Enter the Green Goblin!

Phill Urich was recently fired from his job at Kidd Video, so one of his friends, "Fast" Freddie Glazer, gets some thugs to rob the place in retaliation.[1] Phil doesn't approve of the group's actions, but out of pressure lies to incoming police, diverting their attention from the robbery. Out of gratitude "Ricko the Sicko," leader of the gang, gives Phil a ride and some of the stolen vids.

The next day Phil goes to the Daily Bugle where he currently works as an intern under his uncle, Ben Urich. Phillip is enamored with another intern, a young woman named Lynn Walsh. Unfortunately, when the pair are alone in the copy room, he cannot muster the courage to ask her out on a date. Phil's Uncle Ben has recently been working on a follow-up story surrounding the Osborn Family, titled "Dynasty Of Evil", and has Phil helping him with research.[2] Seeing an old photo of the original Green Goblin, Phil comments on how dorky the Green Goblin costumes looked.[3] That evening, Phil goes to dinner at his family home, where his father expresses his disappointment that Phil won't quit his job at the Bugle, return home, and go back to school. However, his mother is supportive of the boy, telling her husband that Phil needs to discover who he is on his own.

The following morning, Phil's research into the Osborn family uncovers a deed to one of Harry Osborn's old warehouses, impressing his uncle Ben who wants to scour the place for incriminating evidence. After work, Phil heads home and runs into Freddie on the street tells him off for trashing Kidd Video the night before. Freddie takes insult to this, pointing out that everyone uses Phil and he was just standing up for his friend. To punctuate this point, Freddie points out that Phil is now working for his uncle for minimum wage. When Phil tries to explain his Uncle Ben's investigation into the Green Goblin, Freddie is uninterested in hearing anymore and is about to walk away when Phil mentions how they found one of the Green Goblin's old hideouts. This strikes Freddie as interesting and asks to hear more. Meanwhile, Ben Urich returns home and tells his wife about how he got Phil a job, and how his research is going before going to check out the warehouse.

Meanwhile, Phil is woken up in his loft apartment by a phone call from Freddie. He is horrified to learn that Freddie told Ricko the Sicko about the warehouse and how they are going to raid it. When they find his Uncle Ben investigating the area, Phil slips away and turn off the main breaker. While the warehouse is plunged in darkness, Phil is able to help lead his uncle to safety without being recognized. After getting Ben to safety, Phil begins to try and make a run for it himself. With the power back on, Ricko orders his men to find and Ben Urich now. While stumbling around, Phil happens upon a switch that opens a secret door. On the other side, he discovers Osborn's secret headquarters. There he finds blueprints for a brand new Goblin costume. When a rat scurries into view, Phil is startled and stumbles backward, smashing through a vat of chemicals.

By this point, Ricko's goons find Ben Urich and are prepared to rough him up. Recovering from his chemical dousing, Phil decides to use the new Goblin gear to try and spook Ricko and his men. However, when he puts on the mask, it jolts him with electricity. Although he is briefly stunned, Phil gets up and puts on the rest of the gear.[4] He interrupts Ricko and his goons by flying in on a goblin glider. However, Phil's lack of experience causes him to crash into a pile of wooden crates. When Ricko and his men try to swarm Phil, he is surprised to discover that the chemicals and costumes have boosted his strength. Not only this, but the suit is armed with finger blasts, pumpkin bombs, and an unnerving sonic laugh. As he trounces the gang, the police arrive on the scene. Without a single word, Phil flees the scene before the police can stop him. On his way home, he decides that he can use this equipment for good use as a new, heroic Green Goblin.

Continuity Notes

1. Kidd Video is depicted as a video rental store that deals in VHS tapes. The video format depicted here should be considered a topical reference per the Sliding Timescale of Earth-616, as VHS tapes are an obsolete technology.

2. At this story, Ben Urich had just finished writing a book on Norman Osborn in Spider-Man: Legacy of Evil #1.

3. At the time of this story, everyone believes that Norman Osborn is dead following a battle against Spider-Man in Amazing Spider-Man #122. His survival is explained in Spider-Man: The Osborn Journal #1. He will resurface again in Amazing Spider-Man #412.

4. Phil comments that his situation is "Ssssmoking," a reference to the movie The Mask, where actor Jim Carrey also gains superpowers from a green mask. That film had just recently been released at the time of this story, and the catchphrase had a moment of viral popularity at the time. This should be considered a topical reference per the Sliding Timescale of Earth-616.