Green Goblin Profile

Real Name:

Original/Current: Norman Osborn
Others: Harry Osborn (Deceased)
Phil Urich
Barton Hamilton

Location:

Current: Mt. Charteris
Previous: New York City

First Appearance:

Amazing Spider-Man #14 (1964)

Created By:

Stan Lee and Steve Ditko

Powers:

The Green Goblin took a chemical compound known as the, “Goblin Formula” that increased his strength, agility, endurance, and reflexes to superhuman levels. The formula has also advanced Osborn’s intellect, making him even more cunning and knowledgeable about chemistry and other aspects of the business world. An apparent side effect of the formula is that it has also increased his rage and emotions, driving him insane. Norman has usually kept this at bay with different chemical patches and medication.

The Green Goblin has also created many devices in his pursuit of destroying Spider-Man. He is perhaps most know for his flyer, which he rides through the sky, a plume of smoke behind him. He also has created a line of small grenade like pumpkins that house explosives, gas, smoke, and other nefarious substances.

Also in his arsenal are razor sharp flying objects similar Batman’s batarangs. His gloves are also charged and can release a massive electrical pulse. Green Goblin uses all of these and other devices to stop and destroy his nemesis, Spider-Man.

Team Affiliations:

Thunderbolts
Hellfire Club
Sinister Twelve
Order of the Goblin
Enforcers

Currently Seen In:

The current Green Goblin, Norman Osborn, can be seen in Thunderbolts and the Spider-Man Titles.

Interesting Fact:

There have been many others to take up the mantle of the Green Goblin, one notable one was Phil Urich, who tried to be turn the Green Goblin into an hero!

Origin:

Norman Osborn is an amazing scientist and businessman who learned about the industrial world from his father, Amberson Osborn. Norman took the hard lessons from his life and the knowledge he learned from college to start a chemical manufacturing company with his partner, Professor Mendel Strom. He discovered that Stromm was embezzling from their company and had him arrested and jailed, giving full control of the company to Norman.

It was during this time that Norman discovered a secret formula that Stromm was working on that would increase a persons strength and intelligence. Always hungry for more power, Norman tried the formula on himself, but something went wrong and the formula exploded in a green haze. The formula worked, however there were strong side effects. The formula drove Norman mad.

Continuing on his bid for power, Norman created an alter ego, that of the Green Goblin. He decided to use the Goblin to overtake the criminal underworld and equipped himself with a terrifying mask of a creature that scared him as a child. Armed with a devastating arsenal of bombs, gasses, and flying machines, the Green Goblin quickly asserted himself as a player in the criminal element, and he decided that one way to give him an even stronger reputation would be if he defeated the vigilante Spider-Man.

Time and time again he tried to defeat the webslinger, but each time he was defeated. When Norman discovered the true identity of Spider-Man as Peter Parker, Norman went after the ones he loved most, most notably was Peter’s girlfriend, Gwen Stacy.

In a controversial move that shook the comic book industry, the Green Goblin kidnapped Gwen Stacy and pushed her off of the Brooklyn Bridge, Spider-Man tried to save her, catching her foot with his webbing, but either with the quick snap of the sudden stop, or the fall itself killed her. This enraged Peter and he beat the Green Goblin nearly to death. In a last ditch effort, the Goblin tried to use his flyer to spear Spider-Man, but he jumped out of the way at the last second, impaling Norman on his own flying device. It appeared that Norman was dead.

It turned out later that Norman was not in fact dead, but was actually working behind the scenes watching others take up the mantle of the Green Goblin, including his own son, Harry Osborn. He was also involved in a couple of storylines that were panned by comic book fans including the clone saga where a clone of Peter Parker showed up claiming to be the real Peter and a storyline in which before Gwen Stacy died, she gave birth to twins, with Norman as the father. It wasn’t long however, before the Green Goblin was back in the limelight, trying to defeat Spider-Man.

In an article from the Daily Bugle, the paper that Peter works at, Norman was outed as being the Green Goblin. The combined efforts of Luke Cage and Spider-Man defeated the Green Goblin and sent him to jail. From within prison, Norman planned his escape.

Norman tricked Peter Parker in helping to break him out of prison, and after escaping, Norman double crossed Peter, having assembled twelve of Spider-Man’s greatest foes. Norman had Spider-Man right were he wanted him, and his defeat seemed imminent. It was only when Spider-Man was aided by some of Marvel’s greatest heroes that Spider-Man was victorious yet again. Norman fled and escaped to Europe.

Recently, in the Civil War storyline, Norman was captured by the government agency S.H.I.E.L.D. and forced to become a part of the Thunderbolts, a team of villains that were sent out to capture rogue heroes. Norman has been made director of the team, keeping his sanity in check with drugs. He seems to be slipping back to his old mad ways, confusing the Steel Spider for Spider-Man and having fits of laughing. It can only be assumed that the Green Goblin will rear his face again, seeking to finally defeat his nemesis, Spider-Man.