After Phil Urich is exposed as the new Hobgoblin, to protect the "Daily Bugle"'s reputation, Robbie benches Ben Urich until this situation blows over and fires Phil's ex-girlfriend Norah Winters. During the later Goblin coup of New York, Ben attempts to arrange a meeting to talk Phil down and convince him to accept a cure for the Goblin formula, but when Robbie is discovered in the area, Phil believes that Ben was trying to set a trap and delivers a serious injury to Robbie before Spider-Man appears.