Marvel's new What If...? Dark series will reimagine the heartbreaking "The Night Gwen Stacy Died" Spider-Man story in a way that sees Gwen live and Peter Parker die.
Announced exclusively by ComicBook.com, What If...? Dark is a new series of Marvel one-shots launching in July 2023. What If...? Dark: Spider-Gwen #1 comes from writers Gerry Conway and Jody Houser, artist Ramon Bachs and cover artist Greg Land. The issue will reimagine "The Night Gwen Stacy Died" -- a two-issue storyline told in 1973's Amazing Spider-Man #121-122 by Conway, Gil Kane, John Romita Sr., Tony Mortellaro and Artie Simek -- so that Peter Parker/Spider-Man is the one who is killed while Gwen Stacy lives before she then presumably goes on to become Ghost-Spider.
The synopsis for What If...? Dark: Spider-Gwen #1 reads, "Spider-Legend Gerry Conway returns to his most famous Spider-Story for this WHAT IF along with co-writer Jody Houser! WHAT IF Gwen Stacy didn't die on the bridge that day, but Spider-Man DID?! 'Nuff said, I presume!" In 1980
"The Night Gwen Stacy Died" Was a Major Turning Point for Spider-Man
In "The Night Gwen Stacy Died," the Green Goblin/Norman Osborn regained his memory after suffering from amnesia and, after remembering Peter Parker is Spider-Man, decides to target his girlfriend, Gwen Stacy. The Green Goblin kidnaps Gwen and then throws her off a bridge once Spider-Man arrives and the two start fighting. Spider-Man quickly attempts to save Gwen; however, he finds her dead with a broken neck when pulling her up with his webbing. The heartbreaking moment was depicted in live-action in 2014's The Amazing Spider-Man 2 by director Marc Webb.
Gwen's death has plagued Peter ever since, as many following Spider-Man stories saw him deal with the trauma and grief. Recently, Marvel's Judgment Day event saw Peter briefly reunite with Gwen, who was brought back from the dead by Progenitor, the Celestial that used to be Avengers Mountain. Peter is also friends with the Gwen Stacy/Ghost-Spider who comes from Earth-65. On Earth-65, Gwen and Peter were close friends before Peter was killed after an experiment turned him into that world's version of the Lizard.
In 1980, Marvel also put out a What If? comic that addressed what would happen in Gwen had lived. What If? #24 by Tony Isabella, Gil Kane, Frank Giacoia, Carl Gafford, Peter Poplaski, Ron Zalme, Joe Albelo and Tom Orzechowski saw Peter rescue Gwen from the fall only to then reveal his secret identity to her and propose marriage.
What If...? Dark: Spider-Gwen #1 releases in July 2023 from Marvel.
Source: ComicBook.com