Kraven: Who is The Hunter?

Kraven Isn’t Craven

A man hides in a bush after tracking a lion to its lair. It rises, sensing danger. The man pounces and wrestles the lion. It thrashes wildly, but can’t harm him as he punches its face. A fang goes flying. He throws the lion into a nearby tree. It slowly rises and roars before running off. The man picks up the fang, sighs, and tosses it away. Battling the King of Beasts unarmed isn’t a challenge. Not anymore. 

Returning to his camp, the man reads an American newspaper an associate has discarded. A story spins a fanciful tale about a spider battling an octopus, a vulture, a rhino, and other foes in an urban jungle. Intrigued, he researches this spider. It’s all true. A familiar anticipation fills his heart as Kraven The Hunter books a flight to New York City. 

Kraven The Hunter is one of Marvel’s underrated villains. He’s conquered the animal kingdom and now hunts the most dangerous game of all: Spider-Man. So who is he? Does he have superpowers? How can a hunter keep up with a superhero? Let’s find out.

Big Game: Kraven The Hunter’s Backstory

Kraven The Hunter debuted in The Amazing Spider-Man #15 in 1964. He was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, who ripped off General Zaroff from The Most Dangerous Game. Later authors based his characterization and family on Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov.

Sergei Kravinoff was a Russian aristocrat whose family fled The February Revolution when he was a child. He grew up in America, but moved to Kenya to become a hunter as an adult. Sergei became famous for hunting barehanded and was dubbed Kraven the Hunter by a reporter who didn’t know how to spell Kravinoff.

Kraven’s brother Dimitri recruited him for a hunt. As The Chameleon he had previously been defeated by Spider-Man and wanted his big brother to kill the wall-crawler. Sergei agreed and laid several traps that Spider-Man escaped. The brothers Kravinoff were defeated and arrested, leading Kraven to swear revenge.

Kraven the Hunter battled Spider-Man many times, but neither his savannah-born skills or teaming up with the Sinister Six were enough to win. He returned to his lover, voodoo priest Calypso, who brewed a potion that gave Sergei the strength of the animals he had hunted.

Kraven’s Last Hunt: Kraven The Hunter’s History

Calypso’s potion helped narrow the gap between Kraven and Spider-Man, but he still kept losing. Repeated defeats wore at Kraven until he became suicidal. He decided on one last hunt to kill Spider-Man or to die trying.

Kraven broke his no guns rule to shoot Spider-Man with a special poison before burying him alive. He stole Spider-Man’s costume and became The Spider, believing that he needed to not only kill Spider-Man, but prove that he was better than him.

Spider-Man spent two weeks buried alive before fighting off the poison and escaping. He beat the crap out of Kraven, but Kraven escaped. Sergei retreated to his home, finally at peace with himself. He said his final goodbyes and shot himself.

Grim Hunt: Kraven The Hunter’s Modern Stories

Kraven The Hunter was dead for twenty-two years, a staggering time for a popular villain. His family resurrected him by killing many members of Spider-Man’s supporting cast, most notably Madame Web. Rather than being grateful, an outraged Kraven murdered them for disrupting the balance of nature.

He quickly discovered that he was now immortal. The Kravinoffs had flubbed the ritual, cursing Kraven with immortality unless “The Hunter kills The Spider or The Spider kills The Hunter.” He fought Spider-Man several times, but could not win or convince his foe to end his suffering.

Kraven found a workaround and commissioned The High Evolutionary to clone him dozens of times. The clones fought each other until only one dubbed The Hunter survived. Kraven took up The Spider identity again and fought until his clone killed him, freeing Sergei from the curse. The clone has since taken up his father’s mantle and become the new Kraven the Hunter.

Great White Hunter: Kraven The Hunter’s Powers and Personality

Kraven The Hunter didn’t need powers to become famous. He is an expert martial artist, tracker, athlete, tactician, and hunter. He is physically strong enough to punch a rhino to death. Kraven occasionally uses knives and nets, but eschews ranged weapons.

Calypso’s potion gave Kraven superhuman strength, speed, durability, and senses. It puts him in the same ballpark as Captain America, but weaker than Spider-Man. He is associated with lions and has often sicced them on his enemies.

Kraven The Hunter follows a strict code of honor. He only participates in fair hunts, will not enhance himself beyond peak human abilities, respects the balance of nature, and hates poachers with a passion. He is almost a hero if not for his hobby of hunting superheroes and making them into trophies.

The Actors Who Play Kraven The Hunter

Chris Wiggins – The Marvel Super Heroes
Jack DeLeon – Spider-Man (1981)
Robert Ridgley – Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends
Gregg Berger – Spider-Man: the Animated Series
Michael Dorn – Spider-Man: the New Animated Series
Eric Vesbit – The Spectacular Spider-Man
Diedrich Bader – Ultimate Spider-Man
Troy Baker – Avengers Assemble
Aaron-Taylor Johnson – Kraven The Hunter

Didya Get All That?

A hero hunter hunting for his final resting place

Image: Aaron Taylor Johnson in Columbia Pictures and Marvel KRAVEN THE HUNTER. © 2024 CTMG, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 

Jared Bounacos

Jared Bounacos has written for Movie Rewind since 2016.