Every hero needs a nemesis, and while Spider-Man has had quite the rogues gallery assemble over the last several decades, one definitely stands out above the rest – the Green Goblin. The Halloween-themed antagonist made his debut in July 1964 and has maintained his status as Spidey’s most deranged villain in the years since.

The most memorable and frequent version of the Green Goblin would have to be Norman Osborn. After spending much of his life studying chemistry and engineering, he married his longtime girlfriend and had a son, Harry. He then founded the widely successful Oscorp Industries along with his former professor, Mendel Stromm – life was about as perfect as it got for Norman. But when his wife suddenly passed, he refocused his energies on his work, where he discovered Stromm’s experimental strength enhancement formula – the Goblin Formula. Norman attempted to recreate it, but it exploded in his face; it enhanced his intellect and physical abilities but also drove him insane.

Norman perished in one of the most memorable scenes in Spider-Man’s history. After the death of Gwen Stacy, Peter Parker tracked the Goblin back to his hideout in a rage, where Norman would be impaled by his own trademark Goblin Glider in the battle. The scene was referenced in the climax of the Spider-Man film in 2002.

Though Norman would eventually come back as the Green Goblin, the mantle would be shared with a number of others over the years – Harry Osborn, Bart Hamilton, and Phil Urich, to name a few.

Hake’s Americana has a number of Goblin-centric items in their current auction, including the book where Norman “dies” for the first time – Amazing Spider-Man #122 CGC 9.8.

Other classic Marvel books currently at Hake’s include Marvel Team-Up #3 CGC 9.8, Amazing Spider-Man #112 CGC 9.8, Tales to Astonish #91 CGC 9.8, and Tales to Astonish #100 CGC 9.8. These high graded comics are only available for bidding until November 12, so interested parties should get theirs in soon.