Edited, pasted into notepad, seemed to work ... thanks
plugged some holes, removed some details
Remember - I'm not much of a writer, but wanted to get this off my plate
Before ASM #31
After the death of his wife, Norman struggles to be a good father to Harry, but excels at running Oscorp. This outlet not only acts as an escape from the personal life he knows is failing – but fuels the personality traits (i.e. delusions of grandeur, aggressiveness) which lead him to believe he, personally, is immune from failure and he can practically will something into creation simply by being involved. This mindset, not only puts him on the path towards attempting things most would consider impossible – but provides an “end justifying the means” method of execution.
How is not important, or really not too far of a reach; but after meeting Warren, the two set down a path of genetic research that cumulates with a viable method for cloning humans.
Warren, a teacher, genius, and man of "pure science" leads the project, aimed at solving problems he sees in the world (organ transplants, genetic defects, etc.) While he has his pride – his motives are pure.
Norman, has two goals (much like he has two sides to his personality) - First - power, money, glory – for himself, his legacy and for Oscorp. He envisions a perfect Norman clone- thinking it would be excellent publicity. However, secretly - he wonders if it's a way to bring back his wife - for him, for Harry. Norman wants to be a good dad... he just fails, at every turn; and he doesn’t “do” small gestures.
They form a plan, assemble a team (including Winkler) using Oscorp resources and contacts, and bulk out Warrens theories into testable experiments.
A key to Warren’s theory of cloning is success exists in separate parts that must be blended together.
The first potion is transferring consciousness from an organic host – the memories, experiences and personality traits that make us who we are – into a stable medium that can be imprinted accurately to a new host, on demand. That host may be organic or not – but would need to work much in the way one can replicate a computer file.
The second is successful, physical replication of the host – with small enhancements to repair or improve upon defects at a genetic level and allow for the combination of the two. Warren envisions these blank copies as a way to solve problems – such genetic defects and shortages of organ transplants – without the ethical dilemmas plaguing modern genetic research. To him – creating an organic body is no different than making GMO food.
Building on Stromm's earlier work, the best example of cloning consciousness available – with notes readily accessible through Oscorp involvement – falls to a team lead by Winkler.
Warren heads up the team tasked with replicating the hosts. The teams will work closely together to ensure the part can, ultimately, combined successfully.
While the theoretical phases show promise, progression to an exploratory human testing phase (includes Osborn, Warren samples - and others) does not go well. Unlike early successes with lab experiments, computer simulations and the animal testing rounds - the samples either do not form correctly and/or decay rapidly.
After ASM #31
Under pressure from Norman - Warren expands the testing - looking for more data to explain the results. He enlists students to collect DNA samples from students as part of an extra credit assignment; figuring that while he can’t broadcast what he’s up to - College is a very diverse environment and students, properly motivated, aren’t going to ask too many questions.
Like many students, Gwen Stacy, a bright student that helps run the student lab, submits her profile along with the others she collects. Peter Parker does not (Note: these aren't the cell samples, we saw Serba collecting, in the flashback from ASM #148).
Despite a large, diverse sample size - the new round of testing routinely fails - except for one sample (Gwen). Warren has a theory that this sample has a unique genetic makeup - which allows her DNA to survive the rigorous process that causes the others to fail. This genetic anomaly is quite rare (i.e. not releated to anything X-men) but doesn’t manifest in a meaningful way outside his lab. For all purposes, it’s from a normal person with a remarkable genetic trait (similar to say – Typhoid Mary, or smokers who never develop cancer). He’s confident he can extract this, over time, and incorporate it into other samples.
Warren shares the results with Norman, and they detail out the technologies and processes the program will be run under - based on the “Gwen assumption” being correct.
Despite Warren’s objections, Norman immediately digs into the study, identifies the donor and researches Gwen - building a full profile and dropping it on a shocked Warren at a staff meeting. He’s surprised to learn it’s Gwen.
They argue - for Warren; she is irrelevant. (What are you going to do? Grab her off the street and force her to be a guinea pig? ) For Norman - he wants to know everything about the girl that the whole program, his reputation and billions of research dollars hang on. Warren backs down and they put together a detailed plan to move forward.
In addition to the teams identified earlier, they will need a state of the art facility to house their work and a way to store the experiments long term w/ minimal decay.
Beyond what’s in the Oscorp records, Winkler is aware of Stromm's research about transferring his consciousness to a computer, and will use that as a base for his work. At Norman’s request, he will include memory and personality modification – citing the need for safety (but downplaying control – simply a method for keeping what they are doing secret). Warren, less interested in this part of the project, doesn’t agree but complies.
After the initial trials – which focus on working up to a complex organism; there will be three phases:
1) grow a clone from the successful sample (Gwen) .
2) isolate the “unique” Gwen trait, then use it create a clone from an unsuccessful sample. (Warren)
and
3) At Norman’s request - create a hybrid strain of Gwen/Norman DNA to produce a viable Norman based clones. One male (more Norman DNA) and one Female (more Gwen DNA); which also ensures they account differences in gender. For reasons unknown to Warren, Norman’s sample does not react like any on record – including Harry’s. (Norman/Gwen)
Note: Norman provided a plausible cover story for why his blood is all screwed up. Industrial accident exposed him and left him irradiated. While Warren is skeptical – he accepts it at face value.
Once these stages are complete - a fourth stage will be a pure Norman clone - attempted only after the first 3 are successful, and the limitations in organic replication have been overcome. As evidenced in Aunt May’s kidnapping or the “Twins” escaping and going a bit bonkers – the process for producing non-Gwen clones isn’t advanced enough to do this)
Phase one progresses quickly, and after repeated attempts - culminates in a perfect “blank” Gwen being created. It shows no signs of the disintegration encountered on earlier attempts - and remains intact to be studied.
Phase 2 is running almost concurrently, and significant progress has been made.
Phase 3 is proving more difficult, as Osborn's DNA is different. Discussions with Norman have provided some answers, but not to Warren's satisfaction and they have argued over how much "external" DNA will be required to create stable hybrids.
The mind team has initially progressed quickly, adapting Stromm's work and building a working prototype of the memory control device which will transfer consciousness from a computer to the clone. It can work independently of an organic source. But integration with the bodies proves difficult, it's slow work.
Around this time a pair of 50/50 hybrid clones are completed, and monitored.
Having limited test subjects, Warren often used himself as a case study – once certain safety thresholds were met. Prior to Winkler dying, he helped Warren transfer his consciousness to a computer, for use with his clones and integration progress and testing. His profile is studied and modified as needed – and is the only clone they can make at the time (as they only have Warren’s consciousness loaded for transfer)
As a security precaution, all reference to certain aspects of the program, including Norman’s involvement, are removed for the computer. Norman is concerned about espionage, but has been a bit more paranoid as of late.
The first integrated clone (Warren) is finishing up. While the physical decay process isn’t as good as the Gwen clones; it’s much improved. (Happening after death). The mental stability and eventual decay is still a significant issue, but shown signs of improvement with enormous effort – including utilizing Winkler’s memory techniques.
Norman, Winkler and Warren are meeting regularly - and have many plans and theories on how to overcome project limitations. One topic they seem to avoid - is how more and more “Gwen” DNA is going to be needed in the future. More than can be grown in a lab.
Warren, supported by Winkler, states they just need time to figure it out - like they already did with the bodies. They identified that the memory transfer would disintegrate (similar to the physical disintegration). Warren further hypothesized that the Gwen sample could be the blueprint to overcoming this deficiency - but the amount of time, resources and access to large amounts of DNA would make pursuing it immoral and prohibitive. Winkler agreed on the premise, but not the moral issue. Norman gives no f--ks about one person standing in his way - he’s ruthless by even his own standards.
Warren pushes to use himself as the sample - as he’s successfully cloned himself and implanted that clone with some memories. His profile is setup in every system in the lab, and he realizes without a family, and being at the lab every day - he’s the obvious choice.
ASM #61
Winkler dies suddenly, while the project still is in the "memory integration phase". Norman is very concerned, and key personnel are being zapped to install loyalty and remove details, putting distance between the project and Norman's involvement.
ASM #66
A meeting with Norman goes very badly. They argue bitterly over the mental limitations and moral impact. Warren grills Norman on his blood as the story given doesn’t really support what’s happening in the lab., Warren is confident the consciousness problems can be solved through a different process if other requirements - like memory reprogramming - are dropped.
After discovering what Norman has been doing to the staff (memory wipes) - Warren threats to leave the project - Norman panics.
As before, the Warren computer image (the record used to imprint new Warren clones) is updated to remove all references to Norman, and identify only Warren as being in charge - working under an independent Oscorp grant.
Norman releases the Warren clone from its stasis chamber (the clone is a physically advanced version w/ memory profile installed). He zaps it to ensure no memory of the cloning, the project, etc. is prepped and sent back to the university to pick up Warren's life.
Warren is loaded into a stasis chamber (too important to kill, to moral to continue and too dangerous to release).
Citing the hardware projects as successful, Norman disbands the remaining teams, except the new female character, who will monitor the “blanks”.
Joyce creates a couple more Warren clones to staff the lab. They are loaded with his consciousness from the existing template. The lab systems automatically monitor, and routinely replace him - with updates gained from the data it reads.
The lab is wiped (no history of Norman, twins, etc. original DNA samples, etc.). All reference to Osborn, his blood, work in progress and the hybrid clones are altered or removed. They are marked as destroyed per protocol, but instead sent to a difference facility overseas
ASM #97
Harry's drug use is discovered (Note: being a student and friend of Gwen, he was tested - and like most samples (including Norman), was identified as a borderline candidate, genetic predisposition disqualifies him as for any of this research – Norman grudgingly accepts this after Warren notes they can always revisit “in a few years” once the technology has advanced).
Norman is disgusted about the drugs, and his son’s “weak” genes. Over time, Norman has gotten cruel towards Harry especially as work on the clones’ proceeds. He places all the failure of being a parent on Harry’s actions. Additionally, He hasn’t mentioned - or thought about - cloning Harry’s mom in ages. (i.e. Why? So she can see what a failure he is?”)
He tries unsuccessfully to "fix" him with the brainwashing machine
Writing Harry off as weak minded and an unworthy heir, he focuses more attention on the twins - as a path to worthy heirs and to speed up creation of his own clone. While at some level he cares about Harry, but he’s being eaten alive by thoughts of power and legacy… his burst of paternal concern is the best, and last, thing he does for Harry.
ASM #121
Norman mind wipes Harry again – but this time not just the drugs – but every little thing he has ever wanted Harry to do differently.. He programed him with massive amounts of "improvements" and instructions – basically trying to rewrite Harry to be like him. Harry responds to the reprogramming poorly (explaining his actions, leading to him turning into the GG2), most likely a combination of being completely overloaded by the massive amount of data, drugs weakening his system, and just being genetically predisposed to not respond well to this kind of process. It’s like pouring a gallon into a shot glass.
A drug relapse cover story is given.
Norman grabs Gwen, drops her at the lab, dressing up the blank clone as her replacement. She is put in stasis. The Warren clones help. Note: he has plenty of time to do this before Spiderman finds him.
He picks a fight with Spiderman, and she is "killed"
Spiderman tracks Norman down and he dies unexpectedly.
After ASM #122
He flees to Europe, upon recovery - free to finish the Twins, and improve process the mental limitations of the clones.
Up to ASM #509 and beyond
After a lengthy legal fight to preserve the area, the Lab is discovered during demolition (not the first Goblin lair to be found). Peter shows up to report, quietly goes ape poo when he sees what’s inside. Shield involved?
Gwen is in stasis – until the lair is found. She could be still aging, aware of certain things happening in the world (it’s an advanced lab) or frozen in time.
Alternatively – she may have escaped after her “death” and just decided to stay dead, and go live a few years under an alias – if pursuing this – she would have had to leave a small something in her tube (i.e. bracelet shown on 1 panel in 121) or attempted to make contact in a way that screws up the timeline so she can be discovered. I think the lair is located under or near the building Peter and Harry fight in during his first time as the Goblin – Harry may of found evidence in Journals, found traces, footprints in the dust, etc… or she could have heard them sharing their secret identities and left afterwards…or that fight did something that freed her below….
She wasn’t reborn during OFD, because … she’s not dead.
Norman likely remembers everything about Gwen – and just was waiting for the right time to reveal her …
The hybrid twins are moved to a facility in Europe, and subjected to testing and constant reprogramming - as their purpose is to make a Norman clone possible. Norman’s team learns a lot about advanced genetics - especially as it pertains to the Goblin serum.
The story in Sins is a lie – a macho story fabricated by Norman as a way to explain the Twins DNA.
Believing their programming - they escape the lab and go after Spiderman - before ultimately being recaptured.
MJ was given plausible cover story for this event during her kidnapping? pregnancy, and this is activated when the letter is received.
Warren's clone at the university - picks up cloning on his own (or thinks he does), despite being zapped, and rapidly starts to mentally disintegrate, as predicted by Warren and Winkler.
The mind wipe accelerating the mental decay. He fixates on Gwen - his perfect specimen.
The Gwen clone may be from the original project (which explains why she doesn’t disintegrate when shot)
The Gwen corpse, tested during the clone story, is the original “perfect specimen”
Aunt May is kidnapped and held in a stasis chamber , eventually being released. Her memories are successfully transferred to an actress with no issue. (maybe there is a chart or something with her name on it by one of the tubes)
If you want to get dark – have an empty tube labeled “Baby May”, with no other info … they had to bring her someplace
Warren likely survives in stasis, but is quite chewed up after years of the lab processes using him for samples. The lab pops out Warren clones wholesale – not unreasonable that one or two would show up in the world from time to time
Any loose ends?