Who Are the Designers of Spider-Gwen for Marvel Comics?

For fans of Spider-Man, the name Gwen Stacy is infamously associated with tragedy. Created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, Gwen’s fate in The Night Gwen Stacy Died is both an important turning point for Marvel storytelling as well as a pivotal event in Peter Parker’s development as a super hero. Gwen’s untimely death forces Spider-Man to once again reconcile his power and his responsibility. Both are great and can never be taken for granted.

However, like most Marvel characters (and especially those included in the intricate web of Spider-Heroes), Gwen Stacy of Earth-616 isn’t the only famous version out there. On Earth-65, Gwen Stacy becomes her world’s Spider-Hero. This incarnation of Gwen also goes by more than one name: Spider-Woman, Spider-Gwen, and later Ghost-Spider. So what’s her story and who designed this Gwen? Below, get to know the designers of Spider-Gwen as well as a brief history of the hero herself.

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Robbi Rodriguez and Rico Renzi designed Marvel’s Spider-Gwen

Color and design are extremely important to a super hero’s brand — after all, they have to stand out from the crowd and hold a special place in the public’s hearts. Well, Spider-Heroes don’t always have the best public reception, but more on that later. For now, the focus is on Spider-Gwen’s eye-catching suit design, created by artist Robbi Rodriguez and colorist Rico Renzi after an idea from Dan Slott. Rodriguez has worked on comics for Miles Morales, the X-Men, and Wolverine, as well as Batgirl, Catwoman, and numerous other titles. Renzi has worked on comics for Spider-Punk, She-Hulk, and many more Marvel favorites.

Among Marvel heroes, there are some truly iconic color combinations: Wolverine’s yellow and black, Hulk’s Gamma-radiated green, Scarlet Witch’s namesake red, and of course Spider-Man’s red and blue with strong black lines. But Spider-Gwen’s colors make her pop against the steel and glass of the skyline in an entirely different way than her fellow web-slinging hero.

A white hood and arms work in contrast with black legs, while a pop of pink and turquoise web patterns peek from under her hood and across her arms. That same turquoise echoes in her shoes, a pair of ballet slippers that hint at the powerful grace which accompanies her fighting skill. Sometimes she also sports some Chucks instead because Gwen is also in a punk band with her friends. Now that’s unique style.

Rodriguez and Jason Latour co-wrote her debut

All of these design elements from Rodriguez and Renzi were carried over into Gwen’s on-screen adaptation in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018). But Spider-Gwen’s first print story is Edge of Spider-Verse #2 (2014), written by Jason Latour with art by Rodriguez and colors by Renzi. Her debut takes Gwen’s 616 tragedy and flips it, creating a world in which Peter Parker is the one who died rather than Gwen, albeit under very different circumstances. Just one of many characters introduced in this multiversal event, her popularity was almost instantaneous, leading to an extended solo series and numerous other crossovers.

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Spider-Gwen is from Earth-65

Much like her counterpart Peter Parker, Gwen Stacy struggles to find that work-life balance. After she’s bitten by a radioactive spider, she uses her newfound abilities to showboat around town as Spider-Woman. (Spider-Gwen is an editorial nickname that ends up sticking later in her career.) Her police officer father soon disapproves of the hero’s public activity, leading Gwen to clash with him even more than their arguments about music. At school, Gwen is best friends with her fellow bandmates from the Mary Janes, as well as her version of Peter Parker. This Peter is bullied a lot, and he’s inspired by Spider-Woman to take matters into his own hands.

Unfortunately, Peter’s self-experimentation leads him to become The Lizard, and he and Spider-Woman clash. She defeats The Lizard but wounds Peter in the process. He dies in her arms, a reversal of their 616 story, compelling Gwen to really become a super hero who defends those in need. Soon, she is targeted by a corrupt Matt Murdock, who replaces Wilson Fisk as the Kingpin on Earth-65. Murdock even manages to tarnish Spider-Woman’s public image, leading to a lengthy trial, a stint as the host of the Venom symbiote, and a year in prison.

Meeting Miles Morales

As it turns out, all Spider-Heroes are connected to the Web of Life and Destiny, a space-time construct that grants these heroes their special abilities thanks to Spider-Totems. But spiders aren’t the only animal totems around; leeches inspire the Inheritors, a nefarious group of totem hunters who steal power from other totem users throughout the Multiverse. When the Inheritors begin targeting Spider-Heroes, a Spider-Army is formed to fight back.

Though the Inheritors were eventually defeated, a new evil is never far from popping up. As Incursions began to ravage the Multiverse and the Secret Wars ripped reality apart, Gwen joined the Web-Warriors. This new group of Spider-Heroes utilized portal devices to hop around universes and help wherever they could. Meanwhile, Miles Morales of Earth-1610 helped restore balance throughout the Multiverse and he began working with the Champions and S.H.I.E.L.D. on his new home of Earth-616. During a S.H.I.E.L.D. mission to Earth-65, Miles met Spider-Gwen. They shared many multiversal adventures saving reality, all while romantic feelings simmered between them, yet they both agreed to sideline a relationship … for now.

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Spider-Gwen on Earth-616

In 2024, Gwen Stacy of Earth-65 officially moved into the 616 friendly neighborhood with Spider-Gwen: The Ghost-Spider, written by Stephanie Phillips and with art by Chris Campana. Her long-awaited permanent residence on Earth-616 is part of a tangled web that involves the TVA, mysterious suit circumstances, and the heartbreaking legacy of the 616 Gwen Stacy.

Over the years, Spider-Gwen has held multiple names and now new meaning is given to her Ghost-Spider persona. Especially on Earth-616, which already has Jessica Drew as Spider-Woman, Gwen will operate under her new aliases. She will also be forced to engage further with the Gwen Stacy who died and the impact her own presence will have throughout her new world. As usual, Spider-Gwen has a lot of responsibility to bear amid questions of death, reality, and legacy.

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There’s a lot to love about Spider-Gwen, and her web is only just starting to spin! What’s your favorite part of this Gwen Stacy’s story?

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