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Out of all the Marvel villains, Kraven the Hunter is the one who is set to have the biggest year. Starring in a film of his own with Aaron Taylor-Johnson playing him and then being the main antagonist for Spider-Man 2, Kraven is all set to go mainstream, and it looks like he might just give the webheads some huge struggles as well.
Kraven the Hunter is easily one of Spider-Man's most formidable foes, but the character has never been represented on such a huge scale. Even after a few animated shows and videogame appearances, he remains a bit of an obscure villain. So, what better time than now to look at his origins?
Kraven the Hunter is one of Spider-Man's biggest villains in the comics
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Kraven the Hunter first debuted in Amazing Spider-Man #15 in May 1964. Created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, he is often known as the Marvel universe's best hunter and has often given a tough fight to Spider-Man. Kraven's story begins in Volgad, Russia, in the early 20th Century during the Russian Revolution. He would go by the name of Kravenoff, then.
According to Fandom, Kravenoff would find out that he had a penchant for hunting when he would find employment in Kenya, Africa, and would use the normal tools of a hunter to take down the game. Over time, he would hone his skills and prefer taking down his targets with his bare hands rather than using any equipment.
He would then come across a voodoo witch doctor named Calypso and receive a herbal potion that would enhance his strength. The potion would also keep his vitality in check and extend his life by many years. Then in 1959, Kraven joined Nick Fury's Black Ops team called "Avengers" and would be a part of it until he started targetting Spider-Man.
When Kraven is bored of finding a big game, he yearns for a challenge, and that's when his associate notifies him of Spider-Man. He would drink the elixirs of the jungle provided by Calypso, and this would give him unbelievable speed and strength that would be fit to take on the webhead.
Throughout the years in comic books, Kraven the Hunter's rivalry with Spider-Man has been a huge aspect of the character, with the rivalry coming to a head in the highly acclaimed Amazing Spider-Man: Kraven's Last Hunt, which is by far considered the definitive tale of the iconic comic book villain. In this comic, Kraven buries Spider-Man alive, takes over the webhead's identity, and becomes New York's Spider-Man and a better hero.
In Kraven: The Hunter, which releases on October 6, 2023, we will see him take on the Rhino, which certainly is a choice considering Spider-Man so far hasn't been confirmed to appear in the movie. However, the Aaron Taylor-Johnson-starrer will be a part of Sony's cinematic universe of Spider-Man characters, which includes movies like Venom and Morbius.
To watch Kraven the Hunter take on Spider-Man, you can check out the Spider-Man 2 game when it releases for the PlayStation 5 consoles this fall. It certainly is a fun time to be a fan of Kraven.
