Previous Post Due to my love for the Hobgoblin, I'm re-reading the Macendale as Hobgoblin back issues. I know a lot of people didn't like him, but I'm kind of surprised that he HASN'T come back. And frankly, it doesn't seem like he ever will. The best Macendale stories were probably by Gerry Conway and Howard Mackie. I know that he was the Jack O'Lantern ahead of time, but I never really read any of those issues. Were him and Spidey always enemies? And was he a killer even as Jack O'Lantern? Also, how did Spidey and other characters find out Macendale was the Hobgoblin, and that he ordered Ned Leeds to be killed (I assume this was in the Peter David written Hobgoblin issue, which I never read.)? Thanks.

For being a big fan you sure don't know a lot?

Kingpin told Spidey that Macendale was the new Hobgoblin and first Jack O'Lantern in the same issue he debuted in.

He (kind of) came back during the Bendis mini, Secret War. It's debatable about where in continuity is interview takes place. It identifies him in the comic as a Jack O'Lantern being funded by Latveria.

But in the interview segment at the end of the book, it says "AKA: Hobgoblin" or something like that.

It wouldn't have been the first time a relatively minor villain (minor in the scope of the MU, maybe not so minor in the Spidey history)came back with no reason. It could also have been an editor's mistake and told Bendis he was okay to use.

They were always enemies and Jason was always a killer.