Marvel Teases the Resurrection of Gwen Stacy (But Should the Character Return?)

Marvel dropped a bombshell on Spider-Man fans with the latest tease for The Amazing Spider-Man. Marvel released an image of Gwen Stacy’s grave, all dug up, with a mysterious figure standing over it. With The Amazing Spider-Man beginning a whole new era, fans have been wondering what direction Marvel would take Spider-Man, and this tease promises to be one of the more controversial choices they could have made for the title. Spider-Man fans have been in an uproar for years over the way the publisher treats Peter Parker, and a resurrection of Gwen Stacy would definitely intensify that.

Gwen Stacy was Spider-Man’s first love, but that was decades ago. Marvel has teased bringing Gwen Stacy back to life since the ’70s, starting with the original Spider-Clone stories. Marvel did bring the character back in multiple alternate universes — Spider-Gwen has become a popular part of the Spider-Man mythos — but bringing her back in the main universe has so far never happened. Is this the right choice for the Spider-Man comics? It’s a difficult question with several answers.

Gwen Stacy’s Resurrection Is a Step in a Direction Fans Have Been Fighting Against for Years

Gwen Stacy’s return is a double-edged sword. Spider-Man losing his loved ones in tragic ways is a huge part of the character, and Gwen’s death plays a massive role in his life. Gwen’s most recent return — in the Judgment Day tie-in issue of The Amazing Spider-Man — showed just how important she still is to him. Bringing her back would definitely take the book in new directions, as Spider-Man would have to deal with one of his greatest losses being walked back. If done correctly, it could be a major turning point in Spider-Man’s life.

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However, that’s also part of the problem. Bringing Gwen Stacy back means that one of the formative moments in the history of Spider-Man would no longer matter. Marvel likes to keep Spider-Man sad, and this kind of move would change that completely. Gwen would jump to the front of the line of Spider-Man’s love interests, and slot back into her place. This feels like exactly the opposite of what Marvel has done over the last eighteen years, making their whole reasoning for destroying major portions of Spider-Man’s life hypocritical. On top of that, while Marvel’s editors, older people who have access to every Marvel comic ever at any time, love Gwen and Peter together, most fans have never experienced those stories. Gwen nostalgia isn’t as prevalent in the fanbase as it is in Marvel’s editorial staff.

Any Story Can Be a Good Story, but The Return of Gwen Stacy Could Backfire Spectacularly

In superhero comics, no idea should ever be truly taken off the table. The simple reason for that is that any story if well thought out and executed can be great. Comic books are all about two things — action and drama — and something like an actual Gwen Stacy resurrection, not a clone or an alternate universe version or any other of the myriad ways Gwen has returned in the past, has the potential for major drama and action. How would Peter react? How would Green Goblin react? How would Mary Jane react? There’s a rich vein to be mined in a story like this and it could lead to great places.

However, an idea like this could also backfire. The Amazing Spider-Man is in a very tenuous place right now. For years, the book was a bestselling comic, alongside Batman and whatever Marvel event book had a lot of hype behind it, but that’s over. Spider-Man fans have started to vote with their wallets and those votes say they want a Spider-Man who is older, settled, and, most importantly, married to Mary Jane. Bringing back Gwen Stacy is a surefire way to anger a fan base that has already made their ire felt. In the end, Marvel probably shouldn’t be doing this, but we can only wait and see how it will pan out.