- Looking for another article with the same name? Check out the Ben Parker disambiguation page.
Ben Parker was the husband of May Parker and the uncle of Peter Parker. Ben was an important person in Peter's life and one of the most important things he taught him was that with great power comes great responsibility.
History[]
Early life[]
Later life[]
Raising Peter Parker[]
After Ben's brother, Richard Parker, and his wife Mary Parker, died in a plane crash, he and May took in Peter Parker and raised him. Ben taught Peter about responsibility and that "With great power comes great responsibility." When Peter was ten years old, Ben enrolled him at a science camp. This sparked Peter's interest in science. However, unknown to Ben the camps administrator, Otto Octavius, would later become one of his nephew's greatest enemies, Doctor Octopus.
While Peter was still a child, Ben took him fishing for the first time. After an unsuccessful attempt at reeling in a fish, Ben asked Peter if he thought fishing was going to be easy. Peter had little faith in himself and told Ben that he wouldn't be able to catch any fish because of his bad luck. However, Ben told Peter that good or bad luck is nothing but the wrong or right mix of opportunity, preparation, and confidence. Ben went on to say that all Peter was lacking was confidence. However, Ben also told Peter that he knew he was ready for the challenges he would face in his life because he raised him.
Murder[]
Peter after learning that his Uncle Ben was killed
After Peter first gained his powers, he created his Spider-Man costume and became a wrestler. One night, a burglar robbed the wrestling arena. However, Peter let the burgular escape because he felt that it wasn't his responsibility to stop him. Later that night, the burgular also robbed the Parker house. Ben attempted to stop him. However, the bugular shot Ben and killed him. Later that night, Peter returned home to find the police there. As Peter entered the house, a police officer told him what happened. As Spider-Man, Peter tracked down the burgular to an abandoned warehouse and when he confronted him Peter learned that Ben's killer was the same thief that he failed to stop at the arena. After this, Ben Parker's lesson "With great power comes great responsibility" sunk in and Peter used his Spider-Man identity to save people instead of using his powers for personal gain.
In the comics[]
During the Great Depression, Ben Parker worked at Coney Island as a carnival barker. Ben loved May Reilly. However, May loved a man named Johnny Jerome who clearly had more money then Ben. Ben warned May that Jerome was actually a criminal. However, May dismissed what Ben said about him as a jealous slander.
One day, however, Jerome unexpectedly confronted May and proposed to her on the spot, saying that he wanted them to leave together right away. May heard the police out on the street and realized that something was wrong. Then, an angry Ben came in and told her that Jerome and some accomplices had just robbed a jewelry store and had shot a man who tried to call for help. May realized that Jerome was indeed a criminal and told Jerome she could never marry such a man. Jerome left and was almost immediately captured by the police outside. Ben comforted the weeping May in his arms. Jerome was convicted for murder and burglary.
Ben and May later got married and raised their nephew, Peter, after his parents died in a plane crash. Several years later, Ben was murdered by a burglar.
Appearances[]
- Doctor Octopus: Armed and Dangerous
- The Menace of Mysterio (As a photograph)
- The Alien Costume, Part II
- The Hobgoblin, Part I (Mentioned only)
- The Hobgoblin, Part II (Mentioned only)
- The Mutant Agenda
- Enter the Punisher
- The Immortal Vampire (Mentioned only)
- The Final Nightmare (As a photograph)
- Make a Wish (Mentioned only)