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Amazing Spider-Man #88 introduces an all new Goblin for the new webslinger to deal with, but this one has a chance at redemption.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Amazing Spider-Man #88, now on sale from Marvel Comics.
The Marvel Universe is home to some of the most prolific villains in the history of popular culture, many of which became adversarial counterparts to the heroes primarily by chance. While there are some Marvel villains who made the willful choice to use their talents for evil, many others were ordinary people who were ushered down the path of villainy due to circumstances outside of their control.
While the Beyond Corporation has already committed several heinous acts in their quest to establish Peter Parker’s clone Ben Reilly as the one true Spider-Man of New York City, the company has just crossed an ethical line by transforming one of their employees into a tailor-made archnemesis for Ben in Amazing Spider-Man #88 (by Zeb Wells, Michael Dowling, Bryan Valenza, and VC’s Caramagna). However, despite Beyond’s best attempts to make a clone of Ravencroft’s head psychologist Dr. Ashley Kafka into the perfect supervillain for their patented web-slinger, Ben’s former therapist may still have a shot at redemption.
Although Beyond was able to secure Ben’s initial loyalty by giving him an upgraded suit and using their influence to secure his girlfriend Janine Gobde’s early release from prison, the former Scarlet-Spider began to question the company’s motives after Doctor Octopus revealed that Beyond was keeping secrets from him. After discovering that the corporation had been keeping a detailed psychological profile of him, Ben confides in Dr. Kafka, who reveals that she’s also a clone and that Beyond’s been selectively wiping Ben’s memories in order to keep him obedient. Unfortunately, their session is interrupted by Beyond executive Maxine Danger, who locks Dr. Kafka in a cell before subjecting Ben to another mind-wipe. Upon learning that Janine has escaped with a flash drive containing data on all of the organization’s secret dealings, Maxine uses a vial of Norman Osborn’s “sins” that had been forcibly expelled from him by Sin-Eater during the “Kindred” saga to forcibly transform Kafka into the Queen Goblin before sending her after Janine.
At first, Beyond’s attempt to transform the compassionate Kafka into a ruthless villain seems to be a complete success, with the Goblin Queen showing a sadistic lust for violence during her attack on Janine and Mary-Jane Watson. However, there are signs that Beyond’s control over Dr. Kafka isn’t complete. Unlike Ben, who seems to be slowly losing his identity thanks to the company constantly tampering with his memories, the Queen Goblin still seems to remember who she was before she was transformed, openly referencing her work as a therapist and recognizing Ben after he arrives to stop her. Even before Dr. Kafka is fully transformed, she shows signs that she’s resisting Beyond’s control when she bites the hand of one of the technicians prepping her, proving that she isn’t entirely obedient to her corporate overlords.
While it’s clear that the Queen Goblin still remembers who she is, the disdain that she shows towards her former patients proves that her transformation has significantly altered her personality for the worst. Even if she does end up breaking free from Beyond’s control, the Goblin Queen will likely continue to serve as the latest addition to the Goblin lineage that has haunted Spider-Man for years. However, there is still hope that Dr. Kafka could find a way to reclaim her old life. While the Goblin Queen may technically be a clone of the original doctor, she still possesses her deep knowledge of psychology, and this puts her in a unique position that could allow her to recover and reclaim her old identity.
Although it is likely that the new Goblin will escape from Beyond’s control, her future beyond that point is entirely uncertain. Despite everything that Beyond has put her through, Dr. Kafka could find a way to overcome the rage that was forced upon her and become an entirely new kind of Goblin, one who uses the pain inside of her as a force of healing, not a weapon of destruction.
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