With great power comes great responsibility
"With great power there must also come great responsibility"—or simply "With great power comes great responsibility"—alternatively known as the Peter Parker principle,[1] is a proverb popularized by the Spider-Man comic books written by Stan Lee.[2][3][4]
Despite its popularization in the 20th century, the adage conceptually dates back to the fourth century BC in the allusion of the Sword of Damocles and later in 1793 , during the French Revolution. The formulation has been (and continues to be) used by journalists, authors, and other writers; and in politics, monarchic rhetoric, law enforcement, public safety, and in various media.[5][6][7][8]
The adage particularly bears a close resemblance to the Christian bible verse of Parable of the Faithful Servant (Luke 12:48): "From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked." (Another translation: "To whomever much is given, of him will much be required; and to whom much was entrusted, of him more will be asked.")
Usage of the particular wording ("great power" and "great responsibility"), however, dates back to the time of the French Revolution at the very least, as the following sentence is found in the "Plan de travail, de surveillance et de correspondance" ('Work, surveillance and correspondence plan') proposed by the Comité de Salut Public ('Committee of Public Safety') during the 1793 French National Convention:[9]
