Which Goblin do you prefer?

[Bionic Joe]

Ok Spidey fans, which goblin do you prefer ? the GREEN GOBLIN or the HOBGOBLIN? I rember back in the early 80s when the HOBGOBLIN first appeared he rocked, as i hated Harry as the Goblin but rereading the classic Spidy stories the Green Goblin [Norman] rules the orginal is always the best

[The Bat]

Norman Osborn of course...He's the only TRUE Goblin!

[toys2cool]

With out a doubt green Goblin here too

[The Toyroom]

The original Green Goblin is the best (I wishs though that they would have left the character dead after he died initially back in Amazing Spider-Man #122)...but the first Hobgoblin saga by Stern and Romita Jr. was very cool at the time also (Amazing Spider-Man #238-250)

[BlackKnight]

Green Goblin,.. However If I was to make one, it would have to be the Jack O Lantern.

[Hulk]

Harry Osbourne's Green Gobin. He is definitely Spidey's Joker and Lex Luthor.

[The Bat]

The original Green Goblin is the best (I wishs though that they would have left the character dead after he died initially back in Amazing Spider-Man #122).

Wow....gotta disagree with Ya there! I'm so glad They brought Norman Osborn back...and I feel they did it right(healing factor as a side effect of the Goblin Fornula)...plus the fact the Norman had been watching, and Manipulating Peter Paker's Life from behind the sceens for YEARS!

I think it was the BEST "bringing back" of a Character from the dead so far! Well done Marvel Comics! Nuff said!

[The Toyroom]

^ I agree with you for the most part actually but what makes me wish Norman had stayed dead is the fact that they (Read: JMS) felt it necessary to make Gwen Stacy have an affair with Norman Osborn, which resulted in 2 illegitimate children. Peter Parker's life has always been a soap opera but this storyline was waaaay over the top. I don't think there was anything in Gwen's original characterization (although she started out as cold and *****y) that points to her having an affair with Osborn behind Peter's back...

[jds1911a1]

Norman's goblin for me.

[samurainoir]

^ I agree with you for the most part actually but what makes me wish Norman had stayed dead is the fact that they (Read: JMS) felt it necessary to make Gwen Stacy have an affair with Norman Osborn, which resulted in 2 illegitimate children. Peter Parker's life has always been a soap opera but this storyline was waaaay over the top. I don't think there was anything in Gwen's original characterization (although she started out as cold and *****y) that points to her having an affair with Osborn behind Peter's back...

I attended a panel at the Toronto Comicon last year that JMS sat in on (I believe it was the Bendis panel), and he stated that his original idea was that Peter was the father of the twins.

Quesada nixed that idea and suggested the father should be Norman Osborn.

I can kind of see Joe Q's reasoning. It does give her death and relationship with Osborn some odd sense of greater tragedy, however I don't think either idea really should have been followed through on.

Peter already has one unresolved storyline involving a daughter, why bring in two more? Although I guess it "works" in context of the current Alternate Future Spidergirl title being around so long now as the possible Marvel U future.

[samurainoir]

Were folks here reading Spiderman during the original run of the Norman Osborn Green Goblin?

I remember growing up with Green Goblin as Spiderman's enemy from the Mego toys and cartoons etc, but not really much awareness of the Green Goblin in the comics other than by that time, it seemed like EVERYONE (including Norman Osborn, Harry Osborn, and Ozzy Ozbourne) had a turn wearing that costume. He seemed like a bit of an empty threat as the costume version of musical chairs until Norman returned. I currently am really enjoying how he's being potrayed in the pages of The Thunderbolts.

I really enjoyed the Hobgoblin's first appearances in the eighties. I can imagine how the original Norman Osborn mystery must have played out given the fact that they tried to recreate it via the Hobgoblin saga. The mystery behind that character was completely compelling for me (because it wasn't Harry going nuts and then getting amnesia AGAIN). However, it was a bit of a let down in terms of how that story eventually resolved (Ned Leeds?!), and having the mercenary who was Jack O'Lantern taking over the role pretty much killed that character's potential as a "player" in the Marvel U for the next decade.

Not that it wasn't compelling to have Peter's best friend Harry become the Goblin. The problem was having to return to status quo every time given the fact that Harry knew who Peter really was. I don't think Harry ever really had much "teeth" as a villian at the end of the day (in both the comics and movies). By the time he did show he had some backbone (as his father would say), it was the nineties and Marvel wasn't really firing on all cylinders during that timeframe IMHO.

It looks like Bendis might get a second kick at the can currently with Harry in the Ultimate Universe (Although I hate how the Goblins are basically mini-Hulks there). Here is hoping he comes up with something that is truly Shakespearean tragedy with a cleaner storyline than the 616 version.

[The Bat]

^ I agree with you for the most part actually but what makes me wish Norman had stayed dead is the fact that they (Read: JMS) felt it necessary to make Gwen Stacy have an affair with Norman Osborn, which resulted in 2 illegitimate children. Peter Parker's life has always been a soap opera but this storyline was waaaay over the top. I don't think there was anything in Gwen's original characterization (although she started out as cold and *****y) that points to her having an affair with Osborn behind Peter's back...

Gotta agree with Ya there....I thought making Norman the Father was a Bad decision...and a stupid Plot twist.

[The Toyroom]

I really enjoyed the Hobgoblin's first appearances in the eighties. I can imagine how the original Norman Osborn mystery must have played out given the fact that they tried to recreate it via the Hobgoblin saga. The mystery behind that character was completely compelling for me (because it wasn't Harry going nuts and then getting amnesia AGAIN). However, it was a bit of a let down in terms of how that story eventually resolved (Ned Leeds?!), and having the mercenary who was Jack O'Lantern taking over the role pretty much killed that character's potential as a "player" in the Marvel U for the next decade.

It was eventually revealed in a mini-series that the original Hobgoblin was Roderick Kingsley and Ned Leeds was just a patsy who was set-up by Kingsley.

[Mego Milk]

Hobgoblin should have been revealed to be Norman.

[samurainoir]

It was eventually revealed in a mini-series that the original Hobgoblin was Roderick Kingsley and Ned Leeds was just a patsy who was set-up by Kingsley.

I'm glad they finally corrected that (Peter David and Christopher Priest/James Owsley have both written interesting behind the scenes articles about the Ned Leeds decision), unfortunately it was twenty years too late for my younger self to enjoy!