Matchup · Spider-Man rogue
Spider-Man vs. Green Goblin
Norman Osborn, one of Spider-Man's own rogues. In this site's ratings, the classic Peter Parker Spider-Man wins 60% of their one-on-one fights, so Spider-Man is the favorite.
The verdict: Spider-Man has the edge
Fight rules: both fighters at their peak, no preparation, no allies, only their own powers and personal gear. A win is a knockout, a restraint they can't escape, or a forced surrender. The percentages are fan estimates, not official information.
Spider-Man's edge
Faster on walls and in tight spaces, spider-sense tracks every bomb and razor bat, and he has beaten Norman more often than not.
Green Goblin's edge
Goblin Formula strength and healing, a glider, pumpkin bombs, razor bats, a genius-level mind, and the madness to use everything he knows about Peter's life.
Odds for every Spider-Man
Each version of Spider-Man's chance of beating Green Goblin. The best placed, Cosmic Spider-Man, wins 88% of the time; the worst placed, Spider-Ham, wins 52%. The last column says what moves each version away from classic Peter's 60%.
| Spider-Man | Spidey wins | Bar | Outcome | What changes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peter Parker Earth-616 comics | 60% | Favored | The baseline Spider-Man | |
| Miles Morales Earth-616 comics | 66% | Favored | Overall −3 for this version; +6: Camouflage: an opponent who aims by eye loses him completely.; +3: Venom strike: one clean jolt can stun or paralyze a living opponent. | |
| Ben Reilly Earth-616 comics | 59% | Toss-up | Overall −2 for this version; +1: Impact webbing pins a shooter's arms from range. | |
| Superior Spider-Man Earth-616 comics | 66% | Favored | Overall +2 for this version; +4: Otto reverse-engineers tech-based opponents faster than anyone alive. | |
| Black-suit Peter Earth-616 comics | 65% | Favored | Overall +5 for this version | |
| Iron Spider Peter Earth-616 comics | 66% | Favored | Overall +3 for this version; +3: Bulletproof plating and three waldo arms blunt guns, blades and arrows. | |
| Cosmic Spider-Man Earth-616 comics | 88% | Favored | Overall +40 for this version | |
| Spider-Woman Earth-616 comics | 64% | Favored | Overall −3 for this version; +4: Venom blasts stun or knock out living opponents.; +3: She can take the fight into the air with flyers. | |
| Silk Earth-616 comics | 59% | Toss-up | Overall −1 for this version | |
| Ultimate Peter Alternate comics | 57% | Toss-up | Overall −3 for this version | |
| Ultimate Peter (2024) Alternate comics | 56% | Toss-up | Overall −4 for this version | |
| Spider-Gwen Alternate comics | 57% | Toss-up | Overall −3 for this version | |
| Spider-Man 2099 Alternate comics | 60% | Favored | The baseline Spider-Man | |
| Spider-Man Noir Alternate comics | 58% | Toss-up | Overall −2 for this version | |
| Spider-Ham Alternate comics | 52% | Toss-up | Overall −8 for this version | |
| Spider-Punk Alternate comics | 61% | Favored | Overall −1 for this version; +2: Sonic blasts stagger living opponents. | |
| Maguire's Peter Film | 58% | Toss-up | Overall −4 for this version; +2: He has survived Norman's glider and pumpkin bombs before. | |
| Garfield's Peter Film | 56% | Toss-up | Overall −4 for this version | |
| Holland's Peter Film | 58% | Toss-up | Overall −2 for this version | |
| Spider-Verse Miles Film | 64% | Favored | Overall −5 for this version; +6: Camouflage: an opponent who aims by eye loses him completely.; +3: Venom strike can stun a living opponent. | |
| Spider-Verse Gwen Film | 55% | Toss-up | Overall −5 for this version | |
| Peter B. Parker Film | 57% | Toss-up | Overall −5 for this version; +2: Twenty-two years against these villains. | |
| 1994 animated Peter TV and animation | 59% | Toss-up | Overall −3 for this version; +2: He has fought nearly every one of these villains. | |
| Spectacular Peter TV and animation | 55% | Toss-up | Overall −5 for this version | |
| Insomniac Peter Video games | 64% | Favored | Overall +1 for this version; +3: An engineer with an arsenal built to short out and dismantle tech. | |
| Insomniac Miles Video games | 73% | Favored | Overall +1 for this version; +6: Camouflage: an opponent who aims by eye loses him.; +4: His venom blasts hit far harder than the comic version's.; +4: Bio-electric venom fries electronics, shields and drones. |
Tale of the tape
Eight stats on a 1-to-10 scale, classic Spider-Man against Green Goblin. How the stat scales work.
Green Goblin's power set
- Goblin Formula6/10
Superhuman strength, healing and a sharpened mind.
- Goblin glider8/10
A fast, agile jet glider with built-in weapons.
- Pumpkin bombs8/10
Explosive, gas and razor-bat grenades.
- Electric gloves5/10
Gauntlets that fire bolts of electricity.
- Genius and cunning9/10
A brilliant, ruthless planner who knows Peter's secrets.
Official handbook power grid
| Category | Rating (1 to 7) |
|---|---|
| Intelligence | 4 |
| Strength | 4 |
| Speed | 3 |
| Durability | 4 |
| Energy projection | 3 |
| Fighting skills | 3 |
Who is Green Goblin?
Norman Osborn was the ruthless head of Oscorp when an experimental formula exploded in his face, boosting his strength and intellect and driving him insane. As the Green Goblin, he learned Spider-Man's secret identity and murdered Gwen Stacy in Amazing Spider-Man #121 (1973), the most famous death in Spider-Man's history. He seemed to die in the next issue and returned in the 1990s to torment Peter again. During Dark Reign he even ran America's security as head of H.A.M.M.E.R. and led the Dark Avengers.
First appearance: Amazing Spider-Man #14 (1964)
Affiliations
- Oscorp
- Founder and chief executive.
- Dark Avengers
- Led them as the Iron Patriot during Dark Reign.
- Thunderbolts
- Directed the government team after Civil War.
- Sinister Twelve
- Assembled an expanded Sinister Six to kill Spider-Man.
Spider-Man vs. Green Goblin in the comics
The key comics in their history. Of the fights listed here, Spider-Man came out ahead in 2 and Green Goblin in 1.
| Year | Comic | What happened | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | Amazing Spider-Man #14 | First appearance, as a masked gang boss with a jet-powered glider. | Spider-Man |
| 1966 | Amazing Spider-Man #39–40 | Learns Spider-Man's identity, captures Peter and unmasks himself as Norman Osborn. The fight leaves Norman with amnesia. | Spider-Man |
| 1973 | Amazing Spider-Man #121–122 | Throws Gwen Stacy from a bridge; she dies. In the next fight Norman is killed by his own glider. | Green Goblin |
| 1996 | Peter Parker: Spider-Man #75 | Revelations: Norman is revealed to be alive, and to have been behind the Clone Saga all along. | — |
Green Goblin on screen
- Spider-Man (2002)Willem Dafoe
- The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)Dane DeHaan as Harry Osborn
- Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)animated
- Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)Willem Dafoe
More in the Spider-Man movie guide.
More matchups
- HobgoblinSpider-Man rogueSpider-Man 65%
- VenomSpider-Man rogueSpider-Man 40%
- CarnageSpider-Man rogueSpider-Man 30%
- KingpinSpider-Man rogueSpider-Man 80%
- LizardSpider-Man rogueSpider-Man 60%
- RhinoSpider-Man rogueSpider-Man 70%
- ScorpionSpider-Man rogueSpider-Man 70%
- ShockerSpider-Man rogueSpider-Man 85%
Further reading
- Every Spider-Man movie in order, and the villains in eachMovie guide
- The toughest opponents Spider-Man has ever faced, rankedPower rankings
- Where to start with Spider-Man: the essential comics, in orderReading guide
Looking for pictures? See official art on the Marvel Database, a fan wiki. This site does not host Marvel artwork.