Editing Judges of Tehom: Thematic Essays (section)

==Silver Age Marvel==
Stan Lee's famous phrase, "''With great power comes great responsibility''" is a wonderful summary of the ideal most supherheroes in comic books.  For Lee, heroes are defined by responsibility: There is an obligation to use their powers to help society maintain itself.  Spiderman has a responsibility to help his fellow man, as do all other true superheroes in Marvel.  The more one is irresponsible, the farther one goes into the realm of the antihero first and then the villain. Such characters reject the idea they have a duty to society as they pursue hedonism, political agendas, or selfish financial gain. If one is not using their powers responsibly for the good of others, they are wrong.  If one uses one's powers to redefine society or its ideals in their own image, they are wrong.  No matter how powerful a character is, he or she is still nevertheless a human being, and human beings have a responsibility to one another, at least on the level of promoting justice in one another's lives.  If you have unique opportunities to promote justice (possibly because you can benchpress an SUV), you have a duty to use it to do so or (possibly) not use it at all.