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87-576: The Green Goblin is the alias of several supervillains appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics . Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko , the first and best-known incarnation of the Green Goblin is Norman Osborn , who is regarded as one of the superhero Spider-Man 's three archenemies , alongside Doctor Octopus and Venom . Originally a manifestation of chemically induced insanity, others would later take on

174-474: A 3-inch (76 mm) thick sheet of steel. The Goblin carries these and a variety of other weapons, such as razor bats (akin to bladed boomerangs) and miniature "Ghost Bombs", in an over-the-shoulder satchel he calls his "Bag of Tricks". The Green Goblin has a range of other "Pumpkin Bombs" and "Ghost Bombs" at his disposal, including smoke and gas-emitting bombs. Some release hallucinogenic gases, while others emit

261-534: A built-in gas filter to keep him safe from his own gases. In the Green Goblin's first appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #14, he rides a steel rocket-powered wingless broomstick (not a glider). In his second appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #17, he changes to the familiar bat-shaped glider. The Goblin Glider's controls and microprocessor are located behind the head of the glider. The pilot

348-514: A child again, thus deciding to kill either Mary Jane Watson or Gwen Stacy. Romita proposed to kill the latter as the former served as a comical character at the time, taking inspiration of the decisions to kill off character from Milton Caniff , author of the Terry and the Pirates and Steve Canyon comic strips. Writer Conway's memory of how Gwen was selected as the character to be killed off

435-562: A close friend with Gwen's death, and the two attempt to comfort each other in the wake of their loss. Inker John Romita Sr. recalled in a 2015 interview how the character to be killed off for what became The Night Gwen Stacy Died was selected. Romita and Amazing Spider-Man writer Gerry Conway were initially asked by the editors to kill off Aunt May . They organized a plot session at Conway's apartment and disagreed with killing Aunt May, opining that if she were to die, Peter would not have to worry about her anymore and be no longer treated as

522-541: A confrontation between Spider-Man and the Green Goblin . Having discovered Spider-Man's identity, the Green Goblin abducts Spider-Man's girlfriend Gwen Stacy . Gwen is killed during the battle, and a subsequent fight results in the Goblin's death. Prior to the release of the story arc, it was not considered common for major members of a superhero's supporting cast to be killed. As a result, "The Night Gwen Stacy Died"

609-509: A consequence of Mephisto erasing Spider-Man's and Mary Jane's marriage from reality, Gwen Stacy being restored to life as her death never happened as well her affair with Norman Osborn . Gwen was ultimately resurrected, albeit temporarily, during the " Dead No More: The Clone Conspiracy " crossover event. In the story, Gwen is resurrected by Ben Reilly alongside other deceased Spider-Man supporting characters, initially helping him achieve his goals but eventually assisting Peter and dying after

696-706: A daunting challenge to a superhero. In instances where the supervillain does not have superhuman, mystical, or alien powers, the supervillain may possess a genius intellect or a skill set that allows them to draft complex schemes or commit crimes in a way normal humans cannot. Other traits may include megalomania and possession of considerable resources to further their aims. Many supervillains share some typical characteristics of real-world dictators , gangsters , mad scientists , trophy hunters , corrupt businesspeople , serial killers , and terrorists , often having an aspiration of world domination . The Joker , Lex Luthor , Doctor Doom , Magneto , Brainiac , Deathstroke ,

783-399: A desperate bid to find a cure for his condition, but is driven off by Spider-Man. During a second attempt to capture Liz, the Goblin unmasks himself in front of Spider-Man (shuffling through a variety of faces (with the most prominent being Harry Osborn) after doing so) and melts into a pile of protoplasm as he claims Norman would return. In his first appearances, the Green Goblin seems to be

870-442: 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 character is typically established within its own continuity within parallel universes , to the point where distinct differences in the portrayal of the character can be identified. Various versions of the Goblin are depicted in works such as Marvel's Ultimate line and Earth X . In

957-587: A full load and a full fuel tank would deplete its fuel supply in about an hour. In the Goblin's later appearances, the glider possesses a wide array of armaments, including heat-seeking and smart missiles, machine guns, extending blades, a flamethrower and a Pumpkin Bomb dispenser/launcher. A grenade used by the Green Goblin, the Pumpkin Bomb resembles a miniature Jack-o'-lantern and, when thrown, ignites almost soundlessly and produces enough heat to melt through

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1044-554: A man in a costume and glider, as well as taking partial inspiration from the live-action version of Willem Dafoe's Green Goblin . In the Spider-Man: House of M from the 2005 Marvel comics series House of M , there are two versions of the Green Goblin. In the Marvel 2099 setting, there are different versions of its Green Goblins. The Goblin is a radical trickster who wants to prove that Spider-Man (Miguel O'Hara)

1131-567: A new Green Goblin, one slavishly devoted to help his case. Norman uses this Goblin as a bodyguard , to torment Spider-Man, and in ploys designed to draw public sympathy (such as kidnapping Normie Osborn for ransom). After Norman is incapacitated by the Gathering of Five , the Goblin is left alone and begins to degenerate due to no longer having access to the Goblin Formula required to keep him stable. The Goblin goes after Liz Allan in

1218-524: A normal man (albeit very nimble and athletic) who gets his powers from his many gadgets. In later appearances, it is established that due to the "Goblin Formula", Norman and most successors to the Green Goblin persona possesses superhuman strength (lifting nine tons under optimal conditions), increased speed, reflexes, endurance, intelligence and healing rate. Norman started with a portion of the chemical's power, because he only received an accidental splash in

1305-631: A number of Goblin Gangs sprang up across America. Composed mostly of white supremacists who agreed with his plans to remove the Asgardians from the country, they wear purple clothes, green face makeup and have goblin-based tattoos. Vin Gonzales was revealed to have received one of these tattoos while in prison passing a message from Norman to Harry about Stanley Osborn. The Goblin Nation, also known as

1392-540: A specially-created mixture that neutralizes Spider-Man 's spider-sense for a limited period of time. Still others emit a flame-retarding gas, which the Goblin once used against the Human Torch . All of these are covered in a light plastic coating. Some time after Norman's death, Harry is abducted by a trio of mysterious female Goblins. With the aid of Ben Urich and Molten Man , Spider-Man discovers that these "Goblinettes" are robots created by Harry, and controlled by

1479-454: A straw dog. I just accepted the fact that it was going to be Norman Osborn when we plotted it. I had been following the last couple of issues and didn't think there was really much mystery about it. Looking back, I doubt the Goblin's identity would have been revealed in Amazing #39 if Ditko had stayed on. In the landmark story, " The Night Gwen Stacy Died " ( The Amazing Spider-Man #121–122),

1566-467: A supercomputer containing copies of Harry and Norman's minds. The Goblinettes are destroyed along with the computer, which had been programmed to expose Normie Osborn to the same version of Goblin serum that killed Harry, in attempt to create a new Green Goblin. An offshoot of the Scriers cult founded by Norman, consisting of only his most loyal followers. Following Norman's rise and fall from power,

1653-605: A television interview for the Travel Channel 's Marvel Superheroes Guide to New York City (2004), Stan Lee said that the artist for the issue had drawn the Brooklyn Bridge, but that he (as editor ) mistakenly labeled it the George Washington Bridge. This was corrected in newer prints of the issue. Different bridges are depicted in subsequent adaptations of the storyline. Mary Jane Watson

1740-592: A tower of either the Brooklyn Bridge (as depicted in the art) or the George Washington Bridge (as given in the text). The Goblin and Spider-Man clash, and the Goblin hurls Gwen off the bridge. Spider-Man shoots a web strand at her legs and catches her. As he pulls her up, he thinks he has saved her, however he quickly realizes she is dead. Unsure whether her neck was broken by the whiplash from her sudden stop or had been already broken by

1827-496: A trap for the villain. After successfully capturing him with a web bomb, she prepares to kill him with her father's gun before realizing doing so would betray Peter's memory. Harry however does pull the trigger and is horrified upon discovering his father was the Green Goblin. Blaming Gwen for his father's death, Harry becomes the new Green Goblin while Gwen promises Peter she'll clean up the mess she made as Spider-Woman. Gwen's death shocked Spider-Man readers, with some appreciating

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1914-700: Is accidentally killed by a bomb with which he meant to kill Spider-Man . Years later, there was speculation that Hamilton was the Hobgoblin but this is disproved. A Goblin that was presumably Hamilton appears as a member of the second incarnation of the Legion of the Unliving created by the Grandmaster . After being pitted against the Avengers , the group and their master are vanquished by Death . During

2001-638: Is also a founding member of the New New Warriors . In the universe where Marvel characters are animals, Norman Osbird, as he's called in this universe, is a crazy turkey who calls himself the Green Gobbler. 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

2088-452: Is attached to the glider via electromagnetic clasps on the wings of the glider. It has great maneuverability and is steered mostly by leaning, but manual controls are available behind the head of the glider. The Goblin later added radio-linked voice controls to his mask. Its top speed is 90 miles per hour (140 km/h), and it can support about 400 lb (180 kg), though it could lift far more for brief periods. Flying at top speed with

2175-590: 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

2262-399: Is in the pay of a megacorp like Alchemax . 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. 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

2349-583: Is more contradictory: in 2008 he told author Sean Howe that it was he and editor Roy Thomas who first discussed killing off Aunt May, but when Romita heard about this he suggested that Gwen was a more suitable candidate. Later, during a 2013 interview at the Emerald City Comic Con , Conway contradicted himself by claiming that it was initially Romita's idea to kill off Aunt May and that he disagreed and had to talk Romita out of that choice. Stan Lee , co-creator of both Spider-Man and Gwen Stacy,

2436-484: Is the first and most-known character connected with the Green Goblin alias who developed the equipment used by the others ever since he was exposed to the Goblin formula. Harold "Harry" Osborn is Norman Osborn's son and the second character who used the Green Goblin alias. Dr. Barton "Bart" Hamilton was a psychologist born in Scarsdale, New York and the third character to use the Green Goblin alias. When Harry

2523-715: Is widely regarded as the most pivotal Spider-Man story outside of his origin and one of the most important comics of all time; its release is widely said to have ended the Silver Age of Comic Books and jumpstarted the Bronze Age , which further increased the emphasis on more mature subject matter pioneered by the Silver Age. Gwen's death and the story at large had major impact on the Marvel brand, as they directly led to increased emphasis on Luke Cage and Mary Jane Watson ,

2610-533: The Inspector Gadget animated series, Dr. Evil and Mr. Bigglesworth from the Austin Powers film series , or Dr. Blowhole from the animated TV series The Penguins of Madagascar . The overarching villain of Star Wars , Emperor Palpatine , leads the tyrannical Galactic Empire , and was inspired by real-world tyrannical leaders. The Night Gwen Stacy Died The story features

2697-613: The "Goblin Underground" , is a group of organized crime composed of Goblin-themed villains led by the Goblin King against the Superior Spider-Man . In the eight-month ellipsis that occurred subsequent to the events of Secret Wars , a heavily bandaged arms dealer claiming to be Norman Osborn began selling Goblin-based costumes and equipment on the black market, establishing private armies of "War Goblins". As

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2784-661: The Civil War , both Iron Man and Captain America cited Gwen as argument for their opinions on the Superhuman Registration Act . Iron Man argued that if Spider-Man had received proper training as registered heroes were given, he would have saved her, while Captain America argued that Gwen was only in danger because the Goblin knew Spider-Man's identity, the Act requiring heroes to register their identities with

2871-518: The George Washington Bridge . The Pulse #4 (Sept. 2004) also states the bridge to be the George Washington Bridge. The art of The Amazing Spider-Man #121, however, depicts the Brooklyn Bridge . Some reprints of the issue have had the text amended and now state the bridge to be the Brooklyn Bridge rather than the George Washington Bridge. Titles supporting the Brooklyn Bridge include The Amazing Spider-Man #147–148 (1975), The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #21 (1987), and Daredevil v. 2 #8 (2000). In

2958-522: The Green Goblin , Loki , the Reverse-Flash , Black Manta , Ultron , Thanos , and Darkseid are some notable male comic book supervillains that have been adapted in film and television. Some notable female supervillains are Catwoman , Harley Quinn , Poison Ivy , Mystique , Hela , Viper , and the Cheetah . Just like superheroes, supervillains are sometimes members of groups, such as

3045-775: The Injustice League , the Sinister Six , the Legion of Doom , the Brotherhood of Mutants , the Suicide Squad , and the Masters of Evil . In the documentary A Study in Sherlock , writers Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss said they regarded Professor James Moriarty as a supervillain because he possesses genius-level intelligence and powers of observation and deduction, setting him above ordinary people to

3132-734: The Six Most Sinister . In 2023, Marvel announced that writer Jonathan Hickman would be rebooting the Ultimate Marvel universe, launching a brand new timeline beginning with the limited series Ultimate Invasion . This new Ultimate Universe, designated Earth-6160 will follow a married Peter Parker in his 30s. The Goblin will debut in the title's second issue, scheduled for release in February 2024. Unlike his previous Ultimate Universe counterpart , this version will take more similarities from his Earth-616 variant, such as being

3219-615: The What If? where he saves Gwen), most notably when he jumped off the same bridge to save Sarah Stacy . In another storyline, the Green Goblin once again replays the scenario, this time with Spider-Man's wife Mary Jane Watson-Parker . As with Gwen, Mary Jane plummets toward her death (this time from the recoil from her gun when she shoots at the Green Goblin). Learning from his previous error, Spider-Man uses multiple weblines and catches every major joint, saving Mary Jane from suffering

3306-481: The " Dead No More: The Clone Conspiracy " storyline, Bart's Goblin form is cloned by the Jackal 's company New U Technologies. Philip Benjamin "Phil" Urich is the nephew of Ben Urich and the fourth character to use the Green Goblin alias. Norman begins trying to convince the public after returning from the dead of never being the infamous supervillain, and conspired with associate Doctor Angst genetically engineer

3393-646: The 1987 edition of The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe , Gwen's death is attributed to the fall, not to Spider-Man's webbing. In the fourth issue of Marvels , it was reported that she died from the shock of the fall, however Phil, a photographer and witness, is unsure about exactly what kills her. Several subsequent issues have echoed Gwen's death when others fell from great heights during Spider-Man's battles. On most occasions, he saves them by jumping after them and working with their momentum, rather than trying to stop them with his webbing (as he did in

3480-525: The Bugle. In What If? vol. 2 #42 – "What If Spider-Man Had Kept His Six Arms?" , Peter is able to prevent Gwen's death by using his additional arms to catch her as she falls. At the end of the one-shot What If: The Other by Peter David , Peter (now calling himself "Poison") uses part of the Venom symbiote attached to him resurrect Gwen. In What If? Punisher #1 – "What if Peter Parker became

3567-669: The Goblin Queen appeared as a member of a Multiversal group called the Sinister Squadron where they attacked the Spider-Society before it can be formed. 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. In

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3654-595: The Goblin is actually Father Jennifer D'Angelo, an undercover ally of Kasey. After receiving a message from the Sinister Six, Miguel and Kasey go to Alchemax to rescue Father Jennifer. Upon escaping, Spider-Man and Father Jennifer arrive at an area where the time door appears, but Jennifer is killed by Doctor Octopus. Élan DeJunae, daughter of the San Mardeo DeJunae crime family in South America,

3741-465: The Goblin prior to her fall, he blames himself for her death. A note on the letters page of The Amazing Spider-Man #125 states: "It saddens us to say that the whiplash effect she underwent when Spidey's webbing stopped her so suddenly was, in fact, what killed her.", although later issues would reveal Gwen died from the fall itself. The Green Goblin escapes, and Spider-Man cries over Gwen's corpse and swears revenge. The following issue, Spider-Man tracks

3828-436: The Goblin uses include incendiary Pumpkin Bombs and Ghost Bombs, smoke- and gas-emitting grenades resembling jack-'o'-lanterns and ghosts, respectively, razor-edged boomerang -like throwing weapons called razor bats and gloves woven with micro-circuited filaments which channel pulsed discharges of electricity at nearly 10,000 volts . He wears a green bulletproof scale armor costume with an overlapping purple tunic. His mask has

3915-463: The Green Goblin cuts his web line when he tries to shoot it at the bridge, resulting in him breaking his neck on a pillar of the bridge while his corpse cushions Gwen's fall. As the Goblin leaves, Gwen discovers Peter's secret and hides his costume before the authorities retrieve his body. She vows to take revenge on the Goblin and dons Spider-Man's costume, but realizing she lacks training and super powers, she decides to work together with Harry and set up

4002-402: The Green Goblin kills Gwen Stacy and later perishes in a fight against Spider-Man. However, the story's writer, Gerry Conway , had Harry Osborn adopt the Green Goblin identity in that story's aftermath, later remarking that "I never had any intention of getting rid of the Green Goblin as a concept". Harry Osborn's becoming the Green Goblin was mostly well-received, with fans remarking that Harry

4089-405: The Green Goblin to a warehouse and beats him but cannot bring himself to kill him. The Goblin uses the opportunity to send his glider to impale Spider-Man from behind. Warned by his spider-sense, Spider-Man dodges, and the glider instead impales the Green Goblin, seemingly killing him. Later, a devastated Parker, back at home, encounters an equally shocked and saddened Mary Jane Watson , who has lost

4176-423: The Green Goblin to be someone Peter Parker knew, while Ditko wanted his civilian identity to be someone who had not yet been introduced. Lee elaborated: Steve wanted him to turn out to be just some character that we had never seen before. Because, he said, in real life, very often a villain turns out to be somebody that you never knew. And I felt that that would be wrong. I felt, in a sense, it would be like cheating

4263-414: The Green Goblin was his idea or Ditko's. Ditko has maintained that it was his idea, even claiming that he had decided on it before the first Green Goblin story was finished, and that a character he drew in the background of a single panel of Amazing Spider-Man #23 was meant to be Norman Osborn (who is not introduced until issue #37). Ditko left the series with issue #38, just one issue after Norman Osborn

4350-686: The Green Goblin, but due to amnesia , he had suspended his identity as the supervillain and forgotten that Spider-Man is Peter Parker. Also, Harry Osborn , Parker's best friend and Norman's son, became addicted to drugs and was sequestered in the Osborn home for detoxification. Norman's parental grief, combined with financial pressure, triggered a breakdown resulting in Norman Osborn remembering his Goblin identity and again targeting Spider-Man and his loved ones for misery. The Green Goblin abducts Peter's girlfriend, Gwen Stacy , and lures Spider-Man to

4437-422: The Green Goblin. He naturally came to life. On my own, I changed Stan's mythological demon into a human villain. The Green Goblin debuted in The Amazing Spider-Man #14. At this time his identity was unknown, but he proved popular and reappeared in later issues, which made a point of his secret identity . According to both Stan Lee and John Romita, Sr. , who replaced Ditko as the title's artist, Lee always wanted

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4524-623: The MC2 timeline, Phil Urich marries his girlfriend Meredith and is 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

4611-538: The Punisher?" , Peter, who is the Punisher in addition to Spider-Man, is able to save Gwen by killing the Green Goblin and webbing her body to a suspended scaffold on the bridge. Feeling guilty over almost getting her killed, he quits being the Punisher to be with her, leaving his costume in a bin, where it is found by Frank Castle . In What If...Dark? Spider-Gwen #1 , Spider-Man saves Gwen by jumping after her, but

4698-469: 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. Fury

4785-463: The alias of Goblin 2099 to fight Spider-Man and later allied with Vulture . In All-New, All-Different Marvel during a travel to 2099 which turned out to be different from the version that he knows, Spider-Man (O'Hara) is captured by that alternate 2099's era's Venom and Doctor Octopus . Miguel later wakes up in Alchemax, which is run by that era's Sinister Six . The Sinister Six discover that

4872-456: The bold move and others horrified by the unexpected demise of a popular character. In Amazing Spider-Man #125 (Oct 1973), an editorial comment on the letters page explained the creators' view: "The relationship between Pete and Gwen had been through a lot of inconsequential ups and downs, and unless the two were to be married, there was nowhere else to take it. But marriage seemed wrong, too. Peter just wasn't ready. So Gerry, Roy and Stan debated

4959-433: The book between creating the character and the unmasking, has said that it was his intent for the Goblin to be a female Catholic priest named Father Jennifer, and for Gabriel to be a red herring . This Goblin was never called the Green Goblin, but instead simply Goblin 2099 . Jennifer D'Angelo is an ordained priest in each of the 2099 realities. On Earth-928, Jennifer D'Angelo is an ordained priest. She later took on

5046-466: The creation of the Punisher , and Green Goblin's status as Spider-Man's archenemy in alternate media and, following his resurrection during the Clone Saga . The arc's popularity has led it to be alluded to in various alternate media, most notably partial direct adaptations in the feature films Spider-Man (2002) and The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014). Prior to this arc, Norman Osborn had been

5133-441: The decision was made and that they took a time to talk him into it, yet Lee remained very upset. In the comic book collection The 100 Greatest Marvels of All Time: #9-6 ( Amazing Spider-Man #121 was the #6 comic), Conway explained that Gwen and Peter were a "perfect couple", but taking that relationship to the next level (i.e. marriage or at least Peter revealing his secret identity to her) would "betray everything that Spider-Man

5220-409: The face at a time where one had to bathe in it long enough to get the full effect. Eventually a new version of the chemical was developed, which was suitable for directly drinking it. Though much slower than the likes of Wolverine , he can regenerate damaged tissue and organs. However, if seriously wounded, it would leave scars on his body. His intelligence has been enhanced to gifted levels, though at

5307-614: The film The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014). Dafoe reprised his role as Norman Osborn in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) which used the concept of the multiverse to link the Raimi trilogy to the MCU. According to Steve Ditko: Stan's synopsis for the Green Goblin had a movie crew, on location, finding an Egyptian –like sarcophagus . Inside was an ancient, mythological demon ,

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5394-527: The government. After Jane Foster becomes the new Valkyrie, she is reminded of how Spider-Man failed to save someone in a similar situation when she is forced to use her shape-shifting weapon to catch the fatally wounded Heimdall as he falls from a building after being attacked by Bullseye , and expresses concern that her actions have made Heimdall's wounds worse, but Heimdall gives no indication that he blames Jane for his death. As John Romita Sr. recalls, Stan Lee's initial reaction towards Gwen Stacy's death

5481-486: The issue, and further confirms Gwen died of a broken neck due to the use of the webbing. For some time, however, fans speculated that the shock of the fall itself caused Gwen Stacy's death, due to the Green Goblin telling Spider-Man in The Amazing Spider-Man #121, "Romantic idiot! She was dead before your webbing reached her! A fall from that height would kill anyone — before they struck the ground!" In

5568-421: The ladies. After killing the doctor, Oberoi is later defeated by Pavitar. Oberoi also has a son mentioned by Pavitar, Hari. Supervillains A supervillain or supercriminal is a variant of the villainous stock character . It is sometimes found in comic books and may possess superhuman abilities. A supervillain is the antithesis of a superhero . Supervillains are often used as foils to present

5655-541: The letters column that "it saddens us to have to say that the whiplash effect she underwent when Spidey's webbing stopped her so suddenly was, in fact, what killed her. In short, it was impossible for Peter to save her. He couldn't have swung down in time; the action he did take resulted in her death; if he had done nothing, she still would certainly have perished. There was no way out." In the History Channel special Spider-Man Tech , Stan Lee states that her neck

5742-630: 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 travelers along with his henchmen

5829-421: The persona, including Norman's son Harry Osborn . The Green Goblin is depicted as a criminal mastermind who uses an arsenal of Halloween -themed equipment, including grenade-like Pumpkin Bombs, razor-sharp bat-shaped blades, and a flying Goblin Glider, to terrorize New York City . Comics journalist and historian Mike Conroy writes of the character: "Of all the costumed villains who've plagued Spider-Man over

5916-834: The point where only he can pose a credible threat to Sherlock Holmes . Fu Manchu is an archetypal evil criminal genius and mad scientist created by English author Sax Rohmer in 1913. The Fu Manchu moustache became integral to stereotypical cinematic and television depictions of Chinese villains. Between 1965 and 1969 Christopher Lee played Fu Manchu five times in film, and in 1973 the character first appeared in Marvel Comics . The James Bond arch-villain Ernst Stavro Blofeld (whose scenes often show him sitting on an armchair stroking his cat, his face unseen) has influenced supervillain tropes in popular cinema, including parodies like Dr. Claw and M.A.D. Cat from

6003-623: The price of his sanity. His involvement with the Gathering of the Five loosened his grip on reality, though he is able to maintain some semblance of his sanity via chemically treated dermal patches. When not impaired by mental illness, Osborn is a cunning businessman, masterful strategist, and highly skilled in electronics, mechanics, engineering and chemistry. The Green Goblin is armed with a variety of bizarre devices. He travels on his bat -shaped "Goblin Glider", an incredibly fast and maneuverable rocket glider equipped with various armaments. Other weapons

6090-422: The reader. ... if it's somebody you didn't know and had never seen, then what was the point of following all the clues? I think that frustrates the reader. However, Lee prefaced this statement by admitting that, due to his self-professed poor memory, he may have been confusing the Green Goblin with a different character. Moreover, in an earlier essay he had said that he could not remember whether Norman Osborn being

6177-431: The same way he saved Mary Jane in the film ), allowing him to cushion her from the impact as they hit the water and subsequently give her CPR. In the aftermath of this rescue, he proposed to Gwen after revealing his secret identity to her, and, in a subsequent confrontation with the Green Goblin, Norman Osborn finally fought off his evil side when Harry moved to protect him regardless of what he'd become. Their life, however,

6264-511: The same whiplash effect that killed Gwen. A similar event occurs when Spider-Man saves Anna Maria—the girlfriend of Otto Octavius during a time when he was in Spider-Man's body—when Green Goblin uses her as a hostage and throws her off a building after learning that his true enemy has returned, Peter reflecting as he catches Anna Maria that he has learned over time to catch every joint in moments like this to limit potential whiplash. During

6351-414: The story (though this Harry was later revealed to be a clone who later died himself during the "Kindred Rising" storyline). Numerous Marvel writers and editors, however, lobbied for Stacy to remain dead, forcing Quesada and Straczynski to discard their idea upon frustratingly realizing that they were outnumbered. Among the changes to continuity going as far back as 1971, Straczynski's original script had, as

6438-577: The two of them make amends with each other. She was again revived, albeit for just a few minutes, by the Celestial the Progenitor during the event A.X.E.: Judgment Day , as a gift to Peter for passing his judgment. In a non-canonical parallel universe story in What If? #24 – "What If Gwen Stacy Had Lived?" , Spider-Man saves Gwen by jumping after her rather than catching her with a web-line (in

6525-408: The world. The process works and transforms Oberoi into "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 ). At Oberoi HQ, he tries to bring down the demons, until a reformed Octopus and Pavitar attack and rescue

6612-471: The years, the most flat-out unhinged and terrifying of them all is the Green Goblin." The Green Goblin has appeared in numerous media adaptations of Spider-Man over the years, including films, animated television series, and video games. Norman and Harry Osborn were portrayed by Willem Dafoe and James Franco in Sam Raimi 's Spider-Man film trilogy (2002–2007), and by Chris Cooper and Dane DeHaan in

6699-400: Was about", i.e. personal tragedy and anguish as root of Peter's life as Spider-Man. Killing Gwen Stacy was a perfect opportunity to kill two birds with one stone: breaking up the "unfitting" relationship and reinforcing the element of personal tragedy which was, in his opinion, the essence of Spider-Man. The bridge in the original issue of Amazing Spider-Man #121 was stated in the text to be

6786-442: Was consulted by Conway, editor Roy Thomas and Romita about killing Gwen Stacy. When asked about how he accepted the decision, Lee said: "... I was just getting ready to go to Europe on some sort of a business trip... to meet somebody to discuss something about Marvel. And I think I wasn't thinking too clearly, because when they said, 'We'd like to kill Gwen Stacy,' I said, 'Well, if that's what you want to do, okay.' All I wanted to do

6873-415: Was get them out of the office so I could finish packing and get out of there. ... and when I came back and found out that Gwen had been killed, I thought 'Why would they do that? Why would Gerry write anything like that?' And I had to be reminded later on that I had perhaps reluctantly or perhaps carelessly said 'Okay' when they asked me." Conversely, Romita recalls that Lee was already out of the country when

6960-478: Was indeed snapped. Physicist and comic collector James Kakalios , in his book The Physics of Superheroes , states that in the real world, the whiplash effect would have killed her. The comic book Civil War: Casualties of War: Captain America/Iron Man (2007) concurred that the proximate cause of death was the sudden stop during a high-speed fall. An issue of Peter Parker: Spider-Man revisits

7047-431: Was introduced as the father of Harry Osborn . The first issue without Ditko saw the Green Goblin unmasked. John Romita, Sr. , who replaced Ditko as the title's artist, recalled: Stan wouldn't have been able to stand it if Ditko did the story and didn't reveal that the Green Goblin was Norman Osborn. I didn't know there was any doubt about Osborn being the Goblin. I didn't know that Ditko had just been setting Osborn up as

7134-477: Was more menacing than his father had ever been. Several other characters would take on the Green Goblin identity, and writer Roger Stern later introduced the Hobgoblin to replace the Green Goblin as Spider-Man's archenemy. In addition, a retcon during the " Clone Saga " determined that the original Green Goblin survived the events of The Amazing Spider-Man #122 and had been playing a behind-the-scenes role in Spider-Man's adventures since then. Norman Osborn

7221-838: Was negative because he thought that Romita, Conway and Thomas had done it behind his back and he demanded that they bring her back immediately. Thomas, Romita, and other editorial board members, however, convinced him otherwise, stating that this would be an "embarrassing silliness" and could ruin the emotional impact of her death. While developing the story for the Spider-Man: One More Day storyline along with Brian Michael Bendis , Mark Millar , Ed Brubaker and Dan Slott ; Joe Quesada and J. Michael Straczynski made plans to resurrect Gwen Stacy along with Harry Osborn , who had been killed in The Spectacular Spider-Man #200 and ultimately revived during

7308-595: 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

7395-492: Was not destined to be a happy one; to ensure his victory, the Goblin had sent J. Jonah Jameson proof of Spider-Man's real identity, which Jonah had subsequently published and used to acquire a warrant for Peter's arrest, thus forcing Peter to escape from the police mere moments after his wedding to Gwen. As the issue ended, Gwen departed with Joe "Robbie" Robertson , who promised Gwen that they would do whatever they could to help Peter after he berated Jonah for his actions and quit

7482-451: Was put under medical care, Dr. Hamilton managed to make Harry bury the vendetta as the Goblin identity from Harry's subconscious via hypnosis . Dr. Hamilton uses these secrets to be the third Goblin. But since Harry has no knowledge of where Norman's strength-enhancing Goblin formula is, Hamilton is unable to locate it. He hatches an elaborate plot to kill Silvermane but Harry resumes the Goblin identity to stop him. They battle and Hamilton

7569-629: Was thrown off the Queensboro Bridge in both Ultimate Spider-Man # 25 and the Spider-Man movie , while in Spider-Man: The Animated Series , Mary Jane is thrown off the George Washington Bridge. The comic features a "snap" sound effect next to Gwen Stacy's head in the panel in which Spider-Man's webbing catches her. In The Amazing Spider-Man #125 (Oct. 1973), Marvel Comics editor Roy Thomas wrote in

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