Spider-Man may have one of the best-loved rogues galleries in comic book history, with iconic villains who have stood the test of time and enjoyed many fascinating alternate versions. Among the most identifiable bad guys in that catalog is Norman Osborn, AKA The Green Goblin.
Green Goblin was introducedin 1964, just over a year into Spider-Man’s original comic book run. The original incarnation of the character is Norman Osborn, a coldhearted industrialist who is exposed to harmful chemicals which create a violent alter-ego known as The Green Goblin. Willem Dafoe’s inspired performance in Sam Raimi’sSpider-Manestablished the character as one of superhero cinema’s standout villains. The character is probably the bestcandidate for Spider-Man’s nemesis, so he shows up in nearly all Spider-Man media.
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Spider-Man (1967)
The first-ever on-screen Spider-Man was a classic cartoon released only 4 years after the beginnings of the comic. Green Goblin appears here, voiced by Len Carlson who also portrayed many other characters on the series. This iteration of the Goblin is quite different from the comics, it doesn’t mention his real name or backstory and changes both his origin and powerset. While the typical Green Goblin uses advanced technology supplied by Norman Osborne’s company, this show’s version has an obsession with black magic. The Goblin uses magical parlor tricks to commit robberies before beingtaken down by Spider-Man, then escapes with a team of fellow villains, only to succumb to in-fighting and wind up back in jail.
Spider-Man/Spider-Man And His Amazing Friends(1981)
The next Spider-Man cartoon ran for only 26 episodes over six months. Green Goblin is here voiced by Neil Ross, an extremely prolific voice actor, perhaps best known for portraying Keithin the originalVoltron.The same version of the character exists in the concurrent seriesSpider-Man and His Amazing Friends,voiced by Dennis Marks. This Goblin is much more closely aligned with the source material, portraying Osborn and the Goblin as entirely separate personalities. The series sees Osborn and Green Goblin fight for control over their body, often having one take over from the other after a traumatic injury. Osborn ends the series in control, committing himself to a mental institution until he can be certain that his alternate personality is gone forever.
Spider-Man (1994)
Theclassic 90’sSpider-Manseriesis the first to portray Norman Osborn before he becomes the Green Goblin. He appears, voiced again by Neil Ross, as an immoral businessman who is often forced to work with Kingpin against Spider-Man. In a reversal of the source material,Hobgobiln is the inspirationfor the Green Goblin. Osborn hires Hobgoblin to kill Kingpin, then after the typical industrial disaster, the new personality takes Hobgoblin’s gear to become the new villain. This is the longest-running series so far, and it allows for Green Goblin to go through all his major beats from previous iterations. This Goblin threatens the city with a time machine and winds up trapping himself and Spider-Man’s girlfriend in Limbo. Subsequently, Norman’s son Harry Osborn takes up the mantle, terrorizes Spider-Man, and winds up willingly sectioned in Ravencroft Institute to deal with his trauma.
Spider-Man: Unlimited(1999)
This series takes place on Counter-Earth, a distant planet separated from Earth by a time desync. This planet functionslike an alternate universe, wherin much of the established canon is flipped on its head. Subsequently, this Green Goblin is a hero who aids Spider-Man against the High-Evolutionary. This version is a man named Hector Jones, armed with a winged backpack and several gadgets. He initially mistakes Spidey for a villain, but quickly aligns himself with the local rebellion. He is presumed dead after a crash, but the final episode shows he’s still in the fight, in a cliffhanger that will never be paid off.
The Spectacular Spider-Man(2008)
Norman Osborn is here portrayed by Alan Rachins and Green Goblin is voiced bylegendary voice actor Steve Blum. This iteration of the character appears suddenly, fighting other criminals for supremacy in the city. His identity remains a mystery early on, Norman even frames his son Harry to distance himself from his alter ego. This Green Goblin tussles with fellow villains like Tombstone and makes multiple attempts on Spider-Man’s life. Green Goblin is defeated and presumed dead, but Osborn escapes the country, emerging elsewhere under an assumed name. The series ends with Harry swearing revenge against his father.
Ultimate Spider-Man(2012)
This recent series plays with a ton of the source material to mix and match characters. Norman Osborn spends the first season as a primary villain, becoming Green Goblin in the season finale. This iteration is much larger and more monstrous, but still wields much of his trademark tech. Like in many versions, Osborn and Goblin often trade control of their body through amnesia. Osborn even briefly becomes the superhero Iron Patriot while in control. After many terrible deeds as Green Goblin, Osborn eventually creates a vaccine, eliminating the Goblin persona and allowing him to live as the Iron Patriot. This version also briefly introducesan alternate universe versionof the character complete with demonic wings to join an interdimensional Sinister Six.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse(2018)
Set in Miles Morales' home universe, this blockbuster film gives fans many funnew takes on classic villains. This Green Goblin is the winged monster native to this universe, bereft of backstory, but heavily inspired by the comics. He appears briefly, tangling with Peter Parker as Miles watches in horror. He is slain, shoved into Kingpin’s Super-Collider in the battle that costs Parker his life. This iteration of the character doesn’t get much screen time, but made a huge impression on audiences with his radically different take and deeply threatening portrayal.
Green Goblin is a deeply fascinating character, always slightly different from one portrayal to the next. The character also appears briefly in the ongoingSpidey and his Amazing Friends,and a pair of Japan released Marvel anime series.
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