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  1. #1
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    Question Is Norman's Osborne's dual personality discussed in the comics?

    Hi guys

    In many versions of Spider-man's media, the Sam Rami movies and the 1996 cartoon in particular, Norman Osborne's dual personality is discussed.

    So I was wwondering if this topic is brought up in the comics, because as far as I remember Osborne in the comics has always been a bad guy.

    If this topic has been discussed, can someone please give me some issue numbers, or storylines that show this?

  2. #2
    Formerly Assassin Spider Huntsman Spider's Avatar
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    It used to be a thing in the older comics prior to The Night Gwen Stacy Died, when Norman would forget that he was the Green Goblin after unmasking himself and Spider-Man in ASM 39-40. Then, in issues 96-98, he snapped after finding out Harry was abusing drugs, and returned to the Green Goblin identity with the intent of revenge on Spider-Man out of the belief that Peter had somehow driven Harry to it, only to snap back into Norman Osborn after seeing his bedridden son during the subsequent fight with Spider-Man. Finally, in issue 121, faced with the possibility of losing everything, Norman snapped for the last time and went out to hurt Spider-Man in the worst way he could --- by killing the woman Peter Parker loved, Gwen Stacy.

    He ended up dead in the following issue, ASM 122, but after coming back 23 years later in the finale of the much-maligned (and somewhat deservedly so) Clone Saga, it's been a common fact that Norman Osborn is an utter bastard of a character and human being, whether he's Goblin or not. The split personality had some resurgence in Thunderbolts by Warren Ellis following Civil War, then in Dark Avengers by Brian Bendis, but both personalities were arguably equally evil --- it was just that Norman's evil came in the form of machinations and schemes to increase his own wealth, power, and influence, while the Green Goblin's evil came in the form of causing as much mayhem, death, and destruction as he possibly could. In Dungeons & Dragons parlance, the difference between Norman and the Goblin nowadays is a difference of Lawful Evil (or Neutral Evil) vs. Chaotic Evil.
    The spider is always on the hunt.

  3. #3
    Ultimate Member ChrisIII's Avatar
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    Yeah pretty much since the Clone Saga we've sort of had "Merged" Norman/Goblin, while the 60s/70s version was slightly more sympathetic.
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  4. #4
    Astonishing Member your_name_here's Avatar
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    He’s been abit interchangeable during Spencer’s run. There was a nice moment in #50 where his character switched a full 360 in the course of a few pages.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mr_E_88 View Post
    Hi guys

    In many versions of Spider-man's media, the Sam Rami movies and the 1996 cartoon in particular, Norman Osborne's dual personality is discussed.

    So I was wwondering if this topic is brought up in the comics, because as far as I remember Osborne in the comics has always been a bad guy.

    If this topic has been discussed, can someone please give me some issue numbers, or storylines that show this?
    Norman having a dual personality wasn't a thing until the 90s cartoon. The movie probably based it off of that, and then Bendis was the first to use it in comics (followed by Slott). Outside of that, Norman and the Goblin have always been one personality.

    The Lee/Romita run retconned the Goblin Serum into turning Norman insane, but that's not the same thing as having a split personality. A person can be insane without having a split personality.

    Even then, the Lee/Romita era sent mixed messages about the Goblin Serum. Norman was supposedly "cured" with a hit to the head but somehow kept all his powers. If he kept his Goblin powers after he got back his sanity, that implies it never affected his mind in the first place.

    Norman's supposed insanity can therefore be traced back to a line of dialogue in ASM #39 when Peter says the serum made him insane. Honestly, Stan Lee likely never put much thought into that line. It is no different than Carpenter's throwaway line in Halloween II about Michael Myers being Laurie's brother. (Sadly that lead to years of misconceptions for both characters.)
    Last edited by Kaitou D. Kid; 10-23-2020 at 03:51 PM.

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