The owner of a leading chemical-manufacturing company and a renowned scientist, Norman Osborn became obsessed with increasing his wealth and power - even if it involved breaking the law. Exposing himself to an experimental strength and intelligence enhancing formula Osborn gained great power but was methodically driven insane. Creating a vast array of colorful weapons he sought control of the New York criminal underground as the cackling and crazed Green Goblin.
After Osborn's apparent death his son Harry, who already had emotional and drug abuse problems, became even more mentally unstable. After discovering his roommate Peter Parker is Spider-Man, Osborn donned his father's gear and attempted to exact revenge as the Green Goblin.
Initially defeated by Spider-Man, Osborn would on occasion have bouts of insanity and become the Green Goblin. At one point in Osborn's mental treatment his psychiatrist Dr. Bart Hamilton attempted to become the ruler of the underworld with a short lived and fatal career as the Green Goblin.
In time Harry Osborn would partake of the formula that gave his father super-human strength, but also resulted in madness. Although insane Osborn died, most likely as a side effect of the strength-enhancing formula, his final act was one of bravery to save his son Norman Jr.
Unknown to all, Norman Osborn recovered from his fatal wounds after his altercation with Spider-Man due to the strength-enhancing formula which apparently also providing accelerated healing. Replacing his body with that of a transient, Osborn snuck from the morgue and took refuge in Europe where he would plot and plan his revenge against Spider-Man as the Green Goblin.
Osborn acquired the Carnage Symbiote from an abandoned SHIELD storehouse while Spider-Man is occupied with the return of Zodiac. Osborn's efforts to control the symbiote initially backfire when he merges with it and finds himself overwhelmed by the urge to kill rather than his own prior plan to direct its power against Spider-Man specifically, but he is able to convince it to let him have control in favor of trying something other than its usual mindless slaughter. After attacking the Daily Bugle in his familiar Goblin attire, Osborn gives the rest of the staff time to evacuate as he fights Peter before revealing his new bond with Carnage, proclaiming himself to be the Red Goblin.
Norman was then cleansed of his evil when he was shot by Sin-Eater and was shown to feel genuine remorse for everything he had done, deeming himself unworthy of help and in a long time wanting to help his son Harry. Watching Peter get brutalized from a screen, Norman decided to use a work-in-progress Spider-Suit to save him. He was reluctantly named the Gold Goblin after helping Spider-Man.
Current Form:
Gold Goblin
Other Forms:
The Green Goblin
Iron Patriot
Norman Osborn (Adaptoid)
Norman Osborn (Depowered)
The Red Goblin
