“With great power comes great responsibility” went on to define of Spider-Man the entire hero's journey and superhero career. Originally conceived as Stan Lee's narration in the character's debut issue, the phrase was recontextualized as a quote from Uncle Ben (even though he never said it in the panel) that aims to inspire his nephew, Peter Parker, to use his gifts. like Spider-Man to help people.
However, user @milkydraws888 makes a fascinating observation about Spider-Man's famous quote. They call the “With great power…“name nothing more than one”paranoid and destructive trauma response“This is not as admirable as the characters or readers imagine.
This User X isn't necessarily wrong, and modern Spidey stories have even addressed the quote as such. Recontextualizing a quote that has itself been recontextualized presents an opportunity to reevaluate Peter Parker's character, as the flaws in the quote say more about the person receiving the message than about the messenger himself.
The Ultimate Spider-Man Quote Is a Response to Trauma
The Root of Uncle Ben's Words
First, it's important to focus on the quote itself and how Uncle Ben delivered it to Peter Parker before becoming Spider-Man, all in the context of current Marvel canon. Uncle Ben's line was always meant to be received as a call to action for anyone with gifts to bring about change in their community, at least on a small scale. Uncle Ben's words were never meant to be literalsince he never knew about Peter's superpowers. He couldn't have said this literally, only metaphorically, suggesting that anyone with the ability to help someone else should, in fact, help that someone.
These words echo in Peter's mind after his uncle is shot to death by a man he could have stopped with his particular skills. When a thief backstage at a television show passes him by while a guard chases him, Peter just stands by, determined to take care of himself and himself alone. He immediately regrets it when he discovers that the same thief robbed his uncle that night. In your mind then he takes responsibility for the murder of his uncle, placing the blame solely on himself and in turn places the responsibility of the world on his shoulders as Spider-Man.
Did Spider-Man misunderstand Uncle Ben's words?
Taking things too literally
It's easy to see how Spider-Man could have misinterpreted Uncle Ben's words, especially when fans themselves misunderstood them. It's a motto that apparently ran through Peter's head throughout his childhood, until he was forced to face it following the murder of his uncle, which he felt was indirectly his fault. On the surface, Ben's words are inspiring and a good philosophy to live by. The average person should I want to help other humans if they have the means to do so. The problem is that Spider-Man conceptualizes Ben's words in the most extreme way possible.
Because Peter feels responsible for his uncle's death, he feels like he needs to be responsible for the entire world.
Because Peter feels responsible for his uncle's death, he feels like he needs to be responsible for the entire world. In reality, it wasn't responsibility that Peter needed; he needed to take responsibility by simply acknowledging where he went wrong and actively learning from his mistake while altering his selfish attitude. Instead, he chooses to overwork himself to the point of self-destruction, paranoid that if he slows down for a moment, someone will get hurt. Even though it's not his fault, he sees blood on his hands because he still carries Ben's blood on his hands.
It's a problem Spider-Man is acknowledging in modern comics
This is Marvel’s “responsibility”
This level of guilt characterized by paranoia has stressed Spider-Man to no end. By trying to put out all the fires on the planet, Spider-Man damaged his relationships with other people in his life and damaged other aspects of his life. Peter loves to blame Parker Luck for his misfortunes, but really, it all starts with himself. If his overwork habits work in his favor, he thanks Uncle Ben and his motto, but when it backfires, it's just bad luck. He still lacks responsibility, thinking too much of a responsibility to a dead man rather than a responsibility to those around him – or to himself.
Marvel addresses this head on The Amazing Spider-Man #55 by Zeb Wells, Emilio Laiso, Bryan Valenza and Joe Caramagna, in which Spider-Man redefines Ben's motto of responsibility. Once again, he's ready to give up a date – this time with Shay Marken, someone Peter might care about more than fighting crime – in favor of fighting the unlikely duo of Rhino and Screwball. At that moment, Peter chooses to recognize that he is as responsible for the people he cares about as he is for fighting crime. Escaping one responsibility in favor of another is not fair to anyone.
Is it time to scrap Spider-Man's most famous motto?
Not necessarily, but it's time to restructure it
In this issue, Spider-Man saves the day not as Spider-Man, but as Peter Parker. Most importantly, he maintains his responsibility to be Peter Parker, and not just a friendly neighborhood hero. It's an uplifting moment, suggesting that Marvel understands how Peter misunderstood Ben's words when he was a teenager, and It's time for him to restructure how he defends Ben's truth as an adult. Granted, this shouldn't mean the Spidey franchise should scrap the quote entirely.
Marvel needs to stick with Lee's original words not just because the quote is too famous to throw out now, but, again, because it's a good way to live. It turns out that a teenager took this the wrong way and has been using it as an excuse to push his limits. But that teenager is now a grown man, and it's time for that man to reevaluate – and perhaps unlearn – the truths he's conditioned himself on from Uncle Ben's words. This is just a story that Marvel published to address how Spider-Man understands Uncle Ben's words as a man.
The Amazing Spider-Man #55 is now available from Marvel Comics.
Source: milkydraws888