In a move that is long overdue, Spider-Gwen is finally moving to Marvel’s main Earth-616 universe. Despite not officially being a part of the main Marvel Universe, Earth-65’s Gwen Stacy has emerged out of the brand as one of its most popular new characters of the last decade, largely thanks to the Spider-Verse franchise.
Now, per an announcement from Marvel, Ms. Stacy will be launched officially into Earth-616 beginning with an all-new series, Spider-Gwen: The Ghost Spider, written by Stephanie Phillips with artwork by Chris Campana. Cover art by Mark Brooks can be found below. The first issue of Spider-Gwen: The Ghost Spider is currently scheduled for an April 10, 2024 release date.
As the character approaches the 10th anniversary of her comic book debut, Spider-Gwen’s natural progression arrives in the form of a whole new era of storytelling for the character. Surrounding one of Marvel’s most beloved new characters with some of the brand’s all-time best heroes and villains is a well-deserved next step for the Ghost Spider.
Spider-Gwen Battles an All-New Doctor Octopus in Giant-Size Special
Marvel celebrates the anniversary of its Giant Size comic issues with a Spider-Gwen adventure that sees her facing off against a new Doctor Octopus.
Spider-Gwen is Permanently Moving to Earth-616
Spider-Gwen was created by Jason Latour and Robbi Rodriguez and conceptualized by Dan Slott for his critically acclaimed original Spider-Verse crossover. Debuting in 2014’s Edge of Spider-Verse #2, Spider-Gwen is an alternate universe version of Gwen Stacy. While Earth-616’s original Gwen was Peter Parker’s girlfriend who is most famous for her tragic death, this Gwen becomes the equivalent of Spider-Man in her world. The character has spun off into several series, more recently Spider-Gwen: Smash, Spider-Gwen: Shadow Clones, and Spider-Gwen: Gwen-Verse. Each of these series either takes place across the multiverse or on Gwen’s resident Earth-65.
Now, Gwen is making her way to Earth-616 for good. The news summary teases that otherworldly forces will be trapping Gwen in 616. There she will struggle to adjust to an entirely new world, especially as she comes to terms with the tragedy that makes up the legacy of 616’s Gwen Stacy. She makes new friends and new enemies in the New York area, but as the mystery behind her landing in 616 looms, the reveal risks shattering her trust with her fellow Spiders. Writer Stephanie Phillips is ready to give readers new stories “that make us rethink who Gwen is and what her role is within this new universe.”
Spider-Gwen Coming to Earth-616 is a Long Time Coming
As Phillips touches on briefly when she recalls seeing “a little girl on Halloween dressed as Gwen and hitting some cool Spidey poses” right after she finished writing this series, the character of Spider-Gwen has resonated with audiences of all ages for a long time. The very idea of Spider-Gwen as a feminist symbol has inspired and connected with an array of different people. It’s more shocking that it’s taken Marvel this long to bring her to Earth-616. Readers previously saw Miles Morales leap from Earth-1610 to 616, proving to only help further skyrocket his popularity from there. Now, it’s Spider-Gwen’s turn to be elevated among Marvel’s top echelon.
