In the 10th installment of Venom Unleashed, AIPT’s ongoing column exploring all things symbiote, editor Jordan D. White dropped a particularly wild nugget of Marvel history that never made it to print, one that would’ve tackled one of the most controversial Spider-Man storylines of all time.
“Back in the day, I pitched doing a Marvel Legacy issue with Gwenpool and Gwen Stacy,” White revealed. “Where Poole is back in time and spends the whole time trying to make sure Stacy never sleeps with Norman Osborn.”
Yes, that Norman Osborn storyline. The one that exploded into infamy with the release of 2004’s Spider-Man: Sins Past by J. Michael Straczynski and Mike Deodato Jr., in which it was revealed Gwen Stacy had a secret affair with Norman Osborn, the Green Goblin himself, and gave birth to twins. The retcon sparked outrage from many fans, citing the storyline as a betrayal of Gwen’s character and a needlessly salacious twist.
Marvel has since undone the revelation, most recently and definitively in Nick Spencer’s run in Amazing Spider-Man #73, when we learned Norman never slept with Gwen, and the twins were actually clones created by Harry Osborn, as part of a larger manipulation scheme.
Amazing Spider-Man #73.
Credit: Marvel
White’s unused Gwenpool pitch would’ve flipped the scandalous retcon on its head, reframing it through Gwenpool’s meta-humor and time-travel chaos.
The concept would’ve seen Gwenpool, known for her reality-bending awareness and fourth-wall-breaking antics, going back in time with one singular goal: to prevent one of the most reviled moments in Marvel continuity from ever happening. It’s a concept that practically writes itself—an irreverent, heartfelt, and probably hilarious attempt to course-correct Marvel canon through pure willpower (and possibly a katana or two).
Though the issue never came to be, White’s anecdote gives fans a glimpse into how Marvel creators have internally grappled with the legacy of Sins Past. And in classic Gwenpool fashion, it might have been the perfect way to lay that storyline to rest once and for all: with humor, chaos, and just a little cathartic violence.
For more from Jordan D. White, including teases for Venom #251, fan survey results, and the emotional toll of symbiote bonding, check out Venom Unleashed #10 exclusively at AIPT.
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