Supervillain Spotlight: Top 10 Green Goblin Stories!

*NOTICE: This article has been altered since its initial publication. One of the selections has been changed.

 

Welcome back to “Supervillain Spotlight”, where I look at some of the best stories involving Spider-Man’s many rogues! And not just any rogue but the wall-crawler’s best:

That’s right, true believers, we’ll be taking a look at The Green Goblin’s ten best story arcs of all time!

Created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko in 1964, this emerald evil-doer would go on to become not only the wall-crawler’s arch-nemesis, but one of Marvel’s top villains as well! While Norman Osborn is the original (and greatest) Green Goblin, multiple characters have taken up the villain’s mantle throughout his 50+ year history, leading to no shortage of top-notch tales featuring the character. So let’s take a look at what I consider to be his ten strongest!

 

10.) The Goblin Lives

by Stan Lee and John Romita Sr.

 

After regaining his dormant memories, Norman Osborn becomes The Green Goblin once more and sets out to annihilate Spider-Man/Peter Parker once and for all.

Don’t let the simple synopsis fool you; this is easily one of the best depictions of The Goblin to date. Norman’s instability is on full display throughout this issue as his personality shifts from calm and calculating to violent and maniacal at the drop of a hat. The double-edged conversation between Peter and Norman at the latter’s “party” remains one of the most riveting Spider-Man/Green Goblin sequences to date–and neither one of them are even in their costumes!

 

09.) Legacy

by Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley

Since Oscorp science accidentally created Spider-Man, Norman Osborn decides that Peter Parker is now his official property. Either Peter gives up the superhero life and works for Norman…or his loved ones will pay dearly. As in Norman will turn himself into a genetically-modified monster and violently murder all of them with his bare hands. How will Spidey get out of this one?

Let’s be honest: The Green Goblin’s initial appearance in the Ultimate universe was something of a disappointment. Portrayed as little more than an instinctual beast when he first appeared, it really seemed that Spider-Man’s top villain wasn’t going to be done justice in this new continuity. Thankfully, Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley completely turn that around with this arc. Gone is the slow-witted animal and in his place is a truly evil, calculating, manipulative madman who could care less about who he hurts as long as he gets what he wants.

 

Despite being a mutated creature instead of an enhanced man in a costume, Bendis’s take on The Green Goblin is truly frightening and downright despicable…exactly as he should be.

 

08.) The Green Goblin Lives Again

by Gerry Conway and Ross Andru

Still reeling from his father’s recent death, Harry Osborn discovers that his best friend and roommate Peter Parker is secretly Spider-Man and finally goes off the deep end. Donning the Green Goblin suit, Harry sets out to do what his father never could: kill Spider-Man!

This story marked a drastic turning point in Harry Osborn’s character–one that would have tragic repercussions decades later. Throughout this two-parter, Harry is completely out of his mind and consumed with vengeance, making him as dangerous and unpredictable as his father in many ways. Peter is left in a highly difficult situation as he doesn’t want to hurt his best friend but is left with little choice as Harry becomes more and more unstable as the arc progresses. Towards the end, Harry proves just how far gone he truly is when he presents Spidey with an impossible choice. Norman Osborn may have been dead (for the time being anyway), but Gerry Conway and Ross Andru showed that his son showed plenty of potential in filling that role.

 

07.) Down Among the Dead Men/Venomous/The Last Stand (Marvel Knights vol. 1 #1-12)

by Mark Millar and Terry Dodson

After Spider-Man defeats and publicly exposes him as The Green Goblin, Norman Osborn reveals his foe’s secret identity to one of his many adversaries–resulting in the abduction of Aunt May. What follows is an epic adventure as the wall-crawler faces down a gauntlet of his deadliest foes in an attempt to find his aunt before she perishes…or before the kidnapper comes for Mary Jane next.

Despite having to share space with numerous other villains, Mark Millar and Terry Dodson never forget that Norman is the mastermind here and that this entire debacle is occurring because of him. The scenes with Norman taunting Spidey from his prison cell are superb as we witness the sheer delight he takes in the turmoil his enemy is experiencing. And when the devious genius finally reveals exactly what he wants from the web-spinner, our hero is left with a taxing moral dilemma that his conscience may not recover from. When it comes to Norman’s sinister intellect, there has arguably never been a better portrayal.

 

06.) Night of The Goblin

by Howard Mackie, John Romita Jr. and Scott Hannah

 

After spending years in the shadows manipulating Peter Parker’s life, Norman Osborn decides it’s time to make his triumphant return and destroy his rival once and for all…but not before taking everyone he loves from him first.

While Norman’s resurrection remains a hotly debated controversy among the fandom, it’s difficult to deny that this issue is anything but a tense, action-packed roller coaster from start to finish. You can feel the hatred and disdain seeping out of the pages as Spider-Man and The Green Goblin engage in one of the most personal battles of their entire careers (which is saying something). Combine that with the abduction (or murder?) of Peter and Mary Jane’s newborn child, along with the selfless sacrifice of Ben Reilly and you have The Goblin at his most loathsome. The Clone Saga may have been a massive mess, but at least it concluded on a high note.

 

05.) The End of The Green Goblin

by Stan Lee and John Romita Sr.

After a carefully-concocted (and surprisingly simple) scheme, The Green Goblin finally learns Spider-Man’s secret identity! He captures Peter Parker, brings him back to his lair and reveals his own alter-ego: Norman Osborn!

That synopsis alone should tell you why this is one of the greatest Green Goblin stories ever made. Not only is it a turning point in his relationship with Spider-Man that has informed every encounter they’ve had since, it’s where we finally discover who The Green Goblin really is. If that isn’t enough, this arc delves into Norman’s backstory and the events that lead him to becoming his villainous counterpart.

 

04.) Return of The Goblin/A Death in the Family

by Paul Jenkins and Humberto Ramos

After his recent attempt to make Peter Parker his successor failed, Norman Osborn is more than a little angry. Vowing to make the arachnid suffer like never before, The Green Goblin swears that during their next encounter, either Spider-Man will die…or he will.

Writer Paul Jenkins manages to delve into Norman’s psyche and the root of his passionate rivalry with Spider-Man like never before. The animosity between the two is so strong that it borders on intimacy. While Norman is shown in a very ruthless and sinister light, there is also a touch of hopelessness in his portrayal here. For all his evil, you truly do get the sense that he is a miserable, lonely person who has nothing else in his life other than his endless war against Spider-Man. Even as he begins slowly sabotaging and upending Peter’s life, it almost seems as if Norman is desperate for his foe’s attention as it’s the only thing that gives his empty life meaning.

Humberto Ramos’s artwork may be a little distracting at times (and surprisingly effective at others), but don’t let that detract from Jenkins’s stellar script.

 

03.) Trick of the Light

by Howard Mackie, Paul Jenkins, John Romita Jr. and Mark Buckingham

Realizing that Peter Parker is the kind of son he has always wanted, The Green Goblin decides that rather than kill his arch-nemesis, he will instead make him his successor! After drugging and capturing our hapless hero, Norman proceeds to subject Peter to extreme psychological and physical torture in an effort to break down his will. But Spider-Man doesn’t crack easily…

Despite acting as the conclusion to the somewhat unremarkable Revenge of The Green Goblin story by Roger Stern and Ron Frenz, Trick of the Light manages to be a far more riveting read than the initial arc that spawned it. Howard Mackie and Paul Jenkins manage to delve into the psyches of both Norman Osborn and Peter Parker like never before, truly showcasing what motivates both of them and just how deeply connected the two great foes really are. Norman is at his most sinister as he places Peter through the wringer both physically and mentally, making it all the more satisfying when Peter fights back against his captor’s cruelty.

 

As Stan Lee himself would say: “’nuff said!”

 

02.) The Harry Osborn Saga (Spectacular Spider-Man #178-184, 189-190, 199-200)

by J.M. DeMatteis and Sal Buscema

 

After recent events in his life cause him to suffer a nervous breakdown, Harry Osborn becomes The Green Goblin once again and vows to avenge his father’s death by killing Peter Parker once and for all. But this time, Harry is going to be ready…

Harry Osborn has never been a more compelling character than in this saga here. Writer J.M. DeMatteis doesn’t shy away from the psychological factors as Harry’s abusive past with his father is brought to light. As Harry’s sanity deteriorates further and further, his own family begins to suffer along with Peter’s as they all desperately try to remind Harry of the man he has become and that he doesn’t have to live in his father’s shadow. This all leads to a heated showdown between Spidey and The Goblin that culminates in one of the saddest, most heart-wrenching conclusions in the wall-crawler’s career. Even dead (or so we thought), Norman’s influence reaches beyond the grave as he corrupts and ultimately destroys his only son.

 

01.) The Gathering of Five

by Howard Mackie, John Romita Jr. and various others

 

Truly the greatest Green Goblin story of all time, this arc defines Norman Osborn’s character like never before. It’s so good that…

Sorry, I couldn’t resist.

 

01.) The Night Gwen Stacy Died

by Gerry Conway and Gil Kane

After suffering another relapse, Norman Osborn becomes The Green Goblin once more and sets out to eliminate Peter Parker. Except this time, he’s using his girlfriend Gwen Stacy as bait!

Gwen Stacy’s sudden murder at the hands of The Green Goblin shocked the comic world and its aftereffects are still felt to this day. Norman Osborn forever cemented himself as one of Marvel’s most ruthless villains and Spider-Man’s greatest enemy with this one act. The subsequent beating The Goblin receives by his foe’s hands is both brutal and unnerving as Spidey loses control of his anger and comes the closest we’ve ever seen him to crossing the line. This is to say nothing of The Goblin’s equally shocking demise as his last ditch effort to end his longtime adversary backfires spectacularly.

Spider-Man, his world and comics in general would never be the same again after these two issues. Even 45 years later, The Night Gwen Stacy Died stands as not only the greatest Green Goblin story of all time, but the greatest Spider-Man story of all time.

 

So what did you think? Was my list to obvious? Did I leave off any great ones? Let me know in the comments below!