The following contains spoilers for Amazing Spider-Man #7, on sale now from Marvel Comics.
Norman Osborn, aka the Green Goblin's relationship with Spider-Man, has taken some strange and unexpected turns over the years. While they often have vicious fights, Osborn also enjoys playing games with Spidey. The long game is more important to him than inflicting short-term pain on his nemesis. He's behind many master plans such as the notorious "Clone Saga" in which he convinced Peter Parker he is a clone of the original Spider-Man. However, his most disturbing scheme may have been when he manipulated Peter into taking over the mantle of his villainous alter-ego.
The three-issue miniseries, Revenge of the Green Goblin (by Roger Stern and Ron Frenz), recounts how Norman Osborn came to realize that Peter is the only suitable heir to inherit his legacy of evil. Norman's son, Harry, had taken on the Green Goblin mantle years earlier but went insane and subsequently died. For Norman, this failure was an unforgivable disappointment and in a twisted way proved that the only man worthy of being his successor was the same one he had spent his life trying to destroy.
It is later revealed that Norman's cruelty towards his son was the result of his own abuse at the hands of his father who once locked him overnight in their sprawling dark family estate with no light. Norman's alcoholic father wanted him to confront his fears of the dark and emerge stronger, but it only traumatized the young boy and twisted him into the sadistic person he would become. During that long night of darkness, young Norman thought he heard a goblin laughing at him. This experience would directly influence his future costumed identity as the Green Goblin.
Norman desired an heir who he could mold, much in the same way his father did to him. But his grandson was too young, and his son was deceased, so he had to search outside his bloodline. Osborn's perfect candidate was the one person he couldn't beat, Spider-Man. He devised a plan to manipulate Peter into joining him as a surrogate son and protégé. He went to extreme lengths such as disguising himself as a postal worker to mail Peter a free sample of toothpaste that he drugged causing him to hallucinate. He even mailed Parker a cassette tape packed with subliminal messages that the hero would fall asleep to.
All this caused Peter to slip into a hypnotic trance during which he would don the fearsome guise of the Green Goblin and wreak havoc all over New York City. He even threatens his friend Randy with exploding pumpkin bombs. He wakes up in weird places and has no memory of the previous nights' events. His sleep is disturbed and filled with surreal nightmares in which he's haunted by his personal losses, especially his parents who died when he was young. Once he realized the Green Goblin was threatening New York in Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 2) #25 (by Howard Mackie and John Romita Jr.), he began to wonder if it was connected to his nightmares. The truth came too late as he passed out at home and is abducted by Norman.
Osborn drags an unconscious Peter to his dilapidated estate in Peter Parker: Spider-Man #25 (by Paul Jenkins and Mark Buckingham). Norman locks him in a darkened room for days, keeping him drugged so his strength is weakened, and his sharp mind is muddled. Norman breaks down his resistance and brainwashes Peter into seeing him as a father figure. Norman forced Peter, who is parched, to choose between a glass of water cast in light and one shrouded in darkness. The one bathed in light electrocuted him every time he tried to drink it, but the dark water contained the Goblin formula.
At a critical moment, Parker breaks free from Osborn's influence and throws the formula in his enemy's face. Norman is disappointed in Peter's defiance and decides that if he won't join him then he has to die. Their fight culminates in a rooftop battle -- even in his weakened state, Peter once again manages to defeat his longtime foe. However, Norman regards himself as the real victor as he reminds Peter that he hesitated and almost chose to join him in darkness.
Peter has always regarded Norman differently than his other rogues and it may be because their battles are so personal. Osborn has killed several of Peter’s loved ones and unlike other villains, he hasn't limited his torment to when he's in costume. As a businessman, he has inserted himself into Peter's civilian life on several occasions (such as when he bought partial ownership of The Daily Bugle) as a way to remind him that he can strike at any time as long as he’s alive and free.
Now, in Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 6) #7 (by Zeb Wells and John Romita Jr.), Norman is once again playing a role in Peter's personal life, but certain circumstances have changed. He recently had his sins purged by the Sin-Eater when he was shot with a supernatural weapon and now seemingly bears no ill will towards Parker. Despite his sins being cleansed, Norman retains the knowledge that Peter is secretly Spider-Man. With this in mind, Peter is wary when his former nemesis offers him a job at Oscorp. When he runs into his ex-girlfriend, Mary Jane Watson, at the company, he only becomes more suspicious that Osborn is still up to his old tricks.
While Osborn assures Peter that his motivations are pure, he slides open a secret door to reveal a Spider-Man suit with high-tech enhancements. The accessories seem to be inspired by elements of the Green Goblin's old outfits. Norman wants Spider-Man to work for him, essentially trying to make him his heir. Norman may be asserting a more benevolent form of control than before, but it is a form of control nonetheless. By employing both Peter Parker and Spider-Man, Norman can observe his former nemesis at all times. The new suit that Norman presents to Peter might have hidden tech that he doesn't understand, possibly allowing Osborn to once again influence his actions. If Spider-Man isn't careful, the Green Goblin may successfully turn him into his heir.