I’ll get you next time Spider-man!
After some time thinking, we were shocked to find out we had not had the Green Goblin as the villain of the month so we had to rectify it.
The incarnation we will tackle for this discussion is Norman Osborn. Wonder where he will rank behind other Marvel villains, like Carnage and Mysterio.
Brief History – The character was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko and first appeared in Spider-man # 14 during July 1964.
The origin of the Green Goblin was simple. Osborn created the character to become the leader of organized crime in the city. Thanks to the interference of Spider-man, he was never able to accomplish this.
One of the better story arcs for the Green Goblin outside of the death of Gwen Stacey was A Death in the Family. One of the more intriguing moments during this was when the two unmasked and talked as Peter and Norman. Not their alternate identities.
Positives – The sheer tenacity of Osborn. Sure the brains and money is nice, but the man knows what he wants and does not let anything get in the way. Kill Spidey’s first girl friend? Go after his Aunt May? There is nothing he would not do.
Negatives – His own ego. This was the main reason why he missed out on joining the original Sinister Six. He felt it was a step down by asking for help from others to take down their common foe. Who knows what would have happened had he joined them.
Best Hero – There is no other choice here, but the web head. Spider-man is the counter to the Goblin. The two have had some epic battles over the years and
Overall – When it is all said and done, there is little doubt in our mind that there is no better villain out there for Spider-man. Sure there are others who can push his buttons in different directions, but the Green Goblin has been there during those major events in Parker’s life.
