Any Spider-Man fan worth their salt is aware of Gwen Stacy, the famous love interest of Peter Parker. Her death has largely become the most well-known part of her character, which is a shame since Gwen was certainly his best girlfriend yet.
While there have been numerous other romances for Peter Parker and comparisons have been made between Gwen and those characters, an analysis of Gwen on her own needs to be considered. From the comics to The Amazing Spider-Man franchise, all versions of the Gwen Stacy character have been taken into account.
10 She Brought Out Peter's Caring Side
No matter which version of Gwen it might be, her impact on Peter always has to do with him learning to be sensitive. It's through his desire to protect Gwen that Peter realizes how much he wants to be with someone he can take care of.
Gwen was the one to bring this change about, mainly due to her showing her loving side to Peter. Before her, Peter had never had anyone other than Uncle Ben and Aunt May show concern for him. Due to Gwen's influence, Peter understood how important it was to protect the ones he loved.
9 Her Superhero Persona Complements Spider-Man
In alternate continuity, Gwen Stacy takes up the role of Spider-Woman or Spider-Gwen, with that world’s Peter dying. In the “Spider-Verse” storyline, she encountered the prime universe Peter, with whom this Gwen had an understanding.
While they didn’t become romantic, it was clear that both characters were essentially the same, having the exact morals and personality they're known for. This made it clear that both Peter and Gwen knew each other perfectly, and even being superheroes together wouldn’t have messed up their relationship in the slightest.
8 Her Character Didn't Rely Solely On Peter
What makes for a good love interest is the layers of characterization they have regardless of their romance with the main character. While fans will always debate which love interest is better for Peter, Gwen can be considered her own person.
She had her own aspirations, sense of self-worth, and storylines that make her stand out. It’s due to this quality that fans can back her up as one of their favorites as Gwen chose to be with Peter, not simply because the story demanded it.
7 She Valued The Importance Of Family
Although she had so many future prospects and a healthy social life, Gwen never let fans forget about the love she had for her family. Her father, Captain George Stacy, remained her hero, and Gwen looked up to him.
This is in line with how Peter viewed Uncle Ben, and the familial love both characters carried made them a good match. It allowed Gwen to remain grounded and not let her popularity get to her head.
6 She Owned Up To Her Mistakes
Gwen is an authentic character who had her flaws and was capable of hurting Peter, too. This happened when she used other men to make him jealous after he’d turned her down, only to realize how spiteful she’d been and apologized.
Her greatest indiscretion was her affair with Norman Osborn, a fact she was shattered by, although she and Peter had been broken up at the time. Gwen didn’t make excuses for herself or look for sympathy. Instead, she laid her love on the line in order to be transparent with Peter.
5 Her Emotional Nature
Surrounded by so much violence, what Peter needed was an emotional crutch and Gwen provided this for him. On her own, too, Gwen was known to be a feisty yet sensitive person who was in touch with her emotions.
Unlike other love interests like Mary Jane or Felicia Hardy, who kept their emotions buried, Gwen let them be known to Peter. This allowed for them to be honest with one another, and Gwen’s openness with her happiness or sadness meant that Peter didn’t have to bottle his feelings up either.
4 Her Intellect Was Independent Of Peter's
It should be one of the great mysteries of the series as to why Gwen’s intellect is underrated. After all, she was a science major just like Peter, and a bright student who had a deep respect for someone with a relatable level of intellect.
This was expanded upon better in The Amazing Spider-Man movies, which did justice to Gwen’s level of smarts. It made sense why she would be attracted to Peter as a result and why he couldn’t help but fall for her. Gwen didn’t need Peter to think for her and it was this independence in intellect that he appreciated.
3 She Didn't Constantly Challenge Peter
At some level, a romantic interest has to be easy to be around. Although it’s important to be with someone who challenges the main character, it’s also essential for the love interest to be accepting of who he is. Gwen’s ability to be such a way was another reason that drew Peter to her.
She might have played hard to get, but she didn’t argue with him or constantly question his affairs. Due to this, Peter could feel a sense of calm in her presence, as Gwen would welcome his decisions and only challenge him when she genuinely thought he was going astray.
2 She Wasn't Selfish In Their Relationship
Peter was initially put off by Mary Jane because he thought she was shallow and far too self-involved, whereas his opinion of Gwen was that she valued his company. This was seen best in The Amazing Spider-Man version played by Emma Stone, whose chemistry with Peter was off the charts.
This dynamic was the result of Gwen and Peter being equals in their relationships, with Gwen considering both his Spider-Man persona and his true personality. Embraced by this kind of acceptance, Peter didn’t feel as if he was being left out, something he’s felt in other relationships with the likes of Felicia Hardy and Mary Jane.
1 She Wanted To Give Peter A Married Life
Peter always intends to continue as Spider-Man, but finds it difficult to juggle his normal life with his superhero career. It took a long time for Mary Jane to marry him, yet Gwen Stacy didn’t have as many qualms.
In fact, she had hoped that Peter would propose to her before they had broken up, despite having blamed Spider-Man for the death of her father, and wanted to settle into married life with him. It’s become one of the biggest “what if” scenarios, and a marriage between Peter and Gwen was to be built on mutual trust.