Spider-Man 2 had one of the best endings of any superhero movie, when Harry Osborn discovered his fathers Goblin gear. The expectation was that this would lead to Harry taking up the mantle in the third film, with a better design of his fathers outfit (more on that later). But when Spider-Man 3 finally came out, we didnt get Harry as the Green Goblin as he became in the comics. We didnt even get him as the Hobgoblin, as some fans predicted he might be reimagined as. Instead, we got the New Goblin, one of the laziest names ever. With his hoverboard and goggles, the New Goblin looked like he belonged in one of those extreme sports-inspired Mountain Dew commercials from the late 90s/early 2000s. Why he called himself the New Goblin was a total mystery, however, as there was nothing even remotely goblin-like about his costume. Say what you will about his fathers costume, but at the very least, it was a Goblin costume. And although Harrys take was far less ridiculous, it was still something that made absolutely no sense. His costume had more in common with Rocket Racer than the Green Goblin.
Percival Constantine is the author of several novels and short stories, including the Vanguard superhero series, and regularly writes and comments on movies, comics, and other pop culture. More information can be found at his website, PercivalConstantine.com
