Gwen Stacy

Gwen Stacy

Gwen Maxine Stacy is a fictional comic character who appears in books published by Marvel Comics, usually as a supporting character in those featuring Spider-Man. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, she first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #31 (December 1965).

A college student, Gwen was originally the first true love of Peter Parker (Spider-Man) before he developed deep feelings for her friend and rival, Mary Jane Watson. The Green Goblin (Norman Osborn) caused Spider-Man to accidentally kill Gwen in The Amazing Spider-Man #121 (June 1973). Both the decision to kill Gwen and the method in which Marvel implemented it remain controversial among fans, but the death became a pivotal point in both Spider-Man’s history and in American comic books in general. Many point to Gwen's death as the end of the so-called Silver Age of comics. Spider-Man writers and fans disagree about who is the character’s "one true love": Gwen or his subsequent love interest, Mary Jane. The character was ranked 89th in Comics Buyer's Guide's "100 Sexiest Women in Comics" list.

Bryce Dallas Howard appeared as the character in the 2007 film Spider-Man 3. Emma Stone portrays Gwen as Peter Parker's friend and love interest in the reboot film The Amazing Spider-Man.