Do you think Gwen Stacy should ever return?

[AngelJD]

From Peters reaction, post-HOM, he was pretty traumatised by it because he remembered it as being real, not another alternative world Gwen Stacy. Peters experience of HOM was that if Gwen (and uncle Ben) didn’t die, how perfect it would be if Gwen and Peter got married and started a family. The answer is it would end in a nightmare.

It ended in a nightmare because of how that world was set up against non-mutants, him calling real events but also it conflicting to what he thought was reality causing chaos and emotional trauma in him, and then finally Uncle Ben talked to him and he, Aunt May, Uncle Ben, Gwen their son, and Captain Stacy went away living with nature and Peter teaching his son how to fish. Some point Peter and Gwen would return to the city in time for the main events of House of M to accor and Peter would lose his son, Gwen, and Uncle Ben all over agian. Afterwards Peter attacked Doctor Strange BEGGING him for the memories to be taken out acting in a way none of the heroes ever saw Spider-man and scaring them.
The ending became a nightmare not because of Gwen but due to Scarlet Witch and everybody involved that made House of M to occur.

In one 'What If' with a tale focusing on 'House of M' event a Gwen and another version of the son from a House of M was saved and came over to a world not being but representing 616. Being married to now both Gwen and MJ caused Peter to go crazy and attempted to kill them both (Gwen and MJ) as a result. It seems Multiverse Peters has a history of mental disorders (not just from What Ids but in many Multiverses made Peter many times goes mad which leads to tragedy).
That tale was apart of that one What If issues I wrote about where Gwen's living agian was tossing the Earth in chaos DESPITE the same rules and happening for Hawkeye back on 616 (he died then came back to 616 by House of M world made by Scarlet Witch). It had great art but HORRIBLE writing and plot holes. One of those lazy 'oh it can't happen because we will say bad things must happen if it happens' what if.

Kind of the same eye roll lazy What IF tales that was written trying to showcase how 616 was superior in where it headed or choices the character took despite questions and thoughts from fans and attempt to make actual good different directions and results for it. Spider-man isn't the only one that has that type of What If tales. You sometimes get a sense between the "Hey I have a fun/good idea or direction I like to make a what if about inspired by what has come to pass" What Ifs vs the 'I was told to make a What If but I like how my version or 616 version is so I'm make sure I will showcase or state that the 616 version is the MUST BE one in this What If". It's why I think the that "What If" that jump started Spider-Girl to become a series and character we could love came to be.
If May Parker came from a What IF where the cover says "Whatever you do DON'T SAVE YOUR BABY" the odds that for some reason her being born would be written that it will end in tragedy and she was evil and yada yada yada. VS What we got that jump started a series.

Irony is some What If tales where it shows how 'such and such can't work or be' some times in the future is actually done on the 616 Earth (like Jane/Thor) by another writer with grander ideas and time and planning put in.

I did another eye roll and questioning if the writer knew Peter when I read another What If that had on the cover that whatever Spider-man does "DON'T SAVE GWEN STACY". ANYBODY that knows Peter of 616 which this What If world was supposedly a copy and paste of 616 till a change making it an alternate Earth would know: Peter will do anything to save another! The matter that the another is GWEN means Peter would pay a price happly if it meant she lived.
What was the cost to saving her in that 'What IF': Gwen and Peter have a talk about him being Spider-man, Peter and Gwen get married, Norman isn't killed but thanks to peter and Harry gets treatment instead and Harry and Norman thank Peter for showing mercy, but the cost happens when it's revealed before being cured while Norman was still affected by the Goblin he sent by mail evidence that Peter was Spider-man to Jameson. Jameson used it and published in his paper about Peter Parker being Spider-man forcing Peter to hide before he was arrested or such on thier wedding day. Robbie shames Jameson for what he did (with Jameson with a visual showing signs of shame or 'What have I done' look at the end) and both Robbie and Gwen begin work on help Peter's public image and innocence.

With that cost I can see it now: that Peter thinks back and curses how bad his luck is now that his identity has been outed and he can only meet Gwen, his wife, in secret. Gwen is working hard with Robbie to help him. Then the first Spider-Verse event happens and before that Peter can mention his tough life the rest of the team of Peter's he is with mentions how strange and bit painful feeling it is that one of the spider people is a Gwen Stacy and begin mentioning how being around her recalls their failure and pain when thier Gwen died.
That Peter now hearing about all the 'Gwens' 'Peter' failed to save when he comes home to his Earth he is swinging high with a new happy outlook on life and happy his ONLY SMALL cost was a outed secret Identity. Between Gwen being dead or him being outed every Peter would trade places with him and he knows it.

Then possibly by the second Spider-verse we might learn further new info such as the Avengers took Gwen and Peter in and being associated with the Avengers and Robbie (starting his own paper to help Peter then becoming later the new chief editor merging his paper and the Daily Bugle together), Gwen, MJ and the rest of the people that care about Peter with hard work helped in rising Peter's public perception to the point Peter was able to go back home and not having to hide (except from fans). Gwen being a biochemist is curious about Peter's biology (the Man-Spider event that had happened but also resolved had Gwen and Peter worried and wanting no further surprises) and looks into it herself or like 617 Gwen becomes a forensic detective following in her father's police footsteps, her husband heroics, yet also using science to discover and save the day or find clues.

Of course this is Marvel so just as he's at his highest the second Spider-Verse happens and he gets killed (sound effect: Wa Wa). Just before Peter's funeral Gwen wanting to be alone (MJ was looking for her planning to see her in the same way she saw Peter after 616 Gwen died) heads to her lab and locks the doors. In grief she accidentally smashes some of the altered human/spider hybrid DNA work and some random advanced chemicals collected and was being used to looked into concerning the DNA and powers of Peter falling on and affecting two spiders of different types with one scared away heading outside. Gwen goes to clean it up and is bitten just as the second also finds and bites another young teen (Miles) at the same time.

[Hypestyle]

the real Gwen should have returned after Secret Wars. But she didn't. Just another clone. Oh well. At least there's Spider-Gwen as a replacement.

[KurtW95]

Yes x 1,000. I’ve been calling for her return for years. Spider-Gwen doesn’t cut it. She’s not remotely similar in character to the her. Gwen was always Peter’s best possible match. His equal who loves him for him. Stan Lee wanted Peter with Gwen. Gerry Conway flopped everything because he thought MJ was hotter. More appealing to his 20-year-old self. Bring her back and retcon Sins Past to smithereens.