by Ben Reilly alongside other deceased Spider-Man supporting characters, initially helping him achieve his goals but eventually assisting Peter and dying after the two of them make amends with each other. What If? In a non-canonical parallel universe story in What If? #24 – "What If Gwen Stacy Had Lived?", Spider-Man saves Gwen by jumping after her rather than catching her with a web-line (in the same way he saved Mary Jane in the film), allowing him to cushion her from the impact as they hit the water and subsequently give her CPR. In the aftermath of this rescue, he proposed to Gwen after revealing his secret identity to her, and, in a subsequent confrontation with the Green Goblin, Norman Osborn finally fought off his evil side when Harry moved to protect him regardless of what he'd become. Their life, however, was not destined to be a happy one; to ensure his victory, the Goblin had sent J. Jonah Jameson proof of Spider-Man's real identity, which Jonah had subsequently published and used to acquire a warrant for Peter's arrest, thus forcing Peter to escape from the police mere moments after his wedding to Gwen. As the issue ended, Gwen departed with Joe "Robbie" Robertson, who promised Gwen that they would do whatever they could to help Peter. In What If? vol. 2 #42 – "What If Spider-Man Had Kept His Six Arms?", Peter is able to prevent Gwen's death in "The Night Gwen Stacy Died" by using his additional arms to catch her as she falls. At the end of the one-shot What If: The Other by Peter David, Peter (now calling himself "Poison") uses part of the Venom symbiote attached to him resurrect Gwen, who becomes Carnage. In What If? Punisher #1 – "What if Peter Parker became the Punisher?", Peter, who is the Punisher in addition to Spider-Man, is able to save Gwen by killing the Green Goblin and webbing her body to a suspended scaffold on the bridge. Feeling guilty over almost getting her killed, he quits being the Punisher to be with her, leaving his costume in a bin, where it is found by Frank Castle. Reception Gwen's death shocked Spider-Man readers, with some appreciating the bold move and others horrified by the unexpected demise of a popular character. In Amazing Spider-Man #125 (Oct 1973), an editorial comment on the letters page explained the creators' view: