Ultimate Spider-Woman: Change With the Light

Chapter 100: Artist's Conception

"Did you not want to do this?" Liz Allan asked, noticing how Gwen Stacy seemed about to speak before she hesitated.

"It's not that," Gwen said, shaking her head. "I'm just trying to figure out where to begin."

Two days ago, Liz learned that Gwen was also the costumed superhero who called herself the spectacular Spider-Woman. Gwen had been forced to quickly suit up to fight her old enemy Supercharger, and it didn't take long for Liz to put two and two together. Liz previously had reason to think Gwen was Spider-Woman, given how soon the web-slinging heroine appeared on several previous occasions when Liz was in danger.

After Gwen defeated Supercharger, she needed to spend some time recovering with her family and assisting the police with their investigation into Supercharger's attack. From what the police determined, Supercharger was acting on behalf of a group of young men who called themselves 'involuntary celibates', murdering young women who'd rejected the men. The involuntary celibates, called 'incels' for short, had all been arrested for their parts in Supercharger's crimes. Many of them would be charged as accessories to murder, and others were facing stalking and cybercrime charges.

Gwen and Liz were only able to get some private time to discuss Liz's learning Spider-Woman's identity two days after Supercharger's assault. Liz wanted to know why Gwen became Spider-Woman, and Gwen agreed to tell her.

While Gwen was initially reluctant to tell Liz, she warmed to the idea once she'd thought about it. She hadn't really discussed her motives with anyone besides her boyfriend Randy Robertson, her fellow superhero Peter Parker, better known as the amazing Spider-Man, and Peter's Uncle Ben.

Randy, Peter and Ben had all been really supportive, of course, but despite that Gwen found herself wanting to talk to Liz about it.

For some reason, Gwen felt as though it was a long time coming.

ULTIMATE SPIDER-WOMAN #100

ARTIST'S CONCEPTION

"If you really want me to start at the beginning, I might as well tell you about my home life," Gwen said. "You don't need me to remind you about how short-tempered I could be, and how I never really let anyone get too close besides you and a couple of other people?"

Liz nodded, recalling all too well what Gwen was like in high school and in her first semester of university. She'd been almost an ice queen in high school, frequently losing her temper. Gwen often looked available, but she was often unobtainable, frequently dating different guys and participating in the Midtown High social scene, but she had very few real friends.

"A lot of that came from how my father treated my mother and I," Gwen said. "He wasn't Norman Osborn, but he was almost as bad. Everything from the way he physically beat us to the way he kept cheating on my mother to all the times he wished he'd gotten a son, the child he wanted, instead of the child he actually got. I just got so angry…and I didn't really know how to deal with it."

Liz paled at that admission, recalling the stories her boyfriend Harry Osborn told her about growing up as Norman's son.

"He was a disgusting piece of human garbage," Gwen said, a bitter expression crossing her face at the memory of it. "Besides everything he did to Mom and I, he hated mutants, blacks, Muslims, pretty much anybody who wasn't like him. He probably turned over in his grave when I started dating Randy," Gwen said, her bitter expression replaced with a smile.

"He hated superheroes too…and soon I developed my spider-powers," Gwen finished.

Liz blinked in surprise.

"Does that mean you're a mutant?" Liz asked.

"I initially thought I was, but I'm not," Gwen said, shaking her head.