Summary
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2does a great job of paying homage to many classic characters throughout the Marvel franchise, andSpider-Manis particularly notable for having a massive cast of characters spread out across near-infinite universes via the Spider-Verse. WhileMarvel’s Spider-Man 2does feature some iconic characters like Harry Osborn, Dr. Curt Connors, and even a teaser for Cindy Moon, other characters are absent or only referenced via Easter eggs. The fan-favorite Gwen Stacy is one of these characters, but she is referenced in a small way thatSpider-Man 2players can uncover by following one side quest.
In the largerSpider-Manfranchise,Gwen Stacyis a classmate of Peter’s at Empire State University and eventually becomes a love interest of his. However, she is later killed by the Green Goblin, leading to Peter having serious doubts about balancing his relationships with his identity as Spider-Man. In an alternate universe, Gwen Stacy is the one who is bitten by a genetically engineered spider to become the hero known as Ghost-Spider or Spider-Gwen, and it’s Peter Parker who dies instead of Gwen.
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Gwen Stacy’s Presence in Spider-Man 2
The canon of Insomniac’sSpider-Manuniverse does not feature Gwen Stacy as a character that Peter Parker knows in any way that is similar to otherSpider-Manmedia. While other love interests of Peter’s, like Felicia Hardy andMary Jane Watson, play prominent roles in Insomniac’s universe, Gwen Stacy is one that was never part of Peter’s life. However, that doesn’t mean she isn’t entirely missing fromSpider-Man 2as she does have a Spider-Bot based on her Ghost-Spider costume that players can collect as they journey across New York City.
Spider-Botsare one of the primary collectibles featured inSpider-Man 2and become accessible after players complete the Science Buddy main story mission. These Bots can be found all across the game’s map, and each one features a design based on the various incarnations of characters throughout the Spider-Verse, including ones like Scarlet Spider, Spider-Punk, and Ghost-Spider, as well as villains like Mysterio, Prowler, and Rhino. To find Gwen Stacy’s Spider-Bot, players should look above a building near the highway in the southwest corner of Downtown Queens, and after finding it, players can hear commentary on its unique design and color palette.
Based on the description of Gwen Stacy’s Spider-Bot, it’s clear Peter doesn’t know who she is, as he notes the striking design and wonders who came up with it. It makes sense that Peter wouldn’t recognize the Ghost-Spider design since, in the universe where it’s Gwen Stacy’s alter ego, Peter is dead. Insomniac has also stated thatGwen Stacy is not part of the storythey want to tell with their incarnation of theSpider-Manuniverse, so it’s fitting that the character would be limited to a minor reference like a Spider-Bot.
Gwen Stacy’s absence in the universe ofSpider-Man 2is also confirmed via theSpider-Man UnlimitedInfinity Comic, which featured a crossover between Earth-616’s Peter Parker and that of Insomniac’s universe. In Issue #5, Earth-616 Peter mentions that it must have been tough for Insomniac’s Peter to lose May after losing Gwen, to which Insomniac’s Peter replies “Gwen who?”, demonstrating that he has never known Gwen Stacy.
After finding all the Spider-Bots in New York, players are treated to an interesting cutscene that has potential crossover implications. Completing this side mission sees a portal open up with a character named Delilah taking all the Spider-Bots back from the player before Miguel finds out about them, much to the confusion of Peter and Ganke. This scene reveals that the entire side mission was a reference toSpider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, the movie that features Spider-Man variants like Miguel O’Hara and Gwen Stacy.
