Hobgoblin Vs Spider-Man

[zechs27.insanejournal.com]

The epic brawl that erupted between the two in Amazing Spider-Man #249-251.



Dail Uppers Beware!!

#249 starts off with the start of Hobgoblin's latest scheme. Harry Osborn and J Jonah both recieve packages in the mail with information on the skeletons each have in their closet (Harry with Norman being the original Green Goblin and Jonah for creating the Scorpion). Both are to attend a meeting a the Century Club or else. Jonah begrudingly goes, while Harry tells this all to Pete and asks him to tag along.

At the club, Pete see's the Kingpin is there and figures him to be the mastermind of this blackmail scheme. However, once the room for the meeting is opened and Fisk merely curious as our hero, Pete begins to realize someone else's hand is behind this all.








It isn't long before the real Hobby arrives and clocks Harry for the outburst. He then lays down the ground rules. If they don't follow him and do some favors (besides the obvious giving him of money) he will go public with every dirty little deed they've done.

Still, there's Stern laying down yet another clue to Hobgoblin's identity. Again, re-reading this all when I finally got the Hobby trade, "Origin" of the Hobgoblin" and then all the stuff I had of the original Hobby by DeFalco and then Priest and PAD. Without even going into Stern's "Hobgoblin Lives" I still can't buy Ned Leeds was ever the Hobgoblin. Ned's motivations and just the sheer level of how Hobgoblin was able to do the things he did (have a mansion for his base of operations in #244-245, being the behind the scenes leader of a group of thieves in #238, and then this). It all showed me someone had a larger pocket. Something Ned just couldn't have had even if he was "corrupt".

Anyway, Spidey finally decides to show himself and a fight between the two spills out of the room:






Again, this showcases why Hobby is just so damn deadly. He'll take an used idea and make it a hundred times more lethal and refined. God I miss that maginfiecent bastard my true primary reason why I can't read a Spidey comic anymore. It's all: NORMAN NORMAN NORMAN! Honestly, I'm beginning to realize bringing back Norman probably was a bad idea, even though I've digged a couple of his stories.

Looking back now even more and even at this time period (I was re-reading the Fantastic Four issue involving Ock yeah that famous story). You had Ock at the top of his villainous game and show's how there's no need for him "dying" to show how "lethal" he can be, Hobby here doing his own thing, Kraven about to go off in his last hunt, and you have Kingpin here. Plus we're on the eve of Venom's creation. Nowadays?

Norman's behind it. I cannot hope and pray that Norman is killed in the conclusion of Dark Reign and just see how the Spidey writers cope again without this crutch they've used from the late 90s to now.

Anyway enough of my ranting and raving. We continue on with Amazing Spider-Man #250:



I so love that upper caption:









Spidey leaves the Century Club with really nothing given he can't local Hobby without his Spidey sense. So he begins interogating all the people who where being blackmailed at the Century Club. He pays a visit to Kingsley who is thinking where his brother is at. Again, another possible clue. He goes to J Jonah who is crafting a letter of resignation. Spidey tells him hell no to that, grabs it, crunches it up, and tosses it. Jonah just starts over making sure it will be printed during the late night edition.

Spidey getting zip via the remaining blackmailed folk decides to try another approuch. He digs up an old Spider Tracer tracker he used to use and uses that to find Hobby.







#251 continues they're battle:




Hobby starts to play demolition derby with Spidey ontop. After going through some buildings and dodging the cops with thinking he finally got rid of his nemesis. He's so wrong:







So there you have it. After this Spidey goes into the "Secret War" and when he returns has an alien costume to deal with. Not to mention the Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz runs begins.

Comments

[warpedhand.insanejournal.com]

So Hobgoblin knows what a Spider-Tracer is, and what it does, and is surprised it works?

[(Anonymous)]

Reread the story. Hobby knew that Peter tracked the spider tracers with his Spider-Sense, dosed Peter with a drug that neutralized his Spider-Sense and assumed that Peter wouldn't be able to track the tracers. He didn't count on Peter having another way to track the tracers.

[timgueguen.insanejournal.com]

His surprise at the complexity of the Spideytracer is another example of how Peter Parker shouldn't be some lower middle class guy living from paycheque to paycheque whether he's married to MJ or not. He obviously has the science chops and creativity to come up with half a dozen ways to make money with his own inventions.

[arilou_skiff.insanejournal.com]

But not the infrastructure, time or ability to capitalize (literally!) on it. Yeah, he could take a few year soff, earn enough money to live the rest of his life, and then come back, but can you SERIOUSLY see Peter Parker doing that? Knowing that dozens of people would be dead because he wasn't there?

[magus_69.insanejournal.com]

That's one of the tragedies of the character. He has the raw brilliance to stand with Reed, Tony and the Hanks, but he won't take the time to hone his mind to that level because of his duties as Spider-Man.

[freeman333.insanejournal.com]

I've always really liked the character design on the Hobgoblin during this era. I know it's an overused visual gimmick, but I'm a sucker for those shots where the face is hidden in shadow and only the two red eyes show through, especially when the eyes are different sizes. Yes, yes, I know, masks don't work that way. But it's so expressive and evocative! I just love it.

Oh Yeah..

[steverodgers5.insanejournal.com]

Ditto..That is a great mysterious Moon Knight/Taskmaster style look to him.. I often wished they'd did a similar look for the Green Goblin in the movies. It certainly couldn't have looked any more ridiculous than the costumes they used..(And yeah I know this is the Hobgoblin, but I still think the look would have worked..)

[sir_mikael.insanejournal.com]

Agreed entirely. Hobgoblins look overall is such a drastic (and dramatic) improvement over Green Goblins.

Definitely...

[steverodgers5.insanejournal.com]

Yeah, I think they did go out of their way when designing him to make him look more of an actual sinister threat. Whereas the Green Goblin kind of worked in the 60es, but as the comics got more serious I think the look started to work against the character..

Re: Definitely...

[sir_mikael.insanejournal.com]

You could argue that Green Goblins outfit is suitable for a litterarly crazed fantastical lonewolf, but Hobgoblin looks like a master villain, a threat in a more thourough and sorta evil manner (not necessarily meaning that Hobgoblin is evil, it's all business for him, but that's another great contrast to him dressing up). Which is actually what they are. Or at least what they were. Pre Osborns accension to the bad guy behind everything.

[aaron_bourque.insanejournal.com]

I should preface this with the fact that I'm on cold meds:

IMO, while the Green Golblin stories were almost always driven by the question "Who IS the Green Goblin??" Hobby was a great villain divorced of the mystery of his secret identity. (Perhaps because of the muffling of the story of its initial revelation biases me, or just the general disillusionment of finally learning the secret of the mystery, but I think Hobgoblin would be an even better character if it just plain didn't matter what his secret ID was). I mean, here, Hobgoblin is the main foe for 3 straight issues . . . and except for pretty much the very beginning (to introduce him) and the very end (to show there's still no closure), it's not "Who IS Hobgoblin" that drives the story, but his plan and menace.

[zechs27.insanejournal.com]

Yeah, they really are great tales including the stuff with him and the Rose. Honestly the only time they go into WHO IS HOBGOBLIN is when he has a dupe all ready to take the fall ie Ned, Flash, or Lefty. I guess that's probably why Bendis never revealed who the new Hobgoblin was. He understood that at least. It was the threat than the identity was greater.

I really wish some damn Spidey writer would pick up and use this new Hobby. I guess I'm almost requesting enough to put up those scans of "Secret Wars" aren't I?

Thanks for posting this..

[steverodgers5.insanejournal.com]

I REALLY loved the Rodger Stern issues of Spiderman. I really wish they'd hire him again to do more than just one-shots. This was a classic era, that really solidified my love of the character.

Although it's funny how the last couple of years of Scans daily have warped my brain to the extent of not being to look at that first cover without laughing, and imagining something along the lines of the following scenario:-

Hobgoblin:-"Surprise! Spiderman It's buttsex time!"
Spiderman:-"Hobby, You have no idea how much you're going to regret saying that!"
Hobgoblin:-"Hm?..What do you mean?"
Kingpin's shadow looms over him..
Hobgoblin:-(Gasp!) Oh God..no!!
Spiderman:-"Heh!..Gotta love that karma!"

Re: Thanks for posting this..

[sir_mikael.insanejournal.com]

Spiderman:-"Heh!..Gotta love that karma!"

You're assuming Hobby doesnt get a chance to start or a pile up isn't in the works. Cus really spidey, I'm not sure it's a comfort to see and feel the weight of the Kingpin on top of Hobby, on top of you.

Re: Thanks for posting this..

[zechs27.insanejournal.com]

And remember that's ALL MUSCLE, not blubber. :P

Re: Thanks for posting this..

[sir_mikael.insanejournal.com]

Hey, muscle or blubber, it's all a hefty bit of weight. :P

[halloweenjack.insanejournal.com]

Has Harry had the Goblin formula at this point? That's one hell of a right hook he's got there.

Also, I am liking JRJr's version of Kingpin here very much.

[zechs27.insanejournal.com]

No, but you can say that because of Hobby this starts the downhill spiral for Harry that lead him back to being the Green Goblin and the formula.

[lonewolf23k.insanejournal.com]

I really liked the sequence with Kingpin. This was Fisk back in his peak, when he knew the best way to deal with Hobgoblin was giving Spider-Man a subtle helping hand.