When Norman Osborn returned to the Spiderverse in Spectacular Spider-Man #250, he was determined to eliminate any rumors/suspicions that he was indeed the Green Goblin. The events which followed led to Spider-Man being framed as a murderer, while Norman Osborn recieved public sympathy as well as immunity against any claims that he was villainous Goblin. Norman even went as far as publishing a autobiographical memoirs (entitled Survivor of the Big Lie) to falsely clear his name, but one of the largest contributors to Norman's legitimacy was the use of a Green Goblin decoy. This decoy was first introduced in Sensational Spider-Man #25 under the direction of Norman's then lackey Dr. Jonas Meuller. Osborn utilized the decoy on numerous occasions often using the Goblin for scripted harassments of Osborn himself and even to kidnap his grandson Normie Osborn.
After the events of the Gathering of Five, Osborn went off radar and his Goblin decoy was left hanging, but he would soon return to settle the score (or at least attempt to) against the Osborn family. The identity of this Green Goblin V is revealed in a two part story featured in Amazing Spider-Man V2 #18 and Peter Parker Spider-Man V2 #18.
In the first chapter, Amazing Spider-Man V2 #18, the Green Goblin V sets his sights on Liz Allan Osborn to attain files/information from Osborn Industries. The Goblin attacks her while she is being driven in a limousine, crashing the car and nearly killing her in the process. Spider-Man, still grieving from the loss of his wife MJ, gets news of the attack and is able to intervene. Although he saves Liz, the Goblin decoy is able to escape.
The story continues in Peter Parker Spider-Man V2 #18, as the Goblin decoy is clearly suffering from an identity crisis of his own and his motives for attacking Liz become clear. He desires access to Osborn's files so that he can see who he is and what has been done to him. The Goblin's second attempt at Liz Allan Osborn occurs outside the Daily Bugle, and once again Peter Parker is there to thwart his attempt. As Peter subdues the villain, the Goblin unmasks himself to reveal Harry Osborn. However, his face soon morphs into a variety of different forms before settling on gooey blob. The Goblin decoy tells Peter that he is in need of a stabilizing formula because the current formula coursing through his veins is "eating away at [his] body". The Goblin disintegrates shortly thereafter as he warns Peter of Norman's imminent return.
As an aside, it was rumored that Glenn Greenberg and Roger Stern wanted this Goblin to be Phil Urich, under the mind control of Norman Osborn, as payback for Phil's role as the heroic Green Goblin IV.
|  The Green Goblin decoy attacks Liz Allan, demanding information from Osborn Industries from her, as seen in Amazing Spider-Man V2 #18
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