Marvel’s multiverse shenanigans can be hard to keep track of, especially across its many, many different media franchises. The MCU has been following a multiverse arc since Endgame premiered in 2019, and there’s reason to believe Insomniac’s Spider-Man games might be dabbling in the Spider-Verse in the future. However, the multi-reality concept began in the comic books, where they’ve been dealing with the multiverse for decades.
One of the most prominent faces of these alternate dimensions is Gwen Stacy, Spider-Man’s sometimes girlfriend, who in one reality tragically dies, changing the course of the hero’s life forever. In a different timeline however, the two’s relationship was reversed, and Gwen became Spider-Gwen (or Ghost-Spider, or Spider-Woman) after the tragic loss of Peter. But now it looks like the comics are using some cosmic fuckery to alter things in the comic’s “main” timeline, and fans are less than thrilled.
All-New Spider-Gwen: The Ghost-Spider is a new comic run set to begin in August, and when fans saw the synopsis for the series back in May, it immediately raised eyebrows. All-New Spider-Gwen has its titular hero’s story rewoven into the fabric of the Marvel universe. Using the Cosmic Cube, a powerful object that can reshape realities, Gwen becomes part of Earth 616, the “Prime” reality in Marvel’s various continuities (the MCU universe name began as 616, but has since become a bit more complicated as the franchise has gone on, and is now called Earth-19999). How does this work logistically? What does it mean for both Gwen and Peter to be alive in the same universe? Does this not completely change Peter Parker’s trajectory in the main “canon?” There are plenty of questions the comics will likely answer when they start rolling out next month, but right now, a lot of Spider-Gwen fans are less concerned about how Marvel is going to explain all of this, and more bothered by how this undermines Spider-Gwen’s story.
Spider-Gwen isn’t just another hero with the same powers as Spider-Man. Her entire premise is to be a deliberate remix of his story, an exploration of the parallels between both of their worlds, and she is at the center of one of the most compelling “what if” scenarios in comic books. Plopping her into the “main” story runs counter to her very premise. Some fans think this is the natural end result of her rise in popularity after the Spider-Verse films, while others argue that Spider-Man lore has become so convoluted that this feels like Marvel running out of ideas.
It’s entirely possible this is merely an extended vacation in the main continuity before Gwen heads back to her original life, but the official synopsis says she’s “here to stay.” We’ll see how Marvel handles this reality-altering storyline, and whether this will crossover with the main Spider-Man books, when the first issue is released on August 20.
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