Harry Osborn

• Core Identity: The heir to the Osborn legacy, Harry Osborn is the tragic best friend of Peter Parker, forever caught in a devastating cycle of loyalty, jealousy, and madness precipitated by the shadow of his father, the original green_goblin.
• Key Takeaways:
• Role in the Universe: Harold “Harry” Osborn serves as a central pillar in the spider-man mythos, representing the profound personal cost of Peter Parker's double life. He is simultaneously Peter's closest confidant and one of his most deeply personal and dangerous adversaries.
• Primary Impact: Harry's story is a multi-generational tragedy exploring themes of inherited sin, mental illness, and the struggle for identity. His transformation from a troubled youth into the second Green Goblin, his subsequent death, and his controversial resurrection have had lasting consequences for Spider-Man and the supporting cast, most notably his ex-wife liz_allan and their son, Normie Osborn.
• Key Incarnations: In the prime comic universe (Earth-616), Harry has a long, complex history that includes multiple stints as the Green Goblin, a heroic death, a magical resurrection, and a recent transformation into the heroic Gold Goblin. In contrast, his major cinematic portrayals (e.g., the Sam Raimi and Marc Webb films) present condensed, self-contained tragic arcs that typically end with his death, solidifying him as a pivotal, but ultimately finite, antagonist.

Harry Osborn made his first appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #31 in December 1965. He was created by the legendary duo of writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko. Initially, Harry was introduced to expand Peter Parker's world beyond high school, providing him with a new social circle as he entered Empire State University. Alongside gwen_stacy, Harry was a core component of Peter's new college life. His creation was strategically significant. Stan Lee needed a supporting character who could serve as Peter's peer but also connect directly to the burgeoning threat of the Green Goblin, whose civilian identity was still a mystery at the time. By making Harry the son of the wealthy industrialist norman_osborn, Lee and Ditko created a dramatic powder keg. This connection ensured that the eventual reveal of Norman as the Goblin would have a deeply personal and devastating impact on Peter, weaving the hero's civilian and costumed lives together in an unprecedentedly tragic way. Harry evolved from a simple college rival into one of the most complex and enduring figures in Spider-Man's history.

The origin of Harry Osborn is not one of superpowers, but of circumstance and psychology, heavily influenced by the immense pressure and neglect from his father.

Harry Osborn was born to the brilliant but ruthless industrialist Norman Osborn and his wife, Emily. Emily died within a year of Harry's birth, a tragedy that hardened Norman and led him to become a cold, emotionally distant father. Throughout his childhood, Harry desperately sought his father's approval and affection but was consistently met with disappointment and high expectations he could never meet. This dynamic fostered a deep-seated inferiority complex and a desperate need for validation. He enrolled at Empire State University, where he met Peter Parker. Initially, Harry was jealous of the attention his father gave Peter for his scientific acumen, leading to a brief rivalry. However, they soon bonded over their shared personal troubles and became best friends and roommates. During this time, Harry was part of a core friend group that included Peter, Gwen Stacy, and mary_jane_watson, with whom he had a brief and tumultuous relationship. The turning point in Harry's life came with the apparent death of his father during a battle with Spider-Man (as depicted in The Amazing Spider-Man #122). While cleaning out his father's belongings, Harry discovered the Green Goblin's costume and equipment. Already struggling with emotional instability and a growing drug addiction (specifically to LSD), the shock of learning his father was the Green Goblin and that Spider-Man was his best friend Peter Parker shattered his psyche. Consumed by grief and a twisted sense of filial duty, he swore revenge on Spider-Man. He took up his father's mantle, becoming the second Green Goblin. His first tenure was marked by instability; he was not as skilled or as ruthless as his father and was eventually defeated and taken to the Ravencroft Institute for psychiatric care under the treatment of Dr. Bart Hamilton. For a time, amnesiac therapy suppressed his memories of being the Goblin, allowing him a period of normalcy. He took over his father's company, oscorp, and married his girlfriend, Liz Allan, with whom he had a son, Norman “Normie” Osborn. However, the Goblin persona was a poison in his mind. A series of stressful events and manipulations by the original hobgoblin caused his memories to resurface with a vengeance. His mental state deteriorated rapidly, leading him to become a more dangerous and unhinged Green Goblin. This culminated in the “Best of Enemies” storyline in Spectacular Spider-Man #200, where he planned to blow up a building with himself, Spider-Man, and Mary Jane inside. In a final moment of clarity, realizing he was about to orphan his own son just as he had been, Harry rescued Peter and MJ before succumbing to a new, more toxic version of the Goblin Formula, dying in Peter's arms as a friend. Years later, during the “Brand New Day” storyline, Harry's death was retconned. It was revealed that Norman Osborn had faked his son's death and had him spirited away to Europe for recovery, part of a complex deal Norman made with the demon Mephisto. His return to New York re-established his complicated friendship with Peter, though the threat of his dark past always loomed. Recently, after a confrontation with the villain Kindred (a demonic version of himself from a hellish timeline) and having his sins “cleansed” by the Sin-Eater, Harry has been haunted by his past actions and has adopted the new heroic persona of the Gold Goblin to atone.

Harry Osborn's story has been adapted multiple times for film, with each version presenting a unique, often condensed, interpretation of his tragic arc. There is currently no known Harry Osborn in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), though the presence of the Raimi-verse Norman Osborn in Spider-Man: No Way Home suggests an MCU variant could exist.

Portrayed by James Franco, this version of Harry is introduced in Spider-Man (2002) as Peter Parker's best friend since high school. Like his comic counterpart, he lives in the shadow of his brilliant and demanding father, Norman (Willem Dafoe), and is in love with Mary Jane Watson, who secretly loves Peter. After Norman's death as the Green Goblin, Harry mistakenly blames Spider-Man. In Spider-Man 2 (2004), Harry's obsession with revenge deepens. He takes control of Oscorp and funds Otto Octavius's fusion experiment, which ultimately creates Doctor Octopus. At the film's end, he unmasks a defeated Spider-Man, only to be horrified to discover it is Peter. This culminates in Spider-Man 3 (2007), where Harry, guided by a hallucination of his father, discovers the Goblin lair and becomes the New Goblin. He uses a modified Goblin Formula and advanced Oscorp technology, including a flying “Sky Stick” snowboard, to attack Peter. A battle leaves him with partial amnesia, temporarily restoring their friendship. However, his memories return, and he is manipulated by Sandman and Venom into joining them against Spider-Man. In the final battle, witnessing the overwhelming odds against his old friend, Harry has a change of heart. He swoops in to save Peter from Venom, but is fatally impaled by his own glider in the process, dying as a hero and a friend.

Portrayed by Dane DeHaan, this Harry Osborn is a starkly different character. He is established as Peter's childhood friend who has been away at boarding school for years. He returns to New York because his father, Norman Osborn (Chris Cooper), is dying from a rare, genetic disease called “retroviral hyperplasia.” Upon Norman's death, Harry learns he has inherited the same fatal illness. Believing that Spider-Man's blood holds the cure (based on Richard Parker's research), he becomes desperate. When Spider-Man (as Peter) refuses, fearing the unpredictable side effects, Harry grows resentful and paranoid. He is forced out of Oscorp by its board and makes a deal with the captive Max Dillon (Electro). Breaking into a secret Oscorp facility, he injects himself with raw spider-venom. Instead of curing him, it accelerates his disease, gruesomely transforming him. Donning an advanced Oscorp combat suit and glider, he becomes this universe's Green Goblin. He arrives just as Spider-Man has defeated Electro and, deducing his identity, targets Gwen Stacy to hurt Peter. He drops Gwen from a clock tower, and although Spider-Man catches her with a web, the whiplash from the sudden stop kills her, directly echoing the infamous comic storyline. Harry is subsequently defeated and imprisoned in the Ravencroft Institute.

Harry's personality is a complex tapestry of conflicting traits. At his core, he is a deeply loyal and caring friend, particularly to Peter Parker. However, this is perpetually undermined by severe insecurity, a desperate need for his father's approval, and a fragile mental state. He is prone to jealousy, paranoia, and fits of rage, all of which are amplified by the Goblin Formula. After his resurrection, he exhibits a deep desire for atonement and a normal life, but the darkness of his past remains a constant threat. As the Gold Goblin, his personality is defined by guilt and a proactive drive to redeem himself for the sins he committed as the Green Goblin.

When under the influence of the Goblin Formula, a chemical created by his father, Harry gains a range of superhuman abilities:

• Superhuman Strength: While not as strong as Spider-Man, he possesses strength far beyond a normal human, allowing him to trade blows with the wall-crawler.
• Superhuman Stamina & Durability: The formula enhances his musculature, making him highly resistant to fatigue and physical injury.
• Superhuman Speed & Reflexes: His agility and reaction time are heightened to superhuman levels, allowing him to pilot the Goblin Glider at high speeds and react to Spider-Man's attacks.
• Regenerative Healing Factor: The formula grants him an accelerated healing ability, though it is less potent than that of characters like Wolverine.
• Side Effect - Insanity: Critically, every version of the formula Harry has taken has had a degenerative effect on his sanity, amplifying his negative emotions and driving him to madness.

Harry utilizes the classic Green Goblin arsenal, with some personal modifications over the years.

• Goblin Glider: A high-speed, remote-controlled, bat-shaped glider capable of incredible maneuverability. It is armed with machine guns, heat-seeking missiles, and sharp blades on its wings.
• Pumpkin Bombs: His signature weapon. These come in various forms:
• Incendiary: Standard high-explosive grenades.
• Concussive: Designed to stun or disorient.
• Gas Bombs: Release hallucinogens, smoke screens, or debilitating nerve agents.
• “Ghost” Bombs: A later invention that can phase through solid matter before detonating.
• Razor Bats: Sharp, bat-shaped throwing projectiles, similar to shuriken.
• Electro-Blast Gloves: Gauntlets that can discharge powerful electrical blasts of up to 10,000 volts.
• Gold Goblin Arsenal: As the Gold Goblin, his equipment is redesigned for non-lethal heroism. This includes a new golden glider and “Golden Eggs” that project cleansing light or form protective shields.

The cinematic versions of Harry possess similar core abilities derived from a variant of the Goblin Formula, but with distinct equipment.

• Abilities: Enhanced strength, agility, and reflexes from an updated version of Norman's formula.
• Equipment:
• Sky Stick: A sleeker, more agile glider that resembles a snowboard, offering greater acrobatic freedom.
• Retractable Blades: Gauntlet-mounted daggers and a larger, double-bladed sword.
• Updated Pumpkin Bombs: Smaller, more varied explosive and flash-bang “pumpkins.”
• Throwing Blades: Small, razor-sharp projectiles launched from his gauntlets.

• Abilities: The spider-venom cocktail granted him enhanced strength and agility but also grotesquely accelerated his disease.
• Equipment:
• Oscorp Combat Suit: A powerful exoskeleton that provided enhanced durability, flight capabilities (via built-in thrusters and wings), and regenerative systems.
• Oscorp Glider: A more traditional, military-grade glider.
• Standard Arsenal: He utilized Oscorp-prototype Pumpkin Bombs and other conventional weaponry stored on the suit and glider.

• peter_parker / Spider-Man: This is the defining relationship of Harry's life. They are brothers in all but blood. Peter's friendship provided Harry the stability and acceptance he never received from his father. This bond is what makes their conflict so heartbreaking. Even when trying to kill each other, a flicker of that friendship often remains, leading to moments of hesitation or, in the case of his comic death and Raimi-verse death, ultimate self-sacrifice.
• liz_allan: In the comics, Liz is Harry's most significant romantic partner. She married him during his period of sanity and stood by him through his struggles. Their marriage was a desperate attempt at normalcy for Harry, and the birth of their son, Normie, gave him something pure to live for. Her eventual decision to leave him for the safety of their son marked the final stage of his tragic descent.
• mary_jane_watson: MJ was Harry's first serious girlfriend in the comics. Their relationship was fraught with his insecurity and jealousy towards Peter. Even after they broke up, they remained friends, and MJ was one of the few people who could occasionally break through his Goblin persona, appealing to the man she once knew.

• spider-man: From Harry's fractured perspective, Spider-Man is the villain who stole his father, his girlfriend (MJ), and his life. When he dons the Goblin mask, all of his pain, resentment, and insecurity is focused into a singular, obsessive hatred for the wall-crawler. The fight is never about crime or power; it is an intensely personal vendetta.
• norman_osborn / Green Goblin: While he sought to avenge him, Norman is the true antagonist of Harry's story. Norman's emotional abuse, neglect, and impossible standards are the root cause of Harry's psychological trauma. The Green Goblin legacy is a poison that Norman passed down to his son, a curse that Harry has spent his entire life either trying to live up to or escape from. Even after his death, Norman's memory haunted and manipulated Harry into becoming what he was.

• oscorp: As the son of its founder, Harry's life is inextricably linked to the Osborn Corporation. He inherited the company multiple times, and it represents both his birthright and the source of the technology that would become his weapon. Oscorp is the physical manifestation of his father's legacy—a symbol of power, corruption, and scientific horror.
• Ravencroft Institute: A recurring setting in Harry's life, Ravencroft is the asylum where he was frequently treated for his mental illness. It symbolizes his moments of defeat and his brief opportunities for recovery before the Goblin persona would inevitably resurface.

While Norman Osborn was the central villain of this arc, its aftermath was formative for Harry. He was present when medical personnel carried away his father's body after the final battle with Spider-Man. Believing Spider-Man to be a murderer, not knowing Norman had impaled himself on his own glider, Harry swore an oath of vengeance. This moment was the crucible that forged his future as the next Green Goblin.

Written by J.M. DeMatteis, this profound storyline delves deep into Harry's psyche. It explores the psychological trauma and abuse he suffered as a child at Norman's hands. The story masterfully intercuts flashbacks of his tormented childhood with his present-day descent back into the Green Goblin persona. It established that Harry's villainy was not simple evil, but a tragic result of deep-seated pain, making his character far more sympathetic and complex.

The culmination of Harry's original comic book arc. Having fully succumbed to madness, Harry lures Spider-Man to the Osborn Foundation building, intending to detonate it and kill them both, along with Mary Jane. He tells Peter he is doing this to end the cycle of pain the Osborns and Parkers have inflicted on each other. However, when he sees MJ and his son Normie are also in the building, his humanity breaks through. He rescues them and Peter from the explosion, but the exposure to a modified, but still lethal, Goblin Formula proves fatal. He dies in Peter's arms, acknowledging him as his best friend in a moment of final, tragic redemption.

This era brought about the highly controversial reversal of Harry's death. Following the universal reboot caused by Mephisto's alteration of reality, it's revealed that Harry never died. Norman had his son's death faked and had him relocated to Europe to recover, all as part of a deal with Mephisto to save Harry's life in exchange for Peter and MJ's marriage. Harry returns to New York with no initial memory of Peter being Spider-Man, attempting to rebuild his life and his friendship with Peter, though the shadows of his past and his father's machinations constantly complicate matters.

• Ultimate Universe (Earth-1610): A far more tragic and monstrous version. Harry witnesses his father's transformation into a hulking, pyrotechnic “Goblin” monster after an OZ formula injection. Traumatized, Harry is later manipulated into taking the formula himself, transforming into a similar monstrous creature, the Hobgoblin. His arc culminates in him brutally murdering his own father before being shot and killed by S.H.I.E.L.D.
• Spider-Man: The Animated Series (1994): This version closely mirrors the early comics. After Norman is trapped in dimensional limbo following a battle with Spider-Man, Harry, blaming the hero, eventually finds a Goblin lair. Guided by a spectral image of his father, he becomes the second Green Goblin, targeting Spider-Man and his allies before being sent for psychiatric help.
• Marvel's Spider-Man (Video Game Series, Earth-1048): This adaptation completely reimagines Harry's story. Here, he is not the Green Goblin. Instead, he suffers from the same terminal genetic disease that killed his mother. Norman places him in stasis with an experimental black substance—the Venom symbiote—as a potential cure. In Marvel's Spider-Man 2, the symbiote attaches to Harry, “curing” him but turning him into a powerful, aggressive new version of Venom, who believes he can “heal the world” through forced symbiote infection. He is eventually separated from the symbiote but left in a coma.

• spider-man
• norman_osborn
• green_goblin
• oscorp
• gwen_stacy
• mary_jane_watson
• liz_allan

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