Summary
Warning: Spoilers for The Amazing Spider-Man (2022) #54 ahead!TheGreen Goblinhas terrorizedSpider-Manfor decades, acting as a major force in Peter Parker’s life andsetting up a classic, dynastic rivalrybetween the Parkers and the Osborns. Now, with the conclusion of the “Easy Being Green” story arc,an unexpected twist gives readers good cause to question everything they know about the Green Goblin, as his true form is finally revealed.
InThe Amazing Spider-Man (2022)#54 by Zeb Wells, Ed McGuinness, Mark Farmer, Mark Morales, Wade von Grawbadger and Marcio Menyz,Spider-Man has once again been infectedwith Norman Osborn’s “sins,” andis essentially possessed by the Green Goblin. A strange three-way fight ensues between Peter, Norman, and the Green Goblin, which manifests as a crimson, spectral entity.
The “spirit” of the Green Goblin even proves capable of hopping back and forth from host to host at will throughout the fight and speaking on its own, emphasizing its unique and separate nature.
“The Green Goblin Is Dead”: After 60 Years, Spider-Man Permanently Defeats the Green Goblin, Changing Marvel Lore Forever
Spider-Man’s final battle with the Green Goblin ends with a shocking victory, as the iconic villain is permanently beaten 60 years after his debut.
Marvel Reveals The Green Goblin’s True Nature, Changing Everything Readers Know About The Villain
The Amazing Spider-Man (2022)#54 – Written By Zeb Wells; Art By Ed McGuinness, Mark Farmer, Mark Morales, Wade von Grawbadger, Marcio Menyz, & More
Rather than having access to all of Norman’s memories, the Green Goblin is its own distinct consciousness. This dramatic shift from the character’s origin emphasizes that, moving forward, Norman has nothing to do with his former supervillain self.
Norman Osborn’s characterization throughout the currentAmazing Spider-Man (2022)series has been heavily influenced by the events ofThe Amazing Spider-Man (2018)#50, in which he was “cleansed” of his sins and the factors that led him to become the Green Goblin. The Green Goblin wasn’t destroyed, however;Gold Goblin(2022)#2 reveals thatthe “sins” were passed on to psychologist Ashley Kafka, transforming her into the villainous “Queen Goblin.” Kafka thenmanaged to transfer the sins of the Green Goblin into a spear inThe Amazing Spider-Man (2022) #32, which could “infect” whoever it pierced with the Green Goblin’s identity.
All of this serves to reinforce the fact thatthe Green Goblin is now treated as his own entity, completely divorced from Norman Osborn.Case in point,The Amazing Spider-Man #51heavily emphasizes the fact that, when possessed by the Green Goblin, Norman Osborn does not recognize Kamala Khan as someone he has worked closely with in Oscorp; rather than having access to all of Norman’s memories, the Green Goblin is its own distinct consciousness. This dramatic shift from the character’s origin emphasizes that, moving forward, Norman has nothing to do with his former supervillain self.
Follow the journey of Norman Osborn’s sins in:
The Amazing Spider-Man (2018)#50, by Nick Spencer, Patrick Gleason, and Edgar Delgado
Gold Goblin (2022),by Christopher Cantwell, Lan Medina, Antonio Fabela, et al.
The Amazing Spider-Man (2022)#32, by Zeb Wells, Patrick Gleason, and Marcio Menyz
The Amazing Spider-Man(2022) #51, by Zeb Wells, Ed McGuiness, Todd Nauck, Mark Farmer, Cliff Rathburn, Wade von Grawbadger, Marcio Menyz, Erick Arciniega, and Bryan Valenza
Whether The Green Goblin Was Ever Really Norman Osborn Remains An Open Question
Whether the Green Goblin is a specter, a demon, or the concentration of one man’s hate, the character has become utterly transformed from his origin and now exists as this strange psychic entity.
Instead of a mask used by Norman Osborn to express his violent, homicidal urges,the Green Goblin’s true form is now a red spectral entity that can sustain itself from host to host.The severe degree of separation that now exists between Norman and the Green Goblin leaves room for conjecture whether Norman and the Green Goblin were ever truly the same person; the groundwork is now laid to suggest that, rather than being a split identity or personality (as has been previously attributed to the character), the Green Goblin has instead been a truly unique consciousness all along.
Whether the Green Goblin is a specter, a demon, or the concentration of one man’s hate, the character has become utterly transformed from his origin and now exists as this strange psychic entity. Ultimately, the Green Goblin is defeated at the end ofThe Amazing Spider-Man#54; however, with the reveal of theGreen Goblin’strue form as this malevolent mass of hate,Spider-Man’sclassic nemesis will never be the sameagain, suggesting that a new era has arrived for both Norman Osborn and his evil alter ego.
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is the name given to several individuals who have employed a spider-moniker throughout Marvel Comics. Typically gaining their powers through a bite from a radioactive spider, the different Spider-Man heroes employ super-strength, agility, and intellect while utilizing webbing to swing and tangle up their foes. The most notable of these Spider-Men is Peter Parker, who remains one of the most popular superheroes throughout the world.
