“All That Power In Such Irresponsible Hands”: Marvel Admits There’s No Answer to the Biggest Criticism of Spider-Man

Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Superior Spider-Man #4!Spider-Man may be considered one of the premier superheroes in Marvel Comics, but even he isn’t without his faults, something that recently became even more pronounced during his latest adventure. Peter Parker has based his entire superhero career on the mantra “with great power comes great responsibility”, yet Spider-Man just got called out for being incredibly irresponsible with his powers – and Marvel admits that his critics aren’t wrong.

In Superior Spider-Man #4 by Dan Slott and Mark Bagley, Spider-Man is working with Doc Ock to save the love of Octavius’ life – at least, before Doctor Octopus betrays him. Otto believes he’d have a better shot at saving his true love if he had Spider-Man’s body, just as he did during the original Superior Spider-Man run. So, Doc Ock uses a mind-swapping device to enter Peter’s psyche and possess his body once again, and it’s within their shared mindscapes that both Otto and Peter are faced with some hard truths.

As the two battle for control over Spider-Man’s body, they travel through their own personal histories, using their very memories as weapons against the other. In one instance, Octavius tried to break Peter’s resolve by attacking his sense of responsibility, saying, “all that power in such irresponsible hands”, noting that – throughout all their past fights – Spider-Man was slowly killing him with every full-strength strike he delivered.

Spider-Man was Slowly Killing Doc Ock Over the Years, Proving He’s Irresponsible

Peter Parker should have known his strength was too intense against a human like Doc Ock.

Before Doc Ock made a full recovery through some increasingly sci-fi methods, he was dying from the accumulated trauma his body experienced from Spider-Man punching him in the head and body over the years. Peter claims he didn’t realize the impact he had, but that isn’t an excuse. Peter’s a scientist, he knows Doc Ock is a regular human aside from his mechanical arms, and he’s obviously aware of his own super strength. If Spider-Man truly didn’t know what that would do to a powerless, middle-aged man, it’s because he never thought about it.

Spider-Man was faced with the suffering he had put Otto Octavius through when Doc Ock had to create a full-body life support device just to stay alive. Doc Ock may have been a criminal, but even he didn’t deserve the cruel torment Spider-Man put him through by not using his powers responsibly. Not only that, but during Doc Ock’s ‘final days’, Spider-Man even inadvertently created an even more ruthless villain – not just for himself, but also for another prominent Avenger: Iron Man.

Spider-Man’s Irresponsibility Turned Doc Ock into a Ruthless Iron Man Villain

Invincible Iron Man #503 by Matt Fraction and Salvador Larroca

During the supposed final days of Doctor Octopus, Doc Ock wanted to prove that he could outsmart even the brilliant Tony Stark. In this issue, Octavius holds the entirety of New York City hostage with a bomb that’s set to go off, unless Stark can either figure out how to defuse it, or admit that Otto is smarter. In the end, Iron Man can’t figure it out, and he drops to his knees in defeat, admitting Octavius is superior. Then, in his victory, Otto snidely reveals that there was no bomb, which only further proved his superior intelligence.

Spider-Man using his powers irresponsibly with Doc Ock not only meant that he was slowly killing another human being, but he also made trouble for his fellow Avenger, Iron Man. While Marvel Comics canon has glossed over this period of Spider-Man’s life, this issue of Superior Spider-Man brings it right back to the surface, at which point Marvel essentially admits there’s no answer to the biggest criticism of Spider-Man and how he can use his super strength unthinkingly against regular people.

Superior Spider-Man #4 by Marvel Comics is available now.