Ned Leeds

Edward 'Ned' Leeds debuted as an investigative reporter for the Daily Bugle and a romantic rival to Peter Parker for Betty Brant's affections. An ordinary human with no powers, he was later brainwashed by the true Hobgoblin, Roderick Kingsley, into unknowingly serving as a stand-in Hobgoblin — wielding the goblin glider and arsenal without any superhuman enhancement.

Few supporting players from Marvel's Silver Age have shown the staying power of Ned Leeds, who first stepped onto the page in The Amazing Spider-Man #19 back in 1964, courtesy of the legendary duo Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. A fixture of the Daily Bugle world, Ned has kept remarkable company across six-plus decades — sharing storylines with J. Jonah Jameson, Betty Brant, Mary Jane Watson, Flash Thompson, and Harry Osborn, the very heart of Spider-Man's civilian universe. With 115 catalog appearances, eight of them collector-recognized key issues, and a presence stretching all the way to 2026, he's proof that a well-crafted supporting character can become genuinely indispensable. If you're building a serious Spider-Man collection, Ned Leeds is absolutely someone you need to know.