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"You don't give people hope. You take it away. I'm gonna take away yours."
―Green Goblin to Spider-Man[src]

Harold "Harry" Theopolis Osborn is the son of Norman Osborn, the ex-CEO of Oscorp Industries, the former best friend of Peter Parker, the first leader of the Sinister Six and the supervillain known as the Green Goblin. After discovering he had inherited Retroviral Hyperplasia, the same terminal genetic illness as his father, he returned to take over Oscorp in response to Norman's demise. Reuniting with his childhood friend Peter Parker, Harry besieged Peter's help in convincing Spider-Man to help donate his mutated blood, believing the cure for his condition lied in the mutant cells from the Araneus Oscorpeus spiders. Peter (both as himself and Spider-Man) would constantly decline him, fearing the potential consequences would either kill him or do something worse. After his secretary Felicia Hardy informed him of a potential treatment in Oscorp's Special Projects division, he would be ejected from his company by his treacherous advisor Donald Menken, who had blamed him for Electro's creation.

A desperate Harry would break into Forcing Menken to grant him access to the Special Projects department, Harry demanded Menken inject a sample of the modified spider-venom into him. Rather than curing his disease, it instead accelerated it's symptoms, gruesomely mutating and deforming Harry, turning his skin a pale and greenish palor and giving him fangs and claws, rendering him goblin-esque. Donning an experimental exosuit that would regulate the fatal effects, Harry would equip himself with the suit's battle glider and personal grenades, becoming the Green Goblin. Following Electro's apparent death at Spider-Man and Gwen Stacy's hands, The Goblin would fly to the power station the battle had taken place and confronted them both. Putting it together that Peter and Spidey were one in the same, The Goblin snatched Gwen up and flew over and above a clock tower and dropped her. While Spider-Man and him engaged in a brief and brutal fight, Harry's real goal was to prevent his former friend from saving Gwen in the increasingly damaged gear network, and ultimately succeeded when Gwen fell down the shaft, with Peter accidentally killing her via whiplash from a webline to save her. Harry would be turned in by Peter and imprisoned in Ravencroft Institute, where he would begin conspiring with Gustav Fiers, a shadowy associate of his late father Norman and devising a plan to recruit other armored criminals to form a villainous team with one express purpose: revenge on Spider-Man.

Biography

Early Life

Despising his Father

"No, you threw me away. You kicked me off to boarding school when I was 11. On my 16th birthday, you sent me Scotch. Or one of your assistants did."
―Harry Osborn to Norman Osborn[src]

Harry was a childhood friend of Peter Parker and was there for him when his parents died. When Harry was 11, his father shipped him off to a boarding school. For his 16th birthday, his father sent him a bottle of scotch. Events like these, cause Harry to resent Norman. According to Peter, at one point, Harry had a fling with a French supermodel. He also began to experience symptoms of his father's illness and discovered that he might be dying, but seemingly did not care, as he felt Norman wasn't treating him well.[3]

Visiting Father

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Harry visiting his father Norman

This section needs a rewrite

To be added.[3]

Reunited with Childhood Friend

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"Sorry, I don't wanna intrude. I know it's been a long time. I kind of know exactly what you're going through right now. And you were so there for me when my parents... well, that's why I'm here for you."
"Thank you."
―Peter Parker and Harry Osborn[src]
This section needs a rewrite

Harry was now Oscorp's CEO. He saw a woman, asking her name and the name was Felicia. Harry told for everyone to work for Felicia because she works for him (as a assistant), and was later called, soon reunited with his childhood friend. The two caught up, playing together outdoors. Peter thanked Harry for being there when his parents died, with Harry questioning if Peter knows the truth. Harry was later informed Peter had a girlfriend, Gwen Stacy. Harry discused about Lizards and Spider people, but Peter telling there was only one Spider-Man.[3]

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Discovering Spider-Man's Blood

To be added

Confronting Peter

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Harry tells Peter Parker he needs Spider-Man's blood

"It may not, Har. It may not be that simple. You saw what happened to Curt Connors, right?"
"Connors was weak. This is me, Peter."
Peter Parker and Harry Osborn[src]
This section needs a rewrite

The next day, Harry became convinced that the blood of Spider-Man (whom he had figured out had gotten his powers from one of the now-destroyed spiders) would be able to cure him. Knowing that Peter had taken photos of the hero, Harry asked him to get in touch with Spider-Man.

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Spider-Man refuses to give his blood to Harry

Later, Spider-Man appeared in Harry's home but refused to give him his blood regardless of what Harry offered him, as he believed his blood would have a negative effect on Harry if it wasn't compatible. Harry angrily screamed "YOU'RE A FRAUD SPIDER-MAN!", getting angry, believing he actually doesn't give hope.[3]

Breaking Electro out

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Harry offering to team up with Electro

"I had a friend once. It didn't work out."
"Yeah. Mine too."
"Then let's go catch a spider."
Electro and Harry Osborn[src]
This section needs a rewrite

Harry became increasingly desperate until Felicia Hardy informed him that Oscorp had drained venom from the spiders before destroying them. He tried to find out where it was stored, but came across information about Electro and was quickly locked out of the system. Donald Menken framed Harry to save himself and had him fired. Angry, Harry sought out Electro, who was at the time being held at Ravencroft and freed him.[3]

Infiltrating into Oscorp

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Osborn is injected with the venom

"You had it this whole time."
―Harry Osborn to Donald Menken[src]
This section needs a rewrite

Together with Electro, Harry headed back to Oscorp and took Menken hostage while sending Electro off to take out the city's power. Menken took Harry down into a secret area and was forced to inject Harry with the spider venom. The venom had a violent effect on Harry, seemingly accelerating the disease rather than curing it.

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Osborn being attached to the EXO-Suit

In pain, he crawled over to an Oscorp prototype exoskeleton suit and glider, attempting to reach as far as he can to put it own, still crawling in pain, due to the venom that made his disease far worse. Upon putting it on, the suit healed the damages done to his system and felt more comfortable.[3]

After turning into the Green Goblin, Harry went on a rampage at Oscorp and started to use his pumpkin bombs to attack the military operatives. After the devastation, the people at Oscorp began to escape, and Felicia was going to run until she saw her boss' disfigurement, Harry looked at himself in the mirror and shouted at her to leave. Harry then killed Donald Menken by throwing him off the top of a building.[4]

Showdown at the Clock Tower

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Green Goblin confronts Peter Parker/Spider-Man

"Harry, this is between you and me. Fight me, let her go!"
"Okay..."
Spider-Man and the Green Goblin[src]
This section needs a rewrite

Harry as the Goblin flew to the power grid on the glider, arriving shortly after Electro's defeat, the spider-venom now seemed to be affecting his mind as well. Noticing Gwen with Spider-Man, he quickly realized that Spider-Man was Peter Parker. He told Peter when Spider-Man said no, Parker mean't he said no. Parker asked what did Harry do, The Goblin replied Peter was his friend, and Peter had betrayed him. He told Spider-Man that he takes people's hope instead of giving it, and the Goblin will take Peter's hope "Gwen". Harry grabbed Gwen and flew away, with Peter chasing. When Peter asked to put Gwen down, he did, but throwing her inside the clock tower, but Peter was able to catch her. Harry began fighting Spider-Man inside of the nearby clock tower, however, Gwen was ultimately killed in the ensuing battle.

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Green Goblin battles Spider-Man

Harry was knocked out by the clock's gears, and taken to Ravencroft, though Gwen's death caused Peter to give up the mantle of Spider-Man, though Harry succeeded to make Peter give up as Spider-Man.[3]

Imprisoned in Ravencroft

Harry in Ravencroft

Osborn and Gustav Fiers plans incoming projects

Months later, Harry was visited by Gustav Fiers, who informed Harry that he had found several suitable candidates for a project. Harry asked him to keep it small and sent him down to the secret area, to collect weapons and equipment for the chosen candidates. The first was Aleksei Sytsevich.[3]

Non-canon

Video Games

The Amazing Spider-Man 2

After "The Carnage Killer"'s massacre on the criminals, which led the first attack and was set in Oscorp between Russians and Shocker's gang, Harry was approached; by the Kingpin, Wilson Fisk for their cooperation to put an end of the crime war and would not; allow vigilantes, like Spider-Man to do so. On the other side of the conference, Harry was forced to make a deal with the Kingpin to boost the public image of Oscorp. During a party at night with Fisk, he was targeted by a Russian's assassin who disguised as a bartender to poison Harry to death, but luckily his best friend Peter secretly noticed about the bartender as he bumps into to him by "accident" to save Harry from being killed. They talk about Fisk and Harry gave him as much information as he could. Fisk quickly professed a desire to take Oscorp for himself and revealed he knew about Harry's disease. When Peter talked to him regarding Fisk establishing himself as the number one crime boss in New York, Harry reveals his disease and feelings of depression regarding Fisk and his disease and implores Peter to reach out to Spider-Man to save him. As Spider-Man is actually Peter himself, Spider-Man met him as soon as possible but refused to give him his blood without researching it's safety as it could turn him into a monster or kill him.

Upset, Harry dejectedly dismissed Spider-Man and in his desperation began human experiments and started to become obsessed with saving himself while also becoming embittered at Fisk, Menken and everyone who is trying to take what was his. Becoming Green Goblin in the end due to his refusal to listen by injecting himself with Richard Parker's spider venom formula, the pain and changes won't go away and in his anger Harry ordered Oscorp to be attacked by inmates he freed from Ravencroft to lure Spider-Man so he could kill and study him. Spider-Man is able to defeat Harry and Harry pleads for Peter, who he somehow knows is Spider-Man, to give him a merciful death.

But Spider-Man refused and telling Harry to think hard because there many people; who are having a natural illness or same disease all over the world, even they don't have the money or resource has Harry's, and tells Harry if he didn't fight for himself, Harry will owe to them to find an answer for his mistake and do whatever he can make up for them. As Spider-Man leaves by telling a great man Spider-Man knew had taught him, and Harry tries to call back Spider-Man by his real name, Harry faints. While it seemed he perished after his battle with Spiderman, it was confirmed by the Kingpin that was still alive and taken to either jail or Ravencroft, regardless the Kingpin takes over the Oscorp glider air force.

Powers and Abilities

Powers

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Harry's body after being injected; with the venom

  • Metamorphosis/Shapeshifting: Upon Harry injecting himself; with the genetically modified spider venom, he was transfigured. The metamorphose changed Harry both physically and mentally. It turned his skin pale-greenish, made his hair stand up and gave him claw-like fingernails. This transformation altered the chemistry in Harry's body and possibly affected his brain, which could explain his apparent insanity and dehumanization, as well as making him more instinctual and homicidal. The alteration would have killed Harry,if he had not put on the Oscorp Exo-Suit which healed him. The effects later wore off. Harry did, however, when he was asked if the effects had returned, say, "It comes and goes". Unlike Peter, he didn't get regenerative healing to cure himself of his disease.
  • Superhuman Strength: Harry's strength was enhanced by the exoskeleton of Oscorp shown to be strong enough to be near or the same to Spider-Man. He was able to pin Spider-Man to the floor, though he took several hits while doing so and Spider-Man was weakened from his fight with Electro. He was even able to choke Spider-Man with one hand.
  • Superhuman Speed: Harry appeared to be able to run faster than cars.
  • Superhuman Agility: Harry's agility was very enhanced by the spider venom. He was capable of making several quick maneuvers while on his glider and was able to seemingly leap several feet across to tackle Peter to the floor when he was knocked off his glider.
  • Superhuman Stamina: Harry's stamina was very enhanced by the venom of the spider and the Oscorp exoskeleton.

Abilities

"You have such potential, Harry. Such... fierce intelligence and you're throwing it all away."
Norman Osborn to Harry Osborn[src]
  • Gifted Intelligence: To be added

Equipment

"Next generation military body armor. Features include enhanced mobility, battlefield injury repair, direct nervous system interface."
K.A.R.I.[src]
  • Oscorp EXO-Suit: Harry wears a high-tech armor that enhanced his strength, speed, and durability.
  • Goblin Glider: An object made by Oscorp which is used for transport.
  • Pumpkin Bombs: Grenades used as a weapon by the Green Goblin. The bombs are used as flying explosive grenades.

Trivia

  • Although credited as the Green Goblin, he isn't referred to that name in the film (similar to Venom in Spider-Man 3). However, at the climax of the film, when Gwen calls him "Harry", he claims that "Harry is dead!", thus giving way to the Green Goblin. In The Amazing Spider-Man 2 game, he is only referred to as the Goblin. However, when the subtitles are on, the game refers to him as the Green Goblin.
  • Dane DeHaan was set to reprise his role in Sinister Six and The Amazing Spider-Man 3, however, with a reboot to the Spider-Man franchise underway, these films have been canceled. The role of The Green Goblin has since been given back to original Live-Action Green Goblin Willem Dafoe in order to have the classic 2002 version of the character be introduced into the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Spider-Man: No Way Home, along with fellow Raimi trilogy actor Alfred Molina, returning as Spider-Man 2's Doctor Octopus This is shown in the trailer for the film, which was revealed in August 2021. Dane DeHaan was also rumored for the movie, until that rumor was debunked after the film went to theaters.

Behind the scenes

  • The final battle between the Green Goblin and Spider-Man was filmed in an actual clock tower where temperatures would reach 115 degree Fahrenheit or about 46.1 degree Celsius! Dane DeHaan had to wear prosthetics and make up that took 3 and half hours to apply, as well as his Goblin costume, which weighed 50 lbs (about 23kg) and was impossible to open without power tools. The film's medic was so concerned that DeHaan would get heat stroke after losing 7 pounds (3.2kg) in a day, that crew members were instructed to pour buckets of ice on DeHaan's head and down his suit between takes. However, this was not effective because his body temperature was excessively high, so the ice melted and turned into steam before he could feel any cooling effect. Eventually, a tubing system was installed in DeHaan's goblin suit so that cold water could reach his body.[5]

References

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The Amazing Spider-Man Wiki has a collection of quotes related to Green Goblin.

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