Amazing Spider-Man #96
...And Now, The Goblin!
Returning home from England, Peter Parker goes to the Daily Bugle and sells his pictures to Joe Robertson, whose responses to Peter's pictures of Spider-Man in action make Peter wonder if maybe Joe knows of Peter's secret identity.
Returning to his classes, Harry asks Peter to join him out to see Mary Jane's performance on an off-Broadway show. Peter reluctantly agrees when Harry offers to pay Peter's way in. While web-slinging as Spider-Man, Peter thinks about Harry's father Norman and their past as foes, when Norman was the Green Goblin. He decides to take Norman up on his offer for a job, deciding it's about time he got a real job. He meets with Norman who takes Peter's request into consideration and tells Peter that he will be attending the show as well.
Web-slinging across town, Spider-Man stops on his way to MJ's show when he spots someone strung out on drugs and saves him from falling off a building. He turns him over to paramedics where the druggie is resuscitated. Spidey quickly leaves and changes into Peter Parker to join the others. When Randy Robertson finally joins them, he gets into a brief argument with Norman Osborn about the reality of drug abuse in the city.
Peter ends up getting the ire of Harry when Mary Jane ends up paying more attention to Peter. During the show, Peter's spider-sense warns him of danger, slowly becoming aware that Norman Osborn is acting very strange. When Harry abruptly leaves with Mary Jane in a jealous fit, Peter decides to follow after Norman Osborn as Spider-Man. Following Osborn into one of the Green Goblin's old safe houses, Peter is shocked to find that Norman's Green Goblin memories have returned and that he's waiting for Spider-Man in full costume.
Recurring Characters
Spider-Man, Green Goblin, Harry Osborn, Mary Jane Watson, Joe Robertson, Betty Brant, Randy Robertson, Aunt May, Anna Watson
Continuity Notes
Gwen left to mourn the loss of her father, who died in issue #90. Amazing Spider-Man #509-514 will lead us to believe that another reason why Gwen left for England was to hide a pregnancy caused by a secret affair with Norman Osborn. This is later revealed to be a lie created by Harry Osborn as a long running plot against Peter Parker. See Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 5) #73-74.
Peter recounts how Harry's father, Norman, discovered Peter's secret identity as the Green Goblin this happened in Amazing Spider-Man #39-40. Peter's identity is safe so long as Norman has partial amnesia, preventing him from remembering his career as the Green Goblin. Norman's memory had been previously unearthed in Spectacular Spider-Man Magazine #2.
