GREAT POWER, GREATER IRRESPONSIBILITY

NOTE: Unsurprisingly, various trolls have tried to post...less than encouraging...comments...about this blog, some even posing as former Spider-Man writer Roger Stern, as well as Gail Simone. This kind of behavior is totally impermissible, and please note that all comments are moderated by myself before being posted here.

So, if you don't have anything nice to say, rest assured, your comment will be rejected (with pleasure). Of course, intelligent and constructive criticism is always welcome, but vile spam and insults are not. That said, enjoy the essay.



GREAT POWER, GREATER IRRESPONSIBILITY


I. INTRODUCTION

II. THE PLAYERS: NORMAN OSBORN/THE GREEN GOBLIN AND GWEN STACY

III. JMS

IV. SINS PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE

V. SEX AND SENSIBILITY

VI. WILL THE REAL SPIDER-MAN PLEASE STAND UP?

VII. SPIDER-MAN NO MORE?



I. INTRODUCTION

For those of you just joining us...

In 1962, writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko revolutionized the comic book genre when they produced the first Spider-Man story in Amazing Fantasy # 15. In the story, a high school student named Peter Parker is bitten by a radioactive spider, which gives him spider-like powers. He designs a costume and web-shooting devices and becomes a television star. However, he later learns that a thief he allowed to run past him was the same man who subsequently murdered Peter's beloved Uncle Ben. Spider-Man eventually decides to use his powers to help the innocent instead of using them for personal gain. That final issue of Amazing Fantasy was very successful, and so Spider-Man received his own book, The Amazing Spider-Man, in 1963.

To keep things clear for those unfamiliar, the publishing history of Spider-Man can be broken down into several eras:

1. The Classic Era: After the success of Amazing Fantasy # 15 (1962), Spider-Man was given his own title, The Amazing Spider-Man (1963). In 1968, Marvel experimented with giving Spidey a magazine, as well (The Spectacular Spider-Man), which only lasted two issues.

2. The Post-Classic Era: After Stan Lee ended his run as writer of Amazing Spider-Man, a new title, Marvel Team-Up (1972), began. The book was originally intended to feature team-ups between Spidey and the Human Torch, but soon featured Spidey teaming up with a different Marvel character in each issue. Also in 1972, Marvel Tales, (which began in 1964) a book that reprinted older stories from various Marvel titles (including Amazing Spider-Man), became a Spider-Man-only reprint book (beginning around issue # 37) which occasionally featured new content and back-up stories. Then, Gwen Stacy was killed in ASM # 121, and everything changed.

3. The Stagnant Years: In 1974, Spidey Super-Stories (a non-continuity book aimed at young children) began. Also that year, after a one-issue run in Giant-Size Super-Heroes, Spidey starred in Giant Size Spider-Man, which lasted 6 issues. After Gerry Conway's run on Amazing Spider-Man ended in 1975, a succession of writers took over, and not a lot happened. A secondary Spidey book, Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man, began in 1976.

4. The Creative Revival: In the early 1980s, Spidey got a shot in the arm with exciting new storylines, which included the Hobgoblin saga and the introduction of the alien costume (later to become Venom). Spidey Super-Stories was cancelled in 1982 after issue # 57. In 1985, Marvel Team-Up was cancelled with issue # 150 to make room for a new Spidey book, Web of Spider-Man.

5. Unification: After the marriage of Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson, the various Spider-titles were made to interact with each other even more than in the past, beginning with "Kraven's Last Hunt" (1987), which crossed over into Amazing, Spectacular, and Web. Soon after, "Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man" became "The Spectacular Spider-Man", and the cover logos of Spectacular and Web were refashioned in the same style as Amazing Spider-Man's logo. In 1990, a new Spidey book, the "adjectiveless" Spider-Man, was introduced.

6. The Clone Saga: In 1993, the Spider-Man Unlimited series began. Spider-Man Classics was also introduced at this time, reprinting the earliest Spidey stories and lasting 16 issues. Spider-Man Megazine, which reprinted several Spidey stories per issue, lasted 6 issues, from 1994-95. In 1994, the much-maligned Clone Saga began, with the massive storyline weaving through all of the main Spidey books. The Spidey books also received newly-designed cover logos in the same style as the logo for the new Spider-Man animated series. The animated series was adapted in comic form via the "Spider-Man Adventures" series, which lasted 15 issues and was continued in The Adventures of Spider-Man, which lasted 12 issues. For a time, Amazing Spider-Man and Spectacular Spider-Man were devoted to the adventures of Peter Parker, while Web of Spider-Man and Spider-Man were devoted to the adventures of Peter's clone, Ben Reilly. Marvel Tales was cancelled in 1994 after issue # 291. In 1995, Untold Tales of Spider-Man, which featured new stories set in the Lee-Ditko days, began. Meanwhile, all of the main Spidey titles were briefly put on hiatus and replaced by The Amazing Scarlet Spider, The Spectacular Scarlet Spider, Web of Scarlet Spider, Scarlet Spider and Scarlet Spider Unlimited before resuming when Ben Reilly took over as Spider-Man. Web of Spider-Man was cancelled in 1995, after 129 issues. In 1996, a new title, The Sensational Spider-Man, began, lasting 33 issues.

6. Post-Clone Saga: In 1996, with the end of the Clone Saga in Spider-Man # 75, the book was retitled "Peter Parker: Spider-Man". In 1997, Untold Tales of Spider-Man ended after 25 issues.

7. The Reboot: In 1998, Spider-Man Unlimited was cancelled after 22 issues. Also that year, Spectacular Spider-Man was cancelled after 263 issues. Indeed, all of the main Spidey titles ended at this point, and John Byrne's 12-issue Spider-Man: Chapter One series revised Spidey's origin and early adventures. After that, Amazing Spider-Man and Peter Parker: Spider-Man were both restarted at issue # 1. In 1999, Webspinners: Tales of Spider-Man, a new anthology series, lasted 18 issues until its cancellation in 2000. Also in 2000, the alternate universe book, Ultimate Spider-Man, began.

8. The Present Day: In 2001, J. Michael Straczynski took over Amazing Spider-Man, and the series went back to the original numbering scheme with issue # 500 (Volume 2 # 59). A new anthology series called Tangled Web was introduced, lasting through 2003. Also in 2003, a second volume of Spectacular Spider-Man began, lasting through 2005. In 2004, a new Spider-Man Unlimited series began, as did the Marvel Knights Spider-Man series. The kid-oriented Marvel Age Spider-Man lasted from 2004-2005, and a similar series, Marvel Adventures Spider-Man, began later in 2005. In late 2005, the new Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man series began.

Besides all this, Spider-Man has appeared in numerous mini-series and one-shots, countless guest appearances, and much, much more.

And the man's name is "Spider-Man", not "Spiderman" or "Spider-man". It always "bugs" me to see so many people get it wrong. Get it right or take a hike. Show some respect for the character.




The primary purpose of this essay is to examine the life and times of Gwen Stacy and Norman Osborn, the Green Goblin, and how I (and many, many others) feel these characters (as well as Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson-Parker) have been blatantly defiled by writer J. Michael Straczynski's "Sins Past" storyarc in Amazing Spider-Man # 509-514 (which revealed that Gwen Stacy had a fling with Norman Osborn and secretly had his children before he killed her).

It's also designed to dissect and debunk Sins Past, and show how the numerous retcons and mischaracterizations that appear in the storyline are simply not possible. I feel that consistency of character is more important than strict continuity, but since JMS and the gang have insisted on dredging up the past and retconning it, I will show, point-by-point, how the events depicted in this story are not possible. This essay is designed to be THE one-stop resource for information on this topic, as well as other subtopics related to the downfall of Spider-Mam, Marvel, and the superhero genre. There are many sub-issues that have emerged from Sins Past that I'll also address, such as the controversial return of Norman Osborn, the controversial aging and marriage of Peter Parker, the gradual destruction of everything that has made Spider-Man a great and iconic comic book character, and the creative and moral disintegration of the superhero genre itself!


The final purpose for this essay is to serve as something of a history lesson for novice fans, and as a trip down memory lane for older fans.

I've taken my time in this essay, both for the sake of thoroughness and to show off the fruits of the kind of research and care that the current regime at The Thing that Used to Be Marvel is totally incapable of. Indeed, this whole enterprise is the result of over a year of concentrated research and hard work.

Certainly, my own personal opinions figure in a great deal here, but I've cited lots and lots of cold, hard facts to back up those opinions. Still, art is subjective, and anyone is free to agree or disagree with my observations. I'm not here to whine and moan (too much). I'm head to (hopefully) shed some light on these matters, and maybe change a few people's opinions and open some eyes. Someone has to step up and fight for these characters that have touched so many over such a long period of time!


Please not that words in bold (for emphasis) in this essay's quotations from the original comics are just as they were in the original printings.


Also note that this essay is no substitute for the original issues. Please, go out and read them! USE THEM to determine whether or not you agree with what I have to say. If you do have the original issues (or reprints) handy, then have fun following along. If you don't, well, don't worry. This essay is designed to be easily understandable and detailed enough for those who don't have the stories to refer to.



Since I began this essay, much has happened to drag Spider-Man and the industry even further into the gutter, and this will also be discussed.

Most of all, though, this work is a loving celebration of one of popular culture's greatest fictional characters, the ever-amazing Spider-Man, and to examine the sorry state he's in right now...and how painful it is to witness that state.



II. THE PLAYERS:

NORMAN OSBORN/THE GREEN GOBLIN:

(Note: the proper spelling of Norman's name is "Osborn". It irritates me to see fans and professionals call him Norman "Osborne" or "Osbourne".)

The Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) # 14 (1964): We are introduced to a new villain, the Green Goblin. His true identity is a mystery, but he's clearly very intelligent and devious (much as his successor, the original Hobgoblin, was shown to be).

The shadowy villain is introduced working on his "flying broomstick" vehicle in a secret basement workshop:

Page 2, panel 1:

THE GREEN GOBLIN: "There! My flying broomstick is finished at last!! Now to put on my costume and test it out!"


The Goblin convinces movie producer B.J. Cosmos to make a movie starring Spider-Man ("The Spider-Man Story"), and convinces Spider-Man himself to star in it. In New Mexico, the Goblin and his new henchmen, the Enforcers (leaderless since the arrest of the ganglord known as the Big Man in ASM # 10) reveal their true motive: they want to kill the web-slinger. However, with a little unwitting help from the Incredible Hulk, Spider-Man escapes. After returning to New York, the Goblin reveals his own motivations:

Pg. 22, panel 3:

GOBLIN (thought balloon): "Once the Enforcers had helped me defeat Spider-Man, I intended to organize a worldwide crime syndicate with them as my lieutenants!"

Pg. 22, panel 5:

GOBLIN: "But, my true identity is still my own secret--and my power is still undiminished! So I'll wait for my next opportunity and strike again! The world hasn't heard the last of--The Green Goblin!"

And so, it is made clear that the Goblin chose Spider-Man as a target so he could prove his worth to the underworld.


ASM # 17: the Goblin reappears, having prepared for several months for his next encounter with Spider-Man. This marks the first appearance of his bat-shaped jet glider (replacing the "flying broomstick" from ASM # 14).

Almost certainly unintentional on the part of Stan Lee or writer Gerry Conway, but this line from Pg. 2, panel 4--

GOBLIN: "I've even redesigned my jet-powered Goblin Glider, making it still faster and more maneuverable!"

--foreshadows the Goblin's growing obsession with beating Spider-Man, and his death as a result of being impaled by the souped-up glider in ASM # 122. Note that in ASM # 14, the Goblin said he'd made the controls of his "flying broomstick" simple enough to avoid a fatal error, but is now throwing caution to the wind with his redesigned Goblin Glider.


Pg. 2, panel 5:

GOBLIN: "Ah, yes! When next we meet, Spider-Man will find that the mysterious Green Goblin is more than a match for him and his own puny powers!"

Later on, Peter Parker walks past the Goblin (in street clothes), and his spider-sense goes off, but he doesn't know who is triggering it. The caption says:

NARRATOR'S CAPTION: "But, why should Peter recognize the one dangerous man in the crowd? He's never seen him without his Green Goblin mask before!"

This implies that Peter has never met the man behind the Goblin's mask.

Later still, the Goblin attacks Spider-Man at a meeting of the Spider-Man Fan Club, and the Human Torch intervenes.

Pg. 16, panel 8:

GOBLIN: "The Human Torch, eh? Well, I'll teach you not to interfere with your betters!"

Soon after, however, Spider-Man leaves when he learns that his Aunt May is in the hospital, and since the Goblin has no interest in beating the Torch--


Pg. 17, panel 6:

GOBLIN (thought balloon): "I've got to get rid of the Torch quickly so I can turn my attention to Spider-Man!"

Pg. 20, panel 2:

GOBLIN: "I've no reason to fight the Torch!"


--because his grudge against Spider-Man is getting more and more intense. And so, the Goblin leaves.


ASM # 18-19 marks the first appearance of Daily Bugle reporter Ned Leeds, Peter's new rival for Betty Brant's affections (...and reportedly Ditko's choice for the true identity of the Green Goblin. Ironically, years later Ned would be a suspect in the mystery surrounding the original Hobgoblin's identity, and was eventually revealed as the Hobgoblin...several years before Hobgoblin creator Roger Stern came back and revealed that the Hobgoblin had "really" been Roderick Kingsley, Stern's initial choice.).


In ASM # 23, the Goblin tries to take over Lucky Lobo's mob.

Pg. 2, panel 1:

GOBLIN (to Lobo's gang): "But, under my leadership, we could take over every racket in the city!"


Pg. 3, panel 5:

GOBLIN: "Taking over Lucky Lobo's gang is only the first step! After that, all the mobs in the city will fall into line! I'll control the entire underworld!"

Pg. 3, panel 6:

GOBLIN: "'The Green Goblin, King of Crime'! I like that! It has a nice ring to it! And it'll happen sooner than anyone suspects!"

Clearly, control of the underworld is still the Goblin's primary motivation at this point.

Later, a member of the gang gives the Goblin a list of Lobo's holdings, which will get Lobo in big trouble with the government.

Pg 6, panels 3-6:

GOBLIN: "Now, I must make sure this list is made public--and I know just the way to do it!"

We then go to the Midtown Business Executives Club, where J. Jonah Jameson is a member. Bugle employee Frederick Foswell (formerly the Big Man) gives the list to JJJ (the Goblin has clearly decided to leak it to the press).

And who else is in the background at the club? A smiling man with an unusual hairstyle. That's right; this is the first unofficial appearance (Pg. 6, panels 7-8) of Norman Osborn (who doesn't "officially" appear until ASM # 37). It is generally accepted that this character is Norman due to that unique Ditko hairstyle and the fact that later on it would be established that JJJ and Norman were friends and fellow club members. It also adds a nice layer to the story that the Goblin is in the room at the very moment JJJ gets the incriminating list. The Goblin (in costume) also eavesdrops outside police headquarters on Pg. 7, panel 4 as Jameson gives the information to the police.

Anyway, the Goblin later lures Spider-Man to Lobo's headquarters so Spidey can do the dirty work for him, and they end up fighting.


This next line is rather interesting, since it actually becomes a reality in ASM # 39, when the Goblin reveals himself to Spider-Man:


Pg. 17, panel 2:

GOBLIN (to Spider-Man): "No one will ever know my true identity until I choose to reveal it!"


The Goblin manages to escape, only to learn that the police have arrested Lobo and his entire gang. His plan has been ruined.

Norman Osborn (unnamed) also has a one-panel, non-speaking cameo in ASM # 25, Pg. 3, panel 5, as he's seen buying an advertisement in the Daily Bugle from Jameson:

PETER (thought balloon): "I hope ol' skinflint buys my photos! Oh, he's with someone! Must be someone important..J.J's smiling!

JAMESON (to Norman): "Don't worry about a thing! I'll take care of your ad personally, and I'll see you at the club tonight!"


ASM # 26: The Goblin tries to team up with the Crime Master. It is revealed that each knows the other's true identity (although, years later, in Kurt Busiek's Untold Tales of Spider-Man, it is shown that the Goblin "revealed" himself to be J. Jonah Jameson--via a rubber mask--to avoid exposing his real identity to the Crime Master). The Goblin and the Crime Master end up battling for control of the city's gangs, and the Goblin eventually captures Spider-Man to prove that he should be in control.

Prior to this, on Pg. 8, panel 6: We see the second unofficial appearance of Norman Osborn, in which he speaks for the first time (to JJJ at their club):

NORMAN (unnamed): "One of your reporters is this fellow Foswell who used to be a big-time criminal himself! Is it wise for you to employ such a notorious character?"

Prior to this statement, the club members were speculating about the true identities of the Crime Master...and the Green Goblin!


ASM # 27:

We begin where we left off, with the Goblin displaying the captive Spider-Man to the Crime-Master and his gang:

Pg. 1:

GOBLIN (to the Crime-Master): "I warned you that I'd never let anyone else take over as ganglord of the city! Even the Crime-Master shall serve the Green Goblin!"

Spider-Man regains consciousness and escapes from the Goblin, and the Crime Master is soon killed by the police before he can reveal the Goblin's true identity. Later, we see another early unofficial appearance of Norman Osborn (Pg. 18, panel 1), as he speaks to J. Jonah Jameson:

NORMAN (unnamed): "However, it's too bad the Daily Globe managed to get those exclusive photos!"

At the end, we see the Goblin in street clothes (his face obscured by shadow) angrily tearing up a newspaper:

Pg. 20, panels 4-5:

GOBLIN: "Once again my brilliant plans have been thwarted by Spider-Man! He has proven to be my greatest threat--my most dangerous enemy! I'll never rest till I've destroyed him! But, I'll lay low for a while! I'll wait till he's convinced that I've given up my crime career--till he's virtually forgotten about me! And then--when he least expects it--I'll strike!"


Clearly, the Goblin's motivation is changing. He's less concerned now about being a leader in the underworld as he is about getting revenge on Spider-Man. He also vows to wait until Spider-Man has forgotten about him before he strikes again.



GWENDOLYNE "GWEN" STACY:

(Note: The correct spelling of Gwen's full name is "Gwendolyne Stacy". It irritates me to see both fans and professionals call her "Gwendolyn Stacey".) Please note, however, that the occasional misspellings of her name in the quoted material below are just as they appeared in the original comics.

In high school, Peter Parker had a crush on classmate Liz Allan (or Allen), but she didn't really reciprocate until after Peter was already involved with his first girlfriend, Betty Brant, secretary to Peter's employer at the Daily Bugle, J. Jonah Jameson. Liz and Betty became rivals for Peter's affections for a time. Peter and Betty's relationship had some serious ups and downs, since Betty had grown to hate and fear Spider-Man after her brother had been accidentally killed in a scuffle between Spidey and a criminal. Peter realized that he could not reveal his secret identity to Betty, and they eventually drifted apart (but became close friends later on).

In Amazing Spider-Man # 31 (1965), Peter began attending college at Empire State University. In this issue, several people who would be very important in the book later on would first appear; ESU student Harry Osborn, ESU bio-chemistry Professor Miles Warren, and...a platinum-blonde co-ed named Gwen Stacy. Harry is first seen introducing Gwen to Flash Thompson, Peter's old high school nemesis. Gwen and Harry already knew each other since they had attended high school together. Due to his Aunt May falling ill (as a result of a transfusion using Peter's own irradiated blood in ASM # 10), the preoccupied Peter went through his first day of college in a daze. Harry and Gwen mistakenly believed that their new classmate was snubbing them.

As first depicted by Steve Ditko, Gwen was very sultry and exotic-looking (as befits a former high school beauty queen), and not at all the Gwen most people think of today (the John Romita Sr. version with that infamous headband). The first impression she gives is that of a socially adept preppie. Since she's a freshman (along with Peter and the others) at this point, she's probably around 17-18 years old here (ASM # 60 says she's 18). She also seems to flirt with Flash Thompson a bit when we first see her.

From Gwen's first appearance in Amazing Spider-Man # 31:

Pg. 8, panels 5-6:

HARRY OSBORN: "Heard a lot about you, Flash! I'm Harry Osborn, and this little lady is the ex-beauty queen of Standard High, as if you couldn't tell!"

GWEN STACY: "The little lady has a name, Flash! It's Gwen Stacy and I've followed your football career all through high school!"

FLASH THOMPSON: "You should have let me know, Gwen! I'd have given you all the facts in person!"

GWEN: "Do you think you'll be as successful with collegiate football, Flash?"

FLASH: "With someone like you watching, I won't even need the other ten players!"


Soon, a distracted Peter Parker walks by the trio.


Pg 8, panel 7: Gwen sees Peter for the first time:

GWEN: "Isn't he the boy who won the science scholarship to E.S.U.? He must be brilliant!"


Page 9, panels 2-3:

After Peter absent-mindedly ignores them, Flash and Harry are angry, but Gwen is more open:

GWEN: "He seemed nice enough! Perhaps he didn't hear you!"


We soon get a hint of Gwen's first impression of Peter:

GWEN (thought balloon): "He's not as husky as Flash...but he's brighter...and very attractive!"


Despite Peter's state of mind at the time, Gwen is still somewhat attracted to the nerdy bio-chemistry student. From the very start, we see that Gwen is more than just a pretty face who dates jocks. Peter's somewhat mysterious nature intrigues her.

Soon after, irritated by Peter's seeming snobbery, Flash and Harry decide to pull a prank on him, and ask Gwen to distract him.

Pg. 10, panel 2:

GWEN (to Harry and Flash): "I think we should mind our own business!"


Gwen reluctantly agrees to distract Peter while the boys fiddle with Peter's chemicals to cause trouble.

Pg. 10, panel 4:

GWEN (thought balloon): "I still can't help feeling attracted to him! Well, I guess I can't back out now!"

GWEN: "Pete! Pete! Don't you hear me? Peter Parker! I asked if I could borrow your pen!!"

PETER (without even looking at her): "Huh? Oh, sure...if you want my pen, here...take it!"

GWEN (thought balloon): "I've never met a boy like him! He didn't even give me a glance!"

GWEN (to Peter, angry): "Thank you very much, Mister Parker, but I changed my mind!"


Pg. 11: After his chemical experiment goes up in smoke, Peter gets in trouble with Professor Warren. The gang decides to apologize to him by offering to buy him a soda, but he distractedly brushes them off so he can go see his Aunt May in the hospital.


On the second day of class, the gang sees Peter outside ESU:

Pg. 13, panel 7:

GWEN (to Harry and Flash): "I still have the feeling that he's really not a bad sort deep down!"



After class, Gwen resolves to talk to Peter:

Page 15, panels 8-9:

GWEN (thought balloon): "Peter Parker is the only boy I've ever met who hasn't given me a tumble! And that's a challenge no girl can resist! He's leaving the lab now! This is my chance to get to know him better!"


And no, "give me a tumble" does NOT have a sexual meaning here.



Unfortunately, Peter wants to get to the hospital as soon as he can so he can visit Aunt May longer.

GWEN (to Peter): "Hel-lo there, Peter! I'm glad I bumped into you! Do you have a minute?"

PETER: "I'm awfully sorry! You'll have to excuse me! I'm in a real big hurry! Can't stop now!"

Pg. 16, panel 1:

GWEN (thought balloon, angry): "Why--the unmitigated nerve of him! Nobody gives Gwen Stacy the brush-off that way! You, young man, are going to regret that--I promise!"


As we can see, Gwen has taken Peter's lack on interest as an insult to her ego. She is determined to get him to pay attention to her.


ASM # 34:

At ESU, we see five male students each asking Gwen to be their date for a football game, but she teases them and brushes them off.

Pg. 5, panels 1-5:

GWEN (to the boys): "Sorry, lads...I've got to rush to class now! But I promise to think about it!"

She goes to her locker, and accidentally drops a textbook.


GWEN (thought balloon): "It's strange! Peter Parker is the only boy who hasn't paid any attention to me!"

Peter sees Gwen drop her book, and, wanting to play hero without switching to Spider-Man for once, goes to pick it up:

PETER (reaching for book): "Allow me, fair maiden!"

GWEN (steps on book to stop him, angry): "You! Don't you dare touch my book!"

PETER (confused by her reaction): "Huh??!"


Harry Osborn arrives, and chews Peter out for acting like a snob around them. Peter begins to realize why everyone thinks he's such a jerk. However, Peter is beginning to come out of his stupor now that his Aunt May has been cured of her illness (back in ASM # 33)

Pg. 6, panels 1-3:

In class, Harry and Gwen chat about the encounter in the hallway:

HARRY: "I guess we told that egghead where to get off, eh, Gwen?"

GWEN: "I guess so, Harry! But, I wonder why I feel a bit ashamed of myself! After all, he has cold-shouldered all of us ever since he came to E.S.U.! And yet...perhaps he had a reason! Perhaps we just don't understand...!"

PETER (thought balloon): "That Gwen is a knockout! If only...aw, what's the use?!!"

GWEN (thought balloon): "But he couldn't care less! Look at him bending over those test-tubes! He doesn't even know I exist! Well, Mr. Parker...just you wait!"


ASM # 35: Peter finally gives up on his strained romance with Betty Brant.


ASM # 36: Page 5, panels 1-7: Classmate Sally Green chats up Peter to prove to Gwen she's wrong about him, and is somewhat successful, much to Gwen's irritation:

GWEN (thought balloon): "I don't understand! I never thought they'd hit it off so well! She must have said the secret word!"

However, Peter brushes Sally off when he realizes that he doesn't want to be seen as just an egghead, which Sally implied. Sally is confused by Peter's abrupt change of heart.

GWEN (to Sally): "Welcome to the club, Sal! Now you're one of us!"


Pg. 8, panels 5-6: Gwen sees Peter on the street as he goes into a space exhibit.

GWEN (thought balloon): "That looks like--oh! It is! It's Peter Parker! I wonder if this is fate! It could be my chance to really get to know him! I could accidentally bump into him inside! I'll do it!"

Pg. 9, panels 1-2: Inside, Gwen watches Peter as he walks through the exhibit:

GWEN (thought balloon): "I hoped he'd see me and come over to me--but he's studying those displays like they're pin-ups!"

GWEN (thought balloon): "Darn! I can't tell whether he saw me and is ignoring me, or whether he just hasn't noticed me!


Gwen then sees Peter run away like a coward when the Looter breaks in (he's actually leaving to change to Spider-Man).

Pg. 9, panel 5:

GWEN (thought balloon): "Why--the unmitigated coward! He's running away! He's frightened!"

Later, in page 14, panels 2-4, Peter runs into Gwen after the excitement has died down:

PETER (thought balloon): "Say! I know her! She's Gwen Stacy! She's a freshman at E.S.U. also!"

PETER (to Gwen): "Hi, Gwen! Enjoying the exhibit!"

GWEN (angry): "I was--until now, Parker!"

PETER: "Huh? Wait--What's wrong? What did I do?"

GWEN: "Perhaps it's what you didn't do!"

GWEN (thought balloon): "You didn't stay and try to help!"

PETER (thought balloon): "How can anyone so pretty be such a nut?"

GWEN (thought balloon): "And yet, it's hard to believe that anyone so manly-looking could be a coward! If only I hadn't seen him with my own eyes--!"

The next day, at ESU, Flash Thompson asks Peter if he wants to play football with the gang.

Pg. 15, panels 3-6:

PETER: "Can't stop now, Flash! Anyway, if I out-threw you, you'd have a fit!"

GWEN (icy): "Peter Parker out-throwing Flash! That's the funniest thing I've heard all day!"

PETER: "Tell me, Gwen, what did I do to become number one on your hate parade?"

FLASH: "Yeah, let us all in on it, gal!"

GWEN: "Maybe I will some time! Right now, I'm too busy laughing!"

PETER: "Well, don't let me stop you!"

PETER (thought balloon): "Why do I always get interested in girls that can't see me for dust?!!"



ASM # 37:

Pg. 5, panels 3-7:


Outside ESU, Peter sees Gwen and wants to find out if she's still mad at him:

PETER: "Hi, Gwen! We're both heading for the same class--Mind if I join you?"

GWEN: "What are you doing, Mr. Parker--slumming? Usually you're too stuck up to say hello to anyone!"

PETER: "Well, at least I'm not a temperamental female who drools over a fella one day and then acts like an icicle to him the next!"

PETER (thought balloon): "Drat that crazy temper of mine! Now I've really put my foot in it!"

GWEN (angry): Even if you are E.S.U.'s newest science scholarship whiz-kid, nobody talks to me that way..."

PETER: "C'mon, Gwen--simmer down! Let's bury the hatchet, huh?"

GWEN: "You think you can say what you want to me, and then--owww!"


Gwen then tries to slap Peter in the face, but he painfully blocks her hand with his own.


PETER: "Anyone ever tell you you're gorrrrgeous when you're angry?"


Flash Thompson then arrives and says he saw Gwen and Peter fighting. He angrily wants to fight Peter, who declines, and Flash then calls him a coward.

Pg. 6, panel 3:

GWEN (thought balloon): "I'd bet my bottom dollar that Peter Parker wasn't the least bit scared of Flash!"


Later, in class...

Pg. 6, panels 4-5:

HARRY: "I saw what happened, Gwen! Parker gives me a swift pain, too!"

GWEN: "Oh, you haven't any use for anyone who's smarter than you are, Harry! Peter's never bothered you!"

GWEN (thought balloon): "What's the matter with me?? I'm actually starting to defend him!"


Meanwhile, one Professor Mendel Stromm (first name revealed years later, in Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man # 68) is released from prison, and goes about getting revenge on the man who sent him there...Norman Osborn. The first official appearance of Norman is on Pg. 10 panel 6, as he and his son, Harry, survey one of Norman's factories, burned down by Stromm:

NORMAN: "Don't believe everything you hear, Harry! It wasn't Spider-Man! Someone else was behind this!"

HARRY: "But--who?"

NORMAN: "None of your blasted business!"

Norman then thinks to himself about how he cheated Stromm out of his inventions and had him sent to prison. He also insults Harry and wonders aloud if he ever shuts up (Pg. 11, panels 1-3) before J. Jonah Jameson arrives on the scene (and JJJ is established as a friend of Norman's and a fellow club member, which jives with Norman's early, unnamed appearances).

Jameson tells Norman that Harry will "go far", and Norman says, "He should! He should!".

Later, Spider-Man saves Norman from one of Stromm's robots (Pg. 15), and Norman thinks:

NORMAN (thought balloon): "I hope the robot finishes him off! He's becoming too *dangerous* to my plans!"

Pg. 16: Norman knocks Spidey out from behind while Spidey is distracted by the robot.

Pg. 19-20: Spidey confronts Stromm, only to see the barrel of a gun pointed at them from above. Stromm has a heart attack and dies (well, he was dead until he was brought back 30 years later, but we'll get to that), and the sniper disappears before Spider-Man can get to him. Later, it is revealed that Norman Osborn was the gunman.

Pg. 21:

NORMAN (thought balloon): "Spider-Man almost ruined everything for me! But, it won't happen again! Now that his suspicions have been aroused--he must be disposed of!"


ASM # 38: Peter Parker and Ned Leeds argue over the missing Betty Brant. Was Ditko trying to set up the reveal of Ned as the Green Goblin here?

Pg. 9: Norman in disguise (glasses and a fake beard) hires a gang of criminals to kill Spider-Man for $20,000.


ASM # 38 was Steve Ditko's last issue. According to most accounts, he and Stan Lee had been arguing over the direction of the book, as well as the Goblin's true identity. Ditko reportedly wanted the Goblin to be either someone completely unknown (as it was with the unmasking of Electro and the Looter) or Daily Bugle reporter Ned Leeds (which would also have been repetitive, since in ASM #10, Bugle reporter Frederick Foswell was revealed to be crimelord known as the Big Man). Stan Lee wanted to go for the shock value of the Goblin being someone the reader already knew. Eventually, Ditko left the book, and was replaced by Daredevil artist John Romita, Senior.


From the interview with John Romita in Comic Creators on Spider-Man (Titan Books, 2004, interview conducted by Tom DeFalco):

Pg. 29-30:


TOM DEFALCO: "You began your run on Spider-Man with Amazing # 39, and that was also the issue that finally revealed the Green goblin's secret identity. Coincidence or planning?"

JOHN ROMITA: "I'm not sure. I could never get a straight story from Stan. I don't know if he had me do that particular story because he was worried that sales would fall off without Ditko and he wanted a big event, or because he really wanted to cut the cord with Ditko. Stan wouldn't have been able to stand it if Ditko did the story and didn’t reveal that the Goblin was Norman Osborn. Me, I didn't know there was any doubt about Osborn being the Goblin. I didn't know that Ditko had just been setting Osborn up as a straw dog. I just accepted the fact that it was going to be Norman Osborn when we plotted it. I had been following the last couple of issues and didn't think there was really much mystery about it. Looking back, I doubt the Goblin's identity would have been revealed in Amazing # 39 if Ditko had stayed on."



Anyway, back to ASM # 38...

Pg. 10, panels 1-8:

At ESU, we see Gwen, Harry, and Flash think Peter is protesting with some other students, but when he says he isn't they all turn on him...except for Gwen.

GWEN (thought balloon): "No matter what the others say, there's something so strong--so proud about Peter Parker--!"


After the others mock Peter, Gwen still feels differently from the rest of the gang...

Pg. 11, panel 8:

GWEN (thought balloon): "I can't help feeling sorry for Pete! I wish they'd all stop riding him!"


After this, Stan Lee and Steve Ditko's partnership on the book ended, and John Romita, Sr. took over as the regular artist of Amazing Spider-Man with issue # 39.


ASM # 39: The Green Goblin finally reappears, totally obsessed with killing Spider-Man. He feels that enough time has passed, and that he's now ready to strike. This is the first appearance of Romita's definitive version of the Goblin, a slight departure from Ditko's own version.

Pg. 2, panels 1-4:

GOBLIN: "I've waited long enough! There will never be a better time to destroy my most hated enemy than now! Everything is in my favor! I have the power--the skill--and the priceless element of surprise! But, merely destroying him--simply crushing him like a worm--will not give me enough satisfaction! I must do still more than that! First, I'll toy with him--outsmart him every step of the way--as only the Goblin can! Then, before delivering the final stroke, I'll administer the most humiliating blow of all--I'll learn his secret identity, and reveal it to all the world! Then--and only then--I'll finish him--forever!"

Pg. 5, panels 1-4:

At ESU, the gang sees Peter, but he ignores them because his Aunt May is sick again and he's distracted. Gwen reminds the gang to be nice to him. We also see Norman Osborn being rude to Harry as he drops him off at ESU. Depressed, Harry begins talking to Peter, and their friendship begins.

Pg. 6, panel 1:

Harry says to Peter:

HARRY: "Now take my dad--we were always real pals--till a few years ago! Then he started to change! I know he's been having tough sledding in business--but why take it out on me?"

Gwen is shocked to see Harry and Peter talking.

Pg. 6, panel 3:

GWEN (thought balloon): "If Peter Parker becomes one of our crowd, it'll be just wonderful--for me!"


Later, Spider-Man is unknowingly exposed to a gas that weakens his danger-warning spider-sense, just as the Goblin planned. The Goblin proceeds to follow Spider-Man around town, and learns his true identity, the fact that he works at the Daily Bugle, and the location of the Parker home in Queens. Peter defends himself from the ego-driven maniac when he finally attacks outside the Parker home.

Pg. 16, panel 5:

GOBLIN: "The great Spider-Man--nothing more than a callow youth--a pathetic stripling! It is almost an insult to my own great powers for me to battle one as outclassed as you are! But, how you shall now pay--to make up for the many times you've escaped me in the past!"


He then defeats and captures Peter and takes our hero to his warehouse hideout. Ranting and raving about how his past defeat were only “accidents” and totally confident of his victory, the ego-driven villain reveals himself to Peter (and the readers) as Norman Osborn.

Pg. 20, panels 3-5:

GOBLIN (removing his mask): "And now, before you meet your end, I've one final surprise in store for you--! Since you'll never live to betray me to another soul, it's only fitting that you learn the identity of the one who has beaten you! And so, at long last--the Green Goblin will introduce himself--Take a look, Parker--a good, long look--It's the last face Spider-Man will ever see--It's the real face of the Green Goblin--the face of Norman Osborn!"



ASM #40: Peter is still in the Goblin's clutches.

Pg. 1 through Pg. 2, panels 1-3:

PETER: "I should have known it would be you, Osborn! Anyone who'd have a son like Harry..!"

GOBLIN (sans mask): "Harry?? You know my son?!! You shouldn't have mentioned Harry! Why did you remind me of him? I mustn't think of him, do you hear? I must forget...forget! He thinks I'm just a simple businessman! He must never know the truth...never!"


Trying to stall for time (and noting that Osborn is a "certified lunatic"), Peter plays on his ego and asks how he became the Green Goblin.

Pg. 2, panel 6:

PETER (thought balloon): "Osborn is obviously a psychopath!"

On the edge, Norman reveals that Harry's mother died when Harry was very young, and how Norman had to raise his son by himself. Norman says he was the best father he could be (although the *objective* flashbacks run counter to Norman's *subjective* narration, as they show Norman treating Harry very poorly, trying to buy his affection with gifts, and never being around when Harry needed him because he was always too busy with work). Norman soon became obsessed with amassing wealth and power.

Eventually, he learned that his business partner, Mendel Stromm (from ASM # 37) had embezzled funds from their company (which he fully intended to pay back).

(By the way, the company has been called "Osborn Industries", "Osborn Manufacturing", or Osborn Chemical" at different times. The name "Oscorp" first appeared in the 1995 Spider-Man animated cartoon series, and was also used in the Spider-Man feature films).

Osborn seized upon this opportunity to have Stromm arrested and sent to prison. Now in full control of the company (and Stromm's inventions), Osborn soon discovered some "strange new formulas" of Stromm's. Testing them out, the resulting solution turned green and exploded in Norman's face.

Spectacular Spider-Man Annual # 14 states that Harry got mad when Norman blew off his school's open house event, so he switched some of Norman's chemicals around, which led to the explosion. But then how could the original Hobgoblin have recreated the formula from Norman's journals if Norman didn't know which chemicals were *really* used?? In Spectacular Annual # 14, Spidey finds a device which Harry has recorded his memories onto, memories Spidey then experiences. It's possible that Harry had insanely convinced himself that *he* was responsible for Norman's accident, and thus it may not have "really" happened the way it's depicted here, with Harry tampering with the chemicals.

Norman was in the hospital for weeks as surgeons labored to save his life. They detected brain damage, but there was nothing they could do to repair it. Subsequently released, Norman became much more aggressive, and tells Peter that the accident had made him "more brilliant" than ever before.

We also see Norman getting even crueler towards Harry, and more confident of his own superiority:

Pg. 5, panels 4-6:

NORMAN: "How did someone like me ever have a sniveling weakling of a son like you?"

NORMAN: "You're a spineless jellyfish...like everyone else!"

NORMAN: "I'm stronger...smarter...tougher than anyone else! And I have all sorts of scientific devices in my chemical company that I can use! I could become the greatest costumed criminal of all time!"

See, it's not a case of Norman wanting an heir to carry on his legacy...it's the fact that he thinks badly of Harry, and thanks to his pumped-up ego, he can't believe that such a "disappointment" came from him.

Norman then formed a plan: with his company's inventions he could become the greatest costumed criminal of all time and amass incredible wealth and power. To this end, he designed a costume and weapons, and became the Green Goblin!

(In ASM # 40, Norman says he made the costume green because it was his favorite color. However, later writers picked up on the fact that the formula turned green before exploding and said *that* was why Osborn chose green.).


Pg. 6, panel 5:

PETER (thought balloon): "He was just a greedy, ruthless businessman before his accident...but the chemical changed him...for the worse!"


Norman then reveals that he chose Spider-Man as his first target because Spidey's defeat would impress the underworld. He also recounts all of their old battles, claiming that Spider-Man never beat the Goblin; he was just lucky.

We can also see how much Norman is driven by his ego:

Page 10, panel 2:

GOBLIN: "No one is as great as the Green Goblin!"

Page 10, panel 6:

GOBLIN (to Peter, regarding their previous battles): "Not only did you fail to stop me, but you were lucky that I let you escape with your life!"


Soon, the Goblin sees that Peter is struggling against his bonds, and, insanely confident of his victory, breaks him free so they can fight:

Pg. 11, panel 5:

GOBLIN: "It would have been an empty victory to defeat a foe who is helplessly shackled! Therefore, I'll set you free! I'll prove I'm your master!"


During the fight (which causes a raging fire), the Goblin is knocked back into some beakers and live wires. The resulting electro-chemical shock wipes out his memory of the last few years.

Pg. 17, panel 5:

NORMAN: "Why am I wearing this strange costume? Where am I? I...I must see my son! I have to help him with his bio...!"

SPIDER-MAN (thought balloon): "It's incredible! He thinks Harry is still in high school! His memory of the last few years is completely gone! He has no knowledge of being the Green Goblin!"


Important fact there: Osborn has partial amnesia, *not* multiple personality disorder. He simply *can't remember* the circumstances that led him to become the Green Goblin, nor his motivations as the Goblin, nor his hatred of Spider-Man (or Spidey's secret identity), nor his experiences after the explosion that drove him mad. From ASM # 14-39, Norman and the Goblin were the same guy (post-accident Norman). After Norman loses his memory in ASM # 40, it's just a matter of his "Goblin" memories trying to reemerge after that, *not* split-personalities battling for dominance. Even in "Norman" mode, he's still a bit of a creep. However, both the 1995 Spider-Man animated series and the movies (likely because the filmmakers' "research" consisted of watching the cartoon instead of reading the comics...) both depict Norman as having a split-personality. Bah!

In future appearances, the Green Goblin is totally obsessed with killing Spider-Man. ASM # 250 reveals that Norman's last personal journal entry regarded his plan to uncover Spider-Man's identity (from ASM # 39) (Also note the fact that Norman kept journals, which is a symptom of his excessive egotism). He never wrote any entries after ASM # 40 because he'd lost his Goblin memories, and when he did become the Goblin again on three later occasions, it was only for very short periods of time (In ASM # 261, Harry Osborn tells the Hobgoblin that the last entry in Norman's last surviving journal is dated a week before he died, but that's not possible, because Norman only regained his Goblin memory *hours* before he died in ASM # 122. Harry was probably just trying to placate the Hobgoblin in that instance, since his wife and unborn child were being held captive.). Also, in Spectacular Spider-Man # 200, Harry says the super-strength formula he used on himself was one that Norman was working on just before he died, but this isn't really possible either.).

Anyway, at the end of ASM # 40, Spider-Man burns the Goblin's costume, and leaves Osborn with the fire department and police, saying that Osborn is a hero who helped him defeat the Goblin (the Goblin is presumed killed in the warehouse fire). After that, Harry and Norman begin to reconnect in the hospital.


ASM # 41: Betty Brant returns from a lengthy absence, and Peter discovers that whatever chemistry they once had is gone.

Peter subsequently buys a motorcycle (which impresses the gang) and also starts to really notice Gwen Stacy. This shift in Peter's social status and personality (in which he goes from the unpopular nerd in the Lee-Ditko days to a popular guy with a motorcycle) is something of a departure from the character as originally conceived. Many years later, writer Roger Stern would "explain" this tonal shift by saying that Peter was just a "late-bloomer".

Pg. 19, panels 8-9:

PETER (referring to his new motorcycle): "How do you like 'er, Gwen?"

GWEN: "A knockout, Pete!"

PETER (thought balloon): "Just like you are, Gwendolen! Was I ever so wrapped up in that Betty that I couldn't see this living pinup under my nose! Something tells me my luck is about to change!"


However, Gwen seems a bit upset by the fact that Peter is fighting against being the brainy guy who goes against the rest of the crowd...


GWEN: "Actually, I never thought of you as the motorcycle type before, Pete!"

PETER: "You didn't? Why not?"

GWEN: "Oh, I don't know--"

PETER (thought balloon): "She--almost looks--disappointed!"


Pg. 20, panels 1-2:

PETER (to Gwen): "Lady, there's a lot you don't know about me! But stick around--I'm planning to educate you!"

GWEN: "Peter Parker! What on earth has changed you so?"

PETER: "Nothing, Gwen! Maybe the real me is just beginning to break thru!"

PETER (thought balloon): "Those eyes! Those lips! She's too much!"


As Peter leaves...


FLASH (to Gwen): "Say, doll--what's with Mr. Bookworm these days?"

GWEN: "Whatever it is, Flash, why don't you get friendly with him? Maybe some of it will rub off on you!"

GWEN (thought balloon): "The way Pete looked at me--like he was seeing me--for the first time!"


In ASM # 42 (as drawn by Ditko's successor, John Romita), we see Gwen with her infamous black headband (as opposed to Ditko's "scoop" hairstyle) for the first time (although her bangs aren't showing they way they do in later issues). Also, Peter turns down an invitation from Gwen to attend a party at her home, since he already has a prior obligation...

During the last few years of the book (ever since ASM # 15), Lee and Ditko had introduced a running subplot: Peter's Aunt May was trying to set him up with Mary Jane Watson, niece of their next-door neighbor. However, Peter feared that such an arranged date would prove to be very bad, so he did everything he could to avoid it.

Stan Lee had decided that Peter and Betty Brant were going to break up, and he introduced Gwen as a new love interest. Mary Jane was then brought in later on to shake things up, and to give Peter a choice of girlfriend (the "Betty and Veronica" syndrome):


ASM # 42:

Pg. 8, panels 3-7: The gang is outside ESU.

GWEN (to Peter): "How about coming to a party at my house Sunday, Pete?"

PETER: "Love to, Gwen!"

But then, Peter remembers his prior obligation to Aunt May: they're having dinner that night, and Peter is finally going to meet Mary Jane Watson.

PETER: "Gosh, Gwen...I'm sorry! I just realized..."

GWEN: "No need to explain! Attendance isn't compulsory!"

PETER: "But I don't want you to think I'm just making up an excuse..."

GWEN: "I'm sure that what I think won't bother you, Peter!"

FLASH: "Haw! Good ol' Parker..the strike-out king!"

HARRY: "Pete's probably got his reasons!"

FLASH: "If you ask me, he's waiting till there's a party for wall-flowers...so he can be guest of honor!"

GWEN: "Flash Thompson, it so happens that nobody asked you!"

FLASH: "Say! Don't tell me that Puny Parker puts you on, Gwen? Not a chick like you!"

GWEN: "Don't worry, my fatuous friend...I won't tell you!"

FLASH: "Fatuous??"

GWEN: "Forget it, Flash! It's more than one syllable...so you wouldn't understand!"


Pg. 20, panels 1-4: Peter sees Flash Harry, and Gwen in a car at night on his way home. He wonders if Gwen will put in the good word for him with the gang.


And so, after Peter turns down Gwen's party invitation in order to appease his Aunt May and finally meet Mary Jane, he is stunned to discover that she is absolutely gorgeous and a real party girl!


ASM # 44:

Pg. 10, panels 2-3: At the Silver Spoon coffee house, the gang sees Peter come in from the rain. Flash jokes that the rain might make Peter melt.

GWEN: "Come off it, Flash! You're as funny as a toothache!"

GWEN (to Peter): "If you'd like a fill-in on what you missed in the lab today, I'll be glad to review it with you, Pete!"

But then Mary Jane shows up. Everyone is shocked to see that Peter knows such a beautiful, vivacious girl.

Pg. 11, panel 1:

MARY JANE (to Gwen): "So you're Gwen Stacy! I've heard Peter mention you!"

GWEN: "How nice!"

Peter decides to decline Gwen's offer of study to leave with Mary Jane. He wonders if Gwen is jealous of MJ (she is), or whether it's because MJ flirted with Flash when she arrived.


Pg. 11, panel 5:

GWEN: "I don't know what's gotten into Pete! Even a scholarship student like him can't afford to let his studies slide!"

FLASH: "Aww, come off it, Gwen! That's not what's buggin' you! You didn't like seeing that new chick wrap him around her little finger! But don't worry, kid! Any gal whose taste is that bad can't be any competition for a doll like you!"

He puts his arm around Gwen, whose own arms are defensively folded.

GWEN: "Flash, do me a favor..?"

FLASH: "Sure, baby! Name it!"

GWEN: "Stop breathing on me!"



ASM # 45:

Pg. 6: Harry Osborn tells Peter that his father could use a science major as a part-time helper (a job offer Peter considers much later on, in ASM # 96). Peter also wonders why he's been thinking about Gwen so much, considering they never even dated before Mary Jane came on the scene.



ASM # 46: Peter moves into an apartment in Manhattan with Harry Osborn (an apartment provided by Norman Osborn), and Aunt May moves in with Anna Watson.

Pg. 10-11: Peter sees Gwen dancing while out on the town with Mary Jane.


ASM # 47: This issue features Peter's first date with Mary Jane Watson, and establishes that no exclusive couples have emerged from the circle of friends yet.

Meanwhile, Kraven the Hunter seeks vengeance on Norman Osborn, who hired him to attack Spider-Man (the battle depicted in ASM # 34). Norman posed as the middle-man for the Green Goblin, claiming he merely worked for the Goblin when he hired Kraven. Now, Kraven seeks revenge on Osborn for not giving him his money (since the Goblin is presumed dead). Unfortunately, due to his partial amnesia, Norman has no memory of his deal with Kraven.

Pg. 5-6: Norman Osborn visits Peter and Harry in their new apartment (which Norman put them up in). Peter is happy to see Norman acting normally, without a trace of his Goblin persona, and shakes his hand.


Pg. 5, panel 1: Some boys at ESU are talking to Gwen about Flash Thompson's impending departure (Flash is about to enter the Army).

BOY # 1: "Who's gonna take his place with you, doll?"

GWEN: "Looks like I'm up for grabs, lads!"

BOY # 2: "That'll be the day!"

Pg. 6, panels 1-6:

Harry and Peter have overheard the conversation:

HARRY (to Gwen, joking): "Who are you kidding, Gwen? You never dug Flash in the first place! Why won't you admit that I'm the secret love of your life?"

GWEN: "Because it wouldn't be a secret any longer if I did, Harry!"

PETER: "Touche, Miss Stacy! Say, has anyone ever told you that you get prettier every day?"

GWEN: "Only my mirror, Mr. Parker! Whoops..sorry! I've been listening to Mary Jane too long! Oh, speaking of Mary Jane...if you'd like to bring her to the party, you may!"

Peter feels badly that Gwen didn't give him the chance to ask *her* first. He then asks Gwen to grab a soda with him after class.

GWEN: "Sorry, Pete! I'll be busy getting things ready for Flash's party! I'm sure Mary Jane can help you brush up on your notes."

Pg. 11: Peter ands Harry pick up Gwen in a car, and Gwen forgets Peter's name when she greets them, referring to him as "impetuous one" to cover the slip. Peter laments the fact that back when Gwen actually dug him, he was too busy fighting battles as Spider-Man to reciprocate.

Soon, they arrive at the party. Gwen sees MJ and Peter dancing together, so she begins to dance herself, drawing attention from the boys. MJ is jealous.

Pg. 13, panel 1:

PETER (thought balloon, seeing Gwen dancing): "And that's the gal I never had time to date! Hooo, boy!"

Then, Kraven breaks in, planning on grabbing Harry to use as a hostage against Norman Osborn. Spider-Man manages to defeat the Hunter and rescue Harry. This marks the first time Gwen has seen Spidey in action.



ASM # 48:

Gwen's hairstyle is closer to Mary Jane's (and this is noted in the dialogue). It has been said that Gwen was given MJ's hairstyle by Lee and Romita to help make her more visually interesting and sexy. This also plays into the idea that Gwen is competing with MJ for Peter's attention. Also, MJ's hairstyle was altered later on, in issue # 64 (perhaps to differentiate her from Gwen), but she went back to her original hairstyle soon after.

Pg. 7, panels 4-5: At ESU, Peter sees Gwen's new look.

PETER: "Hi, Gwen! Say...you sure look great wearing your hair that way!"

GWEN: "Why, thank you, Pete! It's just a casual little style...which took all morning to arrange!"

HARRY: "Say! No wonder Peter likes your hairdo, Gwen! It's more like the way Mary Jane's been wearing hers!"

GWEN (embarrassed): "Oh, that's right! I...hadn't thought of that!"

Peter is angry at Harry for throwing a wrench in his chat with Gwen, and is also upset that he's not feeling very well, health-wise, just as Gwen's being nice to him.


ASM # 49: This issue marks the first appearance of Gwen with MJ's hairstyle while she's wearing that infamous black headband of hers.

Gwen and Mary Jane stop by Harry and Peter's apartment while Peter is sleeping (he's now feeling very ill). After learning of Peter's condition, they depart with Harry, and Gwen tells Peter's visiting Aunt May to let him know they stopped by.


ASM # 50:


Pg. 13, panels 4-5:

Gwen sees Peter on his motorcycle, and tells him that she got a letter from Flash Thompson. Peter asks her about the nature of her relationship with Flash:

PETER: "He really turns you on, doesn't he, Gwen?"

GWEN: "Face it, classmate...How many blushing blondes would find a hip, handsome football hero totally repulsive?"

PETER: "I'm sorry I asked, pretty girl! How was the party?"

GWEN: "A disaster area...without you!"

PETER: "Y'know...I kinda wish you meant that!"

GWEN (thought balloon): "Oh...you lovable, blind goof!! Can't you see I do?!!"


Peter gives Gwen a ride on his motorcycle, and they later flirt at ESU, with Peter voicing his concern that Gwen and Flash are an item.

Pg. 15, panels 5-6:

PETER: "How about a soda, sandwich, and spin after class, woman?"

GWEN: "Love it, man..but I've a date with Harry tonight!"

PETER: "You two..aren't pinned or anything..are you?"

GWEN: "First Flash--now Harry! You're always trying to pair me off! How come you haven't asked if I've got a maaaaad crush on a bashful, black-haired bike-rider?"

PETER: "C'mon! We both know nice guys finish last! Forget it lady!"

GWEN: "You said it, Peter...I didn't!"


ASM # 51:

Pg. 10, panels 6-8: MJ, Gwen, and Harry see Peter ride by on his motorcycle without seeing them. MJ was hoping for a ride home.

MARY JANE (to Gwen): "I know why you're smiling, Gwen! It bugs you when I'm alone with Petey...doesn't it?"

HARRY: "In case you haven't noticed, lady...Gwen is my date!"

MARY JANE: "Sure, because Mr. P.didn't ask her first!"

HARRY: "Good ol' Mary Jane! Anything for a laugh, eh?"

MARY JANE: "Do you think I'm being funny, Gwendolyne?"

GWEN: "I think...perhaps it's time we were getting home!"


ASM # 52:

Pg. 12-13: Flash Thompson comes home from the war in Viet Nam on leave, and is greeted by the gang (minus Peter, who's off battling the Kingpin as Spider-Man). Flash is surprised by the pro-Peter Parker sentiment among the group, and jokingly accuses Gwen of brainwashing everyone into liking Peter.



ASM # 53:


Pg. 4-5: Peter talks to Professor Warren, who offers him two extra tickets to a science expo. Excited, Peter runs into Gwen.

PETER: "Gwen!! Just the one I'm looking for! Are you doing anything special tonight, pretty girl?"

GWEN: "Everything I do is special, Mr. Parker!"


Harry Osborn walks by.


PETER: "What I meant was--oh, there's Harry! Hi, roommate! How's it goin'?"

HARRY (icy): "Hello, Pete! Flash said he'll look for you after class, Gwen!"

Harry leaves. Clearly, he's perturbed and jealous of Peter for hanging around with Gwen.


PETER: "What's with him? Why the big freeze?"

GWEN: "Your unexpected comings and goings seem to be shaking him up, laddie! But, Greedy Gwendolyne is more interested in what you had in mind for tonight!"

PETER: "It's the science expo! Maybe it's not your cup of tea, but--"

GWEN: "Silly boy! I thought you'd never ask! In case you've forgotten, your little blonde buddy is a sci major, too!"

Later, after school, the pair meets up with Professor Warren.

(I must say that in light of later retcons regarding Professor Warren's romantic obsession with Gwen, this next line--and the fact that he's with Peter and Gwen on their very first date--is very, very creepy.)


Pg. 5, panel 4:

WARREN: "You're bringing Miss Stacy? I certainly admire your choice, Parker!"


Pg. 5, panels 5-7: When the pair encounters Flash in the hall, Gwen has to break up an argument between him and Peter.


And so, we see Gwen and Peter's first real date on their trip with Professor Warren to see the science exhibit. However, Doctor Octopus arrives to steal the Nullifier (a device featured at the exhibit), and Peter switches to Spidey to stop him. Gwen is very worried, and hugs Peter when he reappears after the fight.

Pg. 15:

GWEN (hugging Peter): "It doesn't matter where you were, Pete--as long as you're back! I never realized you were so habit-forming, man-child--like being hooked on pistachio nuts!"


Also note that Gwen's feelings towards Spider-Man will change a great deal in the future...

Pg. 16, panel 1:

GWEN: "It's a shame you missed Spider-Man, Pete! He was simply wonderful!"


Peter is relieved to see that Gwen isn't upset about his sudden disappearance:


PETER (thought balloon): "She's the only girl--who's never asked me--for any explanations!"


But this will change.


Pg. 16, panels 2-4: Gwen and Peter see the rest of the gang at the Coffee Bean. MJ says that she just loaned Peter out to Gwen, and Peter notices a look of jealousy on Harry's face.


ASM # 55:

Pg. 6: Gwen is very happy to interrupt Peter and Mary Jane as they examine a hole in the wall of May Parker and Anna Watson's home (a hole made by Dr. Octopus in ASM # 54).



ASM # 56 features the first appearance of Gwen's elderly father (whom she lives with in a brownstone); retired police Captain George Stacy (who still serves as an advisor to the NYPD). Captain Stacy is much respected in the community, and it is clear that he and Gwen come from a refined, morally solid background. Whatever became of Gwen's mother is not revealed at this point (she presumably died, and didn't run out on the family like the Ultimate Spider-Man version of Gwen's mother did). A tombstone seen in Spectacular Spider-Man # 149 reads "Martha" Stacy, and this may have been intended to be the name of Gwen's mother at that time. Later on, however, her late mother's name was firmly established as "Helen" Stacy (in the one of the 1997 "Flashback" issues, Spider-Man -1).


Pg. 7: Peter Parker has gone missing (he's actually suffering from amnesia, and has become the partner of Dr. Octopus), and Gwen is worried for his safety. This page also marks the first appearance of Captain Stacy.

Pg. 8, panels 2-4: Gwen calls her father at police headquarters.

CAPTAIN STACY (on phone): "Gwen? Is anything wrong, dear? Are you..? What? Peter Parker? Yes...I've heard you mention him! He's missing? Since when? Well, I wouldn't worry, dear! But I'll check the accident reports if you like!"

GWEN (on phone): "Thanks, dad! It would make his aunt feel better!"

CAPTAIN STACY (on phone): "Only his aunt, Gwen?"


ASM # 57:

Pg. 9-10: Spider-Man goes to police headquarters to try and sort out his memory problems, and Colonel John Jameson (the son of Jonah Jameson) and Captain Stacy are there. After he arrives, Gwen bursts in to see her father, having heard on the radio that Peter Parker may be a victim of Spider-Man. She's shocked to see the web-slinger when she enters the room. This is Gwen's first face-to-face encounter with Spider-Man.

GWEN (crying, hitting Spider-Man): "I heard the radio report! What have you done to Peter Parker? Where is he??"

Spider-Man feels as if he knows Gwen, and recognizes her perfume.

After Spidey leaves, Gwen hugs her dad, crying, and wonders if Peter was hurt by Spider-Man.



ASM # 59:

Pg. 6: His memory restored, Peter talks to Captain Stacy at the Stacy home, who informs Peter of his interest in Spider-Man. He's made it a hobby of studying Spidey, and is trying to figure out his true identity and his motivations.

Pg. 6, panel 6: Just then, Gwen comes in, and is thrilled to see Peter alive and well. She hugs him passionately. This issue marks the first true appearance of the "classic" John Romita look for Gwen Stacy, the one fans envision of when they think of her (MJ's hairstyle with bangs/headband).

GWEN: "Peter! You're here! If only I'd known--I'd have gotten here sooner!

Pg. 7, panels 1-4:

GWEN (hugging Peter): "Oh, Pete--I never realized--how much I missed you--!"

PETER (embarrassed): "Gwen! You--Your--dad! I-I mean--!"

CAPTAIN STACY: "It's all right, son! Even an old police war-horse like me was young once myself!"

GWEN: "Sorry, Mr. P! Didn't mean to embarrass you! But it's so wonderful seeing you again! We were all so worried--!"

CAPTAIN STACY: "We were worried, Gwendolyn?"

Soon, Peter and Gwen go to the Coffee Bean to see Harry Osborn.


Later, we learn that MJ has gotten a job at the Gloom Room a Go-Go, and Peter, Gwen, Harry, and Captain Stacy go to see her there. However, the club is really a front for the Kingpin of Crime, who is using it to brainwash prominent citizens, including Captain Stacy!

Pg. 12-13: At the dance club, Peter and Gwen flirt, and Captain Stacy is brainwashed by an unknowing Mary Jane, who is using a hypnotic device disguised as an ordinary camera.


ASM # 60: At the beginning of the story, Gwen worries about the absent Peter, who is off fighting the Kingpin as Spider-Man. Captain Stacy then shows up, having also been missing (he's actually been getting instructions from the Kingpin). He asks Gwen who she's worried about.

Pg. 1, panel 6:

GWEN (to Captain Stacy): "About you, you handsome creature! About the most wonderful father any fortunate female ever had!"

But Peter is still absent, and Gwen is still worried.


Pg. 10: Peter goes to the Stacy home, fearing Captain Stacy has been brainwashed. Gwen answers the door.

GWEN: "Peter! I...never expected..! Where've you been? What happened to you?"

PETER: "It's a long story..! Is your dad home? May I come in for a minute?"

GWEN: "It's not very flattering to me...if you only want to stay a minute!"

PETER: "Wouldja believe...forever?"

GWEN: "Try me, Mr. Parker!"


Pg. 10, panel 7: Gwen goes to make coffee, and reveals her age:


GWEN: "Time was when the groovy young gents came to see Gwendolyne! To think that I've become an eighteen-year-old has-been--alas!"

Pg. 11-12: Gwen walks in just as Peter is defending himself from the brainwashed Captain Stacy, who attacks him (suspecting that Peter is close to the truth about the Kingpin's scheme). What Gwen sees, however, is Peter knocking her father to the floor, seemingly without provocation. Captain Stacy also claims it was unprovoked. Peter tries to tell her that things aren't as they appear.

Pg. 12, panels 2-3:

GWEN (to Peter, crying, holding her father): "You...You tell me not to believe...what I see with my own eyes! You struck my own father...an old man...the dearest...the gentlest man who ever lived!"

PETER: "No, Gwen...no!"

GWEN: "Then deny it! Let me hear you deny it!"

PETER: "I--I can't!"

GWEN: "How? How could I ever have thought...that I cared for you--?? Get out, Peter...Get out! And never come back! I never want to see you again---ever!"


He leaves. Gwen is devastated. Later on, she thinks:


GWEN (thought balloon): "I just couldn't bring myself to call the police! But, I'll never forgive him! Never!"


Later, mulling over this depressing turn of events, Peter comes to the realization that he's in love with Gwen.


Soon after, Peter ends up taking a photo of Capt. Stacy stealing files from police headquarters for the Kingpin, a photo published on the front page of the Daily Bugle! A photo that Gwen sees in the paper on Pg. 20, panels 6-7!


ASM # 61:

Pg. 2-3: A crying Gwen confronts her father with the newspaper photo. He's confused, and tells her that he has to obey orders. She resolves to help him, no matter what.


CAPTAIN STACY: "But, Gwen...I don't want you to become...involved!"

GWEN: "I'm your daughter! If there's danger ahead..we'll face it together!"


Pg. 8, panel 5: Norman Osborn sees a newspaper ad for "The Legend of The Green Goblin", a TV documentary special, which upsets him.

NORMAN: "The Green Goblin! Why does his picture disturb me so? Every time I hear that name, it sends shivers up my spine!"


Pg. 11, panels 4-5: Harry Osborn visits his father in his office. Norman doesn't look well, and has his head in his hands.

HARRY: "Is anything wrong, sir?"

NORMAN: "Huh? Oh, Harry! Come in, son...come in! I'm just...not quite myself today! It started when I saw the name Green Goblin in the paper! I don't seem able to get him out of my mind now!"

HARRY: "I never did understand how you helped to destroy him, dad!"

NORMAN: "That's the trouble, son...I can't remember!"


A specter-like image of the Goblin fills half the panel as Norman tries to sort out his thoughts in panel 5.


Pg. 12, panels 1-2:

NORMAN: "My memory of that event is almost a total blur! I know there was a fire which started during Spider-Man's battle with the Goblin!...The battle in which the Green Goblin lost his life! When I awoke in the hospital I was told that the webslinger credited me with helping him to beat the Goblin...But, I can't remember! I can't remember any of it!"

HARRY: "Don't worry, dad! It'll come back to you some day...I'm sure it will!"


Pg. 14, panel 1: At the airport, Gwen tells her father that--

GWEN: "Running away has never solved anything!"


An odd choice of words for a girl who allegedly cheated on her boyfriend, had another man's children, and left them in France, eh?



However, the Kingpin soon captures both of them to use as bait to lure Spider-Man into a trap. Norman Osborn's plant is being used as the Kingpin's hideout, a fact Osborn soon discovers.


Pg. 18:

Norman walks in on the resulting melee, and sees Dr. Winkler (an Osborn employee and inventor of the brainwashing device) training a gun on the Stacys, threatening to kill them if Spider-Man doesn't surrender:

NORMAN: "I thought I heard..WHA--??!"

NORMAN (thought balloon): "Has Winkler gone mad? I've got to do something--!"

Osborn tackles his own employee, Dr. Winkler. The gun goes off, and the brainwashing device is destroyed. The explosion kills Winkler.

NORMAN (thought balloon): "I tackled him...without thinking...as if it's the most natural thing for me to do!"

After the explosion, a battered Osborn picks himself up:

Pg. 18, panels 4-5:

NORMAN (thought balloon): "I--I'm hurt! My head...throbbing...pain getting worse...! Winkler...dead! Explosion killed him! I tried...to help, but...might have made things...worse!"


Clearly, Norman's Green Goblin persona is slowly beginning to reemerge. The explosion and the stress intensifies Osborn's throbbing headaches, which will lead to his becoming the Goblin once again.

Pg. 19, panels 1-4: Meanwhile, Spider-Man manages to save Gwen and Captain Stacy from a massive vat that is about to crush them.

SPIDER-MAN (seeing the danger, horrified): "Gwen!! GWEN!!"


Osborn tells Spider-Man that the Kingpin went up to the roof, where Norman's private helicopter is. But it's too late, and the crimelord gets away.


Pg. 20, panels 3-5:

Gwen says this regarding her father's innocence:

GWEN (to Captain Stacy): "They'll realize you're innocent now! Mr. Osborn can testify! He saw what happened! As soon as the brainwashing machine exploded, dad became himself again! Mr. Osborn...and Spider-Man...helped to save us!"


Meanwhile, a police officer asks Norman if he's all right, and Norman says his headache has subsided for now.

GWEN: "If only I could thank...Spider-Man! We owe him our lives!"


Clearly, Gwen isn't even on a first-name basis with Osborn, and probably only knows him superficially, through her high school/college friendship with Harry, Norman's son. This is their first real interaction in the series, with Norman helping to save the lives of Gwen and her father. I'm *SURE* that Gwen did NOT proceed to have sex with Norman when she visited him in order to thank him for saving her life (unlike Madgoblin will tell you in his well-written but flawed "Deflowering Gwen" essay-- http://www.spideykicksbutt.com/GreenwithEvil/DeFloweringGwen.html). There's *no* evidence whatsoever that she went to thank him. The fact of the matter is that Gwen Stacy, even as established only up to this particular point in time, wouldn't have a one-night stand with an older man she barely knew, and wasn't even on a first-name basis with.

Besides, Norman has to be at *least* 36 years old (assuming he was 18 at the youngest when he got married and when Harry was born). However, it's very likely he's *much* older than Gwen, perhaps even 2 1/2 times older, since he's probably a contemporary of J. Jonah Jameson (who appears to be in his 40s-50s-60s). Indeed, Mark Millar, one of those overly popular "rock star" comic writer, stated in his Marvel Knights: Spider-Man run that Norman is currently 55 years old. Using the ridiculous notion of "Marvel Time", that means Norman was probably around 45 at the time of his alleged little fling with Gwen (who was probably around 20 at the time). Ughhhhh.



As an experiment, Marvel published a magazine called The Spectacular Spider-Man in 1968, which would feature all-new stories. It was cancelled after two issues, however. The first issue (in black-and white, the second being in color) dealt with a corrupt politician named Richard Raleigh and his campaign to become Mayor of New York City.

Although the story in Spectacular Spider-Man Magazine # 1 is something of a stand-alone tale (ostensibly aimed at new readers who might be willing to pick up a Spider-Man story in magazine form), the writers/researchers of The Official Marvel Index to The Amazing Spider-Man # 3 attempted to figure out how both issues of the magazine fit into Spider-Man's chronology. Here's what they came up with for the first issue:

The Spectacular Spider-Man Magazine # 1:

The story interweaves with pages 4-12 of ASM # 59 (In SSMM # 1, Capt. Stacy already knows Peter Parker, but first met him in ASM # 59. Also, in SSMM # 1, Gwen is not yet angry with Peter for attacking her father in ASM # 60, and she isn't on speaking terms with him until ASM # 64, when MJ has her new hairdo).

Pages 1-12 of ASM # 59 (cover dated April, 1968) take place over about 3 days, as does the story in Spectacular # 1 (cover dated July, 1968).

SSMM # 1:

Pg. 17: Peter goes to the Stacy home to pick up Gwen and take her to a dance-in at the town hall (in support of Richard Raleigh), and promises Captain Stacy he'll have her home by midnight. Gwen and Peter flirt.

An interesting observation about Gwen:

Pg. 17, panel 4:

CAPTAIN STACY (thought balloon): "He's a nice boy, that Parker. Although I thought Gwen would prefer the more rugged type."

And another, regarding Gwen's fashion sense, thanks to MJ's rivalry with her:

Pg 18, panel 1:

MARY JANE: "I just adore that dress you're wearing, Gwen. And for all we know, it may come back into style some day."

Soon, though, the ceiling fixture begins to collapse (as a result of Raleigh's manipulations), and Peter secretly uses his webbing to stop it. Gwen later teases him about the webbing on his sleeve, causing Peter some alarm, only to then say that everyone got some on them (and thus she doesn't suspect his secret).

Pg 28: At ESU, Peter is distracted in class, covers by saying he has a bit of spring fever, and then he and Gwen flirt (with a hint of sexual innuendo):

GWEN: "If you can use a soft shoulder and a sympathetic ear..."

PETER: "I sure can, lady...if the eyes and lips go along with them."

GWEN: "Well, you may be under the weather...but at least you're still alive!"


Pg. 37-39: Peter picks Gwen up on his motorcycle, and Capt. Stacy approves. However, a monster under Richard Raleigh’s control attacks George (who suspects that Raleigh's up to something), and Peter disappears so he can switch to Spidey and save him.

Pg. 43: After George Stacy is saved, Gwen rushes up to him:

GWEN: "Nothing matters...as long as you and Peter are safe."

However, when Captain Stacy says that Peter is missing, Gwen is terrified by the thought that he may be dead:

GWEN: "No! It can't be...it just can't!"

Peter later turns up, but we don't see a reunion between Peter and Gwen.

After that, Raleigh ends up getting killed by his own monstrous henchman.



In ASM # 62 (pg. 3), a depressed Spider-Man notes that Gwen currently likes Spider-Man (for saving her life in ASM # 61) and hates Peter Parker (for seemingly attacking her father in ASM # 60), and wishes it were the other way around. Ironically, his wish would come true in a nightmarish way some 29 issues later (after the death of Captain Stacy in ASM # 90).

Pg. 6, panel 5 through Pg. 7, panels 1-4: Peter visits the Stacy home.

GWEN: "Peter! I...wouldn't have thought...you'd have the nerve...to come here!"

PETER: "Gwen...you've got to let me explain!"

GWEN: "I don't have to do...anything!"

GWEN: "When dad and I...needed a friend...when neither of us knew where to turn...that was when...you betrayed us!"

PETER: "But it wasn't what you thought! You've got to listen to me...!"

GWEN: "Oh, Peter...I want to believe you! I'll listen! But...listen to what?"

PETER: "I...don't know! I don't know how...to explain!"

Gwen then closes the door, leaving Peter with these thoughts:

PETER (thought balloon): "She did want to believe me...I know it! She's heartbroken about what happened...as I am!"


In panels 3-4, we see George Stacy recovering in bed. He asks Gwen who was at the door.

GWEN: "It was Peter Parker, dad! I sent him away!"

CAPTAIN STACY: "You did? What on earth for? I thought...you felt he was the boy!"

GWEN (crying): "I did, dad...I did!"

Gwen is still devastated about her problems with Peter, and clearly wants him to explain to her what really happened when he "attacked" her father. But Peter can't explain the real story, for fear that his secret identity would be revealed!

Given all this evidence about Gwen's emotional state at the time, I think it's MORE than safe to say that she did NOT screw Norman Osborn at this point (as Marvel's JMS-clean-up crew has since established). It's been stated that Gwen went to thank Norman for helping to save her life in ASM # 61, and that's when their sick little tryst occurred. Since Norman is having severe headaches and then goes missing by ASM # 62-63, and since Gwen and Peter reconcile in ASM # 66, the only time this could possibly have occurred is between ASM # 61-62. And all the evidence in those issues shows that it *couldn't* have, because Gwen is clearly still pining for Peter (and is already deeply in love with him), and she's also busy nursing her father back to health (Because she *cares* about him. Because that's who Gwen Stacy was!). And if she did have a fling with Norman (which she didn't), then how DARE she get on a moral high horse with Peter!!! No matter how big the shoehorn, the retcons of Sins Past DO NOT FIT!!!! Square peg, round hole!

Pg. 8-9: We see Norman Osborn and J. Jonah Jameson at their club. Jonah is doing his usual anti-Spider-Man ranting, and Norman gets a headache, tells J.J.J. to shut up, and then storms out. He's having visions of the Green Goblin and a helpless, unmasked Spider-Man (whose face Norman can't see) from ASM # 39-40, and can't get them out of his mind. He wonders if he's going mad, and also wonders who will take care of Harry if he really does go out of his mind.

Clearly, Norman's primary concern at this point would be his own mental condition. He's certainly not thinking about the college student he recently banged...

Peter then meets up with Harry, who is shocked to hear that Gwen and Peter are having problems.

Pg. 20: Mary Jane gleefully tells Peter that she heard he and Gwen are on the rocks. But then she sees just how sad Peter is, and thinks to herself:

MARY JANE (thought balloon): "Well, pierce my ears and call me drafty! He really misses her!"

By the way, this is the one and only thought balloon Mary Jane Watson has had, and she won't get another until the mid-1970s, after Gwen's death!


Amazing Spider-Man Annual # 5 takes place in-between ASM # 62-63, during the summer vacation between Peter's freshman and sophomore years at ESU (he's said to be a sophomore in ASM # 70). Gwen and Harry Osborn make a background cameo in the Annual on Pg. 14, panel 7.


ASM # 63:

Pg. 6:

Harry and Gwen see Peter at ESU, and Harry calls out to Peter.

GWEN: "Please, Harry...don't call to him! I'd prefer not to see him!"

HARRY: "Look, Gwen...I don't get it! Everyone figured you and my gloomy-roomie were a real item! And now..!"

GWEN: "Let's just say they all figured wrong, shall we?"

Pg. 7, panels 1-3: in Professor Warren's class, Peter is deeply distracted, and longs for Gwen, but she seems to ignore him. However...

GWEN (thought balloon): "Oh, Peter...if only you had one word of explanation! I'd believe anything you tell me! Nothing seems to matter any more...without you!"

Clearly, these are *not* the thoughts of a woman who just had sex with another man while on the outs with her boyfriend...


Pg. 10-11: Peter calls the Stacy home, and speaks with George Stacy, asking if Gwen is there:

CAPTAIN STACY (to Peter, on phone): "Sorry, Peter...she's out tonight...on a date, I suppose."

He then offers to take Peter to lunch the next day, and Peter wonders if Stacy suspects his secret.

I wonder why George says he thinks Gwen is out on a date. Could it be than Stan Lee intended for that line to mean George was subtly prodding Peter to fight for Gwen (by making him jealous)?

And no, Gwen was *not* on a date with Norman Osborn...

...because an angry, confused Norman shows up at Peter and Harry's apartment, insisting that Peter let him in to see his son.


Pg. 10, panel 7:

NORMAN (thought balloon): "Why does my mind return to the Green Goblin whenever I see Parker?"

Harry tends to Norman and tells him to rest, and Peter becomes terrified at the thought that Norman's memory may be returning...along with his knowledge of Spider-Man's secret identity!


ASM # 64 features a battle between Spider-Man and the Vulture.

Pg. 12, panel 5 introduces a new, short-lived hairstyle for Mary Jane (presumably an attempt by Lee and Romita to differentiate MJ from Gwen, or vice versa).

Pg. 13, panels 4-6: Gwen learns that her father's memory of being brainwashed (and his memory of Peter defending himself from the brainwashed Captain) has finally come back, and George then clears Peter's good name. Gwen is in seventh heaven, with tears of joy streaming down her cheeks.

CAPTAIN STACY: "Do you want to believe it, Gwen?"

GWEN: "More than anything ELSE--in the WORLD!"

CAPTAIN STACY: "It's true, darling!"

Gwen is overwhelmed, with tears of joy streaming down her cheeks.

GWEN (smiling, crying): "Then Peter didn't betray us! He didn't!"


Pg 14, panel 1:

CAPTAIN STACY (to Gwen): "I called the lad--to tell him I understand--but he wasn't home! Nor was his roommate, Harry!"

GWEN: "They might both be with Harry's father! Mr. Osborn hasn't been *well lately! But tell me more about Peter!"

CAPTAIN STACY: "First tell me what's wrong with Norman Osborn, dear! I wondered why I hadn't seen him at the club lately! It's nothing serious, I hope!

GWEN: "I don't know, dad! Harry thinks it might be a nervous breakdown--due to overwork! But, he's been acting very--Oh! Look!"

Gwen stops when she sees the crowd watching the Spider-Man/Vulture battle.

Clearly, though, Gwen still isn't even on a first-name basis with Norman Osborn (and social customs of the era would dictate that the kids refer to him as "Mr. Osborn" as a gesture of respect), and she seems to have learned about his condition only from chatting with Harry (much as she did in ASM # 62). Also, she wants to hear more about PETER, *not* Norman. If she had found out that she was pregnant by Norman at this point, she'd surely want to know about the mental state of the father of her children. And she'd also probably be very worried that in his unstable condition, Norman might spill the beans about their tryst (to Peter and to her father and to everyone else).

The pair then talks to Ned Leeds and Betty Brant, and learns that Peter is there on the scene to take photos of the battle, but is missing (since, in reality, he's fighting the Vulture as Spider-Man at that very moment). Gwen is deeply worried that Peter has been hurt, and cries.

Meanwhile, Spider-Man has fended off the Vulture, but now lies unconscious in the middle of a crowd...and they want to unmask him!


ASM # 65:

Pg. 2-3: As the crowd surrounds Spider-Man, Captain Stacy tells them to back off, as Spider-Man still has rights. A worried, crying Gwen looks for Peter.


Pg. 3, panel 3:

GWEN: "Oh, dad--I know I shouldn't get so emotional--but I couldn't bear it--if something happened--before we had a chance to make up!"

Soon, Spider-Man is taken to a prison infirmary (as he's wanted by the police), but there's a jailbreak, and Captain Stacy is taken captive.


Pg. 10-12: Harry looks for the missing Norman Osborn.

Eventually, Spider-Man foils the jailbreak and saves Captain Stacy's life.


ASM # 66:

Pg. 9, panels 3-5:

Peter is walking down the street and Gwen sees him.

GWEN: "PETER! I've been searching all over for you! I was afraid I'd never find you!"

PETER: "Gwen! I don't get it! I--I thought --you were thru with me!"

GWEN: "Oh, no Peter--NO! Dad explained everything--how you weren't to blame for what happened!"

They hug, and tears of joy stream down Gwen's face.

Pg. 10, panels 1-4:


PETER: "All this time--I've been feeling sorry for myself--unwilling to admit--I was just carrying a king-sized torch for YOU!"

GWEN: "Oh, Peter--Peter--it was as though my whole world had come to an end! But, not any more--!"

PETER: "Suddenly--with YOU in my arms again--everything seems right again! No matter what happens now--no matter what new problems come along--they won't mean a thing!"

GWEN (crying, smiling): "Don't talk that way, Mr. Parker! Just hold me--so you won't see me cry!"

They proceed to go out for coffee, very lovey-dovey!


PETER: "I can't let you go so soon, Gwen! How about some java--at the Coffee Bean?"

GWEN: "It'll taste like nectar with YOU--man o' mine!"

Some other kids ask Peter and Gwen to join them, but they're ignored, as the pair has eyes only for each other:

PETER: "Do you hear anything, Gwendolyn?"

GWEN: "Only the pitter-patter of my happy heart, joy boy!"

PETER: "Would you believe I'm nuts about you?"

GWEN: "Try telling me--and see!"

We then see a meeting between Captain Stacy and Robbie Robertson, in which they discuss their mutual interest in Spider-Man and his secret identity.

Pg. 11: Later, Peter meets up with Harry and learns that Norman Osborn is still missing.

Pg. 12, panels 1-3: Harry and Peter decide to go check Norman's factory to see if he's there, only to learn that no one's seen him. We then see Norman--dressed as the Green Goblin (sans mask) peering out a window at them. This scene ostensibly takes place between panels during Spectacular Spider-Man Magazine # 2. We see that Norman's memory hasn't fully returned at this point and also that his insane ego is in full swing:

NORMAN (seeing Peter and Harry below): "The fools! Did they think Norman Osborn wouldn't have a dozen ways to enter his own factory without being seen? As the multi-powered Green Goblin, I can glide over any fence or gate! Hah! If that lily-livered son of mine ever suspected who I really am--! But, let him search for me--him--and that holier-than-thou roommate of his! His roommate! Why does the mere thought of him make my blood boil? I won't be in the dark much longer! My memory gets clearer with each passing second!"


Spider-Man later becomes involved in a battle with Mysterio, which continues in:

ASM # 67:

Pg. 15, panel 4 through Pg. 16, panel 1:

A joyous Gwen receives a phone call at the Stacy home, hoping it's Peter, but it turns out to be Robbie Robertson (calling to speak to her father).

Around this time, Marvel published the second and final issue of the Spectacular Spider-Man Magazine series (this one was in color), featuring a battle between Spidey and the Green Goblin (the seeds of which had been planted in ASM # 61-66). Unlike SSMM # 1 (which was a stand-alone tale), this story is firmly rooted in mainstream continuity (we see Norman gradually crack up and become the Green Goblin again in Amazing Spider-Man # 61-66, and the resolution of that subplot is here, in Spectacular Spider-Man Magazine # 2).

The "Comments" section for this issue's entry in the Official Marvel Index to The Amazing Spider-Man # 3 attempted to figure out where in Spider-continuity this story took place. Here's what they came up with:

The story in SSMM # 2 interweaves with ASM # 66-67. Part 1 of SSMM # 2 (pg. 1 through pg. 17 panel 1) takes place in-between page 7, panels 1-2 of ASM # 66 (...where J.J.J. chews Peter out for not getting pix of the Vulture in ASM # 63-64. Peter also still has his motorcycle at the beginning of SSMM # 2, the motorcycle that he sells on pg. 7 of ASM # 66). Norman Osborn's memory does not fully return until pg. 13 of SSMM # 2, but we saw that he had partial memories (he knew he was the Goblin, but couldn't remember who Spider-Man really is) in ASM # 66. SSMM # 2 must follow ASM # 65, since Captain Stacy is fully recovered from being brainwashed. Norman Osborn is noted to have been missing since ASM # 63, but the writers of the Index assume he must have returned so he could invite Harry and Peter to Captain Stacy's slideshow.

Part 2 (Pg. 17, panel 2 through Pg. 20, panel 2) comes after Peter and Gwen make up in ASM # 66, but before Harry and Peter visit Norman's factory (in-between Pg. 12, panels 3-4 of ASM # 66).

Part 3 (Pg. 20, panel 3 through Pg. 58) follows the Spider-Man/Mysterio battle in ASM # 66-67.

Pg. 1: We begin at the Midtown Business Executives Club, where Captain Stacy is holding a slideshow/presentation on the History of Super-Villains (Peter Parker, J. Jonah Jameson, and the Osborns are attending). Upon seeing a slide of the Green Goblin battling Spider-Man, Norman Osborn breaks out into a sweat. Captain Stacy notes that the Goblin is still believed to be dead (from the fire in ASM # 40), and that Norman was cited for heroism by the police at the scene of that incident.

Pg. 3, panel 2:

NORMAN: "This seems to happen...every time I hear the Goblin mentioned."

Harry reassures him that he's probably just flashing back to the warehouse fire. Peter, however, is deeply worried. He remembers his prior battles with the Goblin and wonders if Norman's memories--of the Goblin and of Spider-Man's secret identity--are beginning to return.

Pg. 7: Norman's head is pounding; he collapses, and is sedated and hospitalized.

Pg. 12-13: Later, in his private room, Norman suddenly remembers!

Pg. 13, panels 1-3:

NORMAN: "It's like a fog beginning to lift...slowly...inexorably...despite the ache...despite the pain...my head is clearing...It's all coming back to me now...AT LAST...I know! The Green Goblin ISN'T dead! He NEVER died! I AM THE GOBLIN!"

Pg. 14-15: Having dressed, Norman storms out of the hospital like a man possessed, violently shoving Harry and his doctor out of the way. This is the one of the only real hints that the Goblin possesses super-strength:

Pg. 15, panel 2:

HARRY: "He pushed us aside...as if we were puppets. I never dreamt he had such strength!"

Norman proceeds to return to one of his many secret hideouts, assemble his Goblin-gear, and vows vengeance on Spider-Man, his ego in full gear!

Pg. 16, panel 3:

GOBLIN: "I'm stronger...wiser...more unbeatable than I was in the past! And, most important of all...at last I have a mission...REVENGE!"

Pg. 17-18: Peter meets up with Gwen Stacy, who tells him that Harry is staying with Norman.

Pg. 18, panel 3:

GWEN: "He's staying with his dad until Mr. Osborn is back to normal again!"


Hardly the words of a woman who allegedly screwed Norman...


After they go to class, they visit Harry and learn that Norman's missing.


Pg 18, panel 4:

HARRY: "It was as though he'd gone berserk! He ran out of the building...shouting like a madman...pushing people aside like tenpins! His strength...seemed unbelievable!"

Gwen notes Peter's stunned reaction to this news:

GWEN (thought balloon): "Poor Peter--he looks like he's seen a ghost!"


Pg. 19, panels 1-2: Peter walks Gwen home.

GWEN: (thought balloon): "Not having a father of his own, Peter is probably empathizing with Harry...and taking it twice as hard!"


*That's* Gwen Stacy. Compassionate and insightful. But she doesn't know the real reason Peter's upset...


GWEN: "Do you think it'll take them long to find Mr. Osborn?"

Once again, words of compassion (she's trying to help Peter feel better by raising his hopes that Norman will be found). And she's STILL not on a first name basis with Norman! She doesn't care about Norman's welfare nearly as much as she does Peter's!

Later, Spider-Man searches for the Green Goblin, but can find no trace of the arch-criminal.

Pg. 25: Norman shows up at his home, surprising Harry. Now he has a plan for revenge.

HARRY: "Gosh, dad...I...I don't know what to say..!"

NORMAN (thought balloon): You never did, you fatuous fool!"

Pg. 26: Harry calls Peter and tells him that Norman's back--and is throwing a dinner party. Peter is deeply concerned. He wonders if the Green Goblin is back, and whether or not he should risk the lives of Gwen and the others by attending the party.

Pg. 28: Peter picks Gwen up at the Stacy home. She's happy and sexy (not at all giving the impression of a girl who's about to visit the much older man she screwed and got pregnant by...). She and Peter are clearly enamored of each other to the exclusion of all else.


Pg. 28, panel 4: Here's a line that's taken on twisted new meaning in recent times...

PETER (thought balloon): "How can I subject this gorgeous creature to the Green Goblin?? And
yet...I must!"

CAPTAIN STACY: "When you youngsters see Norman Osborn...be sure to tell him how happy I am to hear that he's back home again...and feeling better!"

He then sees that Peter and Gwen only have eyes for each other.

CAPTAIN STACY: "Hmmm...judging by your reaction to what I just said...perhaps I'd better write him a letter!"

Pg. 29, panels 1-2: As they walk out the door:

CAPTAIN STACY: "Don’t bring Gwen home too late, Peter!"

PETER: "I won't, sir!"


As they leave:

PETER (to Gwen): "You're the greatest thing that ever happened to me, lady! I wouldn't trade your little finger...or one of your smiles...for all the..."

GWEN: "Whoa, lad! Better drop anchor while you can! Keep talking like that, and I'm liable to lead you to the preacher instead of the party! And I'm sure you wouldn't want that to happen...would you, Mr. Parker?"

Peter, however, is distracted at the thought of the coming encounter with Norman Osborn.

GWEN (smiling): "I notice you didn't answer me, young man!"


If Gwen really had a tryst with Norman, she would be concerned about seeing him again, especially given his mental problems of late. But she's not. She's the same sweet, sexy, fun-loving gal she's always been, and she is clearly in love with Peter.

Pg. 30-35: Our hero and his ladyfriend arrive at the party, and we get one of the best scenes in the whole Spider-Man vs. Green Goblin epic. Norman is insanely delighted to see Peter, and grips his hand hard enough to break it (another hint that he has super-strength), but for Peter's spider-strength. Peter now knows for certain that Norman's memory has been fully restored, and he's not sure what to do next. There is a distinct undercurrent of tension between Peter and Norman, tension that no one else at the party is aware of. Norman begins to subtly taunt and torture Peter in front of the gang by hinting at Peter's secret identity in front of everyone.

There is no tension whatsoever between Norman and Gwen. As far as Gwen is concerned, everything is fine, except for the fact that Peter seems jittery for some reason.

Unsure of what Norman will do next, and fearing the revelation of Spider-Man's true identity, Peter excuses himself and goes into another room. He pretends to talk to his aunt on the telephone while he secretly webs-up a roll of inflammable photo-film. He tosses the bundle into the fireplace, and the resulting smoke bomb leads everyone to think that there's a fire. Now free to confront Norman directly, Peter rushes out of the house. Enraged, Norman runs to his hideout and plans to strike at Peter's Aunt May first. The rest of the partygoers wonder what happened to Peter and Norman.

Pg. 35, panel 2:

GWEN: "Harry! What happened to Peter...and your dad?"

Spider-Man and the Green Goblin meet up outside the Parker home and battle. We see the Goblin's ego at work:

Pg. 36, panel 5:

GOBLIN: "The time has come for Spider-Man to face his inevitable death...at the hands of the supremely powerful Green Goblin!"

The Goblin exposes Spider-Man to a "psychedelic pumpkin" he's invented, which causes Spidey to violently hallucinate. Shaking off the effects, he realizes what the key to defeating the Goblin is.

Pg. 51, panel 1:

GOBLIN: "You think I need my weapons to defeat you? You think I'm not your master, anyway??"


Pg. 52, panel 2:

SPIDER-MAN (thought balloon): "Everything depends on how much I've weakened him...and on the fact that he's mentally ill...to begin with!"


And so, Spidey, grabs the Goblin's bag of tricks, pulls off the Goblin's mask, and then forces him to breathe in his own hallucinogenic gas.

GOBLIN (seeing Spidey grab his psychedelic pumpkin): "No! It's mine! You can't have it!...Not THAT! It's my most brilliant weapon...the Goblin's masterpiece!"

Spider-Man then verbally induces Norman to forget his knowledge of Spider-Man and the Green Goblin, and to become deathly afraid of them at the very mention of their names. Norman passes out, and Spidey removes Osborn's Goblin costume and takes him back to the hospital.

Pg. 58: A weary Peter Parker goes for coffee with Gwen and Mary Jane, and although he puts on a happy face, he can't help worrying that the Green Goblin will return.


ASM # 68:

Pg. 7: Peter is at ESU. Someone playing "guess who?" comes up behind him and covers his eyes. He guesses that it's Mary Jane. It's actually Gwen.

GWEN: "Mary Jane? Is she the first girl you thought of?"

PETER: "Well, she's more the guess-who-ing type! Don't tell me I finally found the magic words to make gorgeous Gwendolyn jealous!"

GWEN: "Negative!! I don't have a jealous bone in my body! But mention her again, and watch the roof fall in!"


Pg. 8-9: The couple visits May Parker, who is feeling a bit ill.

AUNT MAY (to Peter): "I feel strong as a lion when I see you, dear!"

GWEN: "He has the opposite effect on me! He makes me feel weak as a kitten!"

AUNT MAY: "You two have been...seeing quite a bit of each other!"

PETER: "Not nearly enough to suit me!"

(Gwen appears to *blush* when Peter says this!)


AUNT MAY: Oh dear! I didn't mean to embarrass you, Gwendolyne!"

GWEN: Never mind me, Mrs. Parker! The important thing is...I hope you don't disapprove!"

PETER: "Disapprove of me latching onto the brightest, bounciest, most beautiful blonde in creation? That'll be the day!"

AUNT MAY: "You two sound as though...it might be more even serious...than I thought! All I can say is...you've made a silly, sentimental old lady...very, very happy!"


All of the above certainly is a strong *hint* of sexual intimacy between Peter and Gwen, don't you think? Hmmm?

Anyway, *THAT* is Gwen Stacy. Sweet, respectful, a bit shy at times, and very loving and honest.


Later, as Peter and Gwen walk down the street:

GWEN: "No wonder you're so slightly special, Mr. Parker! Anyone lucky enough to have an aunt like that!.!"

We soon learn that many students at ESU are protesting, demanding better student rights. One such protestor is Randy Robertson, son of the Daily Bugle's City Editor, Joe Robertson.


ASM # 69: Randy and several other protestors are arrested. Student demonstrators demanding their release rally outside police headquarters.

Pg. 6: Gwen arrives to visit her father, but can't get through the crowd. Then, several students recognize her.

STUDENT: "Hey! It's Gwen Stacy! Where's your chicken boy friend, lady? He hasn't the guts to take a stand with us!"

GWEN (angry): "You said Peter Parker doesn't have guts?!!"

STUDENT: "Yeah...it's Parker I'm talkin' about!...And you better believe it!"

GWEN (EXPLODES IN ANGER, SLAPS HIM IN THE FACE): "You crummy, dim-witted loudmouth! He could be half the man he is...and still make ten of you!"

Fuming, Gwen is escorted in, and Captain Stacy sees that she's upset.

CAPTAIN STACY: "What's got you all steamed up?"

GWEN: "Just some feather-brained lunkhead outside!"

CAPTAIN STACY: "Did he get fresh with you?"

GWEN: "Him? He wouldn't dare! No...he said some rotten things...about Peter!"

CAPTAIN STACY: "Are you upset...because you think they may be true?"

GWEN (thought balloon): "I...wish I knew!"


Clearly, Gwen can be strong-willed and assertive. She doesn't just whine, "Oh, Peter...Peter!", all the time. Even if her reaction was an *overreaction* (due to her own doubts about Peter's courage), she's still clearly strong-willed.


ASM # 70:

Pg. 6, panel 5: Peter mentions that Harry is on a date with Mary Jane.

Pg. 7-8: Peter sees Gwen at ESU. She's upset because he hasn't called.

GWEN: "Too tired to pick up a phone, Mr. Parker? According to the other kids, you should be exhausted...from chickening out whenever it's time to take a stand for something! Sometimes I wonder if they aren't right!"

Peter worries that Gwen doesn't trust him, and also wonders how he could explain his behavior without revealing the truth of his double identity.

GWEN: "The least you could do is try to fumble for an excuse, man! Okay then...stand there chewing your cud! There must be a reason for that disappearing act of yours...and I'll wait till you level with me! Like I should have my head examined--but maybe I'm just too dumb to write you off!"

She begins to cry.

PETER: "Hey! You're crying! What brought that on?"

GWEN: "Skip it, Mr. Parker! It's just no fun...losing your stupid heart...to someone who's always making like...a coward!"

PETER: "A coward! You think I'm a coward??!"

GWEN: "Don't...make me answer that...Peter!"


ASM # 71:

Pg. 2-3: Harry comes home from a date with MJ just after Spider-Man comes home from a battle with the Kingpin. Clearly, Harry and MJ are beginning to go steady.

ASM # 72:

Pg. 1-3: The Kingpin had previously battled Spider-Man over an ancient tablet being studied at ESU. The tablet is reputed to hold the secret to immortality. After the Kingpin attempted to take the tablet, it was placed into the protective custody of Captain Stacy. And that's where we pick up, with the costumed criminal called the Shocker bursting into the Stacy home, seeking the tablet for himself. He stuns the good Captain with one of his vibro-blasts, horrifying Gwen. Captain Stacy is all right, though, and Gwen calls the police.


Pg. 13-14: Peter sees Gwen on the street. She tells him about the Shocker's break-in.

GWEN: "I've never seen anyone as menacing as the Shocker!"

PETER: "No? How about...Spider-Man?"

GWEN: "Spider-Man is...different! For all his power...his mystery*...he's somehow fascinating!"

As we will see, Gwen's opinion about Spidey will radically change in the months to come. And she also seems to have inherited her father's curiosity for the wall-crawler. But don't you *DARE* tell me Gwen is the type who is attracted to powerful mystery men (like Norman Osborn), or that she's attracted to Osborn because he reminds her of her father.

Soon, Peter and Gwen go for a soda, and run into Flash Thompson (back from Viet Nam). Peter gets jealous, and they argue. Gwen breaks them up.

PETER (ashamed at his outburst): "Gwen...I--I'm sorry!"

GWEN: "You should be, Peter! For a boy who's always missing when there's trouble...It's strange how hostile you can be to a man who's been in combat!"


ASM # 73:

Pg. 1-3: Spider-Man peers in on the Stacy home from outside and sees Gwen tending to Captain Stacy (who is still recovering from the Shocker's attack).

GWEN: "By the way, dad...I don't suppose Peter Parker has called?"

CAPTAIN STACY: "Why, dear? Were you expecting him to?"

GWEN: "Well, I did think that he...oh, why worry about that? He's not the only boy in the world! Anyway, I think he's still angry about his meeting with Flash Thompson yesterday!"

CAPTAIN STACY: "If he's not the only boy in the world...why do your eyes glow that way when you mention him, young lady?"

GWEN: "Just my luck to have a father who's an ex-detective! Nitey Nite, Mister Cupid!"

After she leaves, Spidey comes into the room to ask Captain Stacy for info about the Shocker (so he can track down the tablet).


ASM # 74: Spider-Man battles the crimelord known as Silvermane for the tablet.

Pg. 16-17: At ESU, Harry Osborn shows Peter his new Fu Manchu-style moustache. A distracted Peter blows him off.

Pg. 17, panel 2: Gwen walks up to Harry:

HARRY: "I'm beginning to think Flash Thompson's been right about that joker all the time!"

GWEN: "Then think again, Mr. Osborn! The man is uptight! He needs help--not hostility! If you're his friend...then act like one!"


*THAT* is Gwen Stacy. Compassionate, insightful, wise beyond her years.


Soon after, Dr. Curt Connors (a.k.a. the Lizard) is kidnapped by Silvermane to translate the writing on the tablet.

ASM # 75 features the end of the tablet saga. Silvermane is defeated, and Dr. Connors once again transforms into the creature known as the Lizard.


ASM # 76:

Pg. 6-7: Peter finally goes to see Gwen at the Stacy home to work out their problems (while worrying about having to go after Dr. Connors):

GWEN: "I don't know what's changed you these past weeks, Peter...unless...you've simply found somebody new...and can't bring yourself to tell me!"

PETER: "Gwen! You know that isn't so!"

GWEN: "Do I, Mr. Parker? Just how do I know? Your many unexplained absences have given me time to think...to realize how blind I've been! All the sudden disappearances...the broken dates...and I never once suspected...that there might be another girl!"

PETER: "You're wrong, Gwen...I swear it! There'll never be anyone else for me...but you!"

GWEN: "Then what is your secret, Peter? What is the thing you won't speak of...that keeps us apart?"

PETER: "I want to tell you, Gwen...I want to more than anything else in this whole, crazy world! But this isn't the time...or the place! There's something I must do, honey...something important! If it works out...things will be different...and...and maybe then---!"

GWEN: "I'll be waiting, Peter...even if it takes...a lifetime!"


Clearly, Peter's secret is what is causing all the problems between them. If Gwen "really" did screw Norman Osborn, then how *DARE* she get on a moral high horse and accuse Peter of cheating on her!!!!

But she didn't screw Norman Osborn. Because that's NOT who Gwen Stacy was.


Soon after, we cut to Captain Stacy and Robbie Robertson, once again discussing their interest in Spider-Man's secret identity. Then enter the Stacy home and find Peter and Gwen there. After that, Spider-Man goes after the Lizard.

ASM # 78:

Pg. 4: Peter telephones Gwen, and we see that Flash Thompson (in his Army uniform) is with her.

PETER (on phone): "Hi, pretty girl! Guess who?"

GWEN (on phone): "Well, since Dustin Hoffman doesn't know my number......it must be Peter Parker! What? You want to drop by in a few minutes? Oh, I'm sorry, Peter! I'm afraid I just can't see you tonight! I've...got something...to attend to!"

That "something" is not what you JMS-boosters think.


Pg. 6-9: Spider-Man comes home and sees Harry Osborn talking on the phone. He wonders if it's Gwen (instead of MJ). Later, Peter tries to study, but can't stop thinking of Gwen. He leaves, and happens to walk past the Coffee Pot (An incorrect name for the Coffee Bean, or another coffee shop altogether?). Through the window, he sees Gwen sitting with Flash! He does not hear them, though.

GWEN: "I thought you might know something about him...something from the past, perhaps...that might explain his mysterious disappearances!

FLASH: "He was the same way years ago, Gwen! Whenever something exciting happened, he'd cut out! Most of the gang just thought he was chicken, and let it go at that!"

GWEN: "But he isn't! He's as courageous as anyone...I know he is! There must be another reason! I've got to learn the secret that he's hiding! He...means so much to me! If he's in trouble...I have to help him!"

Not having heard this conversation, Peter assumes the worst, and walks off, deeply depressed.

If Gwen "really" screwed Norman Osborn, got pregnant, and lied about it (a lie of omission), then how *DARE* she try to pry into Peter's life and force him to give up his own secrets!!!! That makes her a liar AND a hypocrite.

No, Gwen is just deeply concerned about Peter and fears for his safety, and is asking Flash for any clues as to how she can help Peter. THAT is Gwen Stacy!


ASM # 79:

In this issue, Spider-Man battles the Prowler, who is really a youth named Hobie Brown who decides to steal money as a costumed villain and then return it as himself, thus becoming a hero. Eventually, Spider-Man defeats the Prowler, learns his motivations, and decides to let him go. In the end, the two become friends.


Pg. 13: Gwen sees Peter at ESU and tries to talk to him, but, angry and sad, he brushes her off:

GWEN: "Peter Parker! This is me...Gwen Stacy....remember? If something's bugging you, I've a right to know what it is!"

PETER: "Sure, Gwen...sure! You've got your rights! And I hope you'll enjoy sharing them...with Flash Thompson! But it won't be at my expense...any more!"


This exchange indicates that, if the twisted, Sins Past version of Gwen hadn't been killed by the Green Goblin (and she'd been able to confess to Peter about her tryst with Norman Osborn and their children), Peter would have cut his ties with her for good (much the way he does here, at the merest hint of cheating).

Later, though, Peter feels bad for treating Gwen the way he did.


ASM # 80:

Pg. 1-3: Harry brings Flash over to his and Peter's apartment. Peter flips out, and actually grabs Flash and lifts him into the air, but Flash says there's nothing going on between him and Gwen. After cooling off for a moment, Peter calls Gwen:

GWEN (on phone): "Peter? Do I know a Peter? You must have a wrong number! The only boy with that name that I know seems to have crossed me off his list!"

PETER: "Okay, Gwendy...I guess I deserve that! But Flash just explained the whole thing! I feel like a real lunkhead, honey! How soon can I see you?"

GWEN: "Well, since I've always been foolishly partial to lunkheads...how about now? I'm going to the new exhibit at the Midtown Museum!"


The exhibit Gwen is referring to is one featuring a series of priceless paintings (which her father is in charge of guarding).


Pg. 5-6: Peter meets Gwen at the Museum, and they go off and talk in private:

GWEN: "Why are you looking at me that way, Mr. Parker?"

PETER: "Maybe I just suddenly realized how much I've missed you, Gwendy.....or maybe--I just don't feel like--talking!"

As they lean in to kiss, they are interrupted by "Captain Stacy", who walks right past them (and triggers Peter's spider-sense). Soon after, Stacy goes missing, along with the paintings. In fact, "Captain Stacy" is Spidey's old foe, the Chameleon, who drugged the real Captain Stacy and impersonated him in order to steal the paintings. Soon, the real Captain Stacy is found at home, and is suspected to be the thief. It doesn't take long for Spider-Man to track down and defeat the Chameleon, thus clearing Stacy's good name.

ASM # 82: Aunt May has fallen ill as a result of finding a web-dummy in Peter's bed (which he used to sneak out and go after the Kangaroo in ASM # 81). Spider-Man has also managed to snag a spot on a late night talk show (and earn some much-needed money).

Pg. 2, panels 4-7: Mary Jane and her Aunt Anna visit Peter and ask about May. MJ then answers Peter's phone. It's Gwen, calling to remind Peter about Flash Thompson's farewell dinner (his military leave is ending):

GWEN: "Well, lover...I just wanted to remind you not to spend your extra money on frivolous things like yachts and Cadillacs! And remember...MJ is off-limits to Gwendolyn's guy."

Pg. 4: Harry shaves off his Fu Manchu mustache, and Peter wonders if Mary Jane wasn't impressed by it. Peter is also still depressed by all his recent problems.

Pg. 9-10: A morose Peter arrives at the Stacy home to pick up Gwen.

GWEN (opening the door): "Coming in, Peter...or do you just have a thing about ringing doorbells?"

PETER: "Oh...Hi, Gwen. Sorry, pretty girl. Guess I was a little preoccupied!

GWEN (holding him): "That's okay, Mr. P. A girl can't take too much of all this flaming passion, anyway!"


Captain Stacy talks to Peter about Spider-Man's television appearance, scheduled for that evening, but Gwen cuts in:


GWEN: "Sorry, dad. This scintillating lad is mine tonight!"

CAPTAIN STACY: "Hmmm...I suspected as much."


Peter feels bad about having to take Gwen to Flash's party on a bus (he can't afford cab fare).


As the couple arrives at the farewell party, Flash makes a rude comment about Peter, and Gwen defends him:

FLASH: "Hi, Gwendy. Couldn't get a date tonight, huh?"

GWEN: "Come off it, soldier. With Peter on my arm, I feel like a sweepstakes winner."

MARY JANE (to Peter): "Hmmm...If you're all that groovy, maybe you deserve Mary Jane."

GWEN (to MJ): "When would you like him, dear? Before or after I pull your hair out?"


Soon enough, Peter and Flash begin to argue, and Peter angrily leaves.


Pg. 11-12: Gwen catches up with Peter on the street. She thinks his bad mood is *her* fault, but in fact, it's Peter's financial woes that are causing all the trouble (he wants to be able to afford to treat Gwen like a queen):

PETER: "Why should someone like you be stuck...with a shnook like me?"

GWEN: "Don't say that! I don't care how much money you have! You're the best thing that ever happened to me."


With Gwen crying, they kiss passionately. Peter considers confessing the truth about his double identity, but can't bring himself to do it.


Pg. 12, panel 6: Later, the two are sitting on a park bench.

GWEN: "I'd rather be here with you...on this park bench right now...than anywhere else in the whole wide world."

PETER (thought balloon): "This is why I've got to amount to something someday. I've got to do it...for Gwen......for the most wonderful girl I'll ever know."



ASM # 83: Pg. 9-12: The gang (Peter, Gwen, Harry, and Mary Jane) is with Flash Thompson at the airport as he prepares to leave. MJ gives Flash a goodbye kiss on the lips. Gwen tells Peter to look away, and does the same. Peter is upset:

PETER: "I know you were just being friendly, Gwen...but..."

GWEN: "Friendly my eye! I was doing my darndest to get you jealous, man."

Harry and MJ go to the movies, and ask Peter and Gwen to come along, but Peter is glum, and Gwen steps in:

GWEN (to MJ): "Sorry, sweetie. I want the lad all to my greedy little self tonight."

PETER: "Glad you did that, Gwendy. I just wasn't in the mood. There's something...I've been wanting to--talk to you about..."

GWEN: "Then chomp those lips, lover. I'm listening away."

It very much seems that Peter is on the verge of *proposing marriage* to Gwen here, but then his spider-sense goes off just as a speeding car sideswipes a truck, sending the truck careening towards the couple. Peter pushes Gwen out of the way, and the truck flips over and nearly crushes them. Peter's spider-strength is the only thing that saves them, and Peter grabs a parking meter and uses it to brace the truck (making it appear as if the meter broke and stopped the truck from crushing them all by itself). Gwen is hurt, though. She's bruised and in shock (and unconscious), and is taken to the hospital. As it turns out, the truck was rammed by a car belonging to the crimelord known as the Schemer (actually the Kingpin's son, Richard Fisk, attempting to undermine his father's criminal operations).

Peter managed to get a spider-tracer onto the Schemer's car as it sped off, and so goes to pursue it as Spider-Man (he wants to nab the guilty parties for injuring Gwen). He ends up battling the Schemer and his men, and it ends in a draw. Later, Peter goes to the hospital to check on Gwen. He tries to talk to her, and she ignores him.

GWEN: "I hear you. I hear my ever-loving boy friend who cares so much about me that he stayed away until now. Dad, would you show Mr. Parker out? I wouldn't want to keep him from more important things."

Outside Gwen's room:

CAPTAIN STACY (to Peter): "Most females tend to think with their emotions, Peter...and you know how spirited Gwen is. I'm sure she'll see things differently in the morning."

As he leaves, Peter wonders if Captain Stacy suspects his secret identity.



If Gwen really was pregnant at this time, wouldn't the doctors have told her (if she didn't know) or her next of kin (Captain Stacy, who would surely have confronted Peter with the news)? Wouldn't Gwen be WORRIED about her babies' safety after being injured???

But none of that happens here.



ASM # 84:

Pg. 5-6: Peter visits the Stacy home. Gwen wonders about Peter's secret, and Captain Stacy wonders why Peter has no injuries from the truck accident (and just how a lone parking meter stopped the truck). Feeling the heat, Peter feigns illness in order to leave.

ASM # 85:

Pg. 3-5: Captain Stacy and Gwen visit Peter, who is worried about his lack of money, and the fact that Gwen's birthday is coming up. They wonder about how Peter is the only one who can get good photos of Spider-Man. Once again, Peter becomes worried that they're getting too close to the truth, and so he says that he needs to go to his darkroom and develop some photos. He then switches to Spider-Man, climbs out the window, and reappears in the window facing the Stacys. Spider-Man acts angry, and says he's looking for Peter. He says they have a deal (Spidey lets Peter take photos of him in exchange for money), and that Peter owes him money. The ruse works, and he then departs.

Pg. 5, panel 4:

GWEN: "Poor Peter! No wonder he sometimes seems so nervous--so fearful!"

The Stacys leave, and Spider-Man goes off to continue his battles against the Schemer and the Kingpin.

Pg. 11: Later on, the Stacys return to Peter's apartment to check on him, but Peter isn't there (Note that they enter when no one's home. Did Peter give Gwen a key to the apartment? Or was the door unlocked?). Gwen cries and worries that Peter may have been kidnapped by Spider-Man:

GWEN: "Peter might be his prisoner now! He might have taken him...anywhere!"


ASM # 86: Peter begins to feel very ill after the end of the Schemer/Kingpin debacle.

Pg. 5-6: Harry, Gwen, and Captain Stacy are waiting at Harry and Peter's apartment for him. A bruised and battered Peter finally shows up, and Gwen is overjoyed to see him. Seeing his bruises, Gwen asks our battered and weary hero if he's in some sort of trouble.

PETER: "I'm not in trouble! Why does everyone keep hounding me?"

GWEN: "Hounding you? Is that all you can say to people who worry about you...who want to help you? Is that how you feel...about a girl who...loves you?"

Pg. 7, panels 2-5:

PETER: "Gwen...forgive me! I didn't mean to snap like that! I...wouldn't hurt you...for anything in the world!

GWEN: "If you really mean that...I want you to make me a promise..."

PETER: "Anything---honey! Anything!"

GWEN: "Promise you'll never have anything to do with Spider-Man again! He's too dangerous! Those photos you take of him...aren't worth the risk!"


Soon, they leave. On the way out, Captain Stacy talks to Peter:


PETER: "Captain Stacy...you know how I feel about Gwen! I wouldn't hurt her for anything!"

CAPTAIN STACY: "I understand, son! But Gwen is a female...and like all females...she thinks with her heart! She feels you're keeping something from her! And that's hard to take...for a girl in love!"

Peter again wonders if Stacy knows the truth about him.

Later on, a weakened Spider-Man battles the Black Widow. After that, he comes to the mistaken conclusion that, given his recent symptoms, he's losing his super-powers.


ASM # 87: A delirious Spider-Man makes his way home, and, in his confusion and delusion, very nearly steals a set of pearls for Gwen's birthday (he forgot about her surprise party). (This must be Gwen's 19th birthday, since she said she was 18 in ASM # 59.). The sickened Peter tells himself that Spider-Man is finished.

Pg. 7-9: The gang is attending Gwen's birthday party. She's worried, since Peter hasn't shown up yet. She cries. Suddenly, a feverish Peter, holding Spider-Man's mask, enters the room, and reveals that he is Spider-Man! Upon hearing the news, Gwen is on the verge of hysteria. Presumably, the thought that Peter could be a guy with creepy powers who is wanted by the police (and seen as a criminal by much of the public) is why she reacts so strongly. Peter sees how stunned and upset everyone is by his revelation, and he quickly leaves.

Pg. 10:

GWEN (to Captain Stacy): "Dad! Tell me I didn't see it! Tell me I didn't hear it! Tell me it was all a horrible dream! It couldn't have been Peter! Not...my Peter!"

Harry then interjects by saying that he'd heard about the time Dr. Octopus unmasked Spider-Man, revealing him to be Peter Parker (way, way back in ASM # 12), and how no one on the scene believed it, and thought Peter was just trying to be brave by posing as Spidey. Harry then wonders if the same type of situation is what's going on here.

Pg. 11, panel 5: The group has come to the conclusion that either Peter really IS Spider-Man, or that there's something very wrong with him.

MARY JANE : Wow, Gwendy...you sure can pick 'em! He's either a masked menace--or a psycho case! Take your pick!"

GWEN (angry, crying): "Shut up! No matter what he is...what he's done...don't you dare talk about him like that!"

MARY JANE: "Okay, tigress! He's all yours!"

Mary Jane's comment here is interesting. Applying the retconned idea that she knew Peter's secret identity all along, her reaction to his revelation is very telling. This is presumably a confirmation of what MJ already knows (and dreads), and so she then puts on her cool, collected, "party girl" facade and uses a snarky comment (at Gwen's expense) to laugh off her pain.

Eventually, Peter comes to his senses (it turns out he just had a bad case of the flu), and, as Spidey, asks Hobie Brown (the Prowler, from ASM # 78-79) to return his favor of not turning Hobie in to the authorities. He gives Hobie his costume, and tells him to use his Prowler gear to imitate Spider-Man's powers at a certain time and place.

Peter returns to the Stacy home to see the gang, and, as planned, "Spider-Man" arrives. With "Spidey" and Peter both appearing at the same time in front of everyone, Peter is cleared of any suspicion. Gwen is overjoyed.

Pg. 20, panel 2:

GWEN: "Oh, Peter...Peter! Having you back again is the greatest birthday present I could ever get!"

Peter then departs for home to get some much-needed rest. As he leaves:

GWEN (to Peter): "Keep cool, lover! The only time I want you delirious, is when I'm around!"


It's a happy ending, the last one the couple will have for a quite a while.



ASM # 88: In prison, Doctor Octopus mentally commands his tentacles (which have been removed from his body) to escape and then break him out.

Pg. 7-8: Peter meets Gwen at ESU, and we get a hint of sexual intimacy between them:

PETER: "Hi, Gwen, honey! How's my dynamite blonde this a.m.?"

GWEN: "Come a little closer and find out!"

PETER: "Hey, love o' my life...we're still in school!

GWEN: "Sure, sweetie...but I wanted you to know what you're missing!"


Peter then goes to see Professor Warren, who tells him his grades are slipping (due to his frequent absences). Later, Gwen playfully volunteers to tutor Peter.

Meanwhile, Doctor Octopus is on the loose, and Spider-Man battles him, but then Ock is presumed killed in an explosion.


ASM # 89: It turns out Doc Ock is still alive, and he proceeds to battle Spider-Man to a standstill.


ASM # 90: The battle between Ock and Spidey concludes with Ock escaping.

Pg. 6-7: A battered and dazed Peter Parker runs into Captain Stacy on the street, and collapses into his arms. He wakes up to Gwen's gorgeous face. They think Peter is still a bit sick from his bout with the flu in ASM # 86-87.

GWEN (to Captain Stacy): "He'd better stay here, dad--so I can look after him!"

CAPTAIN STACY: "I hate being a spoil-sport, Gwen--but I think he'll be perfectly okay after this! I've never known anyone with such amazing powers of recuperation!"

Peter's belief that Captain Stacy is on to him intensifies.

Soon after, Peter develops a special new web-fluid to use in his coming battle with Dr. Octopus. He also managed to slip a spider-tracer onto Ock during their last battle. He tracks Ock down, and they battle on the rooftops of the city. A crowd of police and onlookers have appeared below, Captain Stacy included. Spidey then uses his special web-fluid--which severs Ock's mental control over his mechanical arms. The tentacles go wild, and smash a nearby chimney. The debris flies off of the roof, and falls toward a small boy on the street below. Springing into heroic action, George Stacy hurls himself at the boy (shoving him out of the way), only to be buried under the debris himself.

Stunned, Spider-Man breaks off his fight with Dr. Octopus and rushes down to Stacy's aid. The onlookers think that Spider-Man himself caused the chimney to collapse. Detecting a heartbeat, Spidey desperately picks up Captain Stacy and runs back up the building, as he sees that there's a doctor in the next building over. However, once on the roof, Stacy tells him to stop, that it's too late.

SPIDER-MAN: "What is it, Captain? I'm--listening!"

CAPTAIN STACY: "It--It's Gwen! After I'm--gone--there'll be no one--to look after her--no one, Peter--except--you!"

SPIDER-MAN (thought balloon): "Peter! He--He called me Peter!"

CAPTAIN STACY: " Be good to her--son! Be good--to her--she loves you--so very--much---"

And then he's gone.

A devastated Spider-Man realizes that Stacy knew who Spider-Man really was, and that he probably knew all along (but never told anyone).

SPIDER-MAN: "Rest easy, sir--rest easy...I'll love Gwen--and cherish her--as long as I live! But, what if she ever learns----that you died--because of--me?"

And so, as he begins to mourn yet another man who was like a father to him, Peter Parker wonders just what will happen to his life with Gwen in the aftermath of this tragedy.


The death of George Stacy was a deeply powerful and important moment in Spider-Man's history. People tend to think that everything was fun and happy and goofy until *Gwen* died, but the TRUE death of innocence in Spider-Man's world began here, and culminated in Gwen's death. This marks the beginning of the break-up of the classic Spidey cast and also echoes the death of Ben Parker, another of Peter's father figures. And, as well shall see, Gwen's reaction to her father's death (and the difficult position it places Peter in) is not unlike Betty Brant's reaction when her brother was killed (way back in ASM # 11).


ASM # 91:

Pg. 1-3: We're at Captain Stacy's funeral. The whole gang is there (minus Flash Thompson, of course, since he's not on leave from the Army at this point). Gwen is crying. As the funeral concludes, we begin to see the devastating reaction her father's death has had on Gwen (and on Peter):

PETER (thought balloon): "Gwen is all alone now---except for---me."

GWEN: If not for Spider-Man--my father would still be alive."

PETER (thought balloon): "Oh, God--GOD! What would happen if she ever found out--that I'm Spider-Man? There was a time when I thought I might someday reveal my secret identity to her. But, that was before--this nightmare happened!"

Also at the funeral is Sam Bullit, a right-wing fanatic who is running for District Attorney in the upcoming election on a law and order ticket, and plans to use Stacy's death to his advantage (Bullit was once a police officer, and knew Captain Stacy).

J. Jonah Jameson grumbles that he regrets Stacy's death, but that Stacy was a bit too liberal for Jonah's tastes (especially regarding Spider-Man). He then vows to run a major anti-Spider-Man campaign in order to generate a strong public desire to bring Spidey in for Stacy's murder.

Then, we get yet another hint of sexual intimacy between Peter and Gwen:

PETER (thought balloon): "What can I do? What can I say to comfort her? How can I ever again look at her--touch her--without being tortured by pangs of guilt?"


As they depart by car:

GWEN (crying): "I was a fool, Pete. I see it now."

PETER: "Why, Gwen? What do you mean?

GWEN: "I didn't realize how old my father was--and how trusting. I didn't try to warn him against Spider-Man--while there was still time."

PETER: "Gwen, darling, no! You can't blame yourself. You mustn't!"

GWEN: "Spider-Man! Spider-Man! I'll hate him---forever! Whether he meant to or not--he killed my father! HE KILLED MY FATHER!"


Pg. 4-6: Gwen vows to help rid the city of menaces like Spider-Man, and thus volunteers to aid Sam Bullit's campaign (since he knew her father and is also making all sorts of generic promises about cleaning up New York).

On television, Bullit blames Spider-Man for Captain Stacy's death, and then makes a deal with J. Jonah Jameson: If Jonah supports Bullit's campaign, he'll deliver Spider-Man.

Bullit's goons then proceed to hassle Peter in order to discover his connection with Spider-Man (since Peter's the only one who can ever get photos of Spidey). After that, Spidey goes home, only to discover Bullit and Gwen there (Which again raises the question--does Gwen have a key to Peter and Harry's apartment?)!!!!


ASM # 92:

Pg. 1-2: Thinking fast, Spider-Man grabs the stunned Gwen and leaps out the window with her (in an attempt to throw Gwen and Bullit off the trail of his true identity). He then tells Gwen that Captain Stacy's death was an accident. Gwen is angry and crying, and Spidey then tries to get her even more upset so as to get Peter Parker off the hook.

On the street below, the mutant hero known as Iceman (a member of the mutant super-heroes known as the X-Men) sees Spidey "kidnapping" Gwen, and goes after them.

Finally, Spider-Man stops on a rooftop with Gwen when she stops struggling, and continues to try to throw her off the track to his true identity:

SPIDER-MAN (to Gwen): "Now that you're finally quiet, I've got some things to tell you--"

SPIDER-MAN (thought balloon): "And make it good, son! Make sure she never ties you in with Peter Parker again!"

SPIDER-MAN (to Gwen): "First about that dum-dum Parker--"

GWEN (angry): "You loathsome, arrogant savage! You aren't even fit to mention Peter's name! He's more man than you could ever hope to be!"

Soon, Iceman catches up to them and attacks Spidey, "rescuing" Gwen. Spidey escapes.

Back at the Daily Bugle, we then learn that Joe Robertson has done some research on Sam Bullit, and that Bullit is a racist affiliated with several hate groups.

Meanwhile, Bullit commends Iceman for his rescue of Gwen, and then sics him on Spidey. He also secretly has Joe Robertson taken prisoner, since Robbie is a threat to his plans. Spidey learns of this, and convinces Iceman that he's not a criminal. The two heroes then rescue Robbie, and Bullit is hauled off to jail.


ASM # 93: Pg. 1-3: We open with a crying Gwen, thinking about everything that's happened lately (and Peter).

GWEN: "I thought he loved me--as I love him. But, ever since Spider-Man killed my father--Peter has been acting so strangely--I hardly ever see him. Without dad--without Peter--my whole life seems so empty--so--The phone! Please--please let it be Peter."

The phone rings. It's Gwen's uncle Arthur (the late George Stacy's older brother) calling from London, England. Arthur and his wife, Nancy, heard about George's death, and want Gwen to move to London and live with them, so she can have a family.

(It's possible that George Stacy was British by birth, although it's just as likely that Arthur Stacy moved to England at some point. Indeed, when he became a supporting character in the Spider-books in the mid-1990s, it was revealed that Arthur was previously in charge of a private investigation firm in Hong Kong, indicating that he gets around quite a bit. It should be noted though, that in ASM # 95, Arthur uses some British-isms, such as "chap" and "bloomin'", so maybe the Stacy family really does come from England.)

GWEN (thought balloon): "It would be wonderful--seeing them again--but how can I go--and leave Peter? Unless--he no longer cares."

Then, Peter arrives. Gwen tells him about the offer from her aunt and uncle. He inwardly panics at the thought of losing her, and resolves to propose to her. He then kisses her.

PETER: No, Gwen--no! I want you to stay. I--I love you, Gwendy."

GWEN: "Oh, Peter--Peter...I love you, too. My love for you is even stronger than my hatred of Spider-Man."

Spider-Man. Peter forgot about that. He then feels a surge of guilt, and hesitates.

GWEN *crying): "Peter--what is it? What's wrong?

PETER: "It's no good, Gwen. I haven't--the right...I can't ask you--to stay here--to stay with me.

GWEN: "Can't? Of course you can. What you mean is--you won't It's all right, Peter. I--understand. I shouldn't have--thrown myself at you that way. I'm--very tired. Do you mind if--I don't see you to the door?"

Saddened, she politely asks Peter to leave, and so he does.

Later, Peter resolves to finally lay everything out on the table and reveal his true identity to Gwen. But just as he arrives as Spider-Man and peers in her window (she's crying), the Prowler (who thinks Spidey is a killer and must be brought to justice) attacks. Spidey forces the battle away from Gwen's home so she won't be hurt. Eventually, the Prowler is injured in the fight, and Spidey saves his life and takes him to the hospital. He then rushes back to Gwen's place, only to discover a new tenant moving in (Gwen has clearly decided to go to England). The female tenant tells him that Gwen went to the airport, and so Spider-Man rushes there, hoping to stop Gwen before she leaves. He switches to Peter Parker and dashes to the terminal, but arrives moments too late, and watches as Gwen's plane departs. A crushed Peter then leaves the airport.


ASM # 94: In this issue, Peter is consumed by his loss of Gwen. He is in agony without her. Meanwhile, Spider-Man saves Aunt May from the costumed villain known as the Beetle.


ASM # 95: Spider-Man can't forget Gwen, no matter what he does, and he can't afford plane fare to go see her, either. Depressed, Peter goes to the Daily Bugle and discusses his problems with Joe Robertson. Robbie sees how much Peter is hurting, and so he assigns Peter to go take some news photos in London (the Bugle will provide him with a travel voucher). Peter doesn't even know where in London Gwen is, but he resolves to find her.

As Peter's plane lands in London, a group of terrorists plants a bomb on the plane's underbelly. Spidey leaps into action and saves the plane. He then pursues the terrorists.

Pg. 12-13: At her aunt and uncle's home, Gwen sees Spider-Man swing past her window and passes out (thinking Spider-Man has come across the ocean to kill her as she thinks he killed her father). Her aunt and uncle help her. Prior to this, Spider-Man's spider-sense tingles when he unknowingly passes by the Stacy home, but he is unaware of how close Gwen is (This issue was published before Peter's spider-sense was firmly established to detect only potential dangers.).

Eventually, Spidey foils a plot to destroy the clock tower known as Big Ben, and then sees that his actions have already made the news. Realizing that Gwen would put two and two together when she discovers that Peter Parker and Spider-Man are both in London, a saddened Peter flies home without seeing Gwen.

Pg. 20: Learning of Spider-Man's heroic actions on television, Gwen's uncle Arthur says that Spidey's a hero.

GWEN (thought balloon, crying): "Even father used to say--he didn't think Spider-Man was really bad. I'm so mixed-up! If only Peter were here. I hoped--and--prayed--he'd love me enough to come after me. But I guess I was wrong--about many things."


And no, Gwen didn't leave so she could give birth to Norman Osborn's twin children in secret. Her motivations for leaving (the pain of her father's death, her aunt and uncle's offer to let her stay with them, and her problems with Peter) are very clearly spelled out.




ASM # 96 (Note: ASM # 96-98 are the infamous "drug issues". Stan Lee was contacted by the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, which asked him to write a story to warn the readers about the evils of drug abuse. However, the Comics Code Authority refused to approve the three-part tale, and so Stan decided to publish the story without the Code's seal of approval, to rousing--and controversial--success.):

Peter has returned to New York, and is still low on money. When he delivers his photos of Spider-Man foiling the terrorists in London to Robbie, he wonders if Robbie knows his secret.

Pg. 4: Harry Osborn tells Peter about a musical that Mary Jane is performing in, and that his father's job offer (from ASM # 45) is still valid.

Pg. 7-8: Peter goes to see Norman Osborn at his office. Norman is just finishing a checkup with his doctor, who says Norman's blood pressure rises whenever he thinks of crime, super-heroes, or Spider-Man. Peter and Norman talk, and Norman says that Peter reminds him of someone. Thinking that working for Norman might be a bad idea (since it could trigger the Green Goblin's return), Peter says he'll consider the job offer and then departs. Soon after, Spider-Man saves the life of a young man who nearly falls to his death because drugs have convinced him that he can fly.

Pg. 14-16: At the theatre (which was once owned by Norman Osborn), where MJ's musical is about to start, the gang (Norman included) waits to go inside. Mary Jane flirts with Peter, much to Harry's chagrin. Randy Robertson then chews Norman out for not using his wealth and power to aid in the war against drugs. Norman becomes enraged, his ego flaring violently:

Pg. 16, panel 1:

NORMAN (furious): "Nobody's got a right to smart-mouth me!"

Harry holds Norman back and calms him down. The show begins soon after.

Pg. 16, panels 6-7: During the intermission, Harry talks to Norman about Mary Jane's performance (which featured her dancing around in a sexy outfit):

HARRY: "How about it, dad? Isn't she all I said she was?"

NORMAN: "Harry, my boy--if I were twenty years younger--"

And then he sees a locked door inside the building that gives him a cold chill.

But, more importantly, we see that although Norman is certainly attracted to Mary Jane here, he would never act on it (due to the inappropriateness and the age-difference). Thus, we have *CONCRETE* proof that Norman Osborn would never have a tryst with a college student, especially not Gwen Stacy!!!!!!!!!!!! And don't tell me that "the Goblin made him do it". As has been established (and will be further established soon), the Green Goblin has no visible interest in women (and he may even be misogynistic). He's interested in *wealth* and *power*, NOT pleasures of the flesh. This dialogue also indicates that Norman is somewhere around 40 years old at this point (that way, if he really were 20 years younger, he'd be right around MJ's age).

It's important to keep in mind that, despite his failings as a father and such, Norman (before his accident and then later on, after he suffered from amnesia), was not a *terrible* person. A bit of a creep, yes, but still a respected businessman who knew the boundaries of appropriateness regarding college girls!!!!

Anyway, after the show, Peter becomes worried. Norman seems obsessed with what's behind the mystery door at the theatre, and secretly goes after him as Spider-Man. But he arrives too late, for Norman has a key to the door, and enters (the room is the entrance to one of Norman's many hideouts). And as Spidey rushes in after him, he sees one of his worst nightmares come true: The Green Goblin has returned, and is promising to kill Spider-Man!


ASM # 97: Spider-Man battles the Green Goblin, and Spidey thinks about Norman's mental state:

Pg. 5, panels 3-5:

SPIDER-MAN (thought balloon): "'Cause I tried not to harm him---he thought I was scared. He didn't know the real reason--I knew he couldn't help himself! He's had brain damage! He's sick. And besides, he's my best friend's dad. Harry's father never wanted to be the Green Goblin. In fact, when he's rational, Osborn doesn't even know he's the Goblin."

Pg. 7: Spidey leads the Goblin to think he fell to his death. Believing he's triumphed over his foe, the Goblin's ego and ambition pump into overdrive:

GOBLIN: "But now I'm free to follow my destiny! With Spider-Man beaten, the Goblin is supreme."

Pg. 9-10: At home, Peter meets a shaky, angry Harry, who accuses Peter of moving in on Mary Jane. Peter says that MJ's probably just trying to make Harry jealous, and he also learns that Harry's been taking pills.

Pg. 11: At ESU, Mary Jane ignores Harry and compliments Peter's snazzy chains (his reply is that he got them from Gwen).

Pg. 14-16: Peter goes to Norman Osborn's office to look for him, and learns that he's missing. Meanwhile, MJ jilts Harry, sending him into a deep depression:

MARY JANE: "You've always been good for a few laughs, Harry--but don't let it go to your head. I'm nobody's girl but my own--and that's the way I like it."

Pg. 16-19: Later, Peter and Harry argue, and Peter leaves. As Spider-Man, he looks for the Goblin, but has no luck. Returning to his apartment, he finds that Harry has overdosed on pills and is in desperate need of medical attention. But then he sees that the Goblin is hovering outside the window, ready to attack!


ASM # 98 (Note: This issue, as well as several subsequent issues, was part of an experiment at Marvel. As a result, there's little punctuation in dialogue, except for the occasional exclamation point or question mark. The dialogue excerpted here reflects that style.):

Pg. 1-3: The Goblin crashes into Peter and Harry's apartment, and Peter holds the gravely ill Harry up for him to see.

GOBLIN: "That boy--in your arms! I--I know him But no--no! I won't be reminded! I--I don't want to remember"

It seems Stan Lee took a slightly different approach with the Goblin here, as he seems to not want to remember his life as Norman Osborn (sort of the opposite of Norman's anti-Goblin amnesia).

The Goblin flees, vowing to kill Peter another time, and Peter then calls an ambulance.

Pg. 4-5: Meanwhile, in London, Gwen Stacy can't get Peter out of her mind.

GWEN: "And now that I'm alone, no place can feel like home to me--if Peter isn't in the picture"

And later, as she walks down a street:

GWEN (thought balloon): "What right had I to be angry at Peter because he didn't propose marriage to me? I know he loves me--as I love him! I just know it A boy doesn't want to feel pressured--doesn't want to feel trapped by a girl Maybe I pushed too hard! Maybe I scared him away I was a fool to run off the way I did I let my grief--my hatred of Spider-Man--affect the way I felt about poor Peter But maybe it's not too late--to set things right again"

Hmmm. Not a single thought or regret about a fling with Norman Osborn or illegitimate children. Just love and concern for Peter Parker, the man who loves her. How odd...


Pg. 10-19: Spider-Man meets up with the Green Goblin again and they fight. Eventually, Spidey forces the Goblin to steer his glider towards the hospital where Harry is, hoping that the shock of seeing his son in such a grave state will shock him back to normal. It does:

Pg. 19, panels 1-4:

GOBLIN (crying): "Harry! My son--what is it? What's wrong? It's your father! Don't you know me? Harry--say something Nothing must happen--to--my boy Harry--Harry! My boy--my--unhhh"

He passes out, and Spider-Man then burns the Goblin costume and places Norman in his bed at home.

Pg. 20: As Peter calms down after these harrowing events, he thinks he hears Gwen's voice. And it's true! She's come home from England! They run into each other's arms and kiss passionately. It's a well-deserved happy ending.


And please note that Gwen was only gone for a very short time, probably no more than a week or two at most.



ASM # 99: (Note: This issue also has a distinct lack of punctuation in the dialogue.)

Pg. 1-3: A reunited Peter and Gwen walk happily down a street.

PETER: "You know, honey--a gal like you can be--habit-forming"

GWEN: "Are you trying to tell me something, Mr. Parker?"

PETER: "You know it, lady And you also know--what I'm trying to ask What I wanna know is--how will you feel after I ask it?"

Clearly, Peter wants to propose marriage to her.


GWEN: "What do you thin--oh!"

He kisses her passionately.

PETER: "I think you talk too much"

Soon, they part, and plan to have a date later that night. However, Peter knows he will need money to support a wife, and working for Norman Osborn would be too risky, since Peter's presence could once again trigger Osborn's Green Goblin memories. So, Peter goes to the Daily Bugle and demands a staff photographer’s job from J. Jonah Jameson (which he gets).

Soon after, there's a prison riot, which Spidey foils. He then gets an offer from a late night talk-show host (one suspiciously similar to Johnny Carson's) to appear on his show (and thus earn much-needed cash). However, at the taping of the show, the police show up and try to bring Spidey in for questioning in the George Stacy murder case (there's a warrant out for Spidey). Spidey escapes before getting paid, and a glum Peter then goes to Gwen's apartment to confess to her that he's broke. He tells her that he's sorry he can't afford to take her out, but her reaction surprises him:

Pg. 20, panels 4-7:

GWEN: "Peter Parker, you're an idiot"

PETER: "What do you mean?"

GWEN: "I'd no intention of going out! I spent all afternoon cooking dinner for us We're staying right here"

Pg. 20, panel 7:

We cut to an exterior shot of Gwen's apartment, with a symbolic image of Spider-Man's head looming over the New York skyline. There appears to be a spider-sense (or similar) effect around Spidey's spectral head, which may naughtily hint at impending sex between Peter and Gwen (much as the dialogue does)!!!!

GWEN: "This is one time I'm having you all to myself"

PETER (thought balloon): "Parker, you may have been a loser before--but it looks like you finally did something right"



ASM # 100: (This issue is also punctuation-challenged.) As we open, Peter has become bored with being Spider-Man. Last issue's reconciliation with Gwen has also changed his views of his life...and his future.

Pg. 6, panels 4-6 through Pg. 7, panel 1:

PETER: "I know what I want and Gwen Stacy is it"

PETER (thought balloon): "But, even though she doesn't talk about it anymore, she still thinks Spider-Man's to blame for her father's death It's tough enough to keep my secret identity from her now But, once we were married--the strain could be too great So, I can't put it off any longer I've got to give up being Spider-Man--forever"

This passage hints that Peter has actually considered keeping his secret from Gwen once they were married. Hmm.

Pg. 10: And so, determined to marry Gwen and lead a normal life, Peter drinks an untested potion he'd concocted years before to rid him of his spider-powers.

PETER: But any risk would be worth it--"

PETER(HE DRINKS): "--for GWEN!"

Peter then falls into a troubled, hallucinogenic slumber. He dreams of battling all his old foes, and at the end of it, he sees Captain George Stacy (A hallucination or the genuine article calling out from beyond?) telling him that his powers and responsibilities are both a blessing and a curse, one he must bear forever!

Pg. 27: And with that, Peter awakens to discover that something has gone horribly, horribly wrong. Not only has he NOT lost his powers, but four new arms have emerged from his torso!!!!!!!!



And with that, Stan Lee ended his consecutive, 100-issue run as writer of Amazing Spider-Man. Roy Thomas, Lee's hand-picked successor as Editor-In-Chief at Marvel, temporarily took over the reins of the book.



ASM # 101: We pick up where we left off. Peter's grown four new arms, he's in shock. Bitter and terrified, he resolves to find a way to cure himself. Then, Gwen calls:

Pg. 3, panels 4-8:

GWEN (on phone): "Peter? I was hoping I'd corner you at home. Now, don't say a word--just settle back and listen. This is your lucky night man o' mine. In honor of Betty Friedan's birthday, I've decided to play liberated woman and treat you to the R-rated flick of your choice. I should warn you, I've already seen "Love Story"--but I've got enough Kleenex left to sit thru it again. Or we could take in "I Am Curious (Yellow)". You could cover my eyes during the spicy parts."


For those who don't know, Betty Friedan is a noted women's rights activist, and author of The Feminine Mystique. Clearly, Gwen isn't just some weak-willed bimbo. And she's also a bit flirty here. And wouldn't seeing a spicy movie with Peter embarrass her if she'd had a tryst with Norman Osborn?


PETER (on phone): "Gwendy--I--Look, I may as well be frank with you. I can't see you tonight. Fact is, I'm gonna be out of town a while--maybe a long while."

GWEN: "Peter--you sound so strange. Is it something I did--?"

PETER: "Why? Got a guilty conscience? Well, I gotta go now--"

GWEN (sad): "Yes--I understand, Peter. I--won't bother you any longer. Good-bye..."


Clearly, Gwen is deeply saddened by Peter's brash, off-putting behavior, and thinks it's somehow her fault. And no, she DOES *NOT* have a guilty conscience because she HASN'T DONE ANYTHING WRONG (like screwing Norman Osborn or lying to Peter)!


Soon after, Spidey goes to Dr. Curt Connors' summer house in Southhampton to work on a cure for his little problem. Unfortunately, he ends up fighting the Lizard and Morbius, the Living Vampire!


ASM # 102: After being bitten by Morbius, the Lizard regains Dr. Connors' persona. He and Spider-Man theorize that they might be able to cure themselves of their respective problems by creating a serum based on an enzyme Morbius is carrying in his bloodstream. Meanwhile, at her apartment, Gwen ruminates on her phone conversation with Peter:

Pg. 26, panels 4-6, Pg. 27, panels 1-6:

GWEN (thought balloon): "...too late...for both of us...Oh, don't be so melodramatic, Gwendolyn. So Pete was a bit rude on the phone. That doesn't mean...he no longer loves you. Everybody has a bad day now and then. That was his. But then--why hasn't he called back these past two days? And, either he's not at his apartment...or else he's just not answering when I call. I wonder if his Aunt May...Of course. That must be it! When Pete said he'd be out of town for a while----he must have just meant he'd be visiting May Parker, in Queens. One phone call, girl--and you can trade in your crying towel."

She calls May, who says Peter's not there, and she's certain he'd tell her if he was leaving town. She asks Gwen if something's wrong.

GWEN (crying): "No...Nothing’s wrong, Mrs. Parker. And, I'm sure you're right. If Pete had told anyone he was leaving town......it would have been...you."

She hangs up, and cries (with her face in her hands) in two silent panels, all alone in her little apartment.

Soon after, Spidey and the Lizard battle Morbius and manage to cure themselves.


ASM # 103: Spidey is back home again, his four extra arms gone. Meanwhile, J. Jonah Jameson sees a guide in the portion of Antarctica known as the Savage Land (which has a tropical climate) on Johnny Carson's talk show, a guide who says that a bizarre, massive monster has been spotted in the area.

Pg. 6, panels 3-5: A reunited Peter and Gwen are walking down a street. Peter is keeping mum about his recent exploits in order to keep his identity secret intact.

GWEN: "I'm so glad you finally called me, Pete. I was really becoming paranoid about your little vanishing act."

PETER: "I wish I could tell you where I was, Gwendy--but I just can't".

PETER (thought balloon): "How do I explain I was hiding out with two extra pairs of arms----without blowing the whole secret identity bit?"

GWEN: "All right, Pete--I'll try not to pry. I've got you all to myself now, and that's all that--"

As they arrive at the apartment, the phone rings. It's Robbie Robertson, with an offer for Peter (J.J.J. wants Peter to go with him to the Savage Land to search for the mysterious monster).

Pg. 7, panels 1-4: Peter and Gwen discuss Robbie's offer, and Peter is eager to accept (for money reasons).

PETER: "Hear that, honey? I leave in a couple of days. This could be my big break--"

GWEN: "Yes, Mister Parker--I did hear--and I don't like it one bit! H-how could you say yes--now, of all times? I--I--"

PETER: "Don't cry, Gwendy. It means money--money we can use to get mar--"

He sees that it's no use trying to convince her with logic (or the promise of impending marriage), so he takes her to the Daily Bugle. Jameson suddenly gets the idea that bringing Gwen along would be a great idea (the "cheesecake sells papers" factor).

Pg. 8, panels 3-4:

PETER (to J.J.J.): "Sounds great to me, sir--but for Gwen--I don't know--"

GWEN: "Why, Peter Parker--what a male chauvinistic pig thing to say!"

JAMESON: "You tell 'im, young lady. A girl like you is just what my expedition needs. Gotta think of the women's angle. They buy papers too, y'know. Besides, a pretty face never scared gents away from the newsstand."

GWEN: "It's all very tempting. I could use the money too, and--"

She agrees to come, and Jameson is very excited.


And if Gwen were pregnant (or already had children) at this point, would she really risk her life for a few bucks????

Soon after, the trio takes a plane to Rio, then a lengthy boat ride to Antarctica.

Pg. 12, panels 4-5: After they've arrived by helicopter, we see that Gwen has changed into...a bikini!!!! And there's no hint of pregnancy whatsoever. She's uber-cute.

GWEN (to Peter): "Well? How do I look?...Mr. J thought it'd be great to transmit back a few pics right away."

PETER: "Wild! But, if and when we find that King Kong type----I want you back in the 'copter where you'll be safer."

GWEN: "Pete--will you stop trying to protect me?"

PETER: "When that day comes, honey, you can bury m--"

Jonah then interrupts them. But we can see that Peter is still taking his promise to the late Captain Stacy (to take care of Gwen) very seriously.

After that, a band of Savage Land natives attacks, and then the monster, an alien named Gog, arrives and knocks Peter into a river below. Gog then takes Gwen to Kraven the Hunter, who has befriended the creature, and now wants to take Gwen as his mate, intending to rule the Savage Land with his queen!


ASM # 104: Spidey and Ka-Zar, lord of the Savage Land, rescue Gwen and defeat Kraven. Peter is presumed dead, but miraculously shows up after things settle down. Gwen is thrilled to see him:

Pg. 21: panels 4-5

GWEN (relieved): "PETE! Oh, Pete--I knew you were safe. You had to be!"

She hugs him.

PETER: "Mmmm! I'd go thru it all over again for another welcome-home like this."

GWEN (smiling): "D-Don't you dare, Peter Parker! Don't you dare!"

JAMESON: "Alright you two--break it up! You're necking on my time!"



ASM # 105:

At this point in time, Stan Lee returned for a brief stint as writer (from ASM # 105-110).

Pg. 8-9: Harry Osborn is out of the hospital, and the gang is throwing a surprise welcome home party for him. Flash Thompson is also back in town, and there's friction between Flash and Peter.


Pg 8, panel 5:

GWEN (to Flash): "Bygones are bygones, hero! This time you two will be friends."

FLASH: "For you, Gwendy? Why not?"


Pg. 8, panels 6-7:

MARY JANE (seeing Gwen and Flash talking): "Poor little Petey! They always did dig each other. But don't worry--I still like you."

PETER: "Hey--hold it. Now look, M.J.--"


Before Peter can tell MJ to back down, Harry and Norman Osborn arrive at the party, and later, Spider-Man battles one of Spencer Smythe's Spider-Slayers.


ASM # 106 (written by Stan Lee):

Pg. 14-15: Peter arrives at home and talks with Harry, who is depressed because Mary Jane won't take him seriously. Soon, MJ and some other kids show up, and MJ is flirty with Peter. Once again, Peter brushes her off, saying he has a date with Gwen.

Pg. 16-17: Peter meets up with Gwen (who is very well-dressed) for their date:

PETER: "Gwendy! Do you haveta look so voomy? I'm only human!"

GWEN: "Don't fight it, man o' mine! You male--me female--that's the name of the game!"

PETER: "The name of the game is love, lady! I'm off my rocker over you!"

GWEN: "Careful, darling! I'll think you're trying to tell me something!"


Gee, either Gwen is a sex-maniac, or she's overcompensating because she feels guilty about her fling with Norman Osborn, or.........she's a wonderful young lady who's deeply in love with Peter Parker, and wouldn't dream of cheating on him. Which do YOU think is correct?


PETER: "Well, where'll we go tonight, ma'am? The Garden of Eden? The moon? You name it!"

GWEN: "I--thought we'd drop in and visit Flash! He hasn't looked well since he returned from Viet Nam."

PETER: "Flash? But--But this is supposed to be our date, honey!"

GWEN: "Oh, we've a whole lifetime ahead of us, Pete! I've been worried about Flash! And you be nice to him when he comes to the door, hear?"


Ironic words, that "whole lifetime" bit. And we can clearly see that Gwen is as kind and caring for others as always.

They go to see Flash, and Gwen asks if there's anything they can do to help him. He's hostile, and they leave. Later, they go to the movies, and afterwards, Peter is feeling jealous:

Pg. 17, panels 4-5:

PETER: "Gwendy, why are you so...interested in Flash?"

GWEN: "I'm not, Pete! I'm just worried about him! There's a difference, man! He's a friend, darling! Just like Harry--and Randy--and Mary Jane! If something's wrong with a friend, I'm unhappy about it! Aren't you?"

PETER: "Wow, Miss Stacy! I suddenly feel lower than a worm's belly! I used to think I just loved you for your looks--But, y'know something? Your soul's as beautiful as your face, and that's saying a--"

GWEN: "Oh, shut up, you chatterbox--and kiss me!"

And he does.

But examining the preceding exchange...either Gwen is a manipulative, hypocritical, lying SHREW, or....she's actually a GOOD person, one who deeply cares for Peter and all of their friends. Huh.


ASM # 107 (written by Stan Lee): Spider-Man has been captured by his old foe Spencer Smythe, operating one of his Spider-Slayers robots.


Pg. 5-7: We see Gwen at ESU, wearing a horizontal variant of her infamous black headband. She asks several students if they've seen Peter Parker.

Pg. 6, panels 4-5:

STUDENT: "Uh uh! Any message if we do?"

GWEN: "Sorry, group--the message I've got waiting for him can't be delivered by proxy!"

STUDENT: "Mmmmm--I like the way the lady talks!"


Clearly, Gwen is not above making a sexual innuendo regarding her boyfriend, Peter (whom she has very likely been sexually intimate with).


GWEN (thought balloon): "I thought Pete would wait for me after class so we could ankle home together. I hope Mary Jane didn't manage to reach him first! Shame on you, Miss Stacy! How can such a pretty little creature feel so jealous? Easy--when Pete's concerned!"


This look at Gwen's inner feelings shows that she's a bit jealous of Mary Jane, who has been angling for Peter's attentions for some time. It also shows how head-over-heels she is for Peter.


Soon after, Flash Thompson talks to Gwen to apologize for his rude behavior in ASM # 106:


FLASH (to Gwen): "Gwen! Can I speak to you for a minute?"

GWEN: "Wha--? Oh, Flash--it's you!"

FLASH: "I just wanted to apologize--for the way I acted yesterday--when you and Parker came to see me."

GWEN: "It's all right, Flash! You don't have to--"

FLASH: "I do have to! I want to! You know how I feel about you--"

GWEN: "I feel the same way, Flash! We're friends--I want us to stay that way.

FLASH: That's--not what I mean! You're more to me--than just a friend.

GWEN: What--are you trying to say? No--don't answer! Just listen. You know how Peter and I feel about each other! It's for real, Flash! But, I've a feeling there's something else--There's something you're not telling me!"

FLASH: "I can't, Gwen! I want to, but I can't tell you--can't tell anyone!"

GWEN: "If you're in trouble--if there's any way Peter and I can help..."

FLASH: "Peter and you! Peter and you! Wow--if only it were that simple!


This exchange once again shows just how faithful Gwen is to Peter, and how considerate is she of others' feelings. She won't even let Flash blurt out how he feels about her, because she knows the havoc that will cause amongst their relationships with Peter and the rest of the gang. Instead, Gwen stops him before he can say something he can't take back, makes it clear just how close she and Peter are, and then gently reinforces this by saying "Peter and I" will help Flash if he's in any trouble.


Pg. 21: After defeating Spencer Smythe, Spider-Man sees Gwen and Flash on the street below. A car pulls up, Flash gets in, and Spidey can see that Gwen is crying.


ASM # 108 (written by Stan Lee):

We pick up with Spider-Man trailing the car Flash had gotten into at the end of ASM # 107. Meanwhile, we get...ahem...a flashback from Flash, which reveals what happened to him in Viet Nam. Wounded, Flash was taken in by the residents of the Hidden Temple. There, he met and fell in love with a woman named Sha Shan. Unfortunately, U.S. troops subsequently bombed the temple, and those who lived there mistakenly thought that Flash had set them up and led the U.S. forces right to them. Now, Flash is being followed by enforcers from the temple who seek vengeance.

Pg. 14-16:

Harry and May Parker are at Harry and Peter's apartment. Peter arrives, and then a frantic Gwen arrives. Gwen explains that Flash is under guard at the Federal Building (Peter, as Spider-Man, took Flash to the authorities for protection before returning to his apartment). Peter and Gwen then leave to visit Flash.

Pg. 16, panels 2-3:

Peter and Gwen walk along the street:

PETER (to Gwen): "Wouldn't you know Aunt May would tell us to be careful crossing the street as we walked out the door!"

GWEN: "I guess she can't help worrying about you, Peter--just as I do. Here's the building. I hope we can learn something."

PETER (thought balloon): "What did she mean--about worrying about me?


Suddenly, Peter's spider-sense goes off. A beefy, Vietnamese chauffeur is waiting to attack Flash. Peter resolves to look into the danger, but must first make an excuse to get away from Gwen.

Panel 5:

PETER: "Gwendy, would you, eh, wait here for a minute? I just remembered--I have to, eh, call Jameson--about some photos!"

GWEN (worried expression on her face): "Sure, Peter,-if--it's important."


Peter gets into a fight (in street clothes) in the dark with the chauffeur, and then the chauffeur causes an explosion as a distraction. The Vietnamese get away with Flash, and Gwen meets up with a battered Peter, who wants to pursue his kidnapped friend.

PETER: "Gwen! Stay here! I've got things to do!"

GWEN: "No, Peter--no! Whenever there's danger--whenever there's trouble--you always leave and run off! Ever since I can remember--Flash and the others, have called you--a coward! I've tried to ignore it--to close my mind to it--but I'm begging you now, Peter--if you love me--stay with me! Whatever may happen--we'll face it together!"


Peter is badly torn by this. Gwen is clearly distraught, fearful for Peter's safety, confused by his disappearing act, and, perhaps, fearful that she'll lose him the way she lost her father. But Flash Thompson, an innocent person--who is also Peter's friend--is in deadly danger. Will Peter break Gwen's heart by leaving her to pursue Flash, or will he let an innocent person suffer?


ASM # 109 (written by Stan Lee):

Pg. 1-3: Peter has decided to stay with Gwen...or at least to give the appearance of it. Knowing he has to go after Flash (but afraid of hurting Gwen), he goes to the bathroom, telling Gwen he's going to wash up (he's covered with soot and debris from the explosion at the end of last issue). In the bathroom, Peter creates a web-dummy, which he dresses in his own clothes. As Spider-Man, he then swings off with the web-dummy in clear view of Gwen and other onlookers, making it appear that Spider-Man has kidnapped Peter Parker. His little escape plan works, but Gwen is horrified (and Peter feels lousy about leaving her in such a state).

GWEN: "Oh my God! Not again! Not again! It--It's my fault! If I hadn't insisted that Peter stay here--If I had let him go--"


This makes it pretty clear what an unselfish, sensitive young lady Gwen is, doesn't it?



Pg. 14-15: Later, a frantic Gwen goes to Peter and Harry's apartment, hoping to find her "missing" boyfriend. Harry tells her that he hasn't seen Peter, and Gwen loses it:

GWEN: "Then--he must still be a captive of--Spider-Man! Oh, it--it--it's horrible! That masked murderer seized him--took him prisoner--and vanished in the night!"


Suddenly, Gwen sees that Peter's Aunt May has been there the whole time, and has heard her say that Peter is missing.


AUNT MAY: "I was waiting for Peter! But--what happened to him? What happened to my poor, dear boy?"


Driven mainly by her own anguish and fear for Peter's safety, Gwen unwittingly lashes out at May, and in the process proves just how much she cares about Peter:

GWEN (to May, crying): "He's not a boy! He's not! He's a man! I know he's your nephew! I know how you love him--because I love him too! But it's Peter Parker, the man, that I love! When will you let him go? When will you--? Oh! I--I'm sorry! I shouldn't have spoken to you that way! I have--no right!"

AUNT MAY: "Don't--Don't say it, my child! You have every right!"


She hugs Gwen.


AUNT MAY: "You both love each other--and that gives you the right! Perhaps you've said something that--that should have been said before! Perhaps--a foolish old lady--lonely, and unthinking--can smother a person with love..."


This is an important moment for Gwen, to be sure. Out of her deep, powerful love for Peter and her concern for his safety, she explodes at Aunt May for being overprotective of Peter (something Peter himself has wanted to say on several occasions over the years, but hasn't been able to), but then pulls back and apologizes. And JMS (as well as other fans who support him) thinks Gwen was weak and had "no character". Maybe he should look at this scene and think about it a bit more before running his arrogant mouth off. I vastly prefer this classic moment to Gwen's display of "strength" in JMS' Sins Past.

Anyway, this moment will also have repercussions in future issues, as we shall see.


Soon after, Spidey bails Flash out of trouble, and can't wait to tell Gwen that Flash is okay. But he still wonders how he can compete with Flash for Gwen's affections, since Flash is now a romantically-available civilian again, while Spider-Man is blamed by Gwen for her father's death.


ASM # 110 (written by Stan Lee):

Pg. 10-13: Peter returns home, battered and bruised from his battle to rescue Flash Thompson. Gwen (wearing her normal vertical black headband) is elated to see him, and hugs him. Aunt May sees Peter's bruises.


AUNT MAY: "It's that horrible Spider-Man, isn't it? I heard how he attacked you! But why? Why, Peter?"

GWEN: "Mrs. Parker--you promised to stop treating Peter like a child--to stop babying him!"


Peter begins to feel a bit ill.


PETER: "Aw, that's okay, Aunt May!"

AUNT MAY: "No, Peter dear--it's not okay! Gwendolyn is right! I've been too maternal--too possessive all these years!"


She leaves.


PETER: "Gwendy, what is it? What's happened to Aunt May?"

GWEN: "It's my fault, Peter! I told her she shouldn't try to coddle you so much--But I didn't mean to hurt her--to make her feel guilty! I just did it for your sake because--"


Peter gets very tired and lies down. Gwen thinks the strain of Spider-Man's "attack" on him was too much.


GWEN: "Don't worry, darling! I'll look after you! Oh, Peter--Peter! It breaks my heart to see you like this! I love you so much--so very much!"


Then, Flash Thompson and Harry Osborn arrive. Flash makes a joke about Peter's condition and implies that he's weak, and Gwen is infuriated.


GWEN: "Stop it, Flash! It's nothing to joke about! Maybe he isn't a big, strong, rugged war hero like you, but--I don't mean to go getting all uptight, but--I just can't bear it when I hear people putting poor Peter down! Maybe he's not you're cup of tea--but he's all the man I'll ever want!"


Once again, this demonstrates just how much Gwen loves Peter, and what a lying, two-faced little piece of trash she'd be if she, y'know, cheated on him with Norman Osborn, had Osborn's children, and didn't bother to tell Peter about it. That would be just plain SILLY...


HARRY: "Look, why not let Flash take you home? I'll stay here with Pete! All he needs now is rest!"

GWEN: "I hate to leave him--but I guess you're right!"

FLASH: "He's a lucky guy to have a chick like you, Gwen!"


Pg. 13, panels 1-2: On the street outside the apartment, Gwen and Flash are beginning the walk to her place.


GWEN: "If only you and Pete could become good friends!"

FLASH: "If that's what the lady wants--that's what the lady'll get!"

GWEN: "Do you really mean it, Flash?"

FLASH: "Sure I do! You know how I feel about you, gorgeous! I'd do anything to make you happy!"


However, an exhausted Peter looks out his window and sees them leave. He fears that his suspicions about Gwen and Flash are right.


Pg. 14-15: Peter wakes up to Harry's smiling face 12 hours later, and calls Aunt May. There's no answer, but there is a note on her table with Peter's name on it when he goes to her home to see her.



ASM # 111:

At this point, Stan Lee departed once again, and 19-year-old Gerry Conway took over as the regular writer of Amazing Spider-Man, with John Romita working as artist and co-plotter. Indeed, out of deference to Romita, Conway asked to have Romita's name come first in the credit box of every issue.


Pg. 5-6: Picking up from last issue, Spider-Man has discovered a note with Peter's name on it in May Parker's home. It reads:

"Dear Peter,

I am going away for a while. I know it is best for all of us. Please do not worry about me. I will write as soon as possible.

Your loving aunt,

May"


Peter blames himself for Aunt May's abrupt departure.


Pg. 15, panels 2-7: A tired Peter gets a phone call, and hopes it's May, but it's just Gwen Stacy.

PETER: "Hello? Hello, Aunt M--? Oh...it's only you, Gwen."

GWEN: "Only me? Thanks a lot, Mr. Parker. I hope I haven't interrupted anything----I just wanted to remind you about class today. You haven't--Peter, what? She--she's left? Oh, no, Peter--no!"

PETER: "I'm afraid it's true, Gwen...but you mustn't blame yourself. I guess...it's been coming for quite a while."

GWEN: "But, Peter----Peter, it is my fault, we both know it is. I shouldn't have criticized her the way I did...I must have hurt her terribly..."

PETER: "Hey, Gwen......don't go all guilty on me. I told you--it's been coming for a long time. Look, I'll talk to you later, okay?"



ASM # 112: May Parker is still missing. On Pg. 17, Joe Robertson confirms for Peter that the note she left him is authentic.

Pg. 22: Spider-Man looks for info on May's whereabouts, and is seen by Flash and Gwen. Spider-Man doesn't see that Flash is with Gwen.

FLASH: "How'dya like that? He didn't even see me!"

GWEN: "It's just as well, Flash. I don't think...I could have faced him."

FLASH: "Gwen...you don't still believe he killed your father, do you?"

GWEN: "It's not just that, Flash. It's Peter...and his aunt...I can't help feeling responsible...and somehow, when I see Spider-Man......it just reminds me of everything I've done wrong...to hurt Peter...without thinking!"

FLASH: "Don't blame yourself, Gwendy...Parker draws trouble like a magnet!"

GWEN: "Flash, you promised not to ride Peter anymore. You know how much he means t--"

FLASH: "Sure, Miz Stacy. I'm just kidding. Parker's all right, I guess......though he's never gonna be a Spider-Man!"


Meanwhile, Spider-Man has become very ill (an illness which has been built up in the past few issues) right at the same time that a crime wave has exploded upon the city, and Doctor Octopus--the man who killed George Stacy--has come out of the woodwork.


ASM # 113: Spider-Man barely escapes during a battle with Doc Ock due to his mysterious illness.

Pg. 17-18: Peter goes home to rest, and later wakes up to Dr. Bromwell, the family physician (introduced as Aunt May's doctor back in the Lee-Ditko days of ASM), Gwen, and Harry Osborn. Peter learns from the good doctor that he's suffering from a duodenal ulcer. Gwen promises to take good care of him.

Meanwhile, Dr. Octopus and a new ganglord called Hammerhead have gotten into a full-fledged gang war, and Spider-Man is nowhere to be found!


ASM # 114:

Pg. 18-19: Gwen is at ESU, and Professor Miles Warren (who hasn't been seen in ASM in some time, since issue # 88) comes over to her. She's been worried about Peter, and hasn't been to Warren's class in a week. Warren says he heard about May Parker's disappearance, for which Gwen blames herself.

WARREN: "Now, Gwen...you mustn't blame yourself..."

GWEN (thought balloon): "Oh, mustn't I, Professor? If I don't...who do I blame? Peter's poor sweet Aunt May? Or Peter himself? No...I have to face the truth...I drove Aunt May away...and I only pray that Peter can ever forgive me!"


I must say...given later retcons regarding Professor Warren's obsessive interest in Gwen, this scene takes on a much creepier light. Also, Gwen's inner thoughts reveal that the thing she's MOST upset about is her belief that she's hurt Peter, and that it's her fault May left. Not, y'know, *cheating* on Peter, having twins, and then abandoning them in France.


Flash Thompson then arrives, and says Harry told him about Peter's ulcer.

FLASH: "He told me all about Parker's ulcer--what a laugh!"

GWEN (angry): "Mister Thompson--that's the last straw! You've been picking on Peter for years--I'd hoped that being in the Army had taught you something about maturity--But no! You're still nothing but an over-grown child! Peter's one of the nicest, sweetest men in the world----and one of him makes twelve of you! You promised me you wouldn't joke about him anymore--You should learn to keep your promises!"

She storms off.


Meanwhile, a weakened Spider-Man (now wearing a special harness he took from Doc Ock which boosts his strength and compensates for his illness), having gotten involved in the Hammerhead/Doctor Octopus gang war, is stunned to find Aunt May at Doc Ock's mansion--after she hits him in the head with a vase and trains a gun on him to protect Ock!


ASM # 115:

Pg. 11: Gwen goes to the Daily Bugle to look for Peter. Ned Leeds tells her that he's discovered where May Parker is via an employment agency--she got a job working as the housekeeper of Doctor Octopus! And so, Ned, Gwen, and Robbie Robertson rush off to Ock's mansion to find May.

Pg. 26-28: The trio arrives just as Ock is defeated by Spider-Man.

Pg. 26, panel 3:

GWEN (hugging May): "Oh, Mrs. Parker--we've all been so worried about you! You don't know how upset Peter's been----and--how badly I feel for ever telling you those terrible things--"

Pg. 27, panel 2: Although elated to find May safe and sound, Gwen is worried about Peter, and cries. Just then, he shows up. Aunt May tells him that she's been keeping house for Otto Octavius and that Peter just doesn't need her around anymore. Everyone is shocked by this, and none more so than Peter.


ASM # 116:

ASM # 116-118 are something of an oddity. Since many Spidey fans were unable to read or buy Spectacular Spider-Man Magazine # 1 in 1968, it was decided that the story ("Lo, This Monster!") should be reprinted in Amazing Spider-Man (The Green Goblin story from SSMM # 2 was reprinted a bit later on, in 1973's Amazing Spider-Man Annual # 9). However, the magazine was published in 1968, and things had changed quite a bit since then (most notably, George Stacy, who played a prominent role in the story, had since died). Another consideration was that readers who had experienced SSMM # 1 in its original printing would be bored for three months if it appeared as a straight reprint in ASM.

Thus, it was decided to reprint the story--with a twist. John Romita would revise and alter his art to make it fit in with the then-current Spider-Man continuity of 1973 (as well as providing brand-new pages to the story), and Gerry Conway would perform a similar facelift on the dialogue (as well as changing/updating topical references). And so, the story as presented in ASM # 116-118 begins with many references to the past few issues of Amazing Spider-Man. For example, at the beginning of ASM # 116, Spider-Man is still wearing the cheap, eyepiece-less, costume-shop replica of his mask he acquired during the gang war storyline of ASM # 112-115 (the real one was yanked off by Dr. Octopus, and subsequently found its way into Jonah Jameson's hands). John Romita simply added in Peter's real eyes peeking through the eye-holes in the cellophane mask, and a seam at the neck of Peter's costume to his original artwork from SSMM # 1.

This creates something of a continuity hiccup in Spider-Man's history. Did Spider-Man experience what is basically the same adventure (his battle against Richard Raleigh) twice? Which version of the story "really" happened?

In the version of the story seen in ASM # 116-118, Raleigh now has a costumed identity, in which he is known as the Disruptor (which, in this version, has the result of concealing the fact that Raleigh is "disrupting" his own campaign, a fact that was not hidden at all in SSMM # 1), and his unnamed monster henchman is now called the Smasher.

Also of note is that Richard Raleigh hired the criminal known as the Jester to kill the latest candidate for District Attorney, Foggy Nelson, in Daredevil (Vol. 1) # 42, in 1968, something of a crossover with Spectacular Spider-Man Magazine # 1 (also published in 1968). It's always possible that Raleigh ran for mayor twice, once around the time of Daredevil # 42/ASM # 59-60 (in 1968), and again during ASM # 116-118 (1973), but it's still a blip in continuity.

However, it should also be noted that in Marvel Team-Up (Vol. 1) # 8 (April, 1973), Spider-Man makes mention of his recent political troubles (referring the Raliegh election debacle) to the super-heroine known as the Cat, thus confirming that these events "really" did happen in ASM # 116-118.

Since the story was reprinted in the main Spider-Man title, some have said that trumps the earlier version, which shouldn't "count" as part of continuity. Supporting this idea is the fact that the story as originally presented in SSMM is rather stand-alone in nature, while the version that appears in ASM # 116-118 is tied in with then-current Spidey events (such as Aunt May living at Doc Ock's mansion).


Here's a nifty comparison of Spectacular Spider-Man Magazine # 1 and Amazing Spider-Man # 116-118, which describes all the modifications made to the original story (from www.spiderfan.org, an excellent resource):

http://www.spiderfan.org/comics/reviews/spiderman_spectacular_magazine/001.html


The following will cover the changes made to the original story that are relevant to this essay:


ASM # 116:

Pg. 14-15: Coming out of the end of last issue and the Doc Ock/Aunt May debacle, Spider-Man gets his real mask back from JJJ.

Pg. 14-15: Peter wonders if it's over between Gwen and him, since Gwen and Flash have been in each other's company quite a bit lately. He decides to ask Gwen once and for all if it's going to be him or Flash.

Pg. 27: In some newly-drawn/written pages, Peter, having called first, goes to Gwen's home to talk to her, and before he gets there, we see she's upset.

GWEN (thought balloon): "I feel so guilty...the way I spoke to Peter's aunt, told her how maternal she'd been with him...was it that which made her leave..? Am I the cause of Peter's misery?


Clearly, Gwen continues to be wrapped up in blaming herself for May's departure and Peter's woes. Still NOTHING about cheating on him or having twins...


GWEN (thought balloon): "The way Peter sounded on the phone...so distant...so formal. Does he hate me? I--I know he has a right to--"


At that moment, Peter arrives. Gwen is happy to see him.


GWEN: "Peter, I--"

PETER: "Please, Gwen--I just want to know one thing. Is there anything--anything at all--between you and Flash?"

GWEN: "Oh, Peter--you darling fool! There's nothing between Flash and me--we're friends--only friends, Peter! But don't answer. Just hold me----hold me--and don't let go!"

NARRATOR'S CAPTION: "But eventually, the surprised Mr. Parker does let go, and some thirty minutes later, the reinstated lovers arrive at an East Side hotel, where--"

We then get back into reprint material with Richard Raleigh's rally from SSMM # 1, as the couple meet up with the rest of the gang at the rally.


But this conversation between Gwen and Peter is quite important. Gwen openly states that there's no romantic relationship between her and Flash, much to Peter's relief (thus ending a subplot that's been dangling for many, many issues). This would be the last of the many reconciliations for the loving couple...before ASM # 121, and the tragedy held within that fateful issue.


Also, this little chat makes Gwen out to be an absolute liar and whore if you count the "fact" that she cheated on Peter and had Norman Osborn's kids. I can see it now...

GWEN: "Don't worry, Peter, darling, Flash and I aren't involved, and I'm sure that knowing that is more important to you than knowing that I cheated on you and had another man's children! Tee hee!"



Ugh.


Also, the narrator's caption makes a subtle indication of make-up sex between the two, as it mentions the passage of time (a whole 30 minutes) and refers to Peter and Gwen as the "reinstated lovers".


Anyway, back to the Raleigh rally. As in SSMM # 1, the ceiling fixture collapses, and Peter tries to keep it from crushing the crowd below with his web-shooters in the dark. But in this version, he fails (due to lingering pain from his duodenal ulcer)!!!!

As the fixture collapses and the issue ends on a cliffhanger, a disturbing (and extremely prescient) thought runs through Peter's mind (although he's five issues too early):

PETER (thought balloon): "I've blown it! And because I failed--Gwendy's going to DIE!"


ASM # 117: Fortunately, the ceiling fixture manages to hold long enough to allow everyone to get out safely before it smashes to the floor.

Pg. 5: Outside, Gwen sees Peter in the crowd.

PETER: "Gwen! I've been looking all over for you--I was worried about you--afraid you might be hurt--!"

GWEN: "You--were worried about me? Peter, you dear boy--when are you going to learn?


Peter then takes Gwen and Mary Jane home.

Pg. 14: Norman Osborn replaces Captain Stacy at J. Jonah Jameson's townhouse in a scene from Spectacular Spider-Man Magazine # 1. Jonah supports Raleigh, but, referring to Raleigh's mysterious nature, Osborn says Raleigh will have to be more specific in his campaign "before he gets Norman Osborn's vote". Robbie Robertson then decides to research Raleigh's background.

Pg. 21: Peter calls to check on Aunt May at Doc Ock's mansion, and then goes with Harry Osborn to the Raleigh youth rally, where they run into Gwen and Mary Jane. MJ offers Peter a chili dog, and Gwen reminds Peter about his ulcer (a chili dog could make it worse). Suddenly, the Disruptor and the Smasher attack, and the Smasher goes after Robbie Robertson (instead of Captain Stacy, as in the original version of the story). Peter sneaks off and changes to Spider-Man to battle the threat.


ASM # 118: Spider-Man battles the Smasher, who escapes. Soon after the action is over, Peter and Gwen reunite in some brand-new pages. Harry tries to talk to Peter and Gwen as they kiss, but can't get through to them.

MARY JANE: Forget it, Harry! Can't you see they're into a whole other world? Let them be, Harrykins----and maybe pay a little more attention to your own girl!

HARRY (angry): "Sorry, MJ--wasn't thinking!"


Although Gerry Conway was constrained by the fact that Harry and Mary Jane were still something of an item in the original Spectacular Spider-Man story (and thus they had to be together in the reprint), this ties in with the idea that even after his drug problems in ASM # 96-98, Harry and Mary Jane's relationship has still been on-again/off-again. Also, despite the fact that MJ was throwing herself at Peter in several issues after Harry's drug overdose, she's still admonishing Harry for not paying enough attention to her. This works well as dramatic buildup considering the fact that Harry will turn to drugs once again in ASM # 119-122.

Pg. 9-12: As in the original story, the Smasher goes out of control and turns against Raleigh, and in a new scene, he attacks the gang in their car. Peter leaves Gwen to fight the monster, and she gets terrified once again by his latest disappearance:

Pg. 12, panel 1:

GWEN: "Peter, where are you going? Peter? PETER?"

The story then ends pretty much the way it did in Spectacular Spider-Man Magazine # 1.


ASM # 119 (art by John Romita)

(Note: This story gets us back to brand-new material, as opposed to the modified reprints of the last three issues.)

Pg. 1-3: Spider-Man goes to check on his Aunt May at Doc Ock's mansion. He also has an urgent telegram to give to May, since it was sent to her old address.

Pg. 2, panel 3: Aunt May mentions the recent mayor's election from ASM # 118, cementing the modified reprint of Spectacular Spider-Man # 1 into then-current continuity. Sorry, JMS, no three-issue "gap" for your little retcons to slime their way into...

Spider-Man overhears Doc Ock's goons talking about the telegram (and how they've been waiting for it), and so he decides to hold onto it, since it seems important.

Pg. 3, panel 6: Spidey then sees May leave, and the caption notes that it's a "winter's late afternoon".

Pg. 5, panel 1: The mysterious telegram was sent to Aunt May and Ann Watson's home, care of Anna Watson.

Panel 5: Spidey thinks back to his recent battle with the Smasher in ASM # 116-118, once again tying the "reprint" into then-current continuity.

Pg. 6: Peter reads the telegram. It says:

"URGENT I CONTACT YOU AT ONCE STOP PLEASE COME IN PERSON STOP THIS MATTER TOO DELICATE FOR DISCUSSION HERE OR ON PHONE STOP

Jean-Pierre Rimbaud
Montreal, Quebec

Ms. May Parker C/O Anna May Watson
124-05 24th Street
Queens, N.Y."


Pg. 6, panel 5: Peter leaves, but before he does--

PETER (thought balloon): "Better lock up my closet--not that I don't trust my longtime roommate----but Harry has been acting odd lately--"

Pg. 5, panels 6-8: Below, on the street, Peter sees Norman Osborn and his driver dropping Harry off at the apartment, and Harry then collapses in Peter's arms. Norman is irrational and furious, and steps out of his fancy car:

NORMAN (enraged): "Parker--UNHAND my son! Unhand him this INSTANT!"

Pg. 8:

PETER (to Norman): Mr. Osborn--he's pretty sick. You'd better get him to a doctor--!"

NORMAN: "I'm quite capable of handling that myself, Parker. I've had it with your incessant--meddling--"

NORMAN (to his driver): "Thomas--get my son into the car. And be quick about it."

Pg. 8, panel 5 through Pg. 9, panel 1:


Peter wonders about what's causing Harry's condition, and if Norman might be regaining his Goblin memories once again. He thinks that it might be a good idea to skip town and investigate the telegram if that really is the case (so his presence won't trigger Norman's memory any more than it already has).

PETER (thought balloon): "Could Norman Osborn be starting to remember--Is he already regressing, going back to what he was before--The Green Goblin? I wish I knew--because if he is, then he's also going to remember something else----the private identity of Spider-Man--ME! Well--that's another reason to get out of town--and go to Montreal--if only to protect both of us--from each other!"


Pg. 9: Peter sees on television that the ever-Incredible Hulk is in Canada, and realizes that this is the perfect excuse to go to Montreal to meet Jean-Pierre Rimbaud. He then convinces J. Jonah Jameson to send him to Canada to take photos of the Hulk, and dashes to JFK airport.

Pg. 11: A narrative caption states that Peter's flight to Montreal International Airport lasts one hour, and that the temperature is 16 degrees Fahrenheit (in other words, it's winter). A freezing Peter goes to Rimbaud's office to talk to him about Aunt May, but Rimbaud's secretary, Frances Delon, tells Peter that Rimbaud is out of town, and she then asks Peter to come back later for dinner.

In the meantime, Peter attends a press conference regarding the Hulk at a hotel. He meets up with the Hulk's old foe, U.S. Air Force General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross.

Eventually, Spidey gets into a fight with the Hulk, and the Hulk smashes the Maskattawan Dam. Spidey is caught under a pile of debris in sub-zero water!


ASM # 120 (pencils by Gil Kane, inks by John Romita):

The fight between Spidey and the Hulk continues where it left off last issue. Eventually, the Hulk leaves, and a frozen Spidey hitches a ride back to Montreal on a military helicopter. As Peter Parker, he then returns to Jean-Pierre Rimbaud's office.

Pg. 7: It's night (indicated both by the coloring of the pages and the time of day as indicated in the dialogue--Peter told Miss Delon last issue that he'd be back for dinner). Before going inside Rimbaud's office building, Peter decides to call home:

PETER: Wait a second! Before I go upstairs, there's something else I should do----call Gwen, in New York, and see how Harry Osborn'sdoing."

PETER (on phone): "Hey, Gwendy? Sorry I had to make this call collect, but I--"

GWEN (on phone): "Peter, you've got to come home--quickly! It's Harry...he must be back-flashing to that bad trip he had a few months ago..."

PETER (on phone): "'Backflashing'? What do you mean, Gwen...? Maybe there's a bad connection--"

GWEN (on phone, crying): "Peter, you're so naive. Harry's been into drugs again. Something about his father--some sort of pressure--"

PETER (on phone): "Okay, kid...I'll get back as soon as I can.

He hangs up.


Let's keep track of all this before we move on. Gwen is in NEW YORK when Peter calls her, and was also there right before Peter left for Canada (in ASM # 116-118). Even longer that that, really. Gwen appeared in virtually EVERY Spider-Man story published for several years, and the stories were all continuous, with little or no time in-between issues.

Anyway, on the phone, Gwen also isn't clear what sort of stress has gotten Harry back onto drugs, only that it somehow involves his father. Thus, Gwen DOESN'T KNOW what could possibly be going on in Norman Osborn's life to cause Harry distress.


PETER (thought balloon): Terriffic. So now what do I do? Gwen seems to think I'd be some help to Harry...but I don't see how. Or do I? Maybe what Harry's needed all along is a friend----someone to talk to----not a roommate who vanishes at sundown! I wonder-- is Harry's problem my fau--Huh?" My spider-sense--tingling!"

Peter's spider-sense detects someone tailing him. He evades the goon, switches to Spider-Man, and then pumps the man for information and webs him up. He's learns that the man works for Doctor Octopus. The man is about to spill the beans on Ock's interest in May Parker when General Ross and his men happen upon the scene, wondering where the Hulk is. Spidey takes off, changes back to Peter Parker, and goes to see Miss Delon. She tells Peter that she checked Rimbaud's files, and there's nothing regarding Aunt May, since Rimbaud wanted to handle the matter personally.

Soon, Peter and Miss Delon go to the old Expo '67 fairgrounds, where Jean-Pierre Rimbaud is at (he's representing a contractor working on a new building there), and they are followed by Doc Ock's men.

However, the Hulk then arrives, smashing Miss Delon's car. Spider-Man fights the Hulk, and the fairgrounds are totaled.


Pg. 18, panel 2: During his battle with the Hulk:

SPIDER-MAN: "It's almost nine o'clocknow. The last flight home leaves at midnight. I promised Gwen I'd get back as soon as I could--"


Pg. 26-28: Rimbaud arrives, wanting to talk to Peter Parker about Aunt May. Spider-Man is beaten by the Hulk, and army helicopters pursue him as the jade giant departs. Soon after, Peter meets up with Rimbaud, but Doc Ock's goon (the one Spidey encountered earlier) shoots and kills him in order to silence him.

Pg. 28, panels 5-7: At the airport, Miss Delon sees Peter off. As the plane takes off:

PETER: So long, Montreal. You won't be hearing from me again, for a while. No hard feelings--but I think it's time I got back to New York...It ain't much...but it's what I call home.


A nice, melancholy end to the story....but considering what's lurking just around the corner, Peter shouldn't be so eager to go home...



To recap: The events of ASM # 119-120 almost certainly take place in a *SINGLE DAY*. Peter goes to visit Aunt May in the "late afternoon", dashes to JFK to board the plane at the last minute--a plane ordered to be held up for Peter by J. Jonah Jameson--,takes a one-hour flight to Montreal, goes to Rimbaud's office and then to the press conference with General Ross at the hotel, rides on an Army truck for one hour to go after the Hulk, battles the Hulk, hitches a ride back to Rimbaud's, calls Gwen Stacy in New York, webs up Doc Ock's goon (and remember, Spidey's webbing dissolves after one hour), rides to the Expo '67 fairgrounds, watches Doc Ock's goon (the same goon he webbed up earlier) kill Rimbaud, and finally takes the midnight flight back to New York, leading right into the beginning of ASM # 121.

So, Peter was in Canada for a single day, and remember, Gwen was in New York before he left (in ASM # 116-118 and even longer before that), while he was there (when he called her on the phone), and after he got back (in ASM # 121).

And if you're wondering just what the telegram sent to Aunt May was all about, it would later be revealed that Rimbaud was trying to contact May to tell her of a nuclear power plant she'd inherited (which Doc Ock coveted) on a small Canadian island. Ock would later try to marry Aunt May in order to get his hands on said power plant in ASM # 130-131, but Spidey put a stop to that!


The last panel's caption advertising the next issue reads--

Next> The Green Goblin


--without a hint of what's really coming.




By this point, it was decided that something was needed to shake up Amazing Spider-Man and boost sales. Discussions eventually led to the idea that a member of the supporting cast should die. Aunt May was suggested at one point. Recollections have varied, but it seems that John Romita Sr. was the one who suggested that Gwen Stacy be killed of, since it would provide a great deal of shock, pathos and drama, just the kind of thing that Spider-Man needed. Writer Gerry Conway agreed, since he'd always felt that *MARY JANE* was the one Peter was destined to be with, and he'd been wanting to get them together for some time. It has been said that Stan Lee approved the idea of killing Gwen, but he doesn't seem to remember for sure.

Further, marriage between Peter and Gwen seemed absolutely inevitable by this point, since the couple had survived everything that had been thrown at them (and were truly, deeply in love), but marrying Spidey off was not something Marvel wanted at the time. Many of the fan letters of the era suggested that either Peter and Gwen should get married (from fans who wanted to see Spidey grow and change), or that Gwen should be taken out of the book somehow (from fans who were tired of the cycle of Gwen and Peter having problems and then making up without their relationship either progressing or ending). Supporting this idea was the general opinion that Gwen had fallen into the traditional superhero girlfriend’s role (the "Peter! Oh, Peter, my darling, I was so worried about you! Where were you when that awful Spider-Man showed up?" syndrome), and that she just wasn't as lively and exciting and vivacious as Mary Jane.


But the creators surely didn't expect the impact this decision would have, both in the short term and the long haul.


Back then, there was no Previews, no Wizard, and no Internet. Just dedicated Spider-fans going to the drugstore or newsstand to pick up the latest issue of their favorite book.



And no one, NO ONE saw it coming.



ASM # 121 (Written by Gerry Conway, Penciled by Gil Kane, Inked by John Romita and Tony Mortellaro. Note: Romita's artistic influence is very strongly felt in this and issue 122, and there's not as much of Gil Kane in the final product as there'd been in past collaborations, probably because the art had to be spot-on for such a crucial story.):

We begin with the cover (drawn by John Romita). In a surreal scene, Spider-Man swings toward portraits of his supporting cast (J. Jonah Jameson, Harry Osborn, Norman Osborn, Gwen Stacy, Mary Jane Watson, May Parker, Flash Thompson, Randy Robertson, and Joe Robertson).

SPIDER-MAN: "My spider-sense is never wrong! Someone CLOSE to me is about to DIE! Someone I cannot save! But who? WHO?"

COVER CAPTION: Not a trick! Not an imaginary tale--but the most startlingly unexpected TURNING POINT in this web-slinger's entire life! How can Spider-Man GO ON, after being faced with this almost unbelievable DEATH?"

COVER CAPTION # 2: "And don't dare miss this issue's shocking SURPRISE SUPER-VILLAIN!"

If one read the "next issue" caption at the end of ASM # 120, though, the identity of the "surprise" villain wouldn't be a surprise.


And for once, the cover copy is not exaggerated hyperbole!


Pg. 1 (Note that the page numbers in the annotations for issue also include the advertisements, as in the original printing. In terms of actual story pages, there are only 20, but the total page count on the bottom of each page exceeds that number. I'm going by the page numbering in the original printing, so if you're following along at home with a reprint of the story, try to keep up.):

NARRATOR'S CAPTION: "There are quite a few things we could say about this issue--but we won't. As for its title: that's something we'd like to conceal for a while, but we promise you this, pilgrim--it's not a title you'll soon forget!"

Right from the start, the situation is grim, the atmosphere one of impending doom. Spider-Man is clinging to the exterior of the Osborn townhouse and peering in the window as Mary Jane, Gwen Stacy, and the Osborn family doctor, Ray tending to the gravely ill Harry Osborn.

SPIDER-MAN: "Harry's in bad shape, all right. Looks like I'm back in New York not an hour too soon.

This indicates that as soon as he got off the midnight flight that departed from Montreal (which left on the one-hour trip back to New York at the end of last issue), he went straight to the Osborn townhouse. This implies that this first scene in ASM # 121 takes place in the middle of the night, possibly between 1:00-4:00 A.M.

Pg. 2:

RAY (to Gwen and MJ): "I've done what I can for the lad--though I'd rather he were in a hospital, instead of here, at his father's home. Still, Norman Osborn and I have been friends for many years. If he wants to keep this quiet--so be it.

The doctor then says Harry's been into drugs again, specifically LSD. It's interesting to note the progress Stan Lee made when he published the "drug issues" (ASM # 96-98) without the Comic Code Authority's approval. Now, a few years later, in ASM # 121, references to LSD, a *specific* drug, could be made in a story with the Code's seal of approval.

GWEN: "I knew Harry was a little flakey--but something like this--!"

The doctor says he has given Harry a shot of Thorazine to counteract the effects of the drugs Harry's taken.

RAY: "Perhaps if he hadn't been so depressed when he took the drug, it wouldn't have hit him so hard--but that can hardly matter now. You can see the result--total clinical psychosis. What a layman would call schizophrenia."

Spidey overhears all this and heads for the roof to change to Peter Parker.

Pg. 3: On the roof, Peter wonders what made Harry crack up and drop acid again. He enters the building from the roof---note that he's wearing the same clothes he wore during his one-day trip to Canada in ASM # 119-120, a suit and trenchcoat (although, due to a coloring continuity error, the suit was blue in ASM # 120, and it's now green in ASM # 121).

Pg. 3, panel 5-7: Before Peter can enter Harry's room, a furious Norman Osborn comes up from behind and grabs his arm.

NORMAN (enraged): "Just a minute, young man--I TOLD you not to go near my SON!

PETER (surprised): "Mr. Osborn!"

Pg. 5:

PETER: "Look, Mr. Osborn--I'm not out to hurt anyone. I just came to see if Harry's all right. That's all. If you want me to go, that's cool--it's your house.

NORMAN (seething with rage): "You better believe I want you to go, Parker----I don't want to see your face ever again! It's your fault Harry's ill--your fault these terrible things have happened to my son----Your fault! YOUR FAULT!"

Peter is extremely worried about Norman's erratic behavior, and wonders if the Green Goblin will return yet again.


Pg. 6: At that moment, the door to Harry's bedroom opens, interrupting Norman's tirade, and Mary Jane and Gwen step out into the hallway.

GWEN (surprised): "PETER!"

PETER: "Hey, pretty lady. I kind of figured you'd be here."

NORMAN (to Gwen): "Miss Stacy, you and your 'friends' are no longer wanted in this house. We can do quite well without your so-called help. You know the way out..."

NORMAN: (walking into Harry's room and then slamming the door): "...please take it...at once."


It seems very clear that Norman is addressing Gwen and Gwen alone *ONLY* because his hatred of Peter is resurfacing, and that he also very likely blames Mary Jane's treatment of Harry for his son's condition. Thus, Gwen is the only one there who hasn't caused Norman and Harry trouble, from Norman's point of view, and is the only one he will address with a modicum of respect.

Pg. 6, panels 4-6: As the trio walks down the stairs:

PETER: "Come on, Gwen...you, too, Mary Jane. I'll buy you a Coke."

MARY JANE: "Thanks a lot, Petey."

GWEN: "Why was Mr. Osborn like that, Peter? We were only trying to...to make things easier for him."

PETER: "Some people hate do-gooders, Gwen. What can I tell you?"


Then, outside the townhouse...


GWEN: "But--poor Harry! I feel so sorry for him, Peter. All his life he's been pampered--he's always had what he wanted, without ever having to work for it. What could have happened to him, to make him become so--so desperate?

PETER: "That's something we may never know, Gwen. What do you think, Mary Jane?"

MARY JANE (glum): "I don't know, Pete. I just don't."

It seems Mary Jane is disturbed by all this, likely because she blames herself and her shallow treatment of Harry for his grave condition.

And all Gwen is concerned about is Harry's welfare, which is perfectly in character for her. She refers to Norman only as "Mr. Osborn", and doesn't have a clue as to why he was so cruel towards them upstairs.

Pg. 7: Soon after, we see Norman Osborn on the phone, and he learns that his stocks are down another 13%. A shaky Harry then stumbles into the room, blames himself for Norman's business difficulties, and collapses in Norman's arms. Norman places a frantic call to the family doctor.

Pg. 10-11: The narrator's caption states that, two hours after Harry's collapse into Norman's arms, Spider-Man is headed towards a "late-day" appointment at the Daily Bugle. However, Spidey gets dizzy, and is clearly not feeling well.

Pg. 10, panel 2:

SPIDER-MAN: "Must've caught a virus when I was up in Canada--Not used to that kind of zero-degree weather!"

Spidey most likely got sick after he was pinned underneath sub-zero water by debris while fighting the Incredible Hulk in ASM # 119-120, and then continued to battle the Hulk in below-freezing temperatures.

Soon, Peter Parker, dizzy and coughing, delivers his photos of the Hulk in Canada to J. Jonah Jameson and Robbie Robertson. After that, he says he's going to head home for some much-needed rest.

Pg. 11, panel 7: Spidey swings back home, and feels terrible.

SPIDER-MAN: "It'll be nice to get back--have a nice long talk with Gwendy. It's been days since I spoke to her--and what with Harry's problems this morning--! Well, it'll be nice to have a talk."

Spidey clearly isn't counting his phone conversation with Gwen the day before (in ASM # 120), but still, this makes it clear she's been around town and has spoken to Peter in the recent past (as a score of previous issues of ASM will attest to).

Pg. 12: After receiving Norman's phone call, Ray comes back and does his best to help Harry, but is still wary of Norman's decision to keep the boy at home instead of taking him to a hospital.

RAY (to Norman): "He should be in a hospital, but at this point--it's still your decision."

Ray then leaves Norman alone with his own dark thoughts.

NORMAN (thought balloon): "Harry, I'm sorry. I failed you, in every way a father can. I should have realized those--those friends of yours----what they were doing to you! But how could I have known? Our enemies are everywhere...men trying to ruin me...corrupt you, my only son......enemies...surrounding us...eh?"

Note that Norman refers to Harry as his *ONLY SON* here.

NORMAN (seeing a hallucinatory image of Spider-Man): "Spider-Man! So--you've come to gloat, have you? To see what wreckage you've made of my life--my hopes--I'll kill you for this--I'll KILL you!"

NORMAN (attacking the ghostly image, only to see it disappear): "No! You're vanishing! You can't do that to me! I won't let you escape me again--I WON'T!"

Pg. 14:

We then get a large panel of a screaming, horrified Norman Osborn, clutching his head in his hands, surrounded by head-shots of Spider-Man, Peter Parker, Flash Thompson, May Parker, J. Jonah Jameson, Robbie Robertson, Randy Robertson, Mary Jane Watson, Gwen Stacy, and a full-body shot of Harry Osborn, looking ill (and dressed as he was on the previous page).

NARRATOR'S CAPTION: "And then, all at once, the delicate tissues of Norman Osborn's memory collapse--and a flood of images, past and present, rush through his pressured brain----reminding him--tormenting him--until he can stand it NO LONGER!"


And, just like that, Norman Osborn snaps for good. Clearly, he's totally over the edge now (as his feverish sweating, ranting, and hallucination of Spider-Man indicated). More so than ever before, he's become totally egocentric, totally paranoid, totally obsessed, and totally insane. It is obvious that there's no way back for him after this, no convenient amnesia or reasoning that will cure Osborn or save Spider-Man's neck for the umpteenth time. No way out. This is one reason I hate Osborn's 1996 resurrection so much--because after that, he was depicted mainly as a calm, methodical planner who was in total control and just plain evil instead of being mentally ill--and that totally goes against his characterization here.

And so, Norman runs off into the night (as it states in a narrative caption, it's now in the evening) to one of his old hideouts. And so, the Green Goblin is reborn for the final time.

Pg. 15:

GOBLIN: "Spider-Man is my enemy--my mortal foe! Of all the men on earth, he is the one I most despise----for he is the man who keeps me from myself----he is the one who made my mind forget--that I am the GOBLIN----THE GREEN GOBLIN! "

On his jet-glider, the insane criminal flies off into the night, clearly on his way to find and attack Spider-Man:

GOBLIN: "And because of what he's done to me--and to my son--Spider-Man, the cursed Peter Parker--must die! DIE! DIE!"


Pg. 15, panels 5-6: Gwen is at Peter and Harry's apartment, waiting for Peter to get back.

GWEN (thought balloon): "Poor Harry...I wish there were something I could do to help him. If only Peter would come back...we could talk about it......and maybe understand what went wrong in Harry's life...to make him what he is."

As she holds her head in her hand with her eyes closed, we can see the Green Goblin approaching through the window behind her.

To date, what happened next has never been depicted. Did the Goblin knock Gwen out with one of his weapons? Did his arrival shock her into unconsciousness? Did he reveal Spider-Man's true identity to her? Did he...KILL her? We may never know.

I'm sure JMS and the current regime at Marvel would say that at this point, the Goblin either raped Gwen, or they once again argued about their illegitimate children, right? Or both? Ugh.


But in the end, it's pathetically obvious that Osborn went to Peter and Harry's apartment (the apartment NORMAN HIMSELF put them up in years before) to confront and kill Spider-Man, only to find Gwen instead, who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Yet, JMS thought there was some sort of "mystery" as to why the Goblin abducted Gwen, and took it upon himself to "explain" why in Sins Past. If he really didn't understand why Osborn took Gwen, then he's simply doesn't understand the dynamics of the story or the characters, and should have left the past alone!!!!


Pg. 17: A dizzy Spider-Man heads home, and nearly falls to his death at one point as a result of his illness. He has a headache and blurry vision. Due to his condition, he decides to enter the apartment through the window (as Spider-Man), despite the risk that Gwen is inside. And then---

SPIDER-MAN (quietly): "Oh my Lord."

--as he enters, he sees that the place is a shambles. He finds a jack-o-lantern--the Green Goblin's calling card--resting on top of Gwen's handbag (which Spidey recognizes as the one Peter Parker gave to Gwen for Christmas).

SPIDER-MAN: "Osborn must have snapped...come here to find me......and found Gwendy instead!"

He leaves to track down the Goblin and the woman he loves.

SPIDER-MAN: "The state Osborn's probably in, he could do anything."

During his frantic search:

NARRATOR'S CAPTION: "Now it begins: what will soon become the most tormented quest of this young man's adventurous life, and a turning point in a certain costumed hero's tempestuous career!"


SPIDER-MAN: "It's just my luck. I disappear for a weekend in Canada--flit around playing international detective----and as soon as I get home, hoping for an evening alone with my girl----she gets snatched by a crazy businessman in seagreen long-johns! The question now is where--? All I've got to go on is my spider-sense--and it's leading me toward----the George Washington Bridge! It figures Osborn would pick something named after his favorite President. He's got the same sort of hangup for dollar bills."

Note: As the behind-the-scenes story goes, Gerry Conway said this battle would take place on the George Washington Bridge in the plot, but Gil Kane--inked by John Romita and Tony Mortellaro--drew the Brooklyn Bridge instead. Conway didn't notice the goof, and thus didn't change the dialogue to accommodate the art. Thus, it's never been 100% settled on in the years since which bridge this battle took place on, and both bridges have been named as the site in later issues. However, since the visual of the Brooklyn Bridge is so iconic and so tied into the story, visually, I'd have to vote in its favor.

Here's a nice page from www.spiderfan.org that compares the original version of this panel (which mentions the Washington Bridge) with the version that has appeared in subsequent reprints (which changes the dialogue, substituting it for the Brooklyn Bridge), as well as real-life photos of both bridges:

http://www.spiderfan.org/ppp/v08/issue04/images/bridges.jpg



Spider-Man sees the Goblin (and an unconscious Gwen) on top of one of the bridge's spires. Clearly, the Goblin chose a high place to wait so Spider-Man would quickly find them.

Pg. 19:

GOBLIN: "Spider-Man! Or should I say--Mister Parker! I have your woman up here, my friend--I trust you understand what that means?

SPIDER-MAN: "You tell me, Goblin."

GOBLIN: "It's quite simple, web-spinner...Your presence in this world has been a source of constant agony to me. I wish you to leave it--permanently. Or else...Gwen Stacy dies!"


If the Goblin had a grudge against Gwen and wanted to kill her (as JMS has asserted), he could have already done so. But no, he's using her as an *object*, as a bargaining chip he can use to force Spider-Man to surrender. He sees Gwen only as a weapon to use against his most hated enemy, not as a living, breathing person.


SPIDER-MAN (swinging up to fight the Goblin): "That cuts it, pumpkin boy. Up to now, I've been real friendly--considering your problems, and all that. But, Buster--when you start threatening my girl----the kid gloves are off!"

GOBLIN: "A most chivalrous attitude. Pity you won't live to enact it!"

Pg. 21-25: The Goblin and Spider-Man battle on and around the bridge. Spidey's dizzy, and his flu-like illness makes him realize that he can't afford a protracted battle. So, he plans to scoop up Gwen and run for it. He snags the Goblin with a web-line, then hauls him in so he can deliver one solid punch, a punch he puts all of his remaining strength into (in a dynamic, full-page splash panel). The Goblin then falls off of his jet-glider toward the water below.

Spidey then runs up one of the bridge's support cables to the top of the tower, where Gwen is (she's lying on top of the tower, eyes closed).


There appears to be a spider-sense effect drawn around Spidey's head as he approaches Gwen (perhaps indicating the fact that the Goblin will be on his way back up in a moment). Then again, it may just be the kind of standard "shock" effect we see in comics all the time, in the same vein as motion lines.

SPIDER-MAN: "And there's the lady now--out like a light. Good thing, too--if Spidey's to save his secret I.D.!"


But then, the Goblin reunites with his remote-controlled glider, and heads back up toward his foe.


SPIDER-MAN (examining Gwen): "Gwen! Looks like she's in a state of shock! I'd better get her to a hospital--have them give her a sedative of some kind--"


The Goblin flies right at them.


GOBLIN: "You cursed interloper! You'll never take that girl anywhere! She's doomed, do you hear me?"


The Goblin knocks his glider right into the couple with a resounding "WHAK!", knocking Spider-Man aside......and tossing the unconscious Gwen off of the bridge toward the water far below.


GOBLIN: "Doomed--and so are you!"


Pg. 26, panel 1: We get a lengthy panel that runs from top to bottom of the page, clearly showing that Gwen is falling several hundred feet to her imminent death.


SPIDER-MAN (absolutely horrified): "GWEN! NO!"


Pg. 26, panel 2: A stunned Spider-Man reacts instinctively, and fires a web-line toward his falling girlfriend (with the appropriate "fffftt" sound effect):

SPIDER-MAN (horrified): "I've got to catch her----stop her fall before she hits the water!"


Pg. 26, panel 3: We get a close-up of the web-line only inches away from Gwen's hand:

SPIDER-MAN (desperate): "I've GOT to! I'VE GOT TO!"


Pg. 26, panel 4: The web-line manages to snag Gwen's legs (with a "SWIK!" sound effect). There's are motion lines drawn around her body, indicating the sudden stop of her fall...and there is also a small, unobtrusive "SNAP!" sound effect placed inconspicuously near her head.

SPIDER-MAN: "DID IT!"


Pg. 26, panel 5: As he hauls Gwen back up, a relieved Spidey congratulates himself, as he has done so many times before after rescuing someone from certain death...(Also note that the art makes it appear that Gwen's head is lolling.)

SPIDER-MAN (relieved): "Spider-powers, I love you! Not only am I the most dashing hero on two legs--"


Pg. 27, panel 1: Spider-Man has pulled Gwen back up onto the tower, and is grabbing onto her (presumably to escape from the Goblin and take Gwen to the hospital). Note that her head is lolling lifelessly.

SPIDER-MAN (continued from last panel): "--I'm easily the most versatile. Who else could save a falling girl from certain dea-- Gwen?"

Pg. 27, panel 2: A close-up of Spidey looking at Gwen's motionless face (her eyes are closed).

SPIDER-MAN (nervous, seeing that something is wrong): "Hey, kid--what's wrong? Don't you understand? I saved you----You can't be--"

Pg. 27, panel 3: In close-up, Spider-Man hugs and cradles Gwen's body. All we see of Peter Parker's face is his usual expressionless mask, but it's quite obvious what his expression is UNDER the mask.

And this next moment is incredibly devastating...and poignant.


SPIDER-MAN (in denial, hugging Gwen's body): "No!Oh, no, no, no--Don't be dead, Gwen--I don't want you to be dead!"


Pg. 27, panel 4: In a bird's eye shot, a forlorn Spider-Man cradles and gently shakes his dead girlfriend's body in his arms.

SPIDER-MAN (quiet): "I saved you, honey...don't you see?"

SPIDER-MAN (dialogue in faint, tiny letters): "I saved you..."


Pg. 27, panels 5-6: Spidey sharply turns his head as he hears the taunting voice of the Green Goblin.

GOBLIN: "ROMANTIC IDIOT! She was dead before your webbing reached her! A fall from that height would kill anyone--before they struck the ground! But for you, my friend--death will come more quickly and more surely than the shock of a sudden fall!"

SPIDER-MAN: "Wrong, Goblin!"


Pg. 28: And so, we get to the stunning last page, a full-page splash image of a grief-stricken Spider-Man--cradling Gwen Stacy's lifeless body--waving his fist in the air and vowing to exact bloody vengeance on the Green Goblin. This is *easily* one of the most shocking and memorable last pages in comic book history.

SPIDER-MAN (furious): "YOU'RE the creep who's going to pay! I'm going to get you, Goblin! I'm going to destroy you slowly--and when you start begging for me to end it----I'm going to remind you of one thing----YOU KILLED THE WOMAN I LOVE--AND FOR THAT, YOU'RE GOING TO DIE!"

NARRATOR'S CAPTION: "At last, we can tell you the title to our tale, though it's one title we'd hoped we'd hoped we'd never see. We call it--THE NIGHT GWEN STACY DIED--and you can be sure the story doesn't end here! TO BE CONTINUED!"



This is a Peter Parker we've never seen before, transformed by hatred, willing to betray his morals for the sake of revenge.



Interesting moment on page 27, panels 5-6--the Goblin claims that the *shock of the fall* killed Gwen. However, she would have needed to be conscious in order to be scared to death (something readers pointed out in the letters pages in subsequent issues). However, if the Goblin saw that Spider-Man himself had accidentally killed Gwen by snapping her neck, then surely he'd rub that in, right? The way it's depicted, however, the Gwen's cause of death--and, more importantly, whether either combatant knows for sure how she died--is wonderfully ambiguous.

So, what exactly *DID* kill Gwen? There are several possibilities:

1. The Goblin killed her before Spider-Man arrived and was being deceitful about using his threats on her life against Spidey (although Spider-Man ascertained that she was in a state of shock when he arrived on the scene, it's not impossible that he was mistaken).

2. The shock of the fall (In more recent retellings of the story--i.e., issues written by JMS--Gwen has appeared to be CONSCIOUS during her fall, a direct contradiction of what is seen in ASM # 121, but which *would* lend some credence to this theory.).

3. The "SNAP!". This little sound effect is generally held to be the culprit, as first indicated in the letters page of ASM # 125, and later hinted at in Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross' MARVELS (1994), among other sources. Thus, when Spider-Man caught Gwen with his web-line, the sudden stop snapped her neck, killing her.

Unfortunately, the ambiguity has been utterly destroyed in subsequent years. Indeed, in Paul Jenkins' Peter Parker: Spider-Man (vol. 2) # 50 (January, 2003), Peter sits down with Aunt May (who...*sigh*... discovered his true identity during JMS' run on ASM) and tells her that he accidentally killed Gwen by snapping her neck when he caught her with his webbing, and May forgives him and tells him it wasn't his fault.

Bleeeehhh.

This kind of aging fanboy mentality, in which every little fanboy question must be definitively answered, is one of the things ruining the industry.

Now, Peter *knows* for sure that he snapped Gwen's neck when he caught her, and has moped about it and been forgiven for it. Examining the way ASM # 121 was written, it is clear that Gerry Conway wanted the fact that Spidey broke Gwen's neck to be something only the *READERS* knew, something a little ambiguous, one of those "open secrets" at Marvel (something every loyal fan knows, but which is never officially referred to in a story), something that would torture the readers. Indeed, in interviews since, Conway had confirmed that this was his intent. And now that's been totally ruined, along with every other aspect of the story.

But it must be said that, even if Spider-Man really did accidentally kill Gwen when he caught her, the Green Goblin is STILL the one who is actually responsible for her death. He was the one who set that terrible event in motion.

Another interesting point: If Peter had just done something to stop the Green Goblin for good in the past (such as having Norman Osborn incarcerated in ASM # 40 instead of telling the police Osborn helped defeat the Green Goblin), instead of just pinning his hopes on the notion that Osborn's amnesia would be permanent, then this nightmare would never have happened.



ASM # 122:

The cover (by John Romita) is a nice summation of the end of last issue, as it depicts Spider-Man, holding Gwen's lifeless body, standing on top of the Brooklyn Bridge as the Green Goblin lobs a pumpkin bomb at him. The cover copy reads:

GOBLIN: "Heads-up, wall-crawler! First, I finished off Gwen Stacy--and now--it's your turn!"

SPIDER-MAN: "Wrong, Goblin! You murdered the only girl I'll ever love--and today's the day you're going to DIE!!"

COVER COPY: "THE GREEN GOBLIN'S LAST STAND!"


Pg. 1: We pick up where we left off last issue. Last issue, the coloring indicated that it was already night, but here, it appears to be sunset. The Goblin gleefully circles Spider-Man (holding Gwen's body) on his jet-glider, taunting him:

GOBLIN (happy): "She's dead, Spider-Man...The woman you love is dead! There's nothing you--or any other costumed interloper can do to revive her! But don't worry, my fine foe--you'll not be long apart--! Soon you shall join her--beyond DEATH!"

Pg. 2: Spidey, enraged, swings down to a nearby dock with Gwen's body, leaves her there, then swings back up to battle his insane foe.

Pg. 2, panel 2:

SPIDER-MAN (to Goblin, angry): "Maybe you think she deserved it, because she was stupid enough to love a guy named Peter Parker----and he was stupid enough to love back."

Spider-Man violently attacks the Goblin, locking his legs around the super-criminal's neck and pounding mercilessly on his head. However, the Goblin flies under one of the bridge's support cables, knocking Spidey off and sending him plunging toward the water below. Refusing to die the way Gwen did, Spidey manages to save himself with his webbing, but by then the Goblin is gone.

Pg. 5: Spider-Man sees that the police have arrived on the scene, and various onlookers are surrounding Gwen's body on the dock.

Pg. 6:

SPIDER-MAN: "They've found Gwen! That means there'll be reporters--people prying, touching her--! No! I won't let it happen! Not to her--not to Gwen!"

A furious Spider-Man swings down to the dock and tells everyone to back off. Two police officers, a Sergeant and a rookie, approach him. The anxious rookie wants to take Spidey in for Gwen's murder, but the older Sergeant can see that the web-slinger is in pain.

Spider-Man cradles Gwen's body, oblivious to the crowd around him.

SPIDER-MAN (to Gwen's corpse): "Hey, Gwen...don't worry, honey...I won't let them hurt you. Everything'll be okay. You'll see...Everything will be...just as it was before..."

Pg. 7: We then get a full-page splash montage of images from the past; Peter and Gwen kissing, Peter playfully chasing after Gwen, the death of Captain Stacy, etc., with a grief-stricken Spider-Man (cradling Gwen's body) in the middle of it all.

NARRATOR'S CAPTION: "Yes, he remembers: The sorrow, and the self-pity, the joy, the fear----and through it all, a part of it all--he remembers Gwen.

Pg. 10: We get another flashback panel, one which symbolically features Spider-Man standing between Peter and Gwen, pushing them apart, surrounded by headshots of Spidey, Jonah Jameson, Harry Osborn, Mary Jane, Robbie Robertson, and Aunt May.

NARRATOR'S CAPTION: "Gwen: As much a victim of Spider-Man's lifestyle as Peter Parker. Didn't his spectre keep them apart--? Wasn't it Spider-Man who stood between them and happiness--'till, in the end, he stood between Gwen and life? Well, HADN'T he? HADN'T HE?"

Then, the police Sergeant tells Spidey that the ambulance has arrived to take Gwen's body. Still in a daze, and blaming himself, Spidey lets go of Gwen's body (which is placed on a stretcher), stands up, and says:

SPIDER-MAN: "Ambulance? She doesn't need an ambulance, officer----She's dead--and Spider-Man killed her."


Pg. 11: This statement of guilt by Spidey is misinterpreted as a literal confession to Gwen's murder by the rookie cop, and the Sergeant reluctantly agrees to bring Spidey in for questioning. As the police advance on him, Spidey snaps out of his daze, and angrily escapes. Seething with rage, Spidey is obsessed with finding Norman Osborn and making him pay dearly for Gwen's death.

Pg. 12: As Peter Parker, Spidey goes to Osborn's townhouse to settle the dues...at any cost.

This is a Peter Parker we've never seen before, and the Gil Kane/John Romita version depicted here is a stark contrast to the version we'd known before: a pained and angry expression of his face, haunted eyes with dark circles under them--this is a portrait of a Spider-Man consumed by deep pain and rage.

It should be noted that Peter's flu-like illness, which played a big part in ASM # 121, is not mentioned at all in this issue. One can assume that Peter is going on auxiliary power and adrenaline at this point, but it adds a nice layer to the story when one considers that on what is perhaps the second worst day of his life (the first being the day Ben Parker died), Peter is physically ill while simultaneously dealing with incredible emotional pain.

Pgs. 14-15: Peter sees Harry Osborn, who is still tripping out (and is nearly insane with confusion). But there's no sign of Norman at the townhouse.

PETER (thought balloon, regarding Harry): "And you're absolutely no use to me at all. For that matter...you're not even much use to yourself. So long, Harry...I've got more important things to do than hold your hand."


As he begins to leave, Harry, terribly confused, begs Peter for help.


PETER (thought balloon): "So now it comes down to it, doesn't it, Peter? Do you stay--and help your friend? Or do you go find revenge--simple, vicious revenge? Not much of a contest......is there?"

Obsessed with finding Norman Osborn, Peter cold-bloodedly leaves his dazed friend behind.

Pg. 17: Spider-Man goes to the Daily Bugle, where a stunned Robbie Robertson has just read about Gwen's death. Spidey asks Robbie for two pieces of information:

1) If Norman Osborn has been seen around town within the past hour; and

2) If Osborn owns any unusual properties (such as theaters or warehouses).

Pg. 18: After making several phone calls, Robbie tells Spider-Man that Norman was seen at his warehouse on 23rd Street and Ninth Avenue some 40 minutes prior. Just then, J. Jonah Jameson walks in, accusing Spider-Man of killing Gwen Stacy. A fed-up Spidey webs J.J.J.'s mouth shut and takes off.

Pg. 19: At Osborn's dilapidated warehouse, we spy upon---

NARRATOR'S CAPTION: "A door slightly ajar----and a man slightly mad."

This sequence reinforces just how far gone Osborn is. He's obsessed with killing Spider-Man, he's paranoid, and his insane ego is in overdrive.

The deranged Green Goblin knows that Spider-Man will be coming after him, and is working on his weapons. He pushes back his mask to wipe his feverishly sweaty brow--the last time we ever see a living Norman Osborn's face--and he is also making plans for his next move after he's killed Spider-Man:

GOBLIN: "Once he's dead, I'll be free--free to conquer, to take what is rightfully mine! They think they can destroy me----that they can crush Norman Osborn with their petty finances. A few business reverses--what are they to a man with my power? Nothing! NOTHING! In a matter of hours, the world will cringe before--eh?"

Pg. 21: Just then, the Goblin notices that Spider-Man has arrived outside. He flies out the warehouse's side door, thinking to ambush his foe. Instead, Spidey ambushes the Goblin, kicking him off of his jet-glider and smashing it. The Goblin is enraged when his precious flying device is damaged, and Spider-Man in turn becomes furious when he sees that the Goblin holds an inanimate object so dear, but didn't give a second thought to snuffing out Gwen's life.

Pg. 22:

SPIDER-MAN (to the Goblin, angry): "Mister, are we living in the same universe? You killed my woman, Goblin----*and you're raging about a blasted bargain-basement TOY? Let's get our priorities straight, punk!"

He grabs the Goblin's bag of tricks, depriving the costumed maniac of all his weapons.

SPIDER-MAN (furious): "There's a big difference between a fancy gimmick--and a human life!"


Again, the Goblin shows what a psychopath he is ("psychopath" being defined as an individual with no superego or conscience, who has no concern for the welfare of others, and experiences no remorse or guilt as a result of his behavior). He also displays some misogynistic tendencies:


GOBLIN: "Life? You talk to me of life? What worth is there in the paltry existence of one useless female? A simpering, pointless girl who never did more than occupy space--while I--"

Before the Goblin can prattle on yet again about his own greatness, Spider-Man leaps at him, beating him senseless:

SPIDER-MAN (enraged): "That's IT, buster! That is IT!"

Pg. 23:

SPIDER-MAN (out of control, beating the Goblin): "You're talking about my lady, creep! Someone I love--I mean loved--! Do you know what that means? *Have you any IDEA what that MEANS?? I LOVED her, Goblin! And YOU--! YOU--TOOK--HER--AWAY! Filthy--worm-eating--SCUM!"

Pummeling the Goblin nearly to death, Spidey catches himself at the last second. Both men are dazed. The Goblin is sprawled on a crate, and blood trickles from his mouth, which he wipes away with his forearm.

Spider-Man turns away in disgust, holding his hand to his head. This moment really illustrates the difference between the two men, and why Spider-Man is a true hero. Despite what Norman Osborn his taken from him, Peter Parker will NOT allow himself to become a killer. He will do the right thing, and take the Goblin to the authorities. And *THAT* is heroism. THAT is what's missing from comic books (and Spider-Man) these days.

SPIDER-MAN (dazed): "Good lord...What in the name of Heaven am I doing? In another moment I might have killed him! I would have become like him--a--a--murderer!"

At that moment, the Goblin surreptitiously calls his battered, remote-controlled Goblin-glider towards them, and it sputters to life. The pointy bat-ears on the "head" of the damaged jet-glider are bent downward, and the Goblin intends to skewer Spidey from behind.

Pg. 26:

SPIDER-MAN (composing himself): "On your feet, Goblin. This is one time you're not escaping. You're for jail, Mister."

Spidey does not see the battered jet-glider silently approaching from behind, but the Goblin does.

GOBLIN (smiling): "I'm afraid...I cannot...permit that, my friend. I have...an exceedingly pressing appointment...elsewhere."


And don't you dare tell me that "appointment" is to go after his and Gwen's children in France...


SPIDER-MAN: "Forget it, Goblin. In case you hadn't noticed--you don't have any choice."

GOBLIN: "On the contrary, my ambitious foe--my choices are unlimited. It is you who--"


Just then, Spidey's spider-sense detects the jet-glider's approach a split-second before it can stab him in the back (a factor the dazed and battered Goblin forgot to consider).

SPIDER-MAN: "My spider-sense--it's tingling! Something behind me--!"


Spider-Man ducks at the last possible second with his superhuman reflexes, and the jet-glider proceeds to impale its own master squarely in the chest with a resounding "CHUNK!" sound effect (and a hint of blood spurting out of the Goblin's chest, but nothing too gory).

GOBLIN (impaled by his glider): "YAAAAAAH!"


We then get a sequence of three panels:



The Goblin is smacked up against the warehouse wall by the glider.

NARRATOR'S CAPTION: "So do the proud men die:"


The Goblin writhes on the end of the glider (which is running out of fuel and sputtering).


NARRATOR'S CAPTION: "Crucified, not on a cross of gold--"


The Goblin dies (and his body goes limp).


NARRATOR'S CAPTION: "--but on a stake of humble tin."



The mention of a "cross of gold" is almost certainly a reference to a famous speech given by William Jennings Bryan on July 9, 1896, at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. The speech dealt with the issue of whether or not to endorse the free coinage of silver at a ratio of silver to gold of 16 to 1. The speech ends with the words, "You shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold."

Here's the full speech:

http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5354/



This reference is rather appropriate for a crazy businessman obsessed with wealth and power who dies a horrible death.



The narration in the Goblin's death scene elegantly sums up what has happened. Unrepentant to the end, the Goblin tries one last time to murder Peter Parker, but ends up killing only himself. The irony is that the deranged villain is killed by his own device (the same vehicle that allowed him to push Gwen Stacy off of the Brooklyn Bridge). A man driven by ego and delusions of grandeur suffers a grotesque, unglamorous death, and by his own hand, no less.


Pg. 27: The Goblin's jet-glider runs out of fuel, and the villain's body (the glider still embedded in his chest), slides down the wall to the ground and falls over with an undignified "Thump!".

Spider-Man stands there for a moment and ruminates on this whole experience.

SPIDER-MAN: "He's dead. Somehow...I thought it would mean more. When a man dies--even a man like the Goblin--it should mean something. It shouldn't be an accident...a stupid, senseless accident. It's got to have a point......so it doesn't just mean...we live in vain. Funny. I thought seeing the Goblin die would make me feel better about Gwen. Instead, it just makes me feel empty......washed out......and maybe just a little bit more alone."


As he walks away, Spidey fails to notice a shadowy observer (revealed several issues later to be Harry Osborn) who has witnessed the Goblin's demise.

Pg. 28: We get a one-page epilogue as a broken Peter Parker returns home, only to find that Mary Jane has been waiting for him there for several hours (Does she have a key to Peter and Harry's apartment, as it appeared Gwen also did? Did Harry give her one, maybe?).

MARY JANE: "Hey, Petey--I heard about Gwen. I'm really torn up, Pe--"

PETER (angry): "You? 'Torn up'? Don't make me laugh, Mary Jane. You wouldn't be sorry if your own mother died. What do you care about straights like me and Gwen? Go on--get out here. I know how you hate sick beds. And believe me--I wouldn't want to spoil your fun."

He sits, weeping. Mary Jane also begins to cry, and hesitates for three panels by the door. Then, making her decision, she stays inside the apartment and closes the door with a "Click!". She knows Peter doesn't mean what he said (and it's even more painful in light of the later revelation that MJ's mother died after a hard, painful life), and so she resolves to stay and comfort him.

It's an ending...and a new beginning.



Article on the relevance of Gwen's death:

“'The Night Gwen Stacy Died:' The End of Innocence and the Birth of the Bronze Age”

http://www.reconstruction.ws/034/blumberg.htm

This article intelligently dissects Gwen's death, and its impact on the comic book medium. The writer *understands* Gwen, and her place in comic book history.



For a long time after this story was published, the creators were understandably reluctant to talk about the how and why of what they did (Although a famous quote from Conway stated, "I thought Gwen was a stiff, actually".). For many years, the answers to certain questions, such as who exactly decided to kill Gwen and who placed that "SNAP!" sound effect in the panel she died in, were unclear. In recent times, however, answers have been more forthcoming. Here is a sampling of comments from the relevant parties in interviews from the past few years.



For the various collected editions of Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross' MARVELS (1994) mini-series, John Romita provided a commentary for issue # 4, which retold the tale of Gwen's death:

ROMITA: "My memory of it was a meeting with Gerry, myself, and probably Roy Thomas, in which we discussed giving the readers a 'wake-up call' kind of shock that we felt THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN book could use. I recall that Aunt May's death was one option, and I suggested it should be Gwen. That's what we ended up going with. To this day, others, like Stan, think I was wrong. But in the end, it had the effect we wanted. The event was designed to affect readers profoundly, but I was surprised by the quality of Gerry's writing, and still consider it some of the best storytelling, art, and writing that I can remember. Gil Kane's pencils were great. It was a turning point of sorts for all comics, and I don't think any character's death has so much affected so many readers since."



From an interview with John Romita, Sr. conducted by Roy Thomas, in Alter Ego magazine (Roy Thomas' fanzine), Vol. 3, # 9, July 2001.

Pg. 29:

ROMITA: "Stan used to accuse me of favoring Mary Jane over Gwen. He'd want me to make Gwen more glamorous. But Gwen was more serious, especially after her father [Captain Stacy] died. I kept telling Stan, 'Gwen's a lady- she's not the kind of airhead that Mary Jane is. I can't have her smiling all the time.' When he had me start putting Gwen in mini-skirts, I didn't feel it was right for her. Pretty soon it was hard to tell Gwen and Mary Jane apart. They were like Betty and Veronica- the same girl except for the hair color."




From the Stan Lee interview (the interviews with various Spidey creators were conducted by Tom DeFalco) in Comic Creators on Spider-Man (Titan Books, 2004):

Pg. 17:

TOM DEFALCO: "Is it true that you wanted Peter to end up with Gwen, but John {Romita, Sr.} preferred Mary Jane?"

STAN LEE: "We never really argued about it. I told John that I thought Peter should end up with Gwen. Though John went along with me, it's something we used to joke about. No matter how hard we tried, we couldn't make Gwen as interesting as Mary Jane. The characters seemed to have taken on lives of their own. Gwen was a sweet girl, everything about her was pure and wholesome and loyal and wonderful. I thought she'd be the perfect wife for Peter. On the other hand, Mary Jane was a real party girl. She was hip and cool. She was more exciting and therefore seemed to be more attractive than Gwen. The readers preferred Mary Jane to Gwen, and there was nothing we could do about it."


Pg. 20:

DEFALCO: "How did you feel about Gwen Stacy's death?"

STAN: "Gerry always says that he had cleared it with me. He told me that I had said 'okay', but I was still sorry that Gwen had been killed. After killing her father previously, it must have seemed we had a vendetta going against the poor Stacy family. Also, I would have enjoyed keeping both Gwen and MJ and letting them play off against each other."



From John Romita's interview in Comic Creators on Spider-Man:


Pg. 32:

DEFALCO: "Did you and Stan ever argue over who should be Peter Parker's girlfriend?"

ROMITA: "Mary Jane's first appearance made an immediate impact. We got a lot of mail from the fans because they wanted her to be Peter's girlfriend. Stan preferred Gwen Stacy. When I started drawing Gwen, I thought of her as an intelligent, responsible, level-headed and well-behaved young lady, kind of the opposite of Mary Jane. Stan started using Mary Jane to make Gwen jealous of Peter. In other words, Gwen would never have noticed Peter if Mary Jane hadn't started throwing herself at him. Stan decided to fool the readers and make Gwen the girlfriend. I kept trying to make Gwen more glamorous, I even gave her Mary Jane's hairstyle at one point, and I used to beg the colorist not to put any yellow in her hair. I wanted her to be a platinum blonde. But it didn't matter! No matter what Stan and I did, the fans always liked Mary Jane better."

DEFALCO: Is that why you eventually decided to kill Gwen?"

ROMITA: "Here's the way I remember it: Stan had left the book to become Marvel's publisher. Roy Thomas had taken over as the Editor-in-Chief, though I think we only called him the editor in those days, and Gerry Conway was writing Amazing. Roy and Gerry wanted to do something to shake up the book, and get people to pay attention. They were going to kill somebody in the strip for shock value and I think they settled on Aunt May. I didn't like that idea. If you kill Aunt May, Peter Parker's secret identity is not a problem anymore because there's no one for him to protect, and you'd lose the whole teenage nerd factor. It didn't matter how good-looking he was or how well he was doing if his aunt was still telling him to bring his umbrella whenever he went out in the rain. That's when I remembered Milton Caniff and his strip Terry and the Pirates. People in the street were shocked when Pat Ryan's girlfriend was killed in Terry and the Pirates. I thought we would really shake up the fans if we killed Peter's girlfriend. Gerry agreed and so did Roy. I think Roy even ran it by Stan, and got his okay. Stan claims that he was never in on it, but you know how bad his memory is. When the issue finally came out, the fans were outraged. They threatened me and Gerry and Stan. Here it is almost forty years later, and the fans are still talking about the death of Gwen Stacy- so I guess we made the right choice."


As we've seen, Gwen *had* started to notice Peter before MJ came along, but the rest of Romita's account is certainly true.



From Gerry Conway's interview in Comic Creators on Spider-Man:


Pg. 47-48:

DEFALCO: "'The Death of Gwen Stacy' story came only ten issues or so into your run. Was that a conscious decision to shake up the book?"

CONWAY: "It's certainly the Spider-Man story that I'll probably be remembered for, but it wasn't my doing alone. John Romita, Roy, Stan and I- we all talked about it, and we decided to do that story because things had gotten too nice. We wanted to shake things up. Well, killing off Spider-Man's girlfriend certainly shook things up, all right!

I've had this conversation with a number of people over the years: that two-part story seems to be a turning point in the history of comic books. Before those events, we had comics in which heroes were heroes, everything made sense and it was all for the higher good. In that story, we introduced fatalism and despair into the comics universe. With the inadvertent, but probably subconsciously intentional element of Spider-Man's complicity in Gwen's death, we presented a hero who is not only flawed, but may actually be responsible for the death of his girlfriend. It's a tremendous development. Uncle Ben died because Peter didn't use his power. Gwen dies as a consequence of Peter using his power. The rules have changed. Suddenly, we're forced to look at heroes in a different way. The good guys are as dangerous as the bad guys. After Gwen's death, superheroes are seen as fundamentally flawed- and that's something that's been part of our collective consciousness for about twenty-five years now. I think that one story led inevitably to Watchmen, and to the nihilistic approach to superheroes that was popular through most of the nineties. I wish that I could take credit for this, but I can't. Adding that 'SNAP' sound effect, at the moment Spider-Man's web caught Gwen, was a subconscious decision. I never thought about the ramifications when I wrote it, but- boy, a lot of other people sure have since!"

DEFALCO: "This has to be one of the most debated comics stories of all."

CONWAY: "You mean, was Spider-Man really responsible for Gwen's death, or was she dead before his web caught her? I wouldn't go to comic book conventions for many years because I kept getting asked that question. I knew that a lot of people were affected by that story, but it didn't hit me that it had such relevance until I read Marvels by Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross."

DEFALCO: "In your mind, was Gwen still alive until her neck snapped?"

CONWAY: "Could be! Honestly, I don't know- I'm not sure why I added that sound effect, or what I meant to accomplish; as I say, it was the result of a subconscious decision. Consciously, I've always thought that she was already dead when Spider-Man caught her. But if that's true, why did I put that 'SNAP' in? What was the purpose of it? Spider-Man couldn't hear it. It was strictly for the audience. What was I trying to say? That 'SNAP' came from a pure artistic impulse. It was not calculated or part of a master plan to mess with the readers' heads. The fact that I don't know if Gwen was alive, and you don't know, is meaningful, because that's when a piece of art really lives-when a story means different things to different people on different levels. It's one of a very few inspired moments in my career when my subconscious mind made a choice that meant so much more than my conscious mind ever intended. That said, I'd sure like to believe she was already dead."



From a revealing Gerry Conway interview, entitled, "I Killed Gwen Stacy" (written by Pat Jankiewicz), published in the Starlog Celebrity Series Presents Spider-Man and Other Amazing Comics Heroes magazine (Comics Heroes # 3), September, 2004:

(CONWAY:) "Gwen's death was the first time in comics' history that a hero truly failed," Conway says. "It wasn't that Spider-Man arrived too late, it's that he didn't save her. There are moments in history where things happen because they're destined to happen. Killing her off the way we did was one of those insignificant decisions that life turns on. Just like Peter Parker, it affects your life forever."

Surprisingly, Conway doesn't have much sympathy for his victim. "I never liked Gwen Stacy as a character," he confesses. "I thought she was very white-bread, bland and boring. Not the sort of person who would be attractive to Peter. She was gorgeous, but Peter has this edge to him as a character, so he needs someone with an edge who can respond to that. What did Gwen really bring to the mix? She was the object of desire, but Gwen didn't offer anything in terms of storylines or conflict. She was quite beautiful, but she really had nothing going on!

"On the other hand, you had Mary Jane Watson, who had emotional issues, wouldn't commit and was perceived as a bit of a flake- all of which made her a much more attractive character to write and somebody interesting to play off of Peter. It was my feeling all along that Mary Jane should be Peter's girl friend. I didn't necessarily want to kill Gwen off, but I wanted Mary Jane to be Peter's girl.

"As a result, the idea came out [of a discussion] between John Romita, Roy Thomas and me. One of us said, 'if we're gonna make a big change and get Peter involved with Mary Jane, let's pay this off and kill Gwen!' And that's what we did. I can take credit for writing the story, but *not* for coming up with the idea. I don't really know how that came about. John, Roy and I always talked about the different ways we could amp up the book."

The brutality of Gwen's demise "was callow youth", he laughs. "If you're gonna kill off a major character, you have to make it pay off emotionally. I didn't want to do a story where she died heroically, because that wasn't her character. Gwen was a very passive figure- she cried a lot, was emotional and her father, Captain Stacy, had already died heroically, so an honorable death for her was definitely out!

"As I plotted the story, I had the Green Goblin capture Gwen, use her as a hostage to attract Spider-Man and then he throws her off the bridge. It was my intention that she die from the fall- a heart attack or whatever- but when I saw Gil Kane's artwork, [it showed] Spider-Man attempting but unable to save her. The idea was that, despite all his power, Spider-Man didn't have the ability to rescue the woman he loved during a crucial moment.

"Gil's drawing had Spider-Man webbing her foot," Conway continues. "I realized, 'Hey, it could well happen that in the act of saving her, he kills her. He could break her neck.' So I put in this tiny sound effect, "Snap!', as an afterthought. I thought that would be cool. My editor, Roy, looked at it and either didn't notice it or didn't think it was a big deal, so it went in."

That simple 'Snap!' sound effect "was a brilliant subconscious move on my part, because the whole essence of spider-Man's character is that he isn't a capable super-hero. He manages to succeed more through persistence and a willingness to take a beating than through brilliance and sophistication. And while Uncle Ben's death was the result of a core decision, Gwen's demise was just life. Peter couldn't have done anything differently, but his participation in her death through the snap of a neck held it all together."

The Green Goblin suffers an even nastier death- impaled by his own Goblin Glider. Willem Dafoe croaks the same way in the Spider-Man movie. "He had to suffer for killing Gwen," Conway points out. "It's also the flipside of Gwen dying at Spider-Man's hands; that power rebounds against you. Things that give us power will also crush us, which is why he's killed by his own glider."

Did Conway have any idea of the impact his story would have? "Oh God, no," he admits. "I would have saved a bunch of copies! We knew it was gonna be a turning point, but I don't think anyone expected it to be a huge deal. You don't plan on this kind of thing. My impression of Gwen was that she wasn't that strong of a character; so it didn't occur to me that people would be upset."

Reader reaction was explosive. "I got tons of hate mail. One letter began, 'Gerry Conway, you black-hearted scum.' I guess I was," he grins. "I was 19 or 20 and didn't grasp the potential ramifications. In retrospect, it was one of the motivating factors in the direction comics have taken in the last 25 years. Her death broke many unspoken rules in comics. Having a hero participating in the death of a good person and major supporting character hadn't been done before. The most you could have a hero do in leading to a death was inaction. like with Uncle Ben. What Gwen dying did was open the door to the dark side of this kind of power; that there are ramifications even to using power in a good way. Sometimes using your power to do good can also cause harm. You can go directly from there and draw a line to later stories exploring those dark ramifications- The Dark Knight Returns, The Death of Captain Marvel and Watchmen.

"I'm not saying those guys were inspired to do those stories because of my comic," he clarifies, "but that one issue broke the rules people had in the back of their minds about how heroes could actually function. My neuroses affected the entire Marvel Universe!"

Gwen's broken neck was so controversial that Marvel backpedaled, offering other explanations, like her dying from the shock of the fall. "Maybe she did," Conway shrugs. "Either way, her neck was broken. Now whether she was dead before that, who knows? She was lying there on the bridge and they never did an autopsy! Incidentally, in my original outline, I asked Gil to draw the George Washington Bridge, because that's the biggest bridge in New York. However, Gil drew the Brooklyn Bridge, but I didn't notice that when the art came in, so I still called it the George Washington Bridge! The movie got it right- the Queensborough Bridge looks the best!"

For the next two years, Spider-Man suffered from flashbacks of Gwen's death. "I did that because it was so traumatic for him," Conway says. "Also, this was done at the end of the Vietnam War. We were dealing with soldiers coming back from these traumatic experiences and who were suffering from flashbacks. It would have been unfair- given the effect of her death on his life- for Spider-Man not to think about and struggle with it. That was necessary.

"Gwen had to go because Peter was destined to be with Mary Jane. We know this because of the way she was introduced. For months, we built up the anticipation of meeting this young woman, MJ. She walks in, and there's that great moment: 'Face it, tiger. You just hit the jackpot!' How could we not fall in love with her? It was one of John Romita's first issues, and she was this fabulous babe!

"I never bought that Gwen was the love of his life," Conway comments. "For me, killing her off was clearing the path to getting back to where things were supposed to be with MJ. Peter has had six girl friends, including a crush on Betty Brant and a brief flirtation with Liz Allen. Mary Jane comes along- obviously the woman of his life- and then Gwen, this gorgeous girl, suddenly falls into his lap at college. How did that happen? This is a guy who never managed to score in relationships, and he ends up with this stunning girl! His destiny is Mary Jane, because they're two sides of the same coin: Peter's flippancy on the surface as Spider-Man, contrasting with his emotional reservoir of pain and anguish, ties in with MJ, whose own surface flippancy masks pain and anguish."



So, to sum things up: John Romita suggested Gwen be the one to die, Stan likely approved it, and Conway put the "Snap!" in to hint that Spider-Man accidentally killed Gwen.



The impact of Amazing Spider-Man # 121-122 cannot be overestimated. What began as a love story so many issues before ended as a bloodbath. Fans were stunned. The industry was stunned. The response was massive, with letters ranging from deep sadness to complete joy to utter rage. Marvel (and Gerry Conway, in particular) was accused of misogyny (and indeed, without this event, there would almost certainly be no stories dealing with the tragic deaths of female leads in comics, such as the "Dark Phoenix Saga" in The Uncanny X-Men or the "Elektra Saga" in Daredevil, stories which would also be accused of misogyny).

For the character of Spider-Man, the death of a major supporting female character (who died ONLY because of her relationship to the hero) seemed emotionally and thematically appropriate, but now it seems EVERY major super-hero has had that same moment of holding a dead girl and screaming (One classic example of this is the cover to DC's Crisis on Infinite Earths # 7, which featured the morbid image of Superman holding Supergirl's corpse and howling in anguish...an image which was even made into a retail poster!). Gerry Conway and Stan Lee received all sorts of nasty letters and even death threats from irate fans who felt Gwen's death was unnecessary.

More than 30 years later, this remains one of the most controversial--and famous--moments in comic book history. It's not a stretch to say that Gwen's death is perhaps the most important death in the history of the medium (and one of the few deaths in comics that hasn't been magically undone). Ironically, the story designed to remove Gwen Stacy from Spider-Man's life immortalized her, and she is fondly remembered by many fans today, fans who still feel the tragic impact of her death. Both Gwen and the story detailing her demise have been dug up again and again and again over the years by writers trying to either honor it, such as Kurt Busiek (MARVELS), J.M. DeMatteis ("The Kiss"), or writers who undermine and pillage it, such as Bob Harras (by bringing Osborn back), Paul Jenkins (by having Peter confess that he killed Gwen by breaking her neck), JMS ('Nuff Said.), etc.

It is interesting to note that much of the controversy stems from the fact that a beloved character was killed off so suddenly and so shockingly (well, *two* characters, if you count the Green Goblin). This is a plot *development*, not a retcon, or something done to spit upon the work of others. People die. That's life. That's drama. But the key thing to note is that there were no major inconsistencies or mischaracterizations in the story. Gwen was sweet and innocent, the Goblin was crazed and homicidal. Some fans liked Gwen and were sad to see her die, others didn't like her and were glad to see her go. She definitely had *character*, no doubt about it, it's just that some people didn't her. Sins Past, on the other hand, is controversial because it involves *massive* retconning and altered characterizations, and no real plot developments (besides the dubious introduction of Gwen's illegitimate offspring).

You generally don't see people do a 180-degree turn and do things completely out of character. Will Sins Past be as remembered and talked about and loved and hated as much as the Death of Gwen Stacy in the years to come solely because it's controversial (as Marvel is likely hoping)? I say thee nay! I'm sure it will fall to the wayside someday, as all dreck eventually does. HISTORY is the one thing no shoddy work can stand against.


Some feel that the death of Gwen Stacy is one of the worst stories in Spider-Man history, as it firmly marked the end of the classic Spidey era, violently killed off two prominent, classic characters, and signaled the beginning of the "grim and gritty" era of comics. Others (myself included) feel that, taken by itself (without thought of what has it led to, both for Spider-Man and for the comic industry as a whole), it is one of the best, as it is a very-well constructed tragedy full of high emotion and sweeping changes that were necessary for Spider-Man to thrive. It is also very much in keeping with the themes of the book that were established in the very beginning. Power. Responsibility. Family. Love. Hate. Heroism. Peter's rotten luck and his angst.

But the door this story opened may very well have caused more harm than good in the long run. It really opened the floodgates for comics in terms of grim and gritty "realism". It seems to be no coincidence that violent anti-hero characters like the Punisher and Wolverine began to appear shortly after Gwen's death. Indeed, one of the themes of the story is the permanence of death, and the Punisher, introduced shortly after (in ASM # 129), personifies death. From this point on, there were fewer happy endings in comics, and more and more characters (women in general, super-hero girlfriends in particular) were killed off to be either relevant, realistic, or just to boost sales. Also, the line between heroes and villains became very muddled and unclear. Sins Past is a bastard grandchild of this story, the terrifying, revolting climax of what the death of Gwen Stacy began in 1973.

An inherent problem with the death of Gwen is that it created a very strong "tentpole" moment in Spider-Man's history, which writers persistently and consistently refer back to, and which has forcibly aged the characters (and diminished the story's impact). From ASM # 121-122-on, Spider-Man's history was firmly divided into "Before Gwen's death" and "After Gwen's death", instead of being one long stream of continuous Spider-Man adventures. The original Clone Saga (ASM # 145-150) was stated to have occurred "two years" after Gwen's death (which was also the case in the real-world's publishing history), and the second Clone Saga "five years" after that (although it was almost 20 years in real time between the first Clone Saga and the second). Now, Peter Parker is said to be 30 years old, a radical departure from what he was created and intended to be (a struggling teenager).

If Gwen had just gone away or broken up with Peter for good (a la Betty Brant), then it's very likely none of the radical (and destructive) changes that have affected Spider-Man in recent times would ever have happened. It's also likely that few fans would remember Gwen or enshrine her the way they do today. Really, the most memorable thing about Gwen Stacy is that she died. And consider this--if Gwen had NOT died, there wouldn't have been a Clone Saga (the 1970s original or the 1990s mess), Peter might not have married Mary Jane, and there would be no Sins Past or The Other or any of the other disasters that have beset Spidey in recent years. But the shocking death of his girlfriend (not the kind of thing that every reader can relate to, and not the kind of thing that someone--Spidey, in particular--could easily bounce back from) branded itself permanently onto the character.


Writers continue to pillage Gwen's death, referring to it whenever then need cheap sadness or pathos. Worse, over the years many writers have attempted to recapture the impact of Gwen's death, both in Spider-Man (by dredging up the story) and in other titles, by killing off characters and billing the stories as "EVENTS" that would boost sales and ensure that "Things will never be the same!" (A trend that has continued, with Quesada and JMS saying such things about every single upcoming Spidey storyarc.).

It seems now that every facet of "The Night Gwen Stacy Died" has been ruined (Peter knows for sure that he accidentally killed Gwen, Norman Osborn isn't even dead, Norman and Gwen had illegitimate kids, etc.).



The deaths of Gwen Stacy and Norman Osborn in Amazing Spider-Man # 121-122 are two of the most frequently requested stories in Marvel history, and have been reprinted many, many times:

ASM # 121:

Marvel Tales #98
Marvel Tales #192 (reprints both issues; Gwen's name is misspelled "Stacey" on the newly-drawn cover)
100 Greatest Marvels of All Time #5

ASM # 122:

Marvel Tales #99
Marvel Tales #192 (see above)
100 Greatest Marvels of All Time #2


Marvel also reprinted these issues in the Spider-Man: The Annotated Death of Gwen Stacy trade paperback (1997, not actually annotated), the Spider-Man Vs. Green Goblin trade paperback (1995), which reprinted Amazing Spider-Man # 17, 96-98, 121-122, and Spectacular Spider-Man # 200; and The Death of Gwen Stacy trade paperback (1999, reprinted under the "Marvel's Finest" banner with a new cover in 2002), which reprinted ASM # 96-98 and 121-122, as well as the backup story from Webspinners # 1, "The Kiss".

In these reprinted versions, Spider-Man's comment about the George Washington Bridge in ASM # 121 has been removed and replaced, and in the revised versions, he simply says, "...the Brooklyn Bridge!").

ASM # 121-122 were also reprinted in the sixth volume of the black and white Essential Spider-Man trade paperback series (2004, which reprints ASM # 114-137, Giant-Size Super-Heroes # 1, and Giant-Size Spider-Man # 1-2.). The copy in the Essential book's reprinting of ASM # 121 was modified *again* to recreate the dialogue the way it was in the original printing (for historical accuracy, with the reference to the George Washington Bridge once again included).



ASM # 123:

Pg. 1-2: We begin at Norman Osborn's warehouse, with Osborn's corpse (blood trickling from his nose) being carted into a waiting ambulance. J. Jonah Jameson and Robbie Robertson are on the scene, and Jameson accuses Spider-Man of murdering Osborn (since he went to the Bugle to ascertain Osborn's location last issue). The police have found traces of Spidey's webbing, as well as several of the Green Goblin's pumpkin bombs. Jameson dismisses this as false evidence planted by Spider-Man, and vows to bring in the web-slinger for Osborn's murder.

Pg. 3: The police say that Osborn's body was moved before they arrived. The shadowy figure from the end of last issue (later revealed to be Harry Osborn) watches from above, holding the Green Goblin's costume. It is revealed that the shadowy figure was the one who removed the Goblin's costume from Osborn's body, since the death of a criminal like the Goblin would have little impact. Norman Osborn's death, on the other hand, will cause a public outcry to bring Spider-Man to justice.

Pg. 5: Three days later. Dawn at a Long Island cemetery. It's Gwen Stacy's funeral. Among the attendees are Peter Parker, Mary Jane Watson, May Parker, Anna Watson, Flash Thompson, Betty Brant, Robbie Robertson, and Randy Robertson.

Pg. 6, panels 1-2: Aunt May wonders why someone so young had to die, while an old person like her continues to live. Peter tells her that these things just happen. Anna Watson tells may that Gwen's grandparents (paternal or maternal is unclear) want to meet her. Peter notices that one of Doctor Octopus' guards has accompanied May to the funeral.

Pg. 6, panels 3-4: A saddened Flash Thompson approaches Peter, and caps-off a long-standing subplot:

FLASH: "Say, Pete? Listen, pal...I just wanted to tell you, Gwen was the greatest. She always liked you...there was never anything between the two of us...capeesh?"

PETER: "Sure, Flash...I understand."

FLASH (sad): "I hope you'll forgive me--but right now, I don't feel very much like talking."

He leaves.

Soon, Peter, Mary Jane, and Robbie are the only mourners left. Robbie apologizes for Jameson's absence, and Peter comments that Jameson didn't give Gwen much regard in life, either, to say nothing of her death (Jameson is busy contacting Luke Cage, Hero for Hire, to promise him $5,000 in exchange for Spider-Man's capture).

Pg. 11: Spider-Man is reminded of Gwen everywhere. He feels deeply guilty for her death, even though he did everything he could to stop it. He worries about just who took the Green Goblin costume off of Osborn's body, and then considers quitting the super-hero business altogether.

Pg. 18-19: After encountering and battling Luke Cage, Peter returns home.

PETER: "The place doesn't seem right--now that Harry's not here--now that his father's dead. So much has happened to change everything. When Harry freaked out on drugs, the entire shape of our lives...twisted. That's what pushed Norman Osborn over the brink--the final nudge that made him go mad, kidnap Gwen--and, finally, kill her."


Truer words were never said. With the shocking murder of the loving, dependable, level-headed Gwen Stacy, the core Spider-Man supporting cast would be badly damaged and broken up for years to come. Harry Osborn was driven mad by grief and drugs (and became the new Green Goblin, which eventually led to his death years later), Mary Jane Watson became more down-to-earth and restrained, and soon began an on-again, off-again romance with Peter, and Flash Thompson got involved with Sha Shan when she came to the States (and he later had a romance with Betty Brant-Leeds). As for Peter, he found himself trapped in a pit of despair and self-doubt. This represented a major emotional shift in the book from the fun, goofy idealism of the early 1960s, in which Spider-Man was born, to the uncertainty and chaos of the 1970s.



Anyway, Peter suddenly notices that Harry is there in the apartment. He'd thought that Harry was still at Norman Osborn's townhouse, helping the lawyers execute his father's estate. Harry is angry, and gives Peter the silent treatment.



ASM # 124: The onslaught of letters from fans regarding ASM # 121 begins. There is an editorial comment on the letters page:


EDITORIAL COMMENT:

"Almost everyone was deeply moved and saddened by Gwen's death. But even those who wrote some of the most sensitive, sorrow-stricken, 'how could you'-filled missives had to conclude (are you ready?) that we did the right thing.

Of course, not everyone felt that way. Some promised never to buy a SPIDEY mag again. Others called us 'murderers', 'fiends', 'assassins', and a slew of unprintable epithets. And yet...the number of Marvelites who gave us a sort of quavering nod of approval frankly amazed us."


In ASM # 125, there are still more letters regarding ASM # 121-122, ranging from joy to hatred. And again, there is an editorial comment, and a shocking one, at that. One that was overlooked by fans for many years. It's clearly a defensive move against the torrents of hate mail, and on the letters page of ASM # 124, this editorial comment is advertised as---


"So NOW I Know Whom to Blame".


"And there you have it. Solemn acceptance. Fierce anger. Ebullient joy. A sampling of the maddening wide spectrum of response to the death of Gwen Stacy in *SPIDER-MAN* # 121.

At this point, we feel obliged to take a paragraph or two to explain a few points of contention:

First, for the many who wrote and complained that the fall alone could not have killed Gwen if she were unconscious (and therefore unable to be scared to death, the usual explanation for a person dying before hitting the ground), 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.

Secondly, the why of it all. We gotta be honest and admit that it wasn't Gerry's idea alone. Kip Hitz is very close when, in his letter above, he calls it "necessary". Gerry had been reading over the past few years' issues and had come to the conclusion that something was wrong - or, more accurately, missing. The relationship between Pete and Gwen had been through a lot of inconsequential ups and downs, and unless the two were to be married, there was nowhere else to take it. But marriage seemed wrong, too. Peter just wasn't ready.

So Gerry, Roy, and Stan debated the question long and hard...and it turned out that all had reached the same inescapable conclusion. Gwen's death was simply fated to happen.

We've said before that our stories seem to write themselves, that we often don't have any control over them. This was such a case. Events had shaped themselves in such a way that their only logical resolution was tragedy. And the rest, as they say, is history.

So don't blame Gerry. Don't blame Stan. Don't blame anyone. Only the inscrutable, inexorable workings of circumstances are culpable this time.

And no one regrets it more than we. It was a hard, hard story to write.

'Nuff said!"



This could be seen as an attempt by the creators to explain away the decision to kill Gwen as being "inevitable". More importantly, though, it CLEARLY singles out Spider-Man himself as the one who inadvertently killed Gwen (without his knowledge) by snapping her neck via the whiplash of his webline.


In ASM # 126, there's yet another editorial response to the latest torrent of letters:


EDITORIAL COMMENT:

"There were, of course, other questions asked, charges made, and points raised as well- including a non-negotiable demand by many readers that we bring Gwen back from the dead, no matter how illogical the means.

In a word: no.

We cannot. Life (and death) simply doesn't work that way. To somehow revive Gwen now would, in our view, be perhaps the single most tasteless act ever committed in comics. Think on it, and we believe you'll have to agree."



Subsequent to Gwen's death, Peter Parker was utterly devastated. For many issues afterward, he was moody, angry, and even suffered from visions/hallucinations of Gwen and flashbacks to her death. In ASM # 124-125, Spidey doesn't even care if he lives or dies while battling the Man-Wolf. In ASM # 127, the second Vulture (Dr. Clifton Shallot) drops Mary Jane from a great height, and a horrified Spidey calls her "Gwendy" when he catches her. In ASM # 136, after Mary Jane is injured in an explosion, Peter sees Gwen's face superimposed over MJ's in the hospital.

Writer Gerry Conway did a fine job of having Peter slowly work through his grief, and also planted the seeds for a romance between Peter and Mary Jane (one of the reasons Gwen was killed off in the first place). This allowed Mary Jane to thrive as a character and move beyond her "flakey party girl persona" (until this point, she'd had only a *single* thought balloon to her name--in ASM # 62-- since her first appearance in 1966). Note that the book didn't become immersed in a gritty morass after the horrific events of ASM # 121-122. Instead, it hit the ground running and went right back to telling good *Spider-Man* stories, with Spidey fighting Luke Cage, the Man-Wolf, the Kangaroo, and more. Peter didn't spend 12 issues moping about his life in every single panel of every single page.

However, despite the shot in the arm the book was given, the torrent of hate mail and death threats unleashed by Gwen's death convinced Stan Lee that Gwen should be brought back somehow. Thus, Conway crafted the *first* Clone Saga (ASM # 129-150), which serves to resolve the issues raised by Gwen's death. This actually worked very well, dramatically, since Conway had shown Peter slowly rebuilding his life, and tentatively entering into a romance with Mary Jane. What better way to create conflict than to bring Gwen back (sort of) and throw a huge dilemma into Peter's recently patched-together life?



In the introduction to the Spider-Man: Clone Genesis trade paperback (1995, which reprinted the original clone stories from ASM # 141-151), Gerry Conway provides the introduction. In said introduction, he describes how Gwen's death came about, and how the idea of killing her came from John Romita. Conway liked the idea, since it would provide a lot of emotion and pathos, and it would also enable him to pair up Peter and Mary Jane (whom he'd always preferred over Gwen). Conway also felt that Gwen's death tied in well with the theme of power and responsibility that has been with Spidey since the beginning. After Gwen's death, though, there was a deluge of angry responses, and while speaking at a college, Stan Lee tried to fend off attackers by saying that he didn't kill Gwen, Conway did (meaning that Conway wrote the actual story). Thus was born the fan legend that "Gerry Conway killed Gwen Stacy while Stan Lee was out of town".

Stan felt that killing Gwen had been a mistake after seeing the fan response, and wanted to bring her back. Steve Gerber, who was then editor of Marvel's Tales of the Zombie magazine, jokingly offered to give Gwen a feature in the mag entitled, "Graveyard Gwen". Conway eventually decided that any attempt to bring Gwen back would fail, and that's when it hit him to bring her back as a clone. The theme that he would weave into the new story was that while we should honor our memories, we shouldn't live in the past.



In ASM # 129, the first seed of the original Clone Saga is planted when a new, mysterious villain called the Jackal first appears, and hires the vigilante known as the Punisher to kill Spider-Man (the Punisher agreed to take the job because Spider-Man accused of murdering Gwen Stacy and Norman Osborn, and most people thought he was a criminal, anyway). The Jackal would proceed to torment Spidey for many issues to come.

ASM # 136-137: After Harry Osborn bombs the apartment he shares with Peter (more on this later), Peter takes his spare Spidey costume and web-shooters and leaves them on a nearby rooftop, so they won't be discovered by the police or anyone else during the ensuing investigation.


ASM # 140: On the letters page, a debate begins regarding the aging of Peter Parker and his cast, and whether or not he should move past college, grow up, get married, etc. The editorial response to the readers regarding whether Spidey should age is that "the decision is yours". A similar debate (and the exact same editorial reponse, which told the readers it was up to them) had also occurred early in the Lee-Romita era (when Peter went to college and became popular), and after Gwen's death it flared up again. This is a troubling harbinger of the aging fanboy mentality that has turned the industry into the mess it is today, with fans demanding "growth and change" to the point that classic characters become twisted, perverted, and unrecognizable.


ASM # 142: Peter gets a fleeting glimpse of a woman on the street, and is deeply unnerved by just who he thinks he sees.

ASM # 143: Peter sees the mystery woman again and later has his first kiss with Mary Jane at JFK International Airport before flying to France on an assignment with Robbie Robertson.



Well, gee...if Mary Jane knew all along that Gwen Stacy had children and had left them in France, and also knew that Peter was now going off to France for the Bugle, wouldn't she bother to TELL him the truth??? But no, she just kisses him and lets him fly off like a sap without bothering to inform him of that little factoid. What a b****!!!!



ASM # 144: After a few issues of teasing the readers with glimpses of a Gwen-look-alike, Conway has Peter finally encounter Gwen Stacy in his apartment. Or does he?

ASM # 145: Peter is confused and angry by Gwen's "return", and thinks she's an imposter. Later on, however (at the hospital where Aunt May is after the shock of seeing "Gwen"), Bugle reporter Ned Leeds tells Peter that he took "Gwen" to a doctor, and that her fingerprints match the real Gwen's, and the original Gwen's coffin hasn't been touched. Further, the new Gwen is missing Gwen's memories of the last two years (since just before the real Gwen died). Thus, there are two versions of Gwen, one alive and one dead. As a confused and frightened "Gwen" hugs Peter, Peter and Mary Jane share a look which indicates their fears as to what this development will mean for their own budding relationship.

ASM # 146: Peter and Gwen talk. Gwen is staying with Betty Brant for the time being.


Pg. 6, panels 1-5: As Peter drops Gwen off, she kisses him, and he's surprised. She sees his hesitation.

"GWEN": "Peter...you do still love me, don't you?"

PETER: "Gwen, I--"


Upset, Gwen walks inside the apartment building.


PETER (angry): "Nuts. What do I say to her? 'Sorry, Gwen--but I'm not so sure these days'? 'There's another girl, somebody I've grown to care about'?"


Clearly, Peter has gone a long way towards getting over Gwen and her death, but just as he's started really falling in love with Mary Jane, Gwen "returns" to dig up those buried feelings of his.


"Gwen" also briefly appears in Giant-Size Spider-Man # 5, in which Spidey goes to Florida and encounters the Man-Thing and the Lizard.



ASM # 147: Mary Jane talks to May Parker, and says that she feels Peter has forgotten about her since Gwen's "return". Aunt May tells Mary Jane that she should be willing to fight for her happiness.


Pg. 14: After learning the results of a lab report from Ned Leeds which indicate that the "new" Gwen is a clone of the original, Spider-Man hallucinates an image of Gwen in a mirror he sees in a store window.

SPIDER-MAN (to the hallucination of Gwen): "No! You can't come back! You're DEAD! How many times are you going to die? How many times am I going to hold you--and feel you slipping away--forever? I won't LET you come back! I won't! I won't!"

He angrily smashes the mirror, then tries to pull himself together.


Soon after, Spidey is captured by the Jackal, who is working with the terrorist Spider-foe known as the Tarantula. Shockingly, "Gwen" is with them, albeit in a trace-like state. A chained Spidey is taken by the trio to the top of the Brooklyn Bridge (this time identified as such in the dialogue, correcting the error of ASM # 121), and is pushed off as a repayment for Gwen's death.



ASM # 148: Spidey narrowly manages to save himself after being kicked off of the bridge. Later, Peter runs into Mary Jane at his apartment, who says it's either "Gwen" or her. Peter, distracted by bigger issues, ignores her. Ned Leeds arrives later on, and Peter says that he thinks the clone of Gwen may have been created by cell samples taken in Miles Warren's bio-chemistry class at ESU. He also says that Gwen's clone has the real Gwen's memories, but her experience is several months out of date. Ned and Peter go and talk to Warren (who had become more and more prominent as a supporting character in ASM after Gwen's death), who says that the cell samples taken from his class for a project were stolen by his lab assistant, Anthony Serba, who disappeared several months ago. Spidey goes to find Serba, but is attacked by the Tarantula and the Jackal (who have captured Ned Leeds). The Jackal then reveals that he is none other than Professor Miles Warren!

In Starlog's Comics Heroes # 3 (2004), Gerry Conway said that he didn't know who the Jackal would be when he first appeared, and began looking at older Spider-Man supporting characters to find the Jackal's alter ego (so fans wouldn't complain that the character had never been seen before when he was finally unmasked). Conway finally tied it together and chose Miles Warren by asking some questions: Who had the ability to clone Gwen? A scientist! Why? Because he was obsessed with her! Why is he obsessed? Because she was in his class!



ASM # 149: Warren reveals his story to Spider-Man. He says that when he first saw Gwen Stacy in his biochemistry class, he'd taken a fatherly liking to her (although it is hinted at here that Warren's feelings were actually *romantic*, and he's just rationalizing them as being paternal), blamed Spider-Man for her death, and hated Peter Parker for being loved by Gwen (years later, in Spectacular Spider-Man # 149, Gerry Conway would explicitly state that the much older Warren's feelings for Gwen really were romantic, and that he recreated Gwen so she could be in his life once again). When Gwen died, he felt as if something had died in him, too. And so, he took Gwen's cell samples from his class and began the process of cloning her. When his lab assistant, Anthony Serba, discovered that Warren was cloning humans, Warren killed him to keep him quiet. The unbalanced Warren convinced himself that someone else had killed Serba, and, overhearing a teacher lecturing about the nature of jackals, told himself that someone called "the Jackal" had killed Serba. Warren then trained himself athletically and created a Jackal costume.

Soon after, "Gwen's" clone casket opened, and Warren tells Spidey that she was born "without the slightest *memory* of her last few hours of *life*".

Warren spent the next few months re-educating "Gwen" to reality, using hypnosis to bring out her intact but buried memories. He also commanded her to obey him whenever he called, and sent her out, with no conscious memory of her origin, as a psychological weapon against Spider-Man (whose true identity he had deduced).


The Jackal then leaves Spider-Man to prepare for their final battle (with Ned Leeds as a hostage), telling him to go to Shea Stadium at midnight. Spidey arrives, but the Jackal gets the drop on him, extracting a blood sample (which contains RNA--memory cells). When Spidey awakens, he finds himself staring at...himself! Warren has also created a clone of Spider-Man (equipped with the spare Spidey costume and web-shooters Peter discarded in ASM # 136-137, and which is now supplied with Peter's most recent memories, thanks to the RNA Warren extracted from Spidey).

Both Spider-Men think they are the genuine article, and battle over the right to save Ned Leeds from a time bomb the Jackal has tied the reporter to.

Pg. 23, panels 9-10 through Pg. 26, panels 1-3: The hypnotized Gwen Stacy clone, seeing the Spider-Men fighting, manages to break through her programming and screams at the Jackal:

"GWEN" (crying, hitting the Jackal): "You--you monster! You're trying to kill him! I see that now--you're nothing but a heartless fiend--and I hate you!"


She takes Warren's Jackal mask off of his head and rips it in half.


JACKAL: "Gwen...what are you doing...?"

GWEN: "Your hypnotic spell has worn off, Professor! I-I know you for what you are, now! A-A vicious, sick--jealous man! A murderer!"


The deranged Warren finally comes to his senses, and sees that Ned Leeds is about to die because of him. He cuts Ned free from the bomb just before it explodes, demolishing the stadium.

In the silence that follows, we can see that Warren--and one of the Spider-Men--are dead (Peter later tells the public that Warren died a hero so as to cover up the whole clone mess). Ned is unconscious, and only Gwen and the remaining Spider-Man are still standing. She asks Spider-Man if he's all right, and he's not entirely sure if he's the real Spidey or the clone.

Pg. 30: We get the first of two epilogues. At the real Gwen's grave, Gwen's clone and Peter prepare to part ways. The clone places flowers on Gwen's grave.

"GWEN": "I have to think of her...as someone else, Peter. Someone I knew a long time ago, when we were both...very young. Was she the real Gwen Stacy...or am I? Now I know how Spider-Man felt last night...confused...frightened. Everyone has that moment when they wonder about themselves, Peter--about who they are, deep down. I think--I think it would be better, for both of us--"

She kisses him on the cheek.

GWEN (continued): "--if we didn't pretend to be the same people we were when Peter Parker loved Gwen Stacy--and she loved him. I wish I could know you the way she knew you, Peter--but I can't. Because I can't...this is goodbye."

PETER: "Gwen, maybe if we..."

GWEN: "Don't say it, Peter. Turn your head...and please, don't look back."

She walks to a waiting taxi. A single tear rolls down Peter's cheek, but he doesn't look back.


Pg. 31: We get a second epilogue, as a battered and emotionally drained Peter returns to his apartment.

PETER (thought balloon): "Losing a girl like Gwen once is hard. Losing her a second time--even if it's what you want is harder. Someday, someone is going to explain this world to me--how people can need each other---and still know they shouldn't have each other. Huh? Spider-sense tingling--?--Someone--in my apartment--? It's her! It's got to be her!"

(This issue was published before Peter's spider-sense was firmly established to detect only potential dangers.)

Peter opens the door to reveal Mary Jane, who's been waiting for him.

PETER: "Mary Jane! Lady, am I ever glad to see you."

MARY JANE: "Do you mean that, Tiger? For real?"

PETER (entering the apartment and closing the door): "Come here...and I'll show you."

The door closes with a "click".


And so comes the bittersweet end of the lengthy epilogue to Gwen's death...and perhaps this closed the door on the classic era of Spider-Man, too. Peter has finally had some closure with his memories of Gwen and is moving forward into a relationship with Mary Jane (it is hinted at the end of ASM # 149 that Peter and MJ consummated their relationship sexually). The ending of this issue strongly echoes the ending of ASM # 122, in which Peter discovered MJ waiting for him after he lost Gwen the first time. The ending to ASM # 149, however, is much more upbeat.


ASM # 149 was also Gerry Conway's last issue as writer. Archie Goodwin wrote ASM # 150, and then Len Wein took over as the new regular writer of Amazing Spider-Man with ASM # 151. Shortly after leaving Amazing Spider-Man, Conway became the first writer of the new Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man book, and once he left that book, he did not return to Spider-Man until the late 1980s (during his second run as writer of Spectacular, and as the writer of Web of Spider-Man at the same time).

On the letters page of ASM # 149, we get an editorial comment on the "return" of Gwen:


EDITORIAL COMMENT:

"For those of you who are not yet aware, the decision to bring back Gwen was made by none other than 'ol Smilin' Stan himself. After absorbing the deluge of mail that poured in after the now-classic epic of SPIDER-MAN # 121, and after much deliberation, Stan decided to yield to the pressures of Marveldom Assembled and bring back one of Marvel's most well-loved characters.

However, the batty Bullpen thought that it wouldn't be quite right to bring Gwen herself 'back from the dead' as it were, and we came up with the idea of making the returning Gwen Stacy a clone, not to mention all of the plot mechanisms leading up to that revelation and the entire SPIDER-MAN cast's reactions to it."



And so, the Gwen Stacy clone leaves for parts unknown, since she doesn't want to live a lie and pretend to be the real thing. Readers would wonder over the next few years if she'd ever return, and during his acclaimed run, writer Roger Stern pitched a plot idea about the clone in which she has become a nun, dying from rapid aging (which she suffered from due to the method Warren used to age her to adulthood in such a short timespan), but this idea was rejected by Amazing Spider-Man editor Tom DeFalco.

At no time did Gwen's clone (who possessed all of Gwen's memories up until just before the real Gwen's death) mention a fling with Norman Osborn during ASM # 145-149, nor did she mention any children left behind in France, nor did she go to France to see said children. Instead, after leaving New York in ASM # 149, she relocates to Lansing, Michigan, as a high school teacher, as seen later on in Spectacular Spider-Man # 142. Hmmmm.



ASM # 150 (written by Archie Goodwin): As the story begins, Mary Jane has just left Peter's apartment (and there's another *strong* implication they consummated their relationship sexually at the end of ASM # 149), and Peter can't help but wonder if he's the real Spider-Man or the clone created by the Jackal. He goes to Dr. Curt Connors and is subjected to a battery of tests. While waiting for the results, he is attacked by Spencer Smythe's newest Spider-Slayer. On the verge of death, Spidey realizes just how much he cares for Mary Jane (whereas the clone, created and conditioned by Warren sometime earlier, would have instinctively thought of *Gwen*, despite possessing Peter's most recent memories). This revelation gives Spidey the strength to beat Smythe, and, having found his answer, scatters the results of Dr. Connors' test to the wind, knowing that he is the real Spider-Man.

It's a great ending, but that nagging nugget of ambiguity (Spidey never actually READ the test results) would be the catalyst for the disastrous second Clone Saga some 19 years later.

Interestingly, it's likely that Dr. Connors read the report (since he compiled it and got it ready to give to Spidey), but never mentions the results in future appearances (Perhaps he didn't want to pry into Spider-Man's--or the Spider-Clone's--life.). Of course, history has shown us that the test must have proved that Spidey wasn't a clone (and thus Connors could have assumed that Spidey had actually read the confirmation of that in his report).


Afterwards, at the beginning of ASM # 151, Spidey disposes of his clone's corpse (still in the Spider-Man costume) in one of the smokestacks of an incinerating plant in Brooklyn, so as to avoid the problems that will arise if the world discovers that there are two Peter Parkers (one alive, one dead).


Years later, in Spectacular Spider-Man Annual # 8, Gerry Conway revealed that Warren's "clones" were no such thing, but rather innocent victims (ESU student Joyce Delaney and Warren's lab assistant, Anthony Serba) infected with a "genetic virus" that made them resemble Gwen Stacy and Peter Parker. Later still, during the second Clone Saga, this idea was undone, and "Joyce Delaney" was said to "really" be a bona-fide clone of Gwen Stacy, just as Ben Reilly was "really" a clone of Peter. Gwen's clone subsequently married a clone of Miles Warren (calling himself "Warren Miles” and the pair lived the life Miles Warren had always dreamed of (Web of Spider-Man # 125).


Looking at all this with the aid of hindsight, one can almost view Amazing Fantasy # 15 and Amazing Spider-Man # 1-150 as an incredible epic, one which ends when Peter and Mary Jane reunite in his apartment in ASM # 149, and the epilogue being Spidey's triumph over his identity crisis in ASM # 150. After that, a new era truly began.


Subsequent to Gwen's death, the romance between Peter and Mary Jane began to grow, and Mary Jane began to gain more depth and to move past the "airhead party girl" persona that fans were accustomed to. The "return" of Gwen caused some friction for the budding relationship between Peter and Mary Jane, but after she departed, their relationship became even stronger that before. After Gerry Conway left Amazing Spider-Man, their romance eventually fizzled when Peter asked MJ to marry him and she declined, saying she didn't want to be tied down. They had an on-again, off-again relationship for years and years until Stan Lee and Marvel Editor-in-Chief Jim Shooter decided that they should get married. The marriage took place in 1987, in Amazing Spider-Man Annual # 21.

In Comic Creators on Spider-Man (Titan Books, 2004), writer Tom DeFalco and artist Ron Frenz revealed their original plans for the wedding: Full of doubts, Mary Jane was going to leave Peter at the altar. However, that plan was nixed when Stan Lee (who wanted Peter and MJ married in the Spider-Man newspaper strip he wrote) and Jim Shooter decided that Peter and Mary Jane really WOULD get married. And many have said that the decision to allow the marriage to take place signaled the beginning of the end for Spider-Man (and it appears that they were right).


Prior to this, it was revealed (in ASM # 257-259) that Mary Jane knew that Peter was Spider-Man, but how and when she found out was not disclosed for some time. This is a rather significant retcon!

ASM # 259, written by Tom DeFalco, finally laid out Mary Jane's history, which had been hinted at by Spidey writers such as Marv Wolfman and Roger Stern. It was revealed that MJ had been a deeply unhappy child whose family had been broken apart by her abusive father. Always hiding her sadness beneath her "party girl" facade (the MJ we'd first met in the Lee-Romita run), she abandoned her pregnant sister to live with her Aunt Anna in Queens...where later she met a boy named Peter Parker.

This was a huge moment in Mary Jane's evolution as a character. No longer a one-note, flakey party girl, MJ became a confidante to Peter/Spider-Man, and this led to their marriage soon after.

Finally, in 1989, Marvel published a Spider-Man graphic novel entitled "Parallel Lives". Written by none other than Gerry Conway, the story detailed the histories of Peter and Mary Jane, from childhood up through their marriage, and showed how similar they really are and why they were meant for each other (appropriate, since Conway was the one who really kicked off their romance). Their marriage serves as an emotional rock in an insane world, and it also symbolically takes the place of the marriage of Ben and May Parker that was ended by The Burglar's bullet in the very first Spider-Man story. When it comes down to it, Peter Parker and his supporting cast (with a few exceptions over the years) are all honest, decent, loving people, and Peter and Mary Jane's marriage is an affirmation of the ideas about love and family that have been in the series since Amazing Fantasy # 15.

Parallel Lives also made clear the idea that MJ is the opposite half of Peter Parker, a woman who hides her pain behind a facade, much the way Peter does as Spider-Man. Exactly when MJ learned Spider-Man's true identity is also revealed--the night Ben Parker was killed in Amazing Fantasy # 15. In other words, she knew ALL ALONG. This retcon makes for a few shaky continuity issues, but it does give MJ a strong motivation for being interested in a kindred spirit like Peter. Why else would such a popular party girl like Mary Jane care about a nerd like Peter? Gwen Stacy was attracted to Peter because he was intelligent and kind (like her), not just because he was cute.

Personally, I do like the marriage and believe Peter and MJ as a couple (Although I *deeply* mourn the loss of a bachelor Spider-Man, and think the idea of the marriage has betrayed the basic nature of what Spider-Man is: a teenage escapism fantasy. I think it would have been better to have them get married in the very *last* Spider-Man story ever, if such a thing will ever even exist...), and it does seem that these two were *always* meant for each other, right from the start (Their first meeting on the last page of ASM # 42, what with all the build-up, is the ultimate "Meet Cute".).

But that doesn't mean Gwen Stacy should be trotted out and dragged through the mud just to make her less appealing to older readers who won't let her be forgotten. And there have been a few clunky attempts over the years to make Mary Jane "the one" for Peter (and to say that she was "the one" all along). In reality, Peter dated a long line of girls before ending up with Mary Jane, and I think the version of Peter who was not tied down (and who had lots of problems with his girlfriends) is the one who is the most interesting and universally appealing.


Further, Spider-Man being married takes away from the character, since it gives him a stable romantic relationship (as opposed to Peter being the downtrodden, unlucky-in-love fella from the good old days), and it gives him a confidante, someone to tell all of his problems to (a job that had previously belonged to the READERS, and which has now been usurped by Mary Jane--and, thanks to JMS, by Aunt May, as well.).


For years and years after Gwen Stacy's death, writers have continued to focus on her. There have been *many* stories about (and references to) Gwen over the years. Usually, Gwen has been remembered when Peter has thought about all the people he's let down over the years, as well as his fears about potential girlfriends being killed because of him. Here are just a few of the *many* references to Gwen since her death:

In Marvel Team-Up (Vol. 1) # 28 (written by Gerry Conway), Spider-Man sees a girl falling to her death as a result of being thrown out of a window in the Empire State Building by an earthquake. He catches her with a webline, recalling how his similar actions killed Gwen. This time, he's successful. It's also mentioned that Gwen died from the "shock of the fall *alone*".

In What If? (Vol. 1) # 24 ("What if Gwen Stacy had lived?", written by Tony Isabella), we see the regular Marvel Universe Spider-Man sitting on the Brooklyn Bridge on the anniversary of Gwen's death (a place JMS would have you think Peter has avoided). The alien known as the Watcher then shows the readers an alternate universe, one where Gwen had lived. In this other reality, instead of firing a webline to Gwen as she falls off the bridge, Spider-Man leaps after her and cushions her fall into the water with his own body, saving her. He then reveals his true identity to Gwen and explains his origin/history--as well as how her father really died (a VERY cathartic and satisfying moment of explanation and understanding denied to readers--and to Gwen--in the "real" Marvel Universe). Peter and Gwen get married soon after, only to watch helplessly Peter's true identity revealed to the world by the vengeful Green Goblin.


In Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man # 25-31 (written by Bill Mantlo), a mysterious new foe called Carrion begins causing trouble for Spider-Man. Eventually, it is revealed that Carrion is the "unliving" clone of Miles Warren, and wants revenge on Peter Parker for the deaths of Warren and Gwen Stacy. Carrion reveals that before the climatic battle in ASM # 149, the Jackal set in motion the creation of a clone of himself, just in case he was killed in battle by Spider-Man. However, after Warren's death, the clone casket malfunctioned, and the clone became horribly desiccated and corpse-like (and gained bizarre powers), yet still remained "ailve". Released from the casket by an unwitting ESU student, the clone, taking the name Carrion, began his programmed assignment: kill Spider-Man. Eventually, however, Carrion is killed in battle with Spider-Man.


In Amazing Spider-Man # 207, Spider-Man hesitates to fire a webline at a hypnotized Daily Bugle employee about to jump off of the Brooklyn Bridge, remembering that Gwen's neck was broken under similar circumstances. Instead of catching the man with webbing, Spider-Man leaps after him and saves him, using a webline to swing back onto the bridge.

In Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man # 101, Peter gets depressed because Gwen's birthday (had she lived) is in a few days. He finds himself at the Brooklyn Bridge once again, and remembers her tragic demise. He later leaves a rose by her grave.

In Amazing Spider-Man # 275, Spider-Man remembers what happened to Gwen when the Hobgoblin throws his hostage (Flash Thompson's girlfriend, Sha-Shan) to her certain death. Spider-Man jumps down after her, using his webline like a bungee cord, saving her life.


Amazing Spider-Man Annual # 21 features the marriage of Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson. However, doubts (and Gwen's ghost) hover around Peter.

Pg. 22: At Aunt May's home, Peter looks through an old photo album and sees pictures of Gwen. He remembers her death and can't help but wonder if Mary Jane will also come to harm because of Spider-Man.

Pg. 26, panels 4-5: Peter takes Mary Jane out swinging as Spider-Man in the middle of the night (after 1:00 am, as the narrative caption indicates). When they stop and talk, Peter points out how he likes to admire the sights when web-slinging, and mentions the Brooklyn Bridge.

MARY JANE: "Isn't that where Gwen--Oh. I-I'm sorry, Peter. I didn't mean to reopen old wounds."

PETER: "That's okay. That one's healed pretty well."

NARRATOR'S CAPTION: "Silence."

PETER: "Real well."

NARRATOR'S CAPTION: "More silence."

PETER: "Really."


Pg. 27, panels 3-7: After returning home, Peter sits alone in costume (sans mask) in his own apartment all night, staring at a photograph.

NARRATOR'S CAPTION: "However, while Mary Jane Watson slips between satin sheets, falling quickly into gentile slumber----Peter Parker finds sleep somewhat more elusive. His mind fixates, locking on a single track. And like a stubborn dog with its jaws clamped around a bone it doesn't want to lose--"

We see that he's fixated on a photo of Gwen.

NARRATOR'S CAPTION (continued): "--he won't let go. The past has cost him so much. And he can't help but wonder----what price the future?"

His brooding is interrupted by a phone call from Mary Jane at 9:00 am (as the caption indicates).


Pg. 35-38: Asleep, Peter has a bizarre dream which features Spider-Man and Mary Jane getting married, with various heroes and villains in the crowd. Flash Thompson (Peter's best man) can't find the wedding ring, and Gwen Stacy suddenly appears. She gives the ring to Spider-Man, kisses him on the cheek, and then fades away after saying goodbye. Then, all of Spider-Man's foes begin to attack, and he tries to keep them away from Mary Jane, but fails, and just then Peter wakes up from his nightmare.

Soon after, we see Spider-Man (sans mask) sitting on the Brooklyn Bridge at 3:30 am (with the photo of Gwen in his hands).

PETER (thought balloon): "I have to make a decision, Gwendy. I swore you'd be my girl. Always. And here I am about to marry someone else. But I love Mary Jane. 'Course, I loved you, too. And you died because of it. But it was your choice to be with me, wasn't it? You never complained. Oh, Gwen, I don't know what to do. What's right? What's fair? Help me..."

Eventually, Peter sets aside his fears, and he and Mary Jane are married. Prior to the wedding, an old flame of MJ's gave her plane tickets to PARIS, FRANCE and keys to a private villa in Cassis (the suburbs in the south of France) as an incentive not to get married. MJ instead used the tickets to go on a nice honeymoon, which is depicted in Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man Annual # 7. But the point is, Peter and MJ went to PARIS, FRANCE. Y'know, where JMS says Gwen's kids lived. Once again, Mary Jane had an opportunity to tell Peter about the kids (or even check in on them), and she DIDN'T. I must say, it's also very creepy and sick to think that Peter and MJ went on their honeymoon to the very city where the illegitimate children of Peter's beloved dead girlfriend were born and raised. Uhhhgghh.



And of course, right around this time, MJ suddenly became a supermodel and a soap opera star instead of a struggling actress/model, a development which has caused many problems over the years (and the constant, "Peter Parker, the ultimate hard-luck case, is married to a freakin' *supermodel*!" complaints).




Gwen Stacy received a profile in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe (Deluxe Edition) # 19 (December, 1987), in one of the issues devoted to deceased characters. Here are a few relevant items from her entry:

1. It is stated that Gwen lived with her father during her first year of college.

2. It is also stated that the "shock of the fall" is what killed Gwen in ASM # 121.




Soon after Peter and MJ's wedding, Gwen Stacy's clone (from ASM # 145-149) began to pop up in a subplot building in Spectacular Spider-Man # 142-143 (written by none other than Gerry Conway). Having settled into a new life as a high school history teacher in Lansing, Michigan, Gwen's clone is forced to run when the High Evolutionary's agents pursue her (as part of the "Evolutionary War" Marvel annual crossover event). She desperately makes her way to New York, hoping that Peter can help her.

This leads into Spectacular Spider-Man Annual # 8 (also written by Gerry Conway), in which the clone runs into Spider-Man, and we see the emotional impact the clone's return has on newlyweds Peter and Mary Jane. Gwen is upset when she sees Spider-Man, and rushes to Peter's old apartment. When she learns that he doesn't live there anymore, she gets his new address from Betty Brant Leeds. Peter knows she's likely going to show up there, and looks at an old photo album featuring pictures of Gwen and the gang from the old days. He tells Mary Jane that he saw the clone.

Pg. 9:

PETER (narrative thought caption): "I wish I could say she doesn't matter to me anymore. I wish I could say the feelings were gone...I wish...she'd just stay dead."

Just then, "Gwen" arrives. She hugs Peter, but then sees the Spider-Man costume under his robe, and runs away. Peter wonders if he subconsciously wore the costume under his robe to scare her off.

Spider-Man goes after "Gwen", and ends up saving her from the High Evolutionary's tests. As they hug, Peter comes to a realization:

SPIDER-MAN: "...It's over. You're not the Gwen I knew. And even if you were, even though I still care for you......I'm in love with someone else."


He turns away from her.



The High Evolutionary then determines that "Gwen" is NOT a clone (the reason he wanted "Gwen" was to determine whether or not she was a genuine clone). Rather, she is an innocent woman who was altered into a duplicate of Gwen Stacy by a "genetic virus" Miles Warren created. The band of heroes known as the Young Gods are also on the scene, and a member of that group, Daydreamer, restores "Gwen" to who she really was, a woman whose name Spider-Man doesn't even know.


Pg. 40: Spider-Man returns home to Mary Jane, who is wondering if "Gwen's" return (and the effect it's had on Peter) has damaged their marriage.

PETER: "Gwen's gone, Mary Jane. She's been gone a long, long time."

MARY JANE: "I know. Even so, she's always been between us, Peter. Like a ghost in your heart. Do you still love her?"

PETER: "Of course. But I love you more than I ever loved her. I love her and I miss her and she's dead. Gwen was my past, Mary Jane. You're my future."

MARY JANE: "Forget the future. I'd rather live right now."

PETER: "Me, too. This moment is all we ever have. And it's enough. More than enough..."

They kiss.


And that seemed to be Gerry Conway's last word on the subject. He likely undid the idea of "Gwen" being a clone so as to help cement the marriage between Peter and Mary Jane. That way, the clone couldn't walk in and stir up trouble every few years. Better to let Gwen rest in peace and focus on the present (and the future).


However, this revelation about the clone opened up a can of worms that was addressed by Conway soon after, in Spectacular Spider-Man # 149 (Ironic, since Amazing Spider-Man # 149 marked the end of the original Clone Saga.), by asking, "If Gwen wasn't really a clone, then what about the Spider-Man clone? And what about CARRION?".

In the story, these questions are very much on Peter's mind. He soon discovers the journal of Miles Warren in Warren's lab (where the clone of Gwen was created and where Carrion died), the contents of which run counter to the story Warren told Peter back in ASM # 149.

The journal reveals that Warren was obsessively in love with Gwen Stacy (as was hinted at by Conway in ASM # 149), and not just paternally protective of her. Devastated when she died, Warren developed a "replicator virus" that could transform one person into a duplicate of another (each incarnation of the virus is based on the DNA of the person it's designed to replicate). Warren kidnapped a student of his named Joyce Delaney and turned her into "Gwen Stacy". Prior to this, Warren's assistant, Anthony Serba, was infected with the virus to turn him into "Peter Parker" (and who was used to battle the real Spidey in ASM # 149).

Peter can't let go of the past, and can't help but wonder why Warren lied to him in ASM # 149. And what about Carrion? If a genetic virus created the "clones", then who was Carrion? As he leaves to go investigate...

Pg. 16, panel 7 through Pg. 17, panel 1:

MARY JANE (thought balloon): "When he's like this, obsessed with Gwen's death, I get so frightened. It's as if he's stuck in a dream......and part of him doesn't want to wake up."


It is revealed that Warren left several clone-virus "traps" around ESU, designed to turn their victims into "Carrion" (complete with super-powers). One of them infected an unknown person years before, turning them into the original Carrion. And now, Malcolm McBride, a student at ESU, has been transformed into the new Carrion. Spider-Man battles Carrion, and is eventually defeated and taken to a graveyard (where the grave of Miles Warren is). In the graveyard, we also see the graves of Gwen Stacy, George Stacy, and Martha Stacy (who is presumably supposed to be Gwen's mother). Carrion intends to kill Spidey to avenge the deaths of Warren and Gwen Stacy, but Spidey manages to defeat him.

Pg. 30: Spidey stands at Gwen's grave after the battle.

SPIDER-MAN (thought balloon): "What was it I said about Professor Warren? 'He was a sick man, obsessed with a dead woman.' I wonder who else that description might fit? I've always felt responsible for your death, Gwen. I guess that's why I find it so hard to let go of you. I still have questions, but not every question needs an answer. Mary Jane was right. I have to put the past behind me sometime. Now is as good a time as any. As much as I once loved you, Gwen, this is finally..."


NARRATOR'S CAPTION: "...The End."

And so, the narrative caption concludes the story (and Peter's thought) with "...The End" as Peter walks into the dawn.


This was Gerry Conway's final word (story-wise) regarding the event that defined his career in comics. Conway made three attempts at showing Peter making peace with Gwen's death and moving on to a new life with Mary Jane (in ASM # 149, Spectacular Annual # 8, and Spectacular # 149), but subsequent writers have (*sigh*) continued to dig Gwen up and throw her like a rock (to paraphrase JMS...) at Peter and Mary Jane's marriage.



Amazing Spider-Man # 365 (The issue that celebrated the 30th anniversary of Amazing Fantasy # 15) gave us a wonderful eight-page story plotted by Tom DeFalco, scripted by Stan Lee and drawn by John Romita Sr. entitled "I Remember Gwen" (Pg. 54-61). It features Mary Jane looking at old pictures of Gwen and the gang in a photo album, and remembering/narrating both good and bad times, such as the death of Captain Stacy, the until-now-unrevealed moment when MJ subsequently helped smooth things between Peter and Gwen (Gwen was mad at Peter because he tried to explain to her that Spider-Man wasn't responsible for George's death), and Gwen's own death.

The story may not confirm to the letter of the law in terms of Spider-Man's continuity and chronology, but its heart is absolutely in the right place. It FEELS right. It also really shows how much MJ misses Gwen, too, and just how close they were. (Hmm, absolutely no mention of MJ hiding the fact that Gwen cheated on Peter with Norman Osborn and had twins that she abandoned in France...). I think this is actually a better story than the oft-reprinted "The Kiss" from Webspinners # 1. It really delves into the emotions of the characters from the good old days, and is a wonderful love-letter to Gwen's memory from the men who knew her best, Stan Lee and John Romita.


(Note that the page numbers referred to here include all the contents of ASM # 365, as it appears in the issue. Thus, "I Remember Gwen" starts on Pg. 54 of ASM # 365.)

Pg. 54-55: Mary Jane looks at a photo album featuring Gwen and the rest of the gang as they were in the classic Spider-Man era. We then flashback to a party (possibly Gwen's birthday party from ASM # 87, or another party in-between ASM # 88-89). Peter and Gwen are dancing, and MJ is attracted to Peter from afar.

MARY JANE (narration): "I'd have traded places with Gwen in a second!"


Pg. 56:

MARY JANE (narration): "But something happened the next night that changed our lives forever!"

She is referring to the death of Captain Stacy in ASM # 90, which is retold here.


Pg. 58: This next sequence is based on George Stacy's funeral from ASM # 91.

PETER (to Gwen): "I'll look after you, Gwen! I'll never leave your side!"

PETER (thought balloon): "She's not listening! That look on her face--I've never seen it before! Maybe if I tell her who I really am, it will help somehow--"

PETER (to Gwen): "Gwen! Look at me! Listen!"

GWEN (crying): "I hate him! I hate him! I hate him!"

PETER: "Who, honey? Who do you hate?"

GWEN: "Spider-Man! It was his fault! He killed my father! I'll hate him till the day I die!"


Pg. 58, panel 4: We get a series of vignettes showing Peter trying to persuade Gwen otherwise:


PETER: "But maybe he wasn't to blame!"

GWEN (crying): "Don't say that! Don't ever say that to me!"


PETER: "But, honey, you weren't there! You didn't see--"

GWEN: "How can I ever love someone who'd try to defend the man who killed my father?! Goodbye, Peter!"

(As she walks away, her pose is based on ASM # 93, Pg. 3, panel 5.)


Soon after, Mary Jane sees this as her chance to move in on Peter, and talks to Gwen in what appears to be the ladies' room.

GWEN (crying): "I never want to see him again!"

MARY JANE: "Right on, Gwendolyn! Lots of other fish in the sea! And you're a gal who's got all the right bait!

However, MJ sees just how heartbroken Gwen is.

GWEN: "Thanks, MJ! You're my truest friend!"

MARY JANE: "Then listen to your truest friend, Gwendy! You're mistaken about Peter! The guy is bonkers for you! He only spoke up for Spider-Man 'cause he didn't want you to spend the rest of your life being bitter! Because he cares for you!"

GWEN: "I--never thought of it that way!"

Gwen runs out of the room and hugs Peter, who is sitting nearby.

GWEN: Mary Jane Watson, you're the greatest! You really opened my eyes!"


MARY JANE (narration): "Minutes later, they were in each other's arms! I had practically handed Peter over to her on a silver platter! I knew it was a fool thing to do! So why did it feel so good?"


Pg. 60:

Then MJ remembers Gwen's death, and the effect it had on Peter (and how she was there to comfort him).


MARY JANE (narration): "To this day, I'm happy I helped bring them together, even for such a little while. Gwen was so sweet, so unselfish, that she deserved all the happiness she could get--because it was destined to end too soon, too tragically soon! Even now, after all these years, I can hardly bear to think about it! During a battle with the Green Goblin, once again Spider-Man suffered an agonizing loss! But this time I was there to comfort him--and love him."

She gets misty-eyed, and can't look at the photos any longer. Just then, Spider-Man drops into their apartment, and Mary Jane hugs him. Removing his mask, Peter is pleasantly surprised by the sudden burst of affection, and MJ explains that she just wants to make every moment count.

At the end, there is a caption which reads:

"This story is dedicated to the memory of Gwen Stacy."




In Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross' magnificent four-issue mini-series, MARVELS (1994), we see a retelling of Marvel history (from about 1939-1974, real time) from the point of view of photojournalist Phil Sheldon. Not only is this story packed with loving references to classic Marvel stories and characters, not only is it *very* well-researched in terms of continuity, but it also deals head-on with Gwen's death.

Issue # 4, "The Day She Died", features a retelling of Gwen's murder at the hands of the Green Goblin. Phil Sheldon goes to visit Gwen to interview her about her father and his death (Sheldon hopes to vindicate Spider-Man of George Stacy's murder). Gwen's characterization is pitch-perfect here. She's sweet and loving, and even says that she doesn't necessarily think Spider-Man is to blame for her father's death anymore. As Gwen and Phil are walking along a street, they come upon an Atlantean invasion fleet headed for the United Nations. Gwen is shown marveling at the surrealness and beauty of the vehicles, and Phil realizes that the "Marvels" don't exist to win acclaim or acceptance. They exist to save the innocent. To save people like Gwen (The stage directions in Busiek's script for this issue tell artist Alex Ross to make Gwen look like "the ULTIMATE INNOCENT" in this scene, which is *exactly* what she represents in comic book history; the innocent killed in the crossfire of a hero/villain battle. Indeed, Busiek has frequently stated his opinion that Gwen's death irrefutably marks the end of the Silver Age of comics...as well as the innocence of comics in general.).

Gwen's subsequent death is shown by Busiek and Ross as a turning point in the Marvel Universe; it's truly the death of innocence. After this, happy endings became far less prominent in comics. Witnessing Gwen's death, Phil Sheldon loses his faith in the "Marvels", the super-heroes, because Spider-Man failed to save Gwen (and may even have accidentally killed her himself). There are so many nice details here for longtime Spidey fans to appreciate. Gwen's innocence. Spider-Man gripping the bridge with his free hand so hard it cracks (as he fires his webbing at the falling Gwen). Spider-Man pounding the Goblin senseless after Gwen's death. The front-page story detailing Norman's Osborn's death. Everything that JMS and Sins Past does wrong, this story does right.


MARVELS: BOOK FOUR ("The Day She Died"):

The cover features a close-up of Spider-Man's eyepiece. Reflected in it is the Green Goblin, holding the unconscious Gwen Stacy (one of the proposed covers for this issue was very similar, and featured a reflection of Gwen's handbag with the jack o'lantern resting on it from ASM # 121--a chilling image, to be sure.). This is not a literal depiction of an image from ASM # 121, but it provides the same overall feel.

Phil Sheldon goes to visit Gwen to interview her regarding her father's death.


Pg. 24:

PHIL (narration): "I'd been afraid she might not agree to talk to me. The whole subject must have been so upsetting to her. But she couldn't have been more forthcoming. We talked for hours."

GWEN (to Phil): 'My father was a stern man. He had old-fashioned values. But you could tell--everything he did came from the heart----and you couldn't be in the same room with him----and not feel safe."

PHIL (narration): "It wasn't until the third visit that we talked about the day itself."

GWEN (to Phil): "They say he saved a boy--saved his life. He died doing good. That's my dad for you."


Later that same day...


GWEN (to Phil): "Spider-Man. I hate how he skitters. You look up and there he is, all--crouched. I wonder sometimes if there is a face behind that mask. I hated him at first. I knew it was his fault. But now I'm not so sure..."


Gwen tells Phil that her father kept a journal, and that it might contain the late Captain Stacy's thoughts on Spider-Man. Phil is pleased, and thinks that he'll be able to absolve Spidey from the murder of George Stacy. However, when he goes to Gwen's home on another day to talk to her, she's not there. Phil then goes to Peter Parker's apartment, thinking she might be there. On the street below, he is stunned to see the Green Goblin clamoring out of Peter's window with an unconscious Gwen slung over his shoulder. He hails a taxicab (John Romita, Sr. posed as the model for the cab's driver, and the license plate reads, "Jazzy"--a reference to Stan Lee's nickname for Romita in the good old days.), and frantically follows the Goblin to the Brooklyn Bridge. On the dock below, Phil watches Spider-Man arrive, and is horrified by his failure to save Gwen's life. The "Snap!" sound effect placed by Gwen's head as Spidey's webline catches her is given particular emphasis in this retelling.

Pg. 36:

PHIL (narration, seeing Gwen's death): "I tried to tell myself she was just unconscious......but a body looks one way alive and another way when it's dead. I'd seen enough of both in the war to know."


Phil is also on the dock with other the reporters and onlookers when Spidey violently defends Gwen's body (in ASM # 122). Phil's faith in the "Marvels" has been badly shaken by Spidey's failure to save Gwen. And of course, Phil doesn't even know that Gwen was really Spider-Man's own girlfriend.

Later, Phil is angry to see that Norman Osborn's death made the front page of the Daily Globe, while Gwen's death is given little attention. He goes back to the dock soon after and stares at the bridge.

Pg. 38:

PHIL (narration): "I swear I could still hear that flat crack, echoing across the water, echoing in my ears. I read later that it was the shock of the fall that killed her, but it sure looked like----it looked like--"

He is now looking at the spot where Spider-Man was when he fired his webbing at Gwen.


This powerful retelling of Gwen's death makes a strong implication that SPIDER-MAN himself killed Gwen by accidentally snapping her neck (though it's never stated outright in the story). Phil mentions that the official explanation is that the "shock of the fall" killed her (which was also the "official" explanation in the original story in ASM # 121). Wasn't an autopsy ever conducted?

Anyway, Phil also mentions "that flat crack", which seems to mean either the whiplash sound of Spidey's webbing catching Gwen, or the actual sound of her neck snapping (The latter goes against the idea that neither Spidey or the Goblin knew that Gwen's neck was broken--how could the onlookers on the dock hear it, but not the combatants?).

MARVELS went on to huge success, and won multiple awards.




Just prior to MARVELS, the second Clone Saga had begun in the Spider-Man books. The premise was deceptively simple: What if the Spider-Man clone from ASM # 149 had not actually died? What if he had been wandering the county, and would now reenter Peter Parker's life (and began operating under the costumed identity of the "Scarlet Spider")? This led to the return of the Jackal (it was revealed--retroactively--that it was "really" a clone of Miles Warren who had died in ASM # 149), and the eventual revelation that the clone, who had taken the name "Ben Reilly" (after Ben Parker and May Reilly Parker), was really the genuine Peter Parker!


In Web of Spider-Man # 118 (written by Terry Kavanagh), Peter's clone, Ben Reilly (who has all of Peter's memories up through ASM # 149) remembers Gwen's death when he goes to the Brooklyn Bridge. He then sees a jumper about to end her life, and even though she hesitates, she still falls. Reilly uses a web-line to swing to her and bring her back onto the bridge with his momentum (without killing her). This is the exact same trick Peter uses to save Gwen's clone in Web # 125, and the same trick JMS has Peter use to save Sarah in ASM # 513 (yet another redundant, stupid element of JMS' story).

In Amazing Spider-Man # 399 and (adjectiveless) Spider-Man # 56, the reborn and revitalized Jackal (who has spent the years since ASM # 149 in a special chamber, genetically altering himself so he now resembled a humanoid jackal) uses yet another clone of Gwen Stacy (whom he claims is the original Gwen) to further confuse and torment Peter Parker and Ben Reilly. The clone of Gwen suffers degeneration and disintegrates by the end of it all.


In Web of Spider-Man # 125 (written by Terry Kavanagh), we learn that the original clone of Gwen Stacy (from ASM # 145-149 and Spectacular Spider-Man # 142-143 and Annual # 8) is now married to a clone of Miles Warren (using the alias of "Warren Miles"), no longer believes herself to be "Joyce Delaney", and knows for sure that she's a clone of Gwen Stacy. Through a series of events, she ends up at the top of the Brooklyn Bridge, and falls off. Peter Parker (temporarily wearing Ben Reilly's Scarlet Spider costume) vows to save "Gwen" this time, and swings to her, catching her. (Thus, the "catharsis" devised by JMS in ASM # 512--where Peter saves Sarah Stacy--is a completely pointless retread.).


Scarlet Spider Unlimited # 1 (written by Glenn Herdling) had the task of dealing with some unresolved issues. The second Clone Saga was based on the premise that the clones of Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy were "really" genuine clones, which clashed with Gerry Conway's revisions to his original story (in Spectacular Annual # 8 and # 149). and so, Scarlet Spider Unlimited # 1 "fixed" this by revealing that Miles Warren had once worked with the High Evolutionary, and that the High Evolutionary had planted a false journal describing the "genetic virus" (the one discovered by Spider-Man in Spectacular Spider-Man # 149) which would keep the existence of cloning technology secret. Thus, the clones of Peter and Gwen were *actual* clones, NOT ordinary people exposed to a genetic virus. It is also stated that the Young God known as Daydreamer gave the clone of Gwen the false memories and false identity of "Joyce Delaney".




In Fox Kids' Spider-Man: The Animated Series (1994-1998), Felicia Hardy took the place of Gwen Stacy as the blond co-ed who was Mary Jane's rival for Peter's affections. In episode # 41, "Turning Point" (the title of which comes from the cover copy for ASM # 121), the Green Goblin kidnaps Mary Jane and brings her to the top of the George Washington Bridge (instead of the Brooklyn Bridge) and knocks her off. Unbeknownst to Spider-Man, the Goblin has acquired a device that can open up dimensional portals, and MJ *ahem* falls into another dimension (where she would remain for the rest of the animated series). Thinking that MJ fell into the water and died, Spider-Man violently attacks the Goblin, who opens another portal and commands his glider to ram Spider-Man. Spider-Man's spider-sense goes off, he ducks, and the glider knocks the Goblin into the portal, trapping him in another dimension.

Aside from the fact that MJ replaces Gwen, as well as the fact that no one actually dies (since this is a children's show), this is clearly based on ASM # 121-122. Indeed, after this, the first Spider-Man movie (2002) even ripped off this copy of a copy of a classic story as it also tried to shoehorn MJ into Gwen's role! That's Hollywood for you! They have to cram every fan's favorite characters and moments into a single super-hero movie, as well as change a bunch of stuff arbitrarily (at the expense of correct characterization and good-old-fashioned logic). So the result here is that the first Spider-Man movie climaxes with a watered-down variation of what is possibly the most powerful moment in the character's history. Thus, Mary Jane replaces Gwen on the Queensboro Bridge, we get a happy ending (Spider-Man saves her life), and we actually get a "laugh" moment as Norman Osborn is impaled (Norman's repsonse: "Oh.") by his own glider (And he actually appears to be hit by the glider in the *crotch* instead of the chest!).

The Spider-Man animated series also covered/skewered the Clone Saga with Peter marrying a clone of MJ in one episode, and later encountering several Spider-Men from parallel realities (including Ben Reilly, the Scarlet Spider) in the aptly titled episode #64, "I Really, Really Hate Clones!". Spider-Man even says, "This is starting to sound like a bad comic book plot!". In episode # 65 ("Farewell, Spider-Man", the last episode of the series), Spider-Man also meets the fiancée of a parallel universe Spidey...Gwen Stacy (in her first-ever non-comic appearance, voiced by Mary Kay Bergman). Spider-Man has trouble believing that his counterpart is engaged to someone Spider-Man himself has never even met!


Amazing Spider-Man Annual '96 gave us a lovely retro-type story by Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz (inked by John Romita, Sr.). In the story, Ben Reilly (who was operating as Spider-Man at the time, after Peter was "revealed" to be a clone and handed over the reins to Reilly) remembers the good old days, and a time when Kraven tried to seek revenge on Norman Osborn for not paying him in full for his attempt to kill Spider-Man (sort of a retelling of--or maybe sequel to--ASM # 47). It also details Peter and Gwen revealing their relationship to Captain Stacy, and the exact moment when Stacy discovered that Peter is Spider-Man. The story doesn't fit particularly well into Spider-Man's chronology (and this could be explained by the fact that this is a subjective narrative flashback by a CLONE of the real Peter Parker), but it's intended as an homage to the good old days, and as such, it works very well.

The story breaks with classic Spidey continuity by planting the seeds for Norman Osborn's return-- and the end of the Clone Saga--in (adjectiveless) Spider-Man # 75. It is discretely established here that there is a connection between Norman and Miles Warren, and also that Norman is working on establishing a world-wide empire (*Sigh*).

In the story, Harry Osborn asks Mary Jane to go steady, and she blows him off. Meanwhile, Peter and Gwen decide to tell her father about their budding relationship. At the Stacy home, Peter sees that Captain Stacy and Joe Robertson have been talking, and when a file folder falls on the floor, Peter catches it (while shouting "Heads up, sir!" to Captain Stacy). He notices that the folder is full of photos and news clippings of Spider-Man, and wonders if Robbie and Stacy are on to him.

Meanwhile, an angry Norman Osborn is having headaches, and when Harry tries to tell him to see a doctor, Norman declines. Harry then tries to tell Norman about his girl problems, and Norman tells him to grow up, or he'll never be able to inherit the "Osborn Legacy" (*Sigh*. More retconned Osborn Legacy" garbage.). Norman feels that Harry is too spineless to continue his legacy, and later decides to engineer an incident to force Harry to prove himself.

Soon after, Robbie and Captain Stacy speculate about Spider-Man's identity, and Stacy theorizes that Spidey may be a classmate or close friend of Peter Parker's.

As an aside, at the Daily Bugle, Betty Brant asks Ned Leeds why he's writing an article on the Green Goblin. "It's fascinating to research someone so determined to escape the restraints of society, Betty", Ned replies. This is a reference to a line the original Hobgoblin had in Amazing Spider-Man # 238 (his first appearance). ASM Annual '96 was published just before Roger Stern's "Hobgoblin Lives!" mini-series, which revealed that Ned Leeds was NOT the original Hobgoblin, so it seems Tom DeFalco was trying to give a hint that Ned may really have been the Hobgoblin after all (despite the new, "official" revelation that it was Roderick Kingsley in Hobgoblin Lives!).


Anyway, Peter soon realizes that he loves Gwen, and meets the gang (and, to his concern, Captain Stacy) at the Coffee Bean, but his spider-sense goes off, and he leaves. Soon, a group of thugs Norman Osborn has hired take the Coffee Bean patrons hostage (Norman's intention is for Harry to stand up to them and be a hero), but when one of them recognizes Captain Stacy as the man whose testimony sent him to prison, he breaks from the plan and decides to kill Stacy. Meanwhile, Spider-Man has gotten into a fight with Kraven the Hunter, the reason his spider-sense tingled (Kraven wants to strike at Norman through Harry). Spidey then arrives at the Coffee Bean, and saves Captain Stacy from the goon, shouting "Heads up, sir!" (as Peter did before at the Stacy home), which tips off Captain Stacy to his true identity.

Later, Kraven goes to Norman Osborn's office to kill him, and Norman offers him more money that he had previously owed Kraven. He tells Kraven that he's building a world-wide empire (*Sigh*. More retconned, "Norman as Kingpin-ish mastermind" garbage.), and that Kraven could work for him. The Hunter rejects Osborn's money and his offer.

At the end, Captain Stacy can see that Peter cares deeply for Gwen, but wonders if he should let his daughter get involved with Spider-Man. He decides to respect Gwen's decision, and will trust in Peter to keep Gwen from harm. He also resolves to keep Peter's secret until he dies.


In the second story in Amazing Spider-Man Annual '96 (another flashback tale, this one taking place just after Peter and Mary Jane got married), Spidey battles the Russian killer known as the Deadmaker. During their battle, they end up on....the Brooklyn Bridge. Trying to reason with the Deadmaker, Spidey tells him that he lost a woman he loved (Gwen) on the very bridge they're standing on (with a spectral, John Romita-ish image of Gwen appearing in the panel as Spidey says this).



In a backup story in the first issue of the short lived Webspinners: Tales of Spider-Man anthology series (1999-2000), Writer J.M. DeMatteis and John Romita Sr. gave us "The Kiss", the basic premise of which seems to be lifted from "I Remember Gwen" (ASM # 365). The story deals with the present-day Spider-Man remembering his last night with Gwen before he went to Canada in ASM # 119 (and before she died). The story may not conform to the letter of the law in terms of continuity (Harry Osborn is seen hale and hearty at the Coffee Bean, and Peter actually went to Canada right after he learned the Hulk was there--but it's possible that "The Kiss" deals with the night *before* Peter learned of that fact and decided to convince JJJ to send him to Canada--the night *before* ASM # 119), but it hits all the right emotional beats, and shows what Gwen and Peter were all about (and even has a hint of sex between them).


Pg. 1-3: Peter is looking at a photo album featuring photos of Gwen and the gang from the good old days (much the way Mary Jane did in ASM # 365). We flashback to his last day with Gwen before her death. Peter is at Gwen's home waiting for her to get ready for their date, and is thinking back to the losses in his life (his parents, Uncle Ben, etc.). Gwen sees his pain, and we get a strong hint of sex in some silent panels, as they look into each other's eyes and we cut to an exterior shot of the house.

Later, the pair goes to the movies, and then to the Coffee Bean to see the gang. Harry Osborn appears perfectly fine here (although the first sign of his drug problems--his collapse in ASM # 119--would ostensibly occur the very next day).

PETER (present-day narration regarding MJ): "But even after we met, she was still a mystery girl. It was almost impossible to get beneath that party girl facade. Maybe that's why I gravitated to Gwen. Mary Jane was too mercurial, too...I don't know...indirect. With Gwen, there was nothing hidden."

That's quite an observation. Too bad later revelations (Thanks, JMS...) would make Peter look like a moron for thinking that Gwen had "nothing hidden". Ugh.

Soon after, Gwen and Peter take a carriage ride in Central Park, and have an amazing kiss (or, as Peter wonders in his narration, perhaps he's just over-embellishing the kiss in his memory).

Pg. 9-10: present-day Peter wonders if he and Gwen would have stayed together if she'd lived.

PETER (narration): "Our every moment together was a priceless gift. And, as time passes, I see that the greatest gift Gwen gave me in her short time on this earth......was the courage to love. If I hadn't known her, opened my heart to her......I would have been a far lesser man. And I never would have been able to climb over those carefully constructed barricades......and into Mary Jane's arms. I like to think that Gwen--wherever she is right now--is happy about that. Correction: I don't think she is: I know it."



In Universe X: Spidey (a 2001 one-shot special taking place in Alex Ross and Jim Krueger's Earth X universe), written by Jim Krueger and penciled by Jackson Guice (with John Romita Sr., Al Milgrom, and John Stanici inking), we visit a possible future for Spider-Man some 20 years from the present. In this reality, baby May Parker did not die (or get kidnapped by Norman Osborn), and her father, the retired Peter Parker, is trapped in an illusion of a "perfect" fantasy life created by a villain called the Spiders-man. In this perfect world (glimpses of which are inked by classic Spidey artist John Romita Sr.), Norman Osborn was jailed before he could kill Gwen (by Captain Stacy, who was not killed by Doctor Octopus in this fantasy world), and as a result, Peter is married to Gwen Stacy, and Mary Jane to Harry Osborn (and Peter and Gwen's son, Ben, is Spider-Man). May tries to reason with Peter, reminding him that Gwen was already dead when the Goblin knocked her off the bridge in reality, and that Peter wasn't responsible for her death (Peter had lied to May about this when she was a child). Peter then glances at his web-shooters and tells May that he knows that *he* was the one who killed Gwen with his webbing. Eventually, May helps bring Peter out of the illusion and back to reality.

For Marvel's 40th Anniversary in 2001, fans sent in ballots to determine the 100 greatest Marvel comics of all time. The final list was released in a countdown format as each issue of the 10 issue 100 Greatest Marvels series was published. The top 25 stories were reprinted (4 stories per issue) in 100 Greatest Marvels # 1-5 (with the top 5 stories getting issues 6-10 devoted solely to them).

Non-reprinted Spider-Man stories on the list:

#96. Amazing Spider-Man # 101 (First Morbius)
#89. Secret Wars # 8 (1st chronological appearance of the Alien Costume)
#85. Amazing Spider-Man # 238 (First Hobgoblin)
#84. Amazing Spider-Man # 194 (First Black Cat)
#82. Amazing Spider-Man # 90 (Death of Captain Stacy)
#78. Amazing Spider-Man # 31 (First Gwen Stacy, Harry Osborn)
#67. Amazing Spider-Man # 13 (First Mysterio)
#57. Amazing Spider-Man # 298 (First Venom)
#52. Amazing Spider-Man # 2 (First Vulture)
#50. Amazing Spider-Man # 129 (First Punisher)
#45. Amazing Spider-Man # 50 (First Kingpin)
#43. Amazing Spider-Man # 6 (First Lizard)
#35. Amazing Spider-Man # 3 (First Doctor Octopus)
#27. Amazing Spider-Man # 14 (First Green Goblin)
#23. Amazing Spider-Man # 1 (First issue of Amazing Spider-Man, reprinted in 100 Greatest Marvels # 1)
#22 (Adjectiveless) Spider-Man # 1 (First issue in the Todd McFarlane written/drawn series, reprinted in 100 Greatest Marvels # 3)
#15. Amazing Spider-Man #33 (Conclusion of Master Planner trilogy, reprinted in 100 Greatest Marvels # 3)
#9 Ultimate Spider-Man # 1 (First appearance of Ultimate Spider-Man, reprinted in 100 Greatest Marvels # 5)


Amazing Spider-Man # 122, which featured the death of The Green Goblin (Norman Osborn), ranked # 19, and was reprinted in The 100 Greatest Marvels of All Time # 2.

Amazing Spider-Man # 121, which featured the death of Gwen Stacy, ranked # 6, and was reprinted in The 100 Greatest Marvels of All Time # 5.

And of course, Amazing Fantasy # 15, the very first Spider-Man story, ranked # 1, and was reprinted in 100 Greatest Marvels # 10.


Hmmm. That says a few things about ASM # 121-122, doesn't it? Don't see any JMS books on the list either...


Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale's 6-issue mini-series Spider-Man: Blue (released in 2002-2003, because several issues were...*sigh*...late...) deals with Peter recording his recollections about how he and Gwen fell in love into a tape recorder "for posterity" (he speaks as though he's speaking to Gwen directly). It is also revealed that Peter leaves a single rose at the Brooklyn Bridge every Valentine's Day in memory of Gwen. The title of the series, "Blue", refers to Peter's emotional state regarding the loss of Gwen.

The mini-series retells the Lee/Romita stories from approximately ASM # 40-49, although it attempts more to capture the *spirit* of those issues than to stick strictly to continuity (if you want to explain that away, you could do so by pointing out that this is Peter's subjective account of events, and not necessarily an accurate depiction of the events in those issues as they occurred). It shows Norman Osborn during and after the accident which wiped out his memory of his life as the Goblin, it perfectly captures the early Peter/Gwen/MJ dynamic, and it even has a hint of sex between Peter and Gwen at the end of the story (throwing a big wrench in the workings of Sins Past, as does the fact that the present-day Spider-Man leaves a rose in memory of Gwen on the Brooklyn Bridge, a place which JMS seems to think Peter has tried to avoid).

Jeph Loeb has stated that he wrote this story as a love letter to Gwen Stacy, and it shows. The story perfectly captures Gwen's early characterization (and both story and art capture the feel of the early Lee-Romita stories). Gwen is shown to be both Ditko-sultry and Romita-sweet. It also captures the sense of loss that Peter still feels when he thinks of Gwen. This is a nice retro-style story (*not* RETCON-style) that respects the characters and the past, even though it doesn't conform to the letter of the law in terms of continuity (but it is, as I stated above, a subjective first-person narrative).


And at the end of the story, in the present day, Peter sums up his feelings for Gwen quite nicely:


Spider-Man: Blue # 6

Pg. 22, panel 4:

PETER (speaking into tape recorder): "And I long for a time when a girl I knew with an incredible smile and so much good in her heart made me think...life can be great."



From a Cinescape interview at:

http://www2.cinescape.com/0/editorial.asp?aff_id=0&this_cat=Comics&action=page&jump=back&obj_id=35060&cat_id=270412&sub_id=270414

"While Loeb and Sale count themselves lucky that they've been able to do the kinds of projects for Marvel that mean something special to them, like the current SPIDER-MAN: BLUE miniseries, Gwen Stacy was anything but lucky way back in 1973. That was the year when her life was cut short during an epic confrontation between Spider-Man and the Green Goblin. All these years later, fans still carry strong memories of Gwen - Loeb thinks he knows why.

'I think she's a great character," says Loeb. "She was Peter's first love and a real departure from MJ, who was so much larger than life than anyone else in the book. I mean, 'Face it, Tiger, you just hit the jackpot!' is a great entrance line and one that set MJ in motion. Gwen was the 'straight man' to her, and we all have affection for that role. But mostly it was that Peter and Gwen had something fairly unique in Peter's life - a kind of happiness that went up until her death. [It was a] death [that] many readers still find very unfair, and so to see her alive again and vibrant is joyous.'

Joy is hardly an emotion that comes to mind when dealing with the Goblin and his civilian alter ego of insane industrialist Norman Osborn. For Loeb, the deeper meaning behind the eternal saga of the Spider vs. the Goblin comes down to the simple relationship between fathers and sons, a theme that takes center stage in the Spider-Man feature film as well.

'It's a fairly common theme in comics,' admits Loeb. 'Why that drives so many stories I don't really know. I know I'm responsible for carrying that torch further, and it resonates so well for me personally, but when you look at Peter's life and how the father figures were removed from the very beginning, having that relationship with Norman and Harry right in front of Peter is very emotional. Norman, at his core, is motivated by a need to prove to his son that he is worth admiring. This is manifested by his constant needling of Harry, but it is about Norman's need, not Harry's. Norman finds in Peter the perfect adversary since Peter is the perfect son.'

'Peter, on the other hand, is desperate to find a father figure, and Norman is the antithesis of what Peter is looking for. Norman is the aberration, and his destruction fuels Peter's need for a better father. Sorry to make it sound so 'psychobabble' - I could have just said that they have neat costumes and look cool when they fight too,' jokes Loeb."



Yeah, Loeb and Sale seem to understand Gwen. As for Norman, though, it looks like they subscribe more to the whole "Norman wants an heir" idea, which isn't so good. Although, the idea that Norman rode Harry constantly because he wanted to prove himself worth admiring is sorta egotistical, but doesn't quite jive with Norman as written by Stan Lee or Gerry Conway.

Gwen was also featured in Ultimate Spider-Man, Marvel's attempt to tell stories about a high-school version of Peter Parker without being encumbered by years of continuity--because they're lazy--until she was Ultimately killed by Ultimate Carnage in Ultimate Spider-Man # 62. Also, Ultimate Mary Jane fell off the Ultimate Queensboro Bridge during a battle with the Ultimate Green Goblin in issue # 25-26, but Ultimate Spider-Man Ultimately saved her.

Funny how, in no less than three continuities (Cartoon, Movie, Ultimate), *Mary Jane* is the one who falls off of that bridge...

In the much-maligned "House of M" crossover series (2005), the Avenger known as the Scarlet Witch suffers a mental breakdown and tries to change reality to bring back her lost children. In this altered reality, Ben Parker is alive and Spider-Man is a big media superstar. Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy (who was not killed in this reality) are married, and they have a son named Richie. Eventually, the true Marvel reality is restored, and everything is back to "normal" (although Peter remembers the alternate reality).


And Gwen Stacy is currently slated to appear in the upcoming feature film, Spider-Man 3, and Bryce Dallas Howard (daughter of filmmaker/actor Ron Howard) has been cast in the role. It's kinda funny that a blonde (Kirsten Dunst) was cast to play a redhead (Mary Jane), and a redhead (Howard) was cast to play a blonde (Gwen). Also, veteran actor James Cromwell has been cast as Captain George Stacy. Can't wait to see how Gwen's memory is further butchered...



Anyway, Gwen has become revered over the years. Some have even said that Gwen's death is more important to the Spider-Man mythos than Uncle Ben's, which is kinda absurd. Ben died because of Peter's inaction, and that death changed the course of his destiny. Gwen would have almost certainly died no matter what Peter did at that bridge (although she wouldn't have been there in the first place if not for him and his life as Spider-Man).

And let me ask you this: if Gwen had simply left the book or broken up with Peter instead of being killed, would anyone care about her they way they do today? No. She'd probably just be in the Betty Brant/Liz Allan club of ex-Parker babes.

Still, Gwen's death is one of the most moving, significant events in the history of the medium. Unfortunately, the story (and Gwen herself) has constantly been revisited, thus lessening its power (Not unlike the death of Jean Grey/Phoenix in X-Men # 137, a story that has been revisited again and again, as she's been brought back and killed off several times since. That story's power has been *badly* diluted.). If Gwen had been allowed to drift off into history after her death, then the story's power would probably have remained intact, and its legacy unsullied. Instead, idiotic fanboy writers have dredged her up again and again (Although, certainly, stories like "The Day She Died" and "I Remember Gwen" are excellent. It's stuff like the second Clone Saga and Sins Past that have caused all the trouble).


But still, Gwen's death has been replayed over and over and over and over again. Spider-Man has been to the Brooklyn Bridge many times since Gwen's death. Both he and Ben Reilly have saved people falling from the bridge many times. It seems that a month can't go by without Spider-Man either going to the bridge or moping about Gwen's death.

I think the train has long since left the station, people. The death of Gwen Stacy has been wrung out and chewed up for every last ounce of cheap pathos it will ever provide.


LET IT GO.


LET HER GO.



Regarding Norman Osborn, as stated previously, Marvel decided to kill two birds with one stone. Both Gwen Stacy and the Green Goblin had outlived their usefulness, and would be killed off. The Goblin had started out as an intriguing, mysterious villain, but the whole "convenient amnesia" concept had severely limited his potential and turned him into something of a one-note villain. Marvel could only do *so* many stories where Norman regained his memory, threatened to reveal Spider-Man's true identity, and would then miraculously lose his memory again. This thinking regarding the situation was very similar to the fan complaints about the repetitiveness of Peter and Gwen Stacy's relationship (she thinks he's hiding something from her, they have problems/break up, they make up, and then the cycle starts over again).

But how to kill the Goblin? The solution was ingenious. The Goblin would do something so heinous and so shocking that he *had* to die for it (though NOT directly by Spider-Man's hand, which would cross a moral line). Thus, in a fine example of serendipity, Gwen Stacy became the sacrificial lamb used to remove the Green Goblin from the series, just as the Goblin was used to eliminate Gwen, who was also regarded by some at this point as something of a one-note character. So, the third time being the charm, Norman regained his memory once again in Amazing Spider-Man # 121 and murdered Gwen Stacy!

After Norman's death, Harry Osborn went mad as result of grief and drugs. He discovered a cache of his father's weapons and equipment (at the warehouse where Norman died) and became the new Green Goblin. Harry tried to kill Spider-Man (whose true identity he had learned), but failed and was sent to therapy (ASM # 136-137). Harry's therapist, Dr. Bart Hamilton, learned all of the Goblin's secrets (and Spider-Man's true identity) when he placed Harry under hypnosis (he then instructed Harry to forget everything he knew about the Goblin and Spider-Man). Hamilton eventually decided to become the new Green Goblin, and imprisoned Harry while he began his reign of terror. Harry eventually escaped, and attacked Hamilton as the Goblin himself. Hamilton was killed in an explosion, and Harry again lost all knowledge of the Goblin and Spider-Man (ASM # 175-180).

Harry later took control of his father's company, married Liz Allan, and together they had a child, Norman ("Normie") Osborn. The first Hobgoblin (a mystery man, later revealed to be Roderick Kingsley, had found one of Norman's old hideouts in ASM # 238 and refashioned the Green Goblin's costumes and equipment for his own purposes) sent Harry copies of Norman's journals (proving he was the Green Goblin, a fact Harry had suppressed) in a blackmail scheme (ASM # 249). During another scheme of the Hobgoblin's (in ASM # 261) to acquire Norman's last surviving journal, Harry fought the Hobgoblin with his father's weapons (without wearing the Goblin costume).

Later, when the second Hobgoblin threatened his family (the Hobgoblin wanted Stromm's formula so he could gain super-strength), some of Harry's repressed memories emerged, and he battled (and defeated) the Hobgoblin (ASM # 312) as the Green Goblin. For a time, Harry considered acting as a *heroic* Green Goblin in an attempt to clear the Goblin's (and Norman's) name, but Spider-Man talked him out of it (Web of Spider-Man # 65-67). At this time, Harry's memory of Spider-Man's true identity also reemerged.

However, Harry's more negative repressed memories also began to reemerge. Having constant hallucinations of Norman's ghost speaking to him and urging him to take revenge on Spider-Man, Harry began to lose his sanity once again. His unresolved issues from his childhood (including his feelings of guilt regarding how he could never seem to please Norman) began bubbling to the surface, which led to a renewed hatred of Spider-Man (and Peter Parker), whom he believed killed Norman (and Gwen Stacy, who Harry may have secretly been in love with). Finally, Harry snapped, and began a series of merciless attacks on Spider-Man, hounding him both in costume and in his personal life, threatening to expose Peter's secret identity (Spectacular Spider-Man # 178-200). Harry even exposed himself to an experimental version of Stromm's formula, which made him stronger than Norman had ever been...and just as crazy (Spectacular # 188-189, 200).

J.M. DeMatteis' "The Child Within" saga (Spectacular # 178-184) is a well-crafted examination of the psyches of Peter Parker, Harry Osborn, and the creature called Vermin. It shows Harry being unable to escape Norman's cycle of abuse, and in effect, Harry becomes Norman (a fact Spider-Man makes note of several times). It also shows that Norman's blind lust for power and lack of compassion is what damaged Harry's soul so deeply, and that is why Harry subsequently vows to be a Green Goblin who won't leave his family behind.

Incidentally, In Spectacular Spider-Man # 200, Harry kidnaps Mary Jane and takes her to the Brooklyn Bridge, the site of Gwen Stacy's demise, to tell her that he won't hurt her (he's just after Spider-Man). He then waxes poetic about how innocent they all were in the past, but Mary Jane points out that they weren't all innocent and pain-free. She NEVER mentions Gwen, nor the "fact" that Gwen had children by Norman (a revelation that might have deterred Harry from his homicidal course of action).

Finally, Harry renovated Norman's old townhouse (the one featured in ASM # 121-122) into the headquarters for the Osborn Foundation, a charitable organization which would clear Norman Osborn's name (Harry had convinced himself that his father was a good man who had been framed by Spider-Man for Gwen's death). In fact, this was a ruse to lure many of Norman and Harry's enemies to the townhouse and blow them all to bits. However, Harry, as the Goblin, got into another fight with Spider-Man, drugged him, and left him in the building with the bomb activated. Confronting Mary Jane Watson-Parker outside, Harry suddenly realized he was about to kill his best friend, and went back inside, bringing Spider-Man out just before the townhouse was destroyed (it mistakenly appears intact in Kurt Busiek's "Legacy of Evil" one-shot). Then, succumbing to the effects of the improved Goblin formula, Harry died, having finally made peace with Peter Parker, his best friend.

After that, the second Clone Saga began (as described above). This storyarc was intended to bring Spider-Man back to being a hip, fun-loving single guy by reintroducing the Spider-Clone from ASM # 149 (who was shown to have died and whose corpse was then thrown by Spider-Man into an incinerator in ASM # 149-151). The storyline was supposed to last about SIX MONTHS, but stretched out into nearly FOUR YEARS. It's a period in Spidey's history that many fans would like to forget. Eventually, in what became a huge slap in the face to fans (much like Sins Past), it was revealed that the Peter Parker we'd known since ASM # 149 (1974), the one who had married Mary Jane Watson, had really been a clone all along, and that the "clone" was the genuine article (and had been wandering around America for five years). The "real" Peter (who had taken the name Ben Reilly) then took over as Spider-Man, and Peter left with the pregnant Mary Jane to start a new life.

For all the nasty (and perversely fascinating) details on the Clone Saga (both the comic stories themselves and the behind-the-scenes info), I *highly* recommend this extensive, 40-part series of articles:

THE LIFE OF REILLY:

http://www.newcomicreviews.com/GHM/specials/LifeOfReilly/1.html


Fans were unhappy and even enraged by this turn of events, and it was decided to restore Peter Parker as the one, true Spider-Man, and reveal that Ben Reilly had "really" been the clone all along. But how? Many story ideas were tossed about. It was eventually decided that there needed to be someone in charge of the whole Clone Saga. At one point it was thought that Harry Osborn, back from the dead, might be revealed as the string-puller. He was also a candidate for the identity of Gaunt, who worked for the as-yet-unrevealed mastermind, but...*sigh*, the long-dead Mendel Stromm (from ASM # 37) was pointlessly brought back to life for that revelation.

Eventually, Marvel Editor-In-Chief Bob Harras decided that the only way to end the Clone Saga was to bring back Norman Osborn, who had the knowledge of Spider-Man's identity and the hatred and the resources to allow him to pull off such a grand scheme. The reaction from Marvel staffers wasn't exactly joyous. Even Howard Mackie, who was slated to write the story detailing Norman's return (Peter Parker: Spider-Man # 75), felt (and still feels) that Norman's return would be a *huge* mistake. This would be undoing the conclusion of one of the greatest Spider-Man stories of all time: the Death of Gwen Stacy. Resigned to their duty of pulling this off, Assistant Editor Glenn Greenberg came up with the idea that Stromm's formula had given Norman an accelerated healing factor that allowed him to "get better" after being impaled by his glider in ASM # 122 (Despite the fact that we saw his body wheeled into the meat wagon in ASM # 123, and despite the fact that the Green Goblin appeared in Avengers Annual # 16 as one of the Grandmaster's "Legion of the Unliving", a group of deceased Marvel characters "selected from the realm of death" to fight the Avengers. And don't tell me that was supposed to be Bart Hamilton instead of Norman Osborn!).

An important aside: the nature of Mendel Stromm's formula has been retconned *many* times. These days, it's the equivalent of water from the Holy Grail (by way of the Indiana Jones films, that is).

In the beginning, (the original Green Goblin origin story in ASM # 40), Norman was shown to have discovered some "strange new formulas" that Mendel Stromm had been working on. Experimenting with them, the resulting solution turned green and exploded in Norman's face. Norman claimed that the formula had made him "more brilliant" and more powerful than ever. Stan Lee may have originally intended this as a way of showing how crazy Norman was, NOT as an implication that Norman had gained any kind of super-powers.

Later on, there's some evidence of the Green Goblin possessing super-strength (such as Norman getting out of the hospital by force in Spectacular Spider-Man Magazine # 2, and Spider-Man's observations about how strong the Goblin was in the same issue), but nothing definitive.

In various editions of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe (Original Edition # 13, 1984, Deluxe Edition # 17, 1987), it is stated in the deceased Green Goblin's biographical entries that Norman may have possessed super-strength, and that if he did, such strength only made itself apparent when he became enraged (as in the aforementioned Spectacular Spider-Man Magazine # 2). It is also stated that Norman's intelligence was increased as a result of the explosion (though not to superhuman levels) and that Stromm's formula was expressly designed to bestow super-strength and intelligence upon the user.

In ASM # 245, the original Hobgoblin, having acquired Stromm's formula from Norman's journals (Norman presumably wrote the formula down in his journal after his accident), orders hired goon Lefty Donovan to recreate it. The solution turns green and explodes, badly burning Donovan. Later, acting under the Hobgoblin's post-hypnotic commands, Donovan dresses in a Hobgoblin costume and battles Spider-Man (so the real Hobgoblin can see the effects of the formula in action). Donovan is shown to possess super-strength during the battle (Exceeding that which Norman was ever shown to possess, which doesn't really make sense. Apparently, writer Roger Stern felt that Norman must have had super-strength, which would explain how the Green Goblin could stand up to Spider-Man as many times as he did.). Having seen the proof of the formula's power, the real Hobgoblin then kills Donovan, and (in Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man # 85) immerses himself in a modified version of the formula (which does not explode and does not cause the Hobgoblin to go insane, but which does grant him strength far superior to Norman Osborn's).

In later issues (and in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe), the Hobgoblin's strength level is said (and shown) to be roughly equivalent to Spider-Man's own strength level--that is, he can lift (press) about 10 tons.

Later on, Harry Osborn immersed himself in an experimental version of the formula, which he said Norman had been working on "before he died" (Spectacular Spider-Man # 188, 200). This untested formula greatly increased Harry's strength (and he claimed that his strength would continue to increase as time went on), but it also drove him completely over the edge, and eventually led to his death as a result of its toxic effects on his body.

In Kurt Busiek's Legacy of Evil one-shot (1996), a plan Harry had set into motion before his death was enacted. Harry and Liz's son, Normie Osborn, was to be exposed to Stromm's formula, thus continuing the Goblin Legacy (the first real appearance of that goofy, overused concept), but Spider-Man managed to put a stop to that.

During the second Clone Saga, it was revealed that the mysterious villain Gaunt was actually Mendel Stromm, who (*sigh*) had taken an experimental version of the formula before he died (back in ASM # 37), which had kept him alive, even though his body had become desiccated and, well, gaunt.

Glenn Greenberg wrote a one-shot book, The Osborn Journal, in order to tie up all the loose ends of the Clone Saga and detail Norman's post-resurrection activities. The one-shot takes the form of Norman writing in his journal about all his schemes in preparation for his all-out attack on Spider-Man in Peter Parker: Spider-Man # 75. It reveals how he came back to life, how he went to Europe and became leader of the Scriers, and how he engineered the Clone Saga (It also says that he had no involvement in Aunt May's death and that Harry Osborn was his only son, statements that have both been "proven" to be untrue in recent years. Why would Norman lie in his own journal?).

And let me ask you this: If Norman really did have children with Miles Warren's beloved Gwen Stacy, wouldn't that have prevented Warren (Whose primary motivation was his obsession with Gwen, remember?) from ever working with Norman to engineer the Clone Saga (if he'd *known* he was working for Norman, that is)? Oh, let's say Warren didn't know. Suuure.

And so we come back to Norman's "resurrection". It had been decided that Stromm's formula had also given Norman a healing factor. As a result, he began to heal right after his glider impaled him in ASM # 122. Waking up on the coroner's table, he saw Harry trying to bribe the coroner to fake an autopsy report. Pleased with Harry's show of strength, Norman left, and then killed a drifter of similar body type, who was buried in his place. Norman then went to his warehouse hideout and saw Harry testing out the Goblin equipment in preparation for his own revenge scheme against Spider-Man, and Norman decided to let him have his chance (and would allow the world to believe him dead). He then departed for Europe to become a major player on the crime scene. All that time, he was also secretly manipulating Peter Parker's life by engineering the Clone Saga. When Harry died, he decided to return to America to take vengeance on Peter personally.

Bleh!!!!

First of all, I still think this was a very bad idea, a short-term solution to a big problem that would eventually cause even more catastrophic damage in the future. There must have been some other way to bail Marvel out of the Clone Saga. Combine Norman's resurrection with the events in Sins Past, and everything that worked so well in ASM # 121-122 is completely thrown off the brid--uhhh, er--out the window.

Norman, as seen in ASM # 121-122, had gone *completely* over the edge, clearly with no chance of return (or any kind of fortuitous memory-loss). Yet, by the time he came back, he'd become a cold, *relatively* sane master planner (which many have called a Lex Luthor or Kingpin knockoff). The first thing Norman would have *really* done had he come "back to life" was hunt down Spider-Man and launch an all-out attack for the indignity he'd suffered.

The whole point of the Death of Gwen Stacy story was to dispose of two characters who had outlived their usefulness. The death of Norman Osborn was justified by his killing Gwen (and it's still one of the most memorable comic book deaths ever, one that was even copied--badly--in the first Spider-Man film in 2002). Bringing him back greatly dilutes the power of that story. So Peter Parker's innocent girlfriend can die horribly and tragically, but the evil psychopath who killed her gets to come back hale and hearty? No!!!! At the end of ASM # 122, that evil was finally extinguished, and there's at least *some* sense of victory for Spider-Man (however empty).

In a strange way, though, Norman Osborn had a much longer and more viable shelf-life as a character after he died. He became a haunting specter, a painful memory that tormented Peter Parker for years and years (primarily because he'd killed Gwen Stacy and ruined Harry Osborn's life). His life (and death) also led to the creation of the various other Green Goblins and Hobgoblins, and led to the death of his own son.

Norman was around from 1964-1973 (9 years), was dead for 22 years, and has been back for some 10 years as of this writing. But little good has been done with him since he came back.

After Spider-Man (*ahem*) attempted to kill him in Peter Parker: Spider-Man # 75, Norman returned. He returned as a cunning, powerful mastermind, who had seemingly planned every bad event in Peter's life, and amazingly managed to convince almost everyone in the city that he was framed for the Green Goblin's crimes by the "real" Goblin, whom he vowed to bring to justice. Ugh.

I HATED this new interpretation of Norman (and still do), which depicted him as the guy always in control of everybody and everything, against whom Peter could do nothing and was totally helpless, and who was responsible for Peter's every misfortune and stubbed toe since ASM # 122. *Sigh*.

I much preferred the private war between the nervous young teenager and the egomaniacal madman who knows his true identity. THAT was drama.

In Spectacular Spider-Man # 248-250 (written by J. M. Dematteis), Norman re-opened Harry's Osborn Foundation and publicly claimed that he was never the Green Goblin. He then videotaped Spider-Man attacking him and leaked it to the media to make life that much harder for Peter Parker. Norman also enlisted the services of a new, fifth Green Goblin (...originally intended to be a brainwashed Phil Urich, who was the fourth, heroic Green Goblin introduced during the second Clone Saga, but was later revealed in Peter Parker: Spider-Man Vol. 2 # 18 to be a clone...of nobody!) to help "prove" that he was never the Goblin (and whom Norman claimed had soiled his reputation).

In Spectacular # 250, during the party celebrating the reopening of the Foundation, Norman sees Peter in the crowd, shakes his hand, and takes evil glee in torturing him in front of everyone (while still maintaining a good public face). He reminisces about the "good" old days:


Pg. 20, panels 2-5:

NORMAN: "Harry was dating a wonderful girl named Mary Jane--who has since become Peter's bride----and Peter was dating an extraordinary young woman named----Gwen. Gwen Stacy----who was later murdered by the Green Goblin."

NORMAN (a single tear running down his cheek): "Such a sad, such a terrible, end--for such a lovely young woman. And that's why I intend to dedicate my life to finding this maniac in the Goblin mask. Not just for myself, not just to sweep away the lies he's spread about me. I'm also doing it--

For. Dear. Gwen."


These words enrage Peter, who has to be calmed down by Robbie Robertson.

Clearly, Norman is enjoying the opportunity to rub Gwen's murder in Peter's face. It also makes it clear that he didn't care about Gwen at all. He just killed her to hurt Peter, and continues to rub the salt in Peter's wound with that little factoid.



Norman also threatened and blackmailed J. Jonah Jameson into giving him a controlling interest in the Daily Bugle (a Spider-villain taking control of the Bugle is something that was *already* done several years earlier with Thomas Fireheart, a.k.a. Puma, during Gerry Conway's 1980s run on Spectacular Spider-Man).

In Peter Parker: Spider-Man # 88, a thug called Joey Z was killed as a result of Norman's machinations and Spider-Man was framed for it (leading into the "Identity Crisis" arc, where Spidey developed four new costumed identities so he didn't have to operate as Spider-Man).

Norman then offered a $ 5 million bounty on Spider-Man's head during the "Spider-Hunt" storyline (Sensational Spider-Man #25, Amazing Spider-Man #432, Peter Parker: Spider-Man #89, and Spectacular Spider-Man #255), and sent the new Green Goblin to kidnap Liz and Harry's son (and Norman's own grandchild), Normie. He also hired Flash Thompson as a personal assistant (and Flash stupidly became a big Osborn-booster).

In Glenn Greenberg and Roger Stern's "Goblins at the Gate" storyline (Spectacular Spider-Man # 259-261), we *finally* got a confrontation between the original Green Goblin and the original Hobgoblin, and their ensuing mental chess game was lovely to see. The story opens with Norman's autobiography being a best-seller, and Roderick Kingsley forming a plan to get out of prison. He gets word to Norman that he knows the location of Norman's last surviving journal (which will prove to the world that Norman was the Green Goblin and thus ruin his plans). Norman has the new Green Goblin break Roderick out of prison in exchange for the journal, but then reveals that he knows there isn't any journal, and that Kingsley lied about it in order to get broken out of prison. Norman also reveals that he's taken over Kingsley's company. Eventually, the Hobgoblin, the Green Goblin, Norman, and Spider-Man get into a fight, and Kingsley escapes to the Caribbean.

In the second-to-last story arc before the Spider-books were all cancelled and rebooted, "The Gathering of Five" (Sensational Spider-Man # 32, Amazing Spider-Man # 440, Peter Parker: Spider-Man #96, Spectacular Spider-Man # 262 and Sensational Spider-Man # 33), which many have called one of the worst Spider-Man stories ever, Norman plans on using five magical rocks to gain incredible power...but if he draws the wrong straw, so to speak, he'll get insanity instead. Which he does...in the next storyline, "The Final Chapter". Except...he's *already* insane! Or at least he was until he miraculously came back from the dead...

The gathering of the rocks for the Gathering of Five ceremony which didn't actually take place during the "Gathering of Five" storyline (*whew*) leads into "The Final Chapter" (Amazing Spider-Man #441, Peter Parker: Spider-Man #97, Spectacular Spider-Man #263 and Spider-Man #98), in which the ceremony takes place. Got all that? Good. The participants will each gain immortality, wisdom, power, madness, or death. Norman gets insanity instead of power. It's also revealed that *sigh*, Aunt May has been alive all this time and has been held captive in a scheme of Norman's that was never realized and that a genetically-altered actress died in her place in ASM # 400 (despite the fact that in the Osborn Journal one-shot Norman says he had no involvement in Aunt May's death). *Whew*! Still with us? Good. Or maybe not so good.

Anyway, Norman resumes the identity of the Green Goblin (in a new John Byrne-designed costume that was only used a few more times after this), and it is revealed that the trigger for a "DNA bomb" of Norman's is located inside Aunt May's brain. Uhhh, yeah. Okay. In the end, the device is removed from Aunt May, Norman insanely believes he's killed Spider-Man (and is locked up, only to be rescued by the Scriers), and Peter burns his Spider-Man costume and quits. Again. The End. After that came John Byrne's controversial revamping of Spidey's early days (Don't bash Byrne. His forum, www.byrnerobotics.com/forum , is a safe haven for fans of old-school comics who loathe today's dreck), and then the relaunching of the Spidey books.


Norman Osborn and the Green Goblin also appeared in the Ultimate Spider-Man series. It is a testament to the Goblin's impact on Spider-Man's history that the Goblin would be interwoven into Ultimate Spider-Man's origin and would be his first foe.

In this alternate universe, a bite from a spider infected with an experimental drug at Norman Osborn's company turns Peter Parker into Spider-Man. Osborn then tests the formula on himself, but turns into a savage, Hulk-like monster (who barely resembles the classic Green Goblin at all). The brute hunts Spider-Man, and they fight...only to end up at (*sigh*) the Brooklyn Bridge. The Goblin is shot by police and falls into the water, and is presumed to be dead (but he comes back later on).


Meanwhile, back in the regular Marvel Universe, Roger Stern's Revenge of the Green Goblin four-issue mini-series depicted Norman as being under the care of the Scriers (now called The Order of the Goblin). He is given a drug that cures him of his insanity, and he *ahem* falls in love with his nurse, Kolina. He then exposes Spider-Man to a gas that deadens his Spider-Sense, and exposes him to...mind-controlling toothpaste and CDs. He then resolves to...*sigh*....make Spider-Man his heir (C'mon, Sterno! You can do better than that!).

Generally speaking, most super-heroes' arch-enemies don't turn around 180 degrees after years and years of vicious attacks and decide to put their most hated foe in charge of the family business. You just don't see that kind of behavior in a major psychopathic villain. Huh.

This absurd idea was also used (to a lesser extent) in the first Spider-Man feature film (2002), which itself is a pastiche of character stereotypes and is a copy of a copy of a copy of the original conception of Spider-Man in the comics. And it seems the entire outside world (which couldn't care less about the comics) now thinks is what the world of Spider-Man is "really" like (and how the comics "should" be). Bleh!

Anyway, the story continues in Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 2) #25 and Peter Parker: Spider-Man (Vol. 2) # 25 (written by Howard Mackie and Paul Jenkins, respectively). It features Norman kidnapping the drugged Spider-Man and trying to brainwash him into becoming heir to the Goblin Legacy. He then tries to get him to drink the Goblin Formula (Patent Pending), but Peter refuses, and they fight. Eventually, the Goblin escapes, and promises he'll be back.

And back he is, during the "A Death in the Family" storyline in Peter Parker: Spider-Man (Vol. 2) # 44-47, written by Paul Jenkins, and in a new costume, designed by Humberto Ramos. The Goblin continues his attacks on Spider-Man, and forces him to watch a faked video of Gwen Stacy's death that Norman released to the media, one that shows the Goblin swooping down to save her, only to see her killed by Spider-Man's webline when her neck is broken. He also engineers an accident that leaves Flash Thompson comatose. Norman then states that little Normie Osborn is of no further use to him, and that he intends to kill him, provoking Spider-Man into a murderous rage of his own. This is exactly what Norman wants, because if Spider-Man kills him, he'll...*ahem*...turn to the dark side.

Peter tells the Goblin about a dream he keeps having, which features Spider-Man swinging across the city and seeing a plane going down in flames (The plane that Mary Jane supposedly died on several months earlier, in ASM Vol. 2 # 13. Don't worry. She came back.). The plane crashes and when Peter digs through the rubble, he thinks he sees Mary Jane, but then discovers Gwen Stacy (this implies that Gwen is Peter's one true love, NOT Mary Jane). Peter then tells Norman about Gwen, and how if Norman had actually known her, he would have stopped his evil ways because Gwen's loving personality would heal him. He says that not a day goes by where he doesn't think about killing Norman for murdering Gwen, but he never will, because he doesn't hate the Goblin. Peter believes that if he refuses to hate the Goblin for what he's done, and then Gwen's memory will live on forever.

(Nice. JMS can't even respect a *recent* story, albeit a flawed one.)

Spider-Man then leaves, and later, Norman considers suicide.

In Brian Michael Bendis' The Pulse # 2-5, Norman returns (and wears the classic Goblin costume), and is finally outed as the Goblin and imprisoned for his crimes. And Spider-Man ISN'T the one who finally nabs him. *cough*


In June, 2005, a new Spidey title, Marvel Knights: Spider-Man, began. The first storyarc (issues # 1-12) was written by Mark Millar. Behind bars since the storyarc in The Pulse, Norman Osborn has nevertheless masterminded a plot to escape (with Spidey's help) by arranging the kidnapping of May Parker. After this, Spider-Man battles the Sinister Twelve, a group of his greatest enemies (the Vulture, the Shocker, Hydro-Man, the Sandman, Electro, the Chameleon, Hammerhead, Tombstone, Boomerang, the Lizard and Venom III---a.ka. Mac Gargan, the Scorpion. That's right; the Scorpion is the "new" Venom. Can we say "Uuuhhhghhhh"?) led by the Green Goblin (wearing yet another new costume).

The Goblin....*SIGH*....reveals that he had secretly financed many of these villains' origins. He then abducts Mary Jane, taking her to the....*SIGH*....Brooklyn Bridge as a hostage, but Spider-Man is able to rescue her. It is revealed that since the 1950's, big businesses have feared that super-heroes will find out about their various rackets, so they invested in super- villains. Specific heroes were written into the villains' contracts, which is why the same villains keep showing up in certain heroes' lives. Norman Osborn, a favorite of these mystery groups, is a liability because he could blow the whistle on the whole deal, implicating some top-level people in the process. And so, Norman finds himself battling Doctor Octopus, who has been brainwashed and sent to kill the Goblin by an unknown party. Eventually, the two villains fall into the river. Doc Ock is eventually discovered to be alive and well, and then, Peter manages to save Aunt May, who has been buried alive in the grave of Ben Parker. Soon after, a letter Osborn mailed to Peter Parker before the fight arrives, in which Norman thanks Peter for helping him to escape, and that he doesn't hold a grudge against Peter. He just enjoys their battles, since it makes his normally boring life as a businessman enjoyable (WHAT THE $%^&???????). Osborn likely survived the battle and is once again at large.


Big mistake, bringing Norman back. Catastrophic mistake. Whoever this guy is, he sure isn't the Norman Osborn from the good old days. And it gets worse. Much, much worse. But we'll get to that.


In the beginning, the Green Goblin was just another Spidey villain. Many fans felt (and still feel) that Doctor Octopus was and is Spider-Man's greatest foe, but when the Goblin discovered Spider-Man's true identity, that began to tip the scale in his favor (mind you, at this point, Osborn was the ONLY person in the entire world to know Peter's secret, unlike today, where EVERYONE seems to know.). After he murdered Gwen Stacy, the Goblin--despite being dead--was catapulted into the Number One spot--though only after some time had passed (and fanboys/writers had blown up the Death of Gwen Stacy storyline to mythic proportions by utterly refusing to let it go and by regurgitating it constantly).

Years after Norman Osborn died, the Green Goblin maintained a presence in Spider-Man's world. In 1975, a Green Goblin 8" doll/action figure was released (along with Spider-Man and other heroes and villains) as part of MEGO's "Comic Action Heroes" line. In 1980, a mini-version of the Goblin was released in the "Pocket Super Heroes" line. While it could be argued that these toys were intended to represent the Harry Osborn or Bart Hamilton versions of the Goblin, that seems highly unlikely.

The Norman Osborn incarnation of the Goblin also appeared in various Spider-Man cartoons years and years after he'd died in the comics. He appeared in such shows as Spider-Man (1981), Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends (1981), and the later animated series titled Spider-Man (1994).


And of course, the Goblin's twisted persona has lived on through later incarnations and successors:


1. Green Goblin II (Harry Osborn): After his father's death, Harry went mad and became the Goblin himself (wearing the traditional Goblin costume). Eventually, he was cured, but years later went totally over the edge, and died as a result of using his father's stength-enhancing formula.

2. Green Goblin III (Bart Hamilton): While treating Harry Osborn for his insanity, Hamilton learned all of the Green Goblin's secrets, and decided to become the Goblin himself (wearing the traditional Goblin costume). He was killed by one of his own bombs while battling Spider-Man and Harry Osborn.

3. Hobgoblin I (Roderick Kingsley): After discovering one of Norman Osborn's old hideouts, a mystery man adapted the Green Goblin's costumes and equipment to become the Hobgoblin and gain incredible wealth and power. The modified costume is reminiscent of the Green Goblin's but the color scheme and details are very different. The Hobgoblin was seemingly killed after he was "revealed" to be Bugle reporter Ned Leeds, but years later, it was discovered that Leeds had been brainwashed into acting as a Hobgoblin stand-in by the real Hobgoblin, fashion mogul Roderick Kingsley.

4. Hobgoblin II (Arnold "Lefty" Donovan): A thug brainwashed into posing as the Hobgoblin by Kingsley in order to test the effects of Norman Osborn's strength-enhancing formula. The real Hobgoblin subsequently killed Donovan to keep him silent.

5. Hobgoblin III (Ned Leeds): Brainwashed into acting as a stand-in for the real Hobgoblin, killed when his identity was leaked by Kingsley in order to fake the Hobgoblin's demise.

6. Hobgoblin IV (Flash Thompson): Framed by the real Hobgoblin, later cleared of all charges.

7. Hobgoblin V (Jason Phillip Macendale): Formerly the mercenary known as Jack O'Lantern, Macendale hired the master assassin known as the Foreigner to kill the Hobgoblin after they became rivals. The subsequent murder of Ned Leeds (who was brainwashed and set up to die by the real Hobgoblin) led to Macendale taking on the Hobgoblin persona himself, and gave the costume a more ragged appearance and souped up the glider and weapons. After adopting a slightly different costume and getting some cybernetic implants, Macendale was killed in his prison cell by Roderick Kingsley (the original Hobgoblin), who came out of retirement to kill Macendale for disgracing the Hobgoblin's name.

8. Demogoblin: After Jason Macendale made a deal with the otherworldly creature known as N'Astirh to gain more power, he ended up with a hideous, goblin-esque face, as well. Eventually, Macendale was taken over by this demonic persona, which later separated itself from his body. The creature, which Spider-Man dubbed the "Demogoblin", originally wore Macendale's tattered Hobgoblin costume, but later switched to a variant with a different color scheme. The creature eventually died in combat with Spider-Man.

9. Green Goblin IV (Phil Urich): Some time after Harry Osborn's death, young Phil Urich, nephew of Daily Bugle reporter Ben Urich, stumbled onto Harry Osborn's secret Green Goblin headquarters when he and his uncle were evading some criminals, and accidentally spilled the Goblin Formula onto himself. Knowing that his uncle was still in trouble, Phil grabbed a prototype Green Goblin costume and glider and saved Ben from the thugs. Phil soon became the Goblin for kicks, and was even heroic from time to time. Eventually, during a battle with a mutant-hunting Sentinel robot, Phil's Goblin costume was irreparably damaged, and he decided to quit.

10. Green Goblin V (Nobody!): After Norman Osborn's return to power, he employed a mysterious new Green Goblin (dressed in the classic costume) to both secretly work for him and clear his name by "proving" that the Goblin was clearly not Norman. Eventually, Spider-Man unmasked the Goblin, only to discover that he was a clone...of nobody! (Actually, the original plan was that the new Goblin was to be a brainwashed Phil Urich, whom Norman was angry with for sullying the Goblin's name, but this idea was nixed.).

11. The "Gray Goblin" (Gabriel Stacy): The less said the better. Bastard love-child of Gwen Stacy and Norman Osborn, accelerated aging, injected Goblin formula into himself, kinda crazy. Wears a gray version of the original Green Goblin costume.




The Green Goblin (dead or alive) has become Spider-Man's primary foe in the comics, the movies, and other media.

And really, it's all because he killed Gwen Stacy, and no one can let go of that fact.





So, what do we have here? What does all this mean? Who ARE these people that we've spent so much time talking about?




GWEN STACY:

Gwen was a strong-willed, deeply loving and intelligent young woman, whom Peter Parker was lucky to have in his life. First and foremost in Gwen's own life was her concern and caring for her family and friends. She served as the kind and compassionate cooling rod in a somewhat unstable social group on the verge of meltdown from time to time (due to problems between Peter, Mary Jane, Harry, and Flash). When she first met Peter, she was irritated by his seeming snobbery and lack of attention to her, but gradually warmed up to him, and they fell deeply in love. They became soulmates, and marriage between them was inevitable.

Virtually all of the problems and setbacks in their relationship were caused by *PETER* and his lack of honesty regarding his secret identity (A notion which ties into a classic male fantasy in popular fiction--the male hero pines for the unreachable, perfect woman, whom he places on a pedestal, only to have his own inadequacies cause problems between them. Despite this, he constantly strives to be worthy of her love.). Gwen's tragic death was solely the result of her love for Peter Parker and that love being used as a weapon against him, nothing more. Her only crimes were that she loved Peter Parker, and perhaps that she was too good, too pure, and thus unable to see the flaws in those around her.


NORMAN OSBORN:

Norman started out as a ruthless businessman, one who was not above treachery. After his chemical accident, his mind became warped, and he became more and more ego-driven (and insane). The Green Goblin's sole motivation was the pursuit of ultimate wealth and power--absolute power over everything and everyone. He placed no value on any human life, save his own...and, to a much lesser extent, his son's. To him, people were merely tools to be used to further his own mad and grandiose ambitions. He had no visible interest in women, and in his supreme male egotism, may very well have been violently misogynistic. He also viewed his OWN SON, Harry, as a spineless weakling, and could not believe that such a "disappointment" could have come from someone as glorious" and powerful as himself.

After losing his memories of his life as the Goblin, Osborn reverted back to what he had been before, a ruthless businessman and a respected member of the community (with his dormant memories always threatening to break free). Eventually, his son's drug problems and his own hatred for Peter Parker caused Osborn to snap for good, and so he plunged fully over the edge into undiluted, psychopathic, megalomaniacal insanity, triggering a series of events that led to his own gruesome death.



I think that's all very accurate and obvious, wouldn't you say? And there's LOTS and LOTS of evidence to back it up.




III. JMS:


As stated above, after the Clone Saga the Spider-Man books were cancelled and restarted with # 1 issues (although later, the issue numbers as they would have been had the initial volume of Amazing continued would also be featured on the covers). Spider-Man's early history was also revamped by John Byrne in the controversial Spider-Man: Chapter One series, which has since been swept out of the official canon (as Sins Past will hopefully be). After a long run on Volume 2 of Amazing Spider-Man, in which Mary Jane was seemingly killed off, artist Byrne and writer Howard Mackie left, and MJ was brought back soon after.

By the way, the pre-and post-reboot period also introduced Gwen Stacy's cousins, Paul and Jill (who had a bit of a crush on Peter), and reintroduced her uncle, Arthur (who made a very brief cameo way back in ASM # 94-95, when Gwen went to England). At no point did Mary Jane ever mention to them that they have relatives in the form of Gwen's illegitimate twins. Surely, she would think that the twins and the aforementioned Stacy family members would be happy to know about the existence of still more members of the family?

After the Clone Saga, it was a difficult time for Spider-Man. The books went through the aforementioned stories, but not a lot actually happened. It was as though stagnation was better than any radical changes, changes which could lead to something worse than the Clone Saga. Well, that something came soon after the reboot, and it came in the form of someone who was hailed as a "savior" to Spider-Man early on in his run.


In 2001, after the post-Byrne/Mackie era, J. Michael Straczynski (of Babylon 5 fame) took over The Amazing Spider-Man with issue # 30 (471 by the old numbering). Although JMS was a "celebrity" writer, I had hopes that he might get Spider-Man back on course. Indeed, those first few issues were pretty decent, and JMS was hailed as Spider-Man's "savior". ASM Vol. 2 # 30 even brought back the classic Amazing cover logo (replacing that jagged monstrosity from the Clone Saga). He also reunited Peter and Mary Jane, who had been separated for a while. However, it has become clear to me that he's very much in the vein of most writers these days: trying to write the book in his own style, with little regard for what has come before, and trying to shoehorn himself into the character's history. And he's made a mess that someone else will have to clean up down the road. There are two breeds of comic book writer: the writer who wants to tell good stories in *service* of a character (and using the characters' personalities as launching pads for stories), and the writer who wants to *use* the character as a tool to tell *their* stories. Guess which category JMS fits into?


All in all, JMS' run has featured an abundance of mystical foes and conflicts (Magic has never worked well in the Spider-Man books. He's more of a science-fiction/soap opera-lite kinda guy.), and a lack of attention to the works of previous writers, preferring to completely rework the characters' history and make it all his own. JMS' version of Spider-Man is constantly swearing, fighting magic-powered foes, and making jokes that aren't really his style.


Speaking of swearing, the sheer number of swear words in Amazing Spider-Man has gone up considerably since JMS took over. Now, the use of such foul language may be seen by some micro-brained aging fanboys as more "realistic", but it pulls the book into a different tone. Also, Spider-Man has rarely sworn in 40-some years, and all of a sudden he's become a pottymouth. Sure, the censorship of the Comics Code Authority had something to do with the lack of swearing all that time, but you can't just take something that's been established--Peter Parker rarely swears--and turn it on its head (Well, if you're JMS, you think you can...). It feels deeply, deeply wrong to me, and totally inappropriate for what SHOULD be an all-ages character. Sure, proanity has become a staple of our culture, but that doesn't make it right. Fact of the matter is, anyone can swear. It takes intellect and class (traits which Peter Parker used to possess) to conduct oneself without resorting to foul language to get one's point across.

From ASM # 30/471-514 (a span of 43 issues and 3 years), there have been an astonishing 88 instances of foul language, a *major* change from 40 years and 470 issues with little-to-no swearing (if you counted up all the swear words in Amazing Spider-Man from 1962-2001, you'd probably get only a handful). I would have included the present-day stuff in this tally, but I quit after ASM # 514.

The JMS/Amazing Spider-Man Swear Word Tally:

"Hell": 39 times
"Damn" or "Damned": 36 times
"Ass" or "Asses": 4 times
"Bastard": 4 times
"Bitch": 1 time
"Pissed": 1 time
"Chrissakes": 1 time
"Thweet Jethuth!" ("Sweet Jesus!"): 1 time

And, of course, how could we forget an incomplete "Shi--": 1 time.

A whopping 43 of these occurrences have come from Peter Parker/Spider-Man himself. Hardly the character several generations of readers grew up with. The guy who was intelligent and kind, but who could still be a total wiseguy when in costume. But he didn't have to resort to foul language.


Fact of the matter is, Spider-Man DOES NOT SWEAR (with very rare exceptions in the past).


Also, the thought balloons that Spidey and writer Stan Lee made so popular in the old days are mostly gone, replaced with pseudo-Frank Miller first-person narrative captions. The thing about thought balloons is that they give the reader a window into the character's immediate thoughts (although the balloons can be clunky, especially when used for exposition). With captions, it's as if the character is talking directly to the reader and leading the reader through the events, sort of (Except it's in present tense--for example--"He hits me hard, so I hit him harder"-- that kind of thing.). Spider-Man was the character who really popularized thought balloons in superhero comics, and now he's been stripped of them.

He's also been stripped of his supporting cast. Once upon a time, Spider-Man had the best supporting cast *ever*. Aunt May, J. Jonah Jameson, Flash Thompson, Betty Brant, and on and on. To be fair, JMS inherited this problem, but he hasn't even made an attempt to give Spidey a supporting cast, or bring back any old cast members. In interviews, JMS has said that he felt Spidey was being crowded out of his own book by the cast, and while this is a danger, I feel that as long as the balance is right, the supporting cast is integral to the book. If a lonely guy (whose is surrounded only by his wife and his aunt) is running around playing superhero, where's the heart? The supporting cast and the very pro-friends/pro-family feel of the book has been a vital component of Spider-Man's success from the beginning. Many of the very best Spider-Man stories deal with the supporting cast's human dramas and conflicts, which are just as interesting as the super-heroic aspects of the series. Spider-Man is not a lonely vigilante like the Punisher. He has friends and family and co-workers. He has arguments and reconciliations. He's a real person, with real problems!

Here's a rundown of what I feel are the big errors/problems in the first chunk of JMS' run (some are personal opinion, some are cold, hard fact):

Amazing Spider-Man # 30/471:

Pg. 5, panel 1:

SPIDER-MAN (thought balloon): "The FF have pockets in their uniforms. Reed Richards' alone are huge!"

To my knowledge, the Fantastic Four don't have pockets in their uniforms.

Pg. 9 shows us a never-before-seen diner (the 4-Star Diner) that Peter used to hang out at (Retcon! Why not the Coffee Bean or the Silver Spoon?). We see a flashback of young Peter (with glasses, so he's still in high school), Flash Thompson...and Harry Osborn and Gwen Stacy (who Peter didn't meet until college). To be fair, this may be the error of artist John Romita Jr.

We also see Peter going back to his high school, PS 108, which, until now, was always known as Midtown High.

Spider-Man later meets a man with powers similar to his named Ezekiel, who makes Peter wonder if his powers came from something other than a radioactive spider bite (the spider may have been trying to give him the powers, only to be zapped by radiation). This is JMS' pointless idea that the spider that bit Peter needed an origin and motivation (I can see it now--"The Adventures of the Amazing Spider, Before it Bit Peter Parker".). Seems to me like JMS thought, "Gee, a radioactive spider bite isn't realistic enough--and I didn't come up with that idea, therefore it sucks--so let's make Peter Parker the latest in a long line of Spider-Men, worshipping at the eight feet of the almighty Spider-Totem." UHHHHGGGHHHH!!!!

This is symptomatic of the new breed of "professionals" running the industry today. These are the fanboys who have all sorts of irrelevant and irreverent questions to ask which just aren't what superhero comics need to be about. These are the people who really don't give a flying fig about the characters and their history, or the work that has preceded them. They just want to be "revolutionary", make their "mark" on the characters, or do it in their own "style". Who cares if Spider-Man had a definitive origin, powers, cast, and history, as envisioned by his past creators, right?


This issue also introduced Morlun, a vampiric new villain with incredible strength and stamina who...*sigh*...feeds on the energies of "totem"-powered heroes. And his next target is Spider-Man.


From a Newsarama interview with JMS:

http://www.newsarama.com/marvelnew/Spider-Man/amazing/Straczynski.htm


NRAMA: "Any changes to the status quos of the iconic heroes of Marvel and DC comes with it criticism from fans who don't like anyone messing with established canon. With your earlier revelations about the nature of Peter's powers and the animal totems and now further mystical goings on in the “The Other”, you seem to almost rewriting Peter's simple "radioactive Spider" origin.

First of all, why the change and introduction of the mystical elements? Did you also have reservations about Spider-Man's original origin, despite its almost revered nature?"

JMS: "I've never had a problem with Spidey's origin. My job, in coming into the book, was to try and look at things in new ways without actually changing anything or disrespecting the work of those who came before me. The question I asked was...was Peter destined to be bitten by the spider? Was it an accident or was it fate?

Is that a mystical element, or a philosophical one? It's not like I introduced some wacky idea that nobody's ever heard of before. Notions of predestination and fate are as much a part of our culture as the air we breathe. I sometimes see people complaining about "all this mystical crap", but that's really a misnomer, and I don't see that radical a contradiction. In one of the last Ezekiel stories, the shaman Peter meets says, "You can tell me all the reasons WHY the sun rises in the morning, all the laws of thermodynamics and celestial rotation...and I can tell you that the sun rises in the morning because it is DESTINED to rise in the morning.” Is that really such a contradiction?" I didn't think so then, and I don't think so now.

The notion of the spider as part of his consciousness is also not that far a reach given that he has all these other attributes...it's as though some people said, "Okay, he can take 18% of what a spider is but 20% is completely out of line." Why? Why not 20%? Or 25% as long as it stems from and is consistent with what happened in the first place. And the totemistic aspects of the story are elements that Peter has never really bought into. He sees them as metaphor, and an interesting aspect of all this, but he's never, ever signed off on them as being the end-all answer. Nor have I.

So no, I've never had a problem with the origin, it's one of the classic origins of all time, and I have no desire to muck about with it. I might tilt the mirror a little, to get some different ways of looking at it, but change it? No. Never."

NRAMA: "We make it a point never to assume online criticism represents the majority of readership, but in a case where you're are changing something so familiar to people, do you accept it, expect it, ignore it? All of the above?"

JMS: "Again, I disagree with the premise of the question. I don't think I've actually changed anything that couldn't be reversed or reconsidered later. I've added to the filigree around it, but not changed it. As to the reactions online...I'm very cautious in what I take in from that environment. There was a great cartoon published years ago in, I think, the New Yorker, where a kid hasn't spoken for his whole life up to age six, then one day at breakfast he says, "The eggs are cold." The parents are astounded...why hasn't he spoken before? "Because until now, everything was fine."

People are always more quick to say what they don't like than to put forth or defend what they do...so on balance you're always going to find more negative than positive discourse on just about any topic.

More specifically to this...again, you have to be very careful to give proper weight to what you see. Are there ten different complaints on ten different boards, or ten complaints from three people who go to every board covering that character and say essentially the same things, over and over, giving the sense of greater numbers than there actually are...in kind of an echo-chamber effect? I've seen too many cases online when someone says they don't like something - any book, really - and someone says, "No, I liked it," and the others shout him down, deriding his opinion until they basically drive out everyone except those who want to sit around chewing on people.

Now, is that an all-encompassing statement? No, of course not, there's a lot of valid and well-considered criticism out there. Is the preceding statement true more than it is false? Yes. And that's the irony, by the way...critics feel free to criticize you and your work all they want, but the moment you turn around and criticize them, that's behaving out of line, that's being intolerant of criticism, when it has nothing to do with criticism and everything to do with trying to maintain a level playing field. There are a very small but very vocal bunch of guys who love to punch everybody else, but if you punch back, they go crying back to mama and screaming foul. Sorry, but the street has to go both ways if it's going to work properly.

Most online fans (certainly the folks reading this on Newsarama) don't fall into this category; they love a certain book or character, they have a proper and vested interest in seeing that character treated properly, and they can be your best allies if you wander off the road. They understand what all of us who work with Marvel understand - that the only reason we write these books is that we're fans as well. And fans can disagree. That's the nature of fandom. The key is to be open to all kinds of ideas, whether you (or I) initially agree with them or not.

Poisoning the well a bit is the degree of disinformation out there, which gains currency through repetition. For instance, there's the myth that I told fans who didn't like the 9/11 Amazing Spider-Man issue to move out of their parents basement and stop breeding. Not true. There was one specific person who was pissed off because he didn't understand why Marvel was making such a big deal out of 9/11 when Galactus and the Sentinels have destroyed New York many times over.

I'm sorry, but if you actually believe that attention should not be paid to a real-life disaster because it's been done in the comics, then you do need to move out of your parents' basement. But what a few of the online critics did was to take that out of context and say I said it of all fans. Never happened. Never said it. But because a few people are determined to make trouble, and stir the pot, and make me (or somebody else) look bad...they put it out there, and people read it, and think that's what happened, and think, "Boy, that JMS is a jerk," which would be absolutely true if I actually said it.

Finally...and I hope this will be the last of it for a bit...I've learned over the years that any time you do any kind of writing, you're going to have a bell-curve shaped response. Some people will love it uncritically, which doesn't really serve you any more than the similar number of people who will hate it uncritically. The majority of people will be somewhere toward the middle. As long as you keep most of the people in the middle, or slanted slightly toward the like-it end of the spectrum, you're doing what you're supposed to be doing. Because you can't do anything worthwhile without honking off someone. It's simply not possible.

Though it's a bit harsher than how I come at this, on balance I tend to side with what Teddy Roosevelt said: "It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes short again and again, who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause, who at best knows achievement and who at the worst if he fails at least fails while daring greatly so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."

So, what I take from the online discussions is a sense of the room, and a tendency to look for actual, well-founded criticism. If someone says just "It sucks," then I have to ignore that because you can't do otherwise, you can't argue matters of taste. If someone says, "I didn't like it because B did not proceed logically from A, this aspect over here doesn't make sense," and performs what every writing instructor understands as constructive criticism, my heart leaps up in happiness because I love to learn from informed criticism. If someone can punch an actual logic hole in what I've just written, I love it, and I learn from it, and I will move heaven and earth to correct that flaw in my writing. But there's a difference between matters of personal taste and a flawed work, and there are always a few folks who don't get the distinction."



Well, well, well.

JMS says that "the only reason we write these books is that we're fans as well".

That's saying a lot. There was once a time when writing comics was a JOB, a PROFESSION, something done to PAY BILLS, NOT a fanboy jerk-off contest. Certainly, in order to write something, a writer must LIKE what they are writing about and must be knowledgeable about it (hence, a "fan"), but it is still a JOB, not a HOBBY. Thus, it requires at least a small degree of professionalism.


And the man's hubris knows no bounds. He did not "tilt the mirror" on Spider-Man's origin. He shattered it. This new interpretation is not something Peter Parker sees as a "metaphor" or a "possibility". As of The Other (which we'll get to below), all the "mystical crap" has proven to be 100% true. Peter's powers now have a spiritual side (even a voice from beyond that speaks to him), and he's retroactively had this bizarre "Totemistic" spider-presence inside him all along (cuz he's the latest in a long line of Spider-Men chosen by the Spider-God), but has "refused to embrace it"...until now.


But no, that's NOT a departure from an accidental radioactive spider bite, is it? That's NOT disrespecting the past works of others, is it??? He still got bitten, right??? No one cares about the details, right????


The man is either delusional, or he is a liar. Take your pick.



JMS: "My job, in coming into the book, was to try and look at things in new ways without actually changing anything or disrespecting the work of those who came before me."


....this is a flat-out LIE.







In ASM # 31/472 (Pg. 3, panel 3), we see Gwen Stacy once again in a flashback to Peter's *high school* days.

ASM # 32/473: Ezekiel says that Peter's animal-inspired enemies (Dr. Octopus, the Lizard, the Rhino, etc.) are also powered by "Totems", and that's why they're always after Spider-Man. Bleh! Most of Peter's foes started out with their own agendas, and didn't even care about Spidey until he busted up their operations. There's no mystical energy field that controls their destinies! It's all a lot of simple tricks and nonsense! Totally absurd.

Pg. 17, panel 4 has a flashback to Spidey's origin. The dialogue as the Burglar runs past him here is:

GUARD: "Stop! Thief!"

SPIDER-MAN: "Not my problem."

Additional dialogue also reinforces the idea that Peter was 15 at the time of the spider bite ("I was 15 years old."). Keep that in mind.

ASM # 35/476:

Morlun and Spidey battle, as the vampiric villain wants to drain Spider-Man of his energy. Spidey notes that he's never fought anyone as strong as Morlun, and that he hits harder than the Hulk (if this were so, Spidey would be a bloody smear on the ground). After nearly getting killed, Spidey injects his blood with radiation, and as a result, Morlun gets deathly ill when trying to feed on him (since this dilutes the purity of Spider-Man's "totemistic energies"). Uuuggghhh.

Later, a battered Peter goes home and falls asleep. Soon after, Aunt May walks in and discovers Peter's shredded Spider-Man costume, and finally learns the truth...and Peter's spider-sense never goes off (as it has before in similar situations, even when he's been asleep). This also radically alters the tone of the series, and changes Aunt May's character (not that she's done well since she came back from the dead...).

In ASM # 36/477 (The September 11th issue, Pg. 9), we see several super-villains in New York at Ground Zero...and Doctor Doom cries. I'm aware this was a special issue, but Victor Von Doom would *never*, ever do that, even under those circumstances. And JMS has the audacity to imply that the terrorists' actions on that horrible day were somehow the fault of these United States of America (not unlike Bill Maher, whose talk show, Politically Incorrect, was cancelled by ABC as a result of his similar rantings).

ASM # 38/479 deals with Aunt May's knowledge of Peter's secret. They have a long talk, and all the issues between them are dealt with...

...completely undercutting 40 years of history. This is the kind of closure that might be okay for the very *last* Spider-Man story ever, but that's not what this is. Spider-Man is motivated by his guilt of Ben Parker's death, his sense of responsibility in using his powers for the good of others, and his fear that May will learn his secret (and maybe die from the shock). That is the core concept of his character. So, what does JMS do? He eliminates two out of those three vital elements.

Also, we get another flashback to the incident at the TV studio, but this time, the dialogue has changed:

Pg. 10, panel 2:

GUARD: "Stop him!"

SPIDER-MAN: "Why? What's in it for me?"

Pg. 12-13: We get a retconned account of Uncle Ben's death. Any fan who's read ASM (vol. 1) # 1 or # 200 knows that Ben and May were together in the Parker home when Ben was shot and killed, and he died in her arms. Well, in this new version, Ben and May have an argument, he leaves the house, and she "never saw him again" (presumably, this is an echo of the first Spider-Man film, in which Ben is killed outside the New York Public Library by a carjacker). Now MAYcan feel guilty about Ben's death so Peter doesn't have to? Totally absurd.

ASM # 45/486: JMS actually pokes fun at fan complaints regarding his whole "the spider that bit Peter needs an origin" idea with a discussion between Mr. Devereaux, the producer of the Lobster-Man movie (which MJ is working on), and Mr. Fettes, a writer. How..."funny". *koff* Is a "professional" comic book really the place to poke fun at the fanbase's criticism of one's writing?

Pg. 4, panel 7 through Pg. 5, panels 1-2:

FETTES: "They don't like the Lobster-Man origin. They said it was stupid and improbable and not deep enough. What the hell does that mean?"

MARY JANE: "How was he created?"

FETTES: "By a bite from a radioactive lobster."

DEVEREAUX: "Here we go again..."

FETTES: "*They* want something bigger, like he was summoned to the job by...get this...some kind of Giant Lobster God!"

DEVEREAUX: "Fettes...be reasonable..."

FETTES: "Reasonable? It's moronic. Everyone on the internet who heard the rumor about this thinks it's stupid."

DEVEREAUX: "People on the internet thing everything is stupid until they see it...then the next thing you know they're having it tattooed on their butts. Look Fettes...radiation is passe. It is so last-century. We have to move on, create new myths for a new audience. Besides, if it's a Lobster God rather than a one-time-only accident we can have all kinds of sequels...Lobster-Boy and Lobster-Girl and the Evil Lobster-Man, you name it. We have to deal with the real world here, Fettes."


JMS really shouldn't be using The Amazing Spider-Man as a forum to defend his stories. And the fact that he's dumping on the work that came before him is really insulting. ACCEPT THE CONCEITS OF THE CHARACTERS, RADIOACTIVE SPIDER BITE AND ALL, OR FIND ANOTHER JOB/HOBBY.



ASM # 47/488 (Pg. 3, panel 1):

PETER: "If my teachers hadn't taken the time to see something of value in me, and encourage me in science and photography, who knows where I would've ended up."

Wrong. Peter stumbled into photography quite by accident, since he needed money and saw that Jonah Jameson wanted pictures of the Vulture (ASM vol. 1# 2). In fact, his dual life as both Spider-Man and a photojournalist has often *prevented* him from working in the field he should be in, science.


Pg. 13, panel 4: While fighting Shathra (Or is that "Sh**hra"?):

SPIDER-MAN (thought): "For the first time in my life, I want to kill something."

Wrong-o, JMS. Spider-Man has been driven into a murderous rage many times over the years (Remember when he nearly beat the Green Goblin to death in ASM # 122? Remember when he crippled Stan Carter in Spectacular # 110? Remember when he wanted to kill Vermin in Spectacular Spider-Man's "The Child Within"? Remember when he violently attacked Ben Reilly in Spectacular # 226 after finding out he was "really" a clone? Remember when he tried to kill the Green Goblin in Peter Parker: Spider-Man # 75?Need I go on?).



In ASM # 52/493 (Pg. 21), Peter drives a car. Great, except he's never been shown to be a good driver...and he DOESN'T HAVE A DRIVER'S LICENSE (although he presumably got a motorcycle license when he bought his cycle back in the old days)! Remember the Spider-Mobile fiasco from the original Clone Saga?


ASM # 54/495 (Pg. 5, panel 7): "There are moments I'm glad I have a spider on my chest. The heavy embroidery is the only thing keeping my heart from exploding."

Unless Peter's changed the material his costume is composed of, this is wrong. The colors, symbols, and web-pattern on his costume have always been *silk-screened* (with colored dyes), not embroidered.

On the last page of ASM # 54/495, it is revealed that Peter donated a large sum of money to PS 108, with the result being a plaque stating that an adjoining building is the "Future Site of The Gwen Stacy Memorial Library, Funds Provided by Anonymous Donor". Nice. JMS showed a little respect to Gwendy, with no hint of the horrors to come.


ASM # 58/499: As Spidey gets lost in time, he goes back to his origin. There, we see Flash Thompson, Harry Osborn, and (presumably) Liz Allan in the crowd at the science exhibit. First of all, the beginning of Amazing Fantasy # 15 shows Peter going to the science demonstration *alone*, as Flash and the others take off to party. Second, Harry Osborn did *not* attend high school with Peter!


For ASM # "59", the numbering system finally goes back to that of the original volume, so this is ASM # 500. Good.

Pg. 2, panel 1:

SPIDER-MAN: "I'm looking at me at 17, as the irradiated spider falls toward my hand."

Gee, it's been well-established that Peter was *15* years old at the time of the spider bite, not 17. JMS is contradicting himself. This is neither the first nor the last time this will happen...), because in ASM # 32/473, Peter (correctly) said he was 15 at the time.

Pgs. 12-19 feature Spider-Man traveling through time and having to relive some his first battles with the Sandman (ASM # 4), the Vulture (ASM # 2), the Lizard (ASM # 6), and Electro (ASM # 9).

Aside from the fact that as portrayed here, the battles are not in chronological order, the circumstances and the villains' dialogue do not match the originals.

Pg. 20 recounts "Bennet" (JMS spells his name wrong here. It's "Bennett") Brant's death from ASM # 11, and has different dialogue for Betty than what appeared in the original story.

Pgs. 21-22 show Spidey's first battles with Mysterio (ASM # 13) and the Incredible Hulk (ASM # 14). The same problems as on pages 12-19 apply, as well as the Hulk saying "Hulk Smash!" (Which he never said in ASM # 14 because it wasn't his catchphrase yet, and because he wasn't that dumb yet.).

*Sigh*. Pages 24-25 recount the death of none other than Gwen Stacy in ASM # 121.

First of all, Gwen is *conscious* in this skewed version, unlike in ASM # 121.

Second, she screams, "Help!", and then "Heeeelllp!" as she falls of the bridge. Wrong, wrong, wrong.

On pages 35-38, Dr. Strange gives Peter a birthday present: Five minutes with the dearly departed Uncle Ben Parker. This feels *deeply* wrong. It brings a sense of closure to the series that shouldn't be there. This might be okay if it were the *last* Spider-Man story ever, but it isn't. The whole *point* of the series is that Peter lost someone he can never get back because of his own selfish actions. Getting a chance to be forgiven by Ben's ghost (or whatever) eases his guilt. Between this and his heart-to-heart with Aunt May in ASM # 38/479, he might as well give up being Spider-Man, because one of his primary motivations--guilt--is gone (or lessened a great deal). He also swears in front of Ben and even calls him "Ben" instead of "Uncle Ben". Does all this seem right to you?

Pg. 36, panel 2: We get an account of Ben's death from Ben himself (or his ghost or whatever):

BEN: "I was just coming back to May, we'd had a fight, and I was walking in the door..."

This implies that Ben simply walked in the door and was shot (this sorta jives with the whole "your uncle surprised him" line from Amazing Fantasy # 15, but not with anything else), but we saw the circumstances of Ben's death in ASM # 200, and this doesn't match. Retcon!!!!

ASM # 501 (Pgs. 21-22) shows a "mass" grave marker for the Parkers. Richard and Mary's (Peter's parents) and Uncle Ben's names are on this singular marker, with one open spot (presumably for Aunt May). Wrong. They've all been shown in the past to have separate graves/markers (such as Ben and May's side-by-side markers in ASM # 400, and Richard and Mary's markers in Spectacular Spider-Man # 183).

ASM # 504 (Pg. 1) Spider-Man and Loki (the megalomaniacal Asgardian God and the Mighty Thor's evil stepbrother) sit on a roof and eat hot dogs. Totally absurd. Even Wizard magazine cited this as one of the weirdest comic book moments of 2004 (and that's saying something).

ASM # 506 revisits the Spider-Totem origin nonsense, and tries to explain Peter's spider-sense along those lines. More pointless quantification and "realism" injected into what is supposed to be a fun fantasy book.

ASM # 507: (pgs. 16-17) Flash, Liz, and Harry are again shown at the science demonstration from Amazing Fantasy # 15 in a flashback.

It is also revealed in this issue that Peter was chosen by the Spider-Totem to receive spider-powers because he was an underdog who was full of rage, and who could lash out at his tormentors instead of trying to capitalize on his power like others might. Uhhh...yeah. Sure. Could you remind me just *who* exactly became a television star for several weeks (maybe even months) after he was bitten by a radioactive spider? What's next? Will it be revealed that the Spider-Totem somehow *arranged* Ben Parker's death in order to get Peter onto the right track????

ASM # 508 *finally* ends the whole Totem/Ezekiel arc. It also shows the retconned mass Parker grave from ASM # 501, and again shows Harry Osborn in a flashback to Peter's high school days. It also cops out and says that the "Totem origin" for Spider-Man's powers may or may not be the correct one (Can't stand by your convictions, JMS?). Bleh.

The thing about this whole "Totem" idea is that it's more mystical claptrap (Spider-Man has always been a *science-fiction*-based hero, like most of the other classic Marvel characters), and it also means that Peter Parker wasn't an 'everyman" who was *accidentally* bitten by that spider. Marvel's classic heroes have almost all been *ordinary people* who accidentally became superheroes (a high school student, a surgeon, a lawyer, a doctor, a group of teenagers from different backgrounds attending a special school, etc.), whereas most of DC's classic heroes were either aliens, demi-gods, scientists, test pilots, cops, or millionaire playboys. This is just one more thing in a long line trying to make Spider-Man unique instead of universal.


So, to review, in his run prior to (and during) Sins Past, JMS gave us, among other things:

A Ramirez-type character (from the Highlander films) to mentor Peter.
A bizarre new origin for Spider-Man, which is supposed to be more "realistic" and "deeper" than an accidental radioactive spider bite.
Morlun, the one-note vampire-rip-off who has a boring name and whose fashion sense isn't very flashy for a Spider-Man villain.
Shathra, another boring, mystical character.
A new version of Doctor Octopus.
A Maffia version of the Hulk.
The Gray Goblin and Gwen Stacy Lite.
Norman Osborn being behind everything. Again.

So basically, just a bunch of villains who either died, or were rip-offs of other characters.

And immediately after Sins Past, a new villain who was basically a rip-off of the Molten Man. A rip-off that took up four issues. *Four*.



IV. SINS PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE:

Okay, here we go. The whole frickin' point of this essay: a little monstrosity called "Sins Past". I was planning on quitting Amazing around this time ASM # 509 came out, as I'd grown sick and tired of JMS' run. Still I decided to pick up Sins Past and give him one more chance. What a mistake that was! Rest assured, I have not bought a single first-run Spider-Man comic (or Marvel comic) since ASM # 514.

Still, I don't agree with all the petty and spiteful attacks that have been made against JMS and his personal life. Be critical of the *work*, not the *man*.


Anyway, to warm things up, here is a collection of quotes and interviews with JMS and Quesada (with my own comments throughout):

JMS post, 12/29/2003:

I always try to break up criticism into fair and unfair, productive and counter-productive, and I think that's a fair criticism. When I came onto the book, it had been angst ridden and kind of a downer for so long that one of the things I wanted to do was make it a fun book, the kind of book you feel good about reading.

Of course, the trouble with this is that it necessitates less ambitious stories because you only get the big stories by putting your character up a tree and throwing really big rocks at him.

Having said that, though, I think I'm nearing the limit of what I can handle on primarily fun stories...I think it's about time to start throwing rocks at him again.

We all come up snake-eyes sooner or later, y'know....

jms



So he visualizes the process of telling "ambitious" stories by imagining he's throwing rocks at a classic character? Bah. As we'll later see, JMS describes Gwen Stacy as "the biggest rock I could find".


How "respectful". How "dignified". That's not drama. That's not suspense. That's *attacking* the characters and the conceits of their world. Ugh!

And how has he made Spider-Man "fun"? Bloody battles with Shathra and Morlun? Lots of swearing? A mentor, Ezekiel, who turns out to be a Spider-God-worshiping villain? No supporting cast? Peter being mutilated and then turning into a murderous spider-totem-monster???

"Fun".

Yeah.

Sure.



Here are some of Joe Quesada's comments from an interview at Newsarama:

http://www.newsarama.com/pages/Marvel/JoeQ4Years.htm

NRAMA: "What was your initial response when JMS pitched that idea?"

JQ: "Well, you'd have to start a bit before the idea. One day Joe and I were discussing Spidey's future and what approach to take. Should we plan a big event in 2004, what kind of event would it be?? I mentioned to Joe that from what I could see having now been in comics almost 14 years, memorable Spider-Man events are constructed differently than X-Men events. To me, the best X-Men events are very much event driven for lack of a better word, big blockbuster movie type stuff. The best Spider-Man events have been more soap opera driven, "soap opera" in a very traditional Stan Lee sort of way. Stan was and to this day is a very big advocate of keeping things stirred up so I asked Joe to think along those lines. As we spoke about this I could see Joe's evil genius going to work which is pretty impressive since we were discussing it over e-mail. It was only a short time later that I had an e-mail from Joe laying out the seeds of this idea he had that at it's core was a Stan Lee-esque soap opera like no other. I was blown away."


Yeah, sure. Sins Past is *just* like a Stan Lee story. Sheesh.


JQ: "Internally I mention the concept to our editorial staff, there was two basic reactions. One was people blown away; the other was shock and awe. The shock and awe was the same exact thing that I saw when we first mentioned Origin nearly four years ago, “You can't do that!" I knew right at that moment that we had a hit on our hands. What's funny is that I've seen that look within the office at least three other times when discussing our plans for 2005 and 2006, man it's going to be a great couple of years for all our True Believers!"



Would these be the same "True Believers" about whom Quesada has laughingly relished the thought of "pissing off" more than once?



JQ: 'Sins Past' has more than delivered everything that it promised and thanks to Joe's genius, it's laying the seeds for some incredible Spider-Man stories yet to come."


Stories like "Sins Remembered", which is quite awful in and of itself?



NRAMA: "At the same time though, there are fans out there that are literally angry at the changes those who feel betrayed by the return of a dead character, likewise by the revelations about Gwen; and angered by the death of their favorite characters. From your chair, how do you deal with that? Is it a good thing to treat characters in a manner that some readers will see as “disrespectful?"

JQ: "These are characters in a fictional world, they have been created by us flesh and blood folk to serve as tools in helping us convey stories that entertain, anger, sadden, enlighten, etc, etc. It's my job as Marvel EiC to keep Marvel fans on the edge of their seats, to make sure they don't know what to expect next, to make sure that the Marvel U is and exciting and unpredictable world and to do it with the best creators in the world. It's not my job to keep the status quo; someone else can have that job! Fans will always complain, it is part of being a fanatic, but as I've often said before, think of all the great moments in comics, think of all the watershed moments, what do they all have in common? A radical change to the status quo.



Yes, that's the ticket, Quesada! Radical changes always mean a sales boost! Look at the spectator boom (and the Clone Saga)! Oh, wait. Those were *temporary* sales spikes, and the books were left gutted and the characters mangled. Yup. Those fanatics are idiots to complain. Yessiree.



NRAMA: "So, killing Aunt May (for real) would be off limits, given both her importance to the mythos and her continued presence in the films…but after that? Obviously, Gwen’s history was something that could be used as an element?"

JQ: "Yes. Changing some of the Gwen backstory does little to affect the Peter/Spider-Man world outside of watching Peter grow as a character and the cast grow as people. It changes our way of thinking about Gwen, but she's been deader longer than many of our readers have been alive. Also, I think that when the story is finally told it makes her that more human to us and especially to Peter. I don't think he'll love her any less in the end if anything, this just brings her closer. In many ways, the goal behind our comics is for us to convey many heroic or valuable lessons, they are modern day morality plays to some extent. Peter forgives and understands what happened with Gwen, yet some readers can’t seem to get past it, I find that interesting but hopefully some people find it enlightening. I can’t tell you how many women I talk to that find it completely engaging and telling."


Little to affect Peter and his world? LITTLE???? The fact that his girlfriend cheated on him with his worst enemy and had his children and now those children are on the loose and MJ lied to Peter for years and years doesn't change anything????

Spider-Man has always been about people, emotions, and consequences. This dreck is saying that there are no consequences regarding Gwen's indiscretion and no emotional consequences for Peter discovering this little factoid. Bah!

And Gwen *was* human. It seems Quesada and JMS feel that being "more human" means having to cheat on one's true love and make all sorts of other "realistic" mistakes. Would Captain America be "more human" if he suddenly became a Communist? Would Reed Richards be "more human" if he spontaneously became a drug addict? Would Jean Grey be "more human" if she quit the X-Men and became a porn star? Believe it or not, there are genuinely good people out there in this world, and comic book super-heroes are supposed to represent the BEST in us. But I guess the best of us aren't "realistic" enough to be represented in the Marvel Comics of the new millennium. Bah!

And just what is the moral "lesson" of this story? To instantly forgive a cheating girlfriend? To stay with a cheater no matter what?

And that whole "I can’t tell you how many women I talk to that find it completely engaging and telling" thing seems like total B.S. to me.


And from an interview with JMS at Fanboyplanet:

http://www.fanboyplanet.com/interviews/mc-jms1.php


Fanboy Planet: "Judging from internet reaction to the latest storyline in Amazing Spider-Man, you’ve alienated almost as many fans as you brought onboard in the first place. Did you know you’d be causing such an uproar? How do you respond to fans so angry they claim they’re dropping the book?"

J. Michael Straczynski: "I don't buy the premise behind the question. The thing about the internet is that you have to be careful not to confuse volume with numbers.

There are some folks who are very visibly and audibly perturbed at the storyline, and they are all over the place registering their annoyance. You see the same people -- sometimes under the same names, sometimes under alternate names -- posting the same messages on different systems. If 6 people leave 30 messages apiece in different places, it seems like there's something big going on...but there isn't.

Over on the Marvel newsgroup, you've got maybe about ten to twelve people who are bugged at the story and continuing the discussion. Ditto for the comicboards.com forum, and most of the others. And again, there's a lot of overlap. This out of a readership of well over a hundred thousand per issue.

And for every bugged reader, two or three more come out of the closet -- most publicly, a few privately -- to say that no, they like what's being done. The problem, of course, is that you will always hear more from those who don't like something than from those who do. That's as cold certain a fact as you can ever find, and any person with a background in public opinion measurement will tell you that. So I really don't put a lot of stock in it, and I think your assumption isn't supported by the numbers. Three people shouting in a room of thirty makes for a loud room...but again you have to separate volume from numbers."



This is all true. There's no way to accurately gauge how many people like or hate this story based solely on Internet reactions. Perhaps the best way to do that is through sales...except that the Direct Market drives the industry now instead of newsstands and drugstores, and so those results are just as skewed. The only real answer, then, is *TIME*, the one thing no shoddy story can withstand. We'll see just how beloved this story is in five or ten years...




JMS: "What's significant, perhaps more significant, are the sheer number of people who have come back to the title, drawn in by the Sins Past storyline. A lot of folks have said publicly, and privately (more the former than the latter, which is good) that they'd kind of lost interest over the years because nothing was really being done with the characters, nothing was changing, and they were glad to see somebody actually doing something with the characters that showed them in a new light. Retailers are increasing their orders."


This is the kind of "controversy spike" that the big events of the Spectator Boom brought in. As stated, only time will reveal the truth. And time seems to be proving me right, as sales for Amazing seem to have undergone only a temporary spike, and have gone down since Sins Past.



JMS: "And for good or bad, for the first time in a long time, people are talking about the title and arguing about it...and that's a positive thing."



True. But the subject matter and the nasty infighting between bitter fans is so awful, I'd almost rather avoid it all. And, y'know the fact that a bunch of people have quit Spider-Man (and even quit Marvel altogether) doesn't seem so "positive"...



JMS: "Storytelling means you have to take chances. Look over at the competitors...what was done with Jason Todd, or Hal Jordan over the years, or others there and at Marvel...if you don't shake things up once in a while, the book stagnates. Yeah, you could do a book just for the core fans, for people who don't want to see any changes at all...but you'd be selling maybe fifteen thousand books a month, and it would go out of print instantly. If you don't take chances and try things, you're just telling the same story over and over...yeah, the costumes change, but it's all just fights."



*Ahem*. Superman, Batman, and Captain America, among others, stayed basically the same (in terms of artwork style, personalities, villains, and supporting casts) for some 20 years during the Golden Age of Comics. And sales were phenomenal. By building up an iconic character and maintaining that character, generations of readers can enjoy it. Knocking out the foundation of a character's world every few years for a short-term sales boost runs counter to that.

And writers like Stan Lee, Roger Stern, John Byrne, etc. are very good at providing the *illusion* of change by altering surface details (like costumes, supporting casts, etc.), but leaving the core concepts of the characters (as originally created) intact. A comic book can use the same basic formula for years and years without stagnating...as long as there's a good writer at the helm, one who will not strip-mine the past for his own aggrandizement. And the whole Hal Jordan thing is a fine example of what *not* to do to freshen up a book (totally betraying the basic nature of a classic character in order to introduce a newer, younger, "hipper" character). Fans complained so much about DC's disgraceful treatment of Hal Jordan for ten years that DC finally relented and brought Jordan back as Green Lantern and redeemed him, just as will almost certainly happen with Gwen Stacy, given enough time (not bringing her back, just redeeming her).


JMS: "And you can't make just safe changes because a) it's not a change, and b) there's no such thing. Lots of people who said they didn't like the Gwen aspect said they'd prefer it if it had happened to MJ...and the MJ fans arose with torches and pitchforks to put down THAT idea. It becomes a matter of whose oxen are being gored.

And I will say that some of the criticism is itself, in my opinion, out of line in terms of the rage directed not against me but against Gwen. Do a Google search for Gwen's first name and the words slut, whore and tramp. Some of these people, who claim she is an important character, someone they care about, were the first ones to go right to calling her a whore because she had sex. To call someone -- ANYone -- a slut, a whore, or a tramp because she had sex (apparently just the one time) shows some deep underlying psychological issues that need to be addressed, which have nothing to do with what's inside the book and a lot to do with what's in the minds of those readers. As I said elsewhere, I've heard about the madonna/whore complex, but I've never seen it played out on this magnitude before."



I don't agree with the people calling Gwen a tramp, etc., but I understand where that *emotion* is coming from. If you were Peter, how would you feel if your significant other cheated on you behind you back and had children with your worst enemy? Wouldn't such a shock result in some angry name-calling? Wouldn't you feel betrayed and angry? And for the fans who cared about Gwen, who liked her, then wouldn't they feel just as betrayed as Peter should have felt? Frankly, the version of Gwen presented in Sins Past (who bears no resemblance to the Gwen of yore) is not a very likable person. She's very flawed, very stupid, and very selfish.


JMS: "We all make mistakes...that's part of what's at the core of Sins Past. The question is how we deal with our mistakes -- as Gwen dealt honorably and strongly with hers -- and how others deal with our mistakes -- as Peter never stops caring for Gwen even though he knows what happened. Isn't that a good message to send to people? That we can own up to our mistakes and take responsibility and try to make things better? That those we love can see our mistakes and still care for us afterward?"



Yes, it's a good message. But, JMS, you sure picked the *wrong* carrier pigeon to deliver it!



Fanboy Planet: "Are you implying that Norman Osborn has some sort of hypnotic power, or is his force of personality just that strong that he could overcome the previously virginal Gwen?"

JMS: "He has always been portrayed as a charismatic, strong-willed guy."



Strong-willed, yes. Charismatic, no.



JMS: "But look, can we get real here for a moment? Anybody out there who hasn't known at least one young woman who -- in or out of a relationship with somebody else -- hasn't made a mistake and slept with an older, possibly charismatic guy...raise your hand.

I suspect there are very few raised hands right now.

That's kind of the amusing thing, but also the shocking thing, about some of the reactions. There were people trying to come up with ways that these could be Gwen's kids, and they were suggesting -- as probable, workable solutions -- time travel, parallel dimensions, clones, a host of such ideas.

When it was suggested that she had them in the old fashioned way, by having sex, they said "THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE!" Alternate worlds and parallel dimensions and time travel and cloning are possible...but the latter is not?

We handled the aging thing by indicating that the solution Norman used to become the Goblin, which gave him an accelerated healing factor, also affected his DNA, and in turn his children's DNA, in ways consisted with accelerated biology."




Are there basically good people out there who occasionally make mistakes and lie and cheat? Yes. Problem is, Gwen was a well-defined character who just didn't have such behavior in her. She didn't do it until JMS made her do it, y'dig?

Superhero comics shouldn't deal head-on with issues like this. It's just totally inappropriate for the subject matter of the genre. These issues should be dealt with through larger-than-life metaphors, not cold, hard realism.

And the whole accelerated aging thing (JMS has brought up the medical condition known as Progeria several times to justify this shaky plot device) is a really convenient bit of writing. So now Stromm's formula bestows super-strength, intelligence, healing, and rapid aging????




JMS: "When this came out, the same small group went online to say that it would have been better if she had been raped than seduced. Better for a young woman to be raped? In what parallel universe does THAT rule exist?"



Once, again, an extreme and emotional response from a minority of the fandom that I can certainly understand (but one I don't agree with). It's not so much that it would have been "better" had Gwen been raped. It's the fact that fans *know* that Gwen Stacy wouldn't in a million years have had *consensual* sex with Norman Osborn, and so they have desperately turned to other, slightly more plausible (though just as deplorable) alternatives.


I am convinced that ONLY reason some fans have suggested that Gwen being raped by Norman would be "better" or would "fix" the story is because THAT IS MORE LOGICAL (though no less horrid) THAN THE STORY AS PUBLISHED.



JMS: "A lot of this is about guys feeling guy-power threatened...the girlfriend who chooses to have sex with another guy...the woman who chooses to have sex rather than having a man impose sex on her...the woman who, once having become "damaged goods" (in the words of some posters) is now a whore, a tramp, and a slut."



So Gwen is "strong" because she gave in to temptation, cheated on her boyfriend, and declined to even take care of the illegitimate offspring?? Call me old-fashioned, but I would think the "strong" thing do would be to...not cheat!!!!



JMS: "A lot of people who fell in love with Gwen -- and I'll admit to being one of them -- did so when she first appeared back in the 60s. But a lot of time has passed, and we're now writing for a different audience in the 2000s. Some folks want a character who doesn't change, about whom we can never learn anything new, no surprises...someone frozen in amber for all time in a state of perfection. For thirty years. Nothing new about a character in three decades. The dust is an inch thick at that point."



Gwen is dead. She's been dead for 30-plus years. Let her go. There's no need for "change"...except in the eyes of writers who keep digging Gwen up and spitting on her.




JMS: "At risk of getting long-winded...and I think it's too late...let's go back in time for a moment and return to the roots of Spider-Man and Peter Parker that some of these fans are talking about. What made Peter, and Spidey, popular, especially to geeks like me, was that he was not a perfect person. He screwed up, he got colds, he made a mistake and Ben died because of his error...perfection was anathema to the Spidey universe, and that's what made it so relevant to the rest of us who aspired to perfection but could never achieve it."



Exactly. Except that the way things are now, Peter's life is so imperfect and so full of over-the-top tragedies and identity crises that he's lost much of his appeal (and JMS isn't helping).




JMS: "Gwen was not a perfect person as Lee/Ditko (and later Lee/Romita) portrayed her. She had an on-and-off relationship with Peter, she was a flawed person...who became perfect after her death in the minds of many fans. And in some ways, she has become almost irrelevant to anyone outside Peter."



The classic creative teams treated Gwen as a person. A good person, but not without the occasional flaw. And really, it was *Peter* and his secret identity which caused most of the problems in their romance. But to have Gwen act so radically out of character by making huge "mistakes" does not fit in with that original conception of the character, no matter the rationalization.




JMS: "We have a real problem now with teen pregnancy, with people being unable to talk to each other, with relationship difficulties...how better to make the book relevant to a modern audience -- which was always the intent of ASM -- than to put one of our characters in that situation? The few who have a problem with the Gwen aspect tend to be over 40. That is a diminishing audience. What about the next generation coming in? Don't we owe them someone they can relate to in ways other than nostalgia?"



Gwen is dead. Use a character who is