In Looper’s exclusive preview of “Spider-Man Shadow of the Green Goblin,” readers are taken back in time to the earliest days of Marvel history. The story flashes back to Peter Parker and his Aunt May, who are both trying to pretend they’re doing okay following Ben Parker’s death.
With bills stacking up, Spider-Man visits his agent, Maxwell Shiffman, hoping to get work. Unfortunately, a Daily Bugle hit piece by J. Jonah Jameson has tanked how the public perceives the wall-crawler, leaving him without a paying gig. Later, Spidey takes to the streets and catches a purse-stealer. When confronted, the man pulls out a gun and Peter loses his edge, revealing one of his earliest weaknesses — the combination of guilt and self-doubt — as he’s overwhelmed by the memory of Uncle Ben’s death.
In an interview with Marvel.com, DeMatteis said he’s excited to explore the challenges young Peter faced in overcoming his guilt, as well as digging deeper into Osborn family history than Marvel has gone. “SHADOW OF THE GOBLIN allows us to take a deep dive into Young Peter’s mind and emotions as he makes his way through this exhilarating, and sometimes terrifying, new world,” the writer said about revisiting the obscure story. “We take an equally-deep dive into the dysfunctional dynamic of the Osborn family, seeing how that generational pain sowed the earliest seeds of Norman’s Green Goblin identity and left its traumatic imprint on Harry. If you think you know everything there is to know about Peter and the Osborns, think again!”
In an exclusive preview, Spider-Man’s first weakness is made clear as the web-slinger confronts his guilt and self-doubt ahead of the Proto-Goblin’s creation. Read More