Spider-Man #75
The Night of the Goblin!
Note: When Spider-Man #75 was reprinted in Spider-Man: Revelations #1, an additional 13 pages were included. Subsequent reprints of Spider-Man #75 include these additions. This synopsis includes the full version of this story. All the additions are listed in italics.
All Hallows Eve:
Children are out trick-or-treating, and among them is young Normie Osborn who has been taken out by his babysitter while his mother Liz Osborn and her boyfriend Foggy Nelson are at a party at the Daily Bugle. They bump into a man who is impressed by Normie's goblin mask and gives him some candy. As they go on their way, Normie recognizes the man as his grandfather.
Elsewhere, Peter Parker is rushing across the city in order to get to his wife, who is giving birth to their child.[1] He is blaming himself for not being there after getting dragged into a fight with Mendel Stromm along with Ben Reilly. When arriving at the hospital his panic and the indifferent staff get him turned around and he feels utterly lost trying to find his wife. That's when he is found by the doctor who helped with the childbirth, Doctor Folsome. He explains that food poisoning somehow triggered early labor. Folsom also tells Parker that there were some complications in the pregnancy. With his spider-sense starting to buzz, Peter begins demanding to know what is going on and where his wife is. Peter's panicked state leaves him open to being injected with a drug by Doctor Folsome. As Peter begins to black out, Folsom assures Peter that the injection is not lethal as he is wanted alive.
Fifteen Minutes to Midnight
J. Jonah Jameson arrives at the Daily Bugle and just manages to catch the elevator with Joe Robertson and Flash Thompson. Jonah is unhappy that the board of directors has called a meeting so late at night. Joe and Thompson however, are going up to the newsroom for a Halloween party that has been put together for the staff. When they arrive in the bullpen they find Glory Grant, Betty Brant, Ben Urich, Angela Yin, Ken Ellis, Foggy Nelson, and Liz Osborn are all in attendance. The only person who is unaccounted for is Peter Parker, who must be running late, something that doesn't surprise Jameson. However, everyone is wondering who was responsible for this gathering.
Elsewhere, Peter Parker wakes up in a dark room and discovers that he is wearing his original Spider-Man costume. His captor, holding out a pumpkin bomb, tells Peter that the pumpkin bomb is emitting a gas that will keep Parker disorientated until he is ready to get his final revenge. In the darkness, Peter can see that his attacker is wearing a Green Goblin costume and at first he thinks that somehow Harry Osborn, even though he is dead.[2] That's when his captor walks into the light he is revealed to be Norman Osborn. Peter cannot believe it, as he believes that Norman Osborn has been dead for years, impaled on his own Goblin Glider on the day he murdered Gwen Stacy.[3] To prove that he is not a clone or some kind of impostor, Norman rips open his shirt revealing a cross-shaped scar marking where he was impaled during his last battle with Spider-Man.
Back at the Daily Bugle, suspicions continue to mount as everyone notices that the paper's night staff is nowhere to be found. Adding to their paranoia is the discovery that the phone lines are dead, the elevators have been shut down, and all of the emergency exits have been locked, effectively trapping Jonah and the others in the Bugle's office. While at a sports bar in downtown Manhattan, Arthur Stacy is meeting with Detectives Francis Tork, Connor Trevan and Lou Snider.[4] Arthur explains that he has come back to New York after hearing of the recent discovery of a skeleton in a Spider-Man costume.[5] Stacy has come to believe that Spider-Man murdered someone and intends to find out. He has sought out the aid of these three detectives as they have all worked closely with the wall-crawler in the past.
Meanwhile, Norman Osborn mocks Peter Parker, deducing that his old foe is worried about his wife and their unborn child. Peter then asks how Norman managed to survive being impaled with his Goblin Glider. Norman gleefully explains that the Goblin formula that gave him his powers also gifted him with a healing factor that allowed him to recover from the otherwise fatal wound. He continues explaining what happened after his apparent demise, Norman begins putting on his Green Goblin costume. He tells Parker that he woke up in the morgue to see his son Harry bribing the coroner to alter the reports. Norman killed a homeless man who was put in place of his own body and is the corpse that was buried in his grave. He intended to strike at Peter right away, but he later discovered his son had found his Green Goblin gear. Thinking his son would finally become a man, Norman decided to fade into the background and give his son a chance to succeed.[6] Norman spend the ensuing years carving a criminal empire.[7] When Harry died recently, Norman blamed Spider-Man and decided to come back. Peter demands to know what Norman wants, and Osborn explains that he wants to take everything Peter Parker has: his friends, his family, and lastly his life.
At the Daily Bugle, the staff has decided to try to get the attention of people in the neighboring windows in order to get free. Suspecting that something is up, Ben Urich begins working on a story so he doesn't miss a possible scoop. Looking out one of the windows, Flash Thompson bumps into Betty Brant. However, it is not the happy reunion he was looking for, as Betty reminds him that their relationship was a long time ago and very much over, prompting Flash to find another window to look out of.[8] this is witnessed by Liz Osborn who is surprised to see Flash react that way, as it was much different than the Flash she knew in high school[9] After being introduced to Liz's friend Foggy Nelson, Flash explains his troubled relationship with Betty Brant.[10] The two of them remark how much they have both changed since they were kids and they wish Peter was there to reminisce with them.
Revelations
Still at Norman Osborn's mercy, Peter tries to explain that Osborn has the wrong person. However, Osborn knows that Peter is going to stay he is a clone and gloats over how deeply he was involved in the events in Peter's life. That's when the Goblin pulls Ben Reilly out of the swirling smoke around them. Osborn then explains that he was manipulating everyone behind the scenes from the Jackal down to the and Seward Trainer, all in an effort to trick and confuse both Parker and Ben Reilly. In reality, Peter Parker was always the genuine article and Ben Reilly was the clone.[11] Now fully in costume, the Green Goblin tosses Ben Reilly into Peter Parker and mounts his Goblin Glider and prepares to fly across the way to the Daily Bugle building. When Peter tries to stop him he is blasted and left falling down the side of the building. However, Parker manages to break his fall with a web-line. Still groggy from the gas, he can only watch helplessly as the Green Goblin flies over to the Bugle Building.
Back inside the building, Ben Reilly comes around and witnesses the Goblin flying away. Having heard none of what was revealed earlier, he is completely confused by the whole scenario. Still, he tries to struggle to his feet, but after the beating he received, Ben collapses to the floor again. His mind then drifts back to earlier that night when he was at the mercy of Norman Osborn.[12]
Then
Ben had just been blasted by Norman Osborn who then loads Reilly onto a helicopter. The whole time Norman mocked Spider-Man, calling him a clone. Thinking this is yet another lie and manipulation, Spider-Man lashes out refusing to allow Norman Osborn to cause more grief for Peter Parker and his wife Mary Jane.[13] Knocking themselves back outside of the helicopter, Norman beats Ben into submission. He then reveals that he is coming to the climax of a scheme that was years in the making. Not only is he going to utterly destroy Peter Parker, but he has also tricked all of his friends to meet at the offices of the Daily Bugle.
Now
... His recollection last but mere moments and the Green Goblin is still flying toward the Daily Bugle. Once again, Ben Reilly tries to must the strength to stop his mortal foe, as the lives of his friends and family are on the line. Helping Peter back up into the building, Ben warns his "brother" that Osborn has rigged the Bugle with explosives that are set to go off at midnight. Ben tries to get up to go after the Green Goblin, but Peter points out that he suffered a savage beating and is in no shape to go after their foe. With no other choice, Peter decides to fall back into the role of a hero and swings off as the original Spider-Man once again.
Across the street at the Daily Bugle, everyone there is shocked when the Green Goblin comes crashing in through the window. When J. Jonah Jameson recognizes Norman Osborn's voice, the Goblin is flattered and drags the newspaper publisher back outside. When Spider-Man tries to save Jonah, only to get his hands blasted by the Goblin's gauntlet blasters. This causes the web-slinger to let go of his webbing and fall down to the street below. The Green Goblin tells Jameson that he will die, but not yet and carries him back inside. Norman then confronts the window of his son, Liz Osborn, and slaps her across the face for encouraging his son Harry to be a weakling. As the rest of the Bugle staff watches in horror, the Green Goblin is then pulled back outside by Spider-Man who recovered from the fall. As the two eternal foes fight it out, people on the street begin to panic. Seeing this from across the street, Ben decides he can't just sit back and do nothing and begins to crawl down the side of the building.
At that moment, at the Daily Grind, Devon Lewis catches a news report about the battle between Spider-Man and the Green Goblin and decides to go and see it, despite the protests from his mother, Shirley Washington. Also seeing this is Arthur Stacy and the three police detectives who also begin rushing to the scene. Back uptown, Spider-Man dodges a barrage of pumpkin bombs as the Goblin rants about restoring his good name. However, Spider-Man refuses to stop until Norman finally tells him what happened to his wife and child. By this time, Ben Reilly has forced himself into the Daily Bugle newsroom, creating an escape for the others. Ben stays behind, using his spider-sense to locate all of the bombs that were planted by Norman Osborn. Flash Thompson comes back for Reilly, one of the bombs begins to go off. His spider-sense warning him of this, Ben shields Flash from the blast. Although the force of the explosion knocks out Thompson, he is alive. Unfortunately for Ben, he was seriously injured by the shrapnel. After binding his wounds, Ben decides to take the remaining bombs back to their own.
Triumph and Tragedy
Back outside, the Green Goblin continues to toss a barrage of pumpkin bombs and razor bats. He is furious how the wall-crawler continues to stand no matter what he throws at him. Spider-Man manages to kick the Goblin off his glider, explaining that he does it out of spite. Peter then pulls off both of their masks, saying that this battle is not just a war between Spider-Man and the Green Goblin, but between Peter Parker and Norman Osborn. Osborn begins to buckle under the stress of Parker's resistance and is knocked down by a single blow. That's when Ben arrives with the live bombs and asks Peter to do something about them. Putting his mask back on, Spider-Man prepares to dispose of the bombs when Norman activates the remote on his Goblin Glider. Seeing that it is heading on a collision course with Spider-Man, Ben Reilly leaps in its way, getting impaled through the back by the device. The glider then carries Ben over the rooftop where he falls to the ground below. Horrified by this, Spider-Man is caught off guard by the Green Goblin, who resumes his attack. With his lightning-fast reflexes, Spider-Man tosses the live bombs at the Green Goblin, catching the villain in the explosion. Set aflame, the Green Goblin curses Spider-Man and vows to return even though he goes crashing down otno the street and is seemingly vanquished in a massive explosion.
Spider-Man then rushes down to the street to check on Ben who is already being examined by paramedics. They tell the wall-crawler that there is nothing they can do to save Ben. Still clinging to live, Ben tells Spider-Man that -- clone or no clone -- Peter has earned the right to be Spider-Man. His final words to Peter are for him to raise his daughter well and to tell her about her "Uncle Ben". That's when Spider-Man notices something abnormal about Ben's arm and realizes the truth. He quickly scoops up Reilly's lifeless body and carries it up to a nearby rooftop where it finally dissolves into powder, the end result of instant cellular degeneration when one of the Jackal's clones dies. This proves to Spider-Man that he is the real Peter Parker after all. This does little to change the mood, and the wall-crawler begins to mourn the death of the man he had come to call his brother.[14] Changing back into Peter Parker, the web-slinger rushes to the hospital to find out what happened to Mary Jane.[15]
This time, he finds the room where his wife is resting after her complicated childbirth. There, she tries to tell him that their baby girl was stillborn. Peter already knows this and tells Mary Jane that they will get past this all the tears and pain and their love will see them through this tragedy and make them stronger than ever.
Epilogue One:
Several days after the death of Ben Reilly, the Parkers have a wake in the home of Peter's Aunt May. There they are gathered by friends and acquaintances of both Peter Parker and Ben Reilly. Among the mourners is mobster Jimmy-6, who approaches the Parkers and Mary Jane's Aunt Anna. He offers his condolences, telling them that Ben once saved his life.[16] He then asks to talk to Peter Parker in private, Peter agrees and the pair walks out onto the front porch of the house. He tells Peter that he meant it when he said that he would do anything for the Parkers. He also vows to kill the Green Goblin if he turns up alive, and he will kill Spider-Man as well if he learns that the wall-crawler has anything to do with Ben's death. Peter tells Jimmy that he wishes he could talk about this more but he has one last thing to do for Ben.
A short time later on the Brooklyn Bridge, Spider-Man holds an urn containing Ben Reilly's ashes. He says his final farewells, saying that Ben changed his life forever and he will remember him always.
Epilogue 2
As Ben Reilly's ashes spread across Manhattan, engineers are assessing the damage done to the Daily Bugle during the battle between Spider-Man and the Green Goblin. While their backs are turned, the Green Goblin emerges from the rubble and murders the two men in order to cover up the fact that he survived. As it turns out, the Green Goblin planned for such an outcome from their battle. As he strips off his costume, Norman Osborn leaves so he can prepare for what comes next...
Recurring Characters
Spider-Man (Parker & Reilly), Green Goblin, J. Jonah Jameson, Joe Robertson, Glory Grant, Betty Brant, Ben Urich, Angela Yin, Ken Ellis, Flash Thompson, Foggy Nelson, Liz Osborn, Normie Osborn, Mary Jane Watson, Anna Watson, Shirley Wasington, Devon Lewis, Buzz, Arthur Stacy, Francis Tork, Lou Snider, Connor Trevane, Martha Robertson, Marla Madison, John Jameson, Ashley Kafka, Jimmy-6
Continuity Notes
Peter and Mary Jane are referred to as 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.
At the time of this story, everyone thinks that Harry Osborn is dead following the events of The Spectacular Spider-Man #200. However, unknown to everyone at the time, Harry survived as explained in Amazing Spider-Man #581. He will resurface again in Amazing Spider-Man #545. Norman is responsible for covering up Harry's survival and to reinforce this idea, Norman is only pretending to believe his son to be dead here.
Norman murdered Gwen Stacy in Amazing Spider-Man #121 and seemingly perished in the following issue. How Norman survived and where he has been over the years, and everything he will say about the whole clone saga in this issue is explained in detail in Spider-Man: The Osborn Journal #1.
Lou Snider mentions how Arthur came in from Hong Kong, which he notes will be made part of China in 1999. Other than a brief occupation by Japan during World War II, Hong Kong was leased as a British territory in the 19th century until it was repatriated into China in 1999. Naturally, this should be considered a topical reference per the Sliding Timescale of Earth-616.
This skeleton was discovered in The Spectacular Spider-Man #231. It was then stolen by Ben Reilly in Sensational Spider-Man #2 and buried in Sensational Spider-Man #4. Its origins are revealed in Spider-Man: The Osborn Journal #1.
Norman observed Harry's first foray into the identity of the Green Goblin, a transformation that took place during the course of Amazing Spider-Man #123-137.
Per the Sliding Timescale of Earth-616 it has been roughly six years since the "death" of Norman Osborn and this story.
Betty and Flash had a troubled relationship that started in Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #109. Their relationship ended with little fanfare after The Spectacular Spider-Man #148.
Liz mentions how Flash once founded a Spider-Man fan club. That happened in Amazing Spider-Man #17.
Flash mentions the death of Betty's late husband, Ned Leeds. Ned was murdered in Spider-Man Versus Wolverine #1.
Ben Reilly was a clone created by the Jackal in Amazing Spider-Man #149. After his seeming death, he had recently resurfaced in Web of Spider-Man #117. The pair were tricked into thinking that Ben was the real Peter Parker in The Spectacular Spider-Man #226. How Norman orchestrated all of these deceptions from behind the scenes in Spider-Man: The Osborn Journal #1.
This flashback fills the gap between the end of Amazing Spider-Man #418 and Spider-Man #75.
Peter and Mary Jane are referred to as 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.
After this moment, Miles Warren secretly recovers some of Ben Reilly's reminds leading to his resurrection years later. This is revealed in Amazing Spider-Man Vol 4 #22.
The original twin towers of the World Trade Center are depicted as part of the New York City skyline here. This should be considered a topical reference per the Sliding Timescale of Earth-616. The original towers were destroyed in a terrorist attack on September 11, 2001, and have since been replaced by the Freedom Tower.
Ben saved Jimmy-6's life in Spider-Man #70.
