Norman Osborn has been Spider-Man’s biggest enemy for decades. He’s the guy who killed Gwen Stacy, the one who inspired Harry to follow in his footsteps and ultimately die, and even orchestrated the dreaded and infamous “Clone Saga,” all to torture Peter for standing against him. The Green Goblin was Spider-Man’s most dedicated enemy, but all that changed when he was purged of his evil by Sin-Eater, and became a good guy. Now, Norman is not only trying to make up for all his past misdeeds, but fill in as Spider-Man while Peter is lost in space. Ignoring the excessive violence and lack of quips, it’s actually going pretty well, and The Amazing Spider-Man #12 takes things further.
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Of course, Norman Osborn is not Peter Parker, so just about everyone notices that his stunt as the temporary Spider-Man has the Friendly Neighborhood Wall-Crawler acting way darker than usual. In the latest issue, the rest of the Spider-people in New York decide to drop in and see who’s impersonating their friend, which not only leads to some predictable violence, but a startling heel turn that shows that not only is Norman a great addition to the Spider-Family, he’s their best member in years. And in the process, Marvel essentially redefined Spider-Man’s most famous mantra “with great power comes great responsibility” in a surprisingly fitting way.
Norman Osborn’s Past Almost Defeats Him
The issue shows Norman struggling to balance his superheroic and business lives, wondering how Peter ever did it. After failing to pin anything on Hobgoblin Roderick Kingsley in court, Norman spends the night stewing on his hatred at feeling helpless, and his tortured past that made him who he is. While he’s brooding, some of the other Spider-themed heroes—Miles, Silk, Spider-Boy, and Arachne—show up and demand to know who’s impersonating Peter. Norman refuses to reveal his identity, and when Miles tries to stop him from leaving, Norman freaks out and attacks, even knowing he shouldn’t.
Norman loses himself to the fight, remembering how he was taught that anger and fear are the keys to respect and love, but stops when Ghost-Spider arrives, and he recognizes Gwen’s voice. He remembers all the pain he’s caused and chooses to unmask himself, begging the others to let him try to do the right thing, just like Peter had believed in him to do. Instead of attacking the man who was one of their worst enemies, the rest of the Spiders instead hear him out, and given that Norman continues on as Spider-Man after this, it’s safe to say that the former Green Goblin has become an official member of the Spider-Family, even if nobody is happy about it. Even if nobody is, the fact remains that Norman perfectly represents what being Spider-Man is all about going right back to Uncle Ben’s lesson.
Osborn Chooses to Have Great Responsibility
Norman has done objectively terrible, evil things, but his journey to become a hero darkly mirrors Peter’s own. Peter got his powers, but let it go to his head and let a thief escape, who murdered Uncle Ben, which inspired Peter to become the man he is today. Similarly, Norman had all the power and resources he could ever need to change the world for the better, but chose to use them selfishly.
After Sin-Eater extracted his evil traits, Norman’s eyes were opened, and now he’s trying to be a hero, like Spider-Man. Norman’s story is like if the dark aspects of Peter’s were massively exaggerated, and in turn, his struggle to be a hero is that much harder, but that only showcases how greatly he matches the ideal of being Spider-Man. Norman has never been a good man, but he has power, and he’s taking up the responsibility that Peter has always told him was important.
Nobody wants Norman to be Spider-Man, and Norman has no reason to become the man who was once his greatest enemy other than that it’s the right thing to do. He has the ability, so he takes it upon himself because that is what Peter would do. This is the barest essence of what it means to be Spider-Man, doing the right thing simply because you can, and what makes Norman’s turn from reformed villain to fledgling, struggling hero all the better.
Someone who intellectually knows that Uncle Ben’s worldview is correct, but has to fight to make himself believe it in the moment. It’s such an interesting setup, and calls back to Peter’s old days of anger issues and having a chip on his shoulder, only this chip is the size of a mountain. Norman is fighting to take up responsibility and make up for his past, and that is exactly what Spider-Man should do.
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Image Courtesy of Marvel Comics
