History ComicBook / GwenStacy

[[redirect:Characters/SpiderManLoveInterests]]

[[redirect:Characters/MarvelComicsGwenStacy]]

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/screenshot_2020_06_18_at_121314_pm_0.png]]

Gwen Stacy is a fictional Marvel Comics character created by Creator/StanLee and Creator/SteveDitko. She is best known as one of ComicBook/SpiderMan's most prominent love interests, second only to ComicBook/MaryJaneWatson. First appearing in 1965 in ''Amazing Spider-Man'' #65, Gwen was introduced as one of Peter Parker's new college classmates along with Harry Osborn. A love square soon developed between the three of them and MJ, but over time, Peter and Harry exclusively dated Gwen and MJ respectively, which segues into the first of two things that Gwen is most famous for.

In ''Amazing Spider-Man'' #121, Gwen, who didn't know her boyfriend was Spider-Man, was kidnapped by his nemesis [[ComicBook/NormanOsborn Green Goblin]] and taken to the Brooklyn Bridge. Spider-Man came to rescue her, and in the ensuing conflict Green Goblin knocked an unconscious Gwen off the bridge. Spidey desperately tried to snag her with his webs, and caught her before she hit the water... only for the whiplash to snap her spine, killing Gwen and leading to one of the most infamous panels in comic book history.

To this day, ''ComicBook/TheNightGwenStacyDied'' remains one of the most shocking stories in all of comics, especially considering that at the time it was published (1973), the idea of permanently killing off a love interest was unheard of. Gwen's death shook the entire industry to its core, marking the definitive end to the innocence of UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks and paving the way for darker, more experimental material.

It's worth noting that, astonishingly, Gwen has actually managed to remain dead since 1973, an astounding feat for a major comic book character. That's not to say she hasn't been around in any capacity. Just a few years after she died, a clone of Gwen, created by the Jackal (Gwen's StalkerWithATestTube) and lacking any memory her death, appeared to shake things up. The clone was sent packing pretty quick, but this marked the first of several Gwen-clones to be created for lack of a true resurrection. The most notable of these was the one appearing in ''ComicBook/DeadNoMoreTheCloneConspiracy'', which features a corporation headed by the Jackal that had figured out how to "resurrect" people by creating clones of them with all of their memories up to their deaths. Peter Parker was forced to confront a version of Gwen who remembered dying and also now knew he was Spider-Man. Neither of them got much time to angst, though, since the Gwen-clone and multiple others ended up dying at the end of the storyline.

Elsewhere, Gwen has popped up alive in multiple alternate universes, including the second thing she's most famous for. ComicBook/SpiderGwen first appeared in ''Edge of ComicBook/SpiderVerse'' #2 as Gwen's Earth-65 counterpart who came from a universe where Gwen Stacy was bitten by the radioactive spider and failed to save Peter Parker. Since then, Spider-Gwen has received several ongoing series and has even migrated to Earth-616, the Prime Marvel Universe.

In 2020, a five-issue miniseries called ''Gwen Stacy'', starring the self-titled lady, began publication, showing Gwen's life before she met Peter Parker.

----
!! Gwen Stacy appears in:

[[AC:Notable Comic Book Appearances (Earth-616 Continuity)]]
* ''ComicBook/LeeDitkoSpiderMan''
* ''ComicBook/TheNightGwenStacyDied''
* ''ComicBook/SpiderManBlue''
* ''Comicbook/DeadNoMoreTheCloneConspiracy'' (as a clone)
* ''Gwen Stacy'' (2020)

[[AC:In Alternate Universes]]
* ''[[ComicBook/WhatIf What If Gwen Stacy Had Lived?]]''
* ''ComicBook/UltimateSpiderMan''
* ''ComicBook/HouseOfM''
* ''ComicBook/MarvelFairyTales''
* ''ComicBook/SpiderGwen''
* ''ComicBook/SpiderManLifeStory''

[[AC:Notable Media Appearances]]
* ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManTheAnimatedSeries'' (1998), voiced by Creator/MaryKayBergman
* ''[[Literature/MaryJaneANovel Mary Jane 2]]'' (2004)
* ''Film/SpiderMan3'' (2007), played by Creator/BryceDallasHoward
* ''WesternAnimation/TheSpectacularSpiderMan'' (2008-2009), voiced by Creator/LaceyChabert
* ''Film/TheAmazingSpiderManSeries'' (2012-2014), played by Creator/EmmaStone
** ''Film/TheAmazingSpiderMan'' (2012)
** ''Film/TheAmazingSpiderMan2'' (2014)
* ''VideoGame/TheAmazingSpiderMan'' (2012 video game), voiced by Creator/KariWahlgren

----
!!Gwen Stacy provides examples of:

* AdaptationPersonalityChange: Inevitable given that her original character and personality constantly shifted, radically across issues. But none of her more recent adaptations, whether in ''ComicBook/UltimateSpiderMan, WesternAnimation/TheSpectacularSpiderMan, Film/TheAmazingSpiderManSeries, ComicBook/SpiderGwen'', has anything really in common with the character in the original stories.
* AffectionateNickname: During their relationship and when she was alive, Peter and her friends called her Gwendy. After her death, it's always Gwen.
* AlternateUniverseReedRichardsIsAwesome: Even before ''Spider-Gwen'', this was in play, as evidenced by the ''Age of Apocalypse'' version (where she's Thor's bodyguard) and Ultimate Gwen (who for a time was fused with Carnage).
* AlwaysSomeoneBetter: MJ still saw her as this, even after she died. As she remarks to Peter during their marriage, in ''The Spectacular Spider-Man'' Annual 8:
-->'''Mary Jane:''' When Gwen was alive, I knew I never had a chance with you. [[UptownGirl After all, she was smart, educated, a lady]] -- And what was I? A cheap date. Emphasis on cheap.\\
'''Peter:''' Don't say that, MJ.\\
'''Mary Jane:''' [[MadonnaWhoreComplex If Gwen Stacy was a beauty queen, then I was a pin-up girl.]]
* BettyAndVeronica: Gwen and Mary Jane simultaneously play this straight and invert it. On the one hand, Gwen was always sweet and down-to-earth whereas MJ was exciting and charismatic. On the other hand, Gwen came from a wealthy upbringing in contrast to MJ who grew up in a poor family, was Peter's literal GirlNextDoor, and was preferred by his Aunt May.
* CompositeCharacter:
** She has a habit of having parts of her characterization (namely being somewhat serious and melancholy at least near the end when she was crying all the time) given to Mary Jane. Hilariously, this began in 1970, during the third season of ''WesternAnimation/SpiderMan1967'' where MJ is made Captain George Stacy's niece. [[DontExplainTheJoke The joke]] is that this cartoon was released when she was still alive in the comics, proving that MJ has been upstaging and usurping Gwen from the start.
** Of course, turnaround is fair play. Her most famous appearances, ''WesternAnimation/TheSpectacularSpiderMan'' and ''Film/TheAmazingSpiderManSeries'', have her characters based on Mary Jane (Ultimate MJ in the case of Spectacular). Emma Stone's character in the Marc Webb films, as a warm, funny confidant and partner for Peter who knows his double life and accepts both is entirely MJ and completely the opposite to Gwen in the original (who reacted with horror and shock at the idea of Peter being Spider-Man).
* DaddysGirl: She's beloved to her police chief father George Stacy, whom she similarly adores.
* DeadAlternateCounterpart: Versions of Gwen from {{Alternate Universe}}s have appeared years after her death, most notably the ''ComicBook/UltimateSpiderMan'' series and the eponymous ''ComicBook/SpiderGwen''.
* DefrostingIceQueen: She was initially cold towards Peter. Gradually, however, a romance develops because Gwen, a science major, seems to appreciate Peter's intellectual personality. Their relationship begins almost immediately after Peter stops going out with Mary Jane, whom he starts seeing as shallow and self-absorbed.
* DependingOnTheWriter: Most obvious than other characters since she never really had a set personality to start with:
** Her characterization in the original ''ComicBook/LeeDitkoSpiderMan'' years was as a Liz Allan {{Expy}} for Peter now that he came to college, repeating the same beats such as outwardly participating with Harry and Flash in hazing and bullying Peter in college but inwardly finding him mysterious and sexy, mostly because Peter's the first guy who doesn't give her the time of his day. She was also a beauty queen UptownGirl type and implied to have been a serial dater.
** In the Lee-Romita years, they softened her considerably (just like they also softened up Harry and Flash to make Peter's social circle feel less hostile). They also kept changing Gwen's appearance and character over their run, making her a more elegant and nice ideal girl, implying that she is also Peter's fellow science student and shares an interest (though never to genius levels as later writers attempt it). Her appearance also changed, most notably later issues had Lee and Romita copying Mary Jane's hair style for her albeit with a blonde palette to make her as popular as her rival. Likewise, Gwen as Peter's FirstLove loved him but ''hated'' Spider-Man, blaming him for her father's death which they saw as giving her a tragic arc that mirrored Peter's loss of Uncle Ben.
** Creator/GerryConway (the first writer to take over from Lee) simply decided to drop her off a bridge and made her into a PosthumousCharacter who characters periodically remember in an ideal light until JMS came up with ''Sins Past'' which can be understood as an over-correction of the recent tendency. Her most recent AlternateUniverse renditions (Spider-Gwen and Ultimate Gwen) are more or less InNameOnly original creations. Conway, on seeing Creator/EmmaStone's performance in ''Film/TheAmazingSpiderManSeries'', noted that it was a CompositeCharacter with Gwen's name and background but with comics!MJ's personality (in that she's warm, light-hearted, and snarks back to Peter and is okay with both Peter and Spider-Man).
** At various times, Gwen was a popular AlphaBitch, an academic popular girl, a TeenGenius who knows more about science than Peter, a Goth, or an elegant young woman who despite being popular is secretly a wallflower and is drawn to Peter over Harry Osborn and Flash Thompson.
** The major one is her exact cause of death. In the original comic, Green Goblin explicitly said that she died because he dropped her and that a fall from that height would have killed anyone. However, Romita and Conway, as a way to create ambiguity and also to make it convincing and realistic, added the famous sound effect of a snap when Peter webbed her body to stop her descent suddenly. In both cases, the intent was to provide RealityEnsues into a superhero encounter to really sell her CharacterDeath as a real one.
* [[invoked]]DieForOurShip: A rare non-fan example. Gerry Conway, who wrote "The Night Gwen Stacy Died", was very vocal that he thought the character was annoying and uninteresting compared to Mary Jane. John Romita Sr. suggested killing off a long-term supporting character (he pitched Aunt May first), but Conway chose Gwen as it would allow him to move things along to get Peter with the girl he wanted him to be with all along while in his view, allowing Gwen a role and status that made her into an all-time famous comics icon while satisfying Gwen-Peter shippers to regard Mary Jane as simply Peter's rebound girl and runner-up when in Conway's view, Gwen was Peter's FalseSoulmate.
* DiesDifferentlyInAdaptation: In the classic ''ComicBook/TheNightGwenStacyDied'', Gwen was tossed off a bridge by ComicBook/NormanOsborn and Peter botched his attempt to save her, snapping her neck. However...
** ''ComicBook/UltimateSpiderMan'' had Gwen meet her end by ComicBook/{{Carnage}} draining her to a husk -- but there, she ultimately came BackFromTheDead, unlike her Earth-616 and ''Amazing'' selves. Speaking of the latter...
** ''Film/TheAmazingSpiderMan2'' mostly had Gwen die the same way, but the location was changed to a clocktower and her killer was Harry instead of Norman.
* DudeMagnet: When she was alive, she had dated many boys in high school and beat them all with a stick, and in college has Harry Osborn and Flash wrapped around her finger. The reason why she eyed Peter was because he was the first one who simply didn't fall over her like everyone else. Posthumously, Gwen was revealed to have attracted the eyes of her pervert teacher Prof. Miles Warren.
* EveryoneLovesBlondes: Blonde, beautiful, and is desired by many men (seriously, see DudeMagnet above).
* FirstLove: DependingOnTheWriter. Peter dated Betty before her, but Gwen is his first serious relationship and many often see her as the girl Peter might have given up Spider-Man for and settle down for good, though none of that was hinted in the pages itself[[note]]Stan Lee and Romita Sr. also hinted that they might have had Peter and Gwen marry, though Lee later admitted that he changed his mind about that and shrugged when he heard Conway's pitch to kill her off since even he realized that he hadn't done enough to make Gwen an interesting character[[/note]].
* GirlNextDoor: Played with. As portrayed in the comics, Gwen came from an upper-class background, her first boyfriend, Harry, was the son of a millionaire and in her first appearance she was introduced as a high-school beauty queen. However, as she became the Betty to Mary Jane's Veronica, she moved into this category and many fans remember her with this status after her death, even if MJ was the literal girl next door handpicked by Aunt May as the right girl for her Peter, although after Peter and Gwen started dating, she supported them too.
* HairOfGoldHeartOfGold: Her hair's always been a shade of blonde (from platinum to bright yellow), and initial IceQueen characterization aside, she's been portrayed often as a passionate and caring individual.
* HystericalWoman: Peter openly calls her this in narration during ''Amazing Spider-Man'' #87 where he blurts out he's Spider-Man, which some of his friends see as being evidence of him being crazy (which Peter later runs with) but Gwen actually believes it and her reaction is so over-the-top that Peter swears off telling her his secret ever again. Mary Jane also trolls her for her over-the-top reaction, which becomes even more hilarious if you factor in the ''Parallel Lives'' retcon that she knew Peter was always Spider-Man and that she's rubbing it in to her rival about how she can't deal with their mutual crush's double life):
-->'''Mary Jane:''' [[DeadpanSnarker Wow Gwendy]], [[SarcasmMode you sure can pick 'em.]] He's either a [[HeroWithBadPublicity masked menace]] or a [[HeroicBSOD psycho case]], [[LovesMyAlterEgo take your pick!]]\\
'''Gwen:''' ''[tears in her eyes]'' [[BigShutUp Shut Up!]] No matter what he is -- what he's done -- [[IRejectYourReality don't you dare talk about him like that!]]\\
'''Mary Jane:''' [[WithFriendsLikeThese Okay, Tigress! He's all yours!]]
* ILetGwenStacyDie: She's the TropeNamer for a reason, having died infamously on Spider-Man's watch, something continues to haunt him and their surviving friends.
* IconicOutfit: Her dying outfit (green overcoat, black shirt, purple skirt, black headband) remains her most easily recognizable outfit.
* IconicSequelCharacter: She debuted three years after Spidey's introduction, but is one of the most notable characters in his mythos.
* KilledOffForReal: Shockingly, Gwen has actually managed to remain dead in the decades since her death, likely because the story of her death is so iconic.
* LadyInRed: Famously wears a revealing red [[WalkingSwimsuitScene bikini]] in the Savage Land saga. In the entirety of the story.
* LikesClarkKentHatesSuperman: Despite initially liking Spider-Man, she soon came to hate him after her father died saving a child from falling rubble during one of Spidey's fights with Doc Ock.
* LikeParentLikeSpouse: Potential Spouse in this case (and actual one in AU versions). But she had a close relationship with her father George Stacy, a principled responsible man who wants to stop crime and risks his life in service while her boyfriend has similar qualities (and unknown to her is also a crime fighter who risks his life to fight crime). Captain George Stacy for his part always approved of Peter and [[spoiler:in his deathbed admitted that he knew he was Spider-Man and told him he had no problems with him dating his daughter]].
* LostInImitation: Her iconic death scene via falling off a bridge from ''ComicBook/TheNightGwenStacyDied'' gets adapted a lot — ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManTheAnimatedSeries'', ''WesternAnimation/UltimateSpiderMan'', [[Film/SpiderMan1 the first live-action movie]] — and they always replace Gwen with Mary Jane and let her live. The child-friendly cartoon series actually came the closest to adapting the tragedy by having Mary Jane fall into a dimensional time and space rift (alive but in an AndIMustScream state of floating through a no-man's-land outside reality and definitely believed dead by Peter, with an arc about grieving her loss). When the ''Film/TheAmazingSpiderMan2'' FINALLY gets the right girl, and [[KilledOffForreal kills her off for real]], they have to replace the iconic setting with a clock tower because people have already seen the familiar set up with Mary Jane too many times. They also replace Norman with Harry.
* LovableAlphaBitch: In the original Creator/SteveDitko era, she was basically [[Film/MeanGirls the Regina George]] of ESU.[[note]]Her animated version in ''The Spectacular Spider-Man'' is voiced by Creator/LaceyChabert aka Gretchen Wieners herself[[/note]]
* LovingAShadow: In Creator/TomBeland's one-shot "Web of Romance", Peter actually reflects this about his feelings for Gwen and how it compares to his relationship with Mary Jane (who's always been insecure about being a replacement for Gwen). Peter notes that with Gwen he was always tense, nervous, because of how emotional she was, was never entirely relaxed, and that he was never able to be honest and open with her in the way he is with Mary Jane, and that his feelings for his wife are greater than it was for Gwen. The ''Literature/SinisterSixTrilogy'' features Peter musing at one point that his relationship with Gwen couldn't have worked out because she wanted peace and he acknowledges that he seeks crusades, even if he still regrets her death.
* MeetTheInLaws: Gwen had a very frosty relationship with Aunt May (unlike Mary Jane who saw her as a ParentalSubstitute and always remained close and in-touch with her). Most notably, when Peter had a disappearance and May was worried about where she was, Gwen lashed out at her with a [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech a speech]] calling her out for being a smothering mother that so badly affected May that she actually spent weeks away from Peter without talking to her and was considered to have "disappeared". Gwen did feel guilty about doing this, and May and Peter accommodated her, but things were never warm between them.
* MsFanservice: Gwen is a very beautiful blonde-haired woman who wears outfits (particularly skirts with thigh-high socks and boots as well as dresses) that highlight her very voluptuous body and nice legs. The trilogy in the Savage Land has her wearing a red bikini for the entirety of three issues, showing far more skin than even Mary Jane did until her marriage to Peter and the era of her being a cheesecake.
* MySecretPregnancy: Was retconned into having had one of these courtesy of ComicBook/NormanOsborn -- the man who later killed her -- during the ''Sins Past'' storyline. When Gwen learned she was pregnant, she decided to raise the children with Peter, so Norman killed her and raised them himself. Naturally for many, it's FanonDiscontinuity and recent comics have largely forgotten about it or pretended it didn't happen.
* NeckSnap: This was confirmed by WordOfGod to be her real cause of death.
-->'''Roy Thomas:''' It saddens us to have to say that the Whiplash effect she underwent when Spidey's webbing stopped her so suddenly was, in fact, what killed her. In short, it was impossible for Peter to save her. He couldn't have swung down in time; the action he did take resulted in her death; if he had done nothing, she still would certainly have perished. There was no way out.
* NeverSpeakIllOfTheDead: One way to ''really'' piss Peter off is to besmirch her name. [[spoiler:''Sins Past'' by JMS was a story that intended to correct her posthumous adulation by painting Gwen as someone who cheated on Peter with an older man, and Peter's reaction on learning of this was one of rage and disbelief though he ultimately did get over it, especially since MJ, Gwen's close friend who never once brought this up even if it was to her advantage, still loved and missed Gwen.]] Of course in other stories, such as "Web of Romance", Peter is okay being critical of Gwen such as her dependency and the stress she put him during their relationship.
* NerdsAreSexy: She was a science geek (DependingOnTheWriter) while still looking like an absolute bombshell (DependingOnTheArtist).
* NeverGotToSayGoodbye: One reason why her death was so poignant for Peter was that she died before knowing he was Spider-Man, before knowing the true cause of her father's death. Peter also admits to MJ in ''Sins Past'' [[spoiler:that he and Gwen never had sex during their relationship together]] and of course if Peter had plans to propose to her, he never told her either.
* NiceGirl: Despite an initial haughty characterization and later variations, she's ultimately remembered as a sweet girl. Her friendliness and caring towards her friends even shows in other adaptations.
* NostalgiaFilter: Not only among fans and writers, but many characters InUniverse latch on to Gwen's memory as a representative of a more innocent time.
** ''ComicBook/SpiderManBlue'' is entirely about Peter recording his memories about how the college days with Gwen was a innocent happy era. Harry Osborn in "Best of Enemies" also voices regret about Gwen's death and his father killing her, noting how he feels that their entire generation (himself, Peter, MJ, Flash) all lost something with her.
** Mary Jane [[NostalgiaAintLikeItUsedToBe herself punctures holes with this nostalgia at one point]] pointing out that none of them were actually innocent or that those years were so golden. Peter was Spider-Man and was tearing himself up lying to everyone about his double life, Harry was a drug addict son of a barely-repressed supervillain, MJ was a product of a broken home and runaway trying desperately to hide her real self from her people, Flash fought in Vietnam and came back a veteran (sliding time scale later moved this back and forth), and even Gwen's final years were marked with the death of her father, and her grief over being orphaned.
* TheOneThatGotAway: On account of her death, many fans and later writers grew up thinking of her as this. Some AU versions often show her and Peter as living the dream life, though others such as ''House of M'' hint at a very troubled relationship (with an implication that a married Peter was cheating on her with MJ).
* PietaPlagiarism: Peter is (in)famously seen cradling her lifeless body in the climactic scene of ''ComicBook/TheNightGwenStacyDied''.
* PrettySpryForADeadGuy: It's teased that she's actually alive a couple of times, only for it to be revealed it's a clone or something each time. Interestingly, the First Clone Saga was suggested by Creator/StanLee (after the fan reaction and backlash over Gwen's death) as a possible backdoor to bring her back just in case Conway's plan to have Peter move on with Mary Jane didn't take with readers. Once it became clear it did, he made the revived Gwen into a clone.
* ProgressivelyPrettier: Ditko's Gwen was beautiful but she also had a colder look and due to her haughty nature, she was a PerpetualFrowner (or as we'd call it now "resting b--ch face"). Romita Sr. gradually softened her appearance, and after MJ came along, he redesigned Gwen to resemble a Blonde MJ while also softening her.
* PoliticallyIncorrectHero: In ''Amazing Spider-Man'' #91-92, after her father's death, Gwen in grief and anger serves as a volunteer to Sam Bullitt, an authoritarian candidate for the position of DA who wants a "law and order" campaign, solely so he would go after Spider-Man. This despite him having, as Robbie Robertson points out, a past history of being supported by hate groups. Despite the fact that George Stacy detested Bullitt, Gwen works for Sam and willingly supports and gets behind his "law and order" campaign.
* PosthumousCharacter: Since her death happened in ''Amazing Spider-Man'' #122 of a long comics series and is one of the most constantly revisited and alluded to moments in the comics, a good number of later readers encounter her as a posthumous character. Jeph Loeb's ''Spider-Man: Blue'' is quite common, even if it has little to do with her original characterization.
* {{Retcon}}:
** The infamous ''Sins Past'' story establishes that Norman Osborn and Gwen Stacy had a son and daughter, Gabriel Stacy and Sarah Stacy.
** A minor one that changes a character's entire motivations in ''ComicBook/DeadNoMoreTheCloneConspiracy''. [[spoiler:''ComicBook/TheNightGwenStacyDied'' is changed to reveal that, before the Goblin knocked her over, Gwen had woken up and heard the supervillain call Spider-Man "Peter". She automatically hates both because of what happened to her father. In ''Clone Conspiracy'' #4, however, when Peter finally confronts Gwen (or rather, ''another'' clone with her last memories), she does say that she forgives him and, in a tie-in, admits that she's still in love with Peter, but feels betrayed by him being Spider-Man, though she understands why he does what he does.]]
* RichSuitorPoorSuitor: The rich to MJ's poor. She's the only girl Peter has dated to come from a higher social class than him, his previous love interests Betty and Liz were from the same background with Betty choosing to work rather than go to school, while Mary Jane was also from Queens like Peter and was ambitious about moving up.
* SexForSolace: When she had her one-night stand with Norman, her father had recently died, her boyfriend Peter [[TheMasqueradeWillKillYourDatingLife had become distant]], and her friend Harry had overdosed on LSD.
* ShesGotLegs: Gwen tends to wear outfits (such as skirts with thigh-high socks and boots and dresses) that highlight her very long toned yet shapely legs.
* SparedByTheAdaptation: For someone who's best known for being one of the first love interests killed in super-hero history, Gwen always seems to survive outside of the comics (as seen in the ''Film/SpiderManTrilogy'', ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManTheAnimatedSeries'' or ''WesternAnimation/TheSpectacularSpiderMan''). The one exception was [[spoiler:''Film/TheAmazingSpiderManSeries'' and it was considered highly unpopular in that film]]. This is probably because the nature of superhero film trilogies which generally don't allow for ComicBookTime removes much of the original reason and context for her fridging.
* SpoiledSweet: She comes from a wealthy upbringing in contrast to Peter's status as a WorkingClassHero. Despite this, she is portrayed as a good-hearted individual and is fondly remembered by her friends long after her death.
* SurprisinglySuddenDeath: Gwen was drugged by Osborn and was still unconscious when he dropped her off the bridge. No last words, no deathbed exchanges (unlike the case of her father's death, Captain George Stacy), no PartingWordsRegret or any literary foreshadowing about her death, which is one reason why it was a huge shock to readers.
* TheyKilledKenny: All her clones, created by the Jackal, always end up killed. Even Joyce Delaney (her first clone) who, after many years, started finally a new life... ended up killed by another Gwen's clone, Abby-L, in ''ComicBook/SpiderIsland''.
* TooGoodForThisSinfulEarth: She is treated this way in retrospect both in the Spider-Man continuity and by the editors. Before her death, her relationship with Peter was a little rocky owing to the latter blaming Spider-Man for her father's death, burdening Peter with guilt and regret. She had actually separated from Peter and gone to London (which revived during the ''Sins Past'' story) and she and Peter came off as a non-functional couple. Of course, as a PosthumousCharacter, she's earned the sarcastic nickname "St. Gwen."
* {{Tsundere}}: Her original characterization flips between being concerned and lovestruck over Peter to hating his guts for a minor transgression like him not responding to Harry Osborn's jokes.
* TwoFirstNames: Gwen and Stacy are both common given names.
* UnwittingPawn: Gwen Stacy to Sam Bullitt. The latter uses her to support his political campaign and venture, even if her father disliked him for his politics.
* UptownGirl: What the character actually is. While Peter is a poor kid from Queens trying to help his Aunt May pay the bills and make rent, she's a well-to-do high society girl whose father, a retired NYPD captain, hangs around media tycoon J. Jonah Jameson and industrialist Norman Osborn.
* VitriolicBestBuds: She and MJ gradually transitioned into this once the latter realized that she and Peter were serious. They remained friendly with MJ mock-teasing and flirting as a way to josh Gwen. ''Sins Past'' revealed how close their friendship was as does ''Spider-Man: Blue''. Notably, MJ never once gives Peter heat over still mourning his first love even during their marriage, making it clear that she loved and misses Gwen as much as he does.
* WomanScorned: She was initially upset that Peter gave her the cold shoulder upon their first meeting (which he did because he was worried about Aunt May's illness). Furious, she dates both Flash Thompson and Harry Osborn.

----

* AlternateUniverseReedRichardsIsAwesome: Even before ''Spider-Gwen'', this was in play, as evidenced by the ''Age of Apocalypse'' version (where she's Thor's bodyguard) and Ultimate Gwen (who for a time was fused with Carnage). Likewise, Creator/EmmaStone's version of the character was considered the best parts of the highly divisive ''Film/TheAmazingSpiderManSeries''.

!!Gwen Stacy provides examples of the following tropes

Gwen Stacy is a fictional Marvel Comics character created by Creator/StanLee and Creator/SteveDitko. She is best known as one of ComicBook/SpiderMan's most prominent love interests, second only to ComicBook/MaryJaneWatson. First appearing in 1965 in ''Amazing Spider-Man'' #65, Gwen was introduced as one of Peter Parker's new college classmates along with Harry Osborn. A love square soon developed between the three of them and MJ, but over time Peter and Harry exclusively dated Gwen and MJ respectively, which segues into the first of two things that Gwen is most famous for.

Elsewhere, Gwen has popped up alive in multiple alternate universe, including the second thing she's most famous for. ComicBook/SpiderGwen first appeared in ''Edge of ComicBook/SpiderVerse'' #2 as Gwen's Earth-65 counterpart who came from a universe where Gwen Stacy was bitten by the radioactive spider and failed to save Peter Parker. Since then, Spider-Gwen has received several ongoing series and has even migrated to Earth-616, the Prime Marvel Universe.

* AdaptationPersonalityChange: Inevitable given that her original character and personality constantly shifted, radically across issues. But none of her more recent adaptations, whether in ''ComicBook/UltimateSpiderMan, WesternAnimation/TheSpectacularSpiderMan, Film/TheAmazingSpiderManSeries, ComicBook/SpiderGwen'' has anything really in common with the character in the original stories.

* AlternateUniverseReedRichardsIsAwesome: Even before ''Spider-Gwen'', this was in play, as witness the ''Age of Apocalypse'' version (where she's Thor's bodyguard) and Ultimate Gwen (who for a time was fused with Carnage). Likewise, Creator/EmmaStone's version of the character was considered the best parts of the highly divisive ''Film/TheAmazingSpiderManSeries''.
* AlwaysSomeoneBetter: MJ still saw her as this, even after she died. As she remarks to Peter, during their marriage, in ''The Spectacular Spider-Man'' Annual 8:

'''Mary Jane:''' [[MadonnaWhoreComplex If Gwen Stacy was a beauty queen, then I was a pin-up girl]].
* BettyAndVeronica: Gwen and Mary Jane simultaneously play this straight and invert it. On the one hand, Gwen was always sweet and down-to-earth whereas MJ was exciting and charismatic, but Gwen came from a wealthy upbringing in contrast to MJ who grew up in a poor family, was Peter's literal GirlNextDoor, and was preferred by his Aunt May.

** She has a habit of having parts of her characterization (namely being somewhat serious and melancholy at least near the end when she was crying all the time) given to Mary Jane. Hilariously, this began in 1970, during the third season of ''WesternAnimation/SpiderMan1967'' where MJ is made Captain George Stacy's niece. [[DontExplainTheJoke The joke]] is that this cartoon was released when she was still alive in the comics, proving that MJ has been upstaging and usurping her from the start.
** Of course, turnaround is fair play. Her most famous appearances, ''WesternAnimation/TheSpectacularSpiderMan'' and ''Film/TheAmazingSpiderManSeries'' have her characters based on Mary Jane (Ultimate MJ in the case of Spectacular). Emma Stone's character in the Marc Webb films, as a warm, funny, confidant and partner for Peter who knows his double life and accepts both is entirely MJ and completely the opposite to Gwen in the original (who reacted with horror and shock at the idea of Peter being Spider-Man).
* DaddysGirl: She's beloved to her police chief father George Stacy, who she similarly adores.

** At various times, Gwen was a popular AlphaBitch, or an academic popular girl, a TeenGenius who knows more about science than Peter, a Goth, an elegant young woman who despite being popular is secretly a wallflower and is drawn to Peter over Harry Osborn and Flash Thompson.

--> '''Mary Jane:''' [[DeadpanSnarker Wow Gwendy]], [[SarcasmMode you sure can pick 'em.]] He's either a [[HeroWithBadPublicity masked menace]] or a [[HeroicBSOD psycho case]], [[LovesMyAlterEgo take your pick!]]\\

* LovableAlphaBitch: In the original Creator/SteveDitko era. She was basically [[Film/MeanGirls the Regina George]] of ESU.[[note]]Her animated version in ''The Spectacular Spider-Man'' is voiced by Creator/LaceyChabert aka Gretchen Wieners herself[[/note]]

Gwen Stacy is a fictional Marvel Comics character created by Creator/StanLee and Creator/SteveDitko. She is best known as one of ComicBook/SpiderMan's most prominent love interests, second only to ComicBook/MaryJaneWatson. First appearing in 1965 in ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #65, Gwen was introduced as one of Peter Parker's new college classmates along with Harry Osborn. A love square soon developed between the three of them and MJ, but over time Peter and Harry exclusively dated Gwen and MJ respectively, which segues into the first of two things that Gwen is most famous for.

In ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #121, Gwen, who didn't know her boyfriend was Spider-Man, was kidnapped by his nemesis [[ComicBook/NormanOsborn Green Goblin]] and taken to the Brooklyn Bridge. Spider-Man came to rescue her, and in the ensuing conflict Green Goblin knocked an unconscious Gwen off the bridge. Spidey desperately tried to snag her with his webs, and caught her before she hit the water... only for the whiplash to snap her spine, killing Gwen and leading to one of the most infamous panels in comic book history.
->''"You killed the woman I love! And for that, you're going to die!"''

To this day, ''ComicBook/TheNightGwenStacyDied'' remains one the most shocking stories in all of comics, especially considering that at the time it was published (1973) the idea of permanently killing off a love interest was unheard of. Gwen's death shook the entire industry to its core, marking the definitive end to the innocence of UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks and paving the way for darker, more experimental material.

It's worth noting that, astonishingly, Gwen has actually managed to remain dead since 1973, an astounding feat for a major comic book character. That's not to say she hasn't been around in any capacity. Just a few years after she died, a clone of Gwen created by the Jackal (Gwen's StalkerWithATestTube) and lacking any memory her death appeared to shake things up. The clone was sent packing pretty quick, but this marked the first of several Gwen-clones to be created for lack of a true resurrection. The most notable of these was the one appearing in ''ComicBook/DeadNoMoreTheCloneConspiracy'', which features a corporation headed by the Jackal that had figured out how to "resurrect" people by creating clones of them with all of their memories up to their deaths. Peter Parker was forced to confront a version of Gwen who remembered dying and also now knew he was Spider-Man. Neither of them got much time to angst, though, since the Gwen-clone and multiple others ended up dying at the end of the storyline.

Elsewhere, Gwen has popped up alive in multiple alternate universe, including the second thing she's most famous for. ComicBook/SpiderGwen first appeared in ''Edge of ComicBook/SpiderVerse'' #2 as Gwen's Earth-65 counterpart who came from a universe where Gwen Stacy was bitten by the radioactive spider and failed to save Peter Parker. Since then, Spider-Gwen has receives several ongoing series and has even migrated to Earth-616, the Prime Marvel Universe.

* AffectionateNickname: During their relationship and when she was alive, Peter and her friends called her Gwendy. After her death it's always Gwen.
* AlternateUniverseReedRichardsIsAwesome: Even before ''Spider-Gwen'' this was in play, as witness the ''Age of Apocalypse'' version (where she's Thor's bodyguard) and Ultimate Gwen (who for a time was fused with Carnage). Likewise, Creator/EmmaStone's version of the character was considered the best parts of the highly divisive ''Film/TheAmazingSpiderManSeries''.
* AlwaysSomeoneBetter: MJ still saw her as this, even after she died. As she remarks to Peter, during their marriage, in The Spectacular Spider-Man Annual 8:
--> '''Mary Jane:''' When Gwen was alive, I knew I never had a chance with you. [[UptownGirl After all, she was smart, educated, a lady]] -- And what was I? A cheap date. Emphasis on cheap.\\

* BettyAndVeronica: Gwen and Mary Jane simultaneously play this straight and invert it. On the one hand Gwen was always sweet and down-to-earth where MJ was exciting and charismatic, but Gwen came from a wealthy upbringing in contrast to MJ who grew up in a poor family, was Peter's literal GirlNextDoor, and was preferred by his Aunt May.

** She has a habit of having parts of her characterization (namely being somewhat serious and melancholy at least near the end when she was crying all the time) given to Mary Jane. Hilariously this began in 1970, during the third season of ''WesternAnimation/SpiderMan1967'' where MJ is made Captain George Stacy's niece. [[DontExplainTheJoke The joke]] is that this cartoon was released when she was still alive in the comics, proving that MJ has been upstaging and usurping her from the start.

** Her characterization in the original Stan Lee -- Creator/SteveDitko years was as a Liz Allan {{Expy}} for Peter now that he came to college, repeating the same beats such as outwardly participating with Harry and Flash in hazing and bullying Peter in college but inwardly finding him mysterious and sexy, mostly because Peter's the first guy who doesn't give her the time of his day. She was also a beauty queen UptownGirl type and implied to have been a serial dater.
** In the Lee-Romita years, they softened her considerably (just like they also softened up Harry and Flash to make Peter's social circle feel less hostile). They also kept changing Gwen's appearance and character over their run, making her a more elegant and nice ideal girl, implying that she is also Peter's fellow science student and shares an interest (though never to genius levels as later writers attempt it). Her appearance also changed, most notably later issues had Lee and Romita copying Mary Jane's hair style for her albeit with a blonde palette to make her as popular as her rival. Likewise, Gwen as Peter's FirstLove liked him but ''hated'' Spider-Man blaming him for her father's death which they saw as giving her a tragic arc that mirrored Peter's loss of Uncle Ben.
** Creator/GerryConway (the first writer to take over from Lee), simply decided to drop her off a bridge and made her into a PosthumousCharacter who characters periodically remember in an ideal light until JMS came up with ''Sins Past'' which can be understood as an over-correction of the recent tendency. Her most recent AlternateUniverse renditions (Spider-Gwen and Ultimate Gwen) are more or less InNameOnly original creations. Conway on seeing Creator/EmmaStone's performance in ''Film/TheAmazingSpiderManSeries'' noted that it was a CompositeCharacter with Gwen's name and background but with comics!MJ's personality (in that she's warm, light-hearted, and snarks back to Peter and is okay with both Peter and Spider-Man).
** At various times, Gwen was a popular AlphaBitch, or an academic popular girl, a TeenGenius who knows more about science than Peter, a Goth, an elegant young woman who despite being popular is secretly a wallflower and is drawn to Peter over Harry Osborn and the Flash.
** The major one is her exact cause of death. In the original comic, Green Goblin explicitly said that she died because he dropped her and that a fall from that height would have killed anyone. However Romita and Conway as a way to create ambiguity and also to make it convincing and realistic added the famous sound effect of a snap when Peter webbed her body to stop her descent suddenly. In both cases, the intent was to provide RealityEnsues into a superhero encounter to really sell her CharacterDeath as a real one.
* [[invoked]]DieForOurShip: A rare non-fan example. Gerry Conway, who wrote "The Night Gwen Stacy Died", was very vocal that he thought the character was annoying and uninteresting compared to Mary Jane. John Romita Sr. suggested killing off a long-term supporting character (he pitched Aunt May first) but Conway chose Gwen as it would allow him to move things along to get Peter with the girl he wanted him to be with all along while in his view, allowing Gwen a role and status that made her into an all-time famous comics icon while satisfying Gwen-Peter shippers to regard Mary Jane as simply Peter's rebound girl and runner-up when in Conway's view, Gwen was Peter's FalseSoulmate.

* DudeMagnet: When she was alive, she had dated many boys in high school and beat them all with a stick, and in college has Harry Osborn and Flash wrapped around her finger. The reason why she eyed Peter, he was the first one who simply didn't fall over her like everyone else. Posthumously, Gwen was revealed to have attracted the eyes of her pervert teacher Prof. Miles Warren.

* FirstLove: DependingOnTheWriter. Peter dated Betty before her but Gwen is his first serious relationship and many often see her as the girl Peter might have given up Spider-Man for and settle down for good, though none of that was hinted in the pages itself[[note]]Stan Lee and Romita Sr. also hinted that they might have had Peter and Gwen marry, though Lee later admitted that he changed his mind about that and shrugged when he heard Conway's pitch to kill her off since even he realized that he hadn't done enough to make Gwen an interesting character[[/note]].
* GirlNextDoor: Played with. As portrayed in the comics, Gwen came from an upper-class background, her first boyfriend, Harry, was the son of a millionaire and in her first appearance she was introduced as a high-school beauty queen. However, as she became the Betty to Mary Jane's Veronica, she moved into this category and many fans remembering her with this status after her death, even if MJ was the literal girl next door handpicked by Aunt May as the right girl for her Peter, although after Peter and Gwen started dating, she supported them too.
* HairOfGoldHeartOfGold: Her hair's always been a shade of blonde (from platinum to bright yellow), and initial Ice Queen characterization aside, she's been portrayed often as a passionate and caring individual.
* HystericalWoman: Peter openly calls her this in narration during Issue 87 where he blurts out he's Spider-Man, which some of his friends see as being evidence of him being crazy (which Peter later runs with) but Gwen actually believes it and her reaction is so over-the-top that Peter swears off telling her his secret ever again. Mary Jane also trolls her for her over-the-top reaction, which becomes even more hilarious if you factor in the ''Parallel Lives'' retcon that she knew Peter was always Spider-Man and that she's rubbing it in to her rival about how she can't deal with their mutual crush's double life):
--> '''Mary Jane:''' [[DeadpanSnarker Wow Gwendy]], [[SarcasmMode you sure can pick 'em]]. He's either a [[HeroWithBadPublicity masked menace]] or a [[HeroicBSOD psycho case]], [[LovesMyAlterEgo take your pick]]!\\
'''Gwen:''' (tears in her eyes) [[BigShutUp Shut Up]]! No matter what he is--what he's done--[[IRejectYourReality don't you dare talk about him like that]]!\\
'''Mary Jane:''' [[WithFriendsLikeThese Okay, Tigress! He's all yours]]!

* IconicSequelCharacter: She debuted three years after Spidey's introduction but is one of the most notable characters in his mythos.

* MeetTheInLaws: Gwen had a very frosty relationship with Aunt May (unlike Mary Jane who saw her as a ParentalSubstitute and always remained close and in-touch with her). Most notably when Peter had a disappearance and May was worried about where she was, Gwen lashed out at her with a [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech a speech]] calling her out for being a smothering mother that so badly affected May that she actually spent weeks away from Peter without talking to her and was considered to have "disappeared". Gwen did feel guilty about doing this, and May and Peter accommodated her, but things were never warm between them.
* MsFanservice: Gwen is a very beautiful blonde-haired woman who wears outfits (particularly skirts with thigh-high socks and boots as well as dresses) that highlight her very voluptuous body and nice legs. The trilogy in the Savage Land has her wearing a red bikini for the entirety of three issues, showing far more skin than even Mary Jane did until her marriage to Peter and the era of her being a cheescake.
* MySecretPregnancy: Was retconned into having had one of these courtesy of ComicBook/NormanOsborn - the man who later killed her - during the "Sins Past" storyline. When Gwen learned she was pregnant, she decided to raise the children with Peter, so Norman killed her and raised them himself. Naturally for many, it's FanonDiscontinuity and recent comics have largely forgotten about it or pretended it didn't happen.

--> '''Roy Thomas:''' "It saddens us to have to say that the Whiplash effect she underwent when Spidey's webbing stopped her so suddenly was, in fact, what killed her. In short, it was impossible for Peter to save her. He couldn't have swung down in time; the action he did take resulted in her death; if he had done nothing, she still would certainly have perished. There was no way out."
* NeverSpeakIllOfTheDead: One way to ''really'' piss Peter off is to besmirch her name. [[spoiler:''Sins' Past'' by JMS was a story that intended to correct her posthumous adulation by painting Gwen as someone who cheated on Peter with an older man, and Peter's reaction on learning of this was one of rage and disbelief though he ultimately did get over it, especially since MJ, Gwen's close friend who never once brought this up even if it was to her advantage, still loved and missed Gwen]]. Of course in other stories, such as "Web of Romance", Peter is okay being critical of Gwen such as her dependency and the stress she put him during their relationship.

* NeverGotToSayGoodbye: One reason why her death was so poignant for Peter was that she died before knowing he was Spider-Man, before knowing the true cause of her father's death. Peter also admits to MJ in ''Sins' Past'' [[spoiler:that he and Gwen never had sex during their relationship together]] and of course if Peter had plans to propose to her, he never told her either.
* NiceGirl: Despite an initial haughty characterization and later variations she's ultimately remembered as a sweet girl. Her friendliness and caring towards her friends even shows in other adaptations.

** ''ComicBook/SpiderManBlue'' is entirely about Peter recording his memories about how the college days with Gwen was a innocent happy era. Harry Osborn in "Best of Enemies" also voices regret about Gwen's death and his father killing her, noting how he feels that their entire generation (Himself, Peter, MJ, Flash) all lost something with her.
** Mary Jane [[NostalgiaAintLikeItUsedToBe herself punctures holes with this nostalgia at one point]] pointing out that none of them were actually innocent or were those years so golden. Peter was Spider-Man and was tearing himself up lying to everyone about his double life, Harry was a drug addict son of a barely-repressed supervillain, MJ was a product of a broken home and runaway trying desperately to hide her real self from her people, Flash fought in Vietnam and came back a veteran (sliding time scale later moved this back and forth), and even Gwen's final years were marked with the death of her father, and her grief over being orphaned.

* PrettySpryForADeadGuy: It's teased that she's actually alive a couple of times, only for it to revealed to be a clone or something each time. Interestingly the First Clone Saga was suggested by Creator/StanLee (after the fan reaction and backlash over Gwen's death) as a possible backdoor to bring her back just in case Conway's plan to have Peter move on with Mary Jane didn't take with readers. Once it became clear it did, he made the revived Gwen into a clone.

* PoliticallyIncorrectHero: In Issues #91-92, after her father's death, Gwen in grief and anger serves as a volunteer to Sam Bullitt, an authoritarian candidate for the position of DA who wants a "law and order" campaign, solely so he would go after Spider-Man. This despite him having, as Robbie Robertson points out, a past history of being supported by hate groups. Despite the fact that George Stacy detested Bullitt, Gwen works for Sam and willingly supports and gets behind his "law and order" campaign.
* PosthumousCharacter: Since her death happened in Issue 122 of a long comics series and is one of the most constantly revisited and alluded to moments in the comics, a good number of later readers encounter her as a posthumous character. Jeph Loeb's ''Spider-Man: Blue'' is quite common, even if it has little to do with her original characterization.

** A minor one that changes a character's entire motivations in ''ComicBook/DeadNoMoreTheCloneConspiracy''. [[spoiler: ComicBook/TheNightGwenStacyDied is changed to reveal that, before the Goblin knocked her over, Gwen Stacy had woken up and heard Spidey call himself "Peter". She automatically hates both because of what happened to her father. In issue 4, however, when Peter finally confronts Gwen (or better, ''another'' clone with her last memoirs), she does say that she forgives him and, in a tie-in, she admits that she's still in love with Peter, but she feels betrayed by him being Spider-Man, though she understands why he does what he does.]]
* RichSuitorPoorSuitor: The rich to MJ's poor. She's the only girl Peter has dated to come from a higher social class than him, his previous love interests Betty and Liz were from the same background with Betty choosing to work rather than go to school, while Mary-Jane was also from Queens as Peter and was ambitious about moving up.
* SexForSolace: When she had her one night stand with Norman, her father had recently died, her boyfriend Peter [[TheMasqueradeWillKillYourDatingLife had become distant]], and her friend Harry had overdosed on LSD.

* SpoiledSweet: She comes from a wealthy upbringing in contrast with Peter's status as a WorkingClassHero. Despite this she is portrayed as a good-hearted individual and is fondly remembered by her friends long after her death.

* TheyKilledKenny: All her clones, created by the Jackal, always ends up killed. Even Joyce Delaney (her first clone) who, after many years, started finally a new life...ended up killed by another Gwen's clone, Abby-L, in ''ComicBook/SpiderIsland''.

* {{Tsundere}}: Her original characterization flipping between concerned and lovestruck over Peter to hating his guts for a minor transgression like him not responding to Harry Osborn's jokes.

* UptownGirl: What the character actually is. While Peter is a poor kid from Queens trying to help his Aunt May pay the bills and make rent, she's a well to do high society girl whose father, a retired NYPD captain, hangs around media tycoon J. Jonah Jameson and industrialist Norman Osborn.
* VitriolicBestBuds: She and MJ gradually transitioned into this once the latter realized that she and Peter were serious. They remained friendly with MJ mock-teasing and flirting as a way to josh Gwen. ''Sins' Past'' revealed how close their friendship was as does ''Spider-Man: Blue''. Notably MJ never once gives Peter heat over still mourning his first love even during their marriage, making it clear that she loved and misses Gwen as much as he does.
* WomanScorned: Initially was upset that Peter gave her the cold shoulder upon their first meeting (which he did because he was worried about Aunt May's illness). Furious, she dates both Flash Thompson and Harry Osborn.

* ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManIntoTheSpiderVerse'' (2018), voiced by Creator/HaileeSteinfeld (ComicBook/SpiderGwen version)

* AlternateUniverseReedRichardsIsAwesome: Even before ''Spider-Gwen'' this was in play, as witness the ''Age of Apocalypse'' version (where she's Thor's bodyguard) and Ultimate Gwen (who for a time was fused with Carnage). Likewise, Creator/EmmaStone's version of the character, was considered the best parts of the highly divisive ''Film/TheAmazingSpiderManSeries''.

%% * SpoiledSweet: She comes from a wealthy upbringing in contrast with Peter's status as a WorkingClassHero.

* TheyKilledKenny: All her clones, created by the Jackal, end always killed. Even Joyce Delaney (her first clone) who, after many years, started finally a new life...end killed by another Gwen's clone, Abby-L, in ''ComicBook/SpiderIsland''.

* LikesClarkKentHatesSuperman: Despite initially liking Spider-Man, she soon came to hate him after her father died saving a child from falling rubble during one of Spidey's fights with Doc Ock. She never found out the truth before she died as well.

** ''ComicBook/UltimateSpiderMan'' need her meet her end by ComicBook/{{Carnage}} draining her to a husk -- but there, she ultimately came BackFromTheDead, unlike her Earth-616 and ''Amazing'' selves. Speaking of whom...
** ''Film/TheAmazingSpiderMan2'' mostly had her die the same way, but the location was changed to a clocktower and her killer was Harry instead of Norman.

In ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #121, Gwen, who didn't know her boyfriend was Spider-Man, was kidnapped by his nemesis [[ComicBook/NormanOsborn Green Goblin]] and taken to the Brooklyn Bridge. Spider-Man came to rescue her, and in the ensuing conflict Green Goblin knocked an unconscious Gwen off the bridge. Spidey desperately tried to snag her with his webs, and caught her before she hit the water... only the whiplash to snap her spine, killing Gwen and leading to one of the most infamous panels in comic book history.

In ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #121, Gwen, who didn't know her boyfriend was Spider-Man, was kidnapped by his nemesis [[ComicBook/NormanOsborn Green Goblin]] and taken to the Brooklyn Bridge. Spider-Man came to rescue her, and in the ensuing conflict Green Goblin knocked an unconscious Gwen off the bridge. Spidey desperately tried to snag her with his webs, and caught her before she hit the water...only the whiplash to snap her spine, killing Gwen and leading to one of the most infamous panels in comic book history.

* ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManTheAnimatedSeries'' (1994-1998), voiced by Creator/MaryKayBergman

* ''Comicbook/DeadNoMoreTheCloneConspiracy''

* SpoiledSweet: She comes from a wealthy upbringing in contrast with Peter's status as a WorkingClassHero.

In ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #121, Gwen, who didn't know her boyfriend was Spider-Man, was kidnapped by his nemesis ComicBook/GreenGoblin and taken to the Brooklyn Bridge. Spider-Man came to rescue her, and in the ensuing conflict Green Goblin knocked an unconscious Gwen off the bridge. Spidey desperately tried to snag her with his webs, and caught her before she hit the water...only the whiplash to snap her spine, killing Gwen and leading to one of the most infamous panels in comic book history.

* DesignatedLoveInterest: Gwen was absolutely this when she was alive. After they got together, Lee and Romita Sr. never properly developed her as a character aside from shilling her (such as fan favorite MJ becoming a shipper and cheer-leader for them, [[HistoryRepeats which writers and editors later had her do for Carlie]]) or having Peter [[InformedAttribute constantly say out loud how much he loves her]] and vice versa. They are never shown going on dates or having any interactions and banter as a couple and the tension Peter had in that relationship was his work as Spider-Man, the death of her father George Stacy, and Peter wondering if he should tell her identity while Gwen would constantly cry and whine whenever he's not around. Even after her death, Peter always remembers her when Goblin killed her and never reminisces or thinks about the relationship they shared, with Creator/JephLoeb's ''ComicBook/SpiderManBlue'' remedying this somewhat (even if it makes numerous continuity mistakes and changes). As noted by [[http://www.chasingamazingblog.com/2012/02/13/reading-experience-gwen/ Mark Ginocchio]]:
-->Point being that while Peter and Gwen went on to have a very passionate romance in the pages of ASM, I was initially stunned when I was rereading these earlier issues and in one comic Gwen and Peter were just flirting and by ASM #59, Gwen is throwing her arms around him and smooching him in front of her father...Despite the fact that Stan had been teasing this romance for dozens of issues, there still wasn't any real build from "occasional interaction at school" to "going steady."

It's worth noting that, astonishingly, Gwen has actually managed to remain dead since 1973, an astounding feat for a major comic book character. That's not to say she hasn't been around in any capacity. Just a few years after she died, a clone of Gwen created by the Jackal (Gwen's StalkerWithATestTube) and lacking any memory her death appeared to shake things up. The clone was sent packing pretty quick, but this marked the first of several Gwen-clones to be created for lack of a true resurrection. The most notable of these was the one appearing in ''ComicBook/DeadNoMoreTheCloneConspiracy'', which features a corporation headed by the Jackal that had figured out how to "resurrect" people by created clones of them with all of their memories up to their deaths. Peter Parker was forced to confront a version of Gwen who remembered dying and also now knew he was Spider-Man. Neither of them got much time to angst, though, since the Gwen-clone and multiple others ended up dying at the end of the storyline.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSpectacularSpiderMan''
* ''Film/SpiderMan3''
* ''Film/TheAmazingSpiderManSeries''
** ''Film/TheAmazingSpiderMan''
** ''Film/TheAmazingSpiderMan2''
* ''VideoGame/TheAmazingSpiderMan'' (video game)

* AlternateUniverseReedRichardsIsAwesome: Even before ''Spider-Gwen'' this was in play, as witness the ''Age of Apocalypse'' version (where she's Thor's bodyguard) and Ultimate Gwen (who for a time was fused with Carnage). Likewise, Emma Stone's version of the character, was considered the best parts of the highly divisive ''Film/TheAmazingSpiderManSeries''.

Gwen Stacy is a fictional Marvel Comics character best known as one of ComicBook/SpiderMan's most prominent love interests, second only to ComicBook/MaryJaneWatson. First appearing in 1965 in ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #65, Gwen was introduced as one of Peter Parker's new college classmates along with Harry Osborn. A love square soon developed between the three of them and MJ, but over time Peter and Harry exclusively dated Gwen and MJ respectively, which segues into the first of two things that Gwen is most famous for.

[[AC:Notable Comic Book Appearances]]

* ''Film/TheAmazingSpiderMan''
* ''Film/TheAmazingSpiderMan2''

--> '''Mary Jane''': "[[DeadpanSnarker Wow Gwendy]], [[SarcasmMode you sure can pick 'em]]. He's either a [[HeroWithBadPublicity masked menace]] or a [[HeroicBSOD psycho case]], [[LovesMyAlterEgo take your pick]]!"\\
'''Gwen Stacy''': (tears in her eyes) "[[BigShutUp Shut Up]]! No matter what he is--what he's done--[[IRejectYourReality don't you dare talk about him like that]]!"\\
'''Mary Jane''': "[[WithFriendsLikeThese Okay, Tigress! He's all yours]]!"

* AlphaBitch: In the original Creator/SteveDitko era. She was basically [[Film/MeanGirls the Regina George]] of ESU.[[note]]Her animated version in ''The Spectacular Spider-Man'' is voiced by Creator/LaceyChabert aka Gretchen Wieners herself[[/note]]

--> '''Mary-Jane Watson''': "When Gwen was alive, I knew I never had a chance with you. [[UptownGirl After all, she was smart, educated, a lady]] -- And what was I? A cheap date. Emphasis on cheap."\\
'''Peter Parker''': "Don't say that, MJ."\\
'''Mary-Jane Watson''': "[[MadonnaWhoreComplex If Gwen Stacy was a beauty queen, then I was a pin-up girl]]."

--> Point being that while Peter and Gwen went on to have a very passionate romance in the pages of ASM, I was initially stunned when I was rereading these earlier issues and in one comic Gwen and Peter were just flirting and by ASM #59, Gwen is throwing her arms around him and smooching him in front of her father...Despite the fact that Stan had been teasing this romance for dozens of issues, there still wasn't any real build from "occasional interaction at school" to "going steady."

In 2020, a five-issue miniseries called ''Gwen Stacy'' began publication, showing Gwen's life before she met Peter Parker.