Axis: Hobgoblin #2
The police have surrounded an abandoned warehouse where the Goblin King is holding three children hostage. With the police pinned down, the Hobgoblin swoops in to rescue the kids. Unfortunately, the presence of two goblins frightens the children. The Goblin King has spent the past month killing all of Roderick Kingsley’s licensed Hobgoblins and then kidnapped these children in order to draw him out. The Goblin King intends to destroy the Hobgoblin now that he has become a hero.[1] This is because the Goblin King knows that Kingsley is faking it just to make more money.
Pinning his rival to the wall with his Goblin Glider, the Hobgoblin admits that fame and fortune are added bonuses. But as he takes a selfie with the kids and sends it to the New York Bulletin, he tells the Goblin King he does it for the children. He also mocks Phil Urich for using the same old tricks even though he’s gone from being the Hobgoblin to the Goblin King. When Urich asks Roderick what he is doing differently, that’s when the children are pulled out ot the warehouse by one of Kingsley’s new Hob-Heroes, Missile Mate. The Goblin King finally manages to pull free and as the two Goblins spare, Roderick continues to pitch his books and seminars, angering Phil. Urich reminds Kingsley that he kept secret the fact that Norman Osborn didn’t really kill him and that he owes him.[2] He tells Roderick to pay him 60% of is income or else. Kingsley tells Phil that negotiations should be more civilized and gives him his business card and takes off. The Goblin King can’t believe that Kingsley is calling his base of operations the Hob-Quarters. He is so furious he unleashes a sonic scream that causes the warehouse to collapse. The police outside figure their job here is done and one of them wonders what the Hobgoblin will do next.
After his encounter with the Goblin King, the Hobgoblin tapes an anti-bullying public service announcement. In it, the Hypno-Hustler has used his hypnotic music to make school children give him the cover charge at a school dance. Hobgoblin shows up and destroys Hypno-Hustler’s stereo. With the children freed from Hypno-Hustler’s control, they all gang up and beat on the villain. Turning to the camera, Hobgoblin tells children that sticking up for their friends is good manners that should make a hobby.
Watching this footage later, the Hobgoblin tells his Hob-Heroes that he was actually being followed by a film crew and took advantage of the situation and make it into a PSA, making the video go viral. He also talks about how he beat a villain using a ketchup bottle and scored a spokesperson deal. Missile Mate complains that cameras make it impossible for him to beat on villains the way he wants to. Kingsley scolds Myers, telling him that when he wears his costume he is an extension of him and will act accordingly. That’s when Phil Urich arrives for his meeting. Phil quickly knocks out Kingsley’s guards and orders him to take the deal. Phil is particularly annoyed with Kingsley because Phil was the first “good” Goblin and he even started a team that wanted to help people.[3] What Kingsley is doing now is a bastardization of what Phil had done in the past.
Kingsley refuses, glad that Urich is no longer calling himself the Hobgoblin because he brought embarrassment to the name.[4] Phil disagrees and becomes furious when Roderick starts hawking his book again. When he moves to attack, he is blocked by Kingsley’s newest recruit, Queen Cat. Phil is surprised to see that she is actually Lily Hollister, her former ally. When he tries to remind her of their pact, she doesn’t know what he is talking about because — unknown to Phil — Lily doesn’t remember who she is. The rest of the Hob-Heroes then join in forcing Phil to leap out the window and escape.[5] He leaves a flame message in the sky, telling Lily to find him. When Queen Cat asks Roderick why Urich kept calling her Lily, he tells her it’s just a mind game and to ignore it, saying any validity to Phil’s claims can’t be good. Kingsley then excuses himself because he has other business to conduct.
The Hobgoblin goes out to bust the Tinkerer, using the opportunity to plug his newest product a snack cake called Hob-Stoppers. Meanwhile, Phil Urich returns to the Goblin Nation hideout, furious that Kingsley managed to steal Lily from him. That’s when Missile Mate comes by and tells Phil that he wants to be a super-villain and is willing to betray the Hobgoblin to do it. Urich doesn’t see much value in recruiting Missile Mate, but that’s when the jaded would-be hero reveals that he has also recruited all of the super-villains that bought franchises from Kingsley and were promptly abandoned when he switched sides.
Recurring Characters
Hobgoblin, Goblin King, Hob-Heroes (Missile Mate, Flower Girl, Rocket Head, Wildstreak, Leather Boy, Queen Cat, Water Wizard), Hypno-Hustler, Tinkerer, 8-Ball, Killer Shrike, Tiger Shark, Melter, Unicorn, Squid
Continuity Notes
The Hobgoblin was caught in an axis spell that made him good. See Axis #3.
Norman Osborn, when he was the Goblin King, appeared to fight the Hobgoblin to the death in Superior Spider-Man #26. However, this was Roderick Kingsley’s butler, who was brainwashed into thinking he was the real Hobgoblin.
Phil Urich was the good Green Goblin from Green Goblin #1-13. He retired after his equipment was wrecked. He later formed Excelsior, a group that helped youths with superpowers back in Runaways (vol. 2) #1.
Phil Urich usurped the Hobgoblin identity for himself in Amazing Spider-Man #649 until he was outed by Spider-Man in Superior Spider-Man #15-16. He was later rescued by the Green Goblin and made his Goblin Knight. After Osborn’s downfall in Superior Spider-Man #31, Phil took over the Goblin King identity.
Lily Hollister was once Menace, another villain transformed by Norman Osborn’s Goblin Formula (See Amazing Spider-Man #584-588). She was part of Osborn’s Goblin Nation with Phil until she was cured by Spider-Man and arrested (See Superior Spider-Man #27-31). Phil tried to break her out of prison but lost track of her. Stricken with amnesia, she joined up with Kingsley’s Hob-Heroes to create a new identity for herself.
