Amazing Spider-Man #66 "THE MADNESS OF MYSTERIO!" (November, 1968)

Synopsis

Mysterio opens this issue soliloquizing about how he plans to defeat Spider-Man. Sigh...they never learn. 

Gwen makes up with Peter having learned the truth about what happened in the previous issue. Hooray!

Joe Robertson and Captain Stacy begin their get-togethers to discuss Spider-Man. I'm guessing that Stan Lee's father smoked a pipe. Both of these "father figure" characters do.

Norman Osborn has reverted back to the Green Goblin, but he still hasn't regained the memory that Peter Parker is Spider-Man.

When Spidey tracks down Mysterio, he gets zapped by Mysterio's new weapon. Spidey regains his sense in time to discover that he's only 6 inches tall!!

Notes

Credits

Stan (The Man) Lee and Johnny (Ring-A-Ding) Romita

Amazinlgy Abetted by: Dazzlin' Don Heck + Slick Mick Demeo

Lovingly Lettered by: Adorable A. Simek

Special Effects by: I. Fearless Forbush

Amazing Spider-Man #40 "SPIDEY SAVES THE DAY!" (September, 1966)

Synopsis

The Green Goblin has Peter unmasked and captured. Turns out, he was Norman Osborn all this time. It also turns out that he's completely insane. He tells Peter the story of how he became the Green Goblin. It's the familiar tale of a distant father, too wrapped up in his work to spend time with his son. He gave Harry everything he could, financially that is. The one thing he didn't give Harry was the only thing Harry really wanted: a dad.

Okay, put away the tissues. Stan & co then piss away the rest of the issue in a sort of "flashback episode" to catch up all the potentially new readers. 

The end is a real doozy though, GG gets an "electro-chemical" shock which causes him to completely lose his memory of the Green Goblin identity. Now he's just plain normal Norman Osborn. I'm sure that this will be permanent, and the Goblin will never threaten anyone again.

Notes

Credits

Writer: Stan Lee

Penciler: John Romita

Inker: Mickey Demeo

Letterer: Sam Rosen

Amazing Spider-Man #39 "HOW GREEN WAS MY GOBLIN!" (August, 1966)

Synopsis

The Green Goblin hires a bunch of thugs to hit Spidey with some gas which will dull his Spider-Senses! This enables the Goblin to follow Spider-Man home and learn his secret identity. 

This is pivotal. The Green Goblin at this point, hasn't really differentiated himself as an arch-nemesis any more than any of the other villains. He's never kidnapped Aunt May, or Betty Brant like Dr. Octopus or the Sinister Six (led by Ock) have. 

He is however, the first villain to learn that Spider-Man and Peter Parker are one and the same. He won't be the last to learn that, but this is the beginning for the Goblin; this is the first step down a path that separates him from simply being a member of the rogues gallery, to being the legendary arch-rival that he will eventually become. 

The Green Goblin could've been another "corny costumed villain." His name is certainly dumb, he's got gimmicky weapons, and he doesn't particularly have any incredible powers. The fact that he was the first to attack Peter and not Spider-Man is significant. Obviously issue #121 (no spoilers here!) is the biggest catalyst for the epic, decade-spanning fight between our hero and villain, but even as early as issue 39--the Goblin knows that to destroy Spider-Man, he must attack every part of his life.

Another interesting thing to note is that instead of having the Goblin be some anonymous figure that we've never met, he's Harry Osborn's father! Do we really care about Max Dillon, Sergei Kravinoff, Adrian Toomes, Flint Marko (William Baker), Dmitri Smerdyakov, Mark Raxton, Herman Shultz, Mac Gargan, Otto Octavius or Aleksei Systevich?

By contrast, Norman Obsorn is an actual character in the Marvel Universe. He interacts with other characters outside of the realm of fighting with Spider-Man. He attends an elite club with JJJ, and is the father of one of Peter's classmates (and future best friend). All of this is part of what will eventually make him into the most feared name in Spiderdom.

Anyway, I'll step off my soapbox for now--Excelsior!

Notes

• The title seems like a question, but it has an exclamation point instead
• John Romita's first issue drawing Spider-Man--Ditko may have created the look, but Romita perfected it

Credits

Script by: Smilin' Stan Lee

Art by: Jazzy Johnny Romita

Inks by: Mighty Mickey Demeo

Lettering by: Adorable Artie Simek

Amazing Spider-Man #27 "BRING BACK MY GOBLIN TO ME!" (August, 1965)

Synopsis

In the thrilling conclusion to last ish--Spidey manages to break free and beat up all of the Goblin's hoods. Gobby himself gets away, but the Crime-Master is tracked down by the cops with help from Frederick Foswell. It turns out that Foswell was the stool pigeon known as patch. All-in-all, a lackluster issue

Notes

• First appearance of Barney Bushkin, a minor character if ever there were one

Credits

Edited & Written by: Smilin' Stan Lee

Plotted & Drawn by: Scowlin' Steve Ditko

Lettered & Gift-Wrapped by: Swingin' Artie Simek

Amazing Spider-Man #26 "THE MAN IN The CRIME-MASTER'S MASK!" (July, 1965)

Synopsis

The Crime-Master is planning to take over the rackets. One might wonder why he calls himself "The Crime-Master" when he hasn't actually committed any crimes...but who am I to quibble? The Green Goblin shows up too and he demands to run the mob. If you're thinking that he already did that, you'd be right. It was in issue #23. Anyway, he manages to knock out our intrepid hero and there's a cliff-hanger ending of the goblin presenting the mob with the unconscious body of Spider-Man!

In a vague side-story, Peter gets into a fight with Flash Thompson and when caught by the principal, accepts full responsibility.

Notes

• We have a first sign of Flash's humanity as evidenced in the panel above

Credits

Scripted by: Stan Lee

Plotted & Drawn by: Steve Ditko

Lettered by: S. Rosen

Amazing Spider-Man #23 "THE GOBLIN AND HIS GANGSTERS" (April, 1965)

Synopsis

Things sure are jumping in Peter's life. Fred Foswell has been re-hired? Ned Leeds is writing Betty? The Green Goblin tried to bust up a local mob?! That last one doesn't make any sense! Nah, ol' Gobby just made it look that way, he's really trying to take over the rackets himself.

Spidey puts the kibosh on the Goblin, doesn't confront Betty, and ends up on top again. So why is Peter filled with a sense of foreboding dread?

Notes

• the pumpkin bomb has become a signature weapon of the Green Goblin
• Norman Osborn appears but neither speaks, nor is spoken to (see photo above, is that Captain George Stacy next to him?)

Credits

Written by: Stan Lee

Illustrated by: Steve Ditko

Lettered by: Artie Simek

Amazing Spider-Man #17 "THE RETURN OF THE GREEN GOBLIN" (October, 1964)

Synopsis

Flash starts a Forest Hills chapter of a Spider-Man Fan Club! Betty wants Peter to go with her, Liz Allan wants Peter to go with her, and Aunt May has set up another date with "Mary-Jane" for our poor hero. Of course since Pete has to appear at the club meeting as Spider-Man, they'll all have to wait.

The Green Goblin also notices the club meeting and decides to pay a visit. He's armed with new and more dangerous weapons! Spidey is in the process of saving the day when he overhears that Aunt May has had another heart attack. He races off to her side, causing everyone gathered to think that he's a coward. Fortunately the Human Torch is there to drive away the Goblin.

Notes

• The Goblin is now riding on a true Goblin Glider...as opposed to the Goblin Broomstick that he sported in his last appearance
• While Pumpkin Bombs do appear, they are simply part of a larger bag of tricks and not an essential part of his arsenal

Credits

Written by: Stan Lee

Drawn by: Steve Ditko

Lettered by: S. Rosen

Amazing Spider-Man #14 "THE GROTESQUE ADVENTURE OF the GREEN GOBLIN" (July, 1964)

Synopsis

In a case of art imitating art....Spider-Man is going to star in a movie! That's right, in 1964 the plot of putting Spider-Man in a major motion picture had already happened. Unfortunately for our Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, the Green Goblin and the Enforcers are set to guest star! While fighting them off, Spider-Man runs fist-first into The Incredible Hulk! Ultimately, nothing changes and Spidey's movie never gets made.

Notes

• First appearance of The Green Goblin but his secret identity is still a secret, both to the public and us, the readers
• Montana claims that "The Enforcers don't take orders from anyone!" Yet the last time we saw them, they were taking orders from The Big Man
• Spider-Man reveals two heretofore unknown abilities: he can hold his breath for twice as long as a regular person, and the one mentioned in the above photo (perhaps they're related?)

Credits

Written by: Stan Lee

Illustrated by: Steve Ditko

Lettered by: Art Simek