Edge of Spider-Verse #2
Gwen Stacy: Spider-Woman
Now
Gwen Stacy and her bandmates in the Mary Janes are practicing their latest song “Face It Tiger, You Hit the Jackpot” in the school gym. They are running out of time but Em Jay insists that they give it one more go. As Gwen plays the drums, she thinks about how much her life has changed recently.[1]
Then
Gwen Stacy’s life changed the day that she was bitten by a radioactive spider giving her amazing powers. She came up with the identity of Spider-Woman and became an instant celebrity. Unaware that Spider-Woman was her daughter, Captain George Stacy did not approve. At school, Gwen looked out for Peter Parker who was constantly bullied by kids for being smarter than everyone else. Not wishing to be pushed around, Peter injected himself with a serum of his own creation transforming him into the Lizard. Spider-Woman fight the Lizard and tragically, Peter Parker did not survive the battle. His final words were telling Gwen that he wanted to be strong like her.
Although Parker’s death was accidental, J. Jonah Jameson started a media crusade denouncing Spider-Woman as a menace.[2]
Now
Thinking of all of this causes Gwen to whale on the drums so hard it causes the others to stop playing. Em Jay and Glory try to get Gwen to talk about what’s bothering her, but Gwen says she can’t talk about it. Em Jay thinks Stacy is a headcase, but Glory thinks that Gwen just has a lot on her mind right now. Gwen goes web-slinging to cry and clear her head when she gets a call from her father. George wants Gwen to stop focusing on her band and start thinking about what she is going to study in college. Gwen doesn’t want to give up the band because she loves music, which her father understands. He tells her that life will show her where she is needed.
She ends her call as she leaps onto the top of a subway train. When it pulls into the station she is spotted by a police officer who begins shooting at her. She can’t believe he is firing his gun without warning and webs the officer’s hands to the wall behind him. She also can’t believe it when he begins begging for his life. She then uses the officer’s radio to call in the shooting in order to teach him a lesson and takes off when other officers arrive on the scene. Unfortunately, Spider-Woman has a police helicopter following after her.
Meanwhile, at a nearby diner, Aleksei Sytsevich meets with Matt Murdock. Murdock wants to hire Aleksei to eliminate Captain George Stacy. He says he wants Stacy killed because he has been a pain in his ass recently and figures Spider-Woman could also use a few friends since Stacy is heading the task force charged with arresting Spider-Woman.
Later, Gwen arrives for the Mary Jane’s gig late and is frantically changing out of her costume while the rest of the band is already on stage. When she gets out of the dressing room she spots Alekesi about to attack her father from behind. She kicks over her drum set to get his attention and ducks away to change into Spider-Woman. Before Sytsevich can harm her father, the web-slinger attacks him. He grabs her in a bear hug, but she hammers his face until he legs go. She then webs him up to the wall and strikes him so hard she sends him breaking through the wall. Unfortunately, George Stacy tries to arrest Spider-Woman even though she just saved his life. Gwen takes a huge risk and reveals her identity to her father, throwing back his “life will show you” speech from earlier. She justifies being Spider-Woman as being the same reason why her father is a police officer: because if she doesn’t someone who shouldn’t will.
This is all a huge shock to George and when he starts hearing the approaching police sirens tells her to take off before he comes to his senses. Putting her mask back on, Gwen thanks her father and web-slings away. Neither of them are aware that this scene is being watched from the rafters by a man in a Spider-Man costume emblazoned with the British flag. He is impressed with Spider-Woman’s moves and thinks she’ll do quite nicely.[3]
Recurring Characters
Spider-Gwen, Rhino, Kingpin, the Mary Janes (Em Jay Watson, Glory Grant, Betty Brant), George Stacy, the Lizard, J. Jonah Jameson, Spider-UK
Continuity Notes
This story takes place on Reality-65 as it has been classified in Secret Wars: The Official Guide to the Marvel Multiverse #1.
For more on Spider-Gwen’s origins and her battle with the Lizard see Spider-Gwen Annual #1.
This is Spider-UK of the Captain Britain Corpse. He has also begun gathering spiders from across the multiverse to stop the Inheritors. See Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 3) #7.
