Norman OsbornGreen Goblin

There is no shortage of great villains within the world of Peter Parker, AKA Spider-Man (poor Peter), but there are none more feared or deranged than Norman Osborn’s Green Goblin. Perhaps the very antithesis of New York’s resident wall-crawler, the Goblin does not use his power for responsibility or the betterment of society, but instead to reign down chaos and destruction. Mr. Osborn is the result of his turbulent upbringing, which manifests itself in the villainous persona he would one day grow up to inhabit completely.

Self-Made Man

Norman Virgil Osborn is raised by an abusive and alcoholic father who loses the family fortune. Maybe this loss is the impetus for Norman to become a self-made man, as he grows up to be a ruthless industrialist. He is the co-owner of the leading New York firm, Osborn Industries, AKA Oscorp, which specializes in chemical manufacturing via Osborn Chemicals, as well as other areas of research and development, including robotics. Norman’s wife Emily dies within a year of their son Harry’s birth, leaving Norman embittered. Unfortunately, this loss causes him to repeat the sins of his own father and Norman raises Harry dispassionately, often devoid of fatherly warmth, frustrated by Harry’s failure to demonstrate academic excellence or a competitive drive. Despite living in opulence, Harry feels depressed and neglected by his father.

Early in his career, before he ever becomes the Green Goblin, Norman resorts to criminal means to advance his agenda. When Norman faces opposition from the owners of Malone’s flophouse, who refuse to sell so that Osborn could build a warehouse, Osborn sends the Enforcers— “Fancy” Dan Brito, Montana, and Raymond Bloch, AKA the Ox—to violently persuade them. Namor McKenzie, AKA Namor the Sub-Mariner, now a homeless amnesiac, retaliates by destroying Osborn’s construction equipment. Private detective Mac Gargan, AKA Scorpion steals military robotics plans from Osborn for competitor Obadiah Stane, AKA Iron Monger, causing Osborn Industries to lose a lucrative contract.

However, the loss pushes Osborn into biological enhancements research. Norman rises in power and wealth by participating in a collusion enabling the creation of powerful opponents to challenge the Super Hero community, thereby offering corrupt corporations a means to distract the heroes from probing into their illegal affairs. One failure in this regard involves using Osborn Industries employee Nels Van Adder as a human test subject, transforming him into the disfigured Protogoblin.

Osborn dodges accusations of wrongdoing from his head of security Arthur Stacy and his brother Police Detective George Stacy. After Osborn has his business partner Professor Mendel Stromm jailed for embezzling funds, allowing Osborn to gain full control of the firm, he discovers Stromm’s notes for a strength-enhancing serum. Osborn tests the serum on himself in his private lab, but the unstable concoction explodes in his face, leaving him hospitalized for weeks. He emerges smarter and possessing superhuman strength; but at the cost of his sanity and moral inhibitions, signaling the beginning of the Goblin identity.

Psychotic Strengths

As a result of the Goblin Formula, Norman possesses superhuman strength (able to lift nine tons), speed, reflexes, endurance, and healing. He can regenerate damaged tissue and organs (though not at the same rate as the mutant James Howlett/Logan, AKA Wolverine). His intelligence has been enhanced to genius levels at the price of his sanity. His involvement with the Gathering of the Five loosens his grip on reality, though he maintains his mental stability through chemically-treated transdermal patches and oral medications for bipolar disorder. When not impaired by mental illness, Osborn is a cunning businessman and a masterful strategist, highly skilled at electronics, mechanics, and chemistry.

He designs a grotesque green costume based on an image from a childhood nightmare and the color of Professor Mendel Stromm’s serum, and arms himself with high-tech weaponry and a broomstick-like glider.

Osborn’s arsenal includes various concussive, incendiary, hallucinogenic, smoke and stun grenades, and bombs in the form of hand-held pumpkins (the iconic Pumpkin Bombs) and fluttering wraiths. The incendiary grenades ignite almost soundlessly and release enough heat to melt through a three-inch thick sheet of steel. One special gas can nearly neutralize Spider-Man’s spider-sense for a limited period of time. He carries these bombs in his “bag of tricks,” along with razor-sharp bats. His gloves are interwoven with micro-circuit conducting filaments capable of channeling pulsed discharges of 10,000 volts from rechargeable power packs in both the glove cuffs and tunic capable of sustained fire for five minutes. His costume incorporates chain mail in the tunic.

The Green Goblin first rides a one-man miniature turbo-fan powered vertical thrust “flying broomstick.” He improves this device into his Goblin Glider, capable of great maneuverability, speeds up to 90 miles per hour, and supporting about 400 lbs., including Norman’s weight (and far more for brief periods of time). At top speed and a normal weight load, the fuel supply will last about one hour. The main microprocessor-assisted manual controls are behind the glider’s “head”; later modifications include remote controls in his gloves and voice activated radio-linked controls integrated into the Green Goblin’s mask. The weight and attitude of the rider helps steer the glider. The Green Goblin’s boots lock into the stirrups of the glider electromagnetically. A modification includes a hidden lance behind the glider’s “head.”

Remorseless Rivalry

Green Goblin makes the fatal decision to choose Spider-Man as his arch-nemesis. The two clash many times over the years, their destinies linked in a cycle of pain and tragic loss. This is only accentuated by the fact that their alter-egos are also linked—Peter Parker is close friends with Norman’s son, Harry. When Peter discovers that Norman and the Goblin are one and the same, he hides the terrible truth from Harry.

Power-Hungry Pals

Lusting for more power, Osborn plots to organize a worldwide crime syndicate, aiming at defeating Spider-Man to establish his reputation. He hires the fire-wielding Steven Jamal Hudak, AKA Scorcher to steal secret plans for electronic equipment, explosives, and compact turbine engines, while using this illicitly-gained technology to create the ax-wielding villain Cleavon Twain, AKA Headsman. When the Scorcher and Headsman fail to kill Spider-Man, Osborn decides to take matters into his own hands.

A Lifelong Grudge Match

Recalling Spider-Man’s earlier show business ambitions, Osborn lured the hero to New Mexico to film a movie about his exploits, contacting low-budget film producer BJ Cosmos to document Spider-Man’s defeat. Despite hiring the Enforcers for assistance, the Goblin ran afoul of Bruce Banner, AKA the Hulk and his attempt on Spider-Man’s life failed. The Goblin next ambushed Spider-Man at a meeting of the Spider-Man Fan Club, where he clashed with Johnny Storm, AKA Human Torch. Failing again, the Green Goblin focused on assuming leadership of Francisco “Lucky” Lobo’s gang, but Spider-Man’s interference resulted in the gang’s arrest.

In a tragic turn of events, Osborn kidnapped Spider-Man’s girlfriend Gwen Stacy. The Goblin threw her off a bridge and Spider-Man shot a web to save her. Believing he had done so, he reeled her in, only to discover she died after sustaining an extreme whiplash effect. An enraged Peter pursued the villain, who was then accidentally impaled on his own glider. However, thanks to the Goblin Formula, Osborn survived and traveled to Europe to continue meddling in Spider-Man’s life from abroad. Later, he convinced Parker that his clone, Ben Reilly, AKA Scarlet Spider, was the real Spider-Man, and caused the loss of Peter and Mary Jane Watson’s baby.

After killing a Daily Bugle reporter, Osborn was publicly revealed to be the Green Goblin by the paper’s Jessica Jones. He was sent to prison but was freed after making a deal with S.H.I.E.L.D. to take medication that suppressed his manic Green Goblin alter-ego and supported the Superhuman Registration Act during the first Super Hero Civil War. Osborn assembled a team called the Thunderbolts to search for super-powered individuals refusing to register. He played a key role in defeating the Skrull invasion and was given control of the Avengers Initiative, as well as the license to replace S.H.I.E.L.D. with his own H.A.M.M.E.R. paramilitaries.

Shortly after Spider-Man and Felicia Hardy, AKA Black Cat, broke Norman Osborn out of jail in a bid to learn the whereabouts of May Parker, they were met outside by a group of Spider-Man’s deadliest enemies. Formed by Norman Osborn and calling themselves the Sinister Twelve, they attacked the heroes as Osborn, now in his Green Goblin costume, made his way to kill Mary Jane. A battle followed in which the heroes were greatly outnumbered and brutally beaten. However, Mary Jane knew that Osborn was going to kill her husband and contacted S.H.I.E.L.D. to help them. The Fantastic Four, Matt Murdock, AKA Daredevil, Henry Pym, AKA Yellowjacket, Tony Stark, AKA Iron Man, and Steve Rogers, AKA Captain America, arrived on the scene and helped to defeat the villains. On his way to help Mary Jane, Spider-Man was attacked by Eddie Brock, AKA Venom, who had managed to escape from the heroes. A brief battle followed in which Spider-Man used his webbing to topple an abandoned building on top of Gargan. He then found the Goblin and Mary Jane on top of the George Washington Bridge where Osborn intended to throw Mary Jane off. Spider-Man saved his wife from the fall, but Osborn tried to sneak up and attack Peter with his glider. However, Otto Octavius, AKA Doctor Octopus, who had been brainwashed into killing Osborn, arrived and attacked his intended victim. The two villains fought but were struck by a lightning bolt and fell into the river below.

Osborn later became the Iron Patriot, so he could maintain more influence over H.A.M.M.E.R. and the Dark Avengers. They led a raid on Asgard in the name of national security, but it resulted in Osborn becoming disgraced. As the Iron Patriot, Osborn had access to the many functions of Iron Man’s armor including flight, repulsor rays, chest plate unibeam searchlight, laser beam projector, EMP generator, pulse bolts, magnetic field and sonic generators, laser torch, force shields, and the ability to augment his strength (Class 100). The entire suite of capabilities of his specific suit of armor was never revealed. The main drawback was that his Patriot suit could be remotely dismantled by Tony Stark.

Following Osborn’s fall from grace as head of H.A.M.M.E.R. (his evil alternative to S.H.I.E.L.D.), he altered his body using Advanced Idea Mechanics (A.I.M.) technology to give himself the powers of the Super-Adaptoid.

When Otto became the Superior Spider-Man, Osborn proclaimed himself the Goblin King to oppose him with a plan to rule New York City’s underworld. Due to Otto’s hubris and less-than-heroic tactics as Spider-Man, Osborn was able to amass a large criminal organization. Dubbing this group the Goblin Nation, Osborn’s forces ran riot. When Octavius finally allowed Parker to resume control of his own body, Parker defeated the Green Goblin and gave him an antidote to the Goblin Formula, removing his powers.

Though powerless, Osborn remained power-hungry. He sold weapons on the black market for months and worked closely with Symkarian monarch Countess Karkov to further his plans to perfect his Goblin Serum and convert the Symkarians into his goblin slaves. Spider-Man intervened to prevent him from carrying out his devious plan. Osborn fought him with gas that robbed Spidey of his sticking power and disabled his spider-armor and web-shooters with an electromagnetic pulse. Though when S.H.I.E.L.D. arrived, Osborn fled. He realized the only way to defeat the bug was to rekindle the madness of the Green Goblin.

Though Osborn couldn’t become his insane-self so easily, thanks to the nanite cure Spider-Man gave him. So Osborn sought out magic but that failed, so he turned to the Carnage symbiote, which he used to restore his mangled face and remove the nanites. He quickly used his Goblin Formula to become the goblin again with the symbiote amplifying his powers. He was nearly unstoppable and temporarily defeated Spider-Man and his allies, including the Human Torch, Cindy Moon, AKA Silk, Clayton Cole, AKA Clash, and Flash Thompson, AKA Agent Anti-Venom. Osborn sought out his grandson, Normie Osborn, and infected him with some of the Carnage symbiote. Osborn was eventually defeated when Spider-Man played to his ego, daring him to fight him as the Goblin vs. Carnage. Captured and taken to the Ravencroft Institute, Osborn had a visitor in the form of the wall-crawler. Though the vestiges of Cletus Kasady had remained in the symbiote and made Osborn believe he was Kasady.

While imprisoned, Osborn had another visitor, Kindred, who appeared to be his son, Harry, returned. Kindred placed a controlling demonic centipede into Osborn’s brain to enact vengeance upon him when he returned to his true self. Osborn was soon infected by Dark Carnage--Kasady’s Grendel symbiote--making him a new version of Carnage. Still convinced he was Kasady, he threatened the real Kasady, but until then, Dark Carnage made Osborn his lackey. Fulfilling his orders, he ended up in battles with Spider-Man, Venom, Miles Morales, AKA Spider-Man, and Wade Willson, AKA Deadpool. The Grendel symbiote ultimately took over Osborn, and he nearly killed Spider-Man but the centipede in his brain stopped him. The Grendel left him and Osborn made a quick escape.

Osborn blamed the Carnage symbiote for his actions. He soon regained his wealth thanks to the J.A.N.U.S. organization and being hired by Wilson Fisk, AKA Kingpin, the mayor of New York to oversee the rebuilt Ravencroft. He became embroiled in J.A.N.U.S.’s plot to turn John Jameson into the Man-Wolf and succeeded.

Osborn soon became Ravencroft’s director but Stanley Carter, AKA Sin-Eater, went after him, attacking Ravencroft. In an unlikely team-up, Spider-Man rescued Osborn, and imbibing his Goblin formula, the Goblin returned. Together they fought an empowered Sin-Eater and his followers. Though true to form, the Goblin attempted to kill Spider-Man only to be stopped by the Order of the Web, including a variant of Gwen Stacy, Ghost-Spider, which Osborn used to taunt Spider-Man. The wall-crawler lost it and tossed him out of their escape vessel, leaving him to face Sin-Eater alone, who shot him with his cleansing gun, purifying Osborn into a more remorseful person. 

The reformed Osborn soon made moves to reconnect with his family, including his son, Kindred. He worked with Mary Jane and Fisk to capture Kindred, which worked, but he soon found out Kindred wasn’t his son at all. Instead, Kindred was a shared identity between the cloned twins of Gabriel and Sarah Stacy. Gabriel was under lock and key but Sarah was still at large. 

Norman offered Parker a job at Oscorp and began helping him with his Spider-Man heroics, designing tech for the wall-crawler as a way to atone for his sins. He even designed several new suits for the wall-crawler. As he saw Spider-Man suffer a major beating at the hands of Roderick Kingsley, AKA Hobgoblin, and Ned Leeds, he used one of the suits to save his now best bug. News outlets caught wind and named him the Gold Goblin. He soon battled Owen Ward, AKA Jack O’Lantern, in his new costume.

As the Gold Goblin, he suffered a severe beating at the hands of a changed Ben Reilly, AKA Chasm, and helped Mary Jane alongside Spider-Man and his allies against Benjamin Rabin, AKA Emissary.