Gwendolyn Poole, aka Gwenpool, is one of those divisive characters of Marvel Comics. Fans either love or hate her, and their opinions likely reflect where they first interacted with her unique flavor of chaos. And yes, Gwenpool might be a chaotic character with a bad rep, but we still love her. Gwenpool has been missing from the comics for quite some time now, but 2025’s new Gwenpool series is good news for anyone who misses this version of the character.
Marvel Comics’ Gwenpool (releasing on May 1) confirms that Gwen Stacy is back from the dead and wreaking havoc on the Marvel universe. Dressed as a version of Gwenpool (in a purple costume), she’s killing her way around town, getting revenge in every way she can. That’s all well and good, but let’s state the obvious here: the original Gwenpool was Gwendolyn Poole, NOT Gwen Stacy. Fans of Gwenpool will always hope she gets another series, and this latest twist may not quite satisfy that craving.
On the bright side, the original Gwenpool is being brought in to help Spider-Man hunt the resurrected Gwen Stacy. This is great for fans of her series, but it’s going to come at a price. This whole series will fuel the fire of confusion for those who don’t understand this character.
Gwendolyn Poole was once an ordinary nerd. No, really. She grew up reading comics, just like a lot of us. That’s because she’s not from Earth-616, but Earth-TRN565 – our universe. Somehow, both Gwen and her brother, Teddy, ended up getting tossed into Earth-616. Gwen quickly embraced this life. While she originally had no superpowers to speak of, she did have one thing no other hero or villain had – an encyclopedic knowledge of all their stories. It’s safe to say she caused a bit of havoc in this department, including almost accidentally revealing Jane Foster’s identity as Mighty Thor. Oops.
While Gwen, now Gwenpool, set out to become a hero, she really missed the mark, especially at first. She wound up working on the wrong side as a henchwoman, and she hated it. With time, Gwenpool would build her reputation, but that doesn’t mean it was always positive. However, Gwen’s antics and struggles were always a highlight, filled with comedic timing and references that fans could appreciate.
From here, Gwenpool’s story began to change. Like her namesake Deadpool, Gwenpool has happily broken the fourth wall since her introduction. However, she slowly learned that she had a superpower related to this, as she could literally flip and jump through panels at will. For somebody living in a comic book world, this sort of ability had immense power. One thing led to another, and Gwen had to battle the evil version of herself, bringing the inner struggle of temptation to light boldly and uniquely.
During the height of Gwenpool’s adventures, she was even allowed to join a superhero team. Sure, it was a spin-off team, the West Coast Avengers, but she loved her time alongside Kate Bishop and the rest. Sadly, this series was cut short, though it did birth Jeff the Land Shark, so it will always hold a special place in all our hearts, Gwen’s included.
Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end and Gwenpool’s original series, The Unbeatable Gwenpool, came to a close. What’s terrifying is that Gwen understood what being canceled meant and was worried about what it might mean for her future. Thus, she fought back in Gwenpool Strikes Back. The whole thing added new stakes to the idea of a series being cancelled, as Gwen genuinely feared for her life. To showcase how afraid Gwen was during this time, she asked Deadpool to take over caring for Jeff the Land Shark, as she knew Jeff would be safer in a more stable series (little did she know that the beloved shark would soon be making waves on a whole new scale).
Later, Gwenpool would find a home in Krakoa, as she used her abilities to become a mutant. This opened the door for a new conversation, as Gwen began hunting for a love life (Love Unlimited Infinity Comic). She started by courting Wither, hoping to simulate a romance similar to Rogue and Gambit’s. That flopped, so she tried upping the ante. One thing led to another, and Gwen’s inner monologue helped her realize something very important – her romances weren’t working because she didn’t feel the same way about her partners. And thus, Gwen came out as one of Marvel’s first openly aromantic asexual characters.
From the moment she appeared, Gwenpool has been a fun and meta character. She took the concept of fourth-wall breaking and crushed it, creating something new in the process. Likewise, she brought the fandom to the comics, as opposed to the other way around. For this reason, it was easy to love Gwen and her antics, even when she was making some questionable choices. I’m genuinely thrilled to hear that she’s appearing in another printed series soon, even if it’s going to bring some extra confusion along with it.
With Marvel’s latest resurrection of Gwen Stacy stealing Gwenpool’s identity, the divisive hero is back, and it’s what she deserves. Read More