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Attributes

Height: 235 lbs.

Weight: 6' 0"

Eyes: Brown

Hair: Black

Features: Goatee beard

Summary

Created By: Stan Lee, Steve Ditko

Real Name: Sergei Kravinoff

Current Aliases: None

Former Aliases: None

Dual Identity: "The World's Greatest Hunter"

Current Occupation: Dead

Former Occupation: Big game hunter

Citizenship: Formely Russia, UK, USA, Eithiopia

Legal Status: Dead

Place of Birth: Russia

Marital Status: Single

Known Relatives: Vladimir Kravinoff (son, deceased), Alyosha Kravinoff (son), Ned Tannengarden (son, deceased), Chameleon (half-brother)

Known Confidants: The Chameleon

Known Allies: The Chameleon, Calypso

Major Enemies: Spider-Man

Usual Bases: None

Former Bases: Africa and U.S.

Current Groups: None

Former Groups: Original Sinister Six (See Amazing Annual #1)

Education: College educated

Powers & Paraphenalia

Strength Level: Enhanced Human.

Powers: No extraordinary powers.

Abilities: Strength and speed of a savage beast.

Equipment: Typically wears animal skins when active.

Weapons: Hunting knives, spears, and other African weapons.

Limitations: Kraven's pride and arrogance has often caused his downfall.

Background

Kraven gained power by drinking rare and exotic jungle elixirs given to him by a witch doctor. These elixirs gave him the strength to wrestle an enraged bull to its knees, the speed to run as fast as a cheetah and sped his relexes to be faster than a snakes. Such power made him more than a match for any wild animal, and he quickly grew bored with hunting, the one thing that gave his life meaning.

Over the years, his brother Dmitri had grown up and tried hard to impress his older brother, often writing to Sergei to tell him about his exploits as a spy and saboteur known as the Chameleon. Sergei was not impresssed, until Dmitri wrote to tell him about how he had just been defeated by an American vigilante known as Spider-Man. After he had been deported following his defeat, Chameleon returned to America and wanted Spider-Man out of the way. He turned to Kraven to do the job, and Kraven the Hunter relished the idea of hunting new and dangerous prey.

Kraven accepted the offer made by Doctor Octopus to join the Sinister Six with Mysterio, Vulture, Electro and Sandman. Each villain was given a battleground that worked to their advantage over Spider- Man, and Kraven fought the web slinger at a zoo. Even with the aid of a pair of cheetas, the Hunter was captured by Spider-Man.

Sergei often worked in cooperation with other criminals in order to bring down his hated prey. He took on a job offered by the Green Goblin to rid New York of Spider-Man and used the creature known as Gog to face Spider-Man and Gwen Stacy in the Savage Land. In revenge for his pet's death, Kraven preyed on the vulnerable Martin Blank's (aka the Gibbon) sense of isolation to fight Spider-Man. He was hired by Lightmaster to get rid of the pesky wall crawler. Needless to say, all of these attempts on Spider-Man's life were to no avail.

All of these repeated failures took a deep toll on Kraven's psyche. More than any other Spider-foe, perhaps with the exception of the Green Goblin, the defeat of Spider-Man was Kraven the Hunter's obsession. Sergei was becoming an old man, despite his youthful appearance. The Hunter could not rest until he defeated his enemy. He simply could not rest.

In his madness, Kraven believed that Spider-Man was posessed by "the Spider," the supernatural entity responsible for all of mankinds suffering. "It was in the jungles that I first began to understand the ways of the spirits and demons...of the ravenous Spider. And tonight I finally see that even the man inhabited by the Spider--is ignorant--of its devious ways!" Kraven finally defeated Spider-man and buried him alive. He then took Spider- Man's black costume and started to live the life of the wall crawler. This was to prove that he was a better Spider-Man than the original. His crime fighting was considerably more deadly than the real Spider-Man's methods. A group of drug dealers that he came across ended up dead or badly beaten. He hunted and defeated the creature called Vermin, something Spider-Man was not able to do without the aid of Captain America.

Spider-Man eventually clawed out from his grave and attacked Kraven. But Kraven did not retaliate because he had already won. "Hit me again if you like, Spider-Man. Hit me a hundred times. I wont resist. I wont fight. There's no reason to fight. Dont you see? I've finally WON!" To further drive home the point that Kraven was superior to Spider-Man, Sergei forced the hero to battle Vermin. Spidey was quickly overpowered, and Vermin was about to kill him when Kraven stopped the creature. Kraven released Vermin onto the streets in order to destract Spider-Man while the deranged Hunter took his own life.

Spider-Man is not free of Kraven the Hunter's legacy, however. He has faced Kraven's sons's Vladimir Kravinoff and Alyosha Kravinoff. Sergei's former lover, the voodoo priestess Calypso and the Chameleon have also returned against impossible odds to torment the wall crawler for the death of their loved one.

Thanks To:

The assistance of the Marvel Chronology Project is gratefully acknowledged.

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