Gabriel and Sarah Stacy

Gabriel Stacy and Sarah Stacy
Gabriel and Sarah Stacy. Art by Mike Deodato.
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	The Amazing Spider-Man #509 (Aug 2004)
Created by	J. Michael Straczynski Mike Deodato
In-story information
Alter ego	Gabriel Stacy and Sarah Stacy

Gabriel and Sarah Stacy are the fictional twin children of Norman Osborn and Gwen Stacy featured in Marvel Comics' The Amazing/Spectacular Spider-Man comic book series.

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, the Green Goblin's alter ego, fathered twins, a boy and a girl, with Gwen Stacy, to whom she gave birth while in France shortly before her death. She vowed she would raise them with Peter Parker (Spider-Man) and, seeing Norman's disregard for his sick son Harry, refused to allow Norman access to them.

Seeing her as a threat to his potential heirs, the Green Goblin killed Gwen Stacy. Norman Osborn then raised Gwen's two children, a boy and a girl named Gabriel and 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 (they are 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.

Green Goblin, Spider-Man and Gabriel.

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 is a near-exact duplicate of 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.

Arranging a press conference, Peter tells the twins to meet him on the bridge where Gwen died, where he tells them the truth about their origins. Sarah believes Peter — 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, Peter 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 Peter only to accidentally shoot Sarah. With their metabolisms out of control due to the 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 stabilising his aging problem-, while Sarah is taken to hospital and is given a transfusion of Spider-Man's blood while in the hospital, his abnormal blood also serving to stabilise her condition (Mary Jane imagining it as Peter 'kicking Norman's ass' on a cellular level as his blood defeats the anomalies created by the Goblin formula in Sarah's system). When Gabriel tries to attack the weakened Peter, Sarah shoots his glider, recognising that Peter is not responsible for their mother's death, causing an explosion that results in Gabriel 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 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

Main article: Spider-Man: Brand New Day

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] In Amazing Spider-Man #549, 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," implying the Sins Past arc is still canon. Later, in Amazing Spider-Man #598, one of Norman Osborn's male test subjects is identified as "G. Stacy". In that same arc, Spider-Man states that Harry is Norman's "only son", though this may have been metaphorical.^[2] In Amazing Spider-Man #599, Osborn states that he can only impregnate a woman who has taken his Goblin Serum which Gwen Stacy had not.^[3] However, when the Dark Avengers encounter Molecule Man, the villain torments Osborn with hallucinations of a pregnant Gwen Stacy being killed.^[4]

Gabriel officially returned in the American Son mini-series (Although Sarah's whereabouts are still unknown). He arrives at Harry Osborn's store (the Coffee Bean) introducing himself as Norman Osborn's other son, and shoots Harry in the chest.^[5] However, a few minutes later an individual wearing the American Son battle suit appears and saves him. Afterward his attempt on Harry's life, Gabriel confronts American Son and demands to know why he interfered.^[6] 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.^[7]

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 Norman and their respective views of him. Harry attempts to convince Gabriel that Norman is an evil monster who only craves death and power while Gabriel tells Harry that he is a waste of Norman's bloodline. Saddened by his inability to reach Gabriel, Harry reveals that he has 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 Armor is thought to be destroyed. However, a package is soon delivered to his room containing a helmet from the American Son Armor and a note from Norman telling him that he loves Gabriel and misses him.^[8]

Powers and abilities

Due to Norman Osborn's enhanced blood, the twins 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. However, the aging causes the twins to suffer severe headaches.

Gabriel later took the Green Goblin serum to become the Grey Goblin granting himself further increased superhuman strength but also driving himself insane. Gabriel adopts Osborn'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, granting him further strength and stamina.

Sarah's condition is stabilised through a blood transfusion from Spider-Man, leaving her significantly more mentally stable than her brother, but her precise strength level is unclear.

Character development

Straczynski later stated that he originally wanted Peter Parker to be the father of Gwen'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.^[9]

References

1. ^ "One More (More) Day? JMS Explains his ending". 2008-01-03. http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=141756. Retrieved 2008-01-04. 
2. ^ Amazing Spider-Man #598
3. ^ Amazing Spider-Man #599
4. ^ Dark Avengers #11
5. ^ Amazing Spider-Man presents: American Son #1
6. ^ Amazing Spider-Man presents: American Son #2
7. ^ Amazing Spider-Man presents: American Son #3
8. ^ Amazing Spider-Man Presents: American Son #4
9. ^ SBC.com (no date): All the Rage (column) - "Don't Panic", by Blair Marnell & John Voulieris

External links

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