Goblin Formula

The Goblin Formula is a drug that features in Marvel Comics.

History

The Goblin Formula was a chemical that was associated with the Green Goblin. Mendel Stromm had been working on a number of strange new formula when his business partner Norman Osborn had him sent to prison for theft. In the aftermath, Osborn began studying the inventions his former colleague had left behind in order to see if they could be sold for a profit. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #40) He decided to test the formula on his willing research assistant Nels van Adder who went through a transmutation process into a violent monstrous red-skinned being as a result. (Spider-Man v1 #-1) During the study of the chemical formula, an accident erupted causing him to be doused in the compound leading to Osborn being in the hospital for weeks till he recovered. Unknown to anyone, the chemicals went into his brain and dramatically altered his personality. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #40)

Discovering that his friend Peter Parker was Spider-Man, Harry Osborn exposed himself to the Goblin Formula and donned his father's suit, proclaiming himself the new Green Goblin. The effects of the formula caused memory loss and when he was defeated, he could not remember what he was doing. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #136)

Roderick Kingsley later came into possession of the Goblin Formula. He knew of the dangers and tested it first on Lefty Donovan, who was a small-time hood. He sent Donovan out as a decoy Hobgoblin and, satisfied, terminated him before the thug could expose his employer's identity. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #245) Kingsley then used a modified version of the Goblin Formula. He tried to find a safer way to expose himself to the chemicals and used a robot to mix the concoction into a giant vat. He then passed through a permeable membrane limiting the amount of exposure to the chemicals. However, Kingsley stayed in the membrane for a bit longer than he had hoped but came out unharmed. After exposing himself to the formula, he set out as the true Hobgoblin once more. (Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man v1 #85)

On a journalism assignment, Phil Urich joined his uncle Ben Urich in an investigation of Oscorp Tower. When his uncle was besieged by attackers in the building, Phil hid and tried to find help. Stumbling upon an experimental new Green Goblin costume Phil also fell into a chamber of the Goblin Formula. Quickly dressing up in the suit, he scared off the hoods. Later on, he decided that the costume and equipment were worth using. (Green Goblin v1 #1)

Parker Industries came to create a cure for the Goblin Formula which was used during the Goblin King's takeover of the city. This cure was used against Norman Osborn himself thus removing his powers and the resultant madness created by the formula. (Superior Spider-Man v1 #31)

Since then, Osborn had become immune to the effects of the serum and he began to study it and sought its perfection. After moving to Symkaria, he decided to produce the serum as a form of Super Soldier Serum that made those exposed to it loyal to his commands. This was with the goal of turning the entire nations citizens into members of his Goblin Army. Doctor Dragovic was subjected to the Goblin Gas by Osborn after he could no longer conduct surgeries on Norman's face. During Spider-Man and his allies attack, Osborn intended to rush forward with deploying the Goblin Serum across Symkaria. (Amazing Spider-Man v4 #27) He was defeated by Spider-Man who laced his body with nanites to prevent the formula from allowing him to transform back into the Green Goblin. In time, Osborn sought to undo this as he believed the Goblin was his true self and conducted various tests in circumventing the nanites but these failed leading to him considering alternate means to restore his old self. (Amazing Spider-Man v4 #32)

Users

• Nels Van Adder : an Osborn employee who served as the first unwitting test subject of the Goblin Formula which transformed him into the Proto-Goblin. (Spider-Man v1 #-1)
• Norman Osborn : after refining the drug, a laboratory accident led to an explosion which affected Norman Osborn that increased his intelligence and strength but at the cost of his sanity thus making him the Green Goblin. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #40)
• Lefty Donovan : after perfecting the Formula, Robert Kingsley decided to test its effects and did so on Donovan. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #244)

Notes

• The Goblin Formula was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko where it made its first appearance in Amazing Spider-Man v1 #37 (June, 1966).

Alternate Versions

• In Ultimate Spider-Man v1 #1 (2000), an alternate reality version of the Goblin Formula known as OZ appeared in the Ultimate Marvel universe setting on Earth-1610.
• In Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man v1 #304 (2018), an alternate timeline was created in an attempt to stop the Vedomi invasion of Earth. This saw Norman Osborn abandon being the Green Goblin where he earned a fortune by selling his Goblin Formula as a health supplement that was taken by the wealthy and those in power.

In other media

Television

• In Spider-Man: The Animated Series, an unnamed green toxic gas appeared in the setting of the 1990s animated television series in the episode "Enter the Green Goblin". At Osborn Industries, an incident occurred that exposed Norman Osborn to the toxic gas thus developing a second persona that came to be known as the Green Goblin.
• In The Spectacular Spider-Man, the formula appeared in the animated television series where it was known as 'Globulin Green. It was an experimental new steroid developed by Oscorp that enhanced the strengths of the user but was addictive and caused split personalities along with mood swings. Harry Osborn discovered it where he began using the formula to give him strength to become the son his father always wanted and used his newfound abilities to target the Big Man who was threatening Norman Osborn. As a result, Harry began to operate as the mysterious masked supervillain known as the Green Goblin.
• In Ultimate Spider-Man, an unnamed formula appeared n the setting of the animated television series which was used to turn Norman Osborn into the Green Goblin. In Ultimate Spider-Man vs. the Sinister Six, Otto Octavius used an imperfect mutagen to transform a number of soldiers into HYDRA Goblins as part of their army though he stated that they were imperfect. He attempted to turn Norman back into the Goblin as an ally against Spider-Man but Osborn had treated himself with a serum that prevented any transformation in the future. With this cure, he helped Spider-Man in creating a serum to turn the HYDRA Goblins back to human.

Films

• In Spider-Man, Human Performance Enhancers appeared in the setting of the live-action film. Norman Osborn was accidently exposed to during his attempts at meeting military contractor deadlines. It provided him with increased strength and also saw the rise of an evil alternate persona.

Video games

• In Marvel: Avengers Alliance, the Goblin Serum was referenced in the setting of the Facebook video game. In "Special Operations - Symbiosis", the Green Goblin utilised the Goblin Serum to control the various Symbiotes unleashed on the city.
• In Spider-Man Unlimited, the Goblin Formula was mentioned in the story mode of the iOS video game during the Superior Spider-Man, Part Two storyline. The Green Goblin mentioned using it on Carlie Cooper in an attempt to get her to reveal the secret that Spider-Man's body had been taken over by Dr. Otto Octavius.

Appearances

• Amazing Spider-Man v1: (1966)
• Green Goblin v1:
• Superior Spider-Man v1:
• Silk v2:
• Amazing Spider-Man v6:

External Links

• Marvel Database Entry
• Comicvine Entry

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