Ever since his debut in 1963, the Green Goblin has been Spider-Man’s archnemesis and one of the most fearsome villains in comic books. The original Green Goblin, the billionaire genius Norman Osborn, dedicated his life to destroying the Web-Head. On top of possessing enhanced strength and a plethora of deadly gliders and pumpkin bombs, Norman has one weapon that sets him apart from most supervillains: the knowledge that Spider-Man is Peter Parker. Armed with this information, Norman often strikes the hero and his loved ones when they least suspect it and Norman aims not just at defeating Spider-man but also psychologically torturing him. Having been responsible for some of the worst moments in Spider-Man’s life, Norman has earned his spot as among Marvel Comics’ most iconic supervillains.
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One of Marvel’s most evil and intelligent villains, Norman Osborn is a terrifying force to be reckoned with. Even death can’t stop the Green Goblin from terrorizing the Wall-Crawler, whether it be through resurrection or someone else taking up his mantle. These are the stories that ensured the Green Goblin’s place as Spider-Man’s most dangerous and hateful enemy.
7) Marvel Knights Spider-Man #1-12
In 2004, even when Norman Osborn’s identity as the Green Goblin is revealed to the world and he’s put behind bars, he still finds new ways to torture Spider-Man. After being put in prison, Norman reveals Spider-Man’s secret identity to an unknown villain, who then kidnaps Aunt May. The story becomes a race against the clock as Peter desperately searches for his aunt while also fighting his most fearsome foes, who have united to form the Sinister Twelve. The stakes are only raised when Mary Jane’s life is also put in danger. The story is an excellent example of how, beneath the superpowers and deadly gadgets, Norman’s greatest strength lies in his sadistic, strategic mind.
6) “The End of the Green Goblin”
Despite the title, the 1966 story “The End of the Green Goblin” is really the beginning of what makes Spider-Man and Green Goblin’s rivalry so significant by revealing who lies behind the green mask. The story begins with the Green Goblin spraying Spider-Man with a gas that dulls the Wall-Crawler’s Spider-Sense. The Green Goblin is then able to follow Spider-Man home and discover that he’s Peter Parker. And after kidnapping Peter, the Green Goblin reveals himself to be Norman Osborn, the father of Peter’s best friend, Harry. The story also delves into how Norman became the Green Goblin. It’s a shocking tale that finally revealed the identity and origin of one of Marvel’s most notorious supervillains and forever altered the course of Spider-Man and the Green Goblin’s dynamic.
5) “A Death in the Family”
In 2002, Norman committed one of his most twisted plots by putting Peter’s friend Flash Thompson into a coma and releasing videos to the media, accusing Spider-Man of being responsible for Gwen Stacy’s death. Norman commits these horrific acts to provoke Peter into killing him, intending to turn Peter from a righteous hero into a cold-blooded murderer. The battle between the two brings Peter to the brink of insanity as he considers murdering his nemesis once and for all. Yet despite all of this, “A Death in the Family” does a great job of making the reader feel sorry for Norman, showing that, deep down, he’s just a mentally disturbed and miserable man with nothing in his life except his endless obsession with Spider-Man.
4) “The Green Goblin Lives Again”
Even when Norman Osborn is dead, his ghost and legacy still haunt Spider-Man and his loved ones. In 1974, while grieving his father’s most recent death, Harry’s mind shatters when he discovers that his best friend Peter Parker is Spider-Man. Blaming Peter for Norman’s death, Harry drinks his father’s Goblin serum and takes up the Green Goblin mantle. Peter is then hunted by the person he once considered his closest friend, who has transformed into his greatest enemy. It’s a tragic tale about the never-ending cycle of vengeance and the sad inevitability of the good-natured Harry taking up his father’s legacy as the Green Goblin.
3) “Trick of the Light”
Spider-Man has always been one of the most hopeful and moral heroes in Marvel Comics. However, in in the 2000 story “Trick of the Light,” Norman tries to reshape the hero into his successor as the new Green Goblin. In this terrifying story, Peter is kidnapped and put in a dark room where he’s forced to endure agonizing psychological and physical torture to break his spirit and mind. Peter is pushed to the brink of his sanity as he desperately tries not to give in and become the Green Goblin’s heir. “Trick of the Light “offers a deep dive into Norman and Peter’s personal histories and what motivates them to don their masks.
2) “The Child Within”
The epic conclusion of Harry Osborn’s character arc, the 1991 tale “The Child Within,” has Harry once again reclaiming the Green Goblin mantle to avenge his father’s death and kill Spider-Man. Having completely given in to his insanity, Harry begins psychologically torturing Peter and his loved ones. Peter desperately tries to break his former best friend out of his crazed Green Goblin persona. Even worse, Harry’s own family is accidentally caught in the crossfire and is put in mortal danger. This heart-pounding showdown between Peter and Harry is the culmination of decades of storytelling and has one of the most tragic deaths in Spider-Man history.
1) “The Night Gwen Stacy Died” and “The Goblin’s Last Stand”
Spider-Man and Norman Osborn have one of the most dramatic feuds in Marvel Comics, and these are the consecutive 1973 stories where their rivalry reaches its boiling point. After Norman relapses and becomes the Green Goblin again, he takes Peter’s girlfriend, Gwen Stacy, hostage over the Brooklyn Bridge. Norman then performs one of the most infamous acts in comic book history, dropping Gwen to her death, with Peter unable to save her. Afterwards, Peter swears to kill Norman for murdering Gwen, and the two have an epic final showdown. This heartbreaking story offers not one but two of the most iconic deaths in comic book history, and it cements the Green Goblin’s role as Spider-Man’s archnemesis.
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