The build up to "Go Down Swinging" is nearly over, and what will purportedly be Spidey's most harrowing adventure will soon begin. All the pieces are seemingly in place, and Peter Parker's world is set for a seismic change.

In Amazing Spider-Man #796 (written by Dan Slott, illustrated by Mike Hawthorne and others) Norman Osborn managed to tame the Carnage symbiote, which removed the nanites preventing him from Goblin-ing up. We know that Slott is writing the Red Goblin to be one of Spidey's greatest foes, which is why "Go Down Swinging" is being sold as the biggest Peter Parker/Norman Osborn story ever told, in more ways than one evidently. Amazing Spider-Man #800 will be a whopping 80 pages in length.

While the details are unclear, it's safe to assume Slott will be ending his 10 year run on Amazing Spider-Man with a bang, which is fitting, given all the controversial twists and turns he has unapologetically thrown at us, as any great storyteller would. Just look at Superior Spider-Man, for which he virtually killed off Peter Parker and replaced him with Otto Octavius. Fans were outraged, but that didn't stop Slott from exploring the new dynamic in full, offering a different take on characters people had been reading about for nearly 50 years. More importantly, it worked, and eventually won over the majority of those who were originally naysayers

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Nor was Slott afraid to explore the areas of Spidey's world that fans have long been sensitive about. "Dead No More: The Clone Conspiracy," for example, saw the resurrection of a large number of deceased characters such as Gwen and George Stacy, Jean DeWolff and, of course, Ben Reilly. Despite generally dim views of the word "clone" in any proximity to "Spider-Man," fans once again enjoyed the ride Slott was piloting.

What this means is that there's really no telling what we'll see by the end of Amazing Spider-Man #800. If this really is meant to change Spidey's world, there's a very good chance one of the dozens of characters we've come to know over the years will not make it out alive. Death has consistently proven to be Spider-Man's greatest and cruelest teacher because oftentimes it allows the writers to highlight one integral theme: responsibility.

Spidey doesn't take his responsibility lightly, which means he's constantly putting others ahead of himself because he believes it's his duty to protect those around him. That's not to say that he doesn't turn to them when he needs to. In fact, one of Spider-Man's greatest attributes is his reliance on the good people around him. He has friends and family that love and support him in everything he does.

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It makes him that much more accessible to readers everywhere, which has undoubtedly been one of the major reasons behind Spider-Man's popularity as a superhero. Killing off a supporting character comes with a responsibility no writer should take lightly. It is however, necessary at times for a story to be as impactful as possible, something we're likely to see in the 80-page behemoth that is Amazing Spider-Man #800. The only question is, who could Dan Slott possible kill off?

Remember, in Slott's run, anything is possible. We know which characters are likeliest to survive thanks the announcement of Nick Spencer and Ryan Ottley taking over the title after Slott's run ends. Spencer named several characters that will continue to make an appearance: Mary Jane, Aunt May, J. Jonah Jameson and Black Cat. Fans of those characters can stop fretting.

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That leaves a number of relatively minor characters in danger -- minor, but not necessarily unimportant. A character like Anna Watson, for example, could still perish at the hands of the Red Goblin. She may not have as much of a presence as her niece, Mary Jane, but her death would likely have an equally profound impact.

In the build-up to "Go Down Swinging," MJ and Peter found themselves finally sharing a moment of intimacy after years apart. If the Red Goblin were to threaten or end Anna Watson's life, it would undoubtedly cause a rift in Peter and Mary Jane's relationship. It would remind MJ of the dangers that surround Spider-Man, which could either drive them further apart or bring them closer together, allowing future stories to organically reunite the two.

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Another obvious character is Harry Osborn (now, Harry Lyman), Norman's son. In recent years, he has made an effort to distance himself completely from his father's legacy. He strives to make a name for himself and prove to the world that he is not his father -- he is a better man. He has a family of his own. and it's clear that he has learned from his father's mistakes. It would be fittingly tragic if Norman destroyed that in Amazing Spider-Man #800.

Aside from the fact that it would cement Norman Osborn as being the most heinous of Spider-Man's enemies, it would also impact the Spider-Man on every level. It would force him to question his abilities, not just as a superhero but as a person. He would have to learn to cope with loss and the consequences of failure, which, in the past, has always pushed him to become a greater person than he was.

Of course, the likeliest character to meet his end is Norman Osborn, who has evaded death time and time again. Quite simply, it's time for the character to be put to rest.

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Norman Osborn had a huge impact on Spider-Man as the Green Goblin. Not only was he a challenge for the wall-crawler in combat, he was also a menace for Peter Parker as well. He learned of Spidey's secret identity and made the most of it by stalking Parker and causing him every kind of pain a person can feel. That's partly why it was a significant moment when he was killed off for the first time in Amazing Spider-Man #122 (written by Gerry Conway, illustrated by Gil Kane, John Romita Sr. and others) after being impaled by his own glider.

His death was retconned and he returned years later, having survived his fight with Spider-Man thanks to the Goblin's healing factor. However, he didn't reveal himself to Spidey until Peter Parker: Spider-Man #75 (written by Howard Mackie, artwork by John Romita Jr. and more), choosing instead to manipulate Parker's life in the cruellest of ways from behind the scenes over the course of the "Clone Saga."

Now, thanks to the Carnage symbiote, the Goblin is back once again, and clearly stronger than ever. Slott is clearly building up to a climax in the story of Peter Parker and Norman Osborn and it's likely that this will mean the end of Spider-Man's greatest enemy. It's the perfect way for Osborn to go from a storytelling point of view and from the perspective of the average reader, who has likely grown bored with the character.

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His impact on Spider-Man has gradually diminished over the last decade or two, culminating in the removal of the Goblin serum thanks to nanites created by Otto Octavius while the latter was in control of Spider-Man's body. He has still proven more than capable of being a serious threat to the world, but he is nowhere near as significant as he once was. He's so diminished that in recent story arcs, has been written as more of a nuisance as opposed to the terrifying villain of past decades.

Osborn's death, much like Otto Octavius' "demise," would have an enormous impact on Spidey because he values all life, even the lives of his most monstrous opponents. While it's easy to see Norman as being one of those monsters, we have to remember that he is also afflicted by a demon, driven mad by its power. Death, after reaching the very height of that power, seems to be a natural conclusion for the character and it would certainly be reason enough for Spider-Man to push himself further as a hero. It could prompt him to search for other methods of neutralizing the villains that flood the city. There's a lot of potential there in regards to the changes this storyline could bring, which is why we're betting Slott will kill Osborn before he goes.

We'll find out soon enough.

"Go Down Swinging" will begin in March with Amazing Spider-Man #797, written by Dan Slott with artwork by Stuart Immonen.