The Green Goblin has never been a fine figure of a supervillain, but Avengers of the Wastelands will apparently be taking Osborn’s deranged alter-ego to a whole new level. Even as a team raised in the Wasteland, the Avengers might not be ready for this kind of nightmare fuel.
The future of the Wasteland was first introduced in writer Mark Millar and artist Steve McNiven’s Old Man Logan comics. The literal wasteland is the product of decades of supervillain control after the Red Skull led a coordinated attack that destroyed the world as everyone knew it along with its heroes. Logan suffered a trauma so deep, in fact, that it effectively killed ‘Wolverine.’ Heroes may die, but the will to fight injustice lives on. The events started in Old Man Logan have continued in various offshoot series, like Old Man Quill, and soon fans will get to see the Avengers re-assemble to take up the thread of a changing tide in this desolate future.
As fans gear up for the series to start, Marvel has dropped some interesting information about what the new team will face in their April solicitations. And unfortunately, Norman Osborn is a part of it. As Avengers of the Wastelands #4 (of 5) by writer Ed Brisson and artist Jonas Scharf clearly shows, life in the Wastelands has not been kind to Spider-man’s old foe, particularly on his “psyche.” This has been a common theme for both heroes and villains in the series, but the Green Goblin has always had a knack for disturbing innovation. If Juan José Ryp’s cover is anything to go by, things have gotten downright… gross. (Given the shudder inducing future of the Hulks, fans should really prepare for the worst.)
In his long career as a super villain, first appearing in Amazing Spider-Man #14 in 1964, the Green Goblin/Norman Osborn has done some truly heinous things. From the death of Gwen Stacy to the part he played in Civil War to his recent role in Absolute Carnage, he has left a terrible mark on the Marvel Universe. However, that was when he had heroes for the most part keeping him in check. In the Wasteland, the Green Goblin has been allowed to run rampant. In the past, more power has only driven the Green Goblin to more insane, more diabolical acts, so the future looks exponentially more grim. Given that his territory is named Osborn City, the Green Goblin’s “saner” counterpart must still be present as well... which might actually make things worse.
While life in the Wasteland is not easy, Dwight/Ant-Man, Hulk Jr, and the new Thor (Jessica Jones and Luke Cage's daughter Dani) may be out of their league with the outright dangerous deviousness of the Green Goblin. Though it does seem that they will have some help from a thus far mysterious Captain America (that is not Dani). That is not all though! The disturbing cover may keep fans focused on what unspeakable horrors have happened to the Green Goblin (and which ones he is about to commit), but the solicit promises a little bit more than that. This penultimate issue promises to reveal not only what Doom is up to but also, of course, a sudden but inevitable betrayal to keep things interesting.
On the heels of a fight with Baron Blood, the new Avengers seem to be jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire. But that is par for the course with the Wastelands, right? Hopefully, this different team with the same Avengers mission will have some new tricks up their sleeve for an exponentially demented Green Goblin. Don't miss the beginning with Avengers of the Wasteland #1, available at your local comics shop and online on January 29th, 2020. Check out the full solicit below:
- AVENGERS OF THE WASTELANDS #4 (OF 5)
- Ed Brisson (Writer)
- Jonas Scharf (Artist)
- Juan José Ryp (Cover Artist)
- Ivan Shavrin (Variant Cover Artist)
- IN THE CLUTCHES OF THE GREEN GOBLIN!
- Welcome to Osborn City! THOR, ANT-MAN, CAPTAIN AMERICA and HULK JR. have fallen into the clutches of NORMAN OSBORN, a.k.a. the GREEN GOBLIN. Let’s just say, the years have not been kind to the Goblin’s psyche… A knockdown drag-out fight between the AVENGERS and the likes of ENCHANTRESS, WILD CHILD, ABSORBING MAN and more reveals the true nature of DOOM’s mission, and the hidden betrayal that may crush all hope in the Wastelands!
Source: CBR