Red Goblin #1 (2023)

Reflecting on the dark legacy of his family, Normie Osborn recalls that his parents -- Harry Osborn and Liz Allan -- had tried to shield him and his little brother Stanley from their grandfather Norman Osborn, who was once the maniacal supervillain known as the Green Goblin. This had ended badly, with Normie being infected by the Carnage symbiote during his Norman's stint as the Red Goblin. After Norman was cured of his insanity and Normie's father Harry was killed, Normie had been approached by his friend Dylan Brock -- current host of the Venom symbiote -- and given a new symbiote of his own, which Normie decided to name Rascal. Noting that trying to escape the dark legacy of his family is easier said than done -- especially now that he's bonded to an often-violent symbiote -- Normie says that he's still trying. On patrol as the new Red Goblin -- with a less-monstrous appearance than his grandfather's iteration, Normie spots a trio of Goblin Nation thugs chasing a civilian through the streets and notes that the he thought they disbanded some time ago. Resigning himself to clean up his grandfather's messes once more, the Red Goblin lands between the Goblin Nation thugs and the civilian, declaring that he hates Goblins. Assuming that the Red Goblin is just a regular superhero, one of the thugs charges up a Sparkle Beam glove and sneers that they're not afraid of him. Blasting the Red Goblin with a bolt of electricity, the thug boasts that taking down a superhero is a rite of initiation for the gang. As the Goblin Nation thugs pull out Razor Bats and prepare to finish him off, Normie notes that he isn't completely bonded to Rascal and that the symbiote tends to go berserk. Transforming the Red Goblin into a more monstrous form resembling Norman's -- which Normie dubs "Goblin Mode" -- and seizing control, Rascal grabs one of the thugs and smashes him face-first into the ground. Noting that Rascal is more or less newly spawned and disconnected from the Symbiote Hive-Mind -- thus lacking even the most-basic information about other symbiotes -- Normie compares it to a puppy... a temperamental puppy prone to mauling things that upset it. One of the Goblin Nation thugs leaps onto the Red Goblin's back and stabs him repeatedly with a knife only to be impaled by spiked tendrils. As the civilian flees, knocking over some nearby trash cans, Rascal prepares to devour the remaining Goblin Nation thug despite Normie ordering him to stop. With Rascal distracted by a chocolate bar amongst the spilled garbage, the Red Goblin is caught off-guard when the thug shoves a Pumpkin Bombs into his chest. Knocked unconscious, Normie dreams of being informed of his father's death by his mother and grandfather, and angrily reprimands Rascal for rooting around in his memories before demanding to know where they are. A pair of NYPD officers respond to a B&E at a bodega and find Normie passed out amongst the broken glass, Rascal having used his body to eat the store's entire stock of chocolate bars. Arrested, Normie is taken to the precinct to wait for his parents and told that the bodega owner won't be pressing charges. As Rascal's mental voice complains about a stomachache, Normie snaps at the symbiote to shut up and that he'll deal with it later. Norman Osborn arrives to pick Normie up and irately tells his grandson to get in the car. Normie asks how much his grandfather paid the bodega owner, Norman replying that the man now owns two bodegas - not noticing a man in ragged clothes watching from the shadows. Norman tells Normie that Liz is away on a business trip but asked him to inform her son that he's grounded until the end of human civilization. Normie bitterly remarks that every time he messes up he gets punished, but Stanley always seems to get a free pass. As Norman scolds him for still being jealous of his younger half-brother, reminding Normie that Stanley is an orphan, Normie angrily snaps that Norman is at fault for that before apologizing. Norman bluntly states that an Osborn never apologizes, Normie lamenting that the family name is cursed and nothing to be proud of. Seeing the leering face of the Green Goblin in his reflection, Norman remarks that in his experience the word "curse" is used to excuse the bad choices people make to avoid taking responsibility for their own actions, and that if Normie dislikes being tied to the dark legacy of the Osborn family he should take steps to change its meaning. As Norman says he wants Normie in attendance at the grand opening of the new clinic, Normie contemplates spitefully undermining his grandfather's efforts at redemption by telling him about the resurgent Goblin Nation, but decides against it. In the Goblin Nation's hideout in the New York sewer system, the Goblin King interrogates his minions about the new Red Goblin. Flying into a rage at the sight of a crude illustration of the Red Goblin, the Goblin King surmises that Norman must have given the Carnage symbiote to an assassin rather than come after the Goblin Nation himself. One of the Goblin Nation thugs, Tyler, points out that Norman is rehabilitated, the Goblin King snapping his neck for daring to question him before stating that Norman is only pretending to be repentant to trick the world into seeing him as a hero, and that the Goblin Nation's very existence threatens that. Declaring the Red Goblin's attack to be an act of war, the Goblin King orders his minions to capture Norman Osborn and bring the former Green Goblin to him. Withdrawing to his lair, which is covered with newspaper clippings related to Osborn and the murder of Daily Bugle reporter Phil Urich, the Goblin King addresses a photo of Norman and sneers that Norman must have noticed he was being followed and felt the Goblin King's undying hatred for him. Repudiating Norman's claims of redemption, the Goblin King rips up the photo and sneers that he sees Norman for the monster he always has been. In his bedroom, Normie reprimands Rascal for having tried to eat the Goblin Nation thug, robbed the candy store, and -- worst of all -- gone Goblin Mode. Separated from him, Rascal protests that it was only trying to help and whines that Normie hates it. Exasperated, Normie assures Rascal that he doesn't hate it but that he has a lot on his plate without the symbiote doing the one thing he told it not to. Rascal asks for a do-over, but Normie says he has to get ready for his grandfather's presentation and they'll continue their conversation when he gets back. Rascal insists on coming with Normie and flies into a rage when he refuses, grabbing him with tendrils and transforming into a massive monstrous head. Liz Allan knocks on the door, Rascal quickly retreating under Normie's bed before she can come in. Normie assures his mom that everything's fine and asks how her business trip was, Liz saying that it was fine until she found out about his crime spree and that no amount of sweet-talk will get her to reconsider grounding him for all eternity. As Liz asks Normie to help Stanley with his tie while she puts her makeup on, she notices he's not wearing his suit and scolds him for not already being dressed. As Normie retorts that the longer she scolds him the less time he'll have to get ready, Liz exasperatedly states that she's trying her best but that things have been difficult at work and she's struggling to raise two kids on her own. Normie brusquely retorts that she should just pay her problems to go away before noticing her hurt expression and apologizing. Wiping away a tear, Liz tells him to get ready and leaves, Normie starting to cry himself. At the grand opening of the Harold Osborn Addiction Treatment Center, Norman delivers a speech honoring his son, who had struggled with numerous personal demons -- among them drug addiction -- and overcome them to to become a better man. Calling his own struggles against his dark side an addiction of sorts, Norman says that he's trying to follow the example his son set and become a man his remaining family can be proud of. A Goblin Nation thug interrupts the speech by throwing a pumpkin bomb at the stage, and Norman is horrified to see the syndicate he established still exists. Normie gets ready to intervene despite the risk of his mother learning he has a symbiote, only to remember he left Rascal at home. As a security guard guides them to safety, Norman flies into a rage and viciously attacks the Goblin Nation thugs, beginning to relapse into his Goblin persona. The security guard is killed and Liz knocked unconscious by one of the Goblin Nation thugs, who surmises that Normie and Stanley must be related to Norman -- though she comments they have better hair. Taking the children hostage, she blackmails Norman into standing down. Knocking Norman unconscious, the Goblin Nation thugs leave Normie and Stanley to their own devices. Waking up in the Goblin Nation's headquarters, Norman asks where Normie is, the Goblin King replying that his grandson is safe and that -- unlike Norman -- he doesn't go around destroying other people's legacies. Norman recognizes the Goblin King's voice, but the Goblin King disdainfully tells Norman to drop the repentant act and tell him who the new Red Goblin is. Saying that the Goblin Nation refuses to be stamped out or simply let Norman sweep his crimes under the rug, the Goblin King says that Norman is going to help elevate them to new heights. As Norman finally realizes who he is, the the Goblin King throws off his cowl to reveal himself as the undead Phil Urich.