Hobgoblin is one of the most underrated villains that the famous wall-crawler has ever battled, with the character being as fascinating as he is convoluted. The orange and blue-clad baddie has intrigued many comic book fans as fans are never sure of who is under the terrifying mask.
In the main 616 continuity, eight people have taken up the mantle of Hobgoblin, with some shining brighter than others have. With the character as popular as he ever was, it is time to take a look at the people who have given Norman Osborn a run for his money.
Flash Thompson
What truly hurt the future Agent Venom's chances of being a good Hobgoblin is one simple fact...he was never The Hobgoblin. Formerly the infamous bully that made Peter Parker's life a misery, by the time The Hobgoblin showed up, Flash was one of Peter's best friends.
Sadly, Flash Thompson was part of a framing job perpetrated by a brainwashed Ned Leeds, who was trying to convince everyone that he was The Hobgoblin all along. After nearly going to jail, Flash was cleared of all charges. However, his relationship with Ned Leed's estranged wife, Betty Brant, crumbled after this.
Claude
The loyal butler of Roderick Kingsley, Claude took up the mantle of The Hobgoblin at a certain point in writer Dan Slott's run. Unfortunately for him, his debut as The Hobgoblin in Superior Spider-Man #26, the prelude of "Goblin Nation," was also his last.
Before Claude could really make a big splash in the role, he was sadly murdered by Norman Osborn (The Green Goblin). Kingsley remembered Claude by saying of him "I'm going to miss Claude. Fantastic manservant. He made a terrible Hobgoblin, but he made the best bouillabaisse."
Ned Leeds
Those who love Ned Leeds for his portrayal in the MCU may be in for a shock if they take a gander at his antics in the comics. Not only was he very different from Spidey's Lego-enthusiast friend, but he was also one of his greatest enemies for a while.
After Leeds was brainwashed by Kingsley into believing he was the dreaded Hobgoblin, Leeds found himself inadvertently carrying out some of Kingsley's nefarious schemes. However, once Kingsley noticed that the brainwashing had affected Ned's mental health, he planned to have him murdered. Leeds was then killed off in Spider-Man Vs. Wolverine by the Foreigner.
Lefty Donovan
Lefty Donovan may have been the first Hobgoblin, but he never really got a solid chance to prove himself. Before Lefty Donovan's tenure as the Hobgoblin, most fans would say that he was basically a nobody. Compared to the other villains Spider-Man had faced, Lefty Donovan wouldn't have even been on his radar since he was a small-time crook.
The only reason he was able to don the suit was because he was hired by Roderick Kingsley to masquerade as The Hobgoblin and test out the equipment. However, after being stopped by Spidey while doing this, Lefty Donovan was killed by Kingsley, who took control of the goblin's glider and sent it through his chest (similarly to how Norman Osborn died).
Daniel Kingsley
The twin brother of Roderick Kingsley, Daniel Kingsley would take up the mantle whenever his brother couldn't terrorize the people of New York City. While Daniel's tenures aren't as strong as his brother's, he did have the good sense to add some special features to Hobgoblin's suit.
For example, he would trade in the goblin glider for mechanized wings and added a cool flaming sword to The Hobgoblin's arsenal. Sadly, Daniel Kingsley would be killed by former Green Goblin, Phil Urich, who took Daniel Kingsley's ideas and used them to make himself stand out as The Hobgoblin.
Jason Macendale
Outside of Roderick Kingsley, Jason Macendale is probably the version of The Hobgoblin fans are the most familiar with. Voiced by the iconic Mark Hamill in Spider-Man: The Animated Series, Macendale, after trading his previous Jack O'Lantern mantle for The Hobgoblin moniker, became a demonic version of the character thanks to the demon N'astirh.
Another feather in Macendale's cap is that he was talked into joining The Sinister Six by Doc Ock, making him the seventh ever member of the infamous villain team ("Return of the Sinister Six"). After his run with The Sinister Six came to an end, Macendale was killed in prison by Roderick Kingsley.
Phil Urich
For many fans, Phil Urich is well known for being a heroic version of The Green Goblin. However, when the nephew of beloved Daily Bugle reporter, Ben Urich, adopted the moniker of The Hobgoblin, his morality was far less pure. By that time, the Goblin Formula had affected Urich's mind, turning him into a murderous maniac.
After murdering Daniel Kingsley and taking his equipment, Urich made the most out of his run as The Hobgoblin. For example, he was given the opportunity to team up with Roderick Kingsley to take on the web-head. Urich would later drop the Hobgoblin moniker in order to become The Goblin Knight, working for Norman Osborn.
Roderick Kingsley
Roderick Kingsley is not only the most famous version of The Hobgoblin, but he is also the greatest person to don the cape. While Norman Osborn is the most infamous Goblin to battle Spider-Man, Roderick Kingsley gives him an epic run for his money as his long career as The Hobgoblin has proven to be far more varied than Osborn's.
A short sampling of Kingsley's achievements is that he got to join The Sinister Six when it was led by Miles Morales' uncle Aaron Davis as The Iron Spider. He also became a good guy when his morality was inverted during Axis, though his career as an underhanded fashion designer still played a part in this, as he gave out abandoned villain identities to a few lucky individuals.