It’s unclear if Marvel Comics knew what they were getting itself into when the Spider-Verse was created. Miles Morales ended up starring in his own movies and Spider-Punk became an incredibly popular character, too. And then there’s Spider-Woman, Gwen Stacy. She instantly became a hero who deserved attention from everyone.
It was more than her eye-catching costume; Gwen Stacy was cool. She has a unique sense of humor and uses the detective skills she learned from her father, Captain George Stacy. The latter is another thing that separates her from how the other Spider-People solve problems. If that isn’t enough, she’s a drummer in a band called the Mary Janes (the character, not the plant). It doesn’t get much cooler than that. Well, it kind of does. Writer Stephanie Phillips made Gwen the most powerful Spider-Person in the multiverse.
During Stephanie Phillips’ current run of Spider-Gwen: The Ghost-Spider, Gwen has been adjusting to her new life on Earth-616 (the main continuity of the Marvel Universe). The TVA told her to stay out of superhero affairs, but she didn’t because “With great power must also come great responsibility.” This leads to a fight with an enhanced supervillain named Chameleon (a.k.a. Dmitri Smerdyakov) where she unleashes an energy blast that would make Miles Morales jealous. In issue No. 11, we learn this is just the tip of the iceberg.
Spider-Gwen: The Ghost-Spider No. 11 creative team
- Writer: Stephanie Phillips
- Artist: Paolo Villanelli
- Colors: Matt Milla
After Black Tarantula’s son Fabian was shot and killed, Gwen was visited by an alternate universe King Loki. Loki tells her she can bring him back to life by rewriting the universe. All she has to do is trust them. And we’re thinking what Gwen Stacy knows: You never trust Loki in any universe. However, while this is true, they weren’t completely lying. Apparently, Gwen Stacy is, as she said it, a living Cosmic Cube.
During a flashback, Gwen tells a brief story of how King Loki was attempting to steal an artifact that would help him rewrite the universe. It’s later discovered that it’s the Cosmic Cube and Gwen beat him to it. It’s unclear if just touching the Cosmic Cube gave her powers or if it stayed inside her because the issue ends with her grabbing it (alternate timelines change how things work). However, getting the cube wasn’t the concerning part. It was Loki behind her smiling and saying “Perfect… just perfect" after she grabbed it. That means he let her get to the prize before him.
Having the power of the Cosmic Cube puts Gwen Stacy on a higher power level than Miles Morales, Peter Parker, or Jessica Drew (Spider-Woman). In fact, if she learns to wield it properly, she could take on Thor and the Hulk. The cube once reshaped history and made Steve Rogers loyal to Hydra (eventually turning him into a bigot). Normally, Gwen having this kind of power would be a good thing. The problem is that no one knows what Loki has planned for her. What we are aware of is that it won't be good. Stay tuned to Bam Smack Pow to find out what that is.
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