Unleashing Dark Gwenpool: The Explosive Side of Gwen Stacy as a Fearsome Mercenary

Last week, Marvel teased that “nothing is off-limits” as it hinted at the comeback of the original Gwen Stacy, who unfortunately passed away in Peter Parker’s arms during the iconic storyline in 1973, profoundly influencing his journey as a hero and as an individual ever since. Now, the publisher is following through on that tease by revealing the return of the original Gwen Stacy as… Dark Gwenpool?

Here’s what we’ve gathered: the original Gwen Stacy is set to be resurrected, endowed with “Weapon-X style abilities,” emerging as a “darker, deadlier, and even more unpredictable version of Gwenpool,” in a new title from writer Cavan Scott and artist Stefano Nesi that pairs her with the classic Gwenpool.

Even if you happen to be puzzled, don’t worry – it’s as intricate as it sounds, at least for the moment.

For those unfamiliar, Gwenpool is the superhero alias of Gwen Poole, a mutant possessing reality-altering powers, whose costume resembles a distinctly feminine take on Deadpool’s attire.

What’s Gwen Stacy’s role in this? Well, Gwenpool was initially conceived as a blend of Gwen Stacy and Deadpool, crafted by artist Chris Bachalo for a variant cover. The popularity of the Gwenpool costume led to her being introduced into the official Marvel Universe as a fully-fledged character with her own distinct identity.

Even more intriguingly, the original Gwen Stacy is not the same as the original Dark Gwenpool – that character is actually a malevolent, seasoned version of Gwen Poole from a different timeline. In essence, bringing back the original Gwen Stacy and transforming her into a new Gwenpool could be interpreted as completing a creative loop, or perhaps as a metaphorical snake eating its own tail.

Here’s a collection of covers for Gwenpool #1, featuring the main cover by Chad Hardin, along with variant covers by Greg Land and Jeehyung Lee, plus Paco Medina’s original teaser art for Gwen’s return:

“What an incredible privilege! To tear apart both Gwenpool AND Spider-Man’s worlds? Absolutely! Gwen Stacy is back from the dead and more dangerous than ever. Weapon-X style abilities? You bet. A knack for lethal banter? You got it. This is NOT the Gwen you recall,” says writer Cavan Scott in a statement. “But who is really behind her miraculous return? And what has happened to the original Gwenpool’s typically careful life? Throw in Kate Bishop and Jeff the Land Shark into the mix and you have the Marvel series of my dreams!”

Gwenpool #1 is set to be released on May 14.

Stay updated on all the new Spider-Man comics Marvel has lined up for publication.