WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Amazing Spider-Man #66 by Nick Spencer, Mark Bagley, John Dell, Brian Reber & VC's Joe Caramagna, on sale now.
Spider-Man has gone through the wringer in recent months. The most recent storyline capped off with his roommate and close friend Boomerang betraying him, even after Spidey backed him to his former teammates in the New Avengers. Now, one of Spider-Man’s most dangerous enemies suffered a similar betrayal.
Much like Spider-Man, Norman Osborn also faced a rough road over the past few months. The villainous Osborn teamed with Spider-Man to stop Sin-Eater’s siege of Ravencroft Institute. In the end, Spider-Man turned his back on Norman and Sin-Eater cleansed him of his sins. Norman was one of the few villains who didn’t get his sins back, and he has done everything in his power to save Kindred, who he believed to be his son Harry, since that moment.
However, Amazing Spider-Man #66 strongly implies that Kindred isn't Harry by apparently showing the younger Osborn in captivity.
After the Sin-Eater supernaturally took Norman's dark side , Osborn pretended to remain evil to convince Kingpin to help capture Kindred and save Spider-Man. Using the Spot, the two trapped Kindred in a Darkforce Cage and brought him to Ravencroft. Norman knew he had a limited window before Kingpin had no use for Kindred. With Kingpin resurrecting his son, the Rose, Kindred’s time ended. Baron Mordo arrived, preparing to finish Kindred once and for all. However, Norman Osborn showed up to save Kindred, and he paid for it.
Baron Mordo started killing Kindred when Norman Osborn arrived with the Spot to save the demon. This was a deal Norman worked out that allowed The Spot to earn his freedom. Norman also had Mordo detained and turned to his son. Kindred seemed gracious, surprised that Norman finally saved him. Kindred mentioned before that Norman was never there for him. Norman admitted he would never let Wilson Fisk have Kindred, and he was there to help his child.
Kindred then turned the tables, saying he cleansed Norman Osborn of his sins to show he was a broken, scared, and defenseless man under all his anger. Kindred attacked Norman and knocked him unconscious before calling him an idiot. Spider-Man watched someone he trusted betray him in the last issue, and now, Norman Osborn saw the one person he wanted to save betray him in the worst way possible. The most shocking moment came when Carlie Cooper woke up in a cage with Harry Osborn, meaning that the person who betrayed Norman wasn’t the son he might have expected.
Kindred has been playing the long game with Norman Osborn. In Amazing Spider-Man #30 by Nick Spencer and Ryan Ottley, Kindred arrived at Ravencroft Institute and killed Mysterio before stopping by Norman’s cell and taunting him. Kindred said Norman always looked down on others. Now, he had fallen. At that moment, Norman came to believe that Kindred was Harry Osborn, back to his evil ways. However, plenty has happened since then. If Kindred and Harry Osborn are two different people, Norman and Spider-Man have a long road ahead of them. Norman Osborn can still save his son, but it will be harder than he originally envisioned.
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