Ghost-Spider ( Gwendolyne Maxine Stacy;

colloquially Colloquialism (), also called colloquial language, everyday language or general parlance, is the linguistic style used for casual (informal) communication. It is the most common functional style of speech, the idiom normally employed in conversa ...

: Spider-Gwen), formerly Spider-Woman, is a superheroine appearing in American comic books published by

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...

. She was created by

Jason Latour David Jason Latour (born 1977) is an American comic book artist and writer known for his work for Image, Dark Horse, Marvel and DC comics on titles such as ''Wolverine'', '' Winter Soldier'', '' Southern Bastards'' and ''Spider-Gwen''. Early ...

and Robbi Rodriguez. The character debuted in ''

Edge of Spider-Verse "Spider-Verse" is a 2014 in comics, 2014–2015 in comics, 15 comic book storyline published by Marvel Comics. It features multiple alternative versions of Spider-Man, alternative versions of Spider-Man that had appeared Spider-Man in other medi ...

'' issue #2 as part of the 2014–15 "

Spider-Verse "Spider-Verse" is a 2014– 15 comic book storyline published by Marvel Comics. It features multiple alternative versions of Spider-Man that had appeared in various media, all under attack by Morlun and his family, the Inheritors. The event ...

comic book A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...

storyline, leading to the ongoing series ''

Spider-Gwen ''Spider-Gwen'' (also titled ''Ghost-Spider'') 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 universe version of Gwen Stacy that debuted in ...

'' that began in 2015. Spider-Woman/Ghost-Spider is a variant of Spider-Man and an alternate-universe version of Gwen Stacy. She lives on Earth-65, where Gwen Stacy is bitten by a radioactive spider and becomes a superhero instead of Peter Parker becoming Spider-Man. The character's various enemies include Earth-65 versions of Matt Murdock and

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 ma ...

. Gwen Stacy's Spider-Woman harbors much of Peter's personality and conflicts along with his powers and abilities. Spider-Woman was met with positive reviews from critics, with them applauding her design—cited as a popular choice for cosplay—and a feminist perspective. For promotion, several other versions of the character were developed, accompanied by merchandise. She was also featured on animated television series and in multiple video games as a playable character.

Dove Cameron Dove Olivia Cameron (born Chloe Celeste Hosterman; January 15, 1996) is an American singer and actress. She became famous for her double role of the eponymous characters in the Disney Channel comedy series ''Liv and Maddie'', for which she won ...

voices the character in the 2018–19 ''

Marvel Rising ''Marvel Rising'' is an American media franchise which was produced by Marvel Animation from 2018 to 2019, based on characters from Marvel Comics. The franchise focused on the Secret Warriors, a diverse team of teenage superheroes who must ban ...

'' media franchise as "Ghost-Spider", an alias later integrated into the comics, while Hailee Steinfeld voices the character in the ''Spider-Verse'' film series;

Laura Bailey Laura Bailey is an American voice actress. She made her anime debut as Kid Trunks in the Funimation dub of ''Dragon Ball Z''. Her other anime credits include Emily / Glitter Lucky in ''Glitter Force'', Tohru Honda in ''Fruits Basket'', Lust in ...

, Ashley Johnson, Emily Tennant, Catherine Luciani and Allegra Clark have also provided the character's voice in other media.

Publication history

In the primary continuity of the comic books constituting the Marvel Universe, college-student Gwen Stacy was the girlfriend of Peter Parker, whom she was unaware was Spider-Man. This primary version of Gwen Stacy was killed in ''

The Amazing Spider-Man ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' is an ongoing American comic book series featuring the Marvel Comics superhero Spider-Man as its main protagonist. Being in the mainstream continuity of the franchise, it began publication in 1963 as a bimonthly per ...

'' #121 (June 1973). The concept of an alternate-universe, spider-powered Gwen Stacy was first conceptualized by longtime Spider-Man writer

Dan Slott 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 ''She-Hulk'', ''Silver Surfer'', '' The Superior Spider-Man'', '' Tony Stark: Iron Man'', ''Th ...

for the "

" story arc. Slott had suggested "Gwen Stacy as a

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

" to Spider-Man editor

Nick Lowe Nicholas Drain Lowe (born 24 March 1949) is an English singer-songwriter, musician and producer. A noted figure in 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). The two-issue story was written by Gerry Conway, wit ...

" (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 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 Western comics, graphic novels, anime, manga, video games, cosplay, toys, movies, and television. It was first held in 2006. History The New York Comic Con is a ...

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'' for short, is a twelve-issue American comic book crossover limited series published from May 1984 to April 1985 by Marvel Comics. The series was written by Jim Shooter, with ...

'' 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 w ...

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 ''

'', ''

Silk Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons. The best-known silk is obtained from the ...

'' 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 Miles Gonzalo MoralesAhmed, Saladin (w), Garrón, Javier (a). ''Miles Morales: Spider-Man'' #1 (2018) Marvel Comics (New York). () is a fictional character, a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, and is one o ...

in a crossover storyline titled ''Sitting in a Tree'' where she gets romantically involved with Miles. Spider-Gwen begins college on Earth-616 at the start of a new series ''Spider-Gwen: Ghost-Spider'' written by Seanan McGuire 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. Bibliography Incomplete comic book checklist: *'' Empowe ...

. 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 ''

''. 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 ...

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.

Fictional character biography

Earth-65

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 (arts), fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by Stan Lee and John Romita Sr., and made her first appearance in ''The Amazing Spider-Man' ...

, Betty Brant and

Glory Grant Gloriana Grant, more commonly known as Glory Grant, is a Marvel Comics supporting character of Spider-Man. She is introduced in ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #140 (January 1975) as a neighbor of Peter Parker. Peter then helps her secure a position as ...

who compete with Felicia Hardy and her band the "Black Cats". Bitten by a radioactive spider, Gwen becomes the hero

. Shortly afterward, her friend and classmate

Peter Parker Spider-Man is a superhero appearing 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 ...

attempts to exact revenge on those who bully him, becoming Earth-65's version of the Lizard. Gwen subdues him and Peter dies due to the chemicals he used for his transformation. Spider-Woman is greatly affected by Peter's death and inspired to use her power to protect others. She is blamed for Parker's death publicly by J. Jonah Jameson. Her father,

NYPD The New York City Police Department (NYPD), officially the City of New York Police Department, established on May 23, 1845, is the primary municipal law enforcement agency within the City of New York, the largest and one of the oldest in ...

Chief

George Stacy George Stacy is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, usually in stories depicting the superhero Spider-Man. He is Gwen Stacy's father and a former police captain from the New York City Police Departm ...

, hunts for Spider-Woman, aided by his world's Captain Frank Castle and Detective Jean DeWolff. During a later confrontation with her father, Gwen reveals her true identity to him. Shocked, he tells her to run. In the "

" storyline, Gwen of Earth-65 is one of many other Spider-Totems across the multiverse recruited to fight the vampiric

Morlun Morlun () is a fictional 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 ...

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

, 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 Mister Fantastic (Reed Richards) is a superhero character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is a founding member, and the leader, of the Fantastic Four. Richards has a mastery of mechanical, aerospace and ...

, and

Peggy Carter Margaret Elizabeth 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 Jack Kirb ...

, the leader of S.H.I.E.L.D. Gwen meets Spider heroes of other worlds again on

Battleworld Battleworld is a fictional patchwork planet appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Publication history The first Battleworld debuted in the ''Secret Wars'' crossover where it was created by Jim Shooter and Mike Zeck. The ...

in the ''

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

, 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, she poses as a clone of Earth-616 Gwen Stacy to help Peter and

Kaine Parker Kaine Parker is a fictional Character (arts), 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), f ...

stop a threat involving the

Jackal Jackals are medium-sized canids native to Africa and Eurasia. While the word "jackal" has historically been used for many canines of the subtribe canina, in modern use it most commonly refers to three species: the closely related black-backed ...

's Carrion Virus. After losing her powers, Gwen's seeks aid from the corrupt Matt Murdock (this universe's version of the Kingpin) and scientist Elsa Brock. It's discovered that combining the mutagenic Lizard serum with isotopes can form a version of the Venom symbiote. 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 to perform black ops services in exchange for reduced sentencing, she is convicted for one year in a maximum security S.H.I.E.L.D. prison.

Earth-616

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 and crossover storyline published by Marvel Comics featuring multiple alternative versions of Spider-Man that had appeared in various media, and his supporting cast. In this sequel to ''Spi ...

" 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. The first and best-known incarnation Norman Osborn, created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, is generally regarded as one of the a ...

, 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) is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Part of the Marvel Noir universe (Earth-90214), this alternate version of Spider-Man is a noir-themed take on the character ...

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 Swarm behaviour, or swarming, is a collective behaviour exhibited by entities, particularly animals, of similar size which aggregate together, perhaps milling about the same spot or perhaps moving ''en masse'' or migrating in some direction. ...

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. Realizing her secret identity is intact in this dimension, Gwen decides to attend college peacefully on Earth-616 without worrying about villains attacking. 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 him becoming the villainous Jackal.

Collected issues

Other versions

During the 2015 "

" storyline, 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. The series, created by writers G. Willow Wilson and Marguerite Bennett and artist Jorge Molina, fea ...

''. This version resides on the Battleworld domain of Arcadia. The character saves Mary Jane Watson during an invasion of the Marvel Zombies after Arcadia's Loki had fired at the part of the Shield that was closest to Arcadia. On Earth-8, Spider-Gwen is married to

and is the mother of Charlotte and Max Morales, both of whom also have Spider Powers. A version of Spider-Gwen witness

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

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

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

, Spider-Gwen is a penguin known as Guin Stacy the Spider-Guin. She later aids Spider-Ham and Parker Peterman in battling Spider-Ham's various villains. In ''A-Babies vs X-Babies'', Spider-Gwen was new to town and went to Iron Man'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, the

X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, first appearing in ''The X-Men'' #1 by artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby and writer/editor Stan Lee in 1963. Although initially cancelled in 1970 due to lo ...

, the

Guardians of the Galaxy The Guardians of the Galaxy is a fictional superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It may more specifically refer to: Comic book teams * Guardians of the Galaxy (1969 team), the original 31st-century team fr ...

and the

Inhumans The Inhumans are a fictional superhuman race of superheroes 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 peop ...

Characteristics

Gwen Stacy's Spider-Woman is depicted as harboring much of Earth-616 Peter Parker's personality and conflicts, 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 supervillains. ''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 used an experimentation 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 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'' 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 ''Comic Book Resources'', also known by the initialism CBR, is a website dedicated to the coverage of comic book–related news and discussion. History Comic Book Resources was founded by Jonah Weiland in 1995 as a development of the Kingdom Co ...

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

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

the multiverse The multiverse is a hypothetical group of multiple universes. Together, these universes comprise everything that exists: the entirety of space, time, matter, energy, information, and the physical laws and constants that describe them. The d ...

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

smartphone A smartphone is a portable computer device that combines mobile telephone and computing functions into one unit. They are distinguished from feature phones by their stronger hardware capabilities and extensive mobile operating systems, whic ...

for 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. The character is eventually depicted as depowered, 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 st ...

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.

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

ComicsAlliance ComicsAlliance was 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 catego ...

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

and was also distinct from

Jessica Drew Spider-Woman (Jessica Drew) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in ''Marvel Spotlight'' #32 (cover-dated February 1977), and 50 issues of an ongoing series title ...

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

, Mayday Parker, Anya Corazon, 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

, 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 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. Founded by Nicholas White in 2011, ''The Daily Dot'' is headquartered in Austin, Texas. The site, conceived as the Internet's "hometo ...

'' 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 digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cu ...

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

''s list of the best Spider-Men. Ryan Lynch of '' Screen Rant'' called her the second-greatest

alternate version A parallel universe, also known as a parallel dimension, alternate universe, or alternate reality, is a hypothetical self-contained plane of existence, co-existing with one's own. The sum of all potential parallel universes that constitute reali ...

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

ranked her as the second-best alternate take on Spider-Man. Mark Ginnochio, 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'' 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 ...

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

. After

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 they join forces with Gwen to defeat the villainous

Wolf Spider Wolf spiders are members of the family Lycosidae (). They are robust and agile hunters with excellent eyesight. They live mostly in solitude, hunt alone, and do not spin webs. Some are opportunistic hunters, pouncing upon prey as they find it or ...

. 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 the 2017 ''

Spider-Man Spider-Man is a superhero appearing 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 ...

'' series, voiced by

. This version is one of Peter Parker's classmates at Horizon High and 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 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 channel and later the M ...

'', voiced by Emily Tennant. * Spider-Gwen, as Ghost-Spider, appears in the ''

'' animated media franchise, voiced again by Dove Cameron. While this version is primarily based on Stacy, the character uses an alias originating in comics used for a

Ghost Rider Ghost Rider is the name of multiple antiheroes and superheroes 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 rather than the comic book aliases of Spider-Woman and Spider-Gwen and has the partially dyed pink hair of

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

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 team, 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 Google 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 Jennifer Lo ...

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

and related animated Spider-Man media to distinguish the character from other Spider-Women. ** Stacy is first introduced 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 *Kristoff Vernard, ...

friend, Kevin. Eventually, S.H.I.E.L.D. 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 Secret Warriors may refer to: * ''Secret Warriors'' (comic book) ** Secret Warriors (Team White) Secret Warriors is an alias for the fictional group Team White created by Nick Fury, a team of superpowered agents appearing in American comic boo ...

to stop her before eventually joining the team. * Ghost-Spider appears in the animated special ''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''. * Spider-Gwen, as Ghost-Spider, appears in ''

Marvel's Spidey and His Amazing Friends ''Spidey and His Amazing Friends'' (also known as ''Marvel's Spidey and His Amazing Friends'') is a computer-animated superhero children's television series produced by Atomic Cartoons (who also produced ''Marvel Super Hero Adventures'') that ...

'', voiced by Lily Sanfelippo. Like the ''Marvel Rising'' incarnation, this series' Gwen Stacy has Gwen Poole's partially dyed pink highlights in her hair.

Film

* Spider-Gwen appears in '' Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse'' (2018), voiced by Hailee Steinfeld. This version has operated as Spider-Woman for two years, who had saved her father but failed to save her friend Peter Parker after he became the Lizard, before being pulled into Miles Morales' dimension due to the Kingpin's

Super-Collider A particle accelerator is a machine that uses electromagnetic fields to propel charged particles to very high speeds and energies, and to contain them in well-defined beams. Large accelerators are used for fundamental research in particle ...

. Following her spider-sense, she posed as a student at Morales' school to find the dimension's spider hero. Stacy later arrives at

Alchemax Alchemax is a fictional megacorporation appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, usually depicted as part of the 2099 universe. Publication history The Earth-928 version of Alchemax first appeared in ''Spider-Man 2099'' #1 an ...

, where Morales and Peter B. Parker are stealing information that can help send them home. She intervenes in time to secure the data and save the pair from

Doctor Octopus Doctor Octopus (Dr. Otto Gunther Octavius), also known as Doc Ock for short, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko and first appeared in ''Th ...

before joining them and three other Spider-People to stop the Kingpin. She participates in the final battle at the Super-Collider, where Morales proves himself and helps her and the other Spider-People return to their respective home dimensions. In an

epilogue An epilogue or epilog (from Greek ἐπίλογος ''epílogos'', "conclusion" from ἐπί ''epi'', "in addition" and λόγος ''logos'', "word") is a piece of writing at the end of a work of literature, usually used to bring closure to the w ...

, Stacy contacts Morales from "another another" dimension. ** Spider-Gwen will return in the sequel '' Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse'' (2023), with Steinfeld reprising her role. ** Spider-Gwen will also appear in a female-centered spin-off of ''Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse''.

Video games

* Spider-Gwen appears as an unlockable playable character in ''

Spider-Man Unlimited ''Spider-Man Unlimited'' is an American animated series by Saban Entertainment which features the Marvel comic book superhero Spider-Man, intended as a loose sequel series to the previous '' Spider-Man: The Animated Series'', which ran from 199 ...

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

Marvel Future Fight ''Marvel: Future Fight'' is a 2015 superhero-themed mobile video game developed by Netmarble Games. Gameplay Plot The collapse of several dimensions prompts investigations from Thor, Black Bolt, and Black Panther. After battling alternat ...

''. * Spider-Gwen appears as an unlockable playable character in ''

Marvel Puzzle Quest ''Marvel Puzzle Quest'' is a video game released by D3 Publisher and Marvel Entertainment on October 3, 2013, and developed by Demiurge Studios. The fourth installment in the '' Puzzle Quest'' series, it is a free-to-play, match-three ''Bejeweled ...

''. * Spider-Gwen appears as an unlockable playable character in ''

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 rel ...

'', voiced by Catherine Luciani. * Spider-Gwen appears as an unlockable playable character in ''

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 Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and Xbox One on 14 November 2 ...

'', voiced by Melli Bond. * Spider-Gwen appears as a playable character in '' Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order'', voiced by Allegra Clark. * Spider-Gwen appears as a cosmetic outfit in ''

Fortnite ''Fortnite'' is an online video game developed by Epic Games and released in 2017. It is available in three distinct game mode versions that otherwise share the same general gameplay and game engine: ''Fortnite Battle Royale'', a free-to-p ...

'' as part of the Chapter 3 Season 4

Battle Pass In the video game industry, a battle pass is a type of monetization approach that provides additional content for a game usually through a tiered system, rewarding the player with in-game items for playing the game and completing specific chal ...

, based on her appearance in '' Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse''.

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 American comic book publisher and is the third largest comic book and graphic novel publisher in the industry in both unit and market share. It was founded in 1992 by several high-profile illustrators as a venue for creator-ow ...

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 piece. The title of ...

), one of such hybrids inspiring the character

. A

rock band A rock band or pop band is a small musical ensemble that performs rock music, pop music, or a related genre. A four-piece band is the most common configuration in rock and pop music. In the early years, the configuration was typically two guita ...

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. They transport comic books and graphic novels, as well as other po ...

and

Hasbro Hasbro, Inc. (; a syllabic abbreviation of its original name, Hassenfeld Brothers) is an American multinational conglomerate holding company incorporated and headquartered in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Hasbro owns the trademarks and products of ...

, among others. In addition,

Funko Funko Inc. is an American company that manufactures licensed and limited pop culture collectibles, best known for its licensed vinyl figurines and bobbleheads. In addition, the company produces licensed plush, action figures, apparel, accessories ...

released

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

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, in Lo ...

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 parallel universes Fictional characters from New York City Fictional characters with precognition Fictional college students Fictional high school students Marvel Comics American superheroes Marvel Comics characters who can move at superhuman speeds Marvel Comics characters with accelerated healing Marvel Comics characters with superhuman strength Marvel Comics child superheroes Marvel Comics female superheroes Marvel Comics mutates Spider-Woman Vigilante characters in comics Fictional female musicians Fictional rock musicians Teenage superheroes