--My Mini Hobgoblin Shrine--
Age- I'd say late forties, early fifties
Hair- White
Eyes- Blue
Height- Unknown
Weight- Unknown
Birth place- New York City, New York
Martial Status- Single, but quite popular with women!
Legal Status- Citizen of the United States with a criminal record
Enemies- Spider-Man, Jason Philip Macendale, Green Goblin I, the Kingpin
Affiliates- The Rose, the Jack O' Latern
Base of Operations- New York City
Known Relatives- Daniel Kingsley (older brother)
Occupation- President of Kingsley International
Strength Level- Kingsley perfected Stromm's formula which allowed him to have super strength perhaps even higher that Norman Osborn.
Weapons- Pumpkin Bombs, Gas Ghosts, Razor Bats, Sparkle Blasts capable of generating 10,000 volts of high electricty
Transportion- Roderick traveled on the same type of glider as Norman and Harry did, but his had a nifty little demon head on it.
First Apperence- "Amazing Spider Man #238"
Waaaaaaay back during that golden year of the 1982, Spidey writer Roger Stern and editor Tom DeFalco wanted to create "a Green Goblin for the 80's". However, they could only do this using two methods. Norman was simply out of the question, for there was no reason to bring him back. Harry could sink back into insanity once more and don the Goblin mantle, but the writers were content with Harry and Liz being the happy married couple. The second idea was to pull a Bart Hamilton and have a totally new person become the Green Goblin.
Yet, this would somewhat diminish the memory of the late, great Norman Osborn. So, Stern decided to have this new villian alter the Goblin's costume, make his appearence different, but the legacy the same. Fans could be with him from the beginning of his career and begin the guessing game of his identity. And so, the Hobgoblin was born.
It all begins back in "Amazing Spider-Man" issue 238, when our favorite wall crawler pummels some bad guys after robbing a bank. However, one of them makes a break for it by heading into the sewer and that's something Spidey is just not cool with, funky sewer smells! Figuring he's done enough, the hero leaves the robber, whose name is George Hill, to wander about down there. Eventually, Georgie stumbles a narrow hallway leading the secret lair of the Green Goblin. Looking to make a buck off his discovery, he contacts a mysterious and shadowy figure, whom we all know now to be Roderick Kingsley. After stealing a substantial amount of Goblin equipment, Hill drops Kingsley off in by an apartment. As Georgie drives off, the dastardly fashion designer pulls out a detonator and blows the two bit crook sky high. (sniff, rest in peace Georgie...)
Kingsley enters the apartment and tinkers with the various Goblin equipment and the tries on a new dyed costume, complete with a new molded mask. "The Green Goblin is no more--" he shouts as he steps aboard his jet glider "But in his place now stands--The HOBGOBLIN!!!" Eventually, Spidey hears about the numerous Osborn break ins and realizes that someone his hijacking all of Norman's equipment. Deciding to investigate, the two meet for the first time in Norman's old theater hideout the two fought in back in "Amazing Spider-Man" 96.
Luck was with the Hobgoblin on that night, for he escaped Spidey without being unmasked...barely. Deciding that he needs an edge if he ever wants to defeat Spider-Man, he needs to come up with the Stromm's formula and quick. He does, and is more than a match for our amazing wall crawler. He decides to use his new identity and secrets to blackmail some of Norman's old associate's at the Century Club. Many of which confided in Osborn with airing their dirty laundry.
Hobgoblin, using his twin brother Daniel to stand in for him, appears before the members demanding a hefty amount of money to keep their secrets. Yet, Spidey shows up and a good old fashioned fight ensues, with Hobby getting the upper hand by using the same gas that Osborn used to block out Spidey's danger sense. About to finish off the web spinnder, the Kingpin of crime decides to save Spidey's life stating "There has been too much noise and confusion here today." Wisely, Hobgoblin decided to back out and make a hasty retreat.
Spider-Man soon tracks the Hobgoblin down at his base and another fight ensues. Yet, Hobby accidently destroys all of Norman Osborn's precious journals, thus keeping Spider-Man's secret identity safe. Hobgoblin then decides to go all out against the wall crawler and tries to run him over with Osborn's "battle van". Needless to say, it didn't work and the two exchanged blows inside until it crashed into the Hudson River. With water pouring in the Hobgoblin tries one last time to kill Spidey, but only succeeds in blowing the van to bits. All Spider-Man can find of him is a ruined mask.
Ok, here's where things get complicated. Kingsley makes his way to the shore trying to reach one of his other hideouts. He eventually realizes that he's being followed and manages to chloroform the tailer. Taking him back to his lair, Kingsley learns that it was Ned Leeds looking for a story on the Hobgoblin. Deciding to use Leeds for all he's worth, Kingsley brainwashes the Bugle reporter to do his bidding.
Deciding that the super villian life may not be for him, Kingsley uses Leeds to act as a stand in Goblin often times while he tended to more important matters. After issue #260 it becomes blurry on when Kingsley is in the costume and when it is Leeds. In my opinion, the majority of appearences were Kingsley. Probably only very late in the gang war did Leeds take over full time for as Hobgoblin. In "Hobgoblin Lives", Kingsley explained he had become bored with New York crime families. They were too petty and emotional for him. Indeed, his alliance with the crime boss, the Rose proved to be a headache. The Hobgoblin also made an enemy in the form of the Jack O' Latern, also known as Jason Philip Macendale.
Jack O' Latern and Hobby started up their own private war which was pretty one sided. Hobgoblin had super powers and usually ended up kicking Macendale's sorry pumpkin ass all over the place. Eventually, the confusion of the gang war had destroyed any desire for Kingsley to still be the Hobgoblin. So, instead of fading away with the slight chance he might be exposed, he decided to fake the death of the Hobgoblin.
Leaking information that Hobgoblin was really Ned Leeds, it was easy for Macendale to hire a hitman known as 'The Foreigner' to off the brainwashed reporter. In perhaps what is the lamest death scenes in Spider-Man history, Leeds is shot, has his arm broke and the strangled to death, all while whining and blubbering like a little bitch. And for a while, this was supposed to be the real Hobgoblin's death, crying and whimpering like a little girl with a skinned knee. Macendale then steals all the Hobgoblin equipment and uses the identity for himself.
Right after the clone saga had ended, Marvel published a three part mini series called "Hobgoblin Lives". It seems Stern, who created Hobby, never wanted him to be Ned Leeds. In fact, from day one Stern wanted him to be Kingsley but didn't stay on Spider-Man long enough to reveal this. In this series, Macendale is going to trial for his long list of crimes and may be faced with the death sentance (about damn time too). In a clash with reporters, Macendale confesses that he killed the 'original' Hobgoblin. Then he even goes so far as to point to Leeds' wife, Betty Brant, and say "You want to know more? Ask her, the original Hobgoblin was her husband!"
Upon hearing this, Kingsley, and his twin brother Daniel, become worried. An investigation into Leeds might connect them to the Hobgoblin. Kingsley enters the prison where Macendale is being held and fries his ass, leaving nothing but a smoking skeleton behind. Apparently, Macendale had embarrassed Kingsley one too many times by ruining the feared name of the Hobgoblin.
Upon doing this, Kingsley again dons the mantle of Hobgolin and starts to settle the score with numerous old enemies, including Spider-Man and Betty Brant Leeds. Hobgoblin kidnaps Betty and takes her to his lair, telling her all about how he framed her husband. However, overconfidence got the best of Roderick, and was unaware that there was a tracer in the very cassette recorder that he was speaking into. Spidey showed up, and after a epic struggle of good against evil, Hobgoblin was finally unmasked as Roderick Kingsley. Hobby was sent to prison promptly, and ironically, in the very same cell where he killed Jason Macendale. Ouch, salt to the wound.
With Norman Osborn's return as a well respected businessman of New York, Kingsley became enraged. Infuriated that Osborn, who's alter ego was one of the most wanted men in New York, was drinking coffee and chatting it up on the today show while he was locked in prison for the next twenty five years. And what was worse, no one believed his claim that Osborn was really the Green Goblin. Boy, Roddy was pissed. So pissed that he figured a to escape. Spreading rumors that he had one last secret journal written by Norman from when he raided all his hideouts. Osborn had no choice but to send his stand in Green Goblin V to bust Kingsley out.
Claiming that his brother Daniel had the journal, Osborn allowed Kingsley to don his Hobgoblin persona again to retrieve it. Unknown to Kingsley, Osborn also sent Green Goblin V to make sure he and his brother met with 'accidents'. Hobgolin easily found Daniel, but not so easily dealt with Spider-Man who came to his aid. The Green Goblin, watching from afar, hit Spidey with a tranquilizer dart as he and Kingsley fought.
Attempting to unmask the wall crawler, Hobby was stopped by his green cohort, stating "That's not what we're here for." Both Daniel and Spidey were taken hostage by the Goblins. Kingsley then tried to persuade Osborn to unmask the web spinner but soon realized that he already knew who Spider-Man was. Osborn simply smiled. Then, he dropped a bombshell on the Hobgoblin, stating that he didn't even think there was one last secret journal to which Kingsley reluctantly admitted Osborn was right. Getting nervous, Kingsley said Osborn still needed him, to sign over all of Kingsley International. Norman drops another bombshell stating that he already had absorbed Kingsley's business and has the papers to prove it. Astonished, Roderick asks how Osborn managed to do it so quickly.
To which he replies "I'm Norman Osborn."
Enraged, Kingsley attacks Osborn and the two have a good slug fest. Spidey, reluctantly gets in between the two and begins to soley concentrate on the Hobgoblin. As the building catches fire, Osborn, Kingsley and Green Goblin V all manage to escape. We later see Kingsley on the Caribbean Island Isla Suerte, sipping a coconut drink and smoking a cigar. It appears he had gotten away scot free, and still had a suitable ammount of cash from his secret Swiss bank accounts. Relaxing on the beach, he wonders if the world has seen the last of the Hobgoblin.
