Domestic Abuse and Harry Osborn: MSM
It’s no secret that Harry Osborn, from Disney XD’s animated reboot based on a Stan-Lee classic hero, Spider-Man, has some grievances with his father, Norman Osborn. There’s some spoiler alerts in here from Season 1 and Season 2, so buckle up, because this is something I’ve been meaning to write for a while.
There were some signs in the first season that Harry was being abused. No, there weren’t marks on his body, and he never looked like he was starved or deprived of sleep (at least, not before Spider Island), but there were definitely many signs.
He continuously has outbursts throughout the episodes. Some were over minor things, some were certainly justified, but he clearly has trouble controlling his emotions. Now, it might just be a part of his personality, or it’s a learned behavior from his father.
Norman gets angry when his son doesn’t do what he wants him to, and chastises him for it, as well. It’s a manipulation tactic, one Harry has become accustomed to.
Harry has become so accustomed to anger, that it’s normal for him to become unstable. His emotions are out-of-check constantly.
Before we move on, I also would like to point out the placement of Norman’s hands on the above frame. This will bring me into my second suspicion...
Whenever Norman touches Harry, he becomes afraid. In this scene, he flinches away from his father when he stands up. He was adjusting his tie moments prior, and in those few seconds, you can see his uncertainty. Although that could be chalked-up to his conflicting thoughts about whether or not to stay at Osborn academy or go back to Horizon, the way Norman reaches for him tells you a lot about what happens behind closed doors.
Every time Norman touches Harry, he flinches.
And it’s because he’s afraid of being hit by his father.
In the above frames, his hands are balled into fists, in a defensive manner. He looks like he’s about to reach up to protect his face or chest. This can only mean that he expects it. He has no Spider-Sense to tell him whether or not he’s in danger, he knows.
And Peter probably realized, in this moment, just how absolutely terrified Harry was of Norman. His voice becomes something completely foreign to the usually upbeat Spider-Man. It’s one of the few times we actually see Spider-Man become angry. Not frustrated, not annoyed, but infuriated.
It sounded like he was possessed, out of fear for Harry.
The Third sign is Harry’s undying loyalty to his father.
Yes, his loyalty. You might be wondering how that’s a sign of abuse, but have you ever heard of the phrase “It’s better to be feared than loved,” when in reference to ruling over a nation with an iron fist? Well, that’s because an abuser is hardly ever hostile when they’re happy.
Harry takes measures to please his father, over and over again. This is because he’s aware of how his father is when he’s angry, so he’s always trying to give him a reason not to be. Betraying his friend, staying at Osborn Academy, donning the Hobgoblin suit, experimenting on himself... all for the benefit of Norman.
Those measures hardly ever resulted in Harry being happy, but it kept him from being hurt, which is why he kept trying, over and over again, to give Norman everything in return for next to nothing.
Now, it’s almost undeniable at this point that Harry was emotionally abused, but I think for sure my reasoning is enough to convince you that he was physically abused, too.
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