Norman Osborn

Norman Osborn, also known famously as the Green Goblin, is a supervillain appearing in publications from Marvel Comics. Traditionally the archnemesis of Spider-Man, he eventually branched out to cause trouble for general superhero community, most notably during the Dark Reign storyline, when he developed a second costumed persona, the Iron Patriot, as part of a campaign to discredit Iron Man and Captain America.

Publication Background
The Green Goblin was introduced in Amazing Spider-Man #14 (1964) and was a far cry from the modern characterization. He stood out from early villains in that his identity was unknown - each of his early appearances would have Spider-Man only being able to stop his crimes, with the Goblin himself escaping capture after each defeat (often in a sort of "horror movie finish" ending as the Comics Code Authority was still in effect); not only creating a recurring mystery but also meaning that, in theory, if all the Green Goblin issues were collected together, it would work as a single, cohesive narrative. Norman himself was introduced in Amazing Spider-Man #37, and revealed to be the Green Goblin two issues later. Given how suspicion had fallen on other characters, like Norman's son, Harry (introduced in Amazing Spider-Man #31), there was a common misconception that Stan Lee and Steve Ditko did not agree on who the Goblin was supposed to be. The character was retired in Amazing Spider-Man #40 (September 1966). However, in 1971 the Department of Health asked Lee to write a cautionary story warning readers about the dangers of drug use. This resulted in a 3-part storyline running from Amazing Spider-Man #96-98 where Harry developed a drug addiction, and Norman became the Goblin again. The Goblin's return as a villain served as a metaphor for relapse, and the character would be retired again at its conclusion (barring a dream sequence in Amazing Spider-Man #100). However, two years later, after the editorial decision to kill Gwen Stacy, it was decided that the Goblin would be the murderer and that he would be killed off as punishment for the crime. His death was originally intended to be permanent. But the Clone Saga event that ran through most of the Spider-Man titles had become a confusing, convoluted mess, prompting the saving throw of an Obadiah Stane-style chessmaster masterminding the whole thing as a giant mind screw. It was ultimately decided that Osborn was the best fit. Reaction to his resurrection has been mixed... with the paradox of negative reaction to the resurrection itself, but positive reaction to the new characterization. It was in the 2000s that Osborn became distinct from his Goblin persona as "an evil version of Tony Stark", and since this coincided with Spider-Man officially joining the Avengers, it is here that Osborn starts to become a problem for the webslinger's teammates.

Early Life
Norman was descended from 19th Century robber baron Alton Osborn, but Norman's father Amberson, a failed inventor, squandered much of the fortune and claimed it was swindled from him. Amberson became an abusive alcoholic, murdering the family dog because it was "another mouth to feed" and locking young Norman in an abandoned mansion during a violent storm in an attempt to cure his fear of the dark. The young Norman became haunted by images of a green goblin-like creature who would appear during flashes of lightning. Fearing that the creature might eat him when the light returned, he found peace in the dark. Norman vowed to not become a failure like his father was, and came to the realization that if he wanted to achieve wealth, power, and financial security, he would have to secure it on his own. He began working after high school, until he had saved up enough money to enroll at Empire State University, where he would study chemistry, electrical engineering, and business management. Osborn befriended one of his professors, a German immigrant and inventor named Mendel Stromm, and they decided they would go into business together when Norman graduated. Since Norman put up the bulk of the financing, it was agreed that their company would be called OsCorp. Norman went on to marry a female classmate named Emily Lyman, and they would have a son, Harry. However, Emily died of an unspecified illness a year after Harry was born. Norman dealt with the grief of losing her by throwing himself into his work with Professor Stromm and their company.

Green Goblin
Osborn discovered that Stromm had been embezzling from the company, ostensibly to fund his research, and had Stromm arrested and deported, eager to claim sole ownership of the company for himself. While reviewing Stromm's research, Osborn found an experimental serum designed to bio-augment the human body, similar to the Super Soldier serum that created Captain America. Osborn took the formula himself, giving him strength and agility comparable to Spider-Man, along with an accelerated healing factor. But this also exacerbated the mental instability that Osborn had from his abusive childhood and the death of his wife. Fashioning a costume resembling the goblin-like figure that haunted his childhood nightmares, Osborn took the mantle of the Green Goblin to destroy those who stood in the way of his acquisition of more wealth and power. Osborn initially sought to displace Tony Stark as Captain of Industry and Wilson Fisk as Kingpin of Crime, but after his initial defeat at the hands of Spider-Man, these ambitions were largely replaced with revenge on the webslinger. The Green Goblin was the first villain to learn of Spider-Man's true identity as Peter Parker, and eventually came to cause him more pain than any other villain, murdering his first love, framing him for murder, and attempting to drive him insane. Through it all, Spider-Man was unable to truly bring him to justice, as the Goblin would escape capture at the last minute, and use his status as a legitimate businessman to discredit his nemesis and shield himself from the law. However, as the madness of the Goblin persona eventually drove him to increasingly reckless actions, Spider-Man was eventually able to capture his nemesis with the aid of Luke Cage and SHIELD.

Civil War
While Osborn was imprisoned, tensions were mounting in the superhuman community, as new accords had been passed which would require all mutants and superhumans to register with the US Government. Iron Man supported government oversight, while Captain America favored liberty. As anti-registration sentiments increased, Stark decided to release Osborn, having been made tranquil by antipsychotics, to assist a new team of Thunderbolts to keep the Anti-Registration side in check.

Secret Invasion
Osborn's tenure as the director of the Thunderbolts initially proved inconsistent, scoring marginal victories at best, but that would soon change as a Skrull sleeper agents, having infiltrated the superhero community for several months, began to show their hand. The Skrulls had anticipated the threat that Iron Man would pose and had sabotaged most Stark technology, effectively crippling him and S.H.I.E.L.D. The Thunderbolts, using unaffected OsCorp weaponry, became the only team available to defend Washington DC. After thwarting the attack on the capital, Osborn begins to use his heroic status to discredit Stark. Meanwhile, the mutant mercenary, Deadpool, infiltrates a Skrull lab to learn secrets of Skrull biology, in an attempt to build a weapon that could bypass Skrull Empress Veranke's immunity to Earth weapons. Although Deadpool attempted to upload this information to Colonel Fury, Osborn intercepted it, and fashioned a weapon made from those schematics. Leading a team to New York during the final battle, Osborn delivered the killing shot to Veranke with his customized weapon, an act captured by numerous TV cameras. With the death of their leader, the Skrull invasion falters.

Dark Reign
Seen as Earth's greatest hero for his role in stopping the invasion, Osborn was given the control of the Superhuman Registration Act and the Fifty-State Initiative, essentially giving him the power to restructure the military-industrial complex as he saw fit. He disbanded S.H.I.E.L.D. and replaced it with his own agency, H.A.M.M.E.R. He also assembled his own council of advisors, which included Doctor Doom,Loki, Namor, and the Hood.

Powers and Abilities
As a result of ingesting the "Goblin Formula," Osborn has superhuman strength, stamina, and durability. He is estimated as capable of lifting 9 tons. He can fight Spider-Man on even terms, and he can fight the Hulk and... be able to talk about it later. It was later revealed to have granted him a regenerative healing factor, to the point that he could survive being impaled by his own glider. He has a genius level intellect, capable of formulating complex plans and engineering flight technology and weaponry. He is a skilled marksman, with his arsenal frequently involving shuriken and grenades.

Personality
The same formula that granted Osborn his powers robbed him of his sanity, but even prior to that event, he was a deeply troubled, disturbed man due to his traumatic childhood. Initially, the formula fragmented his mind into a Jekyll and Hide component, with the Goblin personality being Osborn's dark side competing with his "human" side that represented whatever goodness and decency still existed within him. However, after regenerating from near fatal injuries, whatever traces of good that were left in Osborn were effectively destroyed; the "Norman" personality became a ruthless, Machiavellian chessmaster who manipulates behind the scenes, while the "Goblin" personality is the ax-crazy, cackling madman who is let out to do Norman's dirty work. This became less sustainable once his dual identity was known to authorities, and the Goblin persona would occasionally lose patience and wreck Norman's carefully laid plans. While the Goblin persona is capable of formulating long-term plans, his compulsive need for attention means he doesn't like to stay out of the limelight for very long.

Quotes
"I'll become the equal of Spider-Man-- --no, the superior! All I need-- --all I need is the right face to present to the world-- --the right identity."

- Norman before becoming the Green Goblin

"Nothing keeps me down, Kingsley. Not death. Betrayal. Even the entire world against me! Every time I rise back up! Stronger than before! Every time!"

- Green Goblin reminds Hobgoblin there is only one true Goblin

"It's a new day. So listen carefully... This is how it's going to be. As you all know, I, Norman Osborn, have been given the keys to the kingdom. Tony Stark is out. S.H.I.E.L.D. is no longer. I am heading a new world peacekeeping task force that includes the Initiative and the Avengers franchises. And as far as I am concerned, that is good news for all of you. ... You'll tell me what it is you need, and I'll do that thing. And in return? ... In return, loyalty. Camaraderie. Brothers in arms. ... However, if any of you would sink to your basest instincts...you must know that whatever you have gained from this relationship...can easily be taken away. Like that. By force."

- There's a new sheriff in town

"Do you know what I've always hated about you, Stark? It's not that you were the smartest guy in the room. It was that you liked it so damn much. So what do you have to say for yourself now, smart guy?"

- Iron Patriot beats the crap out of Iron Man

"Every time I've killed, I was either temporarily and certifiably insane, or serving my country. It's got to be rough to find out the person you hate the most in the world is actually the best protection the world has."

- Osborn, believing his own lies