WARNING: The following contains spoilers forGhost-Spider #8, by Seanan McGuire, IG Guara, Ian Herring and VC's Clayton Cowles,on sale now.
Gwen Stacy of Earth-65 may not be a full-time hero on Earth-616, but she does travel between dimensions for school, which means -- at least sometimes -- she assumes her superhero identity of Ghost-Spider in the main Marvel Universe. Unfortunately, that means C.R.A.D.L.E., the laws that ban independent superhero activity from anyone under 21, affect Gwen, too.
She learns about her new restrictions from Earth-616's Peter Parker inGhost-Spider #8 and their conversation isn't pretty.
Released alongsideOutlawed #1, which kicks off the teen superhero-centric event for the rest of Marvel's young heroes,Ghost-Spider #8 reveals the wider-reaching implications ofC.R.A.D.L.E. and what it might mean for heroes throughout the multiverse. Gwen is in a unique position since she universe-hops,but if anything, that just makes her anger at the situation even more justifiable. When Peter pulls her aside after class to talk about the new law and what it means for her, she gets defensive and righteously pissed off.
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Ghost-Spider has dealt with a significant amount of trauma in her young life. She's watched friends die and fought hard at every turn for the safety of not just Earth-65, but the entire multiverse. To be told by Peter Parker, an adult with her dead best friend's face, that young heroes can't save people's lives is quite a blow. What makes it worse is that Gwen knows Peter got his own powers as a teenager, but now he's going along with C.R.A.D.L.E. She calls him out on his hypocrisy and reminds him that whether or not teenage heroes are "legal," they'll still be targets for supervillains. They'll still have to put their lives on the line to save others.
This is particularly true for Gwen, who no longer has a secret identity on Earth-65. It's the entire reason she's going to college on Earth-616 -- trying to pursue an education in her own universe when everyone knows she has superpowers is really difficult. Universe-hopping has presented its own issues, though. Gwen reveals to Peter that his universe's Jackal went after her and is now stuck on Earth-65, which makes him her problem. She takes responsibility for that, because she created the opportunity for him to jump between worlds.Taking responsibility iswhat superheroes -- whether they're "legal" or not -- are supposed to do.
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In Gwen's mind, Peter opting to go along with C.R.A.D.L.E. rather than fight means he's bowing out of his responsibility as an adult superhero. When he tells her it might be a good idea to take a leave of absence from school until everything settles down, she begins to transform into Gwenom in her anger.
Back on Earth-65, Gwen saves several people from a burning building and stews in her feelings. While her immediate anger is aimed at Peter, it's clear she's mad about C.R.A.D.L.E. and its implications as a whole. Kamala Khan is in the hospital and Miles Morales is AWOL. Gwen may not be a full-time hero alongside them, but she knows enough about being a hero in her own universe that she can definitely empathize.
However, no one on Earth-65 has ever tried to outlaw superheroes below a certain age. To do so is, frankly, madness. Gwen is right: regardless of age, superpowered individuals will always be targets, especially if they use any part of their time to help others. Although most heroes don't choose to get superpowers, having them means taking responsibility -- something Peter Parker once infamously took to heart.
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Samantha Puc is a culture critic and essayist whose work focuses on LGBTQ and fat representation in pop culture. She is a comics editor at CBR, as well as the co-creator and editor-in-chief at Fatventure Mag. Find her on Twitter @theverbalthing.
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Ghost-Spider: Outlawed Gives Gwen Stacy a Rude Awakening on Earth-616 - CBR - Comic Book Resources
