Death in the Family Part 3

After staging an accident that has left Flash Thompson in a coma, the Green Goblin has mailed Peter Parker a bunch of photos of his friends and family with a pumpkin. Peter realizes that Norman was serious when he said he wasn’t going to stop until one of them is dead.[1] Crushing in the pumpkin in his hand, Peter shouts out that it doesn’t have to be like this.

Meanwhile, Norman Osborn is in a meeting where his staff are trying to figure out how to avoid legal trouble after Flash Thompson crashed one of their vehicles into Midtown High while drunk. Unlike his advisors, Norman is not concerned about the implications and tells them that there are alternative means of handling the situation, and then asks them to get the principal of Midtown HIgh on the phone. The following morning, Peter is arriving at Midtown High and sees that reconstruction is already begun. Inside he is shocked to discover Norman Osborn is meeting with the principal. He is told that Osborn has come to the school and offered a blank cheque for repairs to the building. There is a terse exchange between Peter and Norman then, although Norman appears to be commenting on the poor decisions of Flash Thompson and hopes that he doesn’t die as a result of his injuries, it is a veiled threat to Peter to do as Norman asks or else he might kill Thompson in retaliation.[2] Once they have the opportunity to speak in private, Norman tells Peter to meet him that evening at the Osborn Industries chemical warehouse where they will finish things once and for all.

That evening, Aunt May decides to call Peter in the hopes of talking to him about the Green Goblin’s public accusation that Spider-Man was responsible for killing Gwen Stacy.[3] However, she gets his voice mail and leaves a message encouraging him to be strong in face of his recent struggles. As May is leaving this message, Spider-Man has arrived at the hospital where Flash Thompson is being treated following the accident that has left him in a coma. He isn’t sure if Flash can hear him, but Spider-Man apologizes for what happened, taking for responsibility for the accident. He then vows to Flash that he’ll get who did this to him and hopes that Thompson will eventually be able to forgive him for what happened.

When Spider-Man arrives at the chemical plant, he catches the Green Goblin reenacting a sick parody of Gwen Stacy’s death with some action figures. Angered by this perverse display, Spider-Man attacks the Green Goblin. The Goblin mocks Spider-Man for losing control saying it is only a matter of time before he crosses the line. After chasing his foe around the chemical plant, Spider-Man decides that he is not going to play Norman’s game this time. However, when the wall-crawler takes off his mask the Green Goblin uses this opportunity to splash a chemical into his eyes, temporarily blinding Peter. Despite this handicap, Spider-Man manages to grab the Goblin and toss themselves into a vat of chemicals. Leaping out, Spider-Man then tells Norman that he is not going to allow Osborn to terrorize his family or the life of his grandson. Emerging from the vat, the Green Goblin denounces his grandson, saying Normie suffers from the same weakness of his father, Harry Osborn. The only thing he intends to do is his grandson before the boy can inherit the family fortune.

This admission is the last straw for Peter Parker, who is so enraged hearing this that he vows to kill the Green Goblin.

Recurring Characters

Spider-Man, Green Goblin, Flash Thompson, Aunt May

Continuity Notes

1. The Green Goblin made this vow back in Peter Parker: Spider-Man #25.

2. Norman has given Peter an ultimatum, either become his heir or the pair will have to fight to the death. This has been the new status quo since Norman failed to make Peter the new Green Goblin in Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 2) #25/Peter Parker: Spider-Man #25.

3. Gwen Stacy was killed by the Green Goblin in Amazing Spider-Man #121. Last issue, the Goblin publicly blamed Spider-Man for her death with a video he sent to the media.