Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Ultimate Spider-Man #11! Spider-Manhis most famous quote is: “With great power must also come great responsibility”. This quote appeared at the top of the final panel of Spider-Man’s first appearance in the comics, setting the tone for the entire series. It was later attributed to Uncle Ben, who gave this life advice to Peter. And now, in the new Spider-Man comic book series Ultimate Universe, Uncle Ben has just said this famous quote to Peter again (in so many words), only this time, his words carry the opposite meaning.
In Ultimate Spider-Man #11 by Jonathan Hickman and David Messina, Spider-Man is patrolling New York City when he comes across a bank robbery in progress. Then Spidey springs into action and takes down the bank robbers with relative ease. At least, until their leader appears: Mr. Negative. Mr. Negative has the power to dominate people’s minds, turning them into his reluctant minions. He does this to everyone in the bank, and they attack Spider-Man with everything they have. After returning home to recover from the loss, Peter leaves to meet up with his Uncle Ben.
When they get together, Uncle Ben tells Peter that he knows he’s Spider-Man and is aware of the danger he and his entire family are in (and the fact that Spider-Man just got beaten up just proves what Ben said). So Ben essentially tells Peter that “with great power comes great responsibility.” However, instead of saying that Peter has a responsibility to use his “great power” for good (as the original mantra implied), Ben says that Peter has a responsibility not to use his “great power” at all. .
What Spider-Man’s New “With Great Power” Mantra Means
Peter Parker has a responsibility for more than just the greater good in the final universe
Why would Uncle Ben essentially tell Peter not to use his powers in the Ultimate Universe? This is the same guy who said “With great power comes great responsibility”, after all, which means he should encourage Peter to use his powers as the superhero Spider-Man. Peter has the power to save people from danger, so he has a responsibility to not sit around and let bad things happen, and to actually go out and use his abilities for good. That’s what the original mantra meant, but what Uncle Ben says in Ultimate Universe totally flips that.
This version of Peter Parker is married with two children, he is no longer the teenage Spider-Man from Earth-616 that fans know and love. In other words, Peter has as much – if not more – responsibility to his wife and children as he does to the people of New York City, which means the truly responsible thing to do would be to not use his powers. It would take a lot of strength, but as Uncle Ben suggests in this issue, he has a responsibility to do just that.
Spider-Man has never been in more danger than in the Ultimate Universe
Peter Parker has more to lose than ever and is surrounded by villains
Not only does Spider-Man have to consider his wife, children, and other family members/loved ones in his decision to become a superhero at age 30, but he also has to consider the fact that he is in more danger than he realizes. . In fact, if we compare this Spider-Man to other prominent versions of Spider-Man in Marvel Comics, it’s fair to say that this one is in more danger than virtually any of his counterparts – with a lot more to lose.
Spider-Man is currently trying to take down the Kingpin, who has sent his Sinister Six after the web-slinger with orders to kill immediately. The Kingpin secretly works to the Creator’s Councilas he was given New York as a territory under the global umbrella of the shadow organization. This means that the Kingpin’s resources are vast, far exceeding the scope of this new Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man. And the worst part? Spider-Man doesn’t even know how powerful the Kingpin is, which means he’s walking headlong into a situation he may very well not survive.
Additionally, Spider-Man is currently partnered with Green Goblin and Otto Octavius (who is destined to become Doc Ock), and both know his secret identity and are familiar with his family. It’s only a matter of time before Green Goblin and Doc Ock become villains in the Ultimate Universe (the seeds for this have already been planted), which makes Spider-Man’s situation even more dire. And again, he has no idea how much danger he’s really in.
When considering all the facts, it becomes clear why Uncle Ben gave Peter the “with great power” speak, but with the opposite meaning of the original. Spider-Man faces global and hidden threats and is completely unaware of the gravity of his situation, which could result in the death of his entire family. While it’s difficult, it seems like the most responsible thing for Peter to do would be to not use his powers, which is what Uncle Ben tells him as he turns Spider-Manthe most famous quote from.
Ultimate Spider-Man #11 from Marvel Comics is now available.