Harry Osborne: Daddys' little goblin Article by Stafffighter, 10:50 AM 04th Aug Disclaimer: The following opinions are those of the author and do not reflect the views of the other endless crew staff. In fact they all disagree with me and persecute me regularly. Quick overview: Harry Osborne was raised with a lot of money and next to no emotion. But he did prove loyal to his father by taking up the family business, as the Green Goblin. As is often the case when a child is given insufficient emotional attention from their natural family Harry took on adoptive family figures. Namely these figures were his friend and one time roommate Peter Parker, who became a compatriot and brother figure, Peter’s aunt May, whose gentle and giving nature made her almost as much a mother to him and she was to Peter, and Mary Jane, who was at one time involved with him romantically but has since taken on a role more fitting the description of a supportive sister. While they were all steps towards emotionally stability for him unfortunately they were all a few steps behind his father, Norman. Norman Osborne was a billionaire industrialist and scientist who had more time for his work than for his son. It is apparent that he has been the only parental force in the life of Harry since early childhood. Harry hates what his father has done but still loves his father. This can be ascribed to the fact that he was the only parent he had. The level of the dependence displayed along with Harry’s own lack of mention of his mother indicates that this has been the case since early in life. Naturally this left Harry emotionally fragile and thus a prime target for the more destructive forms of escape, like drugs. Drug use can come into ones life for as many reasons as there are potential users. In the case of Harry Osborne they were a crutch, filler for that which was left lacking in his life. They are of course an incomplete answer and so they drew Harry further into his state of weakness. Peter was there to help Harry in the steps to overcoming his addiction and it did further cement their bond for a time something else was about to happen that would permanently drive a wedge between them. Much like most problems on his life this could be traced back to Norman. While the emotional neglect and lack of an example Norman left were enough to leave him ill equipped for a functioning relationship with a woman it was what he did to one woman as the Green Goblin that would lead to what truly broke Harry’s mind. The Green Goblin was Norman’s alter ego, a super powered, masked creature who was as driven as much in villainy as he had been in any other project. Spider-man stood in his way since he happened to know Spider-man was none other than he son’s roommate Peter Parker he knew exactly how to get him out of the way. Norman abducted Peter’s girlfriend, Gwen Stacy, and set lose an event that lead to both her death and his own. The loss of a parent, none the less your only parent would be enough to shatter anyone, especially considering the fragile state Harry was already in, Harry had Spider-man to blame for this loss. In this he gained direction. In the same name his father took he gained a means. Harry comes to know that Spider-man, whom he believes to have killed his father, is Peter. The loss is then turned into a betrayal. Harry is left without his surrogate brother and more alone than ever. As his adoptive family fails him he left nowhere to turn for strength but to his natural family. In taking the role of Green Goblin he sought to both avenge his father and emerge as his own man in surpassing him and defeating the man he could not defeat. Harry is very much his fathers’ son in the goblin guise, treating life as a frantic, all too real joke. While be could not escape that inherited failing he did another. While he was as driven as Norman ever was he was not as ruthless in how he accomplished his goals. Even at one point taking Mary Jane, at that point Mary Jane Parker, aside to say that while he had to do this she was family and wouldn’t be hurt. In this it was the depth of the failure of Norman Osborne as a father saved a bit of his some. Harry had lacked human warmth, sought it out, and he continues to do so while irreparable a part of him has ceased to be human. Disagree? Bring it up on the forum. Suggestions? E mail me. But don’t write an essay. If I use who you suggest I’ll only say what I have to say Back to Rants