Vol. 06 · Misquoted ·Saying ·339 of 348
"With great power comes great responsibility. — Spider-Man"
They never said that.
What people say
"With great power comes great responsibility. — Spider-Man"
What was actually said
"Les représentants du peuple français… considérant qu'ils sont responsables des grands pouvoirs qui leur sont confiés." French National Convention (later Stan Lee) — French National Convention decree, 8 May 1793
Why it stuck
Stan Lee's 1962 caption in Amazing Fantasy #15 fixed the phrase in pop culture, but the sentiment is older. The Convention's decree is the first near-verbatim political use.
Churchill's 1906 speech uses a close variant: "where there is great power there is great responsibility."
Know another line by heart?
Play the duel and see how many you can spot. Or browse the whole shelf.