Gwen Stacy’s tenure in comics has been full of surprises and angles that wouldn’t have seemed likely when she was introduced 60 years ago in The Amazing Spider-Man #31 (December 1965). A creation of Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, Gwen was a college student and romantic interest for Peter Parker. Her death in issue 121 shocked readers, causing a passionate response from Spider-Man fans. Since then, she has returned in several guises as a supporting character and as a superheroine.

On Earth-65, Gwen is Spider-Woman, aka Spider-Gwen. She is introduced as a member of Mary Jane Watson’s band, The Mary Janes, and she’s best friends with Peter Parker. Gwen gets bitten by a radioactive spider and becomes Spider-Woman as Peter seeks revenge against his bullies and is turned into that universe’s Lizard. As Spider-Woman and Lizard do battle, Peter dies during the battle because of the chemical he was using. Gwen blames herself and Spider-Woman becomes a wanted criminal with her father, the police chief, leading the charge.

One night as the Mary Janes are playing, an assassin tries to kill Gwen’s father. She suits up as Spider-Woman and saves his life, while the audience and band flee the scene. Her father pulls a gun on Spider-Woman, so Gwen removes the mask and reveals her identity. Though shocked by the revelation, he tells her to leave.

The Captain Britain from Earth-833, known as Spider-UK recruits her to join a team of Spider-Totems across the multiverse. Her next appearance is on Earth-616 where her interaction with Peter Parker/Spider-Man is awkward given their history with alternate versions of each. She meets another version of Peter, one from a dimension where he failed to save Gwen, and in his grief killed Green Goblin and became Hobgoblin. Gwen tries to help him toward redemption when they are attacked by the Inheritors and he sacrifices himself to save her.

Gwen returned to Earth-65 after the Spider-Verse events and starred in her own series, Spider-Gwen. She was also a main character in the Secret Wars Spider-Verse event, an alternate version was part of A-Force, and on Earth-8 she married Miles Morales where they had two kids with Spider-powers.