Why Gwen Stacy's Death in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 Is the One Perfect Scene in the Franchise

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is a film where the things surrounding it are just as interesting as the movie itself. Released while the MCU was really taking off, it was critically panned for having too many villains, too many subplots and a score that has Pharrell Williams basically giving Electro a monologue. Andrew Garfield's version of Peter Parker had a tough time from the beginning, arriving just five years after Tobey Maguire's incarnation before being replaced by Tom Holland's Spider-Man less than four years later. Because of this, the Amazing Spider-Man franchise is often overlooked, but it has picked up a strong following online who absolutely loved the films.

When you watch it, you can kind of see why. It has its low points, but there is also a scene in it that I think is absolutely perfect: Gwen Stacy's death. Ever since it was announced that Emma Stone would be playing Gwen, we knew the character was truly doomed, and this franchise very much built up to that moment coming to fruition.

Gwen Stacy's Death Has Long Been Treated as a Defining Comic Book Moment

For many years, Gwen's death was viewed as a defining moment for the character, and though she has been brought back to life in recent times, for several decades it was said that she should be a character that remained dead, like Uncle Ben and the Waynes. Her death very much represents a number of things in Peter's life, and to me the Amazing Spider-Man 2 nailed all of these aspects.

Peter Parker was plucked out of Queens and given incredible abilities that transformed him into a superhuman. Initially he wanted to use these gifts for personal gain, but after they inadvertently led to the death of his Uncle Ben, he decided he would instead use them to help others. Being a vigilante caused several run ins with the law, including with Captain Stacy, who was killed in the comics after saying in his final breath that Peter should take care of Gwen. This is somewhat the opposite of what happens in the Amazing Spider-Man franchise, where Captain Stacy is very much of the stay away from my daughter mindset. Either way, Peter broke his promise, since wanting things for his own personal happiness ultimately led to him losing once more.

In the comics, the Green Goblin took Gwen to the top of a bridge and knocked her off with his glider. Peter fired a web around her ankles to catch her, but upon climbing down realized she was dead. For many years, Peter did not know whether it was the impact of the fall or the whiplash from his own webbing that killed her, and he carried a long guilt over it before it was later revealed in the comics that the webbing broke her neck. I have always viewed Peter as doing the best he could in that situation, and to me the fault lay with Norman for putting her there in the first place. Peter being Peter, though, he blamed himself, believing that choosing to be Spider-Man put the woman he loved in danger. There is definitely a debate to be had there, and that is what makes the character so interesting: someone who does the best he can, even when doing his best still means those he loves die because of it.

Peter and Gwen's Relationship Was the Strongest Part of These Films

Whatever you think of the Amazing Spider-Man movies, I think most people agree that Peter and Gwen's relationship was the strongest part of them. Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone dated in real life, and that chemistry definitely comes across in the characters as they go back and forth throughout both films. Peter wrestles with whether to keep his promise to Captain Stacy or to follow his heart and be with the woman he loves.

In the film, Gwen gets a chance at another life abroad, and Peter in the end decides to go with her. That happy moment is ruined by Electro, who starts to drain power from the city. Gwen's death is even foreshadowed here, as the two stand on top of a bridge, which is of course where the character died in the comics. Peter webs Gwen into a car to keep her safe, but she ends up joining him anyway to stop Electro. Gwen is just as much of a genius as Peter, probably even smarter, and she knows the grid specs inside and out, making her a valuable asset in shutting Max down. They manage to stop him and send him to the power grid, which is when Green Goblin swoops in cackling. I absolutely love the screeching of the glider, and though Dane DeHaan's Goblin gets a lot of criticism, I think using the actor's own face instead of a mask works really well.

The Clock Tower Battle Leads to Gwen's Fatal Fall

After his father's death, Harry learned he was dying from a debilitating disease and tried to reach out to Spider-Man for help finding a cure. Getting a blood sample from Oscorp labs led him into mutating even further, and he sought revenge. Gwen was very much caught in the crossfire, and as the two battled in the clock tower she was left dangling by a thread. As the gears came crashing down, we got a brilliant moment in which her literal lifeline was cut, causing her arm to drop before the rest of her body does. I am not sure the physics behind that shot are right, but it is such a cool image that gave me butterflies the first time I watched it.

Throughout the Spider-Verse films, there has often been a reflection used in the eyes of Spider-Man or Venom when they are trying to stop someone from falling to their death. That reflection here really captures Peter's desperation and shows how much Gwen means to him. There is a lot of subtle iconography in this sequence too, such as the web Peter shoots out to her resembling a hand reaching out to save her as it fires through the gears, barely managing to catch her.

The Sound Design in Gwen's Death Scene Makes the Moment Hit Harder

Her death is one of the most famous in comic book history, so we know what is coming, but the creative team does an incredible job with the scoring and setting to make us think there is a chance Peter will save her. Just as Gwen falls, everything tunes out and leaves a solitary piano, so we can see how focused Peter is on saving her, blocking out everything else. The gears also cover her at one point so we cannot see Gwen, but they open up as the web shoots down, giving the impression that all the obstacles have cleared and that he is actually going to save her.

Unfortunately, as the web hits her he grabs the pipe, which causes it to tighten and whip her head backward, cracking off the ground. The snap from it is, to me, even more impactful than the one carried out by Thanos, because they completely cut the music and all other effects so that all you hear is that sound. I remember it shaking through the cinema when I saw it for the first time. Add to this the clock face that breaks in two, symbolizing that Gwen's time is up, and you have a lot of things laced through the subtext that make this moment hit ten times harder. In the aftermath you could hear a pin drop, and though we knew it was coming, it was completely devastating to see it play out. Andrew Garfield's performance dropping down to her afterward reminded me of Bambi finding his mother dead. There is something so innocent to it that makes it even more devastating.

The Funeral and Aunt May's Box Speech Capture Peter's Grief

As with a lot of Spider-Man movies, we end with a funeral, but something about this one feels even more personal. We have dealt with a lot of characters dying around Peter, but watching the montage of him at a grave as the seasons pass makes it hit home ten times harder, capturing the grief he is going through. Spider-Man is often seen as a kid friendly character who is somewhat cartoonish because of his big eyes and brightly colored costume, but he can have moments like this that are real gut punches, showing that he has to tackle super criminals while also losing those around him. He is not a billionaire, he is not invincible, and he never has it easy.

Peter even quits being Spider-Man, but in the end it is the memory of Gwen that brings him back around. In the final scenes he speaks to Aunt May, who is putting Ben's belongings in a box. She tells him the heavier the box is, the lighter she feels, which speaks to the acceptance part of grief and learning to let go, without throwing it out entirely because it is part of her. Peter plays Gwen's graduation speech, in which she says to hold on to hope and to try to become that even if we fail, which very much summarizes her death and Peter's next step. Much like May, he puts Gwen's possessions in a box but leaves one photo behind as a reminder, and he returns to being Spider-Man.

Say what you want about the film, but I feel like this rise and fall of the character represents why we as audiences love him so much. He is someone who has been through some of the worst things imaginable, and though he has lost people close to him, he will still come back every time. Gwen's death is obviously a tragedy, but it is such an intrinsic part of the character that shows his greatest strength is dealing with his own failures and coming back from them. Though I do have some issues with the film, I think Gwen's death is one of the most impactful scenes in a comic book movie ever, and that is why that scene is absolutely perfect.

What do you think, does Gwen Stacy's fall in the clock tower still hold up as the franchise's best scene?