8 Years Later, The Greatest Modern Spider-Man Quote Isn't From The Comics Or Movies

If any superhero property is a font of great quotes, it's Spider-Man. Not only is Peter Parker one of the best in the game at quips, but Uncle Ben and Aunt May have the wisdom to match his wit. "With great power comes great responsibility" is iconic for a reason, and that's only the tip of the iceberg.

Surprisingly, though, one of the best modern Spider-Man quotes didn't emerge from the endless pages of the comics. The Marvel's Spider-Man game developed for the PlayStation 4 does a great job bringing Spider-Man characters to life, and its depiction of Aunt May comes with a quote that sums up her philosophy perfectly.

"When You Help Someone, You Help Everyone"

In Marvel's Spider-Man, Aunt May manages a homeless shelter called F.E.A.S.T., an idea taken from the "Brand New Day" storyline (which is now serving as the namesake for the next feature film). Her focus on helping those in need is a major guiding light for Peter Parker, and the game establishes that she's known for saying "When you help someone, you help everyone." At one point, Peter and F.E.A.S.T. founder Martin Li quote it together, suggesting that it's a maxim Aunt May uses frequently.

Without spoiling anything, this quote ends up reappearing later in the storyline of the game, and it ends up carrying a lot of emotional weight. It's clear that other Spider-Man writers were affected by it, as Spider-Man: No Way Home ends up borrowing the quote to use in a similar way. MCU movies have a long history of lifting ideas from all across Marvel source material, of course, but using a video game to inspire a significant moment in the film is a testament to Marvel's Spider-Man.

Marvel's Spider-Man Is A Brilliant Adaptation

I'm not a die-hard fan of Marvel's Spider-Man in the same way as many others, but there's no denying that it's got a great grasp on the source material. While plenty of superhero plots focus on saving the universe in dramatic fashion, the best Spider-Man stories tend to focus on helping the world in smaller ways.

"When you help someone, you help everyone" embodies this concept perfectly, suggesting that helping someone cross the street can be just as important as those larger heroic acts. The idea of a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is all about setting an example for a better world, even when doing the right thing doesn't feel like a momentous step forward.

It's almost surprising that the quote hasn't been around for longer, and fans might be forgiven for assuming that it originated in the comics before landing in Marvel's Spider-Man. After so many decades of Spider-Man material, it's always satisfying to see new stories find fresh ways to convey the themes that have always guided the character.

Marvel's Spider-Man studio Insomniac Games is tackling Wolverine this year, so here's hoping that they can bring him to life with a comparable level of brilliance. If Marvel's Wolverine taps into the same creative well that made Marvel's Spider-Man special, it could have its own chance to influence other superhero stories to come.