With Great Power
Release: December 6, 2000
Cover: February 2001
$2.50
Story: Bill Jemas and Brian Michael Bendis
Script: Brian Michael Bendis
Pencils: Mark Bagley
Inks: Art Thibert and Dan Panosian
22 pages
Continuing to read the adaptation of the Spider-Man story from Amazing Fantasy #15 into Ultimate Spider-Man #1-5. This issue covers the events of page 8 and the first two panels of page 9 in the original story.
It dedicates 4 pages to Norman Osborn, finally becoming Green Goblin. His assistant, Justin, appears dead. Harry and Dr. Octavius look quite wounded.
4 pages are dedicated to Spider-Man’s wrestling career, including its end. The analogue in the original was his television career, which didn’t explicitly end in the original story. Perhaps it will be addressed later on. The previous issue had explained the mask/anonymity thing in terms of him being a kid who wouldn’t be allowed to wrestle otherwise. But now that schtick has gotten him into trouble. Somebody has stolen the petty cash and he gets the blame.
We then get to the crucial scene from the original. They spread out most of the rest of the original by a large factor, often taking pages to cover a single panel. By those standards, this scene is less decompressed, taking 2 pages where the original spent almost a page on it. But this scene is this adaptation’s biggest flub. It’s an important scene and they screwed it up.
The issue is that Peter’s out of costume when it happens. In the original, he’s in his Spider-Man costume, and just got through demonstrating his dazzling strength and abilities. So it make’s sense that the security guard yells at him. But here? He’s a kid. The shopkeeper is yelling at a kid for not confronting an armed criminal singlehandedly. Admittedly, the shopkeeper is upset and may not be thinking. But the random woman bystander is also giving Peter the stink-eye.
It really takes away for me from a crucial scene. The scene isn’t completely lost. As it’s true that Peter could have stopped that guy, so his guilt could remain.
Bill Jemas’ notes suggest this change was his idea. He didn’t like the burglar we see in Manhattan showing up later in Queens. In fact, Bendis had written the scene correctly, and Jemas wanted him to change it. Because Jemas doesn’t like the idea of coincidence. In the original, there is a burglar in Manhattan who sometime later robs their house in Queens. Here, there is a burglar in their neighborhood, and then robs their house about 24 hours later. As I’d noted, the 2002 Spider-Man film dealt with it by having Ben be outside the wrestling arena and get killed immediately after the burglar runs by Peter. I talk at length in my post on the issue about why I like the idea of a coincidence. Everybody understands that actions can have immediate consequences, and I thought the original conveyed a good lesson about indirect and unpredictable effects.
The issue redeems itself with a great scene. Peter gets into a fight with May and Ben and goes to crash with Kong. At a party at Kong’s, Liz starts hitting on him. Mary Jane sees and gets jealous. Again, nothing like this in the original. No evidence he had friends. But stories like this will become part of Peter’s college years in the original series. This leads to Ben finding him at the party, and having a talk.
The fight had been about Peter’s grades slipping. Like his conflicts with Mary Jane and Aunt May, this draws from later Spider-Man stories where his Spider-Man activities affect his personal life. The story is getting somewhat ahead of itself.
Ben’s talk is the great power and responsibility speech. In the original, the line is just said by the narrator. Later writers would have it be something Uncle Ben said. The 2002 Spider-Man film also gave the words to Uncle Ben. Here, it gives them to Ben, but he is relating ideas from his brother, Peter’s late father. He doesn’t use the precise phrase. Which I think is good. Bendis couldn’t make the word “power” flow naturally, so he didn’t force it. Here’s the speech he gives:
“He believed that if there were things in this world you had to offer, things that you did well–better than anyone else… things that you could do that helped people or made people feel better about themselves… well, he believed that it wasn’t just a good idea to do those things… he believed it was your responsibility to do those things. Don’t try to be something else. Don’t try to be less. Great things are going to happen to you and your life, Peter. Great things. And with that will come great responsibility. Do you understand? Great responsibility.”
That’s a perfect summary of the phrase. A lesson about moral obligation.
The issue ends with Peter running off, but then cooling down, and ready to apologize and reconcile with his uncle. He won’t get that chance, as there are police cars outside his house when he gets home.
Rating: ★★★★☆, 71/100
The power and responsibility speech is so good that I want to give it 5 stars. The burglar scene upsets me so much I want to give it 2. On the whole, I think the good is more good than the bad is bad.
Characters:
- Justin
- Dr. Otto Octavius
- Harry Osborn
- Peter Parker/Spider-Man
- Crusher Hogan
- Kong
- Flash Thompson
- The Burglar
- Aunt May
- Uncle Ben
- Liz
- Mary Jane
- Norman Osborn/Green Goblin
Minor characters:
- Wrestling promoter
Story notes:
- Justin appears dead
- Think that’s Kong and Flash in wrestling crowd, but with Flash’s hair miscolored
- Think Liz is Liz Allan and that she was also in the mall scene in issue 1.
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