Mary Jane is terrified and starts to run away. The Green Goblin is too fast, however, and he catches up to her, grabs hold of her and takes off flying with her in his arms.
Back at the Osborn apartment, Peter’s worst fears have realized themselves: Harry is out there somewhere and so is his wife. Storming out of the apartment, he changes into his Spider-Man costume and swings out into the night. As he web-slings across the City, he cannot help but to regret not going after Mary Jane when she stormed out of their apartment earlier. He hopes that everything is all right and wonders how he's going to stop his best friend once again.
Mary Jane tries to set herself free from the Goblin's grip but to no avail. After flying for a few minutes, they arrive at their destination: the George Washington Bridge, where Gwen Stacy died. The Goblin lands them atop one of the pedestal and tells her that he had to bring her there. Courageously, MJ tells the Goblin that she will not give him the satisfaction of begging for her life so if he's brought her there to kill her, then so be it. Taking off his Goblin mask, Harry tells MJ that he would never hurt her, as she is one of his dearest friends and he loves her (as a friend). He apologizes for having scared her and goes on explaining that he's never been able to accept that his father was involved in Gwen's death. MJ interjects and tells Harry that not only was he involved, he was the one that killed her. This infuriates Harry and he yells at MJ that Peter set up his father. But then he calms down and tells her that nothing he says will change her opinion of Peter when he puts on his Spider-Man mask and costume. MJ asks Harry why he brought her there. Harry replies that it did so because he wants her to know that whatever happens between the Green Goblin and Spider-Man, she will always be safe. He adds that he loves her (as a friend) and Aunt May and that he'd do anything for them. Witnessing that Harry has calmed down, she asks him if she can go home now.
Spider-Man has checked the Goblin's old hideouts but there is no sign of him or Mary Jane anywhere. His spider-sense suddenly kicks in, warning him of danger. Two punks, who have broken into an apartment, are climbing out the window with a stolen TV, VCR and stereo. Flashing his spider-signal on them, Spidey makes his move. When he's done with them, they are lucky to be still alive (and actually beg him not to kill them).
Realizing that the search has become fruitless, Spidey decides to check their apartment in the event MJ is there. After all, he could be worrying for nothing. As he climbs down the skylight, his spider-sense warns him of danger. Pulling aside the curtain that divides the living room and their bedroom, he is taken aback when he sees MJ sitting on the bed and Harry standing beside her, in his Green Goblin costume sans his mask. Without waiting for any explanations, he leaps at Harry and delivers one heck of a solid punch, yelling at him to get away from his wife. Harry lands on his back while Spidey prepares to hit him again. But MJ stops him from hitting Harry and explains that Harry just wanted to talk to her and that he didn't hurt her. Confused, Spidey pulls back. Harry, accusing Peter/Spidey of always thinking the worst of him, stands back up and pulls Peter's mask off so that they can face each other without masks. MJ intercedes and tells Harry that there has to be another way and that the insanity has to come to an end. Putting his Goblin mask back on, Harry replies that it is too late for that but reminds her that she has nothing to fear from the Green Goblin. He then takes off on his glider and heads back home. Peter and MJ are left standing there, pondering about what to do next. Enraged, Peter capsizes a nearby table, sending cigarette butts and photo albums all over the place. One of the photo albums lands on the floor and coincidently opens to a page showing a picture of Harry and Peter, taken a few years back.
Liz Osborn is watching TV when Harry returns home. Harry appears to be sweating profusely as he and Liz make their way to Normie's bedroom to check up on him. Normie is sound asleep, his Spider-Man doll in one of his hands. Liz suggests to Harry that he too should go to bed to get some rest but Harry freaks out and yells at her for talking to him like he's weak, like he needs coddling. As quickly as he freaked out, he calms down and tells Liz that everything is going to be all right and that they'll all be happy forever and ever.
The next morning, after another sleepless night, Peter goes out for a walk. As he ponders about what to do next, his spider-sense suddenly warns him of danger. Turning around, he comes face-to-face with the Green Goblin, hovering on his glider. His teeth grinding against each other, Peter tells Harry that he wants to get this over with. Harry replies that he's just out for his morning constitutional. Peter asks why then is he wearing his costume to which Harry replies that there is no law against running around in colorful long johns, because if there were, they would have thrown him in jail years ago. Having said that, Harry takes off.
A short time later at the Daily Bugle, J. Jonah Jameson enters his office and comes close to dying of a heart attack, as a result of the Green Goblin hovering above his desk. Jonah tries to make a run for the door but the Goblin glides in front of him, blocking his way. Realizing that Harry Osborn must be the man behind the Goblin mask, Jameson sucks up to him and reminds him that he and his father were best of friends. The Goblin tells Jameson to spare him the testimonials and goes on explaining why he is there. He explains that he needs the Bugle's help in publicizing a new project of his: the Norman Osborn Foundation, a charitable organization that will use the Osborn fortune to do good works around the city and around the world. Terrified, Jameson replies that it sounds wonderful. Just then, Peter Parker coincidently happens to enter Jonah's office. Seeing this, the Goblin starts telling Jonah how he and Peter used to share an apartment back in their college days and how it was his father, Norman, that allowed Peter to live there for free. He continues explaining that his father was quite a man but his reputation was tarnished in the years since his death, by all sorts of vague innuendo and unfounded rumors, and he – Harry – intends to restore the shine. Which is why his new foundation is going to have a gala opening in six weeks, in honor of his dad, and he wants Jonah to let his readers know about it, for his father's sake. As Harry glides out the window, he tells Jonah that if he plays ball with him, he might just have some juicy information about Spider-Man.
A short while later, Peter is enjoying a slice of pizza, or trying to anyways. His mind is on Harry. The past few days, Harry's been all over the city, telling anyone who'll listen to him about his Osborn Foundation. While the media is treating Harry like some wealthy eccentric, he and Mary Jane are going gray trying to sort things out. But MJ might have found a crack in Harry's twisted plan: his wife Liz. MJ seems to think that the person to work on is Liz. Liz is in deep denial but a part of her knows how twisted Harry is and what a danger he is to her and Normie. If Liz can find the strength to confront Harry, make him get some psychiatric help, maybe that will help.
Suddenly, Peter's spider-sense goes off. As he looks out the window, he sees the Green Goblin hovering above the building across the street. Peter runs out of the restaurant, changes to his Spider-Man costume and makes his way around back, undetected. Spidey snags him with a web-line and throws him off his glider. He then grabs Harry by the collar and asks him how long the harassing and hounding will last. Harry retaliates with a solid punch that sends Spidey flying. Spidey snags a nearby chimney with a web-line and uses the momentum (of his flight) and kicks the Goblin in the chest. The Goblin is back on his feet within seconds and prepares to attack Spidey once again. But he doesn't. Instead, he tells Spidey that he is not going to get him into a fight when he's not ready for him. He then tells Spidey that he can go right ahead and batter him to a bloody pulp but when he is done, he – Harry – is going to go to the police and file a formal complaint against him and after that, he is going to call a press conference where he will reveal his secret identity to the world. Pissed off, Spidey drives his fist through a nearby chimney and asks Harry what he wants from him. Circling around Spidey on his glider, Harry replies that he wants to make his life miserable and then, when he least expects it, he's going to kill him. Or, maybe he'll just let the whole world know who he is and one of his other enemies will do it for him. Harry continues telling Spidey that the Green Goblin has big plans for this City and that he is going to make his father look like an amateur when he’s done with everything. He adds that he – Spidey – won’t be able to do a thing to stop him because if he so much as breathe in his direction, he will blow his life wide open. Having said that, Harry takes off, leaving Spider-Man to shake his fists at him and yelling his name.
Some time later, at the building that is soon to be the headquarters of the Osborn Foundation, Harry is giving Liz and Normie a tour of the facilities. Harry's fever seems to have intensified to the point that he almost passes out while the shows them around. Liz suggests that he should slow down but Harry tells Liz not to worry. Liz comments to him that he cannot keep pushing himself like that but Harry replies that he has to, for his son and his father. In turn, he suggests that she goes on home, as he has a few things to tie up. He decides to keep Normie with him and promises that the two of them will be back home shortly after dinner.
Later that night, Harry sits in the reception area of the foundation and stares at a picture of his father, which hangs above the chimney mantle. Harry tells his father that he has been driving Peter off the walls by following him around on his glider everywhere he goes. He mentions to him that Peter and MJ are soon moving to an apartment on the East Side and comments that it won't help their situation; he vows to have their lives wrecked by the time he’s done with them. Harry then explains what he has planned for the rest of the self-righteous high-and-mighty jackasses who though they were so much better than the Osborns. In two weeks, the foundation will have its grand opening and they are all invited to attend. What they don't know or suspect is that Harry has wired the building with enough explosives to level a City block and at the height of the festivities, he intends to blow them all to smithereens. Harry continues explaining that this is his way of putting his father's past to rest and letting the world know that there's a new, even more ruthless Green Goblin in town. Harry goes on telling his father that he won't make the same mistake he made, which is forget his family. Crushing his glass of scotch in his bare hands, Harry tells his father that he'll stay true to his wife, his son, until the end. Little Normie is sound asleep on the couch next to him while all this takes place.
Mary Jane is visiting Liz and tries to talk some sense into her but Liz kicks her out and accuses her of being as bad as Spider-Man.
Spider-Man meets with Dr. Kafka, Director of the Ravencroft Institute, who in turned talks to the psychiatrists at the Vault, who tell her that, legally, there is nothing to be done to rein Harry in, though they all agree that he is dangerous to himself and others. Until Harry does something, breaks the law, or hurts somebody, their hands are tied. Spidey knows that if they wait, it might be too late, so he decides to check out the Osborn Foundation building to try and find out what Harry is cooking up and maybe even find some evidence that'll land him back in a nice padded cell where he can't hurt himself or anybody else. As he ponders about how to best handle the situation, he is so lost in his thoughts that he finds himself atop the George Washington Bridge, the place where Gwen died. As he realizes that he's been trying to stay away from the bridge since that faithful night, it serves as a reminder of the blood and the price they all paid, when the first Green Goblin invaded his life and took the woman he loved away from him. He vows not to let that happen again and knows that he has to stop Harry one way or another.
Harry prepares to leave the Osborn Foundation when Mary Jane shows up uninvited. Not wasting any time with small talk, she cuts right to the chase and tries to convince Harry to give up on trying to destroy her and Peter. She mentions how much Peter would give up anything to have his old friend back and how much she and Peter love him. Grabbing his hand, she begs him not to destroy himself or them. While she says all this, Harry remains silent, though he starts sweating profusely. Finally, he replies to Mary Jane and tells her that love is not answer to all of this; the true one answer is power. As he says that, he opens a nearby briefcase, pulls out his Green Goblin mask and tells MJ that this is all the power he's ever need. He explains that when he puts on the mask, when he altered himself with the strength-enhancing formula, he did it all for power. Having said that, he points to the door and tells her to go home, as it is too lave for love. Just then, an alarm goes off. Harry activates a monitor on the wall and on it appears Spider-Man. Harry verbally lashes out at MJ and tells her that Spider-Man is what's wrong because he won't let go. Meanwhile on the rooftop, Spidey’s spider-sense starts buzzing like crazy. Hoping that he hasn't tripped some kind of silent alarm, he prepares to enter into the building through the skylight but he is taken by surprise when Harry/the Green Goblin comes crashing through the same skylight. The Goblin throws a pumpkin bomb at Spidey, who dodges it with ease. Spidey throws the first punch, then the Goblin takes over and tackles him down through the skylight and into the building. As they fall down, Spidey tells the Goblin that he doesn't care if his identity is revealed to the world because he'd rather have the truth out and put his faith in the people he loves and trusts than leave them all at the mercy of a lunatic like him. Spidey lands hard on the floor and has the wind knocked out of him. As he struggles to stand up, the Goblin grabs hold of his glider above his head and prepares to impale Spidey with the spear that now emerges from the glider's head. As he makes his move to deliver the deadly blow, Spidey jumps out of harm's way and immediately starts webbing up the Goblin, telling him that the game is over. An insane look on his face, the Goblin screams and rips right through the webbing. He then launches himself at Spidey. Hard punches are thrown from both opponents and when the dust settles, the two of them are on their knees, bruised and battered. Spidey tries to convince Harry to let go of his hatred so that they can work things out without having to fight but Harry sees right through his attempt to play to his emotions to distract him and leaps towards him, a poisoned needle sticking out of his glove. Spidey tries to jump out of harm's way but Harry manages to prick him with the needle. Within seconds, Spidey falls to the ground. Harry reveals that the needle was coated with a chemical meant to shatter one's equilibrium. Kneeling down next to Spidey, who tries in vain to move, Harry pulls a small remote control from his purse and pushes on a button, which activates the timer on the bomb. He then tells Spidey that he's figured out that the only way for this to end is for both of them to die, which is where the bomb comes into play. Harry pulls his mask off and tells Spidey not to bother fighting the drug, because they're too strong. Lying on the floor, Spidey begs Harry not to do this, but Harry seems to have totally fallen prey to his own insanity. Just then, Mary Jane and Little Normie, who were still both downstairs when all this took place, are coming up the stairs looking for him. This seems to bring Harry back to his senses and he realizes the errors of his way. Unable to help them, Spidey tells Harry that he is the only one that can save them. Harry replies that he is no hero and that he can never do anything right, which is what his father used to say about him. Spidey replies that he doesn't care about his father but he does care about him, and right now, he's the only here they've got. On cue, Harry takes off on his glider, grabs hold of MJ and Normie, who are coming up the staircase, and carries them out of the building. When Harry mentions the fact that he saved them from the bomb, MJ freaks out and asks Harry if he left Peter in there to die. Harry is confused at first but again, he comes to his senses and he manages to head back into the building and get Peter out seconds before it blows up. MJ is beaming with joy, tears flowing down her pretty face; she is beyond thankful to Harry for what he just did. But something is not quite right with Harry. He is sweating profusely and collapses to the ground and starts convulsing. Spidey kneels down next to him and asks Harry why he came back for him. Harry's reply: "Because you're my best friend". Mary Jane and Normie, tearing up, both watch on.
Minute later, in an ambulance, Harry is not doing too well. Although no words are spoken, they hold each other's hand and Harry slowly passes away. As the ambulance reaches the hospital, Harry is already dead. MJ and Normie arrive at the hospital in a cab as Harry's body is being wheeled inside. Spidey does not speak to MJ because no words are needed. MJ starts to cry and leaves with Normie. Spidey stands alone in the parking lot and grieves the lost of his best friend.
To be continued.
)