Osborn #1
Osborn #1 serves as the definitive post-Siege reckoning with Norman Osborn's place in the Marvel Universe, stripping the former Green Goblin of every institutional power he had accumulated during Dark Reign and dropping him into a secret, off-the-books supermax prison — a storytelling choice that transformed him from a geopolitical threat into a caged schemer surrounded by society's most dangerous forgotten prisoners. The issue is the debut vehicle for two characters who would go on to populate Bendis-era Avengers titles: Ai Apaec, a Marvel reimagining of the ancient Moche deity, and Dr. June Covington (Toxic Doxie), a self-experimenting geneticist-turned-serial-killer who would later join Osborn's reconstituted Dark Avengers as a stand-in Scarlet Witch. More broadly, the series marked one of Kelly Sue DeConnick's first high-profile Marvel assignments, a creative relationship with artist Emma Rios that would eventually produce their celebrated creator-owned series Pretty Deadly.
In the shadowy aftermath of the Dark Reign, Norman Osborn is moved from the Raft to a secretive private prison, where the most dangerous minds are held beyond the reach of law. As the world watches, reporter Norah Winters digs into the growing influence of the Goblin Cult, uncovering a disturbing web of devotion tied to the man once known as the Green Goblin.
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The series was written by Kelly Sue DeConnick with art by Emma Rios — both were considered rising stars at Marvel at the time — and set directly in the aftermath of the 2010 Siege crossover event, picking up the unresolved question of what the government actually does with a villain as legally slippery as Osborn. Each issue also included a backup story written by Warren Ellis with art by Jamie McKelvie, introducing June Covington's origin through Ellis's characteristically dark, clinical lens; covers were painted by Ben Oliver. DeConnick has described the series as exploring moral grey zones around civil liberties, a theme prompted by real-world debates she found herself unable to resolve cleanly even when the prisoners in question were atrocious criminals.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First appearance of Ai Apaec (the Decapitator), a chimeric spider-deity drawn from real Moche mythology, created by Kelly Sue DeConnick and Jamie McKelvie; he would later join Osborn's Dark Avengers disguised as a six-armed Spider-Man.
- First appearance of Dr. June Covington (Toxic Doxie), a self-modifying geneticist and serial killer created by Kelly Sue DeConnick, Emma Rios, Warren Ellis, and Jamie McKelvie; she later appeared as Osborn's Scarlet Witch analog in New Avengers Vol. 2 #18.
- First appearance of Father Coulmier, Kingmaker (Pryor Cashman), Xirdal, and Carny Rives — all introduced as inmates of the secret underwater Special Containment Center.
- The issue was written by Kelly Sue DeConnick, drawn by Emma Rios (main story), with a backup story written by Warren Ellis and drawn by Jamie McKelvie; covers were by Ben Oliver.
- Released November 17, 2010 with a January 2011 cover date; the series ran five issues (January–June 2011) under the banner 'Osborn: Evil Incarcerated.'
- Peter Parker appears in civilian identity, dining with Norah Winters and encouraging her to pursue a new investigative story on Osborn's imprisonment; Ben Urich also appears in his editorial role at Front Line.
- The series was collected in a single trade paperback titled Osborn: Evil Incarcerated, collecting all five issues.
- The story is set explicitly in the wake of Siege, depicting Osborn uncharged with any crime and being transferred illegally to a secret black-site facility — a plot engine that drives the political-thriller and prison-break structure of the full miniseries.
Cast · 6 characters
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Reprinted in Osborn: Evil Incarcerated #[nn] (2011), Spider-Man Universe #2 (2012), X-Men Classic #2 (2012)
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