Character: Hobgoblin (Roderick Kingsley/Ned Leeds)
He discovered a stash of Green Goblin weapons and dyed the mask orange.
His true identity was one of the best mysteries of the ’80s. So, naturally, I spoiled it for you in my character tag.
But I’ll be honest, I’m not even sure it’s right. It was retconned as Flash Thompson. But then it wasn’t. And as Ned Leeds. But then it wasn’t.
And there was another one after him. Jason Macendale. Who got possessed by a demon called Demi-Goblin. And finally Roger Stern got to rewrite Hobby’s identity again, as Roderick and his brother, in 1993’s Hobgoblin Lives miniseries.
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #283-288 (1986-1987): Gang War; 1st Mongoose
The Hobgoblin is revealed to be Flash Thompson! No!
Of course not.
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #275-276 (1986)
At first, I was all “Oh my God Flash Thompson is Hobgoblin” and the I was like “No, he’s not.”
Nobody was fooled by this.