Kraven the Hunter is a Marvel Comics supervillain, an enemy of Spider-Man. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #15 (August 1964) Marvel Comics (Stan Lee is behind many of the superheros) is an American comic book line published by Marvel Publishing, Inc. ... In comic books, first appearance refers to first comic book to feature a character. ... The Amazing Spider-Man is the title of a comic book published by Marvel Comics, a television program and a daily newspaper comic strip. ... Stan The Man Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber on December 28, 1922[1] New York, New York) is an American writer, editor, Chairman Emeritus of Marvel Comics, and memoirist, who — with several artist co-creators, most notably Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko — introduced complex, naturalistic characters and a thoroughly shared... The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1 (1964): Cover art by Ditko. ... The Sinister Six are a group of supervillains in the Marvel Comics universe, who serve as a collection of Spider-Mans greatest foes. ... Gibbon (Martin Blank) is a fictional mutant character in the Marvel Comics Universe. ... ... Tarantula is the name of a number of mostly unrelated fictional characters appearing in publications from Marvel Comics. ... The Chameleon is a Marvel Comics supervillain, an enemy of Spider-Man. ... Marvel Comics (Stan Lee is behind many of the superheros) is an American comic book line published by Marvel Publishing, Inc. ... Doctor Doom, one of the most archetypal supervillains and his arch-enemies The Fantastic Four (in background). ... Spider-Man swinging around his hometown, New York City. ... Stan The Man Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber on December 28, 1922[1] New York, New York) is an American writer, editor, Chairman Emeritus of Marvel Comics, and memoirist, who — with several artist co-creators, most notably Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko — introduced complex, naturalistic characters and a thoroughly shared... The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1 (1964): Cover art by Ditko. ... The Amazing Spider-Man is the title of a comic book published by Marvel Comics, a television program and a daily newspaper comic strip. ... 1964 (MCMLXIV) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1964 calendar). ...

The original Kraven the Hunter was Sergei Kravinoff, a famous big game hunter who was obsessed with proving himself the ultimate hunter, by capturing Spider-Man, a premise likely inspired by the classic Richard Connell short story The Most Dangerous Game (especially because both Kraven and the villain of that story were Russian.) Game is any animal hunted for food or not normally domesticated (such as venison). ... Richard Edward Connell (October 17, 1893 – November 22, 1949) was an American author and journalist. ... This article is in need of attention. ... The Most Dangerous Game (1924) is a famous short story by Richard Connell and the authors most well-known work. ...

Kraven finally completed his ultimate objective in the 1987 storyline "Kraven's Last Hunt" and, having no further goals, committed suicide. Since then, two of his sons have taken-up his mantle and mission but have proven inept compared to the father. Kravens Last Hunt (also known as Fearful Symmetry) is an acclaimed story by J.M. DeMatteis and Mike Zeck, featuring a battle between Kraven the Hunter and Spider-Man. ... It has been suggested that The Pros of suicide be merged into this article or section. ...

The Sergei Kravinoff version of Kraven the Hunter has appeared in several Spider-Man animated series. Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. ...

Fictional character biography

Cover to Amazing Spider-Man #34. Art by Steve Ditko.

Sergei Kravinoff was born in Stalingrad. As Kraven, he was a maniacal big game hunter who sought to defeat Spider-Man to prove that he was the greatest hunter in the world. Unlike other hunters, he typically disdained the use of guns or bow and arrows preferring to take down large dangerous animals with his bare hands even though he often made elaborate preparations to weaken a quarry before hand. He also used a mystical serum to give him similar strength to Spider-Man, but even without the serum he was a threat to the wall-crawler. Spider-Man proved a frustrating quarry because Kraven continually underestimated the superhero's resourcefulness. Download high resolution version (501x762, 68 KB)Cover to Amazing Spider-Man #34, featuring Kraven the Hunter. ... Download high resolution version (501x762, 68 KB)Cover to Amazing Spider-Man #34, featuring Kraven the Hunter. ... Volgograd (Russian: ), formerly called Tsaritsyn (Russian: ) (1598–1925) and Stalingrad (Russian: ) (1925–1961) is a city in and the administrative center of Volgograd Oblast, Russia. ... Hunting is, in its most general sense, the pursuit of a target. ... A gun is a common name given to a device that fires high-velocity projectiles. ... In Target Archery, the object is to hit targets such as this to score points. ...

In the acclaimed story by J.M. DeMatteis and Mike Zeck, "Kraven's Last Hunt," his aggravation with his inability to run the superhero down further destroyed his sanity. With that, he hatched a scheme that actually defeated Spider-Man, and seemingly and uncharacteristically shot him dead. Considering his enemy effectively dead, Kraven buried him. After this, Kraven donned a copy of Spider-Man's costume and sought to prove that he was superior at his enemy's activities. This culminated with his successful singlehanded capture of a minor supervillain, Vermin, whom Spider-Man needed the help of Captain America to defeat. After that triumph, Spider-Man revived from the tranquilizer dart he was actually shot with and dug his way out of the grave. Kraven greeted him and explained that he had made his point about defeating his enemy. Then he released Vermin and told Spider-Man to pursue him. At this point, having no further purpose, Kraven committed suicide while Spider-Man captured the villain on his own. John Marc DeMatteis is an American writer of comic books. ... Mike Zeck in an American comic book illustrator. ... Kravens Last Hunt (also known as Fearful Symmetry) is an acclaimed story by J.M. DeMatteis and Mike Zeck, featuring a battle between Kraven the Hunter and Spider-Man. ... For the Aqua Teen Hunger Force episode, see Super Hero (Aqua Teen Hunger Force episode). ... Vermin is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe. ... Captain America, the alter ego of Steve Rogers,[1] is a superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. ... It has been suggested that The Pros of suicide be merged into this article or section. ...

Kraven's allegiances and relatives in life were, for the most part, revealed only after his death. The Chameleon was the person who initially gave Kraven the idea of hunting Spider-Man in Amazing Spider-Man #15. After Kraven died, the Chameleon was revealed to be Dmitri Smerdyakov, Kraven's half-brother, personal servant, and the victim of Kraven's abuse, and yet, according to Smerdyakov, the two were best friends nonetheless. Kraven's lover, the voodoo priestess Calypso, manipulated the Lizard against the wall-crawler in the first issues of Todd McFarlane's best-selling Spider-Man series. It was later revealed in a story arc concerning Ka-Zar that Kraven was trained as a hunter largely by a mysterious man named Gregor, a mercenary who battled the Lord of the Jungle. The Chameleon is a Marvel Comics supervillain, an enemy of Spider-Man. ... Voodoo (Vodou, Vodoun, Vudu, or Vudun in Benin, Togo, southeastern Ghana, Burkina Faso, and Senegal; also Vodou in Haiti) is a name attributed to a traditionally unwritten West African spiritual system of faith and ritual practices. ... Calypso is a character in the Marvel Comics universe. ... The Lizard is a comic book supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe, and an enemy of Spider-Man. ... Spawn #1 (1992), featuring one of McFarlanes most popular creations Todd McFarlane (born March 16, 1961 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada) is a cartoonist, comic book writer, artist, and media entrepreneur. ... Ka-Zar (pronounced KAY-sar) is the name of two jungle-dwelling fictional characters, both published by Marvel Comics. ... Ka-Zar (pronounced KAY-sar) is the name of two jungle-dwelling fictional characters, both published by Marvel Comics. ...

Sons

Kraven has since had two sons take up his role. There was a third son as well, Ned Tannengarden, who tried to kill Alyosha, but was murdered by the Chameleon (who believed himself to be the original Kraven at that point).

Vladimir Kravinoff

Vladimir Kravinoff, mutant, took up the name "The Grim Hunter" and decided to hunt down Spider-Man and several of his foes. He only had one battle with Spider-Man, and his methods were nearly the same as his father's. He was briefly involved with the Hobgoblin, even giving that incarnation (Jason Macendale) his father's super strength formula. When he got out of jail, he decided to track Spider-Man down again, only to fight the Scarlet Spider instead. Kaine, a clone of Spider-Man arrived, and after a confrontation, Vladimir was killed by the insane duplicate. In Marvel comic books, particularly those of the X-Men mythos, a human being who is born with genetic modifications that allow for abilities not possessed by regular humans is commonly called a mutant. ... The Hobgoblin is a fictional character, a supervillain appearing in the Marvel Comics universe as an enemy of Spider-Man who uses a variant of the persona of the Green Goblin. ... Scarlet Spider is a fictional character who appeared in the Marvel Comics series Spider-Man. ... Kaine is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics supervillain. ...

Alyosha Kravinoff

Main article: Alyosha Kravinoff

Some time after the death of Vladimir, his half brother, Alyosha Kravinoff (or "Al Kraven"), became the newest Kraven. During his tenure as the Hunter, he was manipulated by Calypso and killed her before joining The Sandman's reformed Sinister Six. After the team dissolved following the Sandman's betrayal of Venom, the symbiote began hunting down his former team mates, wounding both Sandman and Electro. He was surprised that Kraven was able to hold out the longest against him, but ultimately defeated and almost disemboweled the hunter, who was saved by Spider-Man at the cost of Venom's escape. Shortly after, he retired from the supervillain scene, and decided to become a Hollywood star and semi-superhero. Alyosha is a mutant and retained his superhuman powers after the M-Day. He was prominently featured in the Beyond! miniseries. Block quote Alyosha Kravinoff, also known as Kraven the Hunter, is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics Universe. ... Calypso is a character in the Marvel Comics universe. ... The Sandman, in comic books, refers to several different fictional characters: DC Comics, 1940s -- The Sandman. ... The Sinister Six are a group of supervillains in the Marvel Comics universe, who serve as a collection of Spider-Mans greatest foes. ... Venom is a moniker used of several characters in the Marvel Comics fictional Marvel Universe. ... Electro is the name of several fictional comic book characters in the Marvel Comics universe, including two from Marvels predecessors, Timely Comics and Atlas Comics. ... ... In Marvel comic books, particularly those of the X-Men mythos, a human being who is born with genetic modifications that allow for abilities not possessed by regular humans is commonly called a mutant. ... Decimation event logo, as shown on the covers of tie-in comics Decimation is the name of the late 2005 Marvel Comics crossover spinning out of the House of M limited series, that focuses on the ramifications of the Scarlet Witchs stripping nearly all of the mutant population of... Beyond! was a six-issue limited series published by Marvel Comics. ...

There is reason to believe that this character is named for one of Fyodor Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov: Kraven's ally the Chameleon was born Dmitri Smerdyakov. Dmitri and Smerdyakov are two of the Karamazov brothers, and it is unlikely that the occurrence of all three names in the mythos surrounding Kraven is simply coincidental. The Brothers Karamazov (Братья Карамазовы in Russian, ) is the last novel by the Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky, generally considered the culmination of his lifes work. ...

Powers and abilities

By ingesting mystical potions, Kraven and his heirs are able to gain superhuman strength and speed approaching, but not equaling that of Spider-Man. These same potions also slow the aging process, for example, at the time of the original Kraven's death he was over 70 years old and he appeared to be in the prime of his life (though age was beginning to affect him).

Agility, reflexes, stamina, and endurance are also enhanced. Kraven and his heirs more or less constantly ingest these potions and herbs, so they normally have these abilities, but without the effects of these potions they still possess physical strength and agility of the level of an Olympic athlete.

Aside from the augmentation of the mystical herbs, the original Kraven was a brilliant tactician and gifted hunter and tracker. He was a master of many forms of armed and unarmed combat. He was very familiar with medicine and with exotic poisons and tranquilizers. His sons also possess(ed) knowledge in these areas.

Grim Hunter (Vlad Kravinoff)

Grim Hunter also carried an electrified glove in combat. Vlad was said to be a mutant. Though what his mutation was has not been clearly explained, it was implied that he was born with an augmented physique and did not need the Kraven formula to achieve it. As it appears the character has resurfaced alive he would also have some type of regenerative healing factor. He had naturally enhanced senses, presumably due to his mutation.

Al Kraven (Alyosha Kravinoff)

Kraven II has the same abilities and skills of his father, with the addition of an ability to control animals which has never been fully explained (possibly a mutation). He has a greater education than his father or brother, and is relatively sane compared to the rest of his family, though still prone to personality lapses where he may turn from a cool and calm gentleman to a raging animal in seconds. He has also revealed to Spider-Man during in a conversation in a bar that his mother was a mutant like him.

Ultimate Kraven

Cover to Ultimate Spider-Man #21. Art by Mark Bagley

In the Ultimate Marvel Universe, Sergei Kravinoff is the host of his own reality show in which he hunts down dangerous animals, obviously paralleling The Crocodile Hunter. He intended to hunt and kill Spider-Man on live TV in order to boost his ratings. But when he finally confronted Spider-Man, he was knocked out with a single punch (revealing that he is actually a fraud), only to be arrested by the police moments later. His defeat was captured on live television and after this public humiliation his show was cancelled. Ultimate Spider-Man is a superhero comic book series published by Marvel Comics. ... Bagleys cover for Ultimate Spider-Man #65. ... The various characters of the Ultimate Marvel Universe, as seen on the cover to Ultimates (v2) #12. ... The Crocodile Hunter is a wildlife documentary television series which was hosted by Steve Irwin and his wife Terri. ... Please wikify (format) this article or section as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ...

In the Ultimate Six story arc, Kraven genetically tampered with his DNA, allowing him to become a gruesome werewolf-like monster. He did this to be able to get revenge on Spider-Man and to try to get his show uncanceled. Unfortunately he was arrested by the Ultimates for illegal genetic tampering before he could face Spider-Man. They imprison him with Spider-Man's other genetically altered enemies Electro, Sandman, Doctor Octopus, and the Green Goblin. After their escape he joins them in a plot to regain their permanent freedom. Unfortunately their plan fails and it ends with a big showdown between the Six and the Ultimates. Kraven, on the cusp of attacking Spider-Man, gets hit by one of Thor's thunderbolts in a moment of dramatic irony and is recaptured by S.H.I.E.L.D. He mentions that his battle with Peter Parker lost him his wife and Job. Ultimate Six is a seven-issue comic book limited series and crossover between Spider-Man and the Ultimates,[year needed] featuring the Ultimate Marvel version of the Sinister Six. ... The Ultimates are a fictional government-sponsored team of superheroes in the Ultimate Marvel Universe, appearing primarily in their self-titled comic book limited series The Ultimates and The Ultimates 2, published by Marvel Comics, written by Mark Millar and drawn by Bryan Hitch. ... Electro is the name of several fictional comic book characters in the Marvel Comics universe, including two from Marvels predecessors, Timely Comics and Atlas Comics. ... A statue of the sandman at Filmpark Babelsberg The Sandman is a giving character in popular Western folklore who brings good sleep and dreams by sprinkling magic sand on to the eyes of children. ... Dr. Otto Octavius, better known as Doctor Octopus is a Marvel Comics supervillain, an enemy and archenemy of Spider-Man. ... The Green Goblin is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics Universe, a supervillain considered one of Spider-Man’s greatest foes. ... Ultimate Thor is a fictional character, a superhero in the Ultimate Marvel Universe based on the mythological Thor and the Marvel Universe Thor. ... S.H.I.E.L.D. (Originally an acronym for Supreme Headquarters, International Espionage, Law Enforcement Division, subsequently changed to Strategic Hazard Intervention, Espionage and Logistics Directorate) is a fictional intelligence agency in the Marvel Universe. ...

Kraven in other media

• Kraven's first on-screen appearance actually pre-dates Spider-Man's own show (on which he never appeared), appearing in 1966 on one of the Iron Man episodes of The Marvel Superheroes Show, entitled "Cliffs of Doom".

• Although never identified as Kraven, a character with remarkable similarities to him appeared on an episode of the live-action Incredible Hulk series, entitled "The Snare". The story was similarly based on The Most Dangerous Game as Kraven himself was in the comics.

• Kraven's next official appearance was on the 1981 Spider-Man series, in an episode called "The Hunter and the Hunted", which also featured Ka-Zar.

• Also in 1981, Kraven appeared on a first season episode of Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends where he was voiced by Robert Ridgely.

Kraven the Hunter in Spider-Man: The Animated Series.

• Kraven also appeared in Spider-Man: The Animated Series played by Gregg Berger. In this series, Kraven has a more heroic personality than he did in the comics. He had a fiancee named Dr. Mariah Crawford. Seigei Kravinoff became Kraven the Hunter when Crawford uses a serum on him to save his life after an animal attack, which causes him to become insane. In the end of his debut episode, Kravinoff was cured by Spider-Man to prevent him from attacking innocent people. In Morbius, he makes a cameo when Dr. Crawford calls him from New York to Africa about Spider-Man having his disease mutated. In Duel of the Hunters, a mutative disease turned Spider-Man into a spider-like monster which went on a Hulk-like rampage, and Kraven was sent to track him down. His hunt was initially interrupted by Punisher, who wanted to kill Spider-Man, but they eventually work together to track down Spider-Man and restore his human form. In The Return of Kraven, he came back to New York to cure Dr. Crawford when she took the serum that made Kravinoff became Kraven, turning her into Calypso. In the end, Kraven cured Crawford to prevent her from attacking innocent people under the influence of the serum.

• In the Spider-Man Unlimited animated series, a similar character named The Hunter, who hunts humans appeared. The Hunter was hired by Sir Ram to hunt down Spider-Man. In doing so he kidnapped Karen O'Malley as bait for capturing Spider-Man.

• In the MTV Spider-Man animated series, Kraven was voiced by Michael Dorn. His role in the series was he killed the Gaines wife and husband by poisoning them with a serum. However, the couple spawned two fraternal children, Roxanne and Roland, who got hypnotizing powers from the affects of the serum. The Gaines Twins could not use their powers on Kraven (as his senses were too keen for their abilities). In Mind Games: Part One, the Twins hypnotized Spider-Man into thinking Kraven killed Mary Jane Watson and the Twins used this moment to have Spider-Man kill Kraven. In Mind Games: Part Two, Spider-Man and Kraven fought inside a warehouse in which Spider-Man almost kills Kraven by hanging him. Luckily, Spider-Man snaps out of the hypnosis and spares Kraven's life in time, learning Kraven didn't kill Mary Jane and the criminal was sent back to jail.

• In the Ultimate Spider-Man computer game, an ad for Kraven's TV show can be seen on billboards and the sides of bus-stops.

• Kraven appeared in the Xbox version of Spider-Man: The Movie as a boss villain. He poisons Spider-Man and puts him in a maze. After the maze level Spider-Man fights Kraven for the cure (and eventually, Spidey wins, putting Kraven in jail for his crimes).

• It was originally rumoured that Kraven the Hunter and his half brother the Chameleon would be the antagonists in Spider-Man 3. However, in truth the villains were Sandman, Venom and the New Goblin. Oded Fehr was originally considered to potray him.

It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Marvel Super Heroes (TV series). ... The Incredible Hulk was an American television series loosely based on the comic book character of the same name. ... The Most Dangerous Game (1924) is a famous short story by Richard Connell and the authors most well-known work. ... Spider-Man is the name of a syndicated short-lived animated TV series based on the popular Marvel Comics character of the same name. ... Ka-Zar (pronounced KAY-sar) is the name of two jungle-dwelling fictional characters, both published by Marvel Comics. ... TV screenshot of the shows title. ... Robert Ridgely (December 24, 1931—February 8, 1997) was an American actor and vocal artist, known for both on-camera roles and extensive voice-over work. ... Image File history File links Spidermanep10. ... Image File history File links Spidermanep10. ... Gregg Berger is a voice actor who is known for his roles in both TV and video games. ... The Hulk (Dr. Robert Bruce Banner), sometimes referred to as The Incredible Hulk, is a fictional character, a superhero appearing in the Marvel Comics Universe. ... The Punisher is a fictional vigilante and anti-hero in the Marvel Comics Universe. ... // The Return of Kraven is the fourth episode of the fourth season of Spider-Man: The Animated Series. ... Title Sequence. ... Michael Dorn (born December 9, 1952) is an American actor known for his role as the Klingon Worf in multiple Star Trek shows and movies. ... Mary Jane Watson-Parker is wife of Peter Parker (Spider Man) and a supporting character in the Marvel Comics Spider-Man series. ... Ultimate Spider-Man is a video game based on the comic book of the same name by Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley. ...

External links

• Kraven on the Marvel Universe Character Bio Wiki