Green Goblin (Spider-Man Films)

"I chose my path, you chose the way of the hero. And they found you amusing for a while. The people of this city. But the one thing they love more than a hero, is to see a hero fail, fall, die trying. In spite of everything you've done for them, eventually they will hate you. Why bother?"

- The Green Goblin to Spider-Man

"Here's the real truth: there are 8 million people in this city, and those teeming masses exist for the sole purpose of lifting the few exceptional people on to their shoulders. You, me, we're exceptional. I COULD SQUASH YOU LIKE A BUG RIGHT NOW!!... But I'm offering you a choice: join me! Imagine what we could accomplish together...what we could create. Or we could destroy! Cause the deaths of countless innocents in selfish battles again and again and again until we're both dead! Is that what you want? THINK ABOUT IT, HERO!"

- Green Goblin attempting to convince Spider-Man to join him "You've spun your last web, Spider-Man! If you had not been so selfish, your little girlfriend's death would have been quick and painless. But now that you really pissed me off... ...I'm gonna finish her nice and slow. MJ and I, we're gonna have a hell of a time!!!"

- Green Goblin to Spider-Man

The Green Goblin (real name: Norman Osborn) was the primary antagonist of the 2002 film, Spider-Man. He was Spider-Man's arch enemy, and as such, it was no surprise that when the film was released, he was the chosen villain. Though still very much a villain, he had a few differences from his mainstream counterpart. The character continues to appear in visions as a posthumous antagonist to his son Harry Osborn, who takes up the mantle of the New Goblin in Spider-Man 3.

He was portrayed by Willem Dafoe, who also portrayed John Geiger and Jack Lassen,   Rat (Fantastic Mr. Fox), and Eric Masters.

History
Norman Osborn was the wealthy owner of Oscorp. He was first seen driving his son Harry to the spider genetics lab in the family limo (much to Harry's embarrassment who would much rather arrive by bus like all the other students). He was initially pleasant and supporting of Peter's friendship and scientific potential, and also wanted his own son to recognize his own potential. Unfortunately, Norman's company began to struggle, with Osborn's promised performance-enhancing serum for a military contract having been hit with setbacks, not the least of which being that rodents that it had been tested on have displayed violence, aggression, and insanity. Upon being told that his funding was on the verge of being cut, Norman became desperate and ultimately tested the serum on himself. The process drove him insane and he promptly murdered his own assistant, Dr. Mendell Stromm. Norman woke up afterwards in his home, amnesiac and sick. Later, Quest Aerospace, another company that competed for the military contract, suffered a bombing attack, that was unknowingly caused by Osborn using some of his own inventions. Following the attack, Osborn learnt that  Quest had decided to use to wake of the attack to capitalise and expand; they had made a deal with his Board of Directors with the intent of buying Oscorp, and the Board expected his resignation. Enraged at being forced out of his own company, Osborn again became the Green Goblin and murdered the board members, and also first encountered Spider-Man, whom he became intrigued by. Waking up the next morning, Osborn at last realized what he was doing, but he succumbed to the influence of his malevolent and sadistic other half. Attacking Spider-Man, he tried to convince him to join his cause, but he was later rejected. ""Spider-Man! This is why only fools are heroes — because you never know when some lunatic will come along with a sadistic choice. Let die the woman you love... or suffer the little children! Make your choice, Spider-Man, and see how a hero is rewarded! We are who we choose to be...now, CHOOSE!"

- Goblin holding Mary Jane and a tram full of innocent children hostage forcing Spider-man to decide whom to save first.

As time passes, Norman began to lose himself more and more to the Green Goblin half inside him, attacked and threatened May Parker to spite Spider-Man, and also let him know that he was aware of his secret identity. The two's feud came to a head when the Green Goblin abducted Mary Jane and threatened to kill her, and forced Spider-Man to choose between her or a sky-cab full of innocent civilians, including children. Spider-Man, however, was able to save both the sky-cab and Mary Jane, and who was assisted by civilians who attacked Green Goblin and condemned him for his threatening children's lives.

Enraged, Green Goblin took Spider-Man to a deserted area where their battle resumed. Green Goblin savagely beat Spider-Man and vowed to make Mary Jane suffer as punishment for Spider-Man's "really pissing him off". However, that threat only succeeded in invigorating Spider-Man, who managed to defeat the Green Goblin. Green Goblin finally unmasked himself as Norman Osborn, who begged for forgiveness from a horrified Spider-Man by saying 'be a son to me now'. Unfortunately, the Green Goblin's hold on Norman was strong enough for Norman to attempt to skewer Spider-Man from behind with his glider. Alerted to it by his Spider-Sense, Spider-Man moved out of the way and Norman was impaled by his own glider. Freed from the Green Goblin's control, Norman accepted his fate as he begged Peter not to tell Harry about his crimes, right before he finally died.

Out of pity, Spider-Man took Norman's corpse back to the Osborn Mansion and left, but not before Harry spotted him with his father's body. At Norman’s Funeral, Harry vowed to exact revenge on Spider-Man, believed him responsible for killing his father, and asserted that Peter was all that he had left.

Though deceased, the malevolent half of Norman Osborn would live on as a figment of Harry Osborn's imagination, which goaded him to continue his father's legacy and seek vengeance on Spider-Man. However, Harry soon learned about the true circumstances behind his father's death and abandoned his vendetta against Spider-Man.

Quotes

 * "Are you in, or are you out?" - Green Goblin to Spider-Man about the choice of joining him or not.
 * "Finish it! Finish it!" - Green Goblin telling Aunt May to finish her prayer as he attacks her at her own home.
 * "Can Spider-Man come out to play?." - Norman as The Goblin ,talking to Peter / Spider-Man at the phone after that May was attacked by him.


 * "Misery, misery, misery that's what you've chosen. I offered you friendship, and you spat in my face!"-Green Goblin as he attacks and beats Spider-Man.
 * "God-speed Spider-Man." - Green Goblin right before he's killed by his own glider.
 * "Peter...don't tell Harry." - Norman Osborn's last words before his demise.

Trivia

 * After he became insane and gained his malevolent and sadistic other half, Norman became the Dragon to himself, since no one knew that Norman was the Green Goblin (at least until the climax when he revealed himself to Spider-Man).
 * Willem Dafoe portrayed Norman Osborn in each of the three films of the Raimi Spider-Man Trilogy. Although his character was killed during the climax of the first film, Norman appeared in the other two films as a vision/hallucination to his son, Harry ,thus ,he liked to manipulate him and drive him into trying killing Spider-Man.
 * Norman Osborn, a.k.a. the Green Goblin, also appeared as the main antagonist in the 2002 Video Game based on the film. In the game, his main scheme was to take Spider-Man's blood and inject it to himself ,in order to improve himself but in the film ,his scheme was to defeat and kill Spiderman ,kill his loved ones and to destroy the city with his equipment. In the game, unlike in the movie, he was also killed by his glider's blades, that hit him straight in his body, and not in his stomach, which left him to die alone while the glider flew away.
 * Norman's Goblin character was also playable character in the game.
 * Nicolas Cage, John Malkovich, John Travolta and Robert De Niro were all offered the role of the Green Goblin but they turned it down. John Malkovich, John Travolta and Robert De Niro have previously played villain before they were offered the role of the Green Goblin: John Malkovich played Mitch Leary and Cyrus Grissom, John Travolta played Vic Deakins, Castor Troy and Gabriel Shear and Robert De Niro played Jimmy Conway, Max Cady, Ace Rothstein and Gil Renard.