Harry Osborn

Harry Osborn is a fictional character, a supporting character of Spider-Man in the Marvel Comics Universe. In addition to being Peter Parker's best friend, Harry was the second Green Goblin and is the son of Norman Osborn. Harry Osborn first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #31 (December 1965), and was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko.

In "Spider-Man: The Animated Series", Harry felt a strong hatred for Peter, believing he stole MJ from him. He later became depressed when both Mary Jane and his father went missing. He eventually snapped, and began seeing images of The Green Goblin, who told him he knew where his father was, providing he killed Spider-Man. He used the same gas as his father to become the Green Goblin, and once Spider-Man and The Punisher defeated him, he was admitted to Ravencroft. He escaped when he learned of Peter and MJ's plan to get married. He tried to kill everyone at the wedding before Liz Allen stopped him, by telling him his friends do love him.

In "Spectacular Spider-Man", Harry was close friends with Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy for years. He greeted Peter on the first day of school, having been away for most of the summer. After school they went to Harry's home and talked about a job Peter and Gwen had been offered interning with Curt Connors. Norman overheard them and showed clear admiration for the achievement, while disparaging Harry for not having such an opportunity. Harry was clearly cowed by his father's disapproval, but paniced a moment later when Norman was kidnapped by Vulture. He ran off to, leaving Peter behind. At some point after this, Norman created a formula called Globulin Green and showed it to Harry.

Peter agreed to Harry study for an upcoming math test, but continually blew him off. First for his new job at The Daily Bugle, then to fight Shocker). Harry failed the test and complained to Norman that it was Peter's fault. Norman cut him off and flatly told Harry that he need to take responsibility for his own grades, popularity, and life. Harry took his words to heart and decided to try out for the football team, convincing Peter to join him. Both do well, but in the end Peter decided to throw the tryouts so that Harry got one of the available spots.

Harry began to hang out with the rest of the jocks. Kenny Kong and Flash Thompson played a prank on him, however, causing Kenny's girlfriend Glory Grant to break up with him and go with Harry to the Fall Formal. He tried to brag about this to his father, but caught him when he was having an argument with Hammerhead about their joint criminal activities.

Unfortunately, Harry is devastated when Kenny and Glory get back together at the dance, and ran out to his locker where he drank a vial of Globulin Green. He then ran out of the school. Shortly thereafter, Peter was called away from the dance due to an attack by a new villain, Green Goblin, who was attacking the reigning crime boss, and Hammerhead's boss, Tombstone. The Green Goblin made further attacks on New York, including on OsCorp. Meanwhile, Gwen found Harry passed out after taking more Globulin Green. He rebuffed her confrontations about it, at one point even pushing her against a locker when she tried to stop him from drinking it.

On Halloween, Harry was missing from the festivities he was supposed to attend, while the Green Goblin created a trap to kill Spider-Man, Tombstone, and Hammerhead at once. In the ensuing battle he crashed his glider and limped before managing to fly away. Peter, who already suspected Norman, followed the Goblin to the Osborn residence only to be shocked to discover Harry in the Goblin costume. Harry was confused, claiming to have blacked out and awoken with the outfit on. He also had an injured leg that he could not explain.

Norman walked in on the strange scene and discovered an empty vial of Globulin Green next to Harry. The substance, he explained, increased strength and intelligence, but was highly unstable and extremely addictive. Norman furiously accused Harry of having taken it for his own use, only for Harry to throw Norman across the room, screaming that he only did it to finally make Norman happy. He then nearly blacked out again and became dazed. Norman and Spider-Man concluded that Harry must have been turning into the Goblin during his blackouts, and expressed fear that Tombstone would have him killed if anyone found out. They reluctantly agreed to hide the truth so Norman could find some or Harry, who was now nearly crying. Soon after Norman sent Harry out of the country to find treatment for his addiction.

Harry was gone for all of November and December, reappearing for the first day of school after the winter break. He was unaware that during his absence Gwen had kissed Peter, and that the two had nearly started dating before Peter instead began a with Liz Allan.

Harry expressed gratitude to Gwen for trying to him during his Globulin addiction, and asked her to be his date to Flash Thompson's birthday party. Apparently trying to move on from Peter, she accepted, and not long after agreed to be his girlfriend, despite obvious misgivings that Harry did not seem to notice. Around the same time he also expressed some jealousy of Peter, whom his father still seemed to favor. He expressed disbelief, however, when Venom attempted to out Peter as Spider-Man's secret identity.

Harry, along with his friends, took part in a Criminology class run by George Stacy. This involved a ride-along with members of the police department, during which Harry and Flash were made partners. Flash repeatedly acted rude to Harry, blaming his absence from the football team for a serious injury he had sustained during their final game. Harry sheepishly explained about his addiction, but this only makes Flash more furious, since if Harry was on Globulin during his games, the team could be retroactively disqualified from those wins and lose the championship. Nevertheless he went forward about Harry's cheating, making both of them disliked.

After school, Harry went home and opened a floorboard in his room, revealing a secret stash of Globulin Green that he had been keeping. Soon after, the Green Goblin suddenly reappeared, manipulating events so that all the other crime bosses of New York were neutralized. Harry noted how easy it was for an addict to backslide, in reference to Liz's brother Mark}, a addict. Mark, as it turns out, is also being manipulated by the Goblin, turned into Molten Man and coerced into trying to kill Spider-Man. The Goblin admitted he did not want Spider-Man to realize that he was back.

Harry had been cast as Puck in the school's rendition of A Midsummer's Night Dream, an achievement that he was excited about. However, on the night of the play he was missing, while the Green Goblin arranged for Peter to be trapped in the Vault with most of his other enemies. When this failed the Goblin finally showed himself to Spider-Man, but was unable to kill him thanks to Black Cat's intervention. Peter searched for some sign of Harry, but nobody knew where he was.

Harry finally shows up a week later at Gwen's house, and Gwen called Peter over to help. Harry admitted to having been the Green Goblin before, but suddenly is unsure if that was even true. On the night of the play somebody else dressed as the Goblin had kidnapped him, and he had only just managed to escape. He claimed to have not taken any Globulin Green in months, he had smashed the secret stash. Both Peter and Gwen advised Harry to go talk to Norman about the situation. After he left, Peter admitted the feelings for Gwen that have been building before, and the two decided to break up with their respective partners, Harry and Liz, and date each other. Neither realize that Harry had lingered outside Gwen's house and heard their plans, which left him in a state of shock.

Harry went to talk to Norman, and Peter showed up as Spider-Man, figuring that either one of them could actually be the Goblin, until the Goblin attacked their meeting, allowing Peter to see the supervillain and both Osborns at the same time. Norman suggested his assistant Donald Mencken must be the Goblin, since he was the only other person who knew about the Globulin Green. At Mencken's, however, the Goblin attacked again, and Harry, who had followed with Norman in a helicopter, dive-bombed the windows to save Spider-Man from an attack of poison gas. He continued to follow as the hero and villain fought throughout New York City, during which the Goblin is finally unmasked revealing him to be Norman. Harry became suspicious of the Norman sitting beside him and discovered that he is really Chameleon. The real Norman, in fact, had been the Green Goblin the entire time and merely found Harry passed out on Globulin and framed him, even twisting his ankle to provide the limp.

The battle ended with Spider-Man apparently killing Norman, to Harry's horror. Peter and Gwen attended Norman's funeral, during which Harry states his belief that Norman was addicted like him and not in his right mind when he framed Harry. When Gwen comforted him, he claimed that she was the only thing that kept him from relapsing into his own addiction. She did not notice the way he smirked.

In the "Spider-Man" movie trilogy, Harry Osborn was Peter Parker's closest friend and the son of Norman Osborn, the CEO of Oscorp. He's got many problems with his father, who prefers Peter to him because of his scientific genius, although Harry tries in many ways to make him proud of him. He assists to Peter's change during senior year, but clearly doesn't realize how much his friend has changed. During the final day's ceremony, Norman congratulates with Peter but ignores Harry, thus making him jealous. Some time after the end of school, Harry goes living by himself in a huge apartment bought by Norman and starts a with Mary Jane Watson, without telling Peter, who loves MJ since he was a child. Peter anyway discovers it but tries to hide his disappointment. During one of the first important dates of the two, during a fair sponsored by Oscorp, Harry and MJ, along with the whole Oscorp council, are attacked by Green Goblin. Harry tries to save MJ, who was falling down from a terrace, but fails, and the girl was saved by Spider-Man. Harry tries again to present his girlfriend to his father, during a dinner with Peter and Aunt May, but Norman, who just discovered that Peter is Spider-Man, doesn't stay and flees, telling Harry that he should leave MJ as soon as he gets satisfied with her. Harry was saddened by the lack of attention by his father, and, more, MJ gets angry at him because he didn't defend her against Norman's accusations that she only liked Harry for his money.

While Aunt May was in hospital after being attacked by Goblin, Harry goes to visit her, but he finds Peter and MJ who are getting along. With his feelings hurt, Harry goes to his father, telling him he was right about everything, MJ included, and unwillingly he reveals to the Goblin Spider-Man's true weakness: Mary Jane. Later that very night, Harry finds Spider-Man in his living room, depositing Norman's corpse on a sofa. He tries to shoot him, but fails. During Norman's funeral, he swears vengeance towards Spider-Man.

After Norman's death, Harry takes over Oscorp. He supplies Dr. Octavius' researches by giving him and, especially, the tritium, a particular, very rare element which Octavius needs for his experiment. If the experiment successes, Oscorp will have gained the rights on a new kind of fusion, making it one of the most important, powerful and rich energy companies. The experiment, anyway, fails, and the explosion gives birth to the villainous Doctor Octopus. Emotively destroyed by the failure, Harry gives himself to alcoholism. During a party, being drunk, he meets his old best friend, Peter, and accuses him of having betrayed their friendship, since he's protecting Spider-Man's identity, the most important secret of the man Harry blames for his father's death. During the argument, Harry slaps Peter, humiliating him (and himself) in public.

His hatred towards Spider-Man goes so far that, when Dr. Octopus arrives to him threatening him, he makes a deal with him: tritium in exchange of Spider-Man's capture. When Doc Ock asks him how can he find the hero, Harry gives him the name of Peter, saying he's the key for reaching Spidey. After a battle, Octavius defeats Spider-Man and brings him to Harry, who, after giving Ock the tritium, unmasks the hero. He's shocked when he realizes that his worst enemy was actually his best friend, but he reveals the villain's whereabouts to him.

Still under shock, Harry has visions of his father's ghost, who claims his revenge towards Peter Parker/Spider-Man. Harry doesn't want to hurt his friend and struggles against Norman's will, trying to make the ghost go away: throwing a vase through the mirror in which Norman appeared, Harry shatters it and discovers the Green Goblin's secret hideout, with all his weaponry and equipment. Now, Harry has got both the motives and the tools for his revenge.

Harry was now using the formula that his father used that turned him into the the Green Goblin. With Green Goblin's war gears, Harry becomes the New Goblin and attacks Peter Parker, seeking revenge. On their first battle, Harry loses his memory after hitting his head on a security stair. He forgets everything about his vendetta, Peter's true identity and Goblin's powers and weapons. Harry and Peter become friends again, like nothing ever happened between them: they go out and play together like old times. Sometimes Harry, having forgotten taking the Goblin Serum, was surprised by his own physical capacities, such as his incredibly sharp reflexes. When Peter's personality was affected by the new costume, Mary Jane finds solace in Harry, but something she says unlocks something in Harry's mind and he's healed from his amnesia. Again haunted by his father's ghost, who gives him advice in the art of war. Harry decides to hit Peter through Mary Jane and, after threatening her, he forced her to break with Peter. Later, Harry encounters Peter in a bar and declares to him that he's MJ's new boyfriend. Enraged, Peter goes to the Osborn mansion and they have a fight: Harry was defeated and humiliated by Peter, and when tries to hit him with a pumpkin bomb, he's disfigured by the same weapon thrown to him in return.

Later, during Spider-Man's fight with Venom and Sandman, Osborn's butler, Bernard, reveals to Harry the truth that his father's death was in fact caused by his own goblin glider. This makes Harry change his mind regarding his old friend and, putting his New Goblin suit on again, helps him. During the battle, Harry defeats the Sandman, but was defeated and killed by Venom. With his final words, he apologized to Peter, and confirmed that despite everything, they were still, and would always be, best friends. Harry dies in Peter's arms, and the two friends forgive each other. During Harry's death, all of his old friends are present.

Harry has a funeral after his death and Peter stood at his grave.