Green Goblin

Ruthless industrialist Norman Osborn was the co-owner of a leading New York firm, Osborn Industries, which specialized in chemical manufacturing via Osborn Chemicals, as well as other areas of research and development, including robotics. His wife Emily died within a year after the birth of their son Harry, leaving Norman embittered. The product of an oppressively stern upbringing by an alcoholic father who lost the family fortune, Norman raised Harry dispassionately, often devoid of fatherly warmth, being chafed by Harry's failure to demonstrate academic excellence or a competitive drive. Despite living in reacquired opulence, Harry felt depressed and neglected by his father. Unbeknownst to Harry, Norman had risen in power by participating in a collusion enabling the creation of powerful opponents to challenge the super-hero community, thereby offering corrupt corporations a means to distract the heroes from probing into their affairs. One failure in this regard involved using Osborn Industries employee Nels Van Adder as a human test subject, transforming him into the disfigured "Protogoblin." Osborn dodged accusations of wrongdoing from his head of security, Arthur Stacy, and his brother Detective George Stacy. He discovered the notes of his business partner, Professer Mendel Stromm, for a strength-enhancing serum. Stromm was jailed after Norman had him arrested for embezzling funds, allowing Osborn to gain full control of the firm. Osborn tested the serum upon himself in his private lab, but the unstable concoction exploded in his face leaving him hospitalized for weeks. He emerged smarter and superhumanly strong, but at the cost of his sanity. (After Harry's death, Spider-Man discovered recordings in which Harry claimed to have been responsible for the serum exploding, bitter at being neglected by his father; however, Harry suffered mental instability at the time of these recollection; the veracity of this claim is unknown) 

Lusting for more power, Osborn plotted to organize a world-wide crime syndicate, targeting Spiderman as a means to establish his reputation. He hired the fire-wielding Scorcher  to steal secret plans for electronic equipment, explosives, and compact turbine engines, while using illicitly gained technology to create the axe-wielding villain, the Headsman. Incensed after the Scorcher and Headsman failed to kill Spider-Man, Osborn decided to take matters into his own hands. He designed a grotesque green costume based on an image from a childhood nightmare and the color of Stromm’s serum, and armed himself with high-tech weaponry and a broomstick-like glider, becoming the Green Goblin.

Recalling Spider-Man’s earlier ambitions in show business, he lured Spider-Man to New Mexico to film a movie about his exploits, after contacting low-budget film producer B.J. Cosmos, in order to document Spider-Man’s defeat. Despite hiring the Enforcers for assistance, the Goblin ran afoul of the Hulk and his attempt on Spider-Man’s life was a failure. The Goblin next ambushed Spider-Man at a meeting of the Spider-Man Fan Club, where he clashed with the Human Torch. Failing again, the Green Goblin focused on assuming leadership of Lucky Lobo's gang, but Spider-Man's interference resulted in the gang's arrest. An uneasy alliance with Nick Lewis, the Crime-Master (whereupon Osborn tricked Lewis to believe the Goblin was J. Jonah Jameson) was also unsuccessful, and the two subsequently became rivals for control of New York's crime syndicates in opposition to the Maggia. The Green Goblin captured Spider-Man in a power play to divert nomination of leadership of the independent mobsters to him. Spider-Man broke free and battled along side the police against the gangsters. The Goblin escaped, while the Crime Master was killed by the police in a gun battle.

Osborn changed tactics, and laid low while hiring Kraven the Hunter to attack Spider-Man. Over time, Osborn established a network of safe houses to store his Goblin equipment throughout New York City. Unaware of the Goblin's secret identity, Spider-Man protected an ungrateful Norman Osborn from the vengeance of Professor Stromm, released from prison. Devising a compound that weakened Spider-Man's spider-sense enabled Norman, aloft on an improved glider, to follow Spider-Man and witness him resume his civilian identity as Peter Parker, one of Harry's classmates. The Goblin confronted Spider-Man at his home in Forest Hills, captured him, and carried him to the Goblin's waterfront hideout at Osborn Chemicals. There the Goblin boastfully revealed to Spider-Man of his own secret identity and how he came to be. Spider-Man broke free, and in the ensuing battle, the Goblin fell back into live wires and vials of chemicals, leaving Osborn unconscious and amnesiac regarding his past few years and his criminal alter-ego. Spider-Man decided Osborn was rendered an innocent man, and burned his costume before police and firefighters arrived on the scene. The world believed the Green Goblin had perished. Subsequently, Osborn’s insane mind developed a dual-personality disorder, as traumatic events triggered a switch between being a memory-impaired kinder Norman Osborn, concerned about his relationship with his son, and the nefarious Green Goblin, aware of Spider-Man's secret identity.