Spider-Man Just Permanently Killed a Major Character & My Jaw Literally Dropped

Summary Marvel permanently kills off Norman Osborn, sparking Harry Osborn's transformation into the Green Goblin.

Tony Stark is falsely blamed for the attack; the Ultimates are seen as terrorists; Harry seeks revenge.

Harry's conflict with Spider-Man as Green Goblin is seemingly inevitable due to their differing views on the Ultimates' innocence.

Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Ultimate Spider-Man #5! Spider-Man lore has no shortage of iconic characters (including and especially villains), with each one adding to the wider mythos of the superhero’s Marvel Comics canon. However, it can’t be argued that some are more impactful than others, though that didn’t stop Marvel from permanently killing one of them in a moment of shocking horror that was quite literally jaw-dropping.

In a preview for Ultimate Spider-Man #5 by Jonathan Hickman and David Messina, Harry Osborn is walking down the New York City streets, late for a gala held by his parents. Norman, furious and looking at the city-scape from his penthouse, gets Harry on the phone to scold him for being late to an apparently very important party. While Harry is insincerely apologizing, Norman tells him that he’s yet to live up to his potential as both an Osborn and as a man. And before Harry can respond, Norman dies - and Harry watches him die.

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Norman Osborn, along with his wife and everyone else attending the gala Harry was late for, was killed in a blast from a Stark Tech space laser. This attack was first shown in Ultimate Universe #1, and referenced in Ultimate Spider-Man #1. Readers knew Norman was killed as a result of the laser-blast, but seeing it on-panel was still utterly shocking. But not only that, this moment also acts as Harry Osborn’s origin as the Green Goblin, with those final disapproving words from his father as Harry watched him die assuredly having a lasting impact on Harry’s psyche.

Related Marvel Permanently Kills Its 2 Most Powerful Heroes in Bold Statement About New Continuity Marvel kills off two of the most powerful heroes in the newly-established Ultimate Universe, which is a bold statement about that continuity's future.

Who Killed Norman Osborn in Ultimate Spider-Man

And What This Means for the Future of the Ultimate Universe

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The moment Harry witnesses in this preview is one that has been shown or referenced a few times so far in this newly-established Ultimate Universe, as it’s one of the key events shaping this new continuity.

According to the world, the laser attack on New York City was done by Tony Stark after he ‘became a terrorist’ following the fall of the City - the Maker’s citadel that hosted a battle of time-traveling heroes fighting for their own future. These plot points were outlined in the essential-reading miniseries Ultimate Invasion and the one-shot Ultimate Universe, and as far as Ultimate Spider-Man continuity is concerned, the biggest takeaway is the fact that the world thinks Tony Stark launched this attack that took the life of many - including Norman Osborn.

In truth, the attack was launched by the Maker’s secret council (the one that rules the world from the shadows) in an effort to make the rising crop of superheroes seem like villains - superheroes who readers will recognize as the Ultimates. Tony Stark is the face of the Ultimates, and he’s slowly collecting more heroes to join him, which includes Doctor Doom (Reed Richards), Thor, Captain America, Lady Sif, and the Human Torch (the original version). Because of this attack, the world sees the Ultimates as terrorists - including and especially Harry Osborn aka the Green Goblin.

Harry Osborn’s Origin Reveals How He’ll Be Spider-Man’s Ultimate Villain

Harry Osborn was revealed as the Ultimate Universe’s Green Goblin in Ultimate Spider-Man #3, becoming a vigilante to ‘save the world’ from those who would try to destroy/control it. In his mind, the villains of this world are the Ultimates, as he seems to think they’re to blame for killing his family - which could lead to conflict with Spider-Man. In Ultimate Spider-Man #1, Stark sent Peter the radioactive spider the Maker stole that was supposed to bite Peter as a teenager. The Ultimates created Spider-Man, and Spider-Man believes that they’re innocent in this attack, while Harry seemingly does not.

Harry and Peter know the other’s secret identities, and as of right now, they’re vigilante partners. However, once it comes out that Spider-Man is aligned with the Ultimates while Green Goblin is actively working to destroy them, that could be the rift that creates their seemingly inevitable rivalry. However, fans can rest assured that Spider-Man won’t be facing his original archenemy, Norman Osborn, anytime soon in the Ultimate Universe, as Marvel Comics just permanently killed him in a moment that was utterly jaw-dropping.

Ultimate Spider-Man #5 by Marvel Comics is available May 29, 2024.