Now here’s a thing that piqued my interest enough to buy Spectacular as a teen: The promise of a showdown between the original Green Goblin and the original Hobgoblin? A Romita, Sr. cover? Roger Stern’s name on the cover? Alas, it’s not as exciting as it appears. But we’ll get there. For one thing, Stern is only credited with co-plotting, despite him getting top billing in the blurb last issue. His co-plotter and scripter is Glenn Greenberg, who took over last issue. The art team remains the same. We open on Spidey swinging by Norman Osborn on a giant TV, appearing on the “Reggie & Katie Mae” show. “As if those two buffoons weren’t hard enough to stomach on their OWN!” Harsh words, Glenn. But probably warranted. I dunno, I never watched that show. Norman’s hocking his new autobiography, which is, of course, full of lies. It is, itself, called “Survivor of the Big Lie,” which is good marketing. Spidey’s so mad he starts yelling their history at the TV, in case you didn’t know it, until some people on the street start yelling at him that he sucks and they love Osborn. But he’s not the only one watching…
I wonder how many people are yelling their history with Norman Osborn at TVs today. It’s epidemic.
As we have now (FINALLY) seen, Ben’s book actually wound up being called Dynasty of Evil, but that was a weird last minute swerve, so that’s fine.
In the privacy of his office, JJJ ruminates on how Osborn loves humiliating him. How he’s been threatening Marla’s life every time he makes Jonah do something, how he’s ruined Ben’s reputation, how he and Peter have “some kind of cold war going on,” how he drove Robbie away (He sure doesn’t seem to know about Robbie’s mission in this book). And then he opens a drawer in his desk, thinking he can do something about it, and we see he’s got a gun. Meanwhile, in prison, Kingsley tells his attorney that he has proof that Osborn was the Goblin, a journal that survived the fires (incorrectly footnoted as happening in ASM 251 instead of 261). He says he’s willing to talk to a district attorney about it, he’s so mad at Osborn. His lawyer tells him to keep quiet, that Osborn has eyes everywhere, but he’ll make some calls.
Whoops! Meanwhile, at The Daily Grind, Peter is griping to MJ about how awful it is that Norman’s getting away with all this, and she tells him he’ll come out on top in the end, but then Jill shows up, so they have to table it.
(Weird coloring mistake on MJ’s face there) Instant pals! The next morning, Roderick’s lawyer says the DA is interested, and they’ve set up a meet tonight at midnight. Something Roderick’s guard immediately calls someone else to inform them of. And so, as Peter & MJ are finishing up dinner that evening, Betty Brant shows up at the house, tipped off about the meeting, and a few hours later, Peter & Betty are on a ridge outside the prison, waiting. A footnote tells us Betty met that guard in Hobgoblin Lives. Well, sure, why not? They see Kingsley being loaded out of the prison into a van, but then Peter’s danger sense goes off. He tells Betts he trying to get close for better shots and disappears on her, and then, naturally, bombs start raining on the van.
Spidey starts to fight the Goblin and Kingsley quickly finds himself dangling from the glider, his bonds hooked around its neck.
And thus, as I recall, we are robbed of an actual battle between the two goblins for the duration of this story. I don’t actually remember, tho, so we’ll see.