Background
After having his business partner, Professor Mendel Stromm, imprisoned for embezzling, Norman Osborn tried an experimental formula of Stromm that blew up in his face. He nearly died, but discovered that the formula increased his intelligence and strength. It also drove him insane. Plotting to become leader of the underworld, Osborn created his Green Goblin personae and decided to establish his reputation by killing Spiderman. He came close but failed many times. Devising a compound that would weaken Spiderman's spider-sense, he followed the Web-slinger undetected. Snatching Spiderman while he was in his civilian identity of Peter Parker, the Goblin carted him back to a secret hideout. There he revealed to Peter his own secret identity. During the battle, the Goblin came in contact with live wires, which seemed to jolt him into partial amnesia. Since Osborn had no memory of his criminal past, Spiderman let him go.The amnesia, however, proved temporary. Osborn several times regained the memories of the Green Goblin and, knowing Spiderman's own secret identity, came after Parker each time. The final time, deciding the direct approach wasn't working, the Goblin kidnapped Gwen Stacy, Parker's girlfriend, and killed her. Although Spiderman came close to exacting the ultimate revenge for this act, he pulled back before killing the Goblin. The fight may have continued, but the Goblin was accidentally impaled by his own goblin glider.
Numb with shock, his son Harry Osborn removed the Goblin's costume so that the arriving authorities found industrialist Norman Osborn, not the Green Goblin, dead. His secret identity was thus preserved for many years after his death.
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