10 Worst Things The Green Goblin Has Done To Spider-Man
5. Orchestrating The Clone Saga
The "Clone Saga" might be one of the most reviled storylines in the history of Spider-Man history. Emblematic of the excesses of the comic book industry during the 1990s, what started out as a somewhat intriguing concept (Spider-Mans thought-to-be-dead clone from the 1970s returns and questions whether or not hes the real Peter Parker) spiraled out of control as the storyline stretched out for years. Throughout this long and winding storyline, it is generally accepted that the Jackal, the villain who created Spideys first clone, is the mastermind behind this new "Clone Saga." Instead, one issue after revealing he was back from the dead (and had kidnapped baby May), Norman Osborn busts out his old Green Goblin costume and tells Peter that he engineered the Clone Saga. The following fight between the Goblin and Spider-Man and his clone, the Scarlet Spider (Ben Reilly), reaches a fever pitch when the Normans glider impales Ben and kills him. As Ben dies, his body disintegrates, convincing Peter that he was the real Spider-Man the whole time. Say what you will about the quality of the Clone Saga, but the Goblin manages to punish Spider-Man a couple of different ways during the storyline. Not only did he totally mess with Peters head by convincing him he is a clone, he also ends up killing Ben, someone Peter thought of as a brother. On the plus side, Peter Parker: Spider-Man #75, the issue where all of these revelations come to a head, marks the official, undisputed end of the "Clone Saga."
Mark is a professional writer living in Brooklyn and is the founder of the Chasing Amazing Blog, which documents his quest to collect every issue of Amazing Spider-Man, and the Superior Spider-Talk podcast. He also pens the "Gimmick or Good?" column at Comics Should Be Good blog.
The "Clone Saga" might be one of the most reviled storylines in the history of Spider-Man history. Emblematic of the excesses of the comic book industry during the 1990s, what started out as a somewhat intriguing concept (Spider-Mans thought-to-be-dead clone from the 1970s returns and questions whether or not hes the real Peter Parker) spiraled out of control as the storyline stretched out for years. Throughout this long and winding storyline, it is generally accepted that the Jackal, the villain who created Spideys first clone, is the mastermind behind this new "Clone Saga." Instead, one issue after revealing he was back from the dead (and had kidnapped baby May), Norman Osborn busts out his old Green Goblin costume and tells Peter that he engineered the Clone Saga. The following fight between the Goblin and Spider-Man and his clone, the Scarlet Spider (Ben Reilly), reaches a fever pitch when the Normans glider impales Ben and kills him. As Ben dies, his body disintegrates, convincing Peter that he was the real Spider-Man the whole time. Say what you will about the quality of the Clone Saga, but the Goblin manages to punish Spider-Man a couple of different ways during the storyline. Not only did he totally mess with Peters head by convincing him he is a clone, he also ends up killing Ben, someone Peter thought of as a brother. On the plus side, Peter Parker: Spider-Man #75, the issue where all of these revelations come to a head, marks the official, undisputed end of the "Clone Saga."