It's official: Marvel Comics is bringing Spider-Man fans aren't happy about it. The widespread uproar about Gwen's revival may seem shocking to some, since bringing back Peter Parker's first love doesn't sound like a bad idea on the surface, but this lore change is shaping up to be a huge mistake. As it turns out, fans have plenty of valid reasons to criticize Gwen Stacy's resurrection.
Not only will Gwenpool, written by Cavan Scott with art by Stefano Nesi. Although the name Gwenpool is typically used by Gwen Poole, a character separate from Spider-Man's love interest, it'll presumably be shared by the two of them in this series.
After being dead for decades, Marvel has made the questionable choice to bring back one of the few characters whose death was thought to be permanent, tying into a major issue that's plagued Marvel Comics for far too long.
Marvel Refuses to Let Gwen Stacy Go, And Her Resurrection Proves It
Gwen Stacy's Constant Comebacks Demonstrate Marvel's Problem
Even though she died in 1973, Gwen Stacy has popped up throughout the Marvel Universe numerous times, albeit in different continuities to avoid interfering with the "canon event" of her death. A Heroes Reborn event in 2021 brought her back in an Avengers-free universe as Green Goblin in Spider-Society by Alex Segura and Ruairí Coleman. The most popular Gwen Stacy variant of the bunch, of course, is Earth-65's Spider-Gwen. While the existence of this version isn't inherently bad, it's her recent relocation to Earth-616 that suggests Marvel has a Gwen Stacy problem.
There Are Things We Want for Spider-Man, But Gwen Stacy's Return Is Not One of Them
Spider-Man fans have been through a lot in recent memory, but few things would crush them more than seeing Gwen Stacy resurected from the dead.
resurrect the real Gwen Stacy in Amazing Spider-Man #10 by Zeb Wells and Nick Dragotta, but it didn't last long - and that's for the best. Marvel, like Spider-Man, needs to move on from Gwen. Her death is integral to Marvel lore, so reversing it would undermine years of storytelling.
Gwen Stacy's Revival Shows That Death Means Nothing in Comics
Spider-Man's First Love Is Following in Bucky Barnes' Infamous Footsteps
Sometimes the past is better off staying in the past, yet it seems Marvel never got that memo. Gwen Stacy isn't the first character to undergo a revival that lessens the impact of her initial death, nor will she be the last. She may have died fifty years ago, but Marvel Comics has no qualms about reviving long-dead characters. Bucky Barnes is the most notable example, having returned as the Winter Soldier forty years after his death. Death has proven to be inconsequential in comics, and Gwen Stacy is about to become further evidence of that fact.
Gwen Stacy isn't the first character to undergo a revival that lessens the impact of her initial death, nor will she be the last.
Gwen met her tragic demise in The Amazing Spider-Man #121 by Gerry Conway, Gil Kane, John Romita Sr., and Tony Mortellaro, an issue famously called "The Night Gwen Stacy Died". In this story, the Green Goblin captures Gwen after learning Peter Parker's secret identity in order to lure him into a trap. During their confrontation, disaster strikes, and Gwen plummets to her death. This loss shakes Spider-Man to his core, but it also allows him to grow as a person and live on in her memory. In undoing that event, Spider-Man loses his development, and he isn't the only character who's being negatively affected.
Gwen Stacy Is Getting Her Own Series, But It Should've Been Gwen Poole
Gwenpool Should Be Her Own Character, Not A Gwen Stacy Stand-In
Gwen's resurrection throws a staple of Spider-Man history out the window, but Gwenpool may be worse off than Peter Parker. Although Gwen Poole's design originated as a variant of Gwen Stacy dressed as Deadpool, she gained so much popularity that she was made canon as an official character who is distinct from the first Gwen. Gwenpool has since made a name for herself as a girl who gets transported into the Marvel Universe and pushes the boundaries of the comic medium by shattering the fourth wall. Now, Gwen Stacy is starring in a new series using that mantle, much to the dismay of Gwenpool fans.
To learn more about Gwenpool, check out the Gwenpool Omnibus, which collects her various fun-filled appearances throughout the Marvel Universe!
This Gwenpool comic is a "monkey's paw" situation for fans of the character, as it sets up a beloved character's return to comics but focuses on the wrong Gwen in the process. Rather than giving Gwen Stacy a new series, Marvel could have given one to the true Gwenpool. Throughout 2019's Gwenpool Strikes Back, she fights in order to secure more solo stories for herself, yet Spider-Man's lost love has now taken that opportunity for herself and squandered fans' hopes for a proper sequel. Doing so is a disservice to Gwenpool that makes her seem like an expendable character, further justifying the outrage about Gwen coming back.
Gwen Stacy Deserves to Rest in Peace, For Her Sake and Spider-Man's
Spider-Man Needs to Move On From Gwen Stacy, Not Live in the Past
At the end of the day, Marvel disregarding character deaths and bringing them back for shock value is a recurring phenomenon, and Gwen Stacy is just the latest unfortunate victim. Her return to the living has been teased countless times over the years, from clones posing as her to trick Spider-Man to false realities where Peter and Gwen get married. The problem is that Gwen, up until now, has been proof that not every character who meets a fatal end needs to have it undone. If every death can be rectified, then it loses meaning altogether, causing comics to lack any semblance of stakes.
As Gwen Stacy's comeback draws near, fans are right to worry about what it means for her, for Spider-Man, and for the entire Marvel Universe.
The biggest problem with Gwen reviving after all this time is that it will undoubtedly interfere with Mary-Jane Watson, holding onto the memory of Gwen while starting anew. With her entering the picture again, there's a chance that the situation will be mined for needless drama. Spider-Man has moved on from Gwen, and it's about time Marvel accepted that. As Gwen Stacy's comeback draws near, fans are right to worry about what it means for her, for Spider-Man, and for the entire Marvel Universe.
Gwenpool #1 will be available on May 14th, 2025 from Marvel Comics.
