InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "If you strike me down..."

zechs27 (zechs27) wrote in scans_daily,
@ 2009-06-15 13:51:00

Entry tags:

char: green goblin/norman osborn, char: mary jane watson, char: scarlet spider/ben reilly, char: spider-man/peter parker, creator: howard mackie, creator: john romita jr., creator: steve skroce, creator: tom defalco, event: clone saga, publisher: marvel comics

The Night of the Goblin
To those wishing to see the Clone Saga's climax here's the story for you. It contains the "final" appearance of Ben Reilly and the return of Norman Osborn the original Green Goblin to the Spiderverse. Dail Uppers beware!

Before I go into the actual posting I have to admit, I love this finish to this Saga. I loved the art and some of the quotes from this issue. Mackie got it so right of the relationship between Peter and Norman. To me this was the definative issue of Norman until Warren Ellis got his hands with Norman and did some spectacular things with him in his Thunderbolts run.

Anyway I start with Amazing Spider-Man #418, Norman's grand return. When he finally steps out of the shadows and take's on Ben Reilly, who had just defeated Gaunt aka Mendel Stromm.

The birth of MJ/Pete's child of course goes wrong. All thanks to someone Norman bribed into making sure it was a miscarry or kidnapped the child.

The next part to this was in Spider-Man vol. 1 #75 (a double-sized forty page issue). It opens with Norman paying his grandson a visit:

Meanwhile, a select group of people are being invited special Halloween party at the Daily Bugle. J. Jonah Jameson, Robbie Robertson, Ben Urich, Liz Allen (w/Foggie Nelson), Flash Thompson, and Betty Brant all being the key guests. Peter returns to the hospital to go check on MJ, but then is gassed and knocked out by one of Norman's stooges.

Waking sometime latter, Peter is greeted by Norman and obviously is horrified to see his old nemesis is very much alive. Enter some naked monologuing by Norman explaining to Peter the entire scenario:

Norman goes into full Green Goblin gear fully explaining that Pete is the real deal and wanted to crush his spirit, yet of course was more angered when Pete endured. He then leaves Pete ready to tear asunder those "guests" at the Daily Bugle.

Ben reveals he was awake the entire time and informs Pete that Norman has placed pumpkin bombs all over the floor of the Bugle to wipe out everyone there. The two heroes then set out with Pete to take on Norman while Ben goes after the bombs.

After making a grand entrance, Norman yanks JJJ out and dangles him outside berating him before Pete appears. Using his finger blasters Norman cuts off Pete's webline. Then throws Jonah back onto the building. He slaps Liz Allen for making Harry weak and goes off more onto everyone.

Just to note he fully admits and doesn't hide at all to everyone he's Norman Osborn during this. I just want to note that because Flash joins up and it costs the poor man dearly during "Death in the Family". Back to the story:

By this time, the battle between the Green Goblin and Spider-Man has gotten everyone's attention in New York. The NYPD rush onto the scene while Ben enters the Bugle to get the pumpkin bombs. Pete and Norman do battle above and Norman lands a nasty hit on Pete. However...

Ben's body then begins to decompose rapidly as the final nod that he indeed was the real clone. Pete take's the body away leaving the police with lots of questions. After Ben's body is nothing more than dust, Pete mourns his "brother's" death. Not soon after he goes back to the hospital to see MJ.

So concludes the Clone Saga.

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moneyless_jew
2009-06-15 02:45 pm UTC (link)

I always liked this. Some people said it was too silly to bring back Norman, but I thought doing something this big and Spider-mythos oriented was the only way to properly resolve the horrible Clone Saga, which, I felt, had had increasingly little to do with anything Spider-Man. You can't get any more Spidey than Norman Osborn.

I HATED the loss of the baby, however. I don't read Spider-Girl but I still believe that kid is alive, and no one can make me believe otherwise.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

hybrid2
2009-06-15 03:21 pm UTC (link)

*I HATED the loss of the baby, however. I don't read Spider-Girl but I still believe that kid is alive, and no one can make me believe otherwise.*

I still say Kaine got he back but keep her safe from Norman.
He was a huge treat to peter for a while after this. and it's worse now.

I also hated Ben dying.but it was still done right,i gess.shame Peter did'nt use the improver webshooters,with the stingers and impact webbing.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	zechs27 2009-06-15 06:04 pm UTC (link)
	Pete did use the impact webbing in Post Clone Saga, but I forgot where. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	mullon 2009-06-15 03:25 pm UTC (link)
	That's right kids, take candy from strangers you meet on the street. (Reply to this)

calliopes_pen
2009-06-15 06:24 pm UTC (link)

I started reading the Spider-Man comics right in the middle of the Clone Saga. Around the time that Peter was accused of a murder he didn't commit. I hung on for years just because I wanted to see how it ended. I went through boxes of old issues, just to find a lot of things relating to the clone saga.

Including that 101 Ways To End The Clone Saga, which I see someone posted an excerpt from. Spider-Man #75, though, was when I quit. (Loved Ben as the Scarlet Spider.)

Years passed, and eventually I decided on a whim to try to start reading them again. It happened to be an issue where Peter turned into a giant spider and gave birth to himself--that scared me away. Later, on another whim, I picked up another issue--the issue where it was revealed Norman and Gwen had an affair, and they had kids.

I've stayed away since. Heh.

(Reply to this)

	(Anonymous) 2009-06-15 10:17 pm UTC (link)
	Normie's whisper of "Grampa" never fails to be awesome and the same goes for Norman's rant as the bombs explode. ... So is Baby May now a bastard child due to OMD? (Reply to this) (Thread)

	ex_stig213 2009-06-16 09:22 am UTC (link)
	According to Mephisto, she "Will Never Be". So, of course, when a half-decent writer takes over from the BND crew, one of the big 'Fuck You' messages on their list should be to have Kaine bring her back. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	werehawk 2009-06-16 08:17 pm UTC (link)
	JR jr was on the ball with his art here. Great stuff. (Reply to this)