Norman Osborn II/The Green Goblin

The Green Goblin made his first appearance in the Amazing Spider-Man, Issue 14 (that's alllllll the way back in 1964). His real persona, Norman Osborn was the CEO of Oscorp Industries, a powerful manufacturer of chemicals. Norman's story is definitely one of the rags-to-riches type. His father, the first Norman Osborn, wasted away the family money on gambling and drink. He was an utter failure as a father, and was abusive towards Norman. After his death, Norman got his ass into gear and started Oscorp, which became very successful under his leadership.

The ambitious Norman, after greater power and wealth, came across a formula developed by his ex-partner, Dr Mendel Stromm that was supposedly able to increase one's power and strength. During experimentation, the formula blew up in Norman's face, nearly killing him. However, the effects of the formula resulted in Norman gaining super-powers but also losing his sanity.

Norman became obsessed with Spider-Man, plotting ways to kill him. When assassins didn't work, he decided to take charge himself. He developed for himself an alias and some pretty kick-arse weapons (the glider and pumpkin bombs that we all know and love) and thus the Green Goblin was born.

The Green Goblin was defeated in his first battle with Spidey, but came back and fought him several more times. Eventually, Norman discovered Spidey's true identity as Peter Parker. He attacked Peter(and revealing his own identity in the process),and proceeded to kill his girlfriend Gwen Stacey. Peter fought the Goblin before the villain was killed, being impaled by his own glider.

However, it seems that the formula that Norman was exposed to could revive and even heal wounds. Yep, you guessed it: Norman actually survived. He fled to Europe and began his own criminal empire. Upon returning to the United States, Norman was greeted with sad news. Harry, who had picked up where his Father had left off as the Green Goblin, had been tragically killed by an untested Goblin formula. Norman placed the blame squarely on Peter's shoulders and immediately sought revenge for his son's death. In his rampage, he killed the Spider-Clone Ben Reilly (who was like a brother to Peter) and attempted to kill Spidey again. Once again though, Norman was defeated and killed.

Yet once again, like a Phoenix rising from the ashes, Norman returned and reclaimed control of Oscorp, which had been under the ownership of Harry's widow Liz Allan-Osborn and bought the Daily Bugle. He claimed that he'd faked his death in order to escape his enemies and later concocted a scheme that saw him framing Spider-Man and putting a price on his head. Norman however, was foiled again.

Upon his defeat, Norman was placed in a mental institution. Almost as quickly as he'd arrived, all the doctors were killed and Norman was taken under the wing of an old friend, Donald Menkin. Norman regained his sanity under the influence of a cocktail of drugs, and even began courting his nurse, Kolina Frederickson, all the while keeping a close eye on Spider-Man's adventures.

When he'd fully regained his sanity, Norman set about making Peter into his heir, both to Oscorp and the legacy of the Green Goblin by imprisoning him in the mansion, something that Norman's own Father had done to him as a child. This however, didn't work, and resulted in Peter throwing the Goblin formula back in Norman's face.

And that's the story so far.

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