▁an ▁earlier ▁ess ay ▁he ▁had ▁said ▁that ▁he ▁could ▁not ▁remember ▁whether ▁Norman ▁Os born ▁being ▁the ▁Green ▁G ob lin ▁was ▁his ▁idea ▁or ▁Dit ko ' s . ▁Dit ko ▁has ▁maintained ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁his ▁idea , ▁even ▁claim ing ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁decided ▁on ▁it ▁before ▁the ▁first ▁Green ▁G ob lin ▁story ▁was ▁finished , ▁and ▁that ▁a ▁character ▁he ▁drew ▁in ▁the ▁background ▁of ▁a ▁single ▁panel ▁of ▁Ama zing ▁Spider - Man ▁# 2 3 ▁was ▁meant ▁to ▁be ▁Norman ▁Os born ▁( who ▁is ▁not ▁introduced ▁until ▁issue ▁# 3 7 ). ▁ ▁Dit ko ▁left ▁the ▁series ▁with ▁issue ▁# 3 8 , ▁just ▁one ▁issue ▁after ▁Norman ▁Os born ▁was ▁introduced ▁as ▁the ▁father ▁of ▁Harry ▁Os born . ▁The ▁first ▁issue ▁without ▁Dit ko ▁saw ▁the ▁Green ▁G ob lin ▁un mask ed . ▁John ▁Rom ita , ▁Sr ., ▁who ▁replaced ▁Dit ko ▁as ▁the ▁title ' s ▁artist , ▁re called : ▁▁ ▁In ▁the ▁land mark ▁story , ▁" The ▁Night ▁G wen ▁St acy ▁D ied " ▁( The ▁Ama zing ▁Spider - Man ▁# 1 2 1 – 1 2 2 ), ▁the ▁Green ▁G ob lin ▁k ills ▁G wen ▁St acy ▁and ▁later ▁per ishes ▁in ▁a ▁fight ▁against ▁Spider - Man . ▁However , ▁the ▁story ' s ▁writer , ▁Ger ry ▁Con way , ▁had ▁Harry ▁Os born ▁adopt ▁the ▁Green ▁G ob lin ▁identity ▁in ▁that ▁story ' s ▁after math