The Marvel Comics Dark Web event and the ongoing Venom series will lead directly into an exciting new series starring the next Red Goblin, who turns out to be a potentially Carnage-infested Normie Osborn, the eldest son of former Green Goblin Harry Osborn.
Announced as part of Marvel's "Next Big Thing" at NYCC, Red Goblin will spin out of Dark Web, which will see Spider-Man and the X-Men face off against Ben Reilly and Madelyne Pryor in a reboot of the classic 1989 Inferno event, and could lead into one of Marvel's big summer events titled Summer of Symbiotes. First introduced in 1985's Amazing Spider-Man #263, Normie Osborn is the grandson of Norman Osborn and has a complicated relationship with Peter Parker, Dylan Brock, and Carnage, all characters who could play a major role in Red Goblin.
The first Red Goblin appeared right before the acclaimed Absolute Carnage event and was the result of Carnage is the most infamous red symbiote it is not the only one, and the current run of Ram V.'s Carnage has seen the villainous alien revel in not having a host, meaning that there is a chance that another symbiote that has not yet been revealed could become attached to Normie.
The New Red Goblin Could Be A Friend or Foe
The horrifying cover art for Red Goblin #1 - illustrated by the incredibly talented InHyuk Lee - is an homage to another terrifying cover by InHyuk Lee, a variant cover for Amazing Spider-Man #850 that shows the Green Goblin in the same pose, and makes it seem like Normie Osborn's Red Goblin will undoubtedly be a villain. However, Marvel's synopsis for the ongoing series casts doubt on this stating, "As a new Red Goblin, will Normie fulfill his destiny as an Osborn—or will he and his symbiote be able to make a difference for the better?" Normie has already been infected by both once before, briefly becoming the "Goblin Childe," a Red Goblin-esque creature, and it seems like either those infections never left, or will be reintroduced to him during the events of Dark Web.
Both "Goblins" and symbiotes have a long history in the Marvel Universe of wanting to do evil, and being slowly convinced to do good, so it is understandable that Normie would struggle so hard with trying to do good while under the control of both a symbiote, and presumably the Goblin Formula. Interestingly, Dark Web will also see the debut of the Gold Goblin, a heroic Goblin version of Norman Osborn, a character who could potentially inspire Normie's Red Goblin to act as a hero instead of a villain. Plus, Red Goblin could be setting up a showdown between Normie and Venom's Dylan Brock, who were once friends but became apparent enemies during the events of Web of Venom.
It is only a few more months until the Green Goblin's successor and potential enemy of both Spider-Man and Venom, Normie Osborn, takes on the mantle of Red Goblin, charting a new, Carnage-inspired path for the future of the Osborn family.
Source: Marvel
Red Goblin #1 debuts on February 8th.
