Chapter 48: The Insidious Green Goblin

Michael was somewhat surprised. He had assumed Felicia was with Harry, but to his astonishment, it was Norman. It seemed Norman had descended completely into madness, even to the point of targeting his own son’s girlfriend.

“Let’s go, right now,” Michael urged, grabbing Gwen and Felicia to leave at once.

“What’s going on?” Felicia asked, still bewildered.

“Felicia, trust me—resign. Harry can’t protect you anymore.”

Felicia was taken aback. The only reasons she’d kept working there, besides the enticing salary, were because of Harry. She was Harry’s girlfriend; surely Norman wouldn’t lay a hand on his son’s girlfriend, would he?

“Why?”

Michael explained, “The research project I was working on with him was actually the super-serum—the kind of genetic drug that turns ordinary people into superhumans. This serum has a side effect: it makes good people better, and bad people worse as they age. Norman is an ambitious man. In his eyes, women are mere playthings.”

Felicia instantly understood. She’d become the CEO’s secretary the moment she joined Oscorp. If Norman had no ulterior motives, she would never have believed it. So, she’d seduced Harry, become his girlfriend, and successfully obtained a shield.

But now, it seemed Norman no longer cared.

The three of them got into the car and sped away from Stark Industries.

Using echolocation, Michael successfully pinpointed the Green Goblin tailing them.

“He’s following us. Gwen, you drive.”

“All right.”

They quickly switched positions inside the car—Gwen behind the wheel, Michael in the passenger seat.

Gwen now understood as well: the Green Goblin was Norman Osborn, who’d injected the super-serum and become a lunatic.

Norman laughed maniacally, watching the speeding car. “I’d hoped to keep you to serve me, but too bad—you figured it out.”

With her spider sense, Gwen managed to dodge the pumpkin bombs.

Faced with such danger, Felicia—who had not yet become the Black Cat—was left with nothing but screams.

“What do we do now? I don’t have my suit.”

Gwen was only wearing a cocktail dress with a small purse—of course, she hadn’t brought anything useful.

“Leave it to me. I’ll take care of him.”

With that, Michael swung open the car door and jumped out.

Felicia gasped, quickly covering her mouth. Jumping from a moving car at high speed seemed tantamount to suicide in her eyes.

Michael leapt from the car, using the wind to land atop the roof.

Norman Osborn had already donned his Green Goblin suit, looking for all the world like a goblin in high heels. Why he’d designed the suit that way—so garish, so hideous—was anyone’s guess.

The glider design, however, was impressive. Michael admired Norman’s spirit; although he hadn’t invented anti-gravity propulsion, he’d found a substitute.

“Norman, turn back,” Michael called out, deciding to show some courtesy and offer him a chance.

“Michael, I underestimated you. You only recovered your health because you injected the serum, didn’t you?” Norman sneered.

To crawl out of a speeding car and onto the roof, to have that strength and balance—these were not things a normal human could do.

So, the Green Goblin concluded, Michael too had succumbed to the lure of power.

“Michael, we’re the same, born to rule the world. The world exists for us. Join me—we’ll conquer it together!” the Goblin raved, hoping to sway Michael, or better yet, recruit him.

Michael sighed. This man was truly mad.

“I have to stop you here, Norman.”

The Green Goblin was the most unscrupulous, utterly despicable villain.

He’d once used underhanded tricks to capture Peter Parker’s Spider-Man, threatened the editor of the Daily Bugle to reveal who took the Spider-Man photos, then, upon learning Peter was Spider-Man, threatened and hurt Aunt May. In the end, he used a busload of children and Mary Jane to threaten Peter, and after failing, revealed his face to confuse Peter further.

In “No Way Home,” Aunt May died because of him, the villains were turned against each other, he destroyed Doctor Strange’s magic, and tried to provoke Spider-Man into killing.

In the comics, the Green Goblin’s schemes were even more heinous.

He truly was the most vile, the most amoral villain.

Michael was terrified Gwen would fall into his hands, so he decided to strike first.

Now, with Gwen in a dress, unable to fight, Michael would handle it himself.

In a way, Norman’s transformation into the Goblin had something to do with him. Originally, under pressure from the American military, Norman had reluctantly used himself as a test subject. Now, with more time, and after losing the military’s contract to Tony’s armor, he’d spiraled further.

The Goblin continued his deranged laughter, as if mocking Michael’s futile bravery.

He maneuvered his glider, launching several missiles, intending to blow them to pieces.

Michael pressed his hands together, generating a filament of golden energy, sparking like a whip, and lashed it at the missiles.

The Goblin’s missiles were contact-triggered; as soon as the whip struck, they exploded in midair.

Shrapnel scattered everywhere, but none posed a threat to Michael.

He swung his whip again, ensnaring the Goblin, and with a powerful yank, tore him from the sky.

The Green Goblin crashed to the ground, face-first, stunned by Michael’s immense strength—and baffled by the magical whip.

Michael had no intention of letting him go. Maintaining his grip, he dragged the Goblin behind the speeding car, sparks flying as the Goblin’s armor scraped the pavement.

At the critical moment, the Goblin maneuvered his glider to knock Michael off.

Michael tumbled from the car, unable to regain his balance, rolling several times across the ground.

It hurt, but it was nothing more than some scrapes—though his fine suit was ruined.

By the time Michael got up, the Goblin had vanished.

Using echolocation, Michael instantly gained the ability to monitor the whole city. Filtering out background noise, he found the Goblin was already nearing Stark Industries.

He fled so quickly? After barely a skirmish?

Then again, the Goblin had no scruples.

Michael realized his own lack of combat experience; without his bombs, the Goblin was no real match for him, yet he’d still slipped away.

As Michael mulled this over, the Goblin suddenly returned, hurling two smoke grenades at him.

“Damn—”

The moment he inhaled, Michael felt dizzy and lightheaded.

Not good—sleeping gas.

Holding his breath, Michael drew a circle with his right hand, instantly teleporting behind the Goblin, and kicked him off the glider.

The Goblin rolled on the ground, trying to get to his feet.

But Michael pressed his advantage, pinning him down and raining blows upon his head.

The Goblin was stunned; his mask shattered, revealing a face bloodied and raw.

“Michael, I’m Norman—Norman Osborn, not the Goblin!” he pleaded pitifully.

But Michael was unmoved, striking him twice more and knocking him out cold.

Even after Michael’s modifications, the super-serum only gave him strength to lift about ten tons—nothing compared to Michael. He couldn’t withstand Michael’s blows.

The ease with which he subdued the Goblin was due entirely to the Goblin’s ignorance of his abilities. Once he learned more, the Goblin would surely be better prepared.

Just as Michael was about to finish him off, a voice stopped him.

“Stop!”

Several police officers surrounded him, led by George.

“You can’t kill him. He must be handed over to us,” George urged.

Michael frowned, looking at them for a moment, then stood up and walked away.

Only then did George breathe a sigh of relief. “Take him away.”

“Yes, sir.”