The comic book world bids farewell to Gerry Conway, the writer who forever changed Spider-Man's fate by writing Gwen Stacy's death. Marvel confirmed his passing at age 73. Conway co-created the Punisher, Carol Danvers as Ms. Marvel, and key characters like Ben Reilly. His legacy spans DC with Firestorm and Jason Todd. He made his debut at age 16.
The writer who defined clone narrative 🕸️
Conway introduced concepts that decades later would become the basis for complex storylines, such as the first Clone Saga and the villain Jackal. His technical approach as a writer was based on building characters with clear motivations and dialogue that drove the action. In The Amazing Spider-Man, he handled the transition of the teenage hero into an adult facing real losses. He also developed the Werewolf and Marvel's Dracula, expanding the tone of horror comics.
Gwen Stacy and the Punisher: two ways to ruin a weekend 💀
If we learned anything from Conway, it's that there's no problem that can't be made worse by a vengeful clone or a vigilante with heavy weapons. While DC celebrated Power Girl, he was already planning how to make Peter Parker cry over a bridge. And if today you see Frank Castle in a Netflix series, thank (or curse) a guy who at 16 was already writing better than you with a hangover.