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Asm121

"The Night Gwen Stacy Died" is a story arc of the Marvel Comics series The Amazing Spider-Man, contained within issues #121-122 (June–July 1973).

The arc features Spider-Man fighting against his archnemesis, the Green Goblin, who has abducted his girlfriend Gwen Stacy, who is killed during the battle.

Plot[]

Prior to this arc, Norman Osborn had been the Green Goblin, but due to amnesia suspended his identity as the supervillain and forgot that Spider-Man and Peter Parker are the same person. Also, Harry Osborn, Parker's best friend and Norman's son, became addicted to drugs and was sequestered in the Osborn home for detoxification. Norman Osborn's parental grief, combined with financial pressure, triggers a breakdown resulting in Norman Osborn remembering his Green Goblin identity and targeting Spider-Man and his loved ones.

The Green Goblin abducts Parker's girlfriend, Gwen Stacy, and lures Spider-Man to a tower of either the Brooklyn Bridge (as depicted in the art) or the George Washington Bridge (as given in the text). The Goblin and Spider-Man clash, and the Goblin hurls Stacy off the bridge. Spider-Man shoots a web strand at her legs and catches her. As he pulls her up, he thinks he has saved her. However, he quickly realizes she is dead. Peter blames himself for her death. The Green Goblin escapes, and Spider-Man/Peter Parker cries over Gwen Stacy's corpse and swears revenge.

The following issue, Spider-Man tracks the Green Goblin to a warehouse and beats him but cannot bring himself to kill him. The Goblin uses the opportunity to send his glider to impale Spider-Man from behind. Warned by his spider-sense, Spider-Man dodges, and the glider instead impales the Green Goblin, killing him. Later, a devastated Parker, back at home, encounters an equally shocked and saddened Mary Jane Watson, who has lost her close friend Stacy, and the two attempt to comfort each other in the wake of their loss.

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