The Black Lanterns haven't debuted just yet, but they will sometime soon. Each color of the spectrum is building a corp of its own. Green=Willpower, Yellow=Fear, Red=Rage, Blue=Hope, Orange=Greed, Violet=Love, Indigo=Compassion, and Black=something to do with death. The Black Lantern Corp will be the focal point of the upcoming storyline "The Blackest Night". The Superman od Earth-2 and the Martian Manhunter are confirmed as being Black Lanterns. It is also speculated that Aquaman will join, since he is dead too.
Batman as a Black Lantern? A very real possibility.
Norman Osborn was brought back to life only because Marvel painted itself into a corner with the whole Clone Saga crapfest. Then EIC Bob Harris dropped the ball BIG TIME and it was decided that only a big name villain could dig them out of the hole they were in (storyline wise).
Dr. Doom, Magneto and the Red Skull were all otherwise preoccupied and it was determind that it wouldn't make any sense for any of them to be behind everything anyway. Doctor Octopus was killed off during the Clone Saga, so it couldn't be him. Mephisto was brought up as the baddie behind everything, but it was dismissed because it was felt readers wouldn't buy into a cosmic level magic weilder having anything to do with Spidey! (oh, how ironic!)
Bringing Norman Osborn back from the alleged dead was decided to be the "best" course of action. Yikes!
