====== Harry Osborn ======
===== Part 1: The Dossier: An At-a-Glance Summary =====
  *   **Core Identity:** **Harry Osborn is the tragic best friend of Peter Parker and the son of Norman Osborn, forever caught in the gravitational pull of his father's villainous legacy as the Green Goblin, a mantle he has both inherited and fought against in a lifelong battle for his own soul.**
  *   **Key Takeaways:**
  * **The Inheritor:** Harry's central conflict revolves around the legacy of the Green Goblin. He is not the originator of the evil but its most tragic victim, defined by his father's sins. His story is a poignant exploration of nature versus nurture, destiny, and the immense pressure of a name. [[green_goblin]].
  * **The Broken Friendship:** His relationship with [[spider-man_(peter_parker)|Peter Parker]] is one of the most complex and heartbreaking in comics. It's a bond of true brotherly love constantly fractured by secrets, betrayal, and the dual identities that place them on opposite sides of a deeply personal war.
  * **Multiple Tragedies:** Across different universes, Harry's fate is almost always tragic. Whether dying a hero's death, descending into madness, or being twisted into a demonic entity, his story rarely has a happy ending, serving as a constant, painful reminder of the collateral damage in Spider-Man's life.
  * **Key Incarnations:** In the Prime Comic Universe (Earth-616), Harry's journey is a long, winding road of mental illness, death, resurrection, and a recent, horrifying transformation into the villain Kindred. In major film adaptations (Sam Raimi's trilogy, The Amazing Spider-Man 2), his arc is condensed into a more direct and fatal descent into villainy, often driven by a perceived betrayal by Peter Parker. There is currently no direct Harry Osborn counterpart in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
===== Part 2: Origin and Evolution =====
==== Publication History and Creation ====
Harold "Harry" Osborn first appeared in **//The Amazing Spider-Man #31//** in December 1965. He was co-created by the legendary duo of writer **Stan Lee** and artist **Steve Ditko**. Initially introduced as a peripheral member of Peter Parker's new college social circle, Harry was designed to be a foil for Peter. While Peter was a working-class orphan struggling with finances and responsibility, Harry was the privileged, often aloof son of the wealthy industrialist Norman Osborn.
His creation was part of Lee and Ditko's deliberate expansion of Spider-Man's world beyond high school, populating Empire State University with a cast of characters who would challenge Peter Parker personally, not just physically. Harry's early characterization was that of a somewhat weak-willed young man living in his father's immense shadow, susceptible to peer pressure and craving approval. This foundation of insecurity and a desperate need for his father's love would become the fertile ground for decades of dramatic and tragic storytelling, cementing him as a cornerstone of the Spider-Man mythos. He wasn't just a friend; he was a walking representation of the life Peter could never have, and a ticking time bomb linked to Spider-Man's greatest foe.
==== In-Universe Origin Story ====
The origin of Harry Osborn is not one of superpowers, but of immense psychological trauma and inherited sin. His story is a slow-burn tragedy, shaped by the neglect and abuse of his father.
=== Earth-616 (Prime Comic Universe) ===
Harry Osborn's life began under a dark cloud. His father, the brilliant but ruthless industrialist [[norman_osborn|Norman Osborn]], was a cold and demanding figure. Harry's mother, Emily Osborn, died within a year of his birth, leaving him to be raised by a father who saw his son as little more than a disappointment and a failure to live up to the Osborn name. This emotional neglect fostered a deep-seated inferiority complex and an almost pathological need for his father's approval.
His life changed when he enrolled at Empire State University and was assigned Peter Parker as a roommate. Initially, Harry was part of the "in-crowd" with Gwen Stacy and Flash Thompson, and he looked down on the bookish and seemingly antisocial Peter. However, after witnessing Peter's decency, particularly towards his Aunt May, Harry's opinion shifted, and the two formed a genuine, powerful friendship. They became true confidants, with Harry offering Peter a glimpse into a world of wealth and privilege, and Peter providing Harry with the stable, supportive friendship he never received from his own family.
This fragile peace was shattered by a series of cascading events. The pressure from his father, coupled with relationship troubles with [[mary_jane_watson|Mary Jane Watson]], pushed Harry towards substance abuse, specifically hallucinogenic drugs. This led to an overdose, a turning point that further damaged his already strained relationship with Norman. During this tumultuous period, following Norman Osborn's apparent death in a battle with Spider-Man (as detailed in //The Amazing Spider-Man #122//), Harry discovered his father's secret identity as the Green Goblin.
Finding Spider-Man's costume in Peter's room, he incorrectly concluded that Peter was responsible for his father's "murder." This revelation, combined with his existing mental instability and grief, caused a complete psychotic break. Harry swore vengeance. He took up his father's mantle, becoming the second **Green Goblin**. His initial goal was not world domination, but the deeply personal destruction of Peter Parker. After several confrontations, he was defeated and taken into the care of psychiatrist Dr. Bart Hamilton, who managed to help Harry suppress the Goblin persona and the memories of his father's and his own time as the villain. For a time, Harry found peace. He took over Oscorp, became a successful businessman, and married his long-time girlfriend, Liz Allan, with whom he had a son, Norman "Normie" Harry Osborn.
However, the Goblin legacy was a poison in his bloodline. A new Hobgoblin's machinations and lingering psychological triggers eventually caused his memories to resurface with a vengeance. He descended back into madness, believing his family was holding him back and that his destiny was to be the one true Green Goblin. This culminated in a final, desperate plan to blow up a building filled with his "rivals," only to realize at the last moment that his own son, Normie, and his best friend, Mary Jane, were inside. In a moment of clarity and redemption, Harry saved them but exposed himself to a new, experimental version of the Goblin Formula he had ingested. The formula was fatally toxic. He died in Peter Parker's arms, finally free, telling his friend, "You're my best friend." ((//Spectacular Spider-Man #200//, 1993)).
Years later, in the controversial //Brand New Day// storyline, Harry was revealed to be alive. His death was retconned as having been faked by his father Norman (with the help of the demonic [[mephisto|Mephisto]] and Mysterio). He returned to Peter's life, and for a time, attempted to be a hero, using Oscorp tech to become the patriotic hero **American Son**. This path was fraught with manipulation by his still-evil father. His most recent and terrifying transformation was his reveal as the demonic tormentor **Kindred**, a hellish being who was later revealed to be an AI construct embedded with Harry's consciousness, created by Mysterio and Norman Osborn to enact a twisted form of revenge on Peter. This storyline solidified Harry's role as one of the most tortured and existentially tormented characters in Marvel Comics.
=== Major Cinematic Adaptations (Non-MCU) ===
It is critical to note that as of the current timeline, **Harry Osborn does not exist in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (Earth-199999)**. Peter Parker's best friend in the MCU is Ned Leeds, who shares some character traits with the comic book's Ganke Lee. However, Harry has been a central figure in two prior major film series.
==== Sam Raimi's //Spider-Man// Trilogy (Earth-96283) ====
Portrayed by James Franco, this version of Harry is introduced in //Spider-Man// (2002) as Peter Parker's best friend since high school. Much like his comic counterpart, he is the wealthy son of Norman Osborn (Willem Dafoe), constantly seeking his father's approval and feeling overshadowed by Peter's genius. He harbors a crush on Mary Jane Watson, creating a complex love triangle.
His origin as a villain is a direct result of Norman's death at the hands of Spider-Man. Believing Spider-Man murdered his father, Harry vows revenge. In //Spider-Man 2// (2004), his obsession grows. He takes control of Oscorp and funds Doctor Octopus's fusion experiment in exchange for him capturing Spider-Man. Upon unmasking the hero and seeing his best friend's face, Harry is thrown into a state of shock and emotional turmoil. In //Spider-Man 3// (2007), he follows in his father's footsteps, using Oscorp's performance enhancers and technology to become the **New Goblin**. After a battle with Peter gives him amnesia, he temporarily forgets his vendetta. However, his memories are restored, and he is goaded by a vision of his father to attack Peter again. He is ultimately defeated but learns the truth about his father's death from his butler. In a final act of redemption, he arrives to help Peter in his fight against Sandman and Venom, sacrificing his own life to save Peter from Venom's glider, mirroring his father's death. He dies with Peter and Mary Jane at his side, having finally reconciled with his friend.
==== //The Amazing Spider-Man 2// (Earth-120703) ====
In this continuity, portrayed by Dane DeHaan, Harry is Peter Parker's childhood friend who has been away at boarding school for years. His origin is tied to a genetic disease, "retroviral hyperplasia," which has afflicted the Osborn family for generations and killed his father, Norman.
Upon returning to New York to take over Oscorp, a desperate Harry believes that Spider-Man's blood, created from the genetically modified spiders that also gave Peter his powers, is the only cure. When Peter, fearing the unpredictable side effects of a blood transfusion (correctly suspecting it could kill Harry or worse), refuses, Harry becomes enraged and feels deeply betrayed. Using information left by his father, he makes a deal with the incarcerated Max Dillon (Electro) and locates a secret Oscorp special project: a venom derived from the spiders' altered DNA. Believing it will save him, he injects it. Instead of curing him, the venom accelerates his disease, horribly transforming him into a grotesque, goblin-like creature. He dons an advanced Oscorp combat suit and glider, becoming this universe's Green Goblin. In a climactic battle, he attacks Spider-Man and, in a direct adaptation of the comics, is responsible for the death of Gwen Stacy. He is subsequently defeated and imprisoned in the Ravencroft Institute.
===== Part 3: Abilities, Equipment & Personality =====
=== Personality and Psychology ===
Across all versions, Harry's personality is defined by a core of **deep-seated insecurity and emotional vulnerability**. He is fundamentally a good person warped by a toxic upbringing.
  *   **Inferiority Complex:** Living under the shadow of his brilliant, powerful, and utterly dismissive father, Norman, instilled in Harry a lifelong feeling of inadequacy. He constantly seeks validation, whether from his father, his friends, or in his business pursuits. This makes him highly susceptible to manipulation.
  *   **Loyalty and Love:** At his core, Harry possesses an immense capacity for love and loyalty. His friendship with Peter Parker is genuine and profound. He values his relationships deeply, which is why betrayals (real or perceived) cut him so deeply and often serve as the catalyst for his descent into darkness.
  *   **Mental Instability:** In Earth-616, Harry suffers from severe, recurring mental illness. This is partly genetic, partly a result of his traumatic childhood, and massively exacerbated by his exposure to the Goblin Formula. He suffers from hallucinations, paranoia, and psychotic breaks, often blurring the line between his own identity and the Green Goblin persona.
  *   **A Duality of Self:** Harry is in a constant war with himself. There is the kind, gentle, and loyal friend, and then there is the bitter, vengeful, and chaotic Green Goblin. His greatest tragedies occur when the latter consumes the former.
=== Earth-616 (Prime Comic Universe) ===
==== Powers and Abilities (as Green Goblin) ====
When under the influence of the **Goblin Formula**, a mutagenic chemical compound developed by Oscorp, Harry gains a range of superhuman abilities. While the version he took was initially thought to be a modified, less potent version than his father's, it still granted him:
  * **Superhuman Strength:** Capable of lifting several tons, allowing him to fight on par with Spider-Man.
  * **Superhuman Speed, Stamina, and Agility:** His reflexes and movements are enhanced to the peak of human potential and beyond.
  * **Enhanced Durability:** He can withstand physical impacts that would severely injure or kill a normal human.
  * **Regenerative Healing Factor:** The formula grants him an accelerated healing ability, allowing him to recover from injuries faster than a normal person.
  * **Genius-Level Intellect:** While often clouded by insanity, Harry possesses a brilliant mind for business, chemistry, and engineering, inherited from his father. He has been shown to analyze, modify, and improve upon his father's Goblin technology.
==== Equipment and Arsenal ====
Harry utilizes a slightly modified version of his father's classic Green Goblin arsenal.
  * **Goblin Glider:** A high-speed, bat-shaped personal flight vehicle. It is incredibly maneuverable, armed with machine guns, heat-seeking missiles, and sharp blades. It responds to mental commands via a cybernetic link in his mask.
  * **Pumpkin Bombs:** His signature weapon, coming in various forms:
    * **Concussive/Incendiary:** Standard high-explosive grenades.
    * **Gas/Smoke Bombs:** Release hallucinogens, anesthetics, or dense smoke screens.
    * **Specialty Bombs:** Including bombs that release Razor Bats.
  * **Razor Bats:** Sharp, bat-shaped throwing projectiles, similar to shuriken.
  * **Electro-Blast Gloves:** Gauntlets capable of delivering powerful electric shocks, typically firing focused energy blasts from the fingertips.
  * **Goblin Costume:** A green, scaled costume that is bulletproof and insulated against electricity.
==== As American Son ====
During his brief heroic career, Harry wore the **American Son** armor, a suit of power armor designed by Oscorp. It granted him superhuman strength and durability, flight via boot jets, and was equipped with repulsor-like energy blasters and a wrist-mounted energy shield.
=== Major Cinematic Adaptations (Non-MCU) ===
==== New Goblin (Sam Raimi Trilogy) ====
James Franco's version used a more streamlined and modern set of Oscorp equipment.
  * **Sky Stick:** A smaller, more agile version of the Goblin Glider that resembled a snowboard. It featured retractable blades and missile launchers.
  * **Arsenal:** He used updated Pumpkin Bombs, a detachable sword from the Sky Stick, and throwing blades. His mask was more of a helmet and goggles combination, and his costume was a black bodysuit.
==== Green Goblin (The Amazing Spider-Man 2) ====
Dane DeHaan's version utilized a bleeding-edge Oscorp military prototype.
  * **Combat Armor:** A powerful exoskeleton that provided immense durability and integrated with the glider system.
  * **Advanced Glider:** A larger, more complex glider capable of high-speed flight and combat maneuvers.
  * **Weaponry:** He used traditional Pumpkin Bombs and other advanced Oscorp weaponry. His transformation was physical, so his "mask" was his own mutated face.
===== Part 4: Key Relationships & Network =====
==== Core Allies ====
  *   **[[spider-man_(peter_parker)|Peter Parker / Spider-Man]]**: This is the defining relationship of Harry's life. Peter is the brother Harry never had, the one source of unwavering support in his youth. The tragedy of their relationship is that the person Harry loves most is also the sworn enemy of the persona he is destined to inherit. Every battle between Spider-Man and the Green Goblin (Harry) is layered with the pain of this broken brotherhood. Peter constantly tries to save Harry from himself, a struggle that often ends in failure and immense guilt.
  *   **Liz Allan**: Harry's long-time girlfriend and eventual wife in the comics. Liz represented a chance at a normal, happy life, free from the shadow of the Osborn name. Their marriage and the birth of their son, Normie, were a period of genuine peace for Harry. Her eventual departure, unable to handle his return to the Goblin persona, was a key factor in his final descent before his original death.
  *   **Mary Jane Watson**: Before her iconic relationship with Peter, Mary Jane dated Harry. Their relationship was often turbulent, strained by Harry's growing instability and drug use. Despite this, they remained friends, and MJ was one of the few people who could occasionally break through his Goblin persona, appealing to the man underneath.
==== Arch-Enemies ====
  *   **[[norman_osborn|Norman Osborn / The Original Green Goblin]]**: Harry's greatest enemy is, without question, his own father. Norman's abuse, neglect, and manipulation are the root of all of Harry's trauma. Even after his death, Norman's legacy haunted Harry, goading him towards insanity from beyond the grave. When Norman returned to life, he continued to see Harry as a tool and a pawn, attempting to control him and weaponize him against Spider-Man. The conflict between father and son is a dark, oedipal struggle for identity and freedom.
  *   **Spider-Man**: While he loves Peter Parker, Harry as the Green Goblin utterly despises Spider-Man. He blames Spider-Man for his father's death, for his own perceived failures, and for "stealing" the affection of those he cares about (like MJ and his own father). This makes their battles intensely personal and emotionally devastating for both men. Harry knows all of Peter's weaknesses, both physical and emotional, and is not afraid to exploit them.
==== Affiliations ====
  *   **[[Oscorp]]**: As the heir to the Osborn fortune, Harry has always been affiliated with Oscorp. He has served as its CEO on multiple occasions, sometimes using its vast resources for good (as a legitimate businessman or as American Son) and other times using its secret projects and weapons technology to fuel his activities as the Green Goblin. The corporation is a physical manifestation of his father's legacy—a source of immense power that can be used for creation or destruction.
===== Part 5: Iconic Events & Storylines =====
=== The Night Gwen Stacy Died (//The Amazing Spider-Man #121-122//) ===
While this is Norman Osborn's most infamous act, its fallout defined Harry's future. Discovering that his father was the Green Goblin and had been killed in battle with Spider-Man—on the same night his friend Gwen Stacy died—is the singular event that broke Harry's mind. It planted the seeds of vengeance that would eventually sprout into his own transformation into the Green Goblin. The story's aftermath follows Harry's grief and his discovery of his father's secrets, setting him on a collision course with Peter Parker.
=== The Child Within (//Spectacular Spider-Man #178-184//) ===
This seminal storyline by J.M. DeMatteis is arguably the definitive Harry Osborn story. It delves deep into the psychological trauma inflicted upon Harry by Norman. Through a series of hypnotic sessions and flashbacks, the story explores the profound emotional abuse Harry suffered as a child. It masterfully links his past trauma to his present instability, culminating in his full, terrifying return as the Green Goblin. He mentally tortures Spider-Man, arguing that Peter's "love" is a poison that destroys everyone he touches. It's a dark, psychological masterpiece that establishes Harry not as a simple villain, but as a deeply damaged victim.
=== Best of Enemies (//Spectacular Spider-Man #200//) ===
The culmination of "The Child Within" arc. Harry, now fully consumed by the Goblin persona, enacts his final plan to kill Spider-Man and destroy the "weak" parts of his own past. He traps Spider-Man in Oscorp Tower, which is rigged to explode. In a moment of madness, he also threatens Mary Jane and his own son, Normie. However, when faced with the reality of killing his own child, the real Harry breaks through the madness. He saves them all from the explosion but dies in the process from the toxic effects of the new Goblin Formula he had taken. His final words to Peter—"You're my best friend"—provided a tragic but heroic end to his character arc that would stand for over a decade.
=== The Kindred Saga (//Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 5)//) ===
This sprawling, complex modern epic completely redefined Harry's character. A new, demonic villain named Kindred appears, possessing supernatural powers and an intimate knowledge of Peter Parker's life and secret identity. He torments Peter relentlessly, resurrecting his dead enemies and forcing him to confront his greatest failures. After years of mystery, Kindred was revealed to be Harry Osborn—or rather, a hellish duplicate created from his soul after his deal with Mephisto to save Aunt May erased Peter's marriage from history. This version of Harry remembered the original timeline and sought to punish Peter for the sins he no longer remembered. The story was later retconned again, revealing Kindred to be a complex AI construct based on Harry's mind. Regardless of the convoluted specifics, this storyline transformed Harry from a psychologically damaged man into a supernatural force of damnation, representing the ultimate consequence of Peter's darkest choices.
===== Part 6: Variants and Alternative Versions =====
  *   **Ultimate Universe (Earth-1610):** A starkly different interpretation. In this universe, the Goblin Formula physically transforms its user into a monstrous, Hulk-like creature. After witnessing his father Norman inject himself and become the monstrous Green Goblin, a traumatized Harry is subjected to similar genetic therapy. He eventually transforms into a large, orange, fiery creature known as the **Hobgoblin**. He possesses immense strength and pyrokinesis but has little of the cunning of his 616 counterpart, often acting more like a creature of rage and pain. He is ultimately killed by his own father during a battle with S.H.I.E.L.D.
  *   **Sam Raimi's //Spider-Man// Trilogy (Earth-96283):** As detailed above, James Franco's Harry becomes the "New Goblin." This version is notable for his arc being entirely self-contained within the trilogy, progressing from loyal friend to vengeful son to redeemed hero, culminating in a noble sacrifice. His technology is sleeker and his motivations are purely centered on avenging his father, whom he believes was a good man murdered by Spider-Man.
  *   **//The Amazing Spider-Man 2// (Earth-120703):** Dane DeHaan's version is driven by desperation and a terminal illness. His transformation is much faster and more grotesque than other versions. He is motivated by a feeling of betrayal from Peter and becomes the Green Goblin to seize power and save himself. He is directly responsible for Gwen Stacy's death, making him a much darker and more immediately impactful villain than the Raimi version.
  *   **//Marvel's Spider-Man// Video Game Series (Earth-1048):** Developed by Insomniac Games, this Harry is perhaps the most sympathetic modern version. He is Peter's best friend and co-founder of a scientific project to save the environment. Critically, he is suffering from the same genetic disease that killed his mother. To save him, Norman Osborn places him in stasis with an experimental black substance—the **Venom symbiote**. In //Marvel's Spider-Man 2//, the symbiote is used to cure Harry, but he becomes its host, turning into the powerful and violent Venom, manipulated by the symbiote's desire to "heal the world" through conquest. This version never becomes the Goblin, but instead becomes another one of Spider-Man's greatest foes in a deeply tragic arc.
===== See Also =====
  * [[norman_osborn]]
  * [[spider-man_(peter_parker)]]
  * [[green_goblin]]
  * [[oscorp]]
  * [[gwen_stacy]]
  * [[mary_jane_watson]]
  * [[liz_allan]]
===== Notes and Trivia =====
((Harry's first appearance was in //The Amazing Spider-Man #31// (1965).))
((His first appearance as the Green Goblin was in //The Amazing Spider-Man #136// (1974).))
((His iconic death occurred in //Spectacular Spider-Man #200// (1993) and was a major, lasting event in the comics for nearly 15 years before the //One More Day// and //Brand New Day// retcon in 2008.))
((The name of Harry's son, Norman "Normie" Osborn, is a direct and constant reminder of the legacy that haunts the family.))
((In live-action, Harry has been portrayed by James Franco in the Sam Raimi trilogy and by Dane DeHaan in //The Amazing Spider-Man 2//. Chris Cooper portrayed Norman Osborn in that film, dying on-screen before he could become the Green Goblin.))
((The "Kindred" identity was one of the longest-running mysteries in modern Spider-Man comics, with fans speculating for years about who was behind the mask.))
((The idea of a "good" Osborn, fighting against his family's evil legacy, is a recurring theme that was also explored through Liz Allan's son, Normie, who briefly took on the Green Goblin mantle himself before being talked down by Spider-Man.))