Green Goblin (Marvel)


 * NOTE: This page is about the GREEN GOBLIN, not the various characters who have used the alias over the years specifically. For information on them, please see their respective pages. Also, please do not add information here that only pertains to one of the Goblins and not the others.

"We all wear masks, Spider-Man. But which one is real? The one that hides your face or that one IS your face?"

- Green Goblin to Spider-Man (Spectacular Spider-Man Cartoon).

The Green Goblin is the alias of several fictional supervillian characters that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics and the archenemy of Spider-Man. The first and most high-profile incarnation Norman Osborn first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #14 and was created by the late Stan Lee and the late Steve Ditko. The Green Goblin is a Halloween-themed supervillain whose weapons resemble bats, ghosts and jack-o'-lanterns. Comics journalist and historian Mike 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.".

It should be noted that while most who have worn the mask are villains, the Green Goblin identity itself tends to have its own personality distinct from its wearer. For example, Norman Osborn, though evil, has a different personality from his alias, being more cold-blooded and treacherous as opposed to the Green Goblin's manic and unrestrained personality. The likely reason for this is the Goblin Serum creating a sort of "alternate persona" for whoever injects themselves with it. As such, no matter who wears the costume, the Green Goblin is ultimately a sadistic, homicidal, and destructive force to be reckoned with.

The Goblins

 * Norman Osborn - The main and first Green Goblin who started it all.
 * Harry Osborn - The second Green Goblin and the son of the first Goblin; Norman.
 * Bart Hamilton - The third Goblin.

Spider-Man: The Animated Series
''For full article, go here. '' Green Goblin is one of the most recurring villains in this series (along with Doctor Octopus, Kingpin, Hobgoblin, and Venom). He was voiced by Neil Ross.

The Spectacular Spider-Man
''For full article, go here. '' The Green Goblin appears as one of the primary antagonists in The Spectacular Spider-Man, voiced by Alan Rachins as Norman Osborn and by Steven Blum as the Green Goblin.

Ultimate Spider-Man
In Ultimate Spider-Man, Norman Osborn serves as one of the main villains, and is the overarching antagonist of the series. He became obsessed with Spider-Man's Powers and seeks to use those powers to create an army to take over New York. To do so, he hired Doctor Octopus to get a hold on Spider-Man's DNA. In order to take revenge on Osborn for his enslavement, Doctor Octopus injects him with a modified sample of Spider-Man's DNA, leading to the creation of the Green Goblin. This version of Green Goblin is a muscular, grotesque, demonic-looking monster, granting him superhuman strength, reflexes, stamina and durability, and enabling him to leap great distances.

In the first season, Norman's master plan is to obtain Spider-Man's DNA in order to create an army of genetically-modified Spider Soldiers who are imbued with Spider-Man's powers, therefore make Oscorp Industries the leading weapon industry in the world. Doctor Octopus's first attempt at this results in the living armor Venom. After discovering Harry's connection to the symbiote, Norman becomes intrigued by his son's new abilities. In the season finale's first part "Revealed", Osborn conducts a plan to lure Spider-Man to Oscorp. After revealing his plan to Spider-Man, Doctor Octopus betrays Norman by injecting him with a serum mixed with both Venom's and Spider-Man's DNA, resulting in Norman's transformation into a large, green-skinned monster. At first, Green Goblin is only a savage beast, intent on destroying everything in his path. However in the season finale's second part "Rise of the Goblin", Green Goblin gradually begins to regain intelligence and psychopathy.

In the second season, Green Goblin tries to find a host for the Venom symbiote. The first attempt involved finding a better son. After Goblin attacks and seemingly destroys Spider-Man, he later captures and injects Peter Parker with an enhanced symbiote sample, hoping Peter will become a more perfect version of Venom as well as a better son than Harry. But being unaware that Peter is Spider-Man, the sample becomes imperfect and Peter is transformed into Carnage. Ordering Carnage to bring Spider-Man, he is surprised when Harry arrives as Venom once more. Green Goblin and Venom battle, but thanks to Peter, Harry rejects the symbiote's control. The second attempt involves an attack on several enemies. Green Goblin allows himself to be brought aboard the S.H.I.E.L.D. Tri-carrier, so that he can release the symbiote in hopes of turning all of the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents into Venom soldiers. Eventually, Green Goblin bonds with some of the symbiote transform into Goblin-Venom. He battles Spider-Man, while Doc Ock develops an Anti-Venom antidote for the Venom-infected agents. After releasing the cure, Goblin is not only relieves of the symbiote but is also turned back to normal. Wanting to amend for his actions, Osborn tries to be a hero as the Iron Patriot. Iron Patriot teams up with Spider-Man to stop Doctor Octopus's new army of Spider-Soldiers. Later, Iron Patriot assists Spider-Man's team is stopping a prison break, caused by an armored Sinister Six. While they manage to fend off the villains, Doctor Octopus tries to turn Iron Patriot back into Green Goblin. While Iron Patriot attempts to prevent this, Spider-Man curing the Lizard serves as a distraction, allowing Doc Ock to inject Iron Patriot with the Goblin serum, transforming him back into Green Goblin. Green Goblin manages to defeat and incapacitate Doc Ock, but retreats with Spider-Man's team, with the intent of making them his minions. In the season finale "Ultimate", Green Goblin injects Power Man, Nova, Iron Fist, and White Tiger with the Goblin serum, transforming them into Goblin-like versions of themselves and reactivates the original S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier. He then reveals his plan to Spider-Man to unleash the Goblin serum across the world, creating an army of Goblins to serve as his army. He is defeated by Spider-Man and his cured team and imprisoned in the S.H.I.E.L.D. Tri-Carrier.

In the third season, Green Goblin is freed from his prison unintentionally by Agent Venom and Iron Spider. With help from Taskmaster, Green Goblin steels the Siege Perilous from S.H.I.E.L.D and escapes. In the "Spider-Verse" episodes, Green Goblin imprisons Electro and forces him to take him to different worlds. He meets his gender-swapped counterpart Norma Osborn (voiced by Wendie Malick) which is based on the original incarnation with a glider, pumpkin bombs and a mask. They fight Spider-Girl. He also attacks a 1930s Spider-Man, Spider-Ham, and Spider-Knight. While harassing another Spider-Man (Miles Morales), he meets that universe's Green Goblin (also voiced by Weber) which is much more similar to his Ultimate form albeit much larger and demonic-looking with massive bat wings, horns, and heat vision. Whilst in Miles' dimension, he quickly realizes Spider Man's true identity upon discovering Peter Parker's gravestone and realizing the similarities between him and Spiderman. After Green Goblin injects himself with the DNA samples of the alternate Spider-Men, he turns himself into the Spider-Goblin. Recruiting the help of all of the alternate Spider-Men as the Web-Warriors to battle Spider-Goblin, with Electro's help, Spidey manages to turn Green Goblin back to his human form again. Norman is last seen in a retirement home, having lost his memories, and happily greets Peter and Harry as they come to visit him.

Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends
The Green Goblin appears on the 1980s Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends cartoon show, voiced by Dennis Marks. This incarnation is depicted as something closer to the Lizard with a serious medical problem of physically and uncontrollably changing into the Green Goblin. The character has a niece named Mona Osborn (voiced by Sally Julian) that had no knowledge of her uncle's double identity. When she was held captive by the Green Goblin so he could discover the location of a formula, she stated that he looked familiar. Norman Osborn is cured by lightning and send back to Medical Institute.

In the Movies
(For the main page on the movie Green Goblin, see here.)

Green Goblin appears in the original Spider-Man trilogy by Sam Raimi. He is portrayed by Willem Dafoe.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2
Dane DeHaan portrays Harry Osborn/Green Goblin as one of the two main antagonists (alongside Electro) of the 2014 film, The Amazing Spider-Man 2.

After Harry found out that Spider-Man didn't want to help save his life from his hereditary genetic illness, he decides to join forces with Electro against Spider-Man and kill him.

Chris Cooper played Norman Osborn, and there, moments before his death from his illness, he appeared in the movie The Amazing Spider-Man 2 as a minor antagonist.

Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark
He also appeared in the Broadway musical and was portrayed by Patrick Page. The Green Goblin comes up with a plan to genetically alter other humans as he did himself. Through his experiments on his former employees, he manages to create six villains: Carnage, Electro, Kraven the Hunter, Lizard, Swarm, and Swiss Miss. The Goblin and his new alliance of criminals - calling themselves the "Sinister Six" - go on a rampage through New York. Spider-Man quickly defeats the Sinister Six as the citizens of New York cheer him on, unaware that the Goblin has managed to escape. The Goblin arrives at the Daily Bugle and tells Jameson to print his plans of dominating the world through genetic mutation. The Goblin also tells Jameson that he gave Spider-Man life, making Jameson believe Spider-Man is in league with the Goblin and therefore giving Spider-Man an even worse image from the Bugle. Later that night, Arachne comes to Peter in a vision and explains that she is his guardian along with the reminder that being a hero is his destiny and he cannot escape it. While there, the Green Goblin intercepts the club's TV signal and sends a message to Spider-Man threatening his loved ones. Peter takes Mary Jane to his apartment and breaks off their relationship for good so that his enemies won't target her. After telling Mary Jane that he will always love her, Peter takes a walk and realizes that he needs to be a hero not only for Mary Jane but for the world. Spider-Man then recovers his costume from the Daily Bugle and goes after the Green Goblin.

The Goblin sits at a piano at the top of the Chrysler Building and humorously boasts to the audience of his plan to destroy New York City. Spider-Man arrives ready to fight, but is soon unmasked when the Goblin reveals he knows Spider-Man's true identity. Peter attempts to revive the good-natured Norman within the Goblin, but to no avail. Peter engages the Goblin in combat, but before he can finish him the Goblin reveals that he has Mary Jane, who now dangles from the Chrysler Building. A flying battle over the audience takes place and when it seems all hope is lost, Spider-Man webs the Goblin to his piano. The Goblin, not realizing this, thrusts the piano over the side of the Chrysler Building, taking him down to his death. After Spider-Man saves Mary Jane, she tells him not to leave and reveals that she has guessed who he is. Peter removes his mask and they embrace. The two contemplate their new life together before sirens begin wailing and Spider-Man swings away.

Ultimate Spider-Man Comics
In the Ultimate Comics, Green Goblin has a similar, but a slightly different role. Norman Osborn was actually the man responsible for the creation of Spider-Man. Oscorp created a mutagen known as OZ, part of their research into super soldiers for S.H.I.E.L.D. Despite being imperfect, Norman Osborn garners much interest in OZ, while not revealing what it actually is. Osborn subsequently begins to fail, as it is unable to deliver on Normans promises. But instead of wearing a costume that resembles the Green Goblin, Norman Osborn was instead mutated into a giant Hulk-like Goblin. In this form, The Green Goblin had superhuman strength, durability, and endurance. He could leap at high distances and generate fireballs.

Spider-Man Shattered Dimensions
In Shattered Dimensions, Norman Osborn has a different and darker role. He resigns in the Noir Universe and is the leader of a Mob group known as the Enforcers. Originally, he was a circus freak, due to his gigantic size, distorted body shape, and scaly green skin. But he escaped, and formed a criminal empire in to finally acquire the power and respect "he deserved". After Hammerhead and Vulture were defeated by the Noir Spider-Man, he used the powers of the Tablet of Order and Chaos to become even more powerful than he already was.

Reception
The Green Goblin was ranked #19 on Wizard Magazine's "Top 100 Villains" list.