Spider-Man: Who Is Barton Hamilton, the Forgotten Green Goblin?

Though he was briefly known throughout the Marvel Universe as the seemingly heroic Iron Patriot, Norman Osborn is most famous for his role as Spider-Man's arch-nemesis, the Green Goblin. This role was later taken by his son, Harry Osborn, making the Emerald Imp a family affair. Though these two men are the names most associated with the villainous persona, there was another, far less well-known Green Goblin.

First appearing in Amazing Spider-Man #167 and created by Len Wein and Ross Andru, Barton Hamilton was a villain with big ambitions but a small impact on the Webslinger's history. Stuck between Harry's time as the Green Goblin and the introduction of the Hobgoblin, Barton Hamilton was a thorn in Spidey's side for only a few issues.

Who Is the Third Green Goblin?

After ceasing to be the second Green Goblin and seeking help for his various mental issues, Harry Osborn turned to Dr. Barton Hamilton to air his grievances. Learning of Harry's place in the legacy of the Green Goblin persona, Hamilton became more fascinated with criminality the more that his patient confided in him. Hypnotizing Harry for more info, he embarked on a plan to write a thesis on the criminal mind. The divulged information eventually led Hamilton to the Green Goblin's old hideout, which was still full of the villain's gear and technology. Now filled with a violent lust for power, Hamilton decided that he should take up the mantle of the Green Goblin and become New York's most ruthless crime boss.

His turn to villainy was somewhat contrived, and it may be the reason for his less than memorable presence in the comics. His somewhat brief time as the Green Goblin would seem even more inexplicable given that Hamilton was never made superhuman through Norman's Goblin formula. Having been informed that Peter Parker was Spider-Man, Hamilton aimed to manipulate them both. This involved having a hypnotized Harry take pictures of Spider-Man supposedly killing his clone in the original "Clone Saga." Realizing his role as a pawn in Hamilton's game, Harry tried, and failed, to stop the budding villain in his tracks. From there, the new Green Goblin would interrupt a meeting between criminals such as Silvermane, aiming to elect himself as their new leader.

How Did the Green Goblin Die?

Silvermane and the other agreed to go along with the Green Goblin's demands, so long as he made good on his promise to kill Spider-Man within 24 hours. This was almost successful, if not for Silvermane's own men turning against Hamilton. Spider-Man was on the offensive when Green Goblin later attacked Silvermane in revenge but was knocked unconscious and almost killed in the same incinerator that his clone supposedly died in. Saving himself and unmasking the villain as Barton Hamilton, Spider-Man was soon joined by Harry Osborn, who was also in the guise of the Green Goblin. As the battle of the Goblins drew on, Barton Hamilton was caught in an explosion and killed.

This was the end of the line for Barton Hamilton, and for the most part, the character has never been revisited. The one exception was in the recent storyline "Dead No More: The Clone Conspiracy." Here, the Barton Hamilton version of Green Goblin, along with several other villains, are cloned by Ben Reilly during his tenure as the new Jackal. This didn't amount to too much spotlight, and since then, the character hasn't been. At one point, Peter thought that Hamilton may have been the man behind the mask of the Hobgoblin, but this wasn't the case.

Though the mask he wore is well known among Spider-Man fans and the Marvel Universe in general, Barton Hamilton's time behind is anything but.