In this feature, we spotlight the outlandish explanations for comic book characters (mostly super-villains) surviving seeming certain death.

Today, we look at a death I looked at a few years ago in Abandoned an' Forsaked, but it works here, as well - how did Norman Osborn, the Green Goblin, survive getting impaled in the heart?

After fighting Spider-Man for years, Norman "Green Goblin" Osborn finally went one step too far in his battle with Spider-Man when he killed Spider-Man's girlfriend, Gwen Stacy in Amazing Spider-Man #121.

In #122, he and Spider-Man have what appears to be their final battle...





That is why this one stands out. You don't get much deader than that.

The mysterious fellow removes Green Goblin's costume, so the next issue it looks like Spidey killed just plain ol' Nroman Osborn...





And the issue after that, Spidey notes how much that costume removal messed him over...



In Amazing Spider-Man #136, Harry Osborn takes over as Green Goblin (temporarily) and explains that it was HE who removed the costume...



Norman Osborn is dead for years. Not only is he dead, but his death becomes an almost important aspect of the series, especially how the Hobgoblin is introduced as a new villain using Norman Osborn's unused hideouts (and his Goblin serum).

However, in the late 1990s, Norman Osborn's death is abandoned an' forsaked as he returned to reveal that he was behind the Clone Saga, all as a way just to mess with Peter.

So how did he survive? Go to the next page to find out!

In the pages of the one-shot Osborn Journal, we learn how he survived his seeming death...







Honestly, as far as these things go, that's really not that bad.

If anyone has a suggestion for a future installment of Death is Not the End, drop me a line at bcronin@comicbookresources.com