I’m wondering if something big is coming regarding the friendly neighborhood Osborns. It turns out that Norman’s sins (in a kind of metaphysical way) have returned to him, making him the Green Goblin again. (Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 6) #50) He also casually told Peter, “Some of my previous endeavors are worth bringing back into the fold.” Of course, we all know that he was never Mr. Charming Personality anyway and we’ve gotten even more proof in Shadow of the Green Goblin #3. For decades, readers thought Norman’s wife, Emily, had died not too long after the birth of their son, Harry.
Well, that wasn’t the case. (“Shadow of the Green Goblin” is a flashback mini-series, taking place shortly after the death of Ben Parker. Peter and Harry are in high school and haven’t met yet.) Norman had always been an awful, manipulative husband and it was bad enough that Emily faked her death and abandoned Harry with his father. In “Shadow,” she had the Proto-Goblin kidnap Harry to protect him from his father. (Harry had been drugged and kept unconscious after being kidnapped. He’s had no interaction with his mother.) This was shocking to Norman, who thought she was dead.
Granted, the “Shadow” series isn’t finished and I’m getting ahead of myself. Still, this does somewhat link to a brief but important forgotten moment from Amazing Spider-Man #799. Red Goblin sees Normie’s and Stanley’s nanny, “Emma”, with his grandchildren and immediately recognizes her as his long lost wife. (Ex wife? If faking your death doesn't count as divorce then I don’t know what does.) The thing is, he’s not especially surprised to see her, while everyone else is stunned by the revelation. Unfortunately, Amazing Spider-Man had a new writer as of issue 802 and the story with Emma was ignored. She wasn’t seen or mentioned again until Shadow of the Green Goblin. It’s been six and a half freaking years.
Meanwhile, we had a mini-series called “Misery” from late last year. It featured Norman’s daughter in law, Liz, after she was bonded to the Carnage and Anti-Venom symbiotes. Liz’s step son, Stanley, was stalked by his birth mother, Lily Hollister. In the end, Lily was working for Kolina Frederickson, Norman’s forgotten nurse and lover. Kolina was shown to be highly ranked in the Goblin Cult, which formerly had Norman as its leader. The series ended with the disclosure of Kolina’s prominence in the cult but without telling what she wanted with Stanley.
So I’m wondering, are we going to be seeing more of Emily now that Norman is back to being the Green Goblin? Is “Shadow of the Green Goblin” leading up to something else, or is it a flashback for the sake of a flashback? Will Norman rejoin Kolina and the Goblin Cult? What role will Lily, Emily, Liz and “Misery” play? Am I onto something or should I get some sleep?
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I’ve always been a fan of Edvard Grieg’s “In the Hall of the Mountain King.” It follows the story of Peer Gynt, a charming but arrogant Norwegian youth that must be saved by the love of a woman. He goes on many misadventures around the world. In the most famous story, Peer enters the hall of the mountain king and stumbles into his family. “There is a great crowd of troll courtiers, gnomes and goblins. Dovregubben sits on his throne, with crown and scepter, surrounded by his children and relatives. Peer Gynt stands before him. There is a tremendous uproar in the hall.”
You can see the appeal.