Spider-Man: Hobgoblin Lives #1 (January 1997)

In Amazing Spider-Man #238 (March, 1983), the rogues gallery of the Webhead gained a new, yet strangely familiar member. He flew on a glider, used weaponry themed on bats and pumpkins. But he did not wear the green and purple of the Green Goblin, he wore orange and blue. He was...the Hobgoblin. 

Co-created by Roger Stern and John Romita Jr, the Hobgoblin came about because of a compromise. Spider-Man's editorial wanted Stern to have Spider-Man face off against the Green Goblin again. Kind of shows that even then, the Green Goblin had essentially become the Spider-Man villain. Stern wasn't too keen on the idea. He didn't want to bring back the Green Goblin, so he and Romita Jr. instead came up with the Hobgoblin. 

Stern helped introduce the character without any real concrete idea who would be under the mask. But as he developed the character, he realized that Roderick Kingsley, a character he helped introduce in The Spectacular Spider-Man #43 (June 1980), would be a perfect fit as the man behind the mask. Some readers were able to deduce that Kingsley was the Hobgoblin, so Stern threw them off the scent by introducing his brother Daniel. 

The mystery of the Hobgoblin's true identity was a long-running mystery in the Spider-Man books, and Stern originally intended to reveal it in Amazing Spider-Man #264. However, Stern left the book after issue #251. His successor, Tom DeFalco, didn't like the Daniel Kingsley retcon, feeling it was a bit weak. Instead, he established that Richard Fisk (Wilson "Kingpin" Fisk's son, and the crime boss known as the Rose) was the Hobgoblin. 

And then James Owsley (who you may know better as Christopher Priest) came on board to edit the Spider-Books. DeFalco and Frenz didn't get along too well with Priest. When he asked them who the Hobgoblin was, DeFalco lied and claimed Ned Leeds was the Hobgoblin. This led Priest to write the one-shot story Spider-Man vs. Wolverine #1 (February 1987), which killed off Leeds. This was not popular with fans. Afterwards, mercenary Jason Macendale became the Hobgoblin. 

Roger Stern was not too fond of the idea of Ned Leeds being the Hobgoblin. As such, in 1997, the miniseries Spider-Man: Hobgoblin Lives was released. How did it start? Let's find out in Spider-Man: Hobgoblin Lives #1!

The cover is a Ron Frenz and George Perez piece. It's a wraparound cover, depicting Spider-Man with a large Hobgoblin mask behind him. It's a bit of a basic cover, which is surprising considering the artists involved in making it. However, I think it works here because it helps tell the reader what the purpose of this miniseries: the mystery of the Hobgoblin...and who was really under that mask. 

"Victims"
Writer: Roger Stern
Penciler: Ron Frenz
Inker: George Perez
Colorist: Christie Scheele
Letterer: Jim
Editors: Glenn Greenberg, Tom Brevoort
Editor-in-Chief: Bob Harras

The story starts with Spider-Man swimming in the bottom of the Hudson River, searching for the supervillain known as the Hobgoblin. This seems to be a flashback to the events of Amazing Spider-Man #251 (April 1984). After that fight in that issue, all Peter was ever able to find of the then-mysterious new villain was his mask. Said mask is seemingly swept up by the currents, and he finds himself being grabbed by a giant Hobgoblin. He pulls off the masked man's, well...mask, revealing the crazed face of Edward "Ned" Leeds.

“WHERE’S MY MONEY, PETE?!”

To Peter's horror, Ned's face melts away. No, he is not becoming the new Ghost Rider, folks. As this happens, he pulls off Peter's mask, revealing his own face. The two sink into the muck at the bottom of the river...and then Peter Parker wakes up.  

Yeah, he just had a nightmare. It's perfectly understandable why. You see, at this point in the comics, Peter Parker has been through a lot. I mean, a lot. His Aunt May seemingly died in Amazing Spider-Man #400 (April 1995), he and MJ's baby was seemingly stillborn in Amazing Spider-Man #418 (December 1996), and he had also recently gone through the events of the second Clone Saga, but that's a whole other can of worms I have neither the time nor the desire to go through here.  

Despite all of that, it's Leeds and the Hobgoblin that has been bothering him the most lately. It's not hard to see why. Jason Macendale, aka the supposedly second Hobgoblin (third if you count Arnold "Lefty" Donovan), is on trial. He had been incarcerated since Spider-Man captured him in Spider-Man #69 (June 1996).

Thing is, Peter knows that Macendale paid to have Ned Leeds killed and then replaced him as the Hobgoblin. However, he has no evidence to back this up, as the only evidence that he saw of it was destroyed. It leads Peter to think about Betty Leeds (nee Brant), his former wife. Brant and Leeds got married in Amazing Spider-Man #156 (May 1976). She herself has been through a lot because of this (it's why Peter never told her about being the Hobgoblin), and like Peter Parker, she's dealing with a nightmare, too. And also like Peter, her nightmares are about Ned. 

Her nightmares touched on their marriage being very strained prior to Leeds's death. One of those reasons was an affair she had with Flash Thompson that began in Spectacular Spider-Man #109 (December 1985). But that’s not important here. She thought she had laid Ned to rest, but the trial of Jason Macendale brought up some memories. One of her memories is of her seeing Ned in the Hobgoblin costume in Amazing Spider-Man #288 (May 1987). We then switch scenes to a bar, where a Daily Bugle reporter named Jacob Conover is drowning his sorrows.

“Can’t even afford the good cheap beer anymore…”

Conover was one of the casualties of the Bugle's round of layoffs, and he's understandably bitter about it. After all, he worked for them for 30 years. Despite that, he was never seen as the "golden boy" of the Bugle. Instead, it was Ned Leeds. He has issues with Leeds as well. You see, at the time of Leeds's death, Conover was working on a massive story about corporate corruption. One that would have implicated a lot of people at companies like Osborn and Roxxon. Leeds borrowed his files on the story, then Conover discovered that the files vanished after Leeds's death. He leaves the bar, vowing to get even. And he especially is going after J. Jonah Jameson. Speaking of Jameson, he's sitting in his home, pondering a cigar. 

He laments that even if Macendale gets the maximum penalty for his crimes, it won't bring back the people he killed. It's a nice little peek into Jameson's character. It's easy to portray him as a heartless skinflint, but this scene does show he is capable of guilt and empathy. He understandably blames himself for Leeds's death. You see, after the Webhead stopped the Hobgoblin's attempt to blackmail him and other prominent business leaders at the Century Club in Amazing Spider-Man #249 (February 1984), he put Leeds on the case of unmasking the villain. However, he also let Leeds go off to Berlin, which led to his killing in the first place. 

The next day, Peter and Betty are at the courthouse trial's verdict. Conover is also there. Since he got laid off, he found work for a wire service. It's been announced Macendale has been found guilty on all charges. The police team known as Code: Blue escort him out of the building. Conover asks him if it was true that he was not the first Hobgoblin. Macendale happily confirms he wasn't. He then points out Betty, saying Ned was the first.

“SHE ALSO OWES ME TWENTY BUCKS!”

The reporters swarm Peter and Betty. Peter helps get her out of there.

Once Betty has a head start, Peter gets into his Spider-Man togs, and gets Betty to a rooftop. The media goes bananas over Macendale's statement. And it's seen by many other men. Two of them are fellow Century Club members: Senator Bob Martin and George Vandergill. They both agree that they can't stand Spider-Man. Another man watching this is Oscorp CEO Donald Menken. It leads to him wondering how this will affect the Daily Bugle's stock price, setting up Oscorp buying half the Bugle's stock in Spectacular Spider-Man #250. 

Macendale's revelation is also witnessed by the Kingsley brothers, the heads of Kingsley International. Daniel (actually making his first full appearance here) is especially worried about it. Roderick, not so much. 

Dr. Jonas Harrow sees it as well. He examines footage of Hobgoblin fighting Spider-Man both before and after Leeds's death, and the mad doctor notes that there is veracity to there being multiple Hobgoblins, as each of them fought differently and had different body language. His scene ends with him grumbling that Macendale is an amateur. 

Macendale’s revelation is also witnessed by Jameson and Robbie Robertson. Betty confesses that the mercenary is indeed telling the truth. Ned Leeds was the Hobgoblin...and he was set up to be killed by men working for a terrorist known as the Foreigner...and he was under contract from Macendale. She learned this in Web of Spider-Man #91-92 (August-November 1992). Robbie asks Jonah what they should do next. Jonah simply tells him to print it. It's the truth...as far as they know.  

Back at the Parker home, Peter and Mary Jane discuss the case. Mary Jane is shocked that Ned Leeds was the Hobgoblin...well, one of them. Mary Jane recalls that the Kingpin once showed Spider-Man a file containing copies of photos the Foreigner's men used to document the hit on Leeds in Amazing Spider-Man #289 (June 1987), and suggests the photos may have been faked.

Peter dismisses that, as Kingpin wanted revenge on the Foreigner and Macendale, and that was why he showed Spider-Man that file. Also, the beating Ned took in those photos match the wounds on his body. Mary Jane notes that it is very strange that if Ned was the Hobgoblin, those men shouldn't have been able to kill him easily. That's when it hits Peter. Ned being the Hobgoblin...ultimately makes no sense.

Allow me to explain. You see, the actual Hobgoblin had discovered Norman Osborn's journals...which included the formula for the serum that enhanced his strength and made him the original Green Goblin. Hobgoblin had modified the formula to grant him the enhanced strength...without the side effect of insanity. MJ suggests that the assassins sent to kill Ned were super-strong as well. However, Peter knows that's not true, as it was only until after Ned's death that the Foreigner started using super-powered operatives. If Ned was the Hobgoblin, then he should have utterly pulped the assassins sent to kill him. He was set up!

It also fits the Hobgoblin's MO. He's done this before. He once set up a man named Lefty Donovan to test out his modified Hobgoblin equipment. So, that leads to another question...who was the real Hobgoblin?

We then cut to the jail cell of Jason Macendale. The mercenary is himself having a nightmare, which is used as a recap for his origins. Man, characters are having a lot of nightmares in this issue. It's weird.

He was once a CIA agent, until the Company booted him for being too extreme and violent. Afterwards, became a mercenary, and then a costumed supervillain. His debut as a costumed supervillain was in Machine Man #19 (February 1981), as the Jack O'Lantern. Fun fact, he's one of Steve Ditko's co-joints. yeah, the character was co-created by him and Tom DeFalco. 

He would take up the mantle of the Hobgoblin in Amazing Spider-Man #289 (June 1987). Interestingly, this recap seems to skip over the events of Inferno, in which he got a demon fused to him. And another fun fact, that demon would go on to become the Demogoblin, one of the antagonists of Maximum Carnage. I guess it was ignored not because of lack of continuity knowledge, but because that has no bearing on the story here. 

Macendale wakes from his nightmare, and he finds himself being visited by a mysterious man. This man was able to sneak his way through the guards to Macendale's cell. He tells the mercenary that he was just as much as Ned Leeds and Lefty Donovan were. The man brags he was able to trick everyone: The Foreigner, the Kingpin. He says he allowed Macendale to continue as the Hobgoblin as he had other matters to tend to...and it amused him to see the ex-CIA man play Hobgoblin. But now he finds Jason embarrassing. And this man does not tolerate embarrassments for long. Which he shows by dealing with Jason Macendale...permanently.

“I NEVER GOT TO SEE PARIS!”

The man then leaves the prison and flies off...as the Hobgoblin. This new man in the suit has another stop to make: the home of Roderick Kingsley. Kingsley is having a nightmare himself, of his own history with the Hobgoblin and another crime boss: the Rose.  

He goes to wash his face, only to be visited by the Hobgoblin. The Hobgoblin is reviving their old arrangement...with a revision. Kingsley refuses, and Hobgoblin throws him into the couch. The Hobgoblin tells Kingsley if he plays his part, he'll be a lot richer. After all, the Hobgoblin has become Kingsley International's new partner in their upcoming takeover scheme. 

I love this story. I really do. One thing I love about this story is that it uses past continuity. Too many modern writers of Big Two books tend to ignore past continuity just because they care more about making "a mark" on the books they write. This comic shows you can tell an enjoyable story without tossing away continuity. Continuity is only a barrier if you treat it as such. You can tell that Stern is rathe fond of Spider-Man.

Ron Frenz does the actual pencil work, while the late great George Perez provides the inks. I have talked in the past about Frenz's art style homaging Jack Kirby in his Thor run, and I can't help but wonder if Perez inking influenced him to try and imitate Perez to some degree. I do recognize some of the Perez-isms in the art.

If you want to read this for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2011 trade paperback Spider-Man: Hobgoblin Lives. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! Stay safe, stay healthy, stay home, wash your hands often, wear a mask, and get your vaccine/booster!