General Slocum’s threat to withdraw U.S. Army funds from Oscorp spurred Norman Osborn to reckless action. Against the warnings from his chief scientist, Dr. Stromm, Osborn experimented on himself by ingesting the super-soldier formula before it was ready for human use. That formula was the catalyst for the emergence of his particular Alter, Green Goblin.
Norman Osborn’s fear and pain of losing everything paralyzed him emotionally and mentally. He always regarded life as a struggle to survive. In Norman’s drive to succeed at all costs, concepts of good and evil lost all meaning to him as well as his own sense of self. For example, Norman is always putting down his only child, Harry. To survive the catastrophe of losing his business, which is in fact his life, Norman needed to create another existence. This new self would begin anew, unsullied from Norman’s fears of loss. The Green Goblin emerged as another self untouched by Norman’s fear.
“Reflections” by Ang. D.
What Norman Osborn manifests is MPD/DID (Multiple Personality Disorder/ Disassociative Identity Disorder). A distinctive aspect of this mental illness is the presence of two or more separate identities that relate to their environment differently. At least two of these identities recurrently take control of the person’s behavior. People with MPD/DID have the inability to recall important personal information that is too extensive to be explained by ordinary forgetfulness.
Technically Norman Osborn does not have MPD/DID. Highly traumatized children striving to protect themselves from severe abuse develop this illness. To block the trauma, they develop separate personalities within themselves. Only children have sufficient flexibility to adapt to the abuse by creating Alter personalities. However, since the formula Norman ingested affects human DNA, he probably developed a form of MPD/DID.
Alters take on different roles and personas. The Protector Alter keeps the anger of the abused Main personality as well as protects him. The Green Goblin manifests Norman’s homicidal rage at the Oscorp Board of Directors, who wanted Norman out of the company. The Goblin kills them at the Oscorp Unity Festival at Times Square. Norman’s Alter, the Green Goblin is not unusual. People with MPD/DID do have mythological Alters as well as Alters of different colors.
In general, Alters usually function some time before the Main personality discovers them. By then, these Alters are firmly entrenched with their own identities and activities. Norman’s Main personality has a vague sense of his Alter’s murderous acts, but lacks knowledge as to their cause. Norman’s sense of terror comes from a feeling of dread that he does not understand.
What's Wrong, Dad?
While drunk, Norman discovers he is not alone within his own consciousness. The Green Goblin introduces himself through the mirror. Then he reminds Norman of what ‘they’ did - murder the Board of Directors. He convinces Norman that he is only out for their own good.
The Norman Main now shares his co-consciousness with the Goblin Alter. They communicate to each other by Norman conversing with the Goblin mask. In time, Norman cedes more personal responsibility for their acts to the stronger Goblin. He allows the Goblin more access to their body, which suits the Green Goblin just fine. Unfortunately for them both, the Goblin is obsessed with destroying Spider-Man, whom he considers a threat to their joint survival. In a battle with Spider-Man, the Goblin is killed by his own glider.
A Family Meeting
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Va. Carper
September 19, 2006
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