But times had changed...

***

Your sentiments are clear and understandable, but I disagree. I too remember a thrill of excitement about the death of Phoenix all these years later, but that's the problem. "BIG impact stories" feed that part of fandom that want everything to be realistic. Wanting "Death to last" for all too many leads to wanting the characters to age and develop past the things that make them who they are.

Sticking to the convention that nothing ever really changes and that all deaths will likely be undone keeps characters locked in an everlasting present. The impact of Gwen's death is that Spider-Man has a history that keeps marking time-- it becomes x number of years since Gwen died. Then x+1. Etc.

Conway's "solution" only made the problem bigger by drawing more and expanding circles of attention to this gigantic incident in Parker's life.

Just never mention that she was dead.

If I was bringing Gwen back, then the "Old Parker Luck" dictates something has to be taken away. I mean, that's the way the world works. And in Spider-Man's world, he never has a good thing happen without a bad thing happening. So that's something to keep in mind.

Considering the time in which the story was written, and the unheard-of possibility of Aunt May actually dying, well...

According to some brief research, "broken necks" aren't what cause fatality. Spinal injuries are. You can break the neck and not die, or even be paralyzed. You'll be jacked up for some time, of course.

Peter saw Gwen "die", but all he knows for sure is Norman Osborne is crowing about how dead she is. Pete is freaked out. I seem to recall that the beginning of the next issue has Pete handing Gwen's body over to the EMTs/cops? Was there an official pronouncement?

Anyway, whoever it is who takes Gwen's body is obviously not your normal EMTs. Conspiracy begins. A body was buried, but not actually Gwen's.

Avoiding cloning, which is a bizarre deviation from Spider-Man's world, you could return Gwen in a more byzantine manner, a noirish undercurrent of menace as Pete struggles to figure out who is actually haunting him. You could also use Hitchcock's VERTIGO as inspiration, with Gwen brainwashed instead with memories not her own, a life not her own, her own life having been removed from her by the Mystery Conspirators.

If you had to include the Jackal and the Spider-Man clone, this could be deftly integrated as a "red herring" for the Gwen return, as the Jackal's motivations don't include romantic longing for Gwen, but maybe a paternal love. Say, the Jackal as Professor whoever had known Gwen's family, her mother, cherished them, cherished her as a daughter of sorts. The Jackal had coincidentally chosen student Peter Parker as a "random" target, but upon cloning him and discovering Pete's secret, decides to destroy Spider-Man whom he despises anyway for Gwen's death. Coincidences like that were and should be standards of comic book story-telling.

But the Mystery Conspiracy goes on even after the Jackal and the Spider-Clone are destroyed.

I'm not sure Who is behind it all, perhaps someone not even in the Spider Rogues. Perhaps a new adversary who had been waiting to revenge themselves on Spider-Man, waiting and monitoring and scheming. Someone with the financial backing and influence to initiate such a plan. Someone full of monstrous, unending hatred for Spider-Man.

Stretch this out over a year and reveal all at some point.

But the point is, Gwen Stacy returns. And somewhere along the line, Aunt May dies.

And Mary Jane? Would you believe it: SHE IS THE DAUGHTER OF THE DEMON!!! She is PART of the conspiracy!

That's right. Mary Jane Watson's whole hippie schtick is just a sham, a mask, hiding EVIL.

Sorry to the Mary Jane fans. Gwen Stacy is Pete's true love. Maybe, because of the brainwashing, Gwen doesn't really love him back. Maybe she does go off to "find herself." Maybe she'll return when she figures it out.

Pete's left alone, no Aunt May, no Mary Jane. Just his great responsibility his companion.

I'd have Peter collect and send off box-tops to get her back...