Warning! This article contains spoilers for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse further explores Gwen Stacy's timeline, from before the first movie to the end of the sequel. Interestingly, the second film opens with Gwen, exploring more about the elements hinted at by its predecessor. As a result, some scenes from Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse take place before the first movie.
Some of these scenes could be confusing to anyone not overly familiar with the first film. While hardcore fans of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse will follow Gwen's timeline relatively easily, the complex character arc she goes through stems from moments she experienced before, during, and after the first film. With that being said, here is every point on Gwen's timeline from the beginning of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse to the ending of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse explained.
Gwen Stacy Gets Powers And Becomes Spider-Woman
Much like with every Spider-Person in the Spider-Verse films, Across the Spider-Verse outlines Gwen's powers. As is par for the course with variants of Spider-Man from other universes, Gwen's powers came from a radioactive spider. In her universe, she was given powers over Peter Parker, who was her best friend. Gwen lived as that universe's Spider-Woman, helping to fight crime while managing to hold a relationship with Peter, Aunt May, and her father, police Captain George Stacy. This all transpires before Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, with a traumatic event in Gwen's life leading into that film and its sequel.
Peter Parker Becomes The Lizard And Is Killed By Gwen Stacy
While Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse revealed that Gwen lost Peter Parker in her universe, the film does not divulge precisely how this happened. As with Miles losing his uncle, and the countless variations of Peter Parker that lose Uncle Ben, Gwen losing Peter was one of the catalysts for her becoming Spider-Woman. With Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse though, Peter's death in Gwen's universe is focused on in the film's opening act.
In Gwen's universe, Peter inadvertently becomes the Lizard, a common Spider-Man villain from the comics and the first of many Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Easter eggs. Through good intentions of wanting to help and become special, Peter transforms into the villain, losing himself in the process. Peter, as the Lizard, then attacks Gwen's school on prom night, causing Spider-Woman to face off against him. After a brief fight, Gwen kills the Lizard by crushing him with debris. The villain then turns back into Peter Parker, allowing Gwen to realize that she was unknowingly responsible for Peter's death.
George Stacy Starts Manhunt For Spider-Woman
As Gwen is holding Peter in her arms, mourning the death of her best friend, George Stacy enters the school. The captain sees Spider-Woman above Peter's dead body, assuming that she was responsible for Peter's death. While this is true in a sense, Gwen did not mean to kill Peter as she did not know he was the Lizard. Regardless, George Stacy attempts to arrest Spider-Woman who escapes, debating whether she should tell her father her true identity.
This spawns a city-wide manhunt for Spider-Woman, that continues for months after Peter's death. In fact, the manhunt is still ongoing at the onset of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, meaning the manhunt for Spider-Woman at the behest of George Stacy has been in place for over a year. A few months after Peter's death, Gwen is unwittingly transferred to Miles' universe, kickstarting the events of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
Gwen Travels To Miles Morales' Universe In Into The Spider-Verse
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse outlines how Gwen, Peter B. Parker, Penni Parker, Peter Porker, and Spider-Man Noir's Peter Parker were transferred to Miles' universe. After the Peter Parker Miles knew came into contact with Kingpin's super-collider, his Spider-Man DNA pulled this group of Spider-People into his and Miles' universe, including Gwen Stacy. This takes place an unspecified amount of time after Peter's death in Gwen's universe, meaning George Stacy's manhunt was still ongoing at the point of Gwen's disappearance.
The events of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse then transpire, with Gwen forming a friendship with Miles for the first time since her Peter's death. After the end of Into the Spider-Verse, Gwen is sent back to her universe, where she is shown to be depressed after losing not only Peter but Miles and the other new friends she found during the first film. This is only compounded by her father's continued pursuit of her, unbeknownst to him.
Gwen Stacy Is Caught By Police And Reveals Her Identity To Her Father
As Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse confirms Miles has been Spider-Man for a year and four months, it is safe to assume this is around the amount of time Gwen spends back in her own universe after the first film. She continues to balance her life with her father, her grief over Peter and Miles, and fighting crime as Spider-Woman. Early in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse's first act, Gwen fights a Renaissance variant of the Vulture, causing her to come into conflict with her father once again.
After George corners Gwen, he fires a warning shot and tells her to put her hands up. Gwen, realizing she cannot get through to her father as Spider-Woman, removes her mask and reveals her true identity to him. Gwen pleads with her father, insisting she did not kill Peter Parker knowingly before George apprehensively attempts to arrest her. Luckily for Gwen, her meeting with Jessica Drew/Spider-Woman and Miguel O'Hara/Spider-Man 2099 means she escapes her father's judgment.
Gwen Joins The Spider-Society In Across the Spider-Verse
Overhearing Gwen's pleas to her father, Jessica Drew grows sympathy for Gwen. She implores Miguel to consider allowing Gwen to join the Spider-Society, a group of Spider-People from across the multiverse dedicated to protecting its very existence. Eventually, Miguel submits, allowing Gwen to leave with the duo and avoid arrest by her father. This kickstarts the true plot of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, with Gwen working as an initiate of the Spider-Society for months.
While many of Gwen's adventures immediately after joining the Spider-Society are not shown, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse sees her reunite with Miles after she is sent to his universe to survey the Spot. This then forces Gwen to come to terms with herself, her relationships with her father and Miles, and - much like Miles' own arc - her discovery of what it truly means to be Spider-Woman in the face of opposition from the Spider-Society. While it is unclear how these arcs will resolve, given that Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse is releasing in 2024, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse masterfully sets up the endgame for both Miles and Gwen Stacy.
