This page contains unmarked spoilers for The Amazing Spider-Man (2018) and The Amazing Spider-Man (2022). You Have Been Warned.
Gold Goblin is a 2022-2023 limited series from Marvel Comics, written by Christopher Cantwell and with art by Lan Medina.
It is a spinoff of Zeb Wells and John Romita's The Amazing Spider-Man (2022), focusing on the now-reformed Norman Osborn, his attempts to aid Peter Parker as the Gold Goblin — and his attempts to ensure the Green Goblin never rears its head again.
Gold Goblin contains examples of the following tropes:
- The Atoner: As established in the main run, Norman's trying to be this — including redirecting Oscorp's focus on adapting his Goblin technology for altruistic purposes.
- Being Good Sucks: The main thing making Norman suffer about being good now is his capacity for guilt, both for his past and his concern for causing more harm. At one point he desperately seeks a way to stop feeling it, blowing up at the prospect of learning to cope with it over time.
- Big Bad: Ashley Kafka AKA the Queen Goblin.
- Bittersweet Ending: Norman saves Peter Parker from the Queen Goblin and being corrupted with his sins — but is accidentally forced to kill Kafka. Norman fears he will never be rid of the Goblin's murderous impulses.
- Continuity Overlap: The mini-series chronologically begins after the "Hobgoblin" arc in Amazing Spider-Man (ASM #11-13). Issues #2-3 also tie directly into Dark Web.
- A Day in the Spotlight: For Norman.
- Given Name Reveal: Gold Goblin #2 reveals that the Jack O'Lantern from Donny Cates's Venom is named Owen Ward and that Norman Osborn's childhood dog was named Mucky.
- I Did What I Had to Do: In the finale Norman and Spider-Man team up to defeat the Queen Goblin. As a last-ditch effort, Queen Goblin decides to transfer Norman's sins to Spider-Man — and Norman accidentally kills her with her own weapon to save Spidey. Norman is left crying and telling both Spider-Man and himself that he had no other choice.
- Lower-Deck Episode: Issues #2-3 show Dark Web from Norman's perspective, but he ultimately has little bearing on the event's main narrative.
- Manly Tears: In Gold Goblin #3, Norman sheds some when Normie asks why he hurt Harry so badly.
- Once More, with Clarity: Gold Goblin #2 shows the entirety of Chasm's fight with Norman in the Dark Web prologue — something we only briefly glimpsed over in that book.
- Screw the War, We're Partying: In Gold Goblin #3, Norman insists on celebrating Normie's birthday normally in spite of the demonic invasion, and pays a bunch of his employee's thousands of dollars to chance to bring their children to the party being held in Oscorp Tower.
- Spinoff: Of the current Wells and Romita Amazing Spider-Man run.
- Spontaneous Weapon Creation: When Ashley Kafka turns back into the Queen Goblin in Gold Goblin #2, she somehow spontaneously manifests clothing, weapons, and a Goblin Glider.
