The following contains major spoilers for Red Goblin #1, on sale now from Marvel Comics.
Like so many other relatives of Marvel supervillains, Normie Osborn has never really had anything resembling an ordinary life. Even after the loss of his father, his grandfather, the original Green Goblin, still cast an ominous cloud over every corner of Normie's world. Or rather, it did until Venom came back into his life. Now, Normie finally has a chance to make a name for himself outside of anyone else's shadow, and he has already dedicated it to undoing all the damage wrought by the Goblins who came before him.
Though the Green Goblin might not be part of the Marvel Universe as of now, Red Goblin #1 (by Alex Paknadel, Jan Bazaldua, David Curiel, and VC's Travis Lanham) shows how his legacy is living on in the worst ways. Despite their lack of a namesake villain, the Goblin Nation gang that rose up to follow the Green Goblin is still very much a threat. Thankfully, there is at least one hero with his sights set squarely on them. Of course, it makes perfect sense that Normie would be looking for any way to snuff out the Green Goblin's legacy, especially now that he has been given the chance to create his own as the latest Red Goblin.
Marvel's New Red Goblin is Atoning for His Family's Sins
Like so many others who have been caught up in the lives of Marvel's Osborns, Normie's own has always been mired by those of his father and grandfather. Even when he was just a small child, the fact that his grandfather had ever come to harm at Spider-Man's hands left him with a seething rage toward the Wall-Crawler. Although this was obviously due to Normie not understanding the nuances of the situation, it took years for him to come around to the idea that the Green Goblin was the bad guy, let alone that he could be predestined to become one himself.
The thought that Normie could follow in his predecessors' footsteps has long been a grave concern to those closest to him, most of all his mother, Liz Allan. At nearly every major turning point in any member of their family's lives, Liz has been left to watch and wonder whether he would be pulled into the darkness as Norman and Harry had been. That coupled with the extreme lengths Norman went to as the original Red Goblin to ensure that his grandson would carry on the family business, it is genuinely shocking that he is working so hard to eradicate any sign that it ever existed.
Red Goblin Doesn't Realize That He Can be a Hero
As admirable as it is that Normie has taken it upon himself to scrub away the stains the Green Goblin left behind, the fact that he feels he has to is a stark indication of his thoughts on heroics as a whole. Cleaning up his family's mess is certainly an endearing mission, yet it isn't one that Normie was ever given a chance to consider. Instead, it was the only course of action that made sense when the entirety of his life had been shaped by the Goblin's presence. And, while Normie's intentions aren't misplaced, they are hardly fully formed, either.
Apart from taking down the remnants of the Goblin Nation and helping his friend, Dylan Brock, it doesn't seem like Normie has given any thought to what comes next for him as a superhero. That he is still just a kid makes it all the more difficult, though it isn't something he can ignore for very long. Eventually, the Red Goblin is going to have to either embark on something more than beating back the ghosts of the past or let go of them entirely. Hopefully, Normie realizes that doing either of those things won't make him less of a hero.