It's our Halloween episode all about the Green Goblin, Norman Osborn. Then again, Anthony would rather be in Kamchatka than celebrate Halloween, but he managed anyway. Listen now!

SHOW NOTES:

• Introduction

• Background (10:56)

  • Created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko in Amazing Spider-Man #14 (July 1964)
  • Head of Oscorp, a chemical company – discovered a secret formula created by his former business partner Mendell Stromm – attempted to recreate it, but it exploded in his face, driving him insane
  • He decided to become a crime boss in NYC, and chose Spider-Man as his nemesis – unsuccessful in several attempts to defeat him
  • Learns that Spider-Man is Peter Parker, a classmate of his son Harry, and attacks him – in the ensuing battle, Norman gets hit with electrical wires, giving him amnesia – Peter destroys the costume and uses this opportunity to start again
  • Norman regains his memories and kidnaps Gwen Stacy – during the rescue attempt, Gwen dies, and Peter, driven by rage, nearly beats Norman to death, but he is impaled by his own glider
  • Goblin formula gives him healing factor, so he breaks out of morgue – went to Europe to be with his illegitimate children he fathered with Gwen Stacy before he killed her (ugh)
  • Orchestrates Clone Saga (ugh again)
  • Returns to public eye and control of Oscorp – buys the Bugle and proceeds to torment Jameson, Ben Urich, and Peter Parker – uses a stand-in as the Goblin for a period
  • Joined a cult, the Gathering of Five – received “gift” of Insanity, and defeated by Spider-Man again
  • Went after Jessica Jones after she helped reveal that Osborn was the Goblin again – he was defeated this time by Luke Cage
  • Masterminded a plan while in prison to go after Spider-Man, and created a team of villains, but was countered by SHIELD and other heroes
  • Civil War – Osborn put in charge of Thunderbolts, a team of reformed villains who have to bring in unregistered heroes – uses them to go after Spider-Man
  • Secret Invasion – kills the Skrull queen Veranke, and uses this to gain control of HAMMER – creates Dark Avengers, until that falls apart
  • Seige – Osborn (under the influence of Loki) attacks Asgard (floating over Oklahoma) – manipulates Sentry into his lackey, except Sentry turns into Void, who destroys Asgard – Osborn driven mad by this
  • Becomes Goblin King – builds army to attack Superior Spider-Man, but is defeated by Peter Parker (after given control of his body back by Otto)
  • Later steals Carnage symbiote and becomes Red Goblin – defeated by Spider-Man once again, and driven insane so that he believes that Spider-Man was Norman Osborn and he was Cletus Kasady

  • Issues (23:47)

  • Early on, treats Peter Parker as surrogate son and distances himself from Harry

  • Insanity caused by Goblin formula – driven to constantly attack Spider-Man – Dissociative identity disorder
  • How does he keep getting positions of authority even with his history?

  • Treatment (48:02)

  • In-universe

  • Out of universe
  • Skit (57:15)
  • Ending

REFERENCES:

• Robot Chicken - "What a twist!" - Doc/Anthony - 11:52
• Jessica Jones episode - Doc - 17:31
• South Park - Towelie - Anthony - 44:33
• The Lego Movie - "Everything is Awesome" - Anthony - 45:14
• Risk - Anthony - 51:34

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