In the landmark Amazing Spider-Man #238, we saw the introduction of perhaps Spider-Man's most prominent new villain of the 1980s, Hobgoblin. Really, Venom is the only other '80s Spider-Man bad guy who even comes close to the impact and importance of Hobgoblin. As of now, the Hobgoblin is a mystery man who discovers a secret hideout of the original Green Goblin, Norman Osborn, who is believed to be dead at this time. But unlike the brilliant but maniacal Green Goblin, the Hobgoblin is calculating and calm. He may be totally evil, but he's not insane - and that makes him both different from and and perhaps more dangerous than his predecessors.

The Hobgoblin certainly has been busy since his debut last month. This issue kicks off with another of the Hobgoblin's raids on Osborn Manufacturing facilities - the sixth break-in in the past few weeks. In each case, it appears nothing has been stolen. The Hobgoblin is searching these sites for more of Norman Osborn's hidden workrooms, where he hopes to find more of the Green Goblin's secrets. But Harry Osborn, Norman's son and Peter Parker's close friend, understands that there is more going on here than it appears. "My father was a secretive man....If he had something stashed away in there, we may never know what it was!" he says. As it turns out, the Hobgoblin found an armored battle wagon on his most recent raid, which he will turn into a mobile headquarters.

Back at his own lair, the Hobgoblin is pretty pleased with himself -- and making plans for the future. "All this at his disposal, and he left it to rust in New Jersey! No wonder his secret career cost him his life. But where the Green Goblin failed, the Hobgoblin shall triumph! Once I raid the last of Osborn's caches, I'll do things he never dreamed of! Perhaps I'll even settle accounts with his old enemy Spider-Man!" he thinks.

That old enemy has his own problems to worry about right now. Spider-Man is waiting at the hospital, where his girlfriend, the Black Cat, is in critical condition following an attack by Dr. Octopus in Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #76. This is a nice bit of cross-promotion between the two series and it goes to show just how good both Spider-Man titles were at this time, as the Dr. Octopus-Black Cat storyline is one of the best-received Spider-Man stories of the 1980s. New York Police Captain Jean DeWolff, one of Spidey's few friends on the force, tells the Wall-Crawler to go home and get some sleep. He takes her up on the offer, but first stops by the room of Madame Web, the psychic who was injured in an attack by Juggernaut in Amazing Spider-Man #229-230. "Sorry I didn't do a better job," he tells her. "I wish I were a lot more successful at saving folks."

While in Madame Web's room, he hears a radio report of the most recent break-in at the Osborn plant. He realizes this might be trouble. "I'm positive that the first break-in uncovered an old lair of the Green Goblin!" he thinks. "If his stuff has fallen into the wrong hands, it could mean the end of Spider-Man!" Remember, Norman Osborn knew that Peter Parker and Spider-Man were one and the same! If Osborn wrote that information down in a journal, the Hobgoblin could discover Spidey's secret.

After a 10-hour nap and a quick dinner of a sandwich and milk, Spider-Man checks out an old warehouse just off 23rd Street and Ninth Avenue, looking for the thief who is raiding the Green Goblin's old hideouts. That visit proves fruitless, so he checks out the only other Osborn hideout he's aware of, the old Village Theater off Second Avenue. There, he finds the Hobgoblin and their first face-to-face encounter is on!

The Hobgoblin tries to escape, thinking, "I'm not prepared to deal with him yet! Besides, there's nothing of value here for me!" The Hobgoblin uses a vast array of tricks to keep Spider-Man off his tail, including pumpkin bombs, goblin sparks, gas ghosts and razor-bats. But Spider-Man keeps on coming. The Web-Slinger manages to hook a web-line to the Hobgoblin's glider and pulls him down to the pavement hard. "The masquerade's over and it's time for you to unmask!" he tells the fallen villain.

Desperate, the Hobgoblin blasts a broken gas main in the street with his goblin sparks. The pipes erupt into flames and Spider-Man has to find and disconnect the main feeder line before the whole neighborhood goes up in smoke. That distraction gives the Hobgoblin a chance to slink away to safety. "I-I knew that Spider-Man would be a difficult opponent, but I never imagined he would be like this!" the Hobgoblin says, barely able to stand. "I feel as though I've just run a marathon...heart's pounding, every muscle aches....How on earth was the Green Goblin able to stand up to Spider-Man as many times as he did? He must have had some secret...but what? I must find out! I will find out!" Needless to say, this story is to be continued.

Writer Roger Stern and artist John Romita Jr. (who was just coming into his own as a great storyteller) follow up a great beginning with an equally compelling second act. By the end of this issue, we want to see more of the Hobgoblin. Action, intrigue, suspense -- it's hard to get much better than this. I would argue that the Stern/Romita Jr. run was the high point for Spider-Man in the 1980s and stories like this make the case far better than I ever could.

Next issue: It's the return of a classic Spider-Man in one of the best Vulture stories ever told!

Reviewed by Bruce Buchanan.

Reprinted In:
Marvel Tales #258