| Green Goblin | |
|---|---|
 Norman Osborn as the Green Goblin. Art by Miguel Mercado. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | The Amazing Spider-Man #14 (July 1964) |
| Created by | Stan Lee Steve Ditko |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | |
| Species | Human mutate |
| Notable aliases |
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| Abilities |
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TheGreen Goblin is the alias of severalsupervillains appearing inAmerican comic books published byMarvel Comics. Created by writerStan Lee and artistSteve Ditko, the first and best-known incarnation of the Green Goblin isNorman Osborn, who has endured as thearchenemy of the superheroSpider-Man.[1] Originally a manifestation of chemically induced insanity, others would later take on the persona, including Norman's sonHarry Osborn. The Green Goblin is depicted as a criminal mastermind who uses an arsenal ofHalloween-themed equipment, including grenade-like Pumpkin Bombs, razor-sharp bat-shaped blades, and a flying Goblin Glider, to terrorizeNew York City.
Comics journalist and historianMike Conroy writes of the character: "Of all the costumed villains who've plagued Spider-Man over the years, the most flat-out unhinged and terrifying of them all is the Green Goblin."[2] The Green Goblin has appeared in numerous media adaptations of Spider-Man over the years, including films, animated television series, and video games. Norman and Harry Osborn were portrayed byWillem Dafoe andJames Franco inSam Raimi'sSpider-Man film trilogy (2002–2007), and byChris Cooper andDane DeHaan in the filmThe Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014). Dafoe reprised his role as Norman Osborn in theMarvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) filmSpider-Man: No Way Home (2021) which used the concept of themultiverse to link the Raimi trilogy to the MCU.
According to Steve Ditko:
Stan's synopsis for the Green Goblin had a movie crew, on location, finding anEgyptian–likesarcophagus. Inside was an ancient,mythologicaldemon, the Green Goblin. He naturally came to life. On my own, I changed Stan's mythological demon into a human villain.[3]
The Green Goblin debuted inThe Amazing Spider-Man #14.[4] At this time his identity was unknown, but he proved popular and reappeared in later issues, which made a point of hissecret identity. According to both Stan Lee andJohn Romita, Sr., who replaced Ditko as the title's artist, Lee always wanted the Green Goblin to be someone Peter Parker knew, while Ditko wanted his civilian identity to be someone who had not yet been introduced.[5][6][7] Lee elaborated:
Steve wanted him to turn out to be just some character that we had never seen before. Because, he said, in real life, very often a villain turns out to be somebody that you never knew. And I felt that that would be wrong. I felt, in a sense, it would be like cheating the reader. ... if it's somebody you didn't know and had never seen, then what was the point of following all the clues? I think that frustrates the reader.[7]
However, Lee prefaced this statement by admitting that, due to his self-professed poor memory, he may have been confusing the Green Goblin with a different character.[a][7] Moreover, in an earlier essay he had said that he could not remember whether Norman Osborn being the Green Goblin was his idea or Ditko's.[8] Ditko has maintained that it was his idea, even claiming that he had decided on it before the first Green Goblin story was finished, and that a character he drew in the background of a single panel ofAmazing Spider-Man #23 was meant to be Norman Osborn (who is not introduced until issue #37).[3][9]
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Ditko left the series with issue #38, just one issue after Norman Osborn was introduced as the father ofHarry Osborn. The first issue without Ditko saw the Green Goblin unmasked.John Romita, Sr., who replaced Ditko as the title's artist, recalled:
Stan wouldn't have been able to stand it if Ditko did the story and didn't reveal that the Green Goblin was Norman Osborn. I didn't know there was any doubt about Osborn being the Goblin. I didn't know that Ditko had just been setting Osborn up as a straw dog. I just accepted the fact that it was going to be Norman Osborn when we plotted it. I had been following the last couple of issues and didn't think there was really much mystery about it. Looking back, I doubt the Goblin's identity would have been revealed inAmazing #39 if Ditko had stayed on.[10]
In the landmark story, "The Night Gwen Stacy Died" (The Amazing Spider-Man #121–122), the Green Goblin killsGwen Stacy and later perishes in a fight against Spider-Man. However, the story's writer,Gerry Conway, had Harry Osborn adopt the Green Goblin identity in that story's aftermath, later remarking that "I never had any intention of getting rid of the Green Goblin as a concept".[11] Harry Osborn's becoming the Green Goblin was mostly well-received, with fans remarking that Harry was more menacing than his father had ever been.[12]
Several other characters would take on the Green Goblin identity, and writerRoger Stern later introduced theHobgoblin to replace the Green Goblin as Spider-Man's archenemy.[13] In addition, aretcon during the "Clone Saga" determined that the original Green Goblin survived the events ofThe Amazing Spider-Man #122 and had been playing a behind-the-scenes role in Spider-Man's adventures since then.
Norman Osborn is the first and most-known character connected with the Green Goblin alias who developed the equipment used by the others ever since he was exposed to the Goblin formula.
Harold "Harry" Osborn is Norman Osborn's son and the second character who used the Green Goblin alias.
Dr. Barton "Bart" Hamilton was a psychologist born inScarsdale, New York and the third character to use the Green Goblin alias. When Harry was put under medical care, Dr. Hamilton managed to make Harry bury the vendetta as the Goblin identity from Harry'ssubconscious viahypnosis.[14] Dr. Hamilton uses these secrets to be the third Goblin.[15] But since Harry has no knowledge of where Norman's strength-enhancing Goblin formula is, Hamilton is unable to locate it. He hatches an elaborate plot to killSilvermane but Harry resumes the Goblin identity to stop him. They battle and Hamilton is accidentally killed by a bomb with which he meant to killSpider-Man.[16]
Years later, there was speculation that Hamilton was theHobgoblin but this is disproved.[17]
A Goblin that was presumably Hamilton appears as a member of the second incarnation of theLegion of the Unliving created by theGrandmaster. After being pitted against theAvengers, the group and their master are vanquished byDeath.[18]
During the "Dead No More: The Clone Conspiracy" storyline, Bart's Goblin form is cloned by theJackal's company New U Technologies.[19]
Philip Benjamin "Phil" Urich is the nephew ofBen Urich and the fourth character to use the Green Goblin alias.
Norman begins trying to convince the public after returning from the dead of never being the infamous supervillain, and conspired with associate Doctor Angst genetically engineer a new Green Goblin, one slavishly devoted to help his case.[20] Norman uses this Goblin as abodyguard,[21] to torment Spider-Man,[22] and in ploys designed to draw public sympathy (such as kidnappingNormie Osborn for ransom).[23] After Norman is incapacitated bythe Gathering of Five, the Goblin is left alone and begins to degenerate due to no longer having access to the Goblin Formula required to keep him stable. The Goblin goes afterLiz Allan in a desperate bid to find a cure for his condition, but is driven off by Spider-Man.[24] During a second attempt to capture Liz, the Goblin unmasks himself in front of Spider-Man (shuffling through a variety of faces (with the most prominent being Harry Osborn) after doing so) and melts into a pile of protoplasm as he claims Norman would return.[20]
In his first appearances, the Green Goblin seems to be a normal man (albeit very nimble and athletic) who gets his powers from his many gadgets. In later appearances, it is established that due to the "Goblin Formula", Norman and most successors to the Green Goblin persona possesses superhuman strength (lifting nine tons under optimal conditions), increased speed, reflexes, endurance, intelligence and healing rate.
Norman started with a portion of the chemical's power, because he only received an accidental splash in the face at a time where one had to bathe in it long enough to get the full effect. Eventually a new version of the chemical was developed, which was suitable for directly drinking it. Though much slower than the likes ofWolverine, he can regenerate damaged tissue and organs. However, if seriously wounded, it would leave scars on his body.
His intelligence has been enhanced to gifted levels, though at the price of his sanity. His involvement with the Gathering of the Five loosened his grip on reality, though he is able to maintain some semblance of his sanity via chemically treated dermal patches. When not impaired by mental illness, Osborn is a cunning businessman, masterful strategist, and highly skilled in electronics, mechanics, engineering and chemistry.
He wears a green bulletproofscale armor costume with an overlapping purple tunic. His mask has a built-in gas filter to keep him safe from his own gases, and his gloves are woven with micro-circuited filaments which channel pulsed discharges of electricity at nearly 10,000volts.
In the Green Goblin's first appearance inThe Amazing Spider-Man #14, he rides a steel rocket-powered wingless broomstick. In his second appearance inThe Amazing Spider-Man #17, he changes to the familiarbat-shaped glider. The Goblin Glider's controls andmicroprocessor are located behind the head of the glider. The pilot is attached to the glider viaelectromagnetic clasps on the wings of the glider. It has great maneuverability and is steered mostly by leaning, but manual controls are available behind the head of the glider. The Goblin later added radio-linked voice controls to his mask.
Its top speed is 90 miles per hour (140 km/h), and it can support about 400 lb (180 kg), though it could lift far more for brief periods. Flying at top speed with a full load and a full fuel tank would deplete its fuel supply in about an hour. In the Goblin's later appearances, the glider possesses a wide array of armaments, including heat-seeking and smart missiles, machine guns, extending blades, a flamethrower and a Pumpkin Bomb dispenser/launcher.
The Green Goblin wears an over-the-shoulder satchel called his "Bag of Tricks", containing various weapons including grenades called "Pumpkin Bombs", which resemble miniatureJack-o'-lanterns. When thrown, they ignite almost soundlessly and produce enough heat to melt through a 3-inch (76 mm) thick sheet of steel. Other weapons in the satchel include razor bats (akin to bladed boomerangs) and miniature "Ghost Bombs". The Green Goblin has a range of other "Pumpkin Bombs" and "Ghost Bombs" at his disposal, including smoke and gas-emitting bombs. Some releasehallucinogenic gases, while others emit a specially created mixture that neutralisesSpider-Man's spider-sense for a limited period of time. Still others emit a flame-retarding gas, which the Goblin once used against theHuman Torch.[25] All of these are covered in a light plastic coating.
Some time after Norman's death, Harry is abducted by a trio of mysterious female Goblins. With the aid ofBen Urich andMolten Man, Spider-Man discovers that these "Goblinettes" are robots created by Harry, and controlled by a supercomputer containing copies of Harry and Norman's minds. The Goblinettes are destroyed along with the computer, which had been programmed to expose Normie Osborn to the same version of Goblin serum that killed Harry, in attempt to create a new Green Goblin.[26]
An offshoot of the Scriers cult founded by Norman, consisting of only his most loyal followers.[27]
Following Norman'srise andfall from power, a number of Goblin Gangs sprang up across America. Composed mostly of white supremacists who agreed with his plans to remove theAsgardians from the country, they wear purple clothes, green face makeup and have goblin-based tattoos.[28]Vin Gonzales was revealed to have received one of these tattoos while in prison passing a message from Norman to Harry about Stanley Osborn.[29]
The Goblin Nation, also known as the"Goblin Underground", is a group of organized crime composed of Goblin-themed villains led by the Goblin King against theSuperior Spider-Man.[30]
In the eight-monthellipsis that occurred subsequent to the events ofSecret Wars, a heavily bandaged arms dealer claiming to be Norman Osborn began selling Goblin-based costumes and equipment on the black market, establishing private armies of "War Goblins".[31]
As a fictional character, the Green Goblin has appeared in a number of media, fromcomic books tofilms andtelevision series. Each version of the character is typically established within its owncontinuity withinparallel universes, to the point where distinct differences in the portrayal of the character can be identified. Various versions of the Goblin are depicted in works such as Marvel'sUltimate line andEarth X.
In the miniseriesAvataars: Covenant of the Shield, which takes place in an alternative universe referred to as Eurth created by theShaper of Worlds, the Green Goblin appears as theGoblin King. A small, nimble creature green in color and adorned in purple rags, the Goblin King is shown to speak solely in rhyme and runs a toll booth in the Webwood, extorting goods from travelers along with his henchmen theSix Most Sinister.[32]
In 2023, Marvel announced that writerJonathan Hickman would be rebooting the Ultimate Marvel universe, launching a brand new timeline beginning with the limited seriesUltimate Invasion. This new Ultimate Universe, designatedEarth-6160 will follow a married Peter Parker in his 30s. The Goblin will debut in the title's second issue, scheduled for release in February 2024. Unlike his previousUltimate Universe counterpart, this version will take more similarities from his Earth-616 variant, such as being a man in a costume and glider, as well as taking partial inspiration from the live-action version ofWillem Dafoe'sGreen Goblin.
In theSpider-Man: House of M from the 2005 Marvel comics seriesHouse of M, there are two versions of the Green Goblin.
In theMarvel 2099 setting, there are different versions of its Green Goblins.
The Goblin is a radical trickster who wants to prove thatSpider-Man (Miguel O'Hara) is in the pay of a megacorp likeAlchemax. He has bat-like glider-wings and a bag of "tricks", similar to the 20th century version. He also has the ability to project illusions.[34]
He is eventually unmasked, and appears to be Spider-Man's brotherGabriel O'Hara, although it is later revealed, in aretcon, that he is ashapeshifter who took Gabriel's identity. WriterPeter David, who quit the book between creating the character and the unmasking, has said that it was his intent for the Goblin to be a femaleCatholicpriest named Father Jennifer, and for Gabriel to be ared herring.[35][36] This Goblin was never called the Green Goblin, but instead simplyGoblin 2099.[34]
Jennifer D'Angelo is an ordained priest in each of the 2099 realities.
On Earth-928, Jennifer D'Angelo is an ordained priest.[37] She later took on the alias of Goblin 2099 to fight Spider-Man and later allied withVulture.[38]
InAll-New, All-Different Marvel during a travel to 2099 which turned out to be different from the version that he knows, Spider-Man (O'Hara) is captured by that alternate 2099's era'sVenom andDoctor Octopus. Miguel later wakes up in Alchemax, which is run by that era'sSinister Six. The Sinister Six discover that the Goblin is actually Father Jennifer D'Angelo, an undercover ally of Kasey. After receiving a message from the Sinister Six, Miguel and Kasey go to Alchemax to rescue Father Jennifer. Upon escaping, Spider-Man and Father Jennifer arrive at an area where the time door appears, but Jennifer is killed by Doctor Octopus.[39]
Élan DeJunae, daughter of the San Mardeo DeJunae crime family in South America, is betrothed to Normie Osborn when she is just a baby because of her father's involvement with the Order of the Goblin.[volume & issue needed]
From then on, Élan learns the family business and eventually makes connections with theBlack Tarantula. She grows up training to follow Norman Osborn's footsteps, and eventually becomes the leader of the Order of the Goblin. Following a near fatal attack on Normie, Élan returns to New York to follow through with their arranged marriage, but Normie was not aware of the betrothal. Meanwhile, Élan and the Black Tarantula plot to useSpider-Girl to destroyLady Octopus andCanis so they can take control of the New York underworld. Following plans made by Norman Osborn before his death, the Queen of the Goblins tries to dose Normie Osborn with a new version of the Goblin Formula. Spider-Girl manages to defeat Élan, but in the battle, the formula explodes and the Queen escapes.[volume & issue needed]
Because Normie spurned her and denied his place in the Goblin legacy, Fury crashes his wedding toBrenda Drago and forcibly bonds theVenom-symbiote to him in an attempt to corrupt him. This backfires, as Normie gained control of the symbiote and went on to become a hero. After Fury crashed Normie's wedding,Phil Urich (the good Green Goblin) defeats her and sends her to prison.[volume & issue needed]
Fury the Goblin Queen appeared as a member of a Multiversal group called theSinister Squadron where they attacked the Spider-Society before it can be formed.[40]
Normie Osborn is the son of Harry Osborn and Liz Allan, and the grandson of Norman Osborn. In the alternative timeline of theMC2 universe he becomes the Green Goblin and battles Spider-Man's daughter,May "Mayday" Parker, before reforming and becoming her ally.[volume & issue needed]
In the MC2 timeline, Phil Urich marries his girlfriend Meredith and is aforensic scientist and friends with Peter Parker. He is aware of both Peter andSpider-Girl's identities. Phil Urich resumes the Goblin identity, first under the name of theGolden Goblin, then as the Green Goblin with the assistance of Normie Osborn (III). After Phil lost a long series of battles, Normie recreates Phil's original mask, which grants him superhuman strength and other abilities, greatly enhancing his effectiveness. He is also a founding member of the NewNew Warriors.[41]
In the universe where Marvel characters are animals, Norman Osbird, as he's called in this universe, is a crazyturkey who calls himself the Green Gobbler.
Spider-Man: India featuresNalin Oberoi, a ruthless businessman inMumbai, who is ravaging villages for a mystical amulet to connect with evil, supernaturaldemons who once ruled the world.[42] The process works and transforms Oberoi into "Green Goblin". He also transforms a meek doctor into"Doctor Octopus" and sends him to find Pavitar Prabhakar (Spider-Man). Oberoi later burns down Pavitar's village (branding it with his initials NO), and kidnaps MJ, and Aunt Maya (Aunt May).[43] At Oberoi HQ, he tries to bring down the demons, until a reformed Octopus and Pavitar attack and rescue the ladies. After killing the doctor, Oberoi is later defeated by Pavitar.[44] Oberoi also has a son mentioned by Pavitar, Hari.[44]
In theMarvel Zombies universe, a zombified Green Goblin appears attackingGalactus alongside several other undead supervillains, before being defeated and destroyed bySpider-Man.[45] Prior to this, inMarvel Zombies: Dead Days, Green Goblin, alongside several other undead Spider-Man villains, appears to attackWolverine.[46]
Spider-Man's arch nemesis, the Green Goblin, as introduced to readers as the 'most dangerous foe Spidey's ever fought.' Writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko had no way of knowing how true that statement would prove to be in the coming years.
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