Spider-Man has finally defeated his worst enemy for what might be the very last time – and there is no telling what comes next.

Amazing Spider-Man #54 picks back up where the Wall-Crawler last left off, still fighting the influence of the Green Goblin persona trapped within him. As Peter Parker and his allies, as well as some of his oldest enemies, do everything they can to free him from the Goblin within, the hero himself realizes that breaking the beast is not a matter of a physical confrontation. Instead, Peter’s psyche and spirit are strong enough to drive the Goblin from his body and mind, all while weakening it enough that it is incapable of making its way into anyone else in its final moments.

Written by ZEB WELLS Art by ED MCGUINNESS Inks by MARK FARMER, MARK MORALES, WADE von GRAWBADGER, & ED MCGUINNESS Colors by MARCIO MENYZ Letters by VC’s JOE CARAMAGNA Main cover art by ED MCGUINNESS, MARK FARMER, & MARCIO MENYZ Variant covers by GABRIELE DELL’OTTO, JAVIER GARRON & JESUS ABURTOV, FEDERICA MANCIN & EDGAR DELGADO, and YASMINE PUTRI

The Green Goblin has been a part of Peter Parker’s world since the villain first appeared over six decades ago in the pages of 1964’s Amazing Spider-Man #14 by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. From a young age, Norman was obsessed with amassing the kind of wealth and power that his father was incapable of grasping, driving him to work tirelessly on his own both in and out of school. Eventually, Norman struck a deal with the literal devil Mephisto in order to ensure his success, ultimately giving rise to his twisted Green Goblin persona.

In the years that followed, Norman developed a fondness for Peter Parker, all while his malevolent alter-ego obsessed over murdering Spider-Man by any means necessary. As a villain, the Green Goblin has been personally responsible for some of the most tragic and devastating moments in Marvel history, including the death of Peter Parker’s love, Gwen Stacy. Norman even managed to worm his way into the role of the Iron Patriot in the wake of the Skrull invasion of Earth. However, he didn’t last very long in his then-newfound position as the United States’ foremost superhero.

It was at the hands of the Sin-Eater and his enchanted shotgun that Norman was freed of his Green Goblin persona, though not permanently. After being stripped of his “sins,” Norman did whatever he could to make up for his crimes, all while the dark influence of the Green Goblin passed through the likes of the clone of Doctor Ashley Kafka, better known as the Queen Goblin. The Queen Goblin soon teamed up with Kraven the Hunter in order to return Norman’s sins to their rightful owner, only to be caught up in a convoluted plot that saw the Green Goblin persona implanted into none other than Peter.

Amazing Spider-Man #54 is on sale now from Marvel Comics.

Source: Marvel Comics