Spectacular Spider-Man #260
Spider in the Middle
Roderick Kingsley has been busted out of prison by the Green Goblin. Now, standing before both the Goblin and Norman Osborn, Kingsley is impressed, and this sight confirms the fact that Norman Osborn is the Green Goblin.[1] Roderick explains how he got his hands on Norman’s original journals and how he learned all of Norman’s secrets. This angers Norman, who calls him a thief and how he considered coming out of hiding to kill the Hobgoblin when he first surfaced, and Kingsley should be lucky that he didn’t.[2] When Norman reveals that he learned the journals were later destroyed, Roderick reveals that one journal survived and only he knows the location. Even though Norman doesn’t want Kingsley to ruin his months of planning. Despite the fact that Norman has another Goblin standing in his place, Roderick knows the truth and instead of threatening him, suggests that the two of them pool their resources. This insults the Goblin who prepares to strike, but Norman stays his hand. Intrigued, Norman asks what Roderick could possibly offer him. Snapping free from his chains, Roderick says he has power and the experience to use it. Norman then demonstrates that he has power of his own by crushing the shackles that are still locked around Kingsley’s hands. Still, he is impressed, and after the Goblin ties a blanket around Kingsley and departs, Norman decides to give Roderick the opportunity to prove his usefulness.
The next morning the police have spent the entire morning searching for signs of Kingsley at one of his company buildings in Queens. Watching the scene from nearby is Spider-Man who came to the same conclusion. With no sign of Roderick, Spider-Man heads to Manhattan, fearing what will happen now that Norman Osborn and Roderick Kingsley have finally crossed paths. However, Spider-Man is more worried about Betty Brant, whose late husband Ned Leeds, got too close to the Hobgoblin in the past and it cost him is life.[3] Getting a copy of the Daily Bugle, the web-slinger is disheartened — but not surprised — that J. Jonah Jameson’s editorial interference makes it sounds like Spider-Man helped the Hobgoblin escape. He rushes to the Daily Bugle where his wife Mary Jane is waiting for him in a storage closet with a change of clothes.[4] After Peter changes, they get caught coming out of the closet by Billy Walters, but he figures the couple were just having a romantic moment alone and promises to keep quiet. Mary Jane heads off for classes while Peter goes to the Daily Bugle bullpen. There is a flurry of activity, but Flash confirms Peter’s suspicions that neither Norman Osborn nor J. Jonah Jameson has been in this morning. This almost leads to an argument between the two over the good Norman Osborn as done for the Daily Bugle.[5] When they reach Betty’s desk, she tells them to stop arguing because she is too busy to deal with it. Flash apologizes and the couple makes a lunch date. As Flash walks away, Peter can’t help but think how things have changed between the three of them over the years.[6] Checking on Betty, Peter learns that she is determined to stick on the Hobgoblin story until Kingsley is back in jail. Peter agrees to be there for her along the way because he wants to see both the Hobgoblin and Green Goblin pay for their crimes.
Meanwhile, at a Multivex building, Norman Osborn and Roderick Kingsley are exchanging pleasantries with one another but are both taking measures of each other. Eventually, Norman gest tired of tiptoeing around this issue and demands to know where his lost journal is. Roderick tells Norman that to get to the journal they must first question his brother, Daniel, as he hid it for Roderick. However, they have to act quickly since Daniel was given instructions to publicize the journal should anything happen after Norman Osborn resurfaced.[7] He knows that Daniel is under police protection by now and asks Norman to use his connections at the District Attorney’s office to learn where they have stashed him. When Norman asks why he would do such a thing, Roderick suggests putting their business assets together, with Roderick’s business dealings in fashion, cosmetics, and electronics, he could boost Norman’s business portfolio exponentially. Roderick’s attempts to glean the identity of the new Goblin fails,[8] he makes his demands: the opportunity to get revenge on his brother and safe passage out of the United States. In exchange, Roderick will give Norman the journal and ownership of Kingsley Limited. Norman agrees to these terms and gives Roderick his Hobgoblin costume and weapons, saying he will need them. After Kingsley leaves the room, Norman contacts his Goblin, who had been listening in this entire time. He tells the Green Goblin to follow the Hobgoblin and make sure the book is secured no matter what and to make sure that Kingsley and his brother meet with some “unfortunate accidents”.
Around noon that day, Spider-Man is swinging across town. He too has deduced that the Hobgoblin might seek out his brother and pays a visit to Lou Sneider down at the 5th precinct. Snider refuses to give Spider-Man the information because of all of the wall-crawler’s legal problems.[9] However, Snider then gets a call that someone is attacking the safehouse where Daniel is being held and has no choice to tell Spider-Man where it is located. By the time Spider-Man has arrived at the Big Apple Hotel, the Hobgoblin has easily incapacitated the police and nabbed his brother. The web-slinger quickly recovers Daniel and gets him to safety. As the battle rages on the Green Goblin watches from the distance waiting for the right time to act. In the ensuing struggle, Spider-Man shoves the Hobgoblin’s arm out of the way to avoid a electro-blast, but this strikes a dropped pumpkin bomb setting it off. Although the blast rocks both of the combatants they are soon trading blows again. Suddenly, Spider-Man’s spider-sense goes off, but it is too late to avoid being struck by a tranquilizer dart. That’s when the Green Goblin makes his presence known. Although the Hobgoblin is not happy with this interference, he looks forward to the opportunity it afforded him as he reaches to finally unmask the wall-crawler.
Recurring Characters
Spider-Man, Mary Jane Watson, Billy Walters, Flash Thompson, Betty Brant, Norman Osborn, Green Goblin, Hobgoblin, Daniel Kingsley
Continuity Notes
There is a lot of unpack here. The facts
Norman Osborn was the original Green Goblin from Amazing Spider-Man #23 to 122 when he apparently died.
In reality, Norman survived as explained in Spider-Man: The Osborn Journal #1 and went into hiding for years.
During this time, Roderick Kingsley found Osborn’s old journals in Amazing Spider-Man #238 and used that knowledge to become the Hobgoblin. Most of the journals were destroyed during the course of Amazing Spider-Man #250-251.
Also during this time, in Spider-Man: Legacy of Evil #1, Ben Urich published a book publicly outing Osborn as the original Green Goblin.
Norman resurfaced in Amazing Spider-Man #412 and since Spectacular Spider-Man #249 has been rebuilding his reputation and convince the public that he was never the Green Goblin with some success.
Kingsley resurfaced as the Hobgoblin again and ended up getting arrested following the events of Spider-Man: Hobgoblin Lives #1-3.
Kingsley revealed that he still had one journal in a hidden location last issue, garnering the attention of Osborn who staged his jailbreak.
As revealed in Spider-Man: The Osborn Journal #1, Norman closely monitored the Hobgoblin’s career while in hiding and contemplated returning to dispose of this usurper of his legacy.
Hooboy, there is also a lot to unpack here regarding the Hobgoblin/Ned Leeds connection:
Ned Leeds started investigating the Hobgoblin in Amazing Spider-Man #250.
As revealed in Spider-Man: Hobgoblin Lives #3, Roderick caught Ned snooping around his hideout and used a device to brainwash Leeds into being is proxy.
A flashback in Web of Spider-Man #33 shows that Ned Leeds “revealed” himself to be the Hobgoblin to the Rose.
This information was later leaked to the Kingpin who then gave it to Jason Macendale who then hired the Foreigner to murder Leeds in Spider-Man vs Wolverines #1/Amazing Spider-Man #289.
Everybody thought Leeds was the Hobgoblin until Betty uncovered the truth in Spider-Man: Hobgoblin Lives #1-3.
Peter and Mary Jane are considered husband and wife here. However, years later, their marriage is erased from existence by Mephisto in Amazing Spider-Man #545. As such they should be considered a common-law couple here.
Flash mentions how Norman Osborn saved the Daily Bugle from financial ruin. The paper had been in financial trouble since Amazing Spider-Man #416 until Norman Osborn bought it in Spectacular Spider-Man #249.
Flash was a bully to Peter in high school since Amazing Fantasy #15. However, the pair have become friendly in the ensuing years. He also mentions how he and Betty used to date. That was from Amazing Spider-Man #7 to 18. Later, Flash had an affair with Betty starting in Spectacular Spider-Man #98. After Ned’s death, they continued to date until Spectacular Spider-Man #148. Their relationship took a bit of a dip when Flash lapsed into alcoholism. Betty decided to give Flash a second chance in Spectacular Spider-Man #250 after he was hired on as Norman Osborn’s assistant.
Norman reappeared as the Green Goblin in Spider-Man #75. Daniel is under police protection for helping put his brother into prison in Spider-Man: Hobgoblin Lives #1-3.
Although unidentified here, the new Goblin’s identity is revealed in Peter Parker: Spider-Man #18.
Lou mentions how Spider-Man was recently the prime suspect of a murder. Spider-Man was framed for the murder of Joey-Z in Spider-Man #88. However, he recently cleared his name in Spider-Man #92.
