Hobgoblin (Marvel)
The Hobgoblin is the name used by several characters in the Marvel Universe.
Hobgoblin (Roderick Kingsley)
- Main Article: Roderick Kingsley
Roderick Kingsley began his career as a fashion designer with ambitions of power. Fate seemed to conspire in his favor, as a small-time hood discovered one of the lairs belonging to the Green Goblin, and brought Kingsley to the lair. Kingsley cleaned out the lair and killed the hood. He then altered the costume and began to understand Norman Osborn's obsession with his double life. Kingsley declared himself the Hobgoblin, and went on to become one of New York City's most feared super-villains.
The Hobgoblin then began raiding as many of Osborn's old lairs as he could find, taking his weapons, and while doing this he had a run in with Spider-Man?. The Hobgoblin barely escaped; he wondered how Osborn was able to fight Spider-Man and soon learned the secrets of the Goblin Formula. He then brainwashed Lefty Donovan into acting as a stand-in and testing the formula on him. He was beaten and eliminated before he could reveal Kingsley's identity. Afterwards, the Hobgoblin used the formula himself and altered it so he could keep his sanity.
Using Osborn's journals, he began his plans to expand his power, first by blackmailing many of New York's elite, including J. Jonah Jameson (with evidence implicating him in the creation of the Scorpion) and Harry Osborn (with evidence of his father being the Green Goblin). He gathered them all at a local club and used his twin brother Daniel to act as his own stand-in (giving Kingsley the perfect alibi), but Spider-Man showed up and fought him to a stand-still, and the Hobgoblin fled when he realized the Kingpin was also a member (as he was not powerful enough to take on the Kingpin). As he fled, Spider-Man placed a tracer on his jet-glider and followed him to his hideout, and attempted to finally take him down. The Hobgoblin seemingly perished in the Hudson River and all Spider-Man found was his ruined mask.
But Kingsley survived and made his way back to his lair, soon becoming aware he was being followed by Ned Leeds. He ambushed Leeds (who never saw his face) and interrogated him, learning that Jameson put Leeds on the case of discovering the Hobgoblin's true identity. He also learned of another story Leeds was working on, conspiring with Richard Fisk to bring down the Kingpin, and the Hobgoblin decided to use this as the perfect vehicle to move in on the Kingpin himself. He also gained something else, a new stand-in. As his brother was his stand-in for his public identity, Kingsley brainwashed Leeds and used him as a stand-in for the Hobgoblin. He sent Leeds to Fisk and the two planned their overthrow of the Kingpin. Whenever the Hobgoblin needed to flex his muscles, Kingsley would step in. Along the way, he even framed Flash Thompson for being the Hobgoblin.
But Leeds was growing harder to control, and the gang war was turning out to be a disaster. He needed to get out of his life as a costumed criminal, and began to spread word through the underworld that Leeds was the Hobgoblin. Sure enough, mercenary Jason Macendale discovered this and hired the Foreigner to kill Leeds so Macendale could assume his identity. The plan succeeded and Macendale became the Hobgoblin while Kingsley retired.
Several years later, during Macendale's trial, he publically revealed that Leeds was the original Hobgoblin. Fearing an investigation that would lead to him, Kingsley once again took up the identity of the Hobgoblin and killed Macendale in his cell, saying Macendale was an embarassment. He then began his corporate takeover of Oscorp, assassinating all would-be competitors.
In an attempt to clear her husband's name, Betty Brant went on TV and claimed to have found old journals of her husband (Ned Leeds). The Hobgoblin showed up to capture her, fearing what was in them, and as his captive, allowed himself to be interviewed by her, which was both a ploy to give Spider-Man enough time to find her, and tape-record his own confession clearing Leeds' name. When it became clear there were no journals, the Hobgoblin prepared to kill her, just as Daniel Kingsley (wearing a wig to look like his brother) burst in, no longer wanting to be a part of this, pointing a gun but unable to pull the trigger. Spider-Man arrived (tracking the tracer in Betty's tape-recorder) and fought the Hobgoblin, unmasking him as Roderick Kingsley and finally after all these years learning the truth. Kingsley was arrested and taken into custody.
Months later, while awaiting trouble, Kingsley declared that he had journals belonging to the, now returned and exonerated, Norman Osborn and was willing to trade them to the DA for a pardon. He lied but wanted to draw Osborn out, and sure enough the Green Goblin arrived and "kidnapped" Kingsley. Kingsley said his brother Daniel had the journal and agreed to turn it over in exchange for going on his way. He suited up as the Hobgoblin and kidnapped his brother from police custody. He also captured Spider-Man, allowing Osborn the honor of unmasking him. Osborn was uninterested, and the Hobgoblin realized that Osborn already knew Spider-Man's identity. Norman also realized the Hobgoblin was using him, and prepared to kill him, as he had all he needed (he even managed to take over Kingley's own companies). The two fought as Spider-Man broke free and attempted to bring them both in, but failed as the warehouse exploded. Both Goblins managed to escape.
Luckily for Kingsley, Osborn did not seize his overseas accounts. He managed to escape to the Caribbean, taking up residence on an island without an extradition treaty. But even Kingsley believes that his days as the Hobgoblin are not over.
Hobgoblin (Lefty Donovan)
- Main Article: Lefty Donovan
Lefty Donovan was a small-time hood who was employed by Roderick Kingsley to serve as a test subject for the Goblin Formula. Kingsley knew that the Formula had driven Osborn insane and was not about to try it until he had tested it on someone else. After being tricked into administering the formula, Donovan was put under mind control by Kingsley and forced to fight Spider-Man in the Hobgoblin costume. From a distance, Kingsley carefully monitored Donovan's vital signs and behavior. When Spider-Man overwhelmed and unmasked Donovan, and his brainwashing began to fail, Kingsley acted quickly to protect his identity by programming Donovan's glider to crash, instantly killing him. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #245)
Hobgoblin (Ned Leeds)
- Main Article: Ned Leeds
Hobgoblin (Jason Macendale)
- Main Article: Jason Macendale
Jason Macendale came to be recruited by the U.S. Marines whilst he was attending an undergraduate class at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, forming him into a fighter pilot. Upon discharge from the Marines, he began four years' active service as a CIA field agent in the Asian theatre. However, his methods and tactics soon proved too brutal and extreme for his superiors to tolerate. Seeking employment elsewhere, Macendale embarked on a career as an international mercenary. Eventually evaluating his craft to a precise science, he adopted the distinctive costume of the Jack O'Lantern to help promote his accomplishments to prospective employers. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #279) He was later hired for the task of recovering the Hobgoblin's battle van that had fallen into the Hudson River leading to a skirmish with Spider-Man. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #254) Macendale was eventually hired the Foreigner to identify and kill Ned Leeds, who was believed to be the Hobgoblin. At the time, it appeared Foreigner's assassins were successful. (Spider-Man versus Wolverine v1 #1) In the aftermath, Macendale came to be the new Hobgoblin. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #289)
Hobgoblin (Daniel Kingsley)
- Main Article: Daniel Kingsley
Hobgoblin (Phil Urich)
- Main Article: Phil Urich
Phillip Urich was the nephew of Ben Urich who joined the Daily Bugle where he sought to impress his crush Norah Winters and went in search for a story for her. This saw him encountering Daniel Kingsley who he killed whereupon he took the identity of the Hobgoblin for himself. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #649)
Hobgoblin (Norman Osborn)
- Main Article: Norman Osborn
Hobgoblin (Claude)
- Main Article: Claude
Claude was Roderick's butler who was sent in place and to talk like his master to distract the Goblin Nation. He fought against and was killed in battle by the Goblin Knight who then discovered it was Claude who was killed and destroyed his body to keep the Goblin King from finding out about the imposter Hobgoblin. (Superior Spider-Man v1 #26)
Overview
In appearance, the Hobgoblin was a costumed individual whose appearance was based on the journals of the Green Goblin. Changes were made in the mold of the mask to make a more fearsome countenance whilst dyes were used to alter the costume. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #238)
An aspect of the Hobgoblin was the use of the Goblin Formula. The secret formula that came from Norman Osborn's journals came to impart him superhuman strength equal to Spider-Man. (Spider-Man: Hobgoblin Lives v1 #1) Despite that, not all bearers of the mantle possessed superhuman abilities. (Spider-Man: Hobgoblin Lives v1 #3)
The wearer also was provided gloves that were interwoven with micro-circuitry that could channel power bursts of several thousand volts. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #238)
Among his weapons included pumpkin bombs that were incendiary bombs that hardly made a sound when it ignited and yet released enough heat to melt through 3-inch thick sheet of steel. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #238)
The Hobgoblin sometimes wore a shoulder bag to carry their small, portable weaponry. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #238)
The Hobgoblin also was a user of a swift manoeuvrable jet glider that was quiet in its movements and its controls could be mastered in seconds. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #238)
One incarnation of the suit included an orange Hobgoblin costume with wings on the back that allow the wearer to fly without the use of a Goblin glider. They still made use of the traditional Pumpkin Bombs all goblins had used, but he also wielded a new flaming sword. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #649)
Notes
- The concept of the Hobgoblin was created by Roger Stern and John Romita Jr. where it made its first appearance in Amazing Spider-Man v1 #238 (March, 1983).
- In Back Issue! v1 #35 (2009), Stern noted, "I plotted that first story with no strong idea of who the Hobgoblin was. As I was scripting those gorgeous pages from [John Romita, Jr.], particularly the last third of the book, and developing the Hobgoblin’s speech pattern, I realized who he was. It was Roderick Kingsley, that sunuvabitch corporate leader I had introduced in my first issue of [The] Spectacular [Spider-Man]."
Alternate Versions
- In Spider-Man 2099 Meets Spider-Man v1 #1 (1995), an alternate version of the Hobgoblin appeared in the reality of Earth-9500 in the Multiverse. This version was Robin Borne was the daughter of Max Borne the Spider-Man of that world's 23rd century and leader of the Temporal Oversight Team Eliminating Mistakes (T.O.T.E.M.). She worked as a professor at the Empire State University alongside her boyfriend, Lar Nyven, and was a master of time-travel mechanics, much like her father. By studying the past two hundred years, Robin found what she believed to be intersection points between parallel universes and started charting the impact they had on her timeline, discovering they were building to something bigger. Worried that meant a bigger universe would swallow her reality whole, Robin built a special suit that allowed time/universe travel to rework the universe if necessary. She subsequently hid the suit in a temporal fold that enabled it to always exist ten seconds into the future. Based on predictions, Max arrested his daughter for temporal crimes she had not committed yet and placed her in a virtual reality prison. Robin was supposed to remain there for the next 30 years until the window of temporal opportunity had closed. However, Lar broke her free in 2211 via a nanovirus that accidentally drove her insane and enhanced her physical ability. After recovering her suit, Robin came to take the identity of Hobgoblin 2211 where she tried to erase her father from existence with a Retcon Bomb, but ended up hitting Lar instead. Vowing to make sure no one would remember Spider-Man anywhere in the Multiverse, the Hobgoblin began to target every incarnation of the hero she could find throughout space and time.
- In Ultimate Spider-Man v1 #76 (2005), an alternate version of the Hobgoblin appeared in the Ultimate Marvel reality set on Earth-1610 in the Multiverse. This was the identity assumed by Harry Osborn after he was taken to an OsCorp bunker in New Jersey that had reserves of the Oz Serum. He later transformed into the monstrous goblin form during an encounter with Spider-Man where a second artificial personality implanted in him called 'Shaw' was used to provoke his change into the Hobgoblin.
In other media
Television
- In Spider-Man: The Animated Series, the Hobgoblin appeared in the setting of the 1990s animated television series where he was voiced by actor Mark Hamill. This version was named Jason Phillips who was an amalgam of three different versions of the character where he had the business acumen of Roderick Kingsley, the mercenary background of Jason Macendale and the criminal past of Lefty Donovan.
Video games
- In Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions, Hobgoblin appeared in the setting of the third-person action video game where he was voiced by actor Steve Blum. This version was a new exclusive character native to the year 2099 who was a hybrid mercenary.
Appearances
- Amazing Spider-Man v1: (1983)
- Superior Spider-Man v1:
- Amazing Spider-Man v3:
- Amazing Spider-Man v4:
External Links
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