Ned Leeds

Publication history

Ned Leeds was first introduced in 1964 in The Amazing Spider-Man #18, by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko.

Leeds is killed off in the 1986 one-shot Spider-Man vs. Wolverine, written by then Spider-Man editor Jim Owsley. Tom DeFalco, Ron Frenz, and Peter David (of the creative teams on the ongoing Spider-Man books) found this objectionable, saying that Owsley gave them no warning that he was going to kill Leeds, then a regular cast member in the Spider-Man books. Frenz remarked, "Owsley let Tom [DeFalco] and I continue with our plans without telling us in advance that he was going to kill Ned. We had no heads up until Spider-Man vs. Wolverine came out that Ned Leeds was killed in that story. I can’t speak to why he did it, but I can speak to the way he did it. He kept it a big secret until we felt screwed."

Fictional character biography

Edward "Ned" Leeds was a reporter for the Daily Bugle. He and Peter Parker compete for the affections of Bugle secretary Betty Brant, but Parker drops out of the running when he realizes that Brant won't be able to accept his double identity as Spider-Man. Leeds and Brant are married shortly after. However, the couple's marriage is often strained.

When Spider-Man battles the Hobgoblin (Roderick Kingsley), Ned follows him to the villain's hideout. When the Hobgoblin realizes Ned is present, he captures and brainwashes him, deciding it would be better to have a scapegoat in case he is unmasked.

Ned Leeds, wanting to find out about the Kingpin, approaches his son Richard Fisk. Discovering that Richard hates his father, Leeds helps him create a secret identity as the crime boss the Rose. Kingsley, wanting to become the new crime leader, wants Ned to remove the Kingpin from the scene.

Ned's regular brainwashings by Kingsley cause his marriage and professional relationships to fall apart. Increasingly mentally unstable, Ned drives Betty to seek solace in Flash Thompson. Flash makes statements about the Hobgoblin, and Kingsley stages events so Flash is revealed as the enigmatic villain. Meanwhile, Ned and Richard Fisk reach a disagreement and Ned decides to turn in Richard Fisk's identity as the Rose to The Kingpin, and Kingsley decides in turn that Ned is no longer needed as the Hobgoblin. After Flash is cleared of being the Hobgoblin, Kingsley lets the New York underworld empire know that Ned is actually the Hobgoblin and that he would soon be traveling to Berlin.

Ned and Peter Parker go on an assignment in Berlin, and Leeds is murdered by the Foreigner at the request of Jason Macendale who replaces him as the Hobgoblin. The Kingpin presents to Spider-Man photos of Ned in the Hobgoblin costume, which he had obtained via the Foreigner.

Years later, when the original Hobgoblin returns to eliminate Jason Macendale, Peter realizes when reflecting on Ned's death that he must have been framed as the Hobgoblin, as the Foreigner's non-superhuman operatives would never have been able to defeat a fully powered Hobgoblin. Spider-Man and Betty subsequently provoked Hobgoblin into confessing his role in framing Ned on tape.

During the Dead No More: The Clone Conspiracy storyline, Ned Leeds is cloned by Ben Reilly posing as Jackal and is seen in New U Technologies' facility area called Haven.

Powers and abilities

Ned was a normal man who engaged in regular exercise, which increased to more intensive levels after assuming the role of the Hobgoblin. When brainwashed, he wore the Hobgoblin's uniform and used his glider and equipment. Hobgoblin's equipment includes Jack O'Lantern bombs, razor bats and electrical shock gloves. Since Ned Leeds did not take the Goblin Formula as Kingsley did, he had no healing factor or superhuman strength.

Ned had a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism, and was a master of deductive reasoning and investigation.

Ultimate Marvel

In the Ultimate Marvel universe, Ned Leeds is a reporter for the Daily Bugle just like his mainstream version. Here, he is a drunk and he and Betty Brant cannot stand each other.

Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane

Ned Leeds also appeared briefly in the comic book drama Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane issues #6 and #7. In this continuity, Ned was a senior who dated Mary Jane when she was a junior and she soon began to think he was "the one". Although, ironically, after she confessed this, Ned broke up with her in favor of his old girlfriend Betty Brant. This break-up sent Mary Jane into a deep depression, which only ended upon seeing the real grief Peter Parker went through after the death of his uncle.

Television

The Amazing Spider-Man series

In the viral marketing for The Amazing Spider-Man 2 an article from The Daily Bugle, written by Leeds, about Curt Connors being not guilty was featured. In another news article by Ned Leeds, Frederick Foswell's identity is reported to now be exposed and that Foswell has been arrested for his crimes as "The Big Man."

Marvel Cinematic Universe

In July 2016 Jon Watts, screenplay co-writer and director of Spider-Man: Homecoming, confirmed that Jacob Batalon would portray Ned Leeds in the film, with this incarnation being a classmate and best friend of Peter Parker, his character being an amalgamation of Leeds and Ganke, a supporting character of Miles Morales' Ultimate Spider-Man series.

Video games

Theme park

Ned Leeds as the Hobgoblin can be seen in the Islands of Adventure ride The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man. He appears as a member of Doctor Octopus' Sinister Syndicate. A wanted poster for him may be seen during the waiting period of the ride, which identifies him by his full name, Edward Leeds. At one point in the ride, he attacks guests with a pumpkin bomb that almost hits them, but stops thanks to the intervention of Spider-Man, who attacks Hobgoblin and stops him from further hurting guests. During the climax, he and Scream grab onto Spider-Man, who was webbing onto guests, and sends them through the city, before he is defeated when the ride vehicle crashes into his glider. He is last seen webbed up with the rest of the Syndicate.