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Harry Osborn
New Goblin Poster 2
Name: Harold Theopolis Osborn
Alias(es): The New Goblin
Little Goblin Junior
Affiliation: Oscorp Technologies
Father: Norman Osborn
Portrayed by: James Franco
First appeared: Spider-Man
Last appeared: Spider-Man 3
Appears in: 3 Films

Harold "Harry" Goblin is a major character in the Sam Raimi's Spider-Man Trilogy, serving as the tritagonist, and additionally one of the two secondary antagonists (alongside Sandman) in Spider-Man 3 before redeeming himself.

He's the son of Norman Osborn, best friend of Peter Parker and former head of Oscorp. After blaming Spider-Man for his father's death, he became the New Goblin. When he discovers that Spiderman was really Peter, Harry ended their friendship and desires revenge. However, after finding out that his father's death was really because of his own doing, he reconciled with Peter, and ended up sacrificing his life to save Peter.

19 years after his death, a past version of his father was pulled from their universe from a point prior to his death and transported to an alternate universe, where he managed to be cured, thereby creating a new timeline where Norman survives and Harry' possibly survives as well. He was portrayed by James Franco in Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2 and Spider-Man 3.

History

Early Life

Harry Goblin was born to a wealthy family his mother apparently died soon after his birth.

He had flunked out of the many private schools his father had sent him to public school and wished to have his wealth and privilege downplayed to his new classmates. He constantly tries to impress his father Norman Osborn, a rich industrialist who is very invested in his work, having little time for his son.

Harry grows jealous of Peter's relationship with him as Norman admired Peter's intelligence and work ethic. Harry starts a relationship with Mary Jane Watson whom he finds attractive. He is aware Peter does as well and after he finds out attempts to justify himself saying that Peter never made a move, though she eventually falls for Peter. Harry eventually manages to somewhat mend the relationship he has with his father.

Promising Revenge on Spider-Man

In 2002, After Norman's death as The Green Goblin, Harry believes that his father was murdered by Spider-Man, and seeks revenge, unaware that Spider-Man had in fact tried to save Norman's life, and went to great lengths to keep secret the billionaire's alter-ego as The Green Goblin.

Joining Oscorp

After Norman's death Harry takes over Oscorp, and invests huge amounts of money in a proposed sustainable fusion energy reactor invented by Dr. Otto Octavius.

Finding Out Who Spider-Man Is

Otto's experiment failed and the company loses millions as a result. Harry was saved by Spider-Man in the disaster but still continues his vendetta. Ever the more bitter, Harry lashes out on Peter, for being the 'son' Norman wanted, defending Spider-Man, and stealing Mary Jane. Later, he forms an alliance with Doctor Octopus to get his revenge, providing Octopus with a rare element, tritium, that he needs to complete his fusion reactor in exchange for Octopus capturing Spider-Man.

Doctor Octopus brings Spider-Man back to Harry, who unmasks him in preparation to kill/assassinate him. He is shocked to see that Peter is in fact Spider-Man, but nevertheless tells him where Doctor Octopus is hiding. Afterwards, he begins to hallucinate, seeing his father's image in a mirror who demands that Harry avenge his death. He refuses to do so and, after being chastised for his weakness, smashes the mirror only to find a hidden room concealed behind it. The room contained all of Norman's Green Goblin equipment and serum, which Peter had hidden when he brought his body back after his death. This discovery led Harry to realize that his father was the infamous Green Goblin.

Becoming the New Goblin

Franco New Goblin

Harry as The New Goblin on his jet glider.

Around six months after he discovered Peter was in fact Spider-Man thanks to his capture by Doctor Octopus. Encouraged by another hallucination of his father in a mirror he attempts to take revenge, attacks Peter during a fight wearing a modified version of Norman's Green Goblin suit and jet glider. Peter tries telling Harry that he wasn't responsible for his father's death, but Harry refuses to listen. As a result of the head injury, he suffered in their subsequent battle, he briefly sustains a case of immediate amnesia.

While in this state, he reverted back to how he was before his father's death. After regaining his memory, due to the efforts of his father's ghost, he attempts to destroy Peter by sabotaging his relationship with Mary Jane and then claiming that she left Peter for him, only for Peter — falling increasingly under the influence of the black suit — to viciously attack Harry in his penthouse, throwing one of his own pumpkin bombs back at him and scarring the right side of his face.

Saving Peter Parker from Venom and Sandman

Later Mary Jane is captured by Venom and Peter, free of the black suit's influence, returns and asks Harry to help him for Mary Jane's sake. Harry refuses and Peter leaves. However, after learning the truth, that his father's death was his own doing and not Peter's, from his butler Bernard, he decides to help Spider-Man save Mary Jane from Venom and The Sandman.

Death

In the ensuing fight, Harry ultimately sacrifices himself to save Peter during the ensuing fight/battle, Harry is impaled in the back with his own glider by Venom, much to the horror of Peter. After Venom's death and Peter making peace with Sandman, Peter goes to a very wounded Harry, who is lying on Mary Jane's lap. Peter expresses remorse for hurting Harry and what he said to him, but Harry forgives Peter for what happened to his father and the two reconcile. Harry dies after the pair's defeat with both Peter and Mary Jane by his side, not before declaring that he and Peter are best friends. Peter and Mary Jane, both heartbroken by their friend's death, attend Harry's funeral together along with Bernard the Butler, Gwen Stacy, Aunt May and Flash Thompson.

Legacy

When an alternate version of his his father Norman from a point prior to his death, is transported to an alternate universe, he discovers Oscorp does not exist, and neither does his Harry, and goes to F.E.A.S.T. lost and looking for a way back home.

Ned Leeds asks Peter (whom had been transported to the same alternate universe as Norman) if he ever had a best friend, prompting him to say Harry was the best friend he ever had, despite trying to kill him, and died in his arms having sacrificed himself to save him. This prompts Ned to tell his version of Peter Parker that he promises not to turn into an evil villain and try to kill him much to Peter's amusement.

Potential Survival in a New Timeline

His father is later cured by the alternate universes' Peter Parker, allowing him to return to his home universe safely without being destined to die fighting Spider-Man. This creates a branched/alternate timeline in which Harry may survive due to no motivation to go after Spider-Man.

Powers and Abilities

Powers

After exposing himself to the Human-Enhancer Formula, Harry gained superhuman strength, agility, reflexes, durability, stamina, senses, as well as healing, all comparable to Spider-Man himself:

  • Superhuman Strength: The formula greatly enhanced Harry's physical strength; he was able to match and trade blows with the similarly enhanced Spider-Man; easily tossing, throwing and kicking Spider-Man across his Penthouse. Harry was also strong enough to punch through a brick wall, and exert enough force to pull out a large piece of it, whilst Peter was still attached.
  • Superhuman Durability: The formula made Harry incredibly resilient to trauma; he was able to survive high velocity impact traumas, as well as endure blows from the enhanced human Peter Parker. Harry's durability was also sufficient to survive a Pumpkin Bomb explosion at point-blank range, albeit with scarring to the right side of his face and damage to his right eye, however, Harry was unable to survive the trauma of being impaled through the chest with the razor-sharp spikes from his Sky Stick.
  • Superhuman Stamina: The formula enhanced Harry's stamina and endurance; making him more resilient to fatigue and pain. He was able to engage in prolonged battles with enhanced individuals such as Spider-Man, Venom and Sandman, all while showing no signs of fatigue. Harry was also able to continue fighting Spider-Man, despite receiving numerous blows, and being tossed about and thrown through the balcony doors of his penthouse, however, by the end of their last fight, Harry was beaten down by Spider-Man and was unable to get up, despite attempting a last-ditch effort to defeat Spider-Man by lobbing a Pumpkin Bomb at him.
  • Superhuman Speed: The formula also enhanced Harry's physical speed; being able to rapidly manoeuvre the Sky Stick, as well as keep up in fight with Spider-Man. Harry was also able to disappear from a coffee shop in the very brief time it took for a bus to pass by, and was able to quickly intervene when Eddie Brock attempted to kill Spider-Man; being impaled in his stead.
  • Superhuman Agility: The Formula enhanced Harry's reflexes, agility and bodily coordination; he was able to react fast enough to match blows with Spider-Man, as well as throw him around in spins and twists. Harry could also utilise and throw Pumpkin Bombs effectively, quickly react to and catch falling objects, as well as rapidly and easily coordinate his body to expertly manoeuvre the Sky Stick, and utilise it offensively against Spider-Man, as well as Sandman.
  • Regenerative Healing Factor: The formula provided Harry with a highly efficient and effective healing factor, allowing him to recover from trauma and injuries at an accelerated rate. Harry was able to recover from the high velocity head trauma he endured, albeit while briefly suffering from short-term memory loss, as well as recover from most of the injuries he suffered during his conflicts with Spider-Man. Despite its effectiveness, Harry's healing factor does have certain limitations, while he was able to survive the point blank explosion from a Pumpkin Bomb, he still suffered scarring to the right side of his face and damage to his right eye, Harry was also unable to survive being impaled through the chest with the razor-sharp spikes from his Sky Stick.

Equipment

  • New Goblin Armor: Harry utilised a light-weight, highly durable armour in his conflicts against enhanced individuals such as Spider-Man and Sandman. The armour appears to be flame retardant, as it survived the explosion from a Pumpkin Bomb, however the tensile strength of the armour has its limits; as it was ripped apart by Spider-Man. The armour also wasn't durable enough to endure the trauma of being impaled with the razor-sharp spikes from his Sky Stick by Venom.
  • Sky Stick: The New Goblin rides a hi-tech snowboard-shaped glider called the Sky Stick, which also goes unnamed in the film.
    • Rockets:
    • Flame-thrower:
    • Two razor-sharp spikes
  • Retractable arm blades:
  • Ionic Sword:
  • Pumpkin bombs:
  • Razor bats:

Trivia

  • In the Xbox 360/PS3 versions of the Spider-Man 3 game, you can play as Harry Goblin as The New Goblin in free roam if you purchase him as DLC. In the PS2/PSP/Wii versions of the game, Harry's death is less gruesome and altered in the actual game. After Spider-Man manages to put 4 Gasoline drums inside a giant Sandman, Harry is about to throw a pumpkin bomb to finish him but Venom throws him into Sandman using his webs, the bomb goes off and explodes the gasoline drums inside Sandman and Harry along with Sandman is blown to bits, killing Harry in the process.
  • In the Spider-Man (2002) game, Harry Goblin is playable as the Green Goblin (Norman Goblin's original suit), making him the only Goblin to become both Goblins but the game isn't canon since Harry didn't discover his father was the Green Goblin until the end of the second movie.
    • This version of Harry in the game is also voiced by Josh Keaton (Who was originally going to voice Spider-man in the game if Tobey Maguire wasn't going to voice him).
  • In the first and the second film, Franco dyed his hair from dark brown to light brown. However, in the third film, he kept his natural dark brown hair. Additionally, in the first film, the scene where Harry met Aunt May at the hospital, Franco's hair wasn't dyed and is his natural hair color until the funeral scene where his hair is back to light brown.
  • Along with Peter, Harry is one of two characters in the Raimi Spider-Man trilogy to survive being hit by a pumpkin bomb.
  • Spider-Man 3 is the only installment in which Harry and Aunt May do not interact or appear on-screen together.
  • His New Goblin identity was never mentioned in the 3rd film itself, but was in the credits.

Gallery

See also


Raimi Film Series
Films: Spider-Man | Spider-Man 2 | Spider-Man 3
Characters: Peter Parker/Spider-Man | Mary Jane Watson | Harry Osborn | J. Jonah Jameson | Uncle Ben | Aunt May | George Stacy | Gwen Stacy | Robbie Robertson | Betty Brant | Curt Connors | Flash Thompson | Dr. Stromm | Mr. Ditkovich | Ursula Ditkovich | Maximillian Fargas | Henry Balkan | Rosalie Octavius | Hoffman | Bernard Houseman | Mr. Aziz | Bonesaw McGraw
Enemies: The Green Goblin | Doctor Octopus | The Sandman | New Goblin | Venom | The Carjacker
Locations: The Daily Bugle | Oscorp Technologies | Quest Aerospace | Osborn Penthouse | Goblin Lair
Video Games: Spider-Man | Spider-Man 2 | Spider-Man 3
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