Marvel just retconned Green Goblin’s origin story in the comics, with details that add a devilish new layer to Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy.
Warning: contains spoilers for Amazing Spider-Man #74!
Marvel Comics has recently retconned the origin of the Green Goblin – and, surprisingly, this works perfectly with Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy. Comic book writer Nick Spencer has just finished his run on Amazing Spider-Man, one of Marvel’s flagship comic books. It’s had a mixed reception, but one of the more interesting ideas was a major retcon with the Green Goblin, Spider-Man’s long-standing nemesis, that wove Mephisto – Marvel’s version of the Devil – more closely into his lore.
Spencer revealed Norman Osborn was once a frustrated industrialist overshadowed by his supposed partner, Mendel Stromm. The dynamic between the two feels reminiscent of the relationship between Mozart and Salieri; both were geniuses, but Osborn was the lesser of the two, and he grew increasingly frustrated. Finally, on the night Stromm received an award for outstanding innovation and entrepreneurship, Osborn was approached by Mephisto and offered a deal. He was offered success, wealth, and power – but there would be a cost. The price Osborn paid would be his own sanity, his relationship with his son, and ultimately his son’s life. The retcon is a shocking one, essentially meaning Mephisto has orchestrated much of Peter Parker’s suffering over the years.
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