From Panel To Play: Green Goblin

CP21 Green Goblin

Not every businessman turns into a glider-riding maniac bent on pulling off dangerous crimes or waging war against a spider-themed neighborhood hero. Then again, not every businessman is Norman Osborn.

Norman Osborn is one of the oldest and greatest foes of Spider-Man. As the unethical founder of Oscorp, his attempt to consolidate power as the company’s CEO led to his discovery of a formula that made him substantially more robust. Before he could administer the serum, his neglected son Harry tampered with it, causing the compound to detonate in Norman’s face, sending him on a spiral into insanity and bringing about the birth of the Green Goblin.

In Osborn’s fractured mind, the Green Goblin lives almost as a separate entity. Its madness urges Osborn to ever greater heights of depravity, made possible by dedicated weaponry and tools developed by Oscorp, including the goblin glider and Green Goblin’s pumpkin bombs. As the Green Goblin, Norman Osborn has waged war against Spider-Man across New York City to the point of obsession. He was even instrumental in the death of Peter Parker’s girlfriend, Gwen Stacy.

Looking positively maniacal atop his goblin glider, Green Goblin sports his classic costume. With pumpkin bombs at the ready to destroy Spider-Man (or anyone who tries to interfere with his schemes), the Green Goblin looks like someone who enjoys his work. Cleverly supported on a column of smoke, his miniature stands high above the battlefield, capturing the feeling of Norman zipping around the city to rain destruction on the heads of his enemies.

When it is time to go on the offense, Green Goblin has a pumpkin bomb for every occasion. These orange orbs pack a variety of chemicals tailored for all manner of foes. On the tabletop, the Pumpkin Bombs attack is equally versatile, allowing Green Goblin to choose between Physical or Energy damage before making the attack. Even better, the Bag of Tricks special rule allows Green Goblin to select between the Bleed, Poison, and Incinerate special conditions if the attack produces any wilds.

Of course, pumpkin bombs aren’t the only weapon in Norman Osborn’s arsenal. He zips around the city on top of his goblin glider, flying over obstacles between him and his hated rival.

Osborn isn’t greedy, though. Well, yes, he is, but not when it comes to causing pain for Peter Parker!

By misappropriating the resources of Oscorp, the Green Goblin has access to a host of different unusual prototypes, which he happily shares with anyone else who bears a grudge against Spider-Man. Oscorp Weaponry is a unique Leadership ability that affects anyone with the Spider-Foes affiliation. Once per turn, one of Spider-Man’s nemeses can spend 1 Power while modifying enemy defense dice to reroll 1 opposing defense die.

Nothing illustrates just how much Spider-Man has gotten under Osborn’s green skin better than the last rule we’re talking about today. Arch Nemesis (Peter Parker) is an innate superpower and double-edged sword representing just how much Green Goblin hates the wallcrawler. On the one hand, it allows Green Goblin to reroll failed results and any number of attack dice when he attacks Parker, but if there is an enemy Peter Parker on the table within Range 3, Green Goblin’s first action must be an attack targeting him, if possible.

It’s worth noting that this rule references Peter Parker, the secret identity, and not Spider-Man. So even if Parker decides to show up to a crisis as the Iron-Spider or Bombastic Bag-Man, Green Goblin can sniff his adversary out. On the other hand, anyone else who goes into battle as Spider-Man won’t matter to Osborn.

That’s it for our Panel to Play on Green Goblin. Be sure to check back for the next installment of From Panel to Play, coming at you soon!