“With great power comes great responsibility.” While Uncle Ben never actually said that phrase in Amazing Fantasy #15, it was retroactively made into his mantra. It also came to define the life of his nephew, Peter Parker, and the reason he became Spider-Man. However, a flashback in a new story reveals that Uncle Ben taught the young Spidey something else.
Written by Joe Kelly, with art by Todd Nauck, Amazing Spider-Man #8 continues Peter’s battle with a new villain called Hellgate. Clad in ancient armor and armed with an axe, Hellgate had apparently come from a magic realm to test himself against Spidey. As the battle went on, Peter recalled the lessons Uncle Ben taught him that didn’t involve Power and Responsibility.
What other lessons did Uncle Ben teach Spider-Man?
The flashbacks reveal that Uncle Ben taught a young Peter Parker how to box. This was due to Peter’s problems with being bullied at school. While Peter wanted to learn karate, Ben insisted that boxing was more practical. This was chiefly because much of boxing involves counter-punches and blocking your opponent’s attacks. This would later go on to inform Spider-Man’s style of fighting, which is based around fighting defensively while analyzing his enemies’ weaknesses and then striking.
However, Uncle Ben’s lessons went beyond teaching Peter how to fight. He also taught Peter that it was important to know why to fight and when you were better off not fighting. He admitted, however, that there were times, like when a loved one was in danger, that you might not have any choice but to fight. These lessons go on to serve Spider-Man well.
Amazing Spider-Man #8 is now available at comic shops everywhere.
