10 Most Tragic Deaths In The History Of Spider-Man

5. Harry Osborn

We've not once shed a tear for Norman Osborn, history's greatest fictional monster, but we would be lying if we said we weren't a little choked up when his son kicked the bucket. Following the edict "like father, like son" a little too closely, the junior Osborn - and, for a very long time, Peter Parker's BFF and closest confidant - eventually succumbed to his father's madness, stumbling across his cache of Green Goblin costumes and equipment and picking up where his dear old dad left off. Like, with the bad guy stuff. Not with being dead. In fact Harry sees his father impaled by his own glider and, not wanting Norman to be remembered as a crazy villain (having just killed Gwen Stacy) he strips off his costume before the police arrive. Since he apparently wasn't paying much attention to the battle - possibly he was still hopped up on goofballs, or whatever it was, at this time - Harry blamed Spider-Man for his father's death, swearing he would have vengeance on the wallcrawler. The grief over his mad dad's passing, the stress at being dumped by Mary Jane and his dependency on cocaine and amphetamines cause Harry to have a bit of a psychotic break, as you imagine it would. Peter doesn't want to fight his friend, but Harry doesn't give him much choice. Eventually he tries to recreate the serum his dad made to give him his goblin abilities, goes even more loony in the process, and kidnaps his his wife, son, and brother-in-law. Spidey saves the day but Harry gets released from prison early and tries again, this time with Mary Jane and his son Normie again. He locks them in a mansion with a bomb, before realising what he's done and heroically rescuing them before they get blowed up. Then he dies of his makeshift goblin formula, having failed to avenge his father's death, but redeeming himself in the eyes of his best friend. Sniff.