This is an interesting but fairly insubstantial comic from Gerry Conway, aka the guy who killed Gwen in the first place, and Jody Houser. I really like the art by Ramon Bachs, but the story is just a little thin, and also not really all that dark.

Peter dies saving Gwen Stacy from her death at the hands of the Green Goblin (he goes down pretty easily somehow) and Gwen is left to grieve. She doesn’t seem to freak out overly much about Peter being Spider-Man, either, even though she was always convinced Spider-Man killed her father.

Well, on to Harry! He skips Peter’s funeral, like he skipped Gwen’s in the original (don’t forget, he was coming down off a drug overdose during this time) and eventually resurfaces to meet Gwen, who has hidden Peter’s true identity from the authorities and kept his mask for herself.

Peter’s death has completely messed Harry up, just as Gwen’s death did in the original.

Gwen and Harry decide they’ll take down the Green Goblin themselves. Harry has no idea, of course, that the Goblin is his father.

Here, he gives a glimpse of the vengeful Harry we all know and love.

He takes the news that Peter is Spider-Man surprisingly well, though.

Harry attempts to comfort Gwen, who blames herself for Peter’s death, and agrees to help her in her mission to stop the Goblin. Still blissfully unaware, of course, that it’s Norman!

The two friends get to work avenging Peter.

I feel like MJ should be more involved in this story. She pops up a couple times-

-but considering that she always knew Peter was Spider-Man, it’s weird that she doesn’t play more of a part here.

Little does Harry know, Gwen is planning to outright kill the Goblin. She has her father’s old gun and she hasn’t told Harry. People tend not to tell him important things.

Harry and Gwen lure Norman into their trap. You can probably tell where this is going, can’t you?

Gwen manages to get Norman at gunpoint… but she can’t kill him.

This is where things get interesting Harry-wise, because suddenly…

Harry appears and kills the Goblin, still not knowing it’s his dad under the mask!

Now me personally I think this is a bit out of character. Harry (pre-death Harry) is never seen to kill anyone in the comics, and DeMatteis’s The Child Within takes pains to point out that Harry can’t kill Peter, the man he hates the most at that moment, even when pushed to the absolute edge.

It also reminds me of a really fascinating bit in Amazing Spider-Man #261. Harry, Liz and MJ are captured, and Harry could potentially save them if he can shoot and kill the guard at the door… but he can’t.

It’s MJ who knocks out the guard instead. Harry is furious at himself for his “weakness” and does try and take shots at the other guards, but misses.

Maybe the gun-wielding Harry of this What If is the I-won’t-fail-you-this-time Harry. It makes sense I guess, but I’m curious to know what you think.

Anyway, Harry is horrified to realise he’s killed his own father.

Harry rips off the Goblin mask and there’s Norman. He instantly blames Gwen, because Harry most definitely has a tendency to (at least outwardly) blame everyone but himself.

Harry calls Gwen a murderer, despite the fact he was very much the one who fired the shot, and a horrified Gwen runs away.

Next time we see Harry, he’s suiting up as a new Goblin.

Gwen reconnects with MJ (man, again, she really should have played a bigger role in this) and grieves for Peter, but the final page of the issue shows Harry at large, blowing things up.

Gwen pulls on the Spider-Man mask and jumps into action to stop him. And that’s the end of the issue! What happens to them next is up to you I guess.

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From what I’ve seen, no-one is really calling this a don’t-miss issue or anything, but I do think it’s probably worth a read if you like the original 616 Gwen. (And I do.)