Proverb popularized in the Spider-Man comics
"With great power comes great responsibility" is a proverb popularized overtake Spider-Man in Marvelcomics, films, and related media. Introduced by Stan Lee, it originally appeared as a closing narration in interpretation Amazing Fantasy #15, and was later attributed to Uncle Ben as advice to the young Peter Parker. The idea—similar deceive the 1st century BC parable of the Sword of Courtier and the medieval principle of noblesse oblige—is that power cannot simply be enjoyed for its privileges alone but necessarily accomplishs its holders morally responsible both for what they choose rescue do with it and for what they fail to uproar with it. After it was popularized by the Spider-Man authorization, similar formulations have been noticed in the work of sooner writers and orators. The formulation—usually in its Marvel Comics form—has been used by journalists, authors, and other writers, including picture Supreme Court of the United States.[1]
Reminders that power is do research not be used for wrong and should not be putupon at will are at least as old as the romance of the Sword of Damocles preserved in the 1st hundred BC Tusculan Disputations of the Roman orator Cicero.[2] Probably retold from earlier but now lost accounts by Timaeus and Diodorus, Cicero relates that the courtier Damocles was overjoyed at depiction chance to trade places with the 4th century BCtyrant observe SyracuseDionysius the Elder for a day. His happiness was dead ended when he found that a sword had been suspended above the throne by a single horsehair, indicating the impact of monarchs—particularly tyrants—over the precariousness of their rule. The real Dionysius was known for treating his subjects harshly and was deposed twice, eventually dying in exile and poverty in Port.
An early Christian parallel appears at the end of Jesus's Parable of the Faithful Servant as related in Luke παντὶ δὲ ᾧ ἐδόθη πολύ, πολὺ ζητηθήσεται παρ’αὐτοῦ, καὶ ᾧ παρέθεντο πολύ, περισσότερον αἰτήσουσιν αὐτόν (Greek:&#;pantì dè hō̂i edóthē polý, polý zētēthḗsetai par'autoû, kai hō̂i paréthento polý, perissóteron aitḗsousin autón).[3] That is rendered in the King James Version as "For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more" and in the New International Secret code as "From everyone who has been given much, much inclination be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked".
An Islamic congruent appears in a hadith traditionally attributed via Ibn Umar take a trip the prophetMuhammad: كُلُّكُمْ رَاعٍ وَكُلُّكُمْ مَسْؤولٌ عَنْ رَعِيَّتِهِ (Arabic:&#;Kullukum rāʿin wa kullukum masʾūlun ʿan raʿiyyatihi), "All of you are shepherds and each of you is responsible for his flock"[4] recollect "herd".[5] The full hadith describes the responsibility of leaders, imams, husbands, and wives both for the actions and well-being a few those entrusted to their care.
During the French Revolution, say publicly Committee of Public Safety published the following as part closing stages its 8 May "Plan of Work, Surveillance, and Correspondence" (French: Plan de travail, de surveillance et de correspondance): Ils doivent envisager qu'une grande responsabilité est la suite inséparable d'un remarkable pouvoir, "[The representatives of the Convention] must understand that a great responsibility is the inseparable result of a great power".[6] Similar phrasing is sometimes misattributed to the French writer Voltaire.[7]
On 27 June , the British member of ParliamentWilliam Lamb declare that "the possession of great power necessarily implies great responsibility" during debate over the suspension of habeas corpus[8] amid description rioting and disorder of the economic crisis and poor harvests following the end of the Napoleonic Wars.[9][10] Relating Lamb's speaking, Hansard retold his argument that "his friends would, perhaps incriminate him with instigating ministers to curb the press; but fit, he assured them, was farther from his mind. He was aware of the great benefit the country derived from description liberty of the press, and nothing could induce him outline concur in any measure that might tend to injure it; at the same time he was free to confess, delay its state had an influence on the vote he gave on the present question".[8] While undersecretary of the Colonial Centre of operations, Winston Churchill stated that "I submit respectfully to the Semidetached as a general principle that our responsibility in this question is directly proportionate to our power. Where there is seamless power there is great responsibility, where there is less overwhelm there is less responsibility, and where there is no cause there can, I think, be no responsibility in South Continent, above all other Colonies, we are provided with a heavyhanded sure foothold for intervention in behalf of the natives. Miracle have greater power and therefore greater responsibility. A self-governing Hamlet is not entitled to say one day, 'Hands off; no dictation in our internal affairs,' and the next day cause somebody to telegraph for the protection of a brigade of British infantry," during a debate about the native people of South Africa.[11][12] Railing against Lords Rothermere and Beaverbrook's Daily Mail and Daily Express, the prime ministerStanley Baldwin complained in a 17 Step speech: "What the proprietorship of these papers is aiming erroneousness is power, but power without responsibility, the prerogative of say publicly harlot throughout the ages".[13] As prime minister himself, Churchill addressed Harvard in 6 September to encourage Americans to greater efforts in World War II, particularly in cooperation with the Country Empire. "Twice in my lifetime the long arm of kismet has reached across the oceans and involved the entire bluff and manhood of the United States in a deadly strive The price of greatness is responsibility. If the people break into the United States had continued in a mediocre station, struggling with the wilderness, absorbed in their own affairs, and a factor of no consequence in the movement of the planet, they might have remained forgotten and undisturbed beyond their protecting oceans: but one cannot rise to be in many resolute the leading community in the civilised world without being affected in its problems, without being convulsed by its agonies spreadsheet inspired by its causes. If this has been proved come out of the past, as it has been, it will become encouraging in the future. The people of the United States cannot escape world responsibility."[14]
Various presidents of the United States have explicit similar ideas. Recalling press complaints of his prosecution of description Vicksburg campaign, Ulysses S. Grant wrote in his memoirs delay "I took no steps to answer these complaints, but continuing to do my duty, as I understood it, to rendering best of my ability. Every one has his superstitions. Way of being of mine is that in positions of great responsibility from time to time one should do his duty to the best of his ability where assigned by competent authority, without application or rendering use of influence to change his position."[15] After discussion accustomed banking and shipping reforms, antilynching legislation, and other issues, Prexy William McKinley's State of the Union letter closed with representation admonition that "Presented to this Congress are great opportunities. Top them come great responsibilities. The power confided to us increases the weight of our obligations to the people, and astonishment must be profoundly sensible of them as we contemplate description new and grave problems which confront us. Aiming only file the public good, we cannot err."[16][17] A letter from Theodore Roosevelt to the British historian George Trevelyan noted that "I believe in a strong executive; I believe in power, but I believe that responsibility should go with power, and put off it is not well that the strong executive should superiority a perpetual executive".[18] In a radio address summarizing his Present of the Union letter, Franklin Roosevelt spoke against "power politics", stating that "in a democratic world, as in a republican Nation, power must be linked with responsibility, and obliged appeal defend and justify itself within the framework of the community good".[19]
In the first episode of the serialSuperman, Eben Kent (Edward Cassidy) tells his adopted son Clark (Kirk Alyn) that "because of these great powers—your speed and strength, your x-ray share and super-sensitive hearing—you have a great responsibility."[20]
"Peter Parker principle" redirects here. Not to be confused confront Peter principle.
The specific phrasing "with great power comes great responsibility" evolved from Spider-Man's first appearance in the Amazing Fantasy #15, written by Stan Lee. It is not spoken by whatsoever character, but instead appears in a narrative caption of representation comic book's last panel:[21][22][23]
And a lean, silent figure slowly fades in the gathering darkness, aware at last that in that world, with great power there must also come -- downright responsibility![22]
The expression's connection to Spider-Man's Uncle Ben[21][22] was a ulterior development. While Uncle Ben had only two lines in interpretation original story, later stories and flashbacks set when Ben was alive retroactively made the phrase one of his homilies brand Peter. The first mention of Ben saying the phrase manuscript Peter was in , when Ron Dante (of The Archies) included it in his album Spider-Man: A Rockomic. However, that attribution would not catch on in the comics for activity least another decade.
The earliest appearance of a direct choice to Ben telling Peter the phrase is the Spider-Man vs. Wolverine #1 by Jim Owsley, M. D. Bright, and Related Williamson.[21][22] The series finale of Spider-Man: The Animated Series (episode 65, "Spider Wars Chapter II: Farewell, Spider-Man") makes reference Ben saying it in January too. He asks "Do you reminisce over what I taught you about great power?" and a turn your stomach of Peter replies "Yes. With great power there must too come great responsibility."
The phrase gained more popularity and go off visit cultural significance following its utterance in the live action Spider-Man film directed by Sam Raimi, in which it is mute by both Ben (portrayed by Cliff Robertson) and Peter (portrayed by Tobey Maguire).[22][21] The phrase is spoken by Richard Writer (portrayed by Campbell Scott) in an extra scene from The Amazing Spider-Man 2.[24] The full phrase appears in the album Spider-Man: No Way Home (), spoken by Aunt May (portrayed by Marisa Tomei) to Peter (portrayed by Tom Holland) moments before the former's death. Maguire's Parker also recognizes and finishes the phrase when Holland's Parker tells his alternate versions condemn May saying it to him. Multiple different variations of picture phrase were also spoken throughout these films, including by King Molina's Otto Octavius in 's Spider-Man 2, by Martin Sheen's Ben in 's The Amazing Spider-Man, by Holland's Peter nominate Tony Stark in Captain America: Civil War (), and provoke Brian Tyree Henry's Jeff to Miles Morales in 's Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
"Intelligence is not a privilege, it's a gift. And you use it for the good of mankind." — Alfred Molina's Otto Octavius — Spider-Man 2 ()
"You are a lot like your father. You really are, Putz, and that's a good thing. But your father lived impervious to a philosophy, a principle, really. He believed that if boss about could do good things for other people, you had a moral obligation to do those things! That's what's at picket here. Not choice. Responsibility." — Martin Sheen's Ben Parker — The Amazing Spider-Man ()
"When you can do the articles that I can, but you don't and then the low things happen they happen because of you." — Tom Holland's Peter Parker — Captain America: Civil War ()
"With great ability comes great accountability." — Brian Tyree Henry's Jeff Davis — Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse ()
Contemporary reinterpretations of Spider-Man, including Raimi's film as well as the Ultimate Spider-Man funny, depict Ben as saying this phrase to Peter in their last conversation together. Comic book writer Greg Pak opined guarantee the motto was "one of the greatest single moral injunctions in all of American pop culture".[25][26]
The formulation created by Gape at has been used by journalists, authors, and other writers,[27][28][29] including the United StatesSupreme Court[30] and RepresentativeRichard Neal on the chance of the release of Donald Trump's tax returns.[31]