Seeing Phil blurt out the name, Anton's expression turned a little strange.
"This name sounds like a bad guy," he remarked.
Phil, thinking Anton was dissatisfied with the choice, quickly explained, "Just like Venom, I like this name! In the future, I'll team up with Eddie. Venom and Hobgoblin together will be the stuff of bad guys' nightmares!"
"Sounds good—it pairs well with Venom," Anton replied with a nod.
Hearing the name Hobgoblin triggered a memory in Anton's mind. He suddenly recalled Phil Urich's true identity in another timeline.
No wonder this guy seemed to have a knack for being in the spotlight—it turned out he was based on a character from the comics.
In the Ultimate Spider-Man storyline (the one where Parker's life was stolen by Doctor Octopus), Phil Urich, as the second-generation Hobgoblin, was a reporter at the Daily Bugle and also Kingpin's right-hand man.
The first Hobgoblin, Roderick Kingsley, had been a costume designer who stumbled upon Norman Osborn's tech, stole it, and became a villain. Kingsley later rented out the identity and equipment to Phil, who became the new Hobgoblin.
But in this world, Phil hadn't yet crossed paths with Kingpin—mainly because Kingpin had already met his downfall.
Under Anton and Eddie's influence, Phil was being nudged toward a heroic path. Joining the newly forming Justice League, Phil was becoming a foundational member, diverging more and more from his comic-book trajectory.
Anton decided not to overthink it.
Still, if Connors could successfully develop a new human-strengthening serum using the turtles' mutagen, Phil could benefit from it. As an ordinary person, this would elevate him closer to a superhero's capabilities.
"Whether by mutation or technology, Phil has potential," Anton mused. "With me backing him, he's going to have everything he needs."
He looked at Phil. "Since you're going to use the Green Goblin's equipment, let's repaint it. We don't want anyone thinking the Green Goblin is back. How about blue and red for the color scheme?"
"Sounds great! I love it!" Phil agreed, practically bouncing with excitement.
Anton chuckled at Phil's enthusiasm. Seeing him so eager to join the Justice League—and even willing to repaint stolen equipment—Anton realized Phil would probably have been just as happy flying the glider in his pajamas.
Later, Eddie took Phil back near Oscorp to follow up with their Daily Bugle colleagues and report on the incident. Among the reporters, April was leading the Channel Six team, thanks to her early arrival on the scene with Eddie.
This gave her exclusive material and a head start on the story.
Everyone worked late into the night.
As for Anton, once he returned home, he took stock of his latest rewards.
[Resolved the Green Goblin incident. Reward: 6 million Justice Points.]
[Current Justice Points Balance: 9 million]
"Not bad," Anton mused. "I spent 10 million to redeem the Arkham Knight armor, but with the 6 million back in my account, the net cost is just 4 million. Not a loss at all."
His thoughts drifted to the looming confrontation with the Foot Clan, as agreed with Splinter. That, too, was about to become another critical piece of the puzzle.
If all goes as planned, the Justice Points balance will exceed 10 million after dealing with the Foot Clan!
And with the upcoming Cyborg movie task nearing completion, the next cycle will bring a new persona—Cyborg —ready to suit up. Meanwhile, Marvel's Justice League is taking shape, piece by piece.
The future was looking brighter than ever.
A Few Days Later
The headlines were ablaze with topics like "Green Goblin Attacks New York" and "Osborn Industries in Crisis." These stories had become the latest hot-button discussions over dinner tables across New York—and even the entire United States.
The Green Goblin incident dominated news outlets, sparking a media frenzy that shook the city. Yet, amidst all the chaos, Osborn Industries—the company at the center of it all—remained curiously silent.
Super fast media outlets soon uncovered an even bigger mystery: Norman Osborn was missing.
The Oscorp Building, once again the scene of a villain's attack, had been targeted during the Green Goblin's rampage. But Norman Osborn, its owner and CEO, was nowhere to be found.
Naturally, the public dismissed the idea that Norman could be the Green Goblin himself—after all, who would blow up their own property as a villain? Instead, many speculated that Norman had been killed during the attack.
Online, the news of his disappearance spread like wildfire, drawing comparisons to Tony Stark's own brief disappearance some time ago. However, Norman's case felt even more severe.
Both men were the respective hearts of their companies, but the key difference was leadership continuity. Stark Industries had been established by Tony's father, Howard Stark, and was backed by a group of seasoned executives led by Obadiah Stane.
In contrast, Norman Osborn had left behind only his teenage son, Harry Osborn. While it was expected that Harry would inherit the chairman's role, it was clear that the company's shareholders wouldn't stand by as a high school student took over such a massive corporation.
What was certain, however, was that Osborn Industries would face an unprecedented power struggle—a storm of chaos that was brewing within its boardroom.
Meanwhile, at the Daily Bugle
Having cashed in on the Green Goblin story, the Bugle enjoyed an explosion of credibility and reach.
Exclusive scoops, dramatic headlines, and high-profile interviews—like those conducted with Police Captain George Stacy—had propelled the paper into the public spotlight.
Eddie Brock's status rose sharply. Now hailed as New York's top reporter, he had become an idol for journalism students and a minor internet celebrity.
His newfound fame also rubbed off on his girlfriend, April. Thanks to her coverage of the Green Goblin incident, she solidified her place at Channel 6 and erased any lingering doubts about her career.
On the other side of the city, Phil was hard at work modifying the "Green Goblin suit" he had claimed.
He had renamed it the Hobgoblin Suit and made significant alterations. The armor's green hue had been replaced with blue, and he added a striking red cloak and hat to differentiate it from the original.
Phil sealed away the Pumpkin Bombs and Goblin Blades that had come with the suit, unwilling to use weapons so closely tied to the Green Goblin's infamy. Instead, through Anton's connections, he commissioned new, customized equipment from the High Table.
Now, with his revamped Hobgoblin Suit complete and new gear in hand, Phil was preparing for his first public appearance as a superhero. Every detail had been meticulously planned—he intended to make an entrance no one would forget.
After resolving the Green Goblin incident and in accordance with the agreement with Daredevil and Splinter, Anton instructed Eddie and the others to shift their focus to the Foot Clan.
The Foot Clan had been consistently stealing expensive chemical materials from the docks that Osborne Company had stored. They wasted no opportunity to exploit the civil unrest surrounding Osborne.
As expected, frequent robberies were reported at the docks. The New York Police Department's task force seemed to be outplayed at every turn.
Even when they set up traps, the Foot Clan always managed to escape, well-prepared and ahead of the game.
It was clear that Sachs was involved. After all, who had ordered the cooperation between the New York Police Department task force and Sachs?
At Anton's command, Eddie was stationed at the docks in advance. Using Venom's abilities, he successfully captured photos of the Foot Clan's activities and sent them to the New York Police Department's chief, George Stacy, with whom he had a good relationship.
George Stacy was furious when he saw the photos. He couldn't believe that the company he had trusted and partnered with was actually working for the Foot Clan!
…
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