers Spider-Woman is Gwen Stacy and is consumed by anger. Finally, he escapes and is now on the run from S.H.I.E.L.D. *

Wilson Fisk The Kingpin (Wilson Grant Fisk) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by Stan Lee and John Romita Sr., and first appeared in ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #50 (cover-dated July 196 ...

– A mobster who was arrested by George Stacy years ago and is still in prison, but apparently still runs his criminal empire with his lawyer Matt Murdock serving as his proxy as the Kingpin. Murdock is ultimately revealed to be the real Kingpin with Fisk serving as his patsy. * S.I.L.K. – A terrorist organization that splintered from S.H.I.E.L.D.''Spider-Women Alpha'' #1. Marvel Comics. ** Cindy Moon – The billionaire head of S.I.L.K.. Cindy's life largely mirrors that of her Earth-616 counterpart, up until the point where a spider that almost bit her was instead killed by a newspaper. At some point, S.H.I.E.L.D. recruited Cindy and she had begun researching spiders. Cindy cured fellow agent Jesse Drew of radiation poisoning, and both later decided to rebel against S.H.I.E.L.D.. In a fight with Captain America, one of the spiders Cindy developed got loose and escaped into the wild, where it would make its way to Gwen Stacy. **

Jesse Drew Jesse Drew is an American artist, author, media activist, and educator. Biography Jesse Drew was born at St. Vincent's Hospital in Greenwich Village, New York. He spent his early childhood in Queens, before the family moved to Hicksville, New Y ...

– A former S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent and the Earth-65 version of Jessica Drew / Spider-Woman that sided with Cindy Moon after she cured him of his radiation poisoning. As a member of S.I.L.K., Jesse Drew operates as Agent 77. ** Otto Octavius – A scientist that works for S.I.L.K. ** Project Green – In this reality, the Super-Adaptoid was known as Project Green. * Adrian Toomes / the Vulture – An ex-Oscorp employee who targeted police officers. This version secretes a green cloud of gas wherever he goes. *

Susan Susan is a feminine given name, the usual English version of Susanna or Susannah. All are versions of the Hebrew name Shoshana, which is derived from the Hebrew ''shoshan'', meaning ''lotus flower'' in Egyptian, original derivation, and severa ...

and Johnny Storm – In this reality, the Storm Twins (modelled after Cersei and

Jaime Lannister Jaime Lannister is a fictional character in the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series of fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin and its television adaptation ''Game of Thrones'', where he is portrayed by Danish actor Nikolaj Coster-Wal ...

as respectively portrayed by

Lena Headey Lena Kathren Headey ( ; born 3 October 1973) is an English actress. She gained international recognition and acclaim for her portrayal of Cersei Lannister on the HBO fantasy drama series ''Game of Thrones'' (2011–2019), for which she received ...

and

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau Nikolaj William Coster-Waldau (; born 27 July 1970) is a Danish actor. He graduated from the Danish National School of Performing Arts in Copenhagen in 1993, and had his breakthrough role in Denmark with the film ''Nightwatch (1994 film), Night ...

in ''

Game of Thrones ''Game of Thrones'' is an American Fantasy television, fantasy Drama (film and television), drama television series created by David Benioff and for HBO. It is an adaptation of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', a series of high fantasy novels by ...

'') are former child stars-turned-influencer sitcom leads of the popular television series ''The Fantastic Four''. Secretly sharing an incestuous and manipulative relationship, both siblings publicly go missing on a trip to

Latveria Latveria is a fictional country appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is depicted within the storylines of Marvel's comic titles as a small, isolated European country ruled by the fictional Supreme Lord Doctor Doom, su ...

while in-fact seducing and manipulating the benevolent Latverian ruler Victor Von Doom over the course of five years into granting them superpowers, before Susan murders him and takes his place as Doctor Doom, converting Latveria to a dictatorship under her command. When the siblings return to New York, they murder their own mother before blackmailing Gwen Stacy into leaving her home reality taking control over the criminal underworld while posing as vigilantes to "stop" crimes they themselves instigated.

Collected issues

'

Other versions

Earth-8

On Earth-8, Spider-Gwen is married to

Miles Morales Spider-Man (Miles Gonzalo MoralesAhmed, Saladin (w), Garrón, Javier (a). ''Miles Morales: Spider-Man'' #1 (2018) Marvel Comics (New York). ) is a superhero and the third predominant Spider-Man to appear in American comic books published by M ...

and is the stepmother of Charlotte and Max Morales, both of whom also have Spider Powers.

Lost in the Plot

During the " Lost in the Plot" arc, an unidentified reality version of Spider-Gwen witnesses

Gwenpool Gwenpool (Gwendolyn "Gwen" Poole; colloquial: "GwenPool") is a fictional Character (arts), character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. A girl from the Reality, real world Isekai, transported to the Marvel Universe, Mar ...

defeating the Green Goblin and saves Gwenpool from her death. They later eat pizza together with Peter Parker, Miles Morales, and Cindy Moon.

Secret Wars

During the 2015 ''

Secret Wars ''Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars'', commonly known as ''Secret Wars'', is a 12-issue American comic book Fictional crossover, crossover limited series published from May 1984 to April 1985 by Marvel Comics. The series was written by Jim Shooter ...

'' storyline, different version of Spider-Gwen reside on the different

Battleworld ''Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars'', commonly known as ''Secret Wars'', is a 12-issue American comic book Fictional crossover, crossover limited series published from May 1984 to April 1985 by Marvel Comics. The series was written by Jim Shooter ...

domains: * A version of Spider-Woman appears in the plot of ''

A-Force ''A-Force'' is a comic book series published by Marvel Comics that debuted in May 2015 as a part of Marvel's "Secret Wars" crossover storyline. It was created by writers G. Willow Wilson, Marguerite Bennett, and artist Jorge Molina. It featu ...

'' where she resides on the Battleworld domain of Arcadia. The character saves Mary Jane Watson during an invasion of the

Marvel Zombies ''Marvel Zombies'' is a five-issue limited series published from December 2005 to April 2006 by Marvel Comics. The series was written by Robert Kirkman with art by Sean Phillips and covers by Arthur Suydam. It was the first series in the ''Ma ...

after Arcadia's

Loki Loki is a Æsir, god in Norse mythology. He is the son of Fárbauti (a jötunn) and Laufey (mythology), Laufey (a goddess), and the brother of Helblindi and Býleistr. Loki is married to the goddess Sigyn and they have two sons, Narfi (son of Lo ...

had fired at the part of the Shield that was closest to Arcadia. * In ''A-Babies vs X-Babies'', Spider-Gwen was new to town and went to

Iron Man Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, the character first appearan ...

's food truck, where he asked her to go for a date, but she refused. She then took part in the battle between the

Avengers Avenger(s) or The Avenger(s) may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Marvel Comics universe * Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes **Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes of "The Infinity Sag ...

, the

X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer/editor Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, the team first appeared in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 (September 1963). Although initial ...

, the

Guardians of the Galaxy The Guardians of the Galaxy are a fictional superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Comic book teams 1969 team The 1969 version of the Guardians of the Galaxy (1969 team), Guardians of the Galaxy were the origi ...

and the

Inhumans The Inhumans are a superhuman race of super beings appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The comic book series has usually focused more specifically on the adventures of the Inhuman Royal Family, and many people associat ...

.

Spider-Ham

In the universe of

Spider-Ham Spider-Ham (Peter Porker) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is an anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic pig and is a cartoon animal parody version of Spider-Man. He was created by Larry Hama, T ...

, Spider-Gwen is a

penguin Penguins are a group of aquatic flightless birds from the family Spheniscidae () of the order Sphenisciformes (). They live almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere. Only one species, the Galápagos penguin, is equatorial, with a sm ...

known as Guin Stacy the Spider-Guin. She later aids Spider-Ham and Parker Peterman in battling Spider-Ham's various villains.

What If?

In the alternate Earth-616 storyline of ''

The Night Gwen Stacy Died "The Night Gwen Stacy Died", alternatively known as "The Green Goblin's Last Stand", is a story arc of the Marvel Comics comic book series ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #121–122 (June–July 1973 in comics, 1973). The two-issue story was written by ...

'' within '' What If...? Dark: Spider-Gwen'', Spider-Man manages to save Gwen from the Green Goblin at the cost of his life. Gwen dons Peter's costume and works together with Harry to get revenge on the Green Goblin. After murdering the Green Goblin and realising he was his own father, Harry blames Gwen for his death and becomes the new Green Goblin while Gwen vows to Peter to fix her mistakes and honor his legacy by becoming Spider-Woman. Her costume is a modified version of Peter's Spider-Man outfit along with the green hooded coat she wore the night Peter died. Despite lacking powers, she is able to use Peter's web shooters and develops other technology such as web bombs.

Characteristics

Gwen Stacy's Spider-Woman is depicted as harboring much of

Earth-616 In the fictional Multiverse (Marvel Comics), Marvel Comics multiverse, Earth-616 is the primary continuity (fiction), continuity in which most Marvel Comics titles take place. Origins of the term The designation "Earth-616" has its origins in ...

Peter Parker's conflicts and tribulations, such as receiving negative media attention of herself and having the conflict of being a superhero over her normal life of a band member. Critical commentary noted her as a sarcastic, wisecracking hero when fighting criminals and

supervillain A supervillain, supervillainess or supercriminal is a major antagonist and variant of the villainous stock character who possesses Superpower (ability), superpowers. The character type is sometimes found in comic books and is often the primary ...

s. ''Spider-Gwen'' (Vol. 2) #1's summary of the character reveals that she originally used her powers for attention. After advice expressed to Gwen Stacy by her father that Spider-Woman could use her powers for good purposes, she was motivated to stop bullying, which Peter Parker in Earth-65 was a victim of. Spider-Woman eventually became an idol to Peter and he experimented on himself to become a superhero like her, leading to his demise. Gwen Stacy was branded a criminal after Peter's death, having been blamed for killing him. Jesse Schedeen of

IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...

felt that this aspect was the most intriguing change of her story, " eter Parker becomesboth Gwen's first major villain and the defining, Uncle-Ben-style tragedy in her life." Evan Narcisse from ''

Kotaku ''Kotaku'' is a video game website and blog that was originally launched in 2004 as part of the Gawker Media network. Notable former contributors to the site include Luke Smith, Cecilia D'Anastasio, Tim Rogers, and Jason Schreier. History ...

'' explained that it was a role reversal that felt "enriching" to what the creators intended to do, which gave Gwen Stacy "a reason to live". After saving her father's life and revealing her identity to him, she vows to use her powers to stop crime. Captain Stacy is then depicted as choosing his daughter over his job. Meagan Damore of

Comic Book Resources ''CBR'', formerly ''Comic Book Resources'', is a news website primarily covering comic book news, comic book reviews, and comic book–related topics involving movies, television, anime, and video games. It is owned by Valnet, parent of publicat ...

opined that even though Captain Stacy is no Uncle Ben, he fills the wise mentor role for Gwen very well.

Reception

Gwen Stacy's Spider-Woman has been received positively from reviewers. Her design is a popular choice for cosplay and fan art. Evan Narcisse of ''

Kotaku ''Kotaku'' is a video game website and blog that was originally launched in 2004 as part of the Gawker Media network. Notable former contributors to the site include Luke Smith, Cecilia D'Anastasio, Tim Rogers, and Jason Schreier. History ...

'' called the costume design "is one of the best riffs on the Spider-Man motifs in decades." Andrew Wheeler from

ComicsAlliance ComicsAlliance is an American website dedicated to covering the comic book industry as well as comic-related media, and is owned by Townsquare Media. The site has been nominated for multiple awards including a 2015 Eisner Award win in the categ ...

felt that even though Gwen Stacy should have stayed dead, the costume inspired him to want her back. He also cited it as a potential favorite superhero costume in years. The creative director of Marvel Games, Bill Rosemann, described Gwen Stacy as "one of the greatest modern superhero designs."

IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...

's Jesse Schedeen, reviewing the first ''Spider-Gwen'' issue, said that the character never came across as merely just a female variant of

Peter Parker Spider-Man is a superhero in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appeared in the anthology comic book ''Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in the Silver Age of ...

and was also distinct from

Jessica Drew Spider-Woman (Jessica Drew) is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Archie Goodwin (comics), Archie Goodwin and Marie Severin, the character first appeared in ''Marvel Spotlight'' #32 (February 1977 ...

,

Julia Carpenter Julia Carpenter is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Jim Shooter and Mike Zeck, the character first appeared in ''Secret Wars'' #6 (October 1984). Julia Carpenter was known as the second Spider- ...

,

Mayday Parker Spider-Girl (May "Mayday" Parker) is a superheroine appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She has been referred to as both Spider-Girl and Spider-Woman. The character appears in the MC2 universe. The character was created ...

,

Anya Corazon Aña "Anya" Sofia Corazón (surname alternatively shown without diacritic, Corazon, over the years) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Marvel editor-in-chief Joe Quesada, writer Fiona Avery, ...

, and other female-themed Spider costume characters. Jessie Schedeen said that Gwen had "her own set of hang-ups and her own brand of humor". Doug Zawisza, writing for

Comic Book Resources ''CBR'', formerly ''Comic Book Resources'', is a news website primarily covering comic book news, comic book reviews, and comic book–related topics involving movies, television, anime, and video games. It is owned by Valnet, parent of publicat ...

, described Gwen Stacy as "likeable and humorous, conflicted but determined and quick with a zinger", adding, "Latour gives Gwen real world problems as well as superheroic ones. She has family problems and perception problems." The character has drawn critical attention on a

feminist Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideology, ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social gender equality, equality of the sexes. Feminism holds the position that modern soci ...

perspective. Aja Romano of ''

The Daily Dot ''The Daily Dot'' is a digital media company covering the culture of the Internet and the World Wide Web. It was founded by Nicholas White in 2011, and is headquartered in Austin, Texas. The site, conceived as the Internet's "hometown newsp ...

'' felt that the new take on Gwen Stacy was a fresh one on its original version due to a common trope of women dying for the sake of men's angst. She praised the fact that instead of taking the role of a superhero's girlfriend, Latour designed her as a "fully formed person." ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...

'' Joshua Rivera felt that "Spider-Gwen succeeds because it isn't a superficial inversion, but an examination of what makes

Spider-Man Spider-Man is a superhero in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appearance, first appeared in the anthology comic book ''Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in ...

an important character." Gwen Stacy's Spider-Woman was number seven in ''

Newsarama ''Newsarama'' is an American website that publishes news, interviews, and essays about the American comic book industry. It is owned by Future US. In June 2020, Newsarama was merged with the website ''GamesRadar+'', also owned by Future US. Hi ...

''s list of the best Spider-Men. Ryan Lynch of ''

Screen Rant ''Screen Rant'' is an entertainment website that offers news in the fields of television, films, video games, and comic books. It is owned by Valnet, parent of publications including Comic Book Resources, Collider, MovieWeb and XDA Developers. ...

'' called her the second-greatest alternate version of Spider-Man, saying that her stories were "a unique take on the Spider-mythos that provided unique stories based on fleshed out characters with clever writing." Chris Sims from

ComicsAlliance ComicsAlliance is an American website dedicated to covering the comic book industry as well as comic-related media, and is owned by Townsquare Media. The site has been nominated for multiple awards including a 2015 Eisner Award win in the categ ...

ranked her as the second-best alternate take on Spider-Man. Mark Ginocchio, writing for ComicBook.com, said the character's debut was the fourth-best alternate Spider-Man story, and that, even though Gwen Stacy was a new character, she was on her way to establishing herself as one of the most popular superheroes of Marvel. In 2022, ''

Screen Rant ''Screen Rant'' is an entertainment website that offers news in the fields of television, films, video games, and comic books. It is owned by Valnet, parent of publications including Comic Book Resources, Collider, MovieWeb and XDA Developers. ...

'' included Gwen Stacy / Spider-Gwen in their "10 Female Marvel Heroes That Should Come To The MCU" list.

In other media

Television

* Spider-Gwen appears in the ''

Ultimate Spider-Man ''Ultimate Spider-Man'' is a superhero comic book series that was published by Marvel Comics from 2000 to 2011. The series is a modernized re-imagining of Marvel's long-running Spider-Man comic book franchise as part of the company's Ultimate Ma ...

'' episode "Return to the Spider-Verse" Pt. 4, voiced by

Dove Cameron Dove Olivia Cameron (born Chloe Celeste Hosterman; January 15, 1996) is an American singer and actress. She rose to fame for her dual role of the eponymous characters in Disney Channel's comedy series '' Liv and Maddie'' (2013–2017) and her ...

. After

Miles Morales Spider-Man (Miles Gonzalo MoralesAhmed, Saladin (w), Garrón, Javier (a). ''Miles Morales: Spider-Man'' #1 (2018) Marvel Comics (New York). ) is a superhero and the third predominant Spider-Man to appear in American comic books published by M ...

vanished from her universe, Gwen Stacy allied with her universe's

May Parker Maybelle "May" Parker-Jameson (née Reilly), commonly known as Aunt May, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Spider-Man. Making her first full appeara ...

to become Spider-Woman and reign in the chaos that befell her city using technology to mimic Morales' spider powers. Morales later returns with the "prime" version of Peter Parker and join forces with Gwen to defeat

Wolf Spider Wolf spiders are members of the family Lycosidae (), named for their robust and agile hunting skills and excellent eyesight. They live mostly in solitude, hunt alone, and usually do not spin webs. Some are opportunistic hunters, pouncing upon ...

. She is later chosen by Morales to continue being their universe's Spider hero while the Morales family move to Parker's universe. * Spider-Gwen / Ghost-Spider appears in ''

Marvel's Spider-Man ''Marvel's Spider-Man'' is a series of Superhero fiction, superhero Action-adventure game, action-adventure video games developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) for PlayStation consoles and Windows. Base ...

'', voiced by

Laura Bailey Laura Bailey (born May 28, 1981) is an American voice actress. She made her voice acting debut as Trunks (Dragon Ball), Kid Trunks in the Funimation dub of ''Dragon Ball Z'' and has since voiced List of Gunslinger Girl characters#First Generati ...

. This version is one of Peter Parker's classmates at Horizon High, as well as best friends with

Anya Corazon Aña "Anya" Sofia Corazón (surname alternatively shown without diacritic, Corazon, over the years) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Marvel editor-in-chief Joe Quesada, writer Fiona Avery, ...

, who specializes in DNA formulas after she was inspired by her uncle Raymond Warren to pursue science. Later in the series, she develops spider powers after being exposed to Warren's chemicals, with admirers referring to her as "Spider-Gwen" after adopting her comic book costume sans mask. Though she temporarily loses her powers, she later regains them and adopts the Ghost-Spider alias after adding a mask to her costume. * Spider-Gwen appears in ''

Marvel Super Hero Adventures ''Marvel Super Hero Adventures'' is an American short-form animated series based on characters created by Marvel Comics. Aimed at a preschool audience, the shorts first air on Disney Channel's Disney Junior block, followed by the Disney Junior c ...

'', voiced by

Emily Tennant Emily Tennant (born August 9, 1990) is a Canadian actress. She played Ivy Young on the Canadian comedy television series ''Mr. Young'', and voices Polly Pocket in the Polly Pocket (TV series), eponymous animated series. Early life Tennant was bo ...

. * Ghost-Spider appears in the ''

Marvel Rising ''Marvel Rising'' is an American media franchise and shared universe produced by Marvel Animation. The animated media are based on characters that appear in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The franchise includes a made-for- ...

'' animated media franchise, voiced again by Dove Cameron. While this version is primarily based on Stacy, she uses an alias that originated in the comics as a

Ghost Rider Ghost Rider is the name of multiple superheroes or antiheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Marvel had previously used the name for a Western character whose name was later changed to Phantom Rider. The first s ...

variant of Spider-Man and has the partially dyed pink hair of Gwen Poole in her civilian identity. This redesign was cited by a ''Marvel Rising'' character designer, who mistook an image of Gwen Poole by

Gurihiru , also credited as Illustrator Unit Gurihiru and Gurihiru Studios, is a Japanese illustration duo, consisting of Chifuyu Sasaki (workplan design, pencils, inks) and Naoko Kawano (workplan design, colors, webdesign). Both originating from Sapporo, ...

for Gwen Stacy while using

Google Images Google Images (previously Google Image Search) is a search engine owned by Gsuite that allows users to search the World Wide Web for images. It was introduced on July 12, 2001, due to a demand for pictures of the green Versace dress of Jennif ...

to reference the former character's physical appearance during the series' development. The "Ghost-Spider" alias was later integrated into

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...

and related animated Spider-Man media to distinguish the character from other Spider-Women. ** Stacy first appears in the ''Initiation'' shorts, in which she goes on the run from the police after she is blamed for the death of her

Inhuman Inhuman may refer to: Comics *Inhumans, a fictional race in Marvel Comics ** ''Inhuman'' (comics), a comic book series focusing on Inhumans ** ''Inhumans'' (TV series), a television series set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe Music *InHuman ...

friend, Kevin. Eventually,

S.H.I.E.L.D. S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage, special law enforcement, and counter-terrorism government agency appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, this agency first appeared in ''Strange Tal ...

agent

Daisy Johnson Daisy Johnson, also known as Quake, is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Gabriele Dell'Otto, the character first appeared in '' Secret War'' #2 ...

finds similar reports of the suspect in question and gives the information to Ghost-Spider. ** Ghost-Spider returns in the TV special "Chasing Ghosts", in which she tracks down Sheath, a female Inhuman responsible for Kevin's death, and works with the Secret Warriors to stop her before eventually joining the team. * Ghost-Spider appears in ''Lego Marvel Spider-Man: Vexed by Venom'', voiced again by Laura Bailey. This version's design and portrayal is a combination of her counterparts from ''Marvel's Spider-Man'' and ''Marvel Rising''. * Ghost-Spider appears in ''

Spidey and His Amazing Friends ''Spidey and His Amazing Friends'' (also known as ''Marvel's Spidey and His Amazing Friends'') is an American animated television series produced by Marvel Studios Animation (formerly Marvel Animation) and animated by Atomic Cartoons (who als ...

'', voiced by Lily Sanfelippo in season one and two and by Audrey Bennett from season three onward. Like the ''Marvel Rising'' incarnation, this version has Gwen Poole's partially dyed pink highlights. * Spider-Gwen appears in the

Disney+ The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...

special ''Lego Marvel Avengers: Mission Demolition'', voiced again by Lily Sanfelippo. * Spider-Gwen will appear in the upcoming second season of ''

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man ''Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man'' is an American animated television series created by Jeff Trammell for the streaming service Disney+, based on Marvel Comics featuring the character Spider-Man. It is the 12th television series in the ...

''.

Film

Gwen Stacy / Spider-Woman appears in

Sony is a Japanese multinational conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at Sony City in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. The Sony Group encompasses various businesses, including Sony Corporation (electronics), Sony Semiconductor Solutions (i ...

's

Spider-Verse Spider-Verse is a comic book series issued by Marvel Comics since 2014. Its first major event/storyline started on November 5 in ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' (2014) No. 9 along with an individual issue named ''Spider-Verse Team-Up''. This event ...

film franchise, voiced by

Hailee Steinfeld Hailee Steinfeld (born December 11, 1996) is an American actress, singer, and songwriter. She had her breakthrough with the western film ''True Grit (2010 film), True Grit'' (2010), which earned her List of awards and nominations received by H ...

. This version has operated as Spider-Woman for two years, saved her father George Stacy, but failed to save her friend Peter Parker after he became the

Lizard Lizard is the common name used for all Squamata, squamate reptiles other than snakes (and to a lesser extent amphisbaenians), encompassing over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most Island#Oceanic isla ...

. She first appears in '' Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse'' (2018) before returning in '' Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse'' (2023). Additionally, she will appear in the upcoming '' Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse'' (2027) and ''Spider-Woman'', a female-centered spin-off film.

Video games

* Spider-Gwen appears as an unlockable playable character in: ** '' Marvel: Contest of Champions''. ** '' Marvel: Avengers Alliance''. ** '' Marvel Heroes'', voiced by

Ashley Johnson Ashley Suzanne Johnson (born 1983) is an American actress. She became known as a child actor for her role as Chrissy Seaver on the sitcom ''Growing Pains'' (1990–1992). As an adult, her television roles include Amber Ahmed on '' The Killing' ...

. ** ''

Marvel Future Fight ''Marvel: Future Fight'' is a 2015 action role-playing game developed and published by Netmarble. Gameplay Players assemble a team of iconic Marvel heroes and villains to engage in thrilling battles. The gameplay revolves around completing mi ...

''. ** '' Marvel Puzzle Quest''. ** ''

Marvel Avengers Academy ''Marvel Avengers Academy'' was a freemium mobile game for iOS and Android, based on the characters featured in Marvel Comics. It was released on February 4, 2016. The game was shut down three years later. Despite the name, the game was not re ...

'', voiced by Catherine Luciani. ** ''

Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2 ''Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2'' is a Lego-themed action-adventure video game developed by Traveller's Tales and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One on 14 November 2017 and ...

'', voiced by Melli Bond. * Spider-Gwen and Gwenom appear as separate unlockable playable characters in ''

Spider-Man Unlimited ''Spider-Man Unlimited'' is an animated television series produced by Saban Entertainment which features the Marvel comic book superhero Spider-Man and serves as a follow-up to '' Spider-Man: The Animated Series''. ''Unlimited'' premiered in 1 ...

'', voiced again by Laura Bailey. * Spider-Gwen appears as a playable character in '' Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order'', voiced by Allegra Clark. * Spider-Gwen's suit, based on her appearance in ''Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse'', appears as an outfit in ''

Fortnite ''Fortnite'' is an online video game and game platform developed by Epic Games and released in 2017. It is available in seven distinct game mode versions that otherwise share the same general gameplay and game engine: '' Fortnite Battle Roy ...

''.

Legacy

The character inspired 20 Marvel variant covers of Gwen Stacy being a wide array of Marvel heroes (and one for the

Image Comics Image Comics is an independent American American comic book, comic book publisher and is the third largest direct market comic book and graphic novel publisher in the industry by market share. Its best-known publications include ''Spawn (comics) ...

series ''Invincible'' and its

title character The title character in a narrative work is one who is named or referred to in the title of the work. In a performed work such as a play or film, the performer who plays the title character is said to have the title role of the piëce. The title o ...

), one of such hybrids inspiring the character Gwen Poole. A

rock band ''Rock Band'' is a series of rhythm games first released in 2007 and developed by Harmonix. Based on their previous development work from the Guitar Hero, ''Guitar Hero'' series, the main ''Rock Band'' games have players use game controllers mod ...

named Married With Sea Monsters drew inspiration from Spider-Woman for their track "Face It Tiger", which was based on a song sung by Spider-Gwen's fictional band The Mary Janes. The character's popularity has spawned merchandise, including shirts and action figures of the superhero. Figures have been sold to companies such as

Diamond Comic Distributors Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc. (often called Diamond Comics, DCD, or casually Diamond) is an American comic book distributor serving retailers in North America and worldwide. It transports comic books and graphic novels, as well as other popu ...

and

Hasbro Hasbro, Inc. (; a syllabic abbreviation of its original name, Hassenfeld Brothers) is an American multinational corporation, multinational toy manufacturing and entertainment holding company founded on December 6, 1923 by Henry, Hillel and Herma ...

, among others. In addition,

Funko Funko Inc. is an American company that manufactures Brand licensing, licensed and limited popular culture, pop culture collectibles, known for its licensed Polyvinyl chloride, vinyl figurines and bobbleheads. In addition, the company produces li ...

released

bobblehead A bobblehead, also known by nicknames such as nodder, wobbler, or wacky wobbler, is a type of small collectible figurine. Its head is often oversized compared to its body. Instead of a solid connection, its head is connected to the body by a ...

figures of the character, while in Australia,

Harley Davidson Harley may refer to: People * Harley (given name) * Harley (surname) Places * Harley, Ontario, a township in Canada * Harley, Brant County, Ontario, Canada * Harley, Shropshire, England * Harley, South Yorkshire, England * Harley Street, i ...

has teamed up with Marvel to create custom hero-themed motorcycles including a design based on Spider-Gwen.

References

External links

Spider-Woman (Gwen Stacy)
at Marvel Wiki {{Symbiote Family and Hosts Alternative versions of Spider-Man Comics characters introduced in 2014 Fictional ballet dancers Fictional characters from New York City Fictional characters with precognition Fictional college students Fictional female musicians Fictional adolescents Fictional rock musicians Marvel Comics American superheroes Marvel Comics characters who can move at superhuman speeds Marvel Comics characters with accelerated healing Marvel Comics characters with superhuman durability or invulnerability Marvel Comics characters with superhuman senses Marvel Comics characters with superhuman strength Marvel Comics characters with spider powers Marvel Comics female superheroes Marvel Comics mutates Marvel Comics teenage superheroes Spider-Gwen Spider-Woman Vigilante characters in comics

Publication history

Fictional character biography

Origin

Spider-Verse

Web Warriors

Gwenom

Spider-Geddon

Ghost-Spider

Powers and abilities

Villains

Collected issues

Other versions

Earth-8

Lost in the Plot

Secret Wars

Spider-Ham

What If?

Characteristics

Reception

In other media

Television

Film

Video games

Legacy

References

External links