April 24, 2002

1:06 PM

It's been attributed to Green Lantern, Winston Churchill and Richard Nixon. It's been used by U.S. Supreme Court justices, Australian defense ministers, Canadian pesticide manufacturers and columnists as far away as India. The idea behind it may not be new, but Stan Lee's wording of the moral lesson at the heart of Spiderman sure has spread in the last 40 years.
posted by mediareport (6 comments total)

Not "Spiderman." "Spider-Man."
Another Stan Lee meme from the same book: "Threat or Menace?" -- subtitle of J. Jonah Jameson's ranting editorials against Spider-Man in the Daily Bugle.
posted by Allen Varney at 1:34 PM on April 24, 2002

The point is not really made clear that Lee's famous (if corny) phrase "with great power comes great responsibility" appears in each of the seven linked articles, either completely unattrributed or misattributed. It's easier to see this if you do a "find on this page" for either of the words "power" or "responsibility".
posted by yhbc at 2:42 PM on April 24, 2002

The price of greatness is responsibility - Winston Churchill.

Stan Lee gets credits on the catchier turn.
posted by linux at 3:13 PM on April 24, 2002

Superman: 1938. While I'm not sure about the "great power-responsibilty" speech's exact date, wild guess is that they must have recounted it in a flashback to his father (Jonathan Kent) before in those five years before 43, where he tries to play football and his father explains that his powers serve a greater good. So I think Churchill may have been by way of Siegel and Shuster.

:)
posted by owillis at 12:41 AM on April 26, 2002

No one here is suggesting Churchill read comic books, right?
posted by pracowity at 2:01 AM on April 26, 2002

isn't there a new winston chrchill tv movie coming up? maybe that'll explain it!

...oh yeah, here it is :) The Gathering Storm. Winston Churchill nude! premieres Saturday. (tomorrow :) BE THERE.
posted by kliuless at 6:55 AM on April 26, 2002