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  1. #1
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    Default Hobgoblin, wasted potential?

    I loved the Hobgoblin vs. Spider-Man stories from the early 80s, they set up a good mystery and were a lot of fun. But I think the writers dragged out the mystery so long that the mystery became tired and eventually they revealed Hobgoblin was Need Leeds and killed him off right away. So then Jason Macendale became Hobgoblin and was actually the main goblin villain for a while, but he was kinda lame character, the stories always treated him like he was a loser. I think the character was mishandled for a long time.

    Anyway, Roger Stern tried to right the ship back in 1996, made Roderick Kingsley the original Hobgoblin and had him kill off Macendale, but by then Norman Osborn was back and Hobgoblin's role as Green Goblin's successor was gone. They have done some fun stuff with Hobgoblin, like his role in Axis, but his original role from back in the 80s gone.

    Do you think Hobgoblin is wasted potential? What role should he play now?

  2. #2
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    I think it’s ok that he’s not overused.

    He’s powerful enough to win and outsmart Peter on multiple occasions yet not so powerful and smart that Peter can’t defeat him on his own.

    Not appearing too frequently keeps him from becoming an untouchable villain sue or suffer from villain decay.

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by The Overlord View Post
    I loved the Hobgoblin vs. Spider-Man stories from the early 80s, they set up a good mystery and were a lot of fun. But I think the writers dragged out the mystery so long that the mystery became tired and eventually they revealed Hobgoblin was Need Leeds and killed him off right away. So then Jason Macendale became Hobgoblin and was actually the main goblin villain for a while, but he was kinda lame character, the stories always treated him like he was a loser. I think the character was mishandled for a long time.

    Anyway, Roger Stern tried to right the ship back in 1996, made Roderick Kingsley the original Hobgoblin and had him kill off Macendale, but by then Norman Osborn was back and Hobgoblin's role as Green Goblin's successor was gone. They have done some fun stuff with Hobgoblin, like his role in Axis, but his original role from back in the 80s gone.

    Do you think Hobgoblin is wasted potential? What role should he play now?
    I think Hobgoblin should become a villain for Miles Morales. Hobgoblin being a legacy of the Green Goblin created after his "Death" similar to Miles created after "Ultimate Peter's death" makes him a good foil, in theory.

    To be honest, I think Hobgoblin perfectly fulfilled his potential. I don't think he is wasted. Being a flash-in-the-pan decade marking storyline villain is all he was ever good for being. He got a good resolution and wrap-up in Hobgoblin Lives/Goblins at the Gate, and his current role as a guy who supplies outfits to other bad guys is a good one. He's a Tinkerer of clothes.

    As a character, Hobgoblin's main hook was his secret identity and the mystery. His alter ego Roderick Kingsley was never properly introduced in the time given for that revelation to drop in the time there. Then Defalco decided that Hobby would be the Rose, and then Owsley d--ked him over and made Ned Leeds the Hobgoblin and ordered PAD to reveal it after his death.

    Even with Stern parts of his version of the character don't make sense. Hobgoblin is all, "I will be the sane Green Goblin even if I still think dressing Renfaire and gliding around and blowing stuff up is smart business rather than mass-marketing and selling this to the military...I also will improve on Goblin's formula even if I am a fashion designer with no background in chemistry." Again the character doesn't make too much sense and was never properly designed.

  4. #4
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    Nick Spencer did had Ryan draw Hobgoblin chasing MJ so hopefully we get something, athough that being a past event, I don't ever recalled in the 50 so years of spiderman history of Hobby endandering MJ personally either Kingsley or Macedale. well except when he had a pregnant Liz and Mj captive in AMazing 260 261
    Last edited by Rzerox21xx; 04-06-2019 at 09:25 AM.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Revolutionary_Jack View Post
    I think Hobgoblin should become a villain for Miles Morales. Hobgoblin being a legacy of the Green Goblin created after his "Death" similar to Miles created after "Ultimate Peter's death" makes him a good foil, in theory.

    To be honest, I think Hobgoblin perfectly fulfilled his potential. I don't think he is wasted. Being a flash-in-the-pan decade marking storyline villain is all he was ever good for being. He got a good resolution and wrap-up in Hobgoblin Lives/Goblins at the Gate, and his current role as a guy who supplies outfits to other bad guys is a good one. He's a Tinkerer of clothes.

    As a character, Hobgoblin's main hook was his secret identity and the mystery. His alter ego Roderick Kingsley was never properly introduced in the time given for that revelation to drop in the time there. Then Defalco decided that Hobby would be the Rose, and then Owsley d--ked him over and made Ned Leeds the Hobgoblin and ordered PAD to reveal it after his death.

    Even with Stern parts of his version of the character don't make sense. Hobgoblin is all, "I will be the sane Green Goblin even if I still think dressing Renfaire and gliding around and blowing stuff up is smart business rather than mass-marketing and selling this to the military...I also will improve on Goblin's formula even if I am a fashion designer with no background in chemistry." Again the character doesn't make too much sense and was never properly designed.
    I do not know, Hobgoblin was used well in the Spider-Girl comics, so I do think putting him in a different setting where he can get out of Norman's shadow helps him. Making him Miles enemy is a good idea, he can start a personal rivlary with Miles and be his Goblin villain.

    Being the sanest Goblin is like the being the thinnest kid at fat camp, Kinglsey is not going to make the same errors as Norman is, but I can buy him not wanting to share this tech with anyone and I can buy Kingsley being able to hire people who could help him improve Norman's tech.
    Last edited by The Overlord; 04-06-2019 at 10:34 AM.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by The Overlord View Post
    I do not know, Hobgoblin was used well in the Spider-Girl comics, so I do think putting him in a different setting where he can goet out of Norman's shadow helps him. Making him Miles enemy is a good idea, he can start a personal rivlary with Miles and be his Goblin villain.

    Being the sanest Goblin is like the being the thinest kid at fat camp, Kinglsey is not going to make the same errors as Norman is, but I can buy him not wanting to share this tech with anyone and I can buy Kingsley being able to hire people who could help him improve Norman's tech.
    I happen to like Kingsley, and I put him in the Top 10 Spider-Man villains. Maybe not A-Rank: That is reserved for Green Goblin ( Norm), Doc Ock, Mysterio, Kraven, Lizard and Venom ( Eddie). But he is in the bottom.half of the Top 10 with Vulture, Rhino, and Carnage. Perhaps he will be better off with Miles or another Marvel hero ( like Kingpin is with Daredevil), instead of being Norm-lite versus Pete.

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    Quote Originally Posted by NC_Yankee View Post
    I happen to like Kingsley, and I put him in the Top 10 Spider-Man villains. Maybe not A-Rank: That is reserved for Green Goblin ( Norm), Doc Ock, Mysterio, Kraven, Lizard and Venom ( Eddie). But he is in the bottom.half of the Top 10 with Vulture, Rhino, and Carnage. Perhaps he will be better off with Miles or another Marvel hero ( like Kingpin is with Daredevil), instead of being Norm-lite versus Pete.
    Kingsley would've been a great villain for Flash if he was still alive given their history.

  8. #8

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    I consider him to be the perfect character. He was a great challenge for Jessica Drew as well.

  9. #9

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    Quote Originally Posted by PCN24454 View Post
    Kingsley would've been a great villain for Flash if he was still alive given their history.
    Flash already had Crimemaster and his deranged henchman Jack-o-lantern.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Revolutionary_Jack View Post
    Even with Stern parts of his version of the character don't make sense. Hobgoblin is all, "I will be the sane Green Goblin even if I still think dressing Renfaire and gliding around and blowing stuff up is smart business rather than mass-marketing and selling this to the military...
    I think that was the point that Stern was trying to make though, that Kingsley WAS insane. Notice how he would always lash out at the mere thought of being "Norman Osborn" crazy.
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  11. #11
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    Hobgoblin is the biggest bungling of an antagonist in the series' history, but they salvaged him and got him his own niche. So they did waste his potential to be the new Goblin and a top villain, but since Norman is back we ended up better off with two very different villains. And I like to see Kingsley show up, because he's interesting and cool.

    So the answer is yes, but that ended up being a good thing.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Vegeta View Post
    I think that was the point that Stern was trying to make though, that Kingsley WAS insane.
    Roger Stern has always said that Kingsley was completely sane.

  13. #13
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    The Hobgoblin was a fun mystery for a long time. That his reveal was so badly bungled was one of the most crushing disappointments I've ever had as a comic reader.

    Still, I think the character still has potential and I know there's a lot of fans like me who keep hoping that some writer will find a way to give him the comeback he deserves.

  14. #14
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    I'm not sure it's wasted potential, as much as a lack of purpose at times.

    The mystery was cool in the 80s, but when that was gone what made Hobgoblin unique was that he was the only Goblin around (and yeah, at the time it was Macendale.)

    When Kingsley was revealed as the real Hobgoblin, Norman Osborn was back so there wasn't much point to a Goblin who didn't know Peter's secret identity.

    Slott gave Kingsley a new purpose by tying in his old profession and having him provide resources for villains.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lee View Post
    Roger Stern has always said that Kingsley was completely sane.
    Yeah, that's supposed to be what distinguishes him from Norman.

    He's not nuts and he knows when to cut out instead of wasting his time fighting Spider-Man.

    I don't think writers could have used him as they have in the past few years if he was really all that crazy.

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