WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Amazing Spider-Man #49 by Nick Spencer, Ryan Ottley, Humberto Ramos, Mark Bagley, Cliff Rathburn, Victor Olazaba, John Dell, Nathan Fairbairn, Edgar Delgado, David Curiel, & VC's Joe Caramagna, on sale now
The most recent issue of The Amazing Spider-Man saw the impossible happen as Spider-Man teamed up with the Green Goblin to battle the now monstrous Sin-Eater in the halls of Ravencroft Institute.
However, before the two men teamed up to fight, Norman Osborn tried to sell his story to Spider-Man and explain why the two men had always been mortal enemies. As Osborn says in Amazing Spider-Man #49, it was all Peter Parker's fault.
Spider-Man fought The Green Goblin for the first time in the pages of Amazing Spider-Man#14 by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, but in Amazing Spider-Man #39, Spider-Man learned that the Goblin was Norman Osborn, the father of his close friend Harry Osborn. The battle ended with Norman suffering from amnesia and Spider-Man letting Norman go, understanding that he was mentally ill and was not in control of his mental facilities when using the goblin formula. From there, Norman eventually remembered his days as the Green Goblin and eventually became Spider-Man's most dangerous enemy.
However, for Norman Osborn, he doesn't seem to see it the same way as Spider-Man. Norman explains that Peter was like the son he never had, which was harsh since he did have Harry Osborn as his son. Norman felt that his legacy could live on through Peter. However, Norman said their "familial love" became hate. While Peter calls Norman a madman, Norman calls him a fool. Norman said that he would kill someone Peter loves, and Spider-Man will lock him away. It was all a vicious cycle. With that, Norman took the goblin formula and joined Spider-Man in the battle.
The two men then suffered a fall in the battle, and Spider-Man was trapped under a giant pile of debris. That is when Osborn started to talk again. He explained to Spider-Man that when they first met face-to-face, after Spider-Man learned that Green Goblin was Norman Osborn, he bared his soul to Peter and confessed his darkest secrets. Norman said that after all that, Peter rejected him, and he always hated him for it. This all happened in Amazing Spider-Man #40 by Stan Lee, John Romita, Mickey Demeo, and Sam Rosen. Norman told Peter about his wife dying and his work, trying to help support Harry, which led to the lab accident that caused his descent into madness.
However, nothing Norman says in this diatribe is close to the truth. Spider-Man kept fighting Green Goblin in that issue because Norman wanted to kill him to prove his superiority. Yes, Norman opened up his soul to Peter at that moment, but he never once tried to earn Peter's trust, and Spider-Man didn't reject him. Peter was just fighting for his life. Norman mentioned he was as scared as Peter at that time, with the serum messing with his brain, causing him to lose control. However, the reason Norman Osborn hates Spider-Man the most what happened at the end of that battle.
Once Norman fell in battle and lost his memories in that fight so many years ago, Spider-Man saved his life. He destroyed the Green Goblin costume and told the police Norman helped him stop the Green Goblin, calling Osborn a hero. According to Norman, when his memory returned, and he realized Spider-Man saved his life, he hated him instantly because he knew that he forever lived in Spider-Man's debut. At that moment, Green Goblin lifted the pile of debris off Spider-Man and saved his life, saying their debt from so many years ago was finally paid.