Harry Osborn made his first appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #31, published in December 1965. He was co-created by the legendary duo of writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko. Initially, Harry was introduced not as a close friend but as a member of the affluent, popular clique at Empire State University, alongside Gwen Stacy and Flash Thompson. He was presented as a somewhat arrogant and aloof figure, looking down on the bookish and seemingly standoffish Peter Parker. This characterization was part of Marvel's broader strategy in the 1960s to create a more grounded and relatable universe. By giving Peter Parker a complex college social life, complete with rivals and potential friends, Lee and Ditko deepened the world beyond superhero battles. Harry's evolution from a minor antagonist in Peter's social life to his roommate and eventual best friend was a gradual process that mirrored the growing soap-operatic complexity of the series. His family connection to the mysterious industrialist Norman Osborn was a seed planted early on, which would grow to become one of the most important and tragic pillars of the entire Spider-Man saga. His character truly came into his own in the landmark 1971 storyline in The Amazing Spider-Man #96-98, which tackled the then-taboo subject of drug abuse. This arc, published without the approval of the Comics Code Authority, cemented Harry's role as a vulnerable and tragic figure, not just a rich kid, and set the stage for his later psychological breakdowns.
The origin of Harry Osborn is not one of powers, but of pressure. He is a character forged in the crucible of a neglectful father's ambition and the shadow of a superhuman world he was never meant to join.
Harold Theopolis Osborn was born into immense wealth and privilege as the only son of the brilliant, ruthless industrialist Norman Osborn, founder and CEO of Oscorp. From a young age, Harry's life was defined by his father's coldness and overwhelming expectations. Norman was often emotionally and verbally abusive, viewing his son as a disappointment and an unworthy heir. This constant pressure to live up to the Osborn name instilled in Harry a deep-seated insecurity and a desperate craving for his father's approval. Upon enrolling at Empire State University, he met Peter Parker. Initially, Harry disliked Peter, seeing him as arrogant and anti-social. However, after learning of Peter's personal struggles caring for his ailing Aunt May, Harry's perspective shifted. He extended a hand of friendship, and the two quickly became inseparable, eventually becoming roommates. For Peter, Harry represented a connection to a normal life, a friend who knew him only as a student, not a superhero. For Harry, Peter was a source of stability and genuine companionship, a stark contrast to his demanding father. This friendship was shattered by a series of devastating events. Harry spiraled into drug addiction (specifically LSD and amphetamines) due to academic and romantic pressures, culminating in an overdose. Around the same time, his father, who had been operating secretly as the original Green Goblin, engaged in a final, fateful battle with Spider-Man that resulted in Gwen Stacy's death and Norman's own apparent demise. Devastated and mentally unstable from his father's death and the lingering effects of the drugs, Harry discovered Peter's Spider-Man costume in their apartment. Connecting Spider-Man to his father's death, he suffered a complete psychotic break. He located his father's Green Goblin equipment and, swearing vengeance, took up the mantle himself. This began his long, tragic journey as the second Green Goblin, a villain driven not by greed or power, but by pain, grief, and a fractured psyche.
Harry Osborn's story has been adapted for the big screen multiple times, but notably, not within the core Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) to date. The two most prominent versions exist in Sony's standalone Spider-Man film series.
Portrayed by James Franco, this version of Harry is introduced in Spider-Man (2002) as Peter Parker's (Tobey Maguire) best friend from high school. His core motivation is to earn the respect and love of his father, Norman (Willem Dafoe). He is deeply loyal to Peter but also jealous of his father's mentor-like affection for him. After Norman's death as the Green Goblin, a butler convinces Harry that Spider-Man was the murderer. This sets him on a path of vengeance that consumes him through Spider-Man 2 (2004), where he takes over Oscorp and makes a deal with Doctor Octopus to capture the web-slinger. Upon unmasking his hated enemy and finding his best friend, Harry is thrown into a state of shock and rage. In Spider-Man 3 (2007), he finally becomes the New Goblin, using a modified version of his father's technology. After a brutal fight with Peter, he develops partial amnesia, temporarily forgetting his vendetta. However, his memories are restored, and he attempts to ruin Peter's life before finally learning the truth about his father's death. In a moment of redemption, he allies with Peter against Venom and the Sandman, ultimately sacrificing his own life to save his friend, dying as a hero.
Portrayed by Dane DeHaan, this Harry Osborn has a different backstory. He was Peter Parker's (Andrew Garfield) childhood friend before being sent away to boarding school. He returns to New York to see his dying father, Norman, who reveals that the Osborns are afflicted by a genetic disease, “retroviral hyperplasia.” Norman gives Harry his life's research before dying, making Harry the new CEO of Oscorp. Desperate for a cure, Harry becomes convinced that Spider-Man's genetically-altered blood is the key. When Spider-Man refuses, fearing the unpredictable side effects, Harry's desperation turns to hatred. Aided by the duplicitous Donald Menken and using the venom from Oscorp's genetically engineered spiders, he subjects himself to a transformative process. The venom horribly mutates him while granting him enhanced abilities. Donning a powerful Oscorp combat suit and glider, he becomes a more technologically advanced and physically grotesque Green Goblin. In his first and only act as the Goblin in the film, he deduces Spider-Man's identity and, in a direct act of vengeance, causes the death of Gwen Stacy before being defeated and imprisoned.
Harry's capabilities are intrinsically linked to the Green Goblin legacy, varying significantly between his human and enhanced states.
Harry Osborn is one of the most psychologically complex characters in Spider-Man's circle. At his core, he is a deeply loyal and caring friend, but this is perpetually at war with a crippling inferiority complex and emotional fragility instilled by his father. He is prone to jealousy, paranoia, and explosive rage when under duress. His battle with drug addiction is a testament to his escapist tendencies. When he operates as the Green Goblin, his personality fractures. He becomes cunning, sadistic, and obsessed, channeling his father's cruelty but filtering it through his own personal pain and sense of betrayal. After his resurrection in “Brand New Day,” he showed a more mature and repentant side, actively trying to atone for his past and build a stable life for his family, though the shadow of the Osborn curse always loomed.
Harry's powers are derived from the Goblin Formula, a chemical serum developed by his father.
Harry utilizes the classic Green Goblin arsenal, with some personal modifications over the years.
During the “Dark Reign” era, Harry briefly wore a sophisticated suit of patriotic-themed power armor designed by his father. The American Son armor granted him superhuman strength, durability, flight, and a variety of advanced weapon systems, including repulsor rays and missiles.
The film versions adapted the core concepts of the Green Goblin but with distinct technological and aesthetic differences.
This incarnation focused on a sleeker, more militaristic design.
This version was a product of Oscorp's military-industrial complex and genetic experimentation.
While Norman Osborn was the central villain of this arc, its aftermath was the catalyst for Harry's transformation. After witnessing Spider-Man deliver the apparently dead body of his father, Harry's fragile mind snapped. Secretly removing Norman's Green Goblin costume before the authorities arrived, he preserved his father's secret and vowed revenge on Spider-Man, whom he blamed for everything. This event directly set him on the path to becoming the next Green Goblin.
This is Harry's official debut as the Green Goblin. Plagued by hallucinations of his father, Harry finally dons the costume and attacks Peter Parker. In a psychologically twisted plan, he kidnaps their mutual friends—Mary Jane, Flash Thompson, and Peter's Aunt May—and rigs a trap. The ensuing battle with Spider-Man is more personal and desperate than any before. It ends not with a triumphant victory, but with a tragedy, as Spider-Man defeats his friend, who is then sent to a psychiatric hospital, his memory of being the Goblin and Peter's identity suppressed by therapy.
A masterpiece of psychological horror by writer J.M. DeMatteis, this storyline delves into the deep-seated trauma of Harry's childhood. The return of the villain Vermin triggers Harry's repressed memories of his father's emotional abuse and the pressure to be a “true Osborn.” The storyline masterfully parallels Harry's suffering with that of Vermin and Peter, showing how all three were damaged by their “fathers.” This arc irrevocably shatters Harry's fragile peace, causing his Goblin persona to resurface with a vengeance, setting the stage for his final confrontation.
This is the heartbreaking climax of Harry Osborn's original life story. Having fully embraced the Green Goblin mantle and slowly dying from a modified, more toxic version of the Goblin Formula, Harry makes one last, desperate attempt at revenge. He plans to blow up a building filled with New York's elite, with both himself and Spider-Man inside. However, upon discovering that his own son Normie and Mary Jane are also in the building, Harry has a final moment of clarity. Overcoming the Goblin's influence, he rescues them both, acknowledging Peter as his best friend before collapsing. He dies in Peter's arms, a redeemed hero, finally free from his father's shadow.
This modern storyline dramatically retconned Harry's history. It revealed that after his death, his soul was sent to Hell and manipulated by Mephisto. This soul became the demonic being Kindred, who returned to Earth to torment Peter for his “sins,” primarily the deal made in “One More Day” that erased his marriage to Mary Jane. The “living” Harry Osborn who had returned in “Brand New Day” was revealed to be a clone, who ultimately dies heroically. The storyline culminates with Norman Osborn capturing the Kindred entity, leaving the ultimate fate of Harry's true soul terrifyingly ambiguous and cementing his status as a figure of perpetual tragedy.