Breaking the fourth wall is an art, one Marvel Comics has refined with characters like Deadpool and She-Hulk. But those characters are usually only aware they exist as fictional beings; to them, their universe is perfectly normal and goes uncommented on. Gwenpool, however, knows exactly what kind of world she lives in. A comic book superfan who’s whisked into the Marvel universe and wears a costume remarkably like Deadpool’s, she’s a mutant who wields reality-shifting powers and shows no shame in criticizing the writers who pen her.
Despite her name, Gwenpool is unrelated to Gwen Stacy. She’s actually named Gwendolyn Poole, and she got her start on a variant cover for Deadpool's Secret Secret Wars #2 back in 2015. A decade later, Gwenpool is changing, and in a way that undoes one of Marvel’s most devastating — and sacred — moments.
Marvel Comics recently teased the resurrection (or, at least, exhumation) of Gwen Stacy, who died in a 1973 issue of The Amazing Spider-Man aptly titled “The Night Gwen Stacy Died.” Gwen is coming back as a darker, grittier version of Gwenpool; the original Gwenpool may have been someone else entirely, but this version unites the two characters.
It’s all a bit confusing, but Gwenpool #1 should clear the air when it’s released on May 14. “This is NOT the Gwen you remember,” writer Cavan Scott said on Marvel’s website. “But just who is behind her miraculous resurrection? And what has happened to the original Gwenpool's usually careful existence? Add Kate Bishop and Jeff the Land Shark to the mix and you have the Marvel series of my dreams!”
Gwenpool started as a joke but blossomed into a fully-formed character. Now, this new Gwenpool is someone else again. There have been dark versions of Gwenpool before — the Unbelievable Gwenpool comic introduced an evil variant who became Miles Morales’ archenemy — but this is a Gwen imbued with an illustrious comic history.
Gwen Stacy’s death was a monumental moment for Marvel Comics, so undoing it is a huge risk. But with Gwenpool involved, reality is never set in stone. Maybe this resurrection is just a temporary exploration of a new identity, or maybe there are bigger ideas in store. Regardless, it promises to be one heck of a new chapter in Marvel history.
