Summary
Warning: contains spoilers forThe Amazing Spider-Man #54!In a historic Marvel moment,Spider-Manjust beat his nemesis theGreen Goblinin a victory six decades in the making. This final, decisive fight leaves the Green Goblin persona totally dead, freeing Norman Osborn from its influence forever. It’s a huge moment for the hero, and one that Marvel punctuates with a full page spread declaring"THE END.“However, as big as this development is, the fallout is likely to be just as influential.
InThe Amazing Spider-Man #54, Peter Parker starts offpossessed by the spirit of the Green Goblin.Having been extracted from Norman Osborn, the Goblin has been doing its best to possess Peter Parker, wanting to turn its former enemy into its new host.However, once the Goblin enters Peter’s mind, it finds Spider-Man waiting, and with a little help from Norman Osborn and classic villain the Living Brain, Peter uses his goodness and purity to utterly destroy the Goblin.
The move is ahugeshock to fans. Norman Osborn has been free of the Goblin for years now, but most readers assumed the concentrated spirit of the villain would eventually find its way back to him, restoringSpider-Man’s former status quo. While that did happen,further twists saw the Goblin abandon its original host to try and take over Peter, leading to its total destruction.
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“It’s over. The Green Goblin is dead.”
Spider-Man Destroys the Green Goblin But Saves Norman Osborn
The Goblin’s Essense Couldn’t Beat Peter Parker’s Pure Soul
In 2020’sAmazing Spider-Man #50(by Nick Spencer and Patrick Gleason), the villainous Sin-Eater purged Norman Osborn of all his past sins, turning them into a concentrated ball of mystical energy that effectivelywasthe Green Goblin. Since then, Osborn’s sins have become a major MacGuffin in Spider-Man lore. They were used to createnew villain the Queen Goblin, then trapped in a magical spear by Kraven the Hunter. After being stabbed with this spear,Spider-Man was corrupted into becoming the Spider-Goblin, losing himself to Osborn’s former madness.
Amazing Spider-Man #54concludes Peter’s possession, as the Green Goblin manifests as a terrifying being of mystical energy, totally separate to Norman Osborn himself. The Goblin attempts to seize Peter’s body and mind, but Osbornis able to use the Living Brain- Spidey’s sixth ever villain, fromAmazing Spider-Man #8- to help Peter win out. The Living Brian has spent its entire existence trying to understand the core of Spider-Man’s identity, and is able to shore up Peter’s mental defenses. The Goblin flees Peter, begging Norman Osborn to take it back, but fades out before it can return, withSpider-Man declaring,“It’s over. The Green Goblin is dead.”
The last villain to try and possess Spider-Man was Doctor Octopus, who successfully took over his life as the Superior Spider-Man.Spider-Man recently revealed he’s erected anti-possession defensessince then, making it even more satisfying that he’s able to overcome and reject the Green Goblin.
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The Green Goblin’s Final Plan Leaves Peter with Major Assets
As amazing as it is for Spider-Man to definitively defeat the very essence of his nemesis after 60 years, the consequences may be even more extreme. Because the Green Goblin was planning to possess Peter Parker, it first made sure to give him ownership of Norman Osborn’s vast fortune and Oscorp company. While the Goblin is defeated, that transfer still happened, meaning thatSpider-Man is walking out of this battle a literal billionaire, now able to commit his greatest enemy’s ill-gotten fortune to the greater good.
Peter Parker has handled major money before asthe CEO of Parker Industries. This era was controversial with fans, making it likely Marvel has something else in mind for his ownership of Oscorp. Indeed, the transfer might not be totally to his benefit - there are many crimes in Oscorp’s past that Peter is now technically liable for.
At the same time,Norman Osborn just became a free agent in Marvel lore. Previously, Osborn had attempted to make up for his crimes by becoming the Gold Goblin, using an advanced Iron Man-esque suit of armor that he originally built for Spider-Man. Again, fans had assumed this was a brief foray into heroism before his inevitable return to villainy, but now that he’s permanently rid of the Goblin (andallhis past misdeeds), he’s free to permanently become a force for good with an entirely new status quo. Without the Goblin,Norman Osborn is essentially another Tony Stark, so it’ll be fascinating to see what he does with his second chance, even as he’s still haunted by the lives he took as the Goblin.
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This isn’t the usual physical victory but a total ideological triumph, with Spider-Man not just defeating the Green Goblin, but the corruption and hatred he represents.
Green Goblin’s Death Is the Perfect Ending to His Rivalry with Spider-Man
Peter’s Heroism Is the Deciding Factor in Saving the People Who Matter
Green Goblin has long been Spider-Man’s most personal villain, ever sincethe iconic death of Gwen Stacy- one of the most iconic moments in all of Marvel Comics. The Goblin has always been a deeply personal villain, targeting Peter’s friends and loved ones. The idea of Peter beating the Goblin on such a personal level is therefore perfect, as is Peter managing to save (and essentially redeem) Norman Osborn.This isn’t the usual physical victory but a total ideological triumph, with Spider-Man not just defeating the Green Goblin, but the corruption and hatred he represents.As the adventure ends, it’s clear a new day is dawning, as Spider-Man admits he may actually be willing to befriend this new Norman Osborn, admitting,“Crazier things have happened.”
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That’s a conclusion that’s likely to irritate a lot ofSpider-Manfans - after all, the Green Goblin may havebecomea mystic being capable of possessing others, but it started off as an aspect of Norman Osborn’s evil and cruelty. Norman Osborn is still responsible for Gwen Stacy’s death, and even if he wasn’t, it would be understandable ifSpider-Man wasn’t able to consider him a friend. However,the Sin-Eater didn’t just separate Norman and the Goblin - he removedallOsborn’s past evil, leaving him with a clean slate.
It’s a major statement aboutSpider-Man’s pure heart and his belief in redemptionthat he’s willing to allow Osborn this fresh start. Ultimately, even after Sin-Eater, Peter still hated Osborn, accepting his help only because he was so low on resources and wanted to do good in the world. A normal person - or even another hero - could justifiably still harbor that hate even towards a reformed Osborn, but as the moral heart of the Marvel Universe, Spider-Man can’t.Freeing and accepting Norman Osborn is a major symbol of what makes Spider-Man such an iconic hero - he is truly committed to savingeveryonehe can, no matter what they’ve done in the past.
Spidey has beaten plenty of villains, but beating the Green Goblin in such a way that he frees Norman Osborn for a second chanceandends up in control of Oscorp’s ill-gotten gains is one of his most definitive, straight-forward victories of all time. It will be exciting to see whatSpider-Mandoes with a genius, motivated ally and billions of dollars, as theGreen Goblin’s epic defeat begins a new era for the Wall-Crawler - one that Peter Parker has earned a dozen times over.
