Spider-Man Has Surprising Similarities With His Deadliest Enemy

Despite their long and bitter history, Spider-Man and his deadliest nemesis actually have one very important thing in common at the moment.

 Peter Parker and Norman Osborn's feud has always been one of the principal conflicts of the Marvel Universe. In recent years though, they have put it aside to maintain a fragile peace as Norman Osborn tries to atone for the crime he comitted in the past. This has created an awkward acquaintance between the two men, but they actually have something very important in common. Both are trying to rebuild their lives.

Norman is still recovering from being the Green Goblin, and there are near constant temtation to go back to his old ways. Meanwhile, Peter is still starting over after an unknown decision he made resulted in practically everything in his life going under. Surprisingly, The Amazing Spider-Man #19 (by Joe Kelly, Terry Dodson, Rachel Dodson, and VC's Joe Caramagna) and Gold Goblin (by Christopher Cantwell, Lan Medina, Antonio Fabela, and VC's Joe Sabino) place both of them in the unique position of admitting that life is pretty good for them at the moment. Perhaps if they could recognize that they are both trying to get a fresh start, then they could bury the hatchet as they try and rebuild together.

Norman Osborn and Spider-Man Are Both Doing Surprisingly Well

Both issues saw Peter and Norman reflect on where they were in life. Peter tentatively admitted, at the risk of jinxing it, that life was pretty good for him right now. It wasn't great or perfect, but it was a vast improvement over where he was a few months ago. He has a good job as Oscorp, which has reversed his financial woes, he has gotten back to peak performance as Spider man and his personal relationships are starting to get better. In particular, he is rekindling his romance with Black Cat. There are still some kinks to iron out, but all-in-all, Peter is more satisfied with his life right now.

Likewise, Norman has gotten through his dark night of the soul. His encounter with jack-o-Lantern  has helped him understand that he cannot simply hide from his past, but that he must work to be worthy of redemption. Since then, he's become a more active hero, and people even ask him for help instead of shying away from his former reputation. He even admitted that he felt good at the moment, mirroring how Peter feels right now.

Spider-Man and Norman Osborn's Gold Goblin Share Similar Life Goals

At their cores, both men are rebuilding from the remains of an old life. Norman wants to be a better person, and Peter is trying to do the same. While it's unknown what choice he made so many months ago that resulted in most of his relationships and life falling apart, it left him in a dark place. Norman is also finding his way out of the darkness, trying to keep the Green Goblin side of himself contained as he reinvents what it means to be an Osborn.

There has always been tension between the two whenever they meet up nowadays, but both men acknowledge this is an improvement from what came before. Norman has even tried to demonstrate how much he trusts Peter by giving him free oscorp If the two could recognize that they are in the same boat, that might be the key to finally establishing a genuine working relationship between them. It's questionable whether they will ever be friends after so much bad blood between them, but at the very least, they could work towards trust, perhaps even forgiveness.