Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man's genius twist on classic villain Norman Osborn is the culmination of decades of storytelling

If there's anything that Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man absolutely nails in its opening episodes, it's the soap opera-esque interplay between the characters in Peter Parker's life. In the span of a couple of episodes, the new animated series on Disney Plus makes it clear that the relationships and various connections that Peter makes between his family, friends, and peers is just as important (and perhaps even more so) than whatever grand villain schemes are going on. And at the forefront of this is a major twist that this alternative universe tale puts on an MCU storyline – instead of Tony Stark serving as Peter's mentor figure, it's Norman Osborn, Spider-Man's frequent arch-nemesis.

But if you look through Spider-Man history, particularly recent adaptations, this isn't a swerve that comes out of nowhere. In fact, linking Peter and Norman like this is the culmination of something that's been building for a while.

Early Spider-Man comics tended to link Norman and Peter through Norman's son Harry. Norman, the wealthy industrialist, did battle with Spider-Man as the Green Goblin. Meanwhile, Harry Osborn was a classmate and friend of Peter, with the personal ramifications of Norman's villainy on Peter coming through the effect it had on Harry. Most of Harry's personal problems were due to the impact his father had and, as such, decades of Spider-Man comics dictated that the only real consistent emotion that Peter had for Norman was resentment (for what he did to Harry, Gwen Stacy, New York City, etc.)

I'm something of a scientist myself...

However, in the new millennium, as new incarnations of Norman Osborn popped up, this relationship began to be reframed. One landmark appearance that would inform all that came after was Sam Raimi's 2002 Spider-Man film, the beginning of a trilogy that obsessed over not just Peter's relationships, but how each one reflected upon him.

When Norman "Ya know, I’m something of a scientist myself”" Osborn was introduced, he represented Peter's own aspirations. With some luck, the broke young student could become a confident and wealthy captain of industry. Until it's revealed that Norman is the Green Goblin, he phases into the pseudo father figure that Peter is so desperate for.

A similar thing occurs in the 2007 Spectacular Spider-Man cartoon, one that isn't just indebted to decades of Spider-Man comic book history (particularly the early Stan Lee/Steve Ditko issues), but takes cues from the Raimi films as well. In this, Peter is even more starry-eyed over Norman, especially since this version of the character lacks many of the manic qualities that might come as a side-effect of the formula that turned him into the Goblin. His self-assuredness and the plainspoken way he distributes merit to Peter for his academic and extracurricular accomplishments leads Peter to trust him, even when things like his connection to the Goblin get suspicious.

One thing that loops many modern adaptations of Norman is the contrast between the distance at which he keeps Harry and the warmth he shows for Peter. Even as the Green Goblin, Norman appreciates Peter/Spider-Man in a way that is totally alien to his relationship with Harry.

In Ultimate Spider-Man, when Norman returns after his apparent death to try and manipulate Peter into quitting his heroic crusade as Spider-Man, he has a sense of respect and fascination for Peter. In comparison, Harry is, at best, little more than a pawn. At worst, he's a failson. Norman and Peter might exist on the opposite ends of the ethical spectrum, but in Peter, Norman finds someone worthy of his attention.

Ripple effects

These and other comic stories have made it so that Peter has a much more multi-faceted affiliation with the Osborn clan. When Peter meets Norman for the first time, there’s usually at least the semblance of an olive branch, something to show that while Norman is likely heading for ruin and Peter/Spider-Man is destined to stop his plans, Norman sees Peter as admirable.

This is the foundation upon which Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man is built. In the first episode, when Norman shows up in Peter and May's apartment (in a direct reference to Tony Stark doing the same thing in Captain America: Civil War) and offers him an internship at Oscorp (not the first time this has happened), we're being granted the next step in a wider movement in Spider-Man mythology.

And when (SPOILERS AHEAD, but also not the first time it's happened like this) in the second episode, Norman reveals that he knows that Peter Parker is Spider-Man, it affirms what is, hopefully, the thing that will be Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man's defining trait. Because the greatest stakes in Spider-Man stories do'’t come from the potential destruction of New York City, but from the ripple effect that every decision has on Peter's life.

The death of Gwen Stacy, widely regarded as Spider-Man's most important comic book storyline, isn't remembered solely because it killed off a major character. Rather it's because of what those characters meant to one another and how the event would reverberate in all of their lives going forward.

And by pulling the trigger on Norman having such a close tie to Peter's most personal feature, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man commits to this theme. With some luck (luck that’s hopefully better than Peter's own,) they can stick the landing.

For more, check out our very own Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man review and our Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man release schedule so you don't miss an episode.