If you're a good guy with power, it comes, like Uncle Ben said, with increased responsibility. There's a sense of obligation to others less powerful than you.
For Peter, it's a royal pain in the spider-butt sometimes, as the citizens of New York keep labeling him a criminal. Still, he saves their hides, time and time again, without fail.
This tricky pairing of power and duty is central to Spider-Man. As the story unfolds, we watch two men, Peter and Norman, deal with it in two very, very different ways. (Spoiler alert: one involves pumpkin bombs.)
Questions about Power
- Was Uncle Ben right? Does great responsibility come with great power?
- Is Harry powerless? How does he manage to snag Mary Jane?
- How is Norman corrupted by power before he becomes the Green Goblin?
- Let's say Harry got bit by the super spider at Columbia, not Peter. Do you think he'd follow the same path as his BFF?
Chew on This
Take a peek at these thesis statements. Agree or disagree?
Norman's sudden loss of power at the hands of the Oscorp board drives him insane. Literally.
Peter's greatest source of power is his humility.