In this Spider-Man comic, Gwen Stacy had twins with Norman Osborn
Over the years, Spider-Man comics have tackled a number of controversial storylines. Whether it’s Peter meeting his clones, Doctor Octopus swapping bodies with Peter and taking his life, or Peter making a deal with Mephisto to save Aunt May (sacrificing his marriage to Mary Jane in the process), the Hero with the Web Head has been through some tough times. But there’s one particular storyline that might be the most ridiculous of them all. In sins of the pastwritten by J.Michael Straczynski, Peter battles a pair of villainous twins who are later revealed to be Gwen Stacy’s children. Who is the father? Norman Osborn himself.
What is Sins Past about?
sins of the past appeared in 2004 and initially had six issues Amazing Spider-Man #509. In it, Peter receives a cryptic letter from Gwen, which she wrote while she was in Paris before her death. Since Gwen has always been a spirit of regret hovering over Peter’s head, he is shaken by this and later visits her grave. In the cemetery, Peter is attacked by two mysterious figures, a man and a woman, but ultimately manages to escape.
Using the clues in Gwen’s letter and some later DNA testing (which included digging up Gwen’s grave), he discovers that the twins, Sarah and Gabriel, are indeed hers. Sarah reunites with Peter and after he unmasks her, she realizes the uncanny resemblance to Gwen. Sarah warns him that Gabriel is out on a quest for revenge and won’t stop until he sees Spider-Man suffer. When Peter later reaches out to Mary Jane, she finally reveals the truth about knowing this secret all along.
How did Gwen Stacy get pregnant with Norman Osborn’s twins?
Mary Jane’s role in this story was to fill in the blanks as she overheard an argument between Gwen and Norman that exposed their situation. Sometime around the death of Captain George Stacy The Incredible Spider-Man #90, Gwen met Norman and bonded with him out of pity for his mental state – which led to them having an affair. Some time later she traveled to France, but eventually returned to New York and reunited with Peter. During their journey, the twins were born. To avoid scandal, Norman suggested adopting her, but Gwen declined as Harry Osborn’s upbringing was severely hampered by his father.
Time doesn’t flow the same way in comics as it does in the real world. The twins were supposed to be around 10 years old, but it also turns out that they inherited Norman’s goblin-infected and accelerated metabolism. And not only that, they also die from it. Peter offers to help them and explains his side of the story. In return, he learns from the twins that Norman has been manipulating them their entire lives, telling them that Spider-Man killed Gwen and that Peter is their father.
What happens at the end of “Sins Past”?
Sarah is accidentally shot by her brother and ends up in the hospital. Peter gives her a transfusion and she finally begins to recover from rapid aging. Gabriel decides to stay on the path of violence and uses the Goblin formula to fight them. He takes on the role of the Gray Goblin and attacks Peter again. Sarah shoots his glider and saves Peter, but they both disappear.
While Mary Jane keeping Gwen’s secret from Peter can be seen as a betrayal, it’s actually more of a sacrifice of sorts. She hid this from Peter because she had promised Gwen and didn’t want to spoil Peter’s memory of her. The plot provides a darker, more sinister motivation for Norman killing her The night Gwen Stacy died, but it still seems undeserved. This was merely a story to move the plot along, no matter how scandalous the topic was or how outraged the fans would be.
It’s no surprise that in true Marvel fashion (thankfully), the story was recently re-linked. In the early 2000s, the character of Gwen Stacy wasn’t as affordable as it is today. Spider-Gwen, voiced by Hailee Steinfeldcome back Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. Additionally, fans are still demanding a live-action return from Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy. While it seems highly unlikely that Emma Stone will ever become Spider-Gwen, Spider-Man: No Way Home proved that anything can happen!
