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Warning: Spoilers for Spider-Gwen: The Ghost-Spider (2024) #9 ahead!Ever since Marvel’s Spider-Verse exploded in popularity, I think it’s safe to say that there has been one clear spider-hero par excellence: Gwen Stacy, or as she’s more colloquially known, Spider-Gwen. But popularity can be a double-edged sword, and I think there’s ample evidence to be found in Gwen’s latest series to prove that the popularity of the Spider-Verse is hurting the character.
Spider-Gwen: The Ghost Spider (2024) #9 – written by Stephanie Phillips, with art by Paolo Villanelli and Matt Milla – is emblematic of the issues currently plaguing the character. Having been poisoned by the villain Mr. Fear, Gwen spends most of the book convalescing. Instead, the bulk of the action is handled by series newcomer and potential romantic interest, Black Tarantula (who is secretly involved in another villainous sub-plot himself).
Like much of the series, Spider-Gwen: The Ghost Spider (2024) #9 takes too much of the focus off Gwen herself, instead reducing her to a damsel in distress within her own title.
Marvel Has A Gwen Stacy Problem On Its Hands
By now, I think most Marvel fans are familiar with Spider-Gwen: Gwen Stacy from an alternate universe where she never died, and instead becomes Spider-Woman in Peter Parker’s place. Although this version of the character has been around since Edge of Spider-Verse (2014) #2, her popularity has reached all-new heights since she appeared as a feature character in the wildly successful Spider-Verse animated films franchise. The character has proven to be so popular that Marvel has moved her into its mainstream continuity as of Spider-Gwen: The Ghost-Spider, no longer having her adventures take place in her home universe.
Edge of Spider-Verse (2014) #2 – written by Jason Latour, with art by Robbi Rodriguez and Rico Renzi – is highly worth the read, revitalizing Gwen Stacy and breathing fresh life into her legacy.
Readers got to know Gwen pretty well in her home of Earth-65. Artistic, a little headstrong, and acrobatic, Gwen’s tenure as Spider-Woman is distinct from other spider-heroes. In her civilian life, Gwen is caring but guarded after the death of her universe’s Peter Parker, with her superhero duties conflicting with her role as drummer for the band The Mary Janes. Gwen is particularly driven, and while this can lead to her creating her own problems, she also has the skills and determination to own up to her mistakes and confront her issues head-on.
Gwen Stacy Doesn’t Have a True ‘Role’ On Earth-616
My problem is that the Gwen Stacy described above doesn’t seem to be present in Spider-Gwen: The Ghost Spider. Nine issues in, and the bulk of the stories deal with Gwen either feeling guilty, afraid, or needing to be rescued in some fashion. The covers reflect this, with seven out of eleven depicting Gwen as a victim. While it’s common for comic covers and plots to place their hero in peril in order to drive up interest, I’m struck by what appears to be an alarming lack of agency for Gwen in what is supposed to be her own series.
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I see Gwen as stuck in a bind: popular enough that Marvel wanted to place her in mainstream continuity, but unable to claim a niche when there are already so many other Spider-people. This is only exacerbated by Spider-Gwen: The Ghost Spider #1 reiterating to readers that Gwen Stacy’s role on Earth-616 was to be a tragic element in Spider-Man’s life. While this could lead to a compelling fish-out-of-water narrative, I’m worried that, now that Marvel has taken Gwen out of her element, the publisher doesn’t know what to do with her outside of stock romance-or-rescue stories.
What’s Marvel To Do With All These Spiders?
Earth-616 is flooded with Spider-people. Peter Parker and Miles Morales have a joint title in addition to their own series, and old hands like Jessica Drew, Madame Web, and Silk are joined by newcomers like Spider-Boy. With so many heroes, it’s already difficult for Gwen to stand out without her own title downplaying her capabilities. While there are narrative threads linking her to the TVA, even placing her as a major character in TVA (2024), that’s just placing her back in her original role as a multiversal variant hero – it doesn’t help her claim a place on Earth-616.
Gwen Stacy is an exciting and popular character, but unfortunately, I see her as bearing the brunt of Marvel’s Spider-person issues. I know that Gwen has so much potential – she’s already proven her appeal in numerous titles and films. This move to place her in mainstream continuity baffles me, not because she doesn’t deserve the attention, but because it’s taking her out of an environment tailored to play to her strengths and forcing her to share the already crowded Spider-spotlight. Marvel needs to figure out how it wants to handle its Spider-Verse, because Gwen Stacy is suffering for it.
“}]] What is Gwen Stacy’s role in mainstream Marvel canon? Read More