Spider-Man: Empire State University / Characters

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Empire State University

Staff and Faculty

Debra Whitman

First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man #196 (September 1979)

A university secretary who became one of Peter Parker's love interests for a while. See Spider-Man: Love Interests for more info.

Professor Miles Warren

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Notable Aliases: Jackal, Professor Warren, The Professor, The Man in Red

First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man #31 (December 1965) ^noteAs Miles Warren; The Amazing Spider-Man #129 (February 1974) ^noteAs Jackal

See Spider-Man: Central Rogues Gallery for more info.

Professor Clifton Shallot

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Notable Aliases: Vulture III

First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man #127 (December 1973)

See Spider-Man: Rogues Gallery, I to Z for more info.

Professor Harrison Turk

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Alter Ego: Arisen Tyrk

Notable Aliases: Lunatik

First Appearance: Creatures on the Loose #35 ^noteAs Arisen Tyrk; Defenders #51 (September 1977) ^noteAs Lunatik

See Defenders: Enemies for more info.

Professor Buck Mitty

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Notable Aliases: Humbug

First Appearance: Web of Spider-Man #19 (October 1986)

See Spider Man Rogues Gallery Ato H for more info.

Dr. Evan Swann

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Notable Aliases: Captain Universe

First Appearance: Amazing Spider-Man #310 (December 1988)

Dr. Evan Swann was once a professor of physics who worked at Empire State University and is one of the tutors who made Peter Parker into the man he is today. Swann was also a wielder of the Captain Universe powers.

Dr. Ashley Kafka

Notable Aliases:

First Appearance: Spectacular Spider-Man #178 (July 1991)

See Spider Man: Supporting Characters

Brian "Tiny" McKeever

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First Appearance: Untold Tales of Spider-Man #1 (September 1995)

See Spider-Man: Midtown High for more info.

Dr. Edward Lansky

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Notable Aliases: Lightmaster

First Appearance: Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #3 (February 1977)

See Masters Of Evil Lightmaster Members

Students

Brad Davis

First Appearance: Amazing Spider-Man #188 (January 1979)

Brad Davis was the star quarterback at Empire State University who once dated Mary Jane Watson while she was split from Peter Parker.

Gwen Stacy

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First Appearance: Amazing Spider-Man #31 (December 1965)

See Gwen Stacy for more info.

Harry Osborn

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Alter Ego: Harold Theopolis "Harry" Osborn

Notable Aliases: Green Goblin II, American Son

First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man #31 (December 1965)

The son of famed billionaire Norman Osborn, Harry had a hard life growing up. In fact, it was Harry who switched around some chemicals when Norman tried to create the first Goblin Serum to pay his father back for neglecting him. However, when he went to college, Harry finally found someone who would care about him far more than his father ever would: Peter Parker. While they started off rough due to Peter's life as Spider-Man, Harry soon became Peter's best friend, and they even shared an apartment. However, the strain of his father's spells as the Green Goblin eventually turned Harry to drugs, and he almost overdosed on several occasions.

On one such occasion, it caused his father to revert back to his Goblin personality, leading to The Night Gwen Stacy Died. Sometime after this, Harry discovered his father was the Green Goblin, and that Peter was Spider-Man. Angry at Peter for causing the death of his father, Harry became the second Green Goblin. However, he eventually quit after he suffered a concussion that made him forget that Peter was Spider-Man.

The two of them reconnected, and for a time, it seemed like Harry's life was finally on the rebound. He took over running his father's company Oscorp, married one of Peter's old high school classmates Liz Allen, and they had a son Normie. However, the Goblin persona began coming back to Harry. First, when the Hobgoblin tried to make the Goblin Serum, he brought Harry's memories of being the Goblin back, and he even donned the mask to help Spidey on several occasions. He eventually tried to rebury the Goblin and focus on his work and family. However, when his subconscious memories of hating Peter and knowing about Spider-Man returned, he tried to take revenge on Peter again, even trying out a new Goblin Serum to make himself even stronger. Angry and manic, he tried to destroy both Spider-Man and himself in an explosion, but after realizing Mary Jane and his son were in the building, he saved them all, before collapsing. Realizing the new serum was fatal, Harry died in Spider-Man's arms, affirming their friendship. That is, until One More Day, when Mephisto's interference summarily resurrected him from the dead.

Notable Comic Book Appearances (Earth-616 Continuity)

In Alternate Universes

Notable Media Appearances

Spider-Man: The Animated Series (1994-1998), voiced by Gary Imhoff
Spider-Man Trilogy films (2002-2007), played by James Franco
- Spider-Man (2002)
- Spider-Man 2 (2004)
- Spider-Man 3 (2007)
Spider-Man Trilogy video games (2002-2007)
- Spider-Man: The Movie (2002), voiced by Josh Keaton
- Spider-Man 2 (2004), voiced by Josh Keaton
- Spider-Man 3 (2007), voiced by James Franco
Spider-Man: The New Animated Series (2003), voiced by Ian Ziering
Spider-Man: Friend or Foe (2007), voiced by Josh Keaton
The Spectacular Spider-Man (2008-2009), voiced by James Arnold Taylor
Ultimate Spider-Man (2012-2017), voiced by Matt Lanter
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014), played by Dane DeHaan
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014), voiced by Kevin Dorman
Marvel's Spider-Man (2017-2020), voiced by Max Mittelman
Spider-Man (PS4) (2018), voiced by Scott Porter
- Spider-Man: Miles Morales (2020)

13 Is Unlucky: Born on the 13th of December and a terribly unfortunate guy.

Adaptational Early Appearance: On account of his status in comics as Peter's first real friend he is often brought earlier in the timeline in the Spider-Man Trilogy and Ultimate Spider-Man. Originally he and Peter met in college and not high school. Peter got into college on scholarship and movie adaptations never clarify why exactly a rich kid like Harry is attending an ordinary public school among low-income kids.
Ax-Crazy: Discovering his father's corpse pinned to a wall and dressed in a goblin costume and finding out his best friend was Spider-Man did a number on his sanity, and he became just as psychotic as his father after taking the Goblin formula.
Back from the Dead: One More Day revived him via the restorative powers of the Goblin formula resurrected him. Subverted later on. Harry never actually came back. The Harry since then had been a clone, while his soul was being tortured by Mephisto in hell and the Harry A.I. was possessing the Stacy twins.
Badass Normal: He didn't use the Goblin Formula initially.
Beardless Protection Program: After his father's failed attempt at taking over the US, Harry moves out of New York, shaves his head, and grows a badass handlebar moustache.

Calling the Old Man Out: In American Son, Harry finally gives one to Norman. His revival was worth it, just for that.

Cool Kid-and-Loser Friendship: Interesting in that originally Harry was the cool kid to Peter, but by later issues, he became the loser instead. Peter had a steady and healthy relationship with Gwen while Harry was the rebound for MJ after losing Peter to Gwen. Peter was also a brilliant man while Harry kept wanting approval from his dad, and then he became a drug addict (which eventually led to MJ breaking up with him). After Gwen's death Peter and MJ started dating, which made him even more resentful than before.
Deal with the Devil: Norman traded Harry’s soul to Mephisto when he was a child, in exchange for wealth and power.
Died in Your Arms Tonight: Harry dies in Peter’s arms a lot in the various comic universes, and twice in the main 616 universe.
Drugs Are Bad: In a landmark issue Stan Lee defied the comics code authority to spread this message (revolutionary at the time...) when Harry overdoses and nearly dies from taking too many pills... his drug problems are translated as Drowning My Sorrows in The Movie and a "Globulin Green" addiction in The Spectacular Spider-Man.
Empowered Badass Normal: After regaining his memories he took the Goblin formula. Unfortunately, it had an adverse reaction with the LSD he was also taking at the time, which ultimately killed him.
Evil Former Friend: He was Peter's roommate, and while they hadn't exactly been close friends at first they'd become besties by the time Norman killed Gwen. Then everything went downhill from there.

Heel–Face Revolving Door: On account of his insanity, his insecurity, and being Norman's kid, he constantly went through periods of insanity and lucidity. For a while it seemed like he and Liz Allan made it work and he started a family but then he relapsed as the Green Goblin before dying as a good guy. And even then posthumously, it's revealed that one of his cruel plans to hurt Peter (with robot doubles of his parents brought to fool Peter into thinking they were back) complicated his dying redemption. Since One More Day however, Harry Osborn has been portrayed as a good guy, and though his old A.I. and Mephisto have other ideas, he dies a hero.
If You Kill Him, You Will Be Just Like Him!: He had a clear chance to finally end his evil father's reign at the end of "American Son", but Spidey, who had contemplated killing Norman earlier, stops him. He admits that Harry has every right to hate his father and Norman had it coming, but by taking a life he'd be the son Norman always wanted. This convinces Harry to not kill him.
I Just Want to Be Normal: Harry ultimately leaves NYC behind and goes into witness protection to live a normal life away from the madness of his father.
Impossibly Cool Weapons: Apparently Harry redesigned the Goblin weaponry so that it's even COOLER.
Laser-Guided Amnesia: For a while he forgot that he had been the Green Goblin and that Peter was Spider-Man following being hypnotized by Bart Hamilton.
Legacy Character: He became the second Green Goblin after his father "died".
Living with the Villain: Peter and Harry are best friends... and, from time to time, mortal enemies.
Nom de Mom: Starting from 2017, Harry legally has his name changed from "Osborn" to "Lyman", his mother's maiden name. Norman, as would be expected, is disgusted by Harry's "betrayal".

Psychological Projection: Shortly before his original death, Harry claimed that Spider-Man only tried to 'destroy' the Osborn family because he resented their 'stable' family dynamic while he had been a burden on relatives who never wanted him, Harry's mind now so twisted that he was incapable of recognising Norman's flaws as a parent.
On the Rebound: MJ dated him after pining for Pete only to see him and Gwen settle in as a couple. Their relationship wasn't good because while Harry liked her and cared for her, his neuroses and constant complaints annoyed MJ to no end, and she dumped him because of his addiction.
Papa Wolf: When his son Stanley was almost kidnapped by an ex cop-turned-fanatic of the green goblin, he responds with a taser and a No-Holds-Barred Beatdown.
Parental Abandonment: Harry’s mother Emily left him in the “care” of Norman when he was still a child and faked her own death.
Psycho Serum: He created his own "improved" version of the Goblin formula, which drove him just as crazy as his father had been.
Redeeming Replacement: Harry once flirted with the idea of turning the Green Goblin into a hero, but Peter said that the Goblin legacy carried too much baggage with it and rejected it.
Redemption Equals Death: He was badly injured saving his wife and son from an explosion he set up to kill everyone who'd wronged his family, and died from the effects of his LSD-tainted Goblin formula. It took over two decades from him to "get better" from it.

Sanity Slippage: The LSD Harry was taking during university left him a nervous wreck. Learning his dad was the Green Goblin by finding his shish-kabobed corpse and learning his BFF Peter Parker was Spider-Man via his dad's journal pushed him over the edge.
Secret-Keeper: He kept the fact that his father's sanity was fraying a secret during the latter's tenure as the head of the Thunderbolts and Dark Avengers.
Troll:
- He would follow Peter around New York in full costume, claiming that since he wasn't committing any crimes Spider-Man couldn't retaliate.
- He had a pair of robots built by the Chameleon pose as Peter's parents, just to mess with him. Though this was only revealed posthumously after his death.
Two Guys and a Girl: In movie adaptations it's often Peter, MJ and Harry as having this dynamic or a Love Triangle. In actual fact, the only time they had this was after Gwen's death and it didn't last long because Harry went insane and Peter and MJ hooked up (and MJ always saw Harry as a rebound from Peter).
The Unfavorite: The comics originally had Norman (when not as the Green Goblin) as an absentee father that loved his son, but since his return, his opinion of his son hasn't been very kind. The adaptations also tend to go this route. And remember, Harry is an only child. More recent writers have actually played with the idea that Norman sees Peter as more worthy of being his son.
"Well Done, Son" Guy: All Harry ever wanted was his dad's approval. It takes him a long time to get over it, but he eventually does.
You Killed My Father: He found his father's body after the climactic fight with Spider-Man and blamed him for his death.

Mary Jane Watson

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See Mary Jane Watson for more info.

Phillip Chang

First Appearance: Amazing Spider-Man #184 (September, 1978)

College classmate of Peter Parker at Empire State University.

Randy Robertson

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First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man #67 (December 1968)

Randy Robertson is the son of Daily Bugle city editor Joseph "Robbie" Robertson, enrolled at Empire State University a year behind Bugle photographer Peter Parker.