Spider-Woman
is a variant of Spider-Man and an alternate-universe version of Gwen
Stacy. She lives on Earth-65, where Gwen Stacy is bitten by a
radioactive spider and becomes a superheroine instead of Peter Parker
becoming Spider-Man. The character's various enemies include Earth-65
versions of Matt Murdock and Frank Castle. Gwen Stacy's Spider-Woman
harbors much of Peter's personality and conflicts along with his powers
and abilities.
Spider-Woman was met with positive reviews from
critics, with them applauding her design—cited as a popular choice for
cosplay—and a feminist perspective. For promotion, several other
versions of the character were developed, accompanied by merchandise.
She was also featured on animated television series and in multiple
video games as a playable character. Doce Cameron, Laura Bailey, Ashley
Johnson, Emily Tennant, Catherine Luciani, Allegra Clark and Hailee
Steinfeld have provided the character's voice.
In the alternate
reality designated Earth-65, Gwen Stacy from Midtown High School is a
drummer in a band called the Mary Janes, consisting of her and her
friends Mary Jane Watson, Betty Brant and Glory Grant. Bitten by a
radioactive spider, Gwen becomes the hero Spider-Woman. Shortly
afterward, her friend and classmates Peter Parker attempts to exact
revenge on those who bully him, becoming Earth-65's version of the
Lizard. Gwen subdues him and Peter dies due to the chemicals he used for
his transformation. Spider-Woman is greatly affected by Peter's death
and inspired to use her power to protect others. She is blamed for
Parker's death publicly by J. Jonah Jameson. Her father, NYPD Chief
George Stacy, hunts for Spider-Woman, aided by his world's Captain Frank
Castle and Detective Jean DeWolff. During a later confrontation with
her father, Gwen reveals her true identity to him. Shocked, he tells her
to run.
In the "Spider-Verse" storyline, Gwen of Earth-65 is one
of many other Spider-Totems across the multiverse recruited to fight
the vampiric Morlun and the Inheritors. Although she is one of several
people called Spider-Women who appear, she seems to be the only Spider
who is also Gwen Stacy, leading to the nickname "Spider-Gwen." Gwen
realizes most of her counterparts in other universes are dead, including
the Earth-616 Gwen Stacy who was the first love of Peter Parker, leader
of the group fighting the Inheritors. Telling Peter she likewise failed
to save her version of him, they both agree to look out for each other.
Though Gwen deals with both criminals and enemies in the police
department, she also makes allies such as her Earth's versions of
Captain America (Samantha Wilson, Reed Richards, and Peggy Carter, the
leader of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Gwen meets Spider heroes of other worlds again on Battleworld in the Secret Wars storyline. During the crossover storyline Sitting in a Tree,
she has a brief romance with Miles Morales. Along with battling menaces
on her own world, Gwen joins the Web Warriors, a group of Spiders with
dimensional-travel devices who combat threats to other universes,
particularly worlds that no longer have a Spider of its own to defend
it. During the Dead No More: The Clone Conspiracy storyline, she
poses as a clone of Earth-616 Gwen Stacy to help Peter and Kaine Parker
stop a threat involving the Jackal's Carrion Virus.
After losing
her powers, Gwen's seeks aid from the corrupt Matt Murdock and scientist
Elsa Brock. It's discovered that combining the mutagenic Lizard serum
with isotopes can form a version of the Venom symbiote. Gwen bonds with
Elsa Brock's symbiote, restoring her abilities. When Murdock has her
father George attacked, Gwen succumbs to the symbiote's baser influence
and almost kills the man in revenge. After she spares his life, Murdock
reveals he was testing to see if Gwen, like him, would be corrupted by
power. After defeating Murdock, Gwen takes full control over
the symbiote, reveals her identity to the public, and turns herself
over to the authorities for her crimes. After turning down an offer from
Captain America to perform black ops services in exchanged for reduced
sentencing, she is convicted for one year in a maximum security
S.H.I.E.L.D. prison.
After serving her prison time, Gwen is
informed the Inheritors have returned and joins the "Spider-Geddon"
storyline. At one point, she is believed by the others to be killed in
an explosion. In truth, she survives the explosion but is stranded on
Earth-3109, her dimensional transportation device now damaged. The Gwen
of that world, who operates as the heroic Green Goblin, creates a new
dimensional teleportation device and Earth-65 Gwen returns to the fight
against the Inheritors. During the final battle, Miles Morales wonders
if Gwen is a ghost after seeing her lost in an explosion, inspiring the
new nickname "Ghost-Spider."
Back on Earth-65, Gwen tries to
return to her normal life of superhero activities, drumming with the
Mary Janes, and attempting to rekindle her relationships with friend
Harry Osborn and her father George. Without her secret identity, things
prove challenging, leading to judgments from the public and regular
attacks by criminals like the Man-Wolf. Additionally, her symbiote
starts causing massive headaches while dropping parts of itself as
"gummy spiders." Since Elsa Brock has disappeared from public life, Gwen
travels to Earth-616 to find her counterpart Eddie Brock. Peter Parker
of Earth-616, now a teacher at Empire State University, volunteers to
analyze the symbiote since his world's Eddie Brock is not a scientist.
The two heroes then save people from the villain Swarm and Gwen is asked
who she is. Since this universe already has a Spider-Woman, Gwen
decides she needs a new name. Considering how so many of her multiverse
counterparts are dead, as if "Death loves Gwen Stacy," she decides to
adopt her "Ghost-Spider" nickname as a new official alias.
Realizing
her secret identity is intact in this dimension, Gwen decides to attend
college peacefully on Earth-616 without worrying about villains
attacking. With Peter's help, she enrolls in Empire State University,
explaining to school admissions that she comes from another dimension.
This, along with her test records and Parker vouching for her, earns
Gwen enrollment and a scholarship that applies to visitors from other
worlds and dimensions. Gwen begins regularly attending classes while
"commuting" back and forth from her own Earth, regularly encountering
Peter. In costume, she fights menaces on both worlds, including Miles
Warren, whose unhealthy obsession with the Earth-616 Gwen Stacy led to
him becoming the villainous Jackal.