Gabriel Stacy and Sarah Stacy

Gabriel Stacy and Sarah Stacy are the fictional twin children of Norman Osborn and Gwen Stacy featured in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Both first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #509 (August 2004) and appeared in The Spectacular Spider-Man, and the former only appeared in the limited series Amazing Spider-Man presents: American Son.

Fictional character biography

The story arc "Sins Past" by J. Michael Straczynski in The Amazing Spider-Man #509-514 (August 2004 - January 2005) reveals that Norman Osborn, Green Goblin's alter ego, fathered twins with Gwen Stacy, a boy and a girl to whom she gave birth while in France shortly before her death. Gwen vowed she would raise them with Peter Parker and refused to allow Norman access to them seeing Norman's disregard for his eldest son. Seeing her as a threat to his potential heirs, Green Goblin killed Gwen. Norman then raised Gwen's two children, a boy named Gabriel and a girl named Sarah. Due to Norman's enhanced blood, the twins aged about 2-3 times faster than normal and became adults within the span of a few years (speculated to be between 5 to 9 years old). Osborn told them that Peter was really their father and was responsible for their mother's death.

The twins then attack Spider-Man, and he subsequently deduces their true identities thanks to a note they sent him that had been written by Gwen while she was in Paris. However, seeking to confirm it, Peter goes to Gwen's grave and digs up a sample of her DNA to compare to the twin's DNA which was obtained from the envelope of the letter. During a brief confrontation with Sarah just after the DNA analysis completed, Peter learns that she clearly resembles her mother, but is forced to escape when Gabriel attacks. Spider-Man tells Mary Jane Watson about his initial encounter with Gabriel and Sarah, whereupon Mary Jane reveals that she knew about Norman's involvement with Gwen and tells all to Peter. She has kept it from him all these years because Gwen was distraught and begged her not to say anything, as well as not wanting to taint Peter's memory of the only woman he ever loved as much- if not more than- he loves her.

Gabriel Stacy fighting Spider-Man.

Arranging a press conference, Spider-Man tells the twins to meet him on the bridge where Gwen died, where he tells them the truth about their origins. Sarah believes Spider-Man — concluding that he would never have dug up Gwen's grave to acquire a DNA sample if he thought there was even a chance that he was their father, Spider-Man having never even run his own DNA against theirs because he and Gwen never reached that stage in their relationship — but Gabriel does not, resulting in him attempting to attack Spider-Man only to accidentally shoot Sarah. With their metabolisms out of control due to the Green Goblin formula they inherited from Osborn, Gabriel returns to a secret base that Osborn told them to travel to after they had completed their mission, taking the Green Goblin formula and briefly becoming the Grey Goblin - the formula apparently stabilizing his aging problem at the cost of what remains of his sanity - while Sarah is taken to hospital and is given a transfusion of Spider-Man's blood while in the hospital. Spider-Man's abnormal blood also serving to stabilize her condition, both physically and mentally (with Mary Jane imagining Spider-Man 'kicking Norman's ass' on a cellular level as his blood defeats the anomalies created by the Green Goblin formula in Sarah's system). When Grey Goblin tries to attack the weakened Spider-Man, Sarah shoots Grey Goblin's glider, recognising that Spider-Man is not responsible for their mother's death, causing an explosion that results in her brother vanishing. Sarah flees from the hospital, while Gabriel is later found washed up on a beach with no memory of what happened.

A follow-up story to "Sins Past" was published in The Spectacular Spider-Man (Vol. 2) issues #23-26 (December 2004-March 2005), titled "Sins Remembered" written by Samm Barnes with art by Scot Eaton. Spinning directly out of the events of The Amazing Spider-Man #509-514, Spider-Man locates Sarah in Paris, where Sarah has her brother (suffering from amnesia) restrained in her home. With the help of Spider-Man and Interpol, Sarah helps build a case against a criminal called Monsieur Dupres in exchange for the Interpol's help with her rapid-aging disease which is causing her, and Gabriel, severe headaches. However, during this time Gabriel escapes, prompting Sarah to join Interpol in hopes of finding her brother. This story arc was later collected as a trade paperback in 2005 as The Spectacular Spider-Man Vol. 5: Sins Remembered (ISBN 0-7851-1628-1).

Brand New Day

J. Michael Straczynski ultimately wished to retcon the characters out of existence using the events of the "One More Day" story arc, but was not permitted to do so.^[1] Jackpot refers to new villain Menace as the "Grey Goblin" and Spider-Man reacts by saying "I've got enough problems without yet another Gray Goblin to deal with".^[2] Later, one of Norman's male test subjects is identified as "G. Stacy", yet Spider-Man states that Harry Osborn is Norman's "only son" (although this may have been metaphorical).^[3] It's stated that only a woman who has taken his Green Goblin serum can be impregnated, which conradicts how the twins were conceived.^[4] Lastly, Molecule Man's torment of the Dark Avengers includes Iron Patriot hallucinating a pregnant Gwen Stacy about to be killed.^[5]

Gabriel Stacy officially returned in the American Son mini-series (although Sarah Stacy's whereabouts are still unknown). He introduces himself to Harry Osborn then shoots his half-brother in the chest.^[6] But American Son appears and saves Harry. After his attempt on Harry's life, Gabriel confronts the American Son battle suit and demands to know why "he" interfered.^[7] It is subsequently revealed that Gabriel has stolen the American Son armor, but is now suffering from a split personality, committing crimes as himself while American Son undoes the damage he has caused, identifying itself as the part of Gabriel that recognizes that what he is doing is wrong.^[8]

Gabriel hears a planned ambush by a police squad and proceeds to attack them; before he can do any real damage, however, he is stopped by Spider-Man. Later, after kidnapping a reporter named Norah and luring Harry to a vacant warehouse, Gabriel makes another attempt on Harry's life. While locked in combat with Harry, the two discuss their respective views of their father. Harry attempts to convince Gabriel that Norman is an evil monster who only craves death and power while Gabriel tells Harry that he's a waste of Norman's bloodline. Saddened by his inability to reach Gabriel, Harry reveals that he hacked into the American Son armor and quickly over powers Gabriel. After Gabriel is defeated the warehouse is set on fire and both men are saved by Spider-Man and a police squad. Following his capture, Gabriel is placed in a psychiatric hospital, and informed that the American Son suit is thought to be destroyed. However, a package is soon delivered to his room containing the American Son helmet and a note from Norman telling him that he loves Gabriel and misses his son.^[9]

Powers and abilities

Due to Norman Osborn's enhanced blood, Gabriel and Sarah aged about 2-3 times faster than normal and became adults within the span of a few years. This enhanced blood also gave the twins a slight increase in strength, reflexes, healing and endurance. But the aging causes the twins to suffer severe headaches.

Sarah's condition is stabilized through a blood transfusion from Spider-Man, leaving her significantly more mentally stable (although her precise strength level is unclear).

Gabriel later took the Green Goblin serum to have his condition stabilized and to become the "Grey Goblin" which granted himself further increased superhuman strength while also driving himself insane. He adopts the Green Goblin's Halloween themed appearance, dressing in a goblin costume and using an arsenal of high-tech weapons, notably grenade-like "Pumpkin Bombs" and a bat-shaped "goblin glider". He later acquired the 'American Son' armor which granted him further strength and stamina.

Character development

J. Michael Straczynski later stated that he originally wanted Peter Parker to be the father of Gwen Stacy's kids but the editors vetoed the idea. They felt that it would age Peter Parker too much if he had two adult children. It was then decided by the whole creative and editorial team that Norman Osborn would be the father.^[10]

In other media

• Grey Goblin appears in Spider-Man Unlimited as an alternative version of Green Goblin.

References

External links

• Gabriel Stacy (Marvel Database)
• Sarah Stacy (Marvel Database)
• Gabriel Stacy (Marvel.com)
• Gabriel Stacy (spiderfan.org)
• Sarah Stacy (spiderfan.org)