Norman Osborn AKA The Green Goblin or later on the Red Goblin is a supervillain enemy of Spider-Man from Marvel Comics.
History[]
Norman Osborn is the evil CEO of the tech company Oscorp in New York City, a competitor of Stark Industries and Hammer Industries. At some point, Norman worked as a major member of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division or, "SHIELD". Norman was also presumably the leader of HAMMER, a government spy agency which rivalled SHIELD and took over many of their bases across the world during the 2010s.
Norman lead a double-life as the super-villain, "Green Goblin" who fought Spider-Man. The Green Goblin moniker was assumed by many other criminals over the years, including the horrific Roderick Kingsley AKA The Hobgoblin, psychiatrist Dr. Barton Hamilton, and Norman's own abused son Harry. At some point, Norman bonded with the alien Carnage Symbiote to become, "The Red Goblin".
Appearances[]
Hollywoodland[]
Norman was indirectly referenced in a newspaper story by The Daily Bugle discussing the tech of Oscorp.
Meet Spider-Man[]
Spider-Man was mentioned as fighting an iteration of Green Goblin in a Daily Bugle article by Betty Brant.[1] However, the likelihood that this meet 'n' greet was made to promote The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014) could imply this was Harry Osborn's Green Goblin rather than Norman.
Super Hero Headquarters[]
Norman is mentioned on a screen explaining SHIELD, stating him to be a villainous individual who was previously a SHIELD leader. A map shows multiple SHIELD bases being occupied by HAMMER, Norman's spy agency from the comics.
In other media[]
Cy-Gob impersonating Green Goblin
W.E.B. of Spider-Man[]
Green Goblin appears as an antagonistic hologram in this tie-in comic based on the parks. It is later revealed to be the Green Goblin moniker, assumed by ex-Oscorp employee Dr. Mendel Stromm. Norman is frequently references, as well as shown on a screen of those who used the Green Goblin alias both in his Green Goblin and Red Goblin monikers.
Trivia[]
- Norman and Oscorp were referenced in the parks prior to its first reference in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In the film Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), a Norman Osborn from another reality shows up and brings up that Oscorp doesn't exist in the MCU.
- The Carnage symbiote is indirectly referenced in Avengers Campus where there are allusions to Spider-Gwen's band, The Mary Janes. The band's leader Mary Jane Watson becomes Carnage in Gwen's universe from which this band hails.
Gallery[]
