Alternative versions of the Green Goblin

Alternate versions of the Green Goblin
Green Goblin versus the Hobgoblin, The Amazing Spider-Man #312.
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	The Amazing Spider-Man #14 (July 1964)
Created by	Stan Lee Steve Ditko
See also	Green Goblin in other media

As a fictional character, the Green Goblin has appeared in a number of media, from comic books to films and television series. Each version of the work typically establishes its own continuity, and sometimes introduces parallel universes, to the point where distinct differences in the portrayal of the character can be identified. This article details various versions of the Green Goblin depicted in works including Marvel Comics Ultimate line and Earth X.

1602

In the Marvel: 1602 Pocket Universe, Norman Osborne appears as a major villain, attempting to find "the Source", which is guarded by the Natives of Roanoke Island, and utilize it to gain unimaginable power; to achieve his goal, Osborne allies with King James I of England and makes several attempts to create conflict between his fellow American colonists and the Natives. Ultimately, Osborne is captured and imprisoned in stocks after peace between the colonists and Natives resumes and the English are forced from America.^[1]

In Spider-Man: 1602, Osborne has been released from the stocks, and is now harbourmaster of Roanoke. When Peter Parquagh and Virginia Dare find evidence he is plotting against the natives again, he kills Virginia and exposes Peter's secret identity as The Spider. He is sentenced to be sent back to England, where capital punishment is still practiced. When the Mayflower is attacked by the pirate Wilson Fisk, Osborne's cell is hit by a cannonball. Covered in gangrenous wounds, his sentence is abandoned since he is not expected to live long enough to stand trial in England. He contacts the natural philosopher Henri Le Pym, asking to be cured in return for helping Pym acquire some of Peter's blood for his experiments.

Le Pym's attempts to cure Osborne mutate him into a winged, green-skinned creature, and he uses these powers to capture Parquagh. During his final battle with Parquagh (in which Osborne uses exploding spherical vials as projectiles in combat) he is killed by a crossbow bolt fired by Fisk's first mate, the Bull's Eye, who has also been hunting Parquagh.^[2]

2099

In the Marvel 2099 setting, the Goblin is a radical trickster who wants to prove that Spider-Man (Miguel O'Hara) is in the pay of a megacorp. He has bat-like glider-wings and a bag of "tricks", similar to the 20th century version. He also has the ability to project illusions.^[3]

He is eventually unmasked, and appears to be Spider-Man's brother Gabriel O'Hara, although it is later revealed, in a retcon, that he is a shapeshifter who took Gabriel's identity. Writer Peter David, who quit the book between creating the character and the unmasking, has said that it was his intent for the Goblin to be female Catholic priest Father Jennifer, and for Gabriel to be a red herring.^[4][5] This Goblin was never called the Green Goblin, but instead simply Goblin 2099.^[3]

Age of Apocalypse

Here, Norman Osborn, known as Red, is a terrorist traitor to the human race, a member of Apocalypse's Marauders along with Dirigible, the Owl and Arcade. Red, along with the rest of the Marauders, is eventually killed by Clint Barton and Gwen Stacy.^[6]

Avataars: Covenant of the Shield

In the miniseries Avataars: Covenant of the Shield, which takes place in an alternative universe referred to as Eurth created by the Shaper of Worlds, the Green Goblin appears as the Goblin King. A small, nimble creature green in color and adorned in purple rags, the Goblin King is shown to speak solely in rhyme and runs a toll booth in the Webwood, extorting goods from travellers along with his henchmen the Six Most Sinister.^[7]

Earth X

In the alternative future of Earth X, Norman Osborn's business ventures have completely taken over the United States. Citizens work in his businesses and shop in his stores and eat his food. Norman is the prime economic power and de facto ruler of the country. The terrigen mists have shaped his face into a saner version of his goblin mask. He is partially responsible for the deaths of The Avengers as he sent them to battle a now Super Intelligent Absorbing Man. The Enforcers and The Vulture seem to serve as his secret service. He is later used as a pawn for the Skull, until Spiders Man makes him think he's with Gwen Stacey who is really the Red Skull who shoves him out the window where his foot catches on a flag and his neck snaps similar to how Gwen died. Unaware of the irony Skull orders his corpse be brought back up so he can push him out again just so he can make a splat sound.^[8][9]

House of M

In the Spider-Man: House of M from the 2005 Marvel comics series House of M, there are two versions of the Green Goblin. The first is Peter's wrestling friend and rival Crusher Hogan, who uses the identity as his wrestling franchise. The second is Peter Parker himself, who, feeling guilty posing as a mutant when really he was a human given powers in the usual Spider-Man fashion (radioactive spider bite), poses as the Green Goblin to reveal the information about him being a human to J. Jonah Jameson, his then publicist, and eventually the entire world. Norman Osborn is also present in this continuity, as an industrialist whose company is bought out by Peter.^[10]

Amalgam Comics

In the Amalgam Comics continuity, Green Goblin was combined with DC's Two-Face to create the Two-Faced Goblin (Harvey Osborn). He originally looked like the Green Goblin when in costume, but in Dark Claw Adventures #1, he was given a different design with a glider that looked like a giant coin.

Marvel Fairy Tales

In issue one of Spider-Man Fairy Tales (an adaptation of Little Red Riding Hood) Osborn makes an appearance as one of the woodsmen in the employ of Jameson alongside Peter and Thompson.^[11] Norman and Harry Osborn also appear in issue four of Spider-Man Fairy Tales, a gender-reversed retelling of the story of Cinderella. Norman is the cruel guardian of Peter Parker, and his coat of arms and armor have a goblin/pumpkin motif.^[12]

Marvel Noir

In the Marvel Noir universe, Norman Osborn is the major Crime Lord in New York. His close henchmen are all recruited from various sideshows: Kraven the Hunter, a feral Adrian Toomes, and Chameleon. He is also romantically involved with Felicia Hardy. He had J. Jonah Jameson captured before the series started so that Chameleon could be a mole inside the Daily Bugle. At the end, he and Spider-Man have a standoff, ripping at each other's faces, where Spider-Man is revealed to Osborn as Parker, and Osborn is revealed to have green skin, referencing The Goblin. Before Kraven dies, he ends up touching Norman Osborn causing the spiders that infested Kraven to apparently kill Norman Osborn. In the Spider-Man:Shattered Dimensions video game it is implied that Norman survived due to the spiders not piercing his scaly skin and stole a fragment of "The Tablet of Order and Chaos", using it to increase his strength. His green skin also becomes more prominent, resembling that of his "Ultimate" counterpart.^[13]

Marvel Zombies

In the Marvel Zombies universe, a zombified Green Goblin appears attacking Galactus alongside several other undead supervillains.^[14] Also in Marvel Zombies: Dead Days, the zombified Green Goblin, alongside several other undead Spider-Man villains, appears to attack Wolverine and Magneto as the two are saving innocent civilians from zombies. An alternative version of the Green Goblin was also infected by a zombified Spider-Man, causing him to "participate" with other zombie members of the Sinister 6 into devouring Peter's friends. Grieving, dumb, angered, and devastated, the Zombie Spider-Man obliterates him along with the other undead Sinister 6 members.^[15]

MC2

In the MC2 universe, Norman Osborn is very much the same character from his 1996-1999 portion of the original 616 timeline, only in this universe, he abducts Peter's daughter Mayday Parker and leaves her in the care of Allison Mongraine. However, Peter's wayward original clone Kaine, along with a remourseful Mongraine, returns Baby May to the Parkers.

Two years later, Norman would attempt to gain incredible power through the Gathering of Five, but in a final battle with Spider-Man, Osborn is slain in an explosion that also severely injures Peter, costing him one of his legs.^[16]

May would later become a hero in her own right, Spider-Girl.^[17]

After discovering a living twin of May Parker (kept in suspended animation) among his grandfather's possessions, Normie Osborn wondered whether it was a clone or whether the original Goblin had put the real May in suspended animation and arranged for her parents to receive a clone of May to raise. He visited Élan in prison and questioned her about this, but she refused to say anything. She was then later broken out of jail by an unknown benefactor, then she released the clone May on to the world and towards the original May. She also had Peter Parker kidnapped and brainwashed into thinking he was Norman Osborn.^[18] The brainwashed Peter joins with the May clone, who is half Symbiote, and becomes the Goblin God.^[19] It is through this brainwashing that Norman Osborn's consciousness resurfaces.

In a psychic duel, Peter, Mayday, the clone, and the spirit of Aunt May defeated Norman's psychic representation, which in turn cured Peter of his condition, ending Osborn's threat yet again.^[20]

Fury the Goblin Queen

Élan DeJunae, daughter of the San Mardeo DeJunae crime family in South America, is betrothed to Normie Osborn when she is just a baby because of her father's involvement with the Order of the Goblin.

From then on, Élan learns the family business and eventually makes connections with the Black Tarantula. She grows up training to follow Norman Osborn's footsteps, and eventually becomes the leader of the Order of the Goblin. Following a near fatal attack on Normie, Élan returns to New York to follow through with their arranged marriage, but Normie was not aware of the betrothal. Meanwhile, Élan and the Black Tarantula plot to use Spider-Girl to destroy Lady Octopus and Canis so they can take control of the New York underworld. Following plans made by Norman Osborn before his death, the Queen of the Goblins tries to dose Normie Osborn with a new version of the goblin formula. Spider-Girl manages to defeat Élan, but in the battle, the formula explodes and the Queen escapes.

Because Normie spurned her and denied his place in the Goblin legacy, Fury crashes his wedding to Brenda Drago and forcibly bonds the Venom-symbiote to him in an attempt to corrupt him. This backfires, as Normie gained control of the symbiote and went on to become a hero. After Fury crashed Normie's wedding, Phil Urich (the good Green Goblin) defeats her and sends her to prison.

Normie Osborn

Normie Osborn is the son of Harry Osborn and Liz Allan, and the grandson of Norman Osborn. In the alternative timeline of the MC2 universe he becomes the Green Goblin and battles Spider-Man's daughter, May "Mayday" Parker, before reforming and becoming her ally.

Phil Urich

In the MC2 timeline, Phil Urich marries his girlfriend Meredith and becomes a forensic scientist and friends with Peter Parker. He is aware of both Peter and Spider-Girl's identities. Phil Urich resumes the Goblin identity, first under the name of the Golden Goblin, then as the Green Goblin with the assistance of Normie Osborn (III). After Phil lost a long series of battles, Normie recreates Phil's original mask, which grants him superhuman strength and other abilities, greatly enhancing his effectiveness. He is also a founding member of the New New Warriors.^[21]

Newspaper strip

In the The Amazing Spider-Man newspaper strip by Stan Lee and Larry Leiber a brief flashback showed Spider-Man fighting the Green Goblin, designed similarly to the version in the Sam Raimi Spider-Man films, to save Mary Jane.

A later story showing Harry Osborn as the Hobgoblin flashed back to the Norman Osborn's death in a battle against Spider-Man, and showed Harry's realization that his father was the murderous Green Goblin.

Spider-Man: Clone Saga

In the retelling of the Clone Saga by Tom DeFalco, Norman did not survive his battle with Spider-Man following the death of Gwen Stacy. The Jackal plans to clone him as a plot to torment Ben Reilly and Peter Parker (though they are not aware of this) before he is murdered by Kaine. However, Harry Osborn, who is still alive in this reality, manages to obtain the clone pod and releases Norman. This clone is quite sane due to never being exposed to the goblin formula, and he makes repeated efforts to convince his insane son to stop his maniacal plans. He ultimately sacrifices himself to save the Parkers and baby May from Harry, who swears vengeance.^[22]

Spider-Man: India

Spider-Man: India features Nalin Oberoi, a ruthless, businessman in Mumbai, who is ravaging villages for a mystical amulet to connect with evil, supernatural demons who once ruled the world.^[23] The process works and transforms Oberoi into a "green Goblin". He also transforms a meek doctor into "Doctor Octopus" and sends him to find Pavitar Prabhakar (Spider-Man). Oberoi later burns down Pavitar's village (branding it with his initials NO), and kidnaps MJ, and Aunt Maya (Aunt May).^[24] At Oberoi HQ, he tries to bring down the demons, until a reformed Octopus and Pavitar attack and rescue the ladies. After killing the doctor, Oberoi is later defeated by Pavitar.^[25] Oberoi also has a son mentioned by Pavitar, Hari.^[25]

Spider-Verse

• A version of the Sinister Six appears in Earth-803 calling themselves as the "Six Men of Sinestry" and is led by Norman Osborn under the disguise of the Green Goblin. They battled Lady Spider and was forced to withdraw when they lost the upper hand but they succeed in stealing the mayor's plans.^[26]
• In Earth-21205, the Green Goblin is murdered by Peter Parker in rage, resulting in Peter becoming the Hobgoblin due to the trauma of Gwen Stacy's death.^[27]
• In Earth-138, Norman "Ozzy" Osborn is president of America and leads to wipe out the Anarchic Spider-Man and his Spider-Army. His company Oscorp created Variable Engagement Neuro-sensitive Organic Mesh or V.E.N.O.M. which is used by the Thunderbolt Department, the police and fire department of his regime. He and his Thunderbolt Department were defeated in the battle with Spider-Punk, Spider-Punk smashing Osborn's stomach with a guitar.^[28]
• In Earth-3145, where Spider-Man is Ben Parker, the goblin's version is called the Emerald Elf and was briefly shown in a flashback sequence as the killer of Ben's family. He is presumably killed when a scheme by Doctor Octopus resulted in a nuclear apocalypse.^[29]
• Different versions of the Goblins' identity appear including a Green Goblin which are part of Verna's hounds.^[29] They are killed by Assassin Spider-Man, Superior Spider-Man, and Spider-Punk.

Ultimate Marvel

The Ultimate Marvel version of Norman Osborn was rendered by artist Mark Bagley to resemble actor Brian Dennehy, as per writer Brian Michael Bendis's instructions.^[30] This version is a corrupt industrialist and scientist who is trying to perfect the Super Soldier drug for S.H.I.E.L.D., an obsession that leads to the neglect of his wife Martha Osborn and his son Harry Osborn. In Ultimate Spider-Man #1, an OZ-injected spider bites Peter Parker on a field trip. Peter develops amazing powers, and Norman theorizes that if the OZ combined with spider DNA gave Parker the abilities of a spider, then Norman with OZ combined with his own DNA would become a heightened version of himself. However, the experiment goes wrong and an explosion occurs, affecting Harry and Dr. Otto Octavius.^[31]

He, however, is transformed into a muscular, grotesque, goblin-looking monster, granting him superhuman strength, reflexes, stamina, speed and durability, and enabling him to leap great distances. He is also pyrokinetic, as he can throw flaming balls of destructive energy. In an attempt to destroy all evidence of his existence, the Green Goblin kills Norman's wife but Harry manages to escape while the house is burning down.^[32] The next day, he attacks Harry's school but is stopped by Spider-Man. During the fight, the Green Goblin plummets off a bridge into the river, seemingly dead.^[33]

However, Norman survives and has "evolved" in his words. He can now control his transformations into an intelligent incarnation of the "Green Goblin" via OZ injections. Due to overdosing on OZ, Osborn suffers from hallucinations. These include seeing everything through a blood-red filter, and creatures called "plasmids" tormenting him. Taking Harry back, Norman moves back into New York City, blaming rival Justin Hammer for the explosion.^[34] Under the Green Goblin's spell, he reveals himself to Parker, telling him to give up being Spider-Man and work for him, or suffer the deaths of loved ones. The Goblin tells Parker to kill the S.H.I.E.L.D. head Nick Fury. When Parker refuses, the Goblin kidnaps Mary Jane Watson and attempts to kill MJ by hurling from the top of a bridge.^[35] Spider-Man is able to save Mary Jane, and joins S.H.I.E.L.D. operatives in attacking Osborn. The battle continues at Osborn's Manhattan penthouse, where the Goblin transforms even further after taking several more OZ injections and begins to choke the life out of Parker. Harry discovers the scene, picking up a shattered window pane and jamming it into his father's back, reverting him to his human self. Norman is taken into S.H.I.E.L.D. custody.^[36]

In the Ultimate Six limited series, Norman and Dr. Octavius devise a plan to escape from prison which uses Norman's new ability to transform into his demon form at will. It also seems that he is no longer under the influence of the hallucinogenic "plasmids", with Norman stating that he has been undergoing a "transitioning stage" during his last confrontation with Peter; furthermore, his speech is more coherent in his Goblin form, suggesting that he is no longer hallucinating as a result of the Oz formula. They kidnap an unmasked Spider-Man to force to join them. Osborn considers Spider-Man to be his 'true' son and belongs with him, so he prevents harm to Peter, but he does humiliate. In a battle between the Ultimate Six and the Ultimates at the White House, Harry is used as Fury's trump card against Norman.^[37] Harry pleads with his father to stop while Captain America convinces Peter of Osborn's lies. Norman is about to change back when Iron Man blasts him from behind, severely altering Norman's genes and causing him to lash out at the S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel before being shot down to Harry's horror. Once again taken into custody, he is revealed to be in cryogenic suspension, with half of his face in Goblin form.^[38]

In Ultimate Spider-Man #112, Norman Osborn is again in semblance of a human form, and is kept in a high-security cell with other superhuman prisoners. When contacted by Carol Danvers, Norman states that he will answer only to Fury; he then transforms into the Goblin, and breaks away from security measures, the OZ in his system having re-worked his body in a further process of what he refers to as 'Evolution'.^[39] In #113, the reader is given a look into his state of mind. Though no longer haunted by 'Plasmids', the Green Goblin has given in to severe paranoia, believing everyone save him to be insane, and Nick Fury a tyrant, imprisoning anyone with the power to stand up to him.^[40] In his breakout, he enlists the promised help of Electro as payback for freeing him; other Supervillains that escape include Omega Red, Kraven the Hunter, and what appears to be Gwen Stacy (the new Carnage). The Goblin's stratagem upon escape is simple; he resumes as Norman, then appears on a talk show, claiming that Fury held him in a prison against his will, just as he was on the brink of creating a drug to solve America's military problems. In issue #117, the Green Goblin goes into an explosive rage when confronted with a TV broadcast of a (staged) S.H.I.E.L.D. press conference with Harry declaring that Norman was evil and killed Harry's mother (the press conference in fact was held aboard the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier and only transmitted to the TV Norman was watching), and ended up assaulting the helicarrier; Harry transforms into a form similar to Norman's, but loses the resultant melee and is beaten to death when he suddenly and unexpectedly returns to his human form as his father is beating him with full strength blows. With both the S.H.I.E.L.D. troops and Norman horrified at what he's done, he reverts to his own human form, turns around and asks to be killed. Danvers, in charge of S.H.I.E.L.D. while Fury is away, obliges him by shooting Norman in the head.^[41]

However, Norman Osborn was able to survive the incident much to the surprise of himself and Carol Danvers and was kept in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s custody, under observation. Despite there being no trace of Oz left in his body he was still able to transform into his Green Goblin form. He was then able escape, along with other Spider-Man villains, including Otto Octavius, Electro, Sandman, Kraven the Hunter and the Vulture. They escape to New York, and take shelter in a building. While S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Ultimates are preoccupied with the Avengers, Osborn informs the others that this is "God's will", telling them that God wants them to kill Peter Parker. When Octavius protests, Osborn kills him and then proceeds to Peter's house along with the remaining villains. In the resulting battle, Green Goblin is apparently killed when Spider-Man literally smashes him with a truck. At the end of the issue, Osborn is left powered-down in wreckage with a slight smile on his face suggesting he may still be alive.

Months before his transformation and apparent death, Norman Osborn had Dr. Conrad Markus somehow create another OZ-injected spider which later bites Miles Morales,^[42] indirectly due to Aaron Davis being hired by Philip R. Roxxon.^[43] Miles Morales: The Ultimate Spider-Man #1 revealed that Osborn is still alive and being held custody by S.H.I.E.L.D until he escapes to confront Miles.^[44]

Since Norman Osborn's powers derive from the OZ formula, his strength derives from how much he is exposed to. When the Green Goblin is created, the smaller dosage gives him green claws, horns and head, though the rest of him is human like in appearance. When he returns, he uses larger dosages of OZ to become larger and completely green, with more crests. When he overdoses on OZ, his horns, stature and muscles become larger, as does the number of crests. He later develops a way to transform without OZ into a larger, more powerful form, making injections obsolete.^[45][46]

This version of the Green Goblin appears to be effectively immortal, having resurrected and 'evolved' multiple times thus far despite the fact that he has been killed in multiple ways; the extent of and limitations to this conditional immortality is currently unknown.

Spider-Man Unlimited

A version of the Green Goblin appeared in Spider-Man Unlimited (voiced by Rino Romano) as a vigilante. Little is known about him seemingly having feelings for Naoko Yamada-Jones. The Goblin (later revealed to be Hector Jones) first appeared on one of his nightly travels in the neighborhood, he encountered Spider-Man and fought him because he thought that Spider-Man was one of the Symbiotes.^[47]

After realizing that Spider-Man is a human that protects the neighborhoods from the Symbiotes he joined him and fought Venom and Carnage that had kidnapped a number of Beastials and humans so they could control them.^[47]

After rescuing the Beastials, humans, and Naoko that were trapped in the sewers with Venom and Carnage, he left Spider-Man and go to on his way.^[47]

He returned to help Spider-Man look in the sewers for the missing people that were kidnapped by an octopus-like creature. They fight the creature that took them to a place called "Heaven" where they were taken as hostages by the villagers but were set free by an Counter-Earth version of Gwen Stacy that lived in this village.^[48]

Gold Goblin

In the New Exiles comic series, Norman Osborn of Earth-812145 of the Marvel Universe is an insane criminal called The Gold Goblin. The Gold Goblin was stopped by the Exiles after he began to wreak havoc on his home world.^[49]

What If? Dark Reign: Infinity Gauntlet

In an alternate reality, Osborn acquired the Infinity Gems after manipulating an army of villains to do the work for him and used them to reassemble the Infinity Gauntlet, defeating most of the heroes while trapping Spider-Man in a time loop where he witnesses/'causes' Gwen Stacy's death over and over again. However, when Norman uses the Gauntlet's power to resurrect his abusive father to show him what he has accomplished, his father dismisses him as a petty tyrant and a monster until Norman uses the Gauntlet to change his father's opinion. When Thanos appears, killing the rest of the Dark Avengers while taunting Osborn about the hollow nature of his father's current approval, Osborn destroys him, but when his altered father only says that he loves Norman as a son, Osborn erases him in a fit of anger as he wanted to be praised for his accomplishments, realising too late that erasing his father automatically erases him as well.

References