Marvel Reveals Gwen Stacy’s Ultimate Origin Story (& Connection to a Major Villain)

The latest issue of Ultimate Spider-Man has changed everything we thought we knew about Gwen Stacy. One thing Marvel’s new Ultimate Universe has succeeded in doing is offering interesting new takes on familiar, classic characters. For example, we have Peter Parker becoming Spider-Man as a married man with two kids, Harry Osborn as a heroic Green Goblin, and Wolverine as a mind-controlled Winter Soldier. As far as Gwen Stacy goes, she’s married to Harry instead of being romantically linked to Peter. We’ve only seen a little bit of Gwen, but after Harry’s death at the hands of Kraven the Hunter, Ultimate Spider-Man gives Gwen Stacy the spotlight to reveal her surprising backstory and connection to a major villain. WARNING: Spoilers for Ultimate Spider-Man #16 below.

Ultimate Spider-Man #16 comes from the creative team of Jonathan Hickman, Marco Checchetto, Matthew Wilson, and VC’s Cory Petit. It begins with Gwen Stacy visiting Harry Osborn’s gravesite on a dark, rainy night. We then go back in time to see Gwen’s father talking to her as a child after her mother’s death, as well as the progression of Gwen and Harry’s relationship. The biggest surprise is that Gwen’s father was a member of a secret gathering of individuals that called themselves Mysterio.

Gwen Stacy is the Ultimate Mysterio

After Gwen receives a call that her deceased father was found, she goes to a meeting of four individuals dressed as Mysterio. Her father was a part of this secret organization, and his last wish was for Gwen to take his place whenever he should die. Three of the identities are kept a secret, but we do know that the fourth member is Quentin Beck, the original Mysterio in the main Marvel Universe.

Some years pass, and we see Harry and Gwen’s wedding day. Gwen has kept her secret from Harry, so while she knows that he is the Green Goblin, Harry doesn’t know that Gwen spends her free time as a masked villain. On their first Christmas together as a married couple, Harry presents Gwen with a copy of “The World That Is and The World That Was” by Dr. Jericho Drumm. Harry calls it a conspiracy book, but Gwen sees it as more than that. She alludes to the world having two timelines: the one they’re currently living in, and the one they are supposed to be living in.

[RELATED: Ultimate Spider-Man: Marvel Previews Miles Morales Crossover With the New Ultimate Universe]

This all leads to Gwen presenting the Council of Mysterios with her findings: that they were right all along, and that The Maker has fundamentally changed their world. Their world is an illusion and built upon a lie big enough to deceive humanity. It appears that a Mysterio is always guarding watch over Gwen, as we see a Mysterio illusion appear behind her in various scenes.

Marvel reveals the true fate of Harry Osborn, the Green Goblin

If those were enough massive revelations for you, Ultimate Spider-Man #16 saved perhaps the best for last. We continue moving through Gwen Stacy’s timeline, reaching the point where Peter Parker and Harry Osborn are trying to escape from Kraven the Hunter in the Savage Land. A Mysterio visits Gwen to let her know where Harry is, and she crafts a plan to save her husband. We come to the moment when Kraven is about to kill Harry, but the moment changes to include Mysterio. The master of illusions covers Harry’s mouth and tells him to be quiet and watch.

Kraven shoots “Harry” dead in front of Peter, but we learn that this is an illusion created by Mysterio. Another Mysterio talks to Peter and convinces him to race home to save his family, all while a stunned Harry watches from the sidelines. Mysterio then raises a gun and murders Kraven in the same manner that Kraven intended to kill Harry. Mysterio then unmasks to reveal their identity as Gwen Stacy to Harry.

Ultimate Spider-Man #16 ends with Harry joining Gwen at his gravesite. With Harry being legally dead, that means he can no longer be linked to the Green Goblin. As they walk away, they agree their next move is to take the fight to Wilson Fisk and his Sinister Six, and they intend to win.

What did you think about the events of Ultimate Spider-Man #16? Let us know in the comments below!