10 Green Goblin Comic Arcs to Read Before Spider-Man: No Way Home

The Green Goblin is one of Spider-Man’s most formidable villains and is responsible for much of the pain that the hero has endured over the decades that they have been embroiled in their eternal struggle. The villain is set to return in Spider-Man: No Way Home, with Willem Dafoe heavily rumored to be reprising his role as the iconic evildoer.

Spider-Man fans will want to read up on the Green Goblin’s history in Marvel Comics before his long-awaited return to the big screen this coming December. But with hundreds of comic appearances under the Goblin’s purple-and-gold belt, readers might do better to focus on some of his most important appearances over the decades.

10 “The Grotesque Adventure Of The Green Goblin” (1964)

The Amazing Spider-Man #14 sees the very first appearance of the Green Goblin, two years before the official introduction of his alter-ego Norman Osborn. In his first bout with Spider-Man, the Goblin gets the help of the villainous Enforcers to trick Spider-Man into thinking he is making a movie about himself, only to attack him for real during one of the action scenes.

This first appearance established the Goblin as someone Spider-Man did not want to mess around with. He was one of the few of Spidey’s early villains to escape capture and did so without ever revealing his secret identity. But that would not last forever, as the Goblin and the Web-Slinger were destined for a more personal relationship.

9 “How Green Was My Goblin!” (1966)

In The Amazing Spider-Man #39-40, the Green Goblin spies on Spider-Man from afar, until the hero finally takes his mask off. Now knowing that Spider-Man and Peter Parker are one and the same, the Goblin kidnaps him and reveals himself to be none other than Norman Osborn! Spider-Man finally defeats Norman, who is injured to the point of incurring a convenient case of memory loss.

This storyline extended Spider-Man and the Green Goblin’s rivalry beyond mere superheroics. Through the years, not only would the two alter-egos go head-to-head, but Peter Parker and Norman Osborn would too. It was no longer about masks and funny names with these two, but it was now a truly personal battle.

8 “The Night Gwen Stacy Died” (1973)

One of the most famous Spider-Man storylines arrives in The Amazing Spider-Man #121-122, wherein Peter Parker’s long-time girlfriend Gwen Stacy dies. Fans will surely not forget that the man responsible for Gwen’s death was Norman Osborn, free from his amnesia and ready to ruin Spider-Man’s life. In the ensuing confrontation with the hero, Norman is impaled on his own glider, seemingly killing him.

Written by Gerry Conway and illustrated by Gil Kane, these two issues are legendary in the Spider-Man fandom. Several moments from this storyline have made their way into different films starring the titular hero, from Norman’s death in Spider-Man (2002) to Gwen Stacy’s fall in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014). There is no getting around this tragic two-parter.

7 “The Green Goblin Lives Again!” (1974)

With Norman Osborn dead and buried, Peter Parker thought his troubles with the Green Goblin were over–he couldn’t have been more wrong. In The Amazing Spider-Man #136-137, Harry dons his father’s cowl after learning that his best friend was indeed Spider-Man. The two duke it out in an emotional struggle, with Spider-Man eventually emerging victorious and Harry being led away to a mental institution.

This marks the first (but certainly not the last time) that Harry Osborn would appear as the Green Goblin in his father’s stead. He also would be the first in a long line of Green Goblin successors that never quite measured up to the original. Beginning with this storyline, it is the legacy of the Green Goblin, rather than the man himself, that plagues Peter Parker’s life for years to come.

6 “Who Was That Goblin I Saw You With?” (1978)

The Amazing Spider-Man #175-180 depicts an interesting storyline in which the Green Goblin has appeared again, rather mysteriously. Harry Osborn is supposed to be in a mental institution, and yet his alter-ego is flying around New York City giving Spider-Man trouble. Things culminate, as they always do, until Spider-Man sees something he never thought he would: two Green Goblins duking it out in the sky!

This story arc is lesser-known among comics fans, yet it is a fun ride nonetheless. There is a layer of mystery surrounding it as readers are left to wonder about the identity of the newly arriving Goblin. Things culminate over these six issues until the final twist ending.

5 “The Child Within” (1991-1992)

One of the most striking Spider-Man stories of all time occurs in Spectacular Spider-Man #178-184, wherein Spider-Man must hunt down the resurfaced Vermin as he slinks through the city in search of something from his lost past. The side-story, however, deals with a reformed Harry struggling against a sudden pull back into the world of villainy.

As J.M. DeMatteis and Sal Buscema’s semi-sequel to the lauded Spider-Man comic book arc “Kraven’s Last Hunt,” these few issues delve deeply into the psyche of a supervillain, proving that there really is a child within all of them: an immaturity that pushes them to do what they do. Harry’s failed struggle to avoid his father’s legacy perfectly encapsulates the tragedy of the Goblin Saga.

4 “Best Of Enemies” (1993)

The landmark issue Spectacular Spider-Man #200 sees the culmination of Harry and Peter’s rivalry. After years of on-and-off struggle, things finally come down to one battle. After Harry takes his own family hostage, Peter attempts to save them. In the end, it is Harry who saves his own family from dying in his own traps but does not survive himself to enjoy his redemption.

Harry’s death proves to be a turning point for Peter Parker. From this point on, he is ever so slightly more jaded as a character, and far more paranoid. Harry demonstrated what a true supervillain can do to a hero–they can break them from the inside out. Even in death, Peter couldn’t escape the curse of the Green Goblin.

3 The Return Of Norman Osborn (1996)

The late nineties saw the return of one of Spider-Man’s greatest foes: Norman Osborn. His mysterious return shocked and confused characters and fans alike, but The Osborn Journals #1 explained everything that had led to the Green Goblin’s unexpected return.

It is also worth noting that there are months and months of build-up from every Spider-Man title leading to Norman’s revival, which is certainly worth checking out too. Yet, this particular issue lays everything out quite nicely, from Norman’s supposed death to his subsequent return, and gives an interesting look into his head as he once again dons his grotesque cowl.

2 “The Gathering Of Five/The Final Chapter” (1998)

Appearing across all Spider-Man titles in 1998, this two-stage event sees the culmination of Norman Osborn’s plan. As he gathers four other volunteers to participate in a dangerous ancient ceremony, Norman gambles his sanity for power–and vows to take down Spider-Man once and for all.

Though this Spider-Man storyline is often maligned by readers, due to a change in the writing staff that altered the ending, it does have genuinely good moments. Green Goblin’s battle with Spider-Man proves harrowing, and the hero’s final feat of strength as he struggles to prop up the collapsing Daily Bugle building is as iconic a scene as they come. It also marks the ending of the first volume of Spider-Man comic books (though the titles would eventually revert back to volume 1 numbering).

1 Dark Reign And Siege (2008-2010)

For fans of the modern age of comic books, as well as fans of big crossovers, the Dark Reign and Siege storylines will prove to be quite fulfilling. In these arcs, Norman Osborn is no longer merely a Spider-Man villain, but a villain to the entire Marvel Universe. In Dark Reign, Osborn manages to rise to a rank of national power, and in Siege, he uses that power to invade Asgard of all places, putting the Marvel superheroes in a tenuous position.

This is certainly the most nefarious that Norman Osborn has ever been–and, in this case, mostly as himself, rather than his alter-ego. These two back-to-back storylines prove once and for all how formidable a foe Osborn can really be.

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