Alyosha Kravinoff
Encyclopedia
Alyosha Kravinoff, also known as the second Kraven the Hunter, is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe
. He is the illegitimate son of Kraven the Hunter
. He first appeared in the pages of Spectacular Spider-Man #243 (February 1997
).
son of the supervillain Kraven the Hunter
. Unlike Alyosha's half-brother Vladimir (the Grim Hunter
), Alyosha was separated from his family and raised in an African jungle. After Kraven's suicide, Alyosha came to New York City
to investigate the father he barely knew. Dressed as Kraven, Alyosha confronted his Uncle Dmitri (The Chameleon
). Believing his abusive half-brother had returned from the dead, the Chameleon revealed to Alyosha much about the dysfunctional Kravinoff family. Kraven's former lover, Calypso Ezili, did actually return from the dead, and she mistook Alyosha for Kraven. She seduced Alyosha, but afterwards he spurned her affections. Later, riding a bull elephant atop Manhattan
's rooftops, Alyosha attacked Spider-Man
; he poisoned him with a hallucinogenic dart, but then set him free. While at the Kravinoff estate, Alyosha was learning about his father from Spider-Man when Calypso
returned with Kraven's tribesmen; she set the home ablaze and killed all but one animal, Gulyadkin the lion. Calypso poisoned Alyosha and Spider-Man and used her hypnotic powers to force the two to fight to the death. Spider-Man resisted and injured Calypso, while Alyosha subdued her with his lion. Despite asking for her forgiveness, Alyosha savagely killed Calypso and all the tribesmen.
He was later hired by the city of New York to help capture the Fantastic Four
's enigmatic enormous canid Puppy. Next, he was hired by the White Wolf, head of the deposed Wakandan
secret police, to capture the Black Panther
. The Black Panther turned the battle around, nearly killing Alyosha. The Sandman
later invited Alyosha to join Sandman
's Sinister Six
to hunt Doctor Octopus
and Senator Ward, host body for the alien Z'nox. Venom
, slighted at his rejection by the Six, hunted each of the team members. Refusing to be "the hunted," Alyosha trapped Venom with fire, but Venom seriously injured him and escaped.
Alyosha then adopted a more relaxed personality as a suave, witty ladies' man. As "Al," he began dating Timber Hughes, an aspiring actress who worked as a waitress at an all-villain bar. Al sought to help Timber's career in Hollywood
by becoming a director. Despite celebrity connections, Al's efforts were stonewalled by arrogance, greed, and corruption within the Hollywood elite. Forced out of Hollywood by the powerful Rothstein brothers, Al is beaten while Timber was brutally raped. Both Al and Timber exacted vengeance which involved defeating another half-brother Ned Tannengarden, and left Hollywood to pursue heroics in New York City.
Alyosha is one of few mutants that retained their superhuman powers after the M-Day
. He is one of the superpowered beings recruited within the Beyond!
miniseries.
Alyosha Kraven later eventually becomes fully deranged from experimenting with his father's potions, and in his madness began collecting a zoo
of animal-themed superhumans, including Bushmaster
, Gargoyle
, Tiger Shark, Kangaroo
, Black Knight's former horse Aragorn
, Vulture
, Mongoose
, Man-Bull
, Dragon Man
, Swarm
, Mandrill
, Grizzly
, Frog-Man
, and Rhino
. In the end, the Punisher
, whom Kraven referred to as "Tiny Monkey" managed to sabotage this zoo. Kraven himself escapes to the Savage Land
.
During The Gauntlet storyline, Alyosha returned to New York to help his half-sister Ana and stepmother Sasha in the Grim Hunt by hunting Kaine
. They then witness Spider-Man's fight with the Lizard
. He was present at the ritual where Sasha sacrifice Mattie Franklin
as part of a revival ritual that resurrects his half-brother Vladimir
as a humanoid lion-like creature. After the Kravinoff Family was defeated, Alyosha alongside the other Kravinoff Family members escaped to the Savage Land. Alyosha soon abandoned his family after Kraven killed Sasha and Vladimir. In an attempt to impress Kraven, Ana pursued Alyosha with the intent of killing him in exchange that he trains her in order to rebuild the Kravinoff Family.
who has superhuman strength, speed, agility, dexterity, reflexes/reactions, coordination, balance, endurance, and a healing factor. His five senses are extraordinarily heightened, and when enraged, he may shift into a bestial fury. He inherited these from his father Kraven, who mutated himself through the constant use of mystical potions.
Alyosha revealed to Spider-Man in his limited series that his mother was a natural-born mutant from whom he inherited the ability to communicate with and have control over animals.
Additionally, he is an experienced expert in weaponry such as poisons, guns, darts, axes, spears, whips, and nets, and is an exceptional hand-to-hand combatant. He wore his father's lion vest, with embedded electroshock circuitry. He travels with his pet wolf Nickel and occasionally other exotic animals.
, Kraven leads the Sinner Six
.
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
. He is the illegitimate son of Kraven the Hunter
Kraven the Hunter
Kraven the Hunter is a fictional character, a supervillain and enemy of Spider-Man appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Kraven's name is Sergei Kravinoff. He also appears as Xraven, with white-grey skin and red eyes, possessing the powers of X-Men. He is the half-brother of Dmitri...
. He first appeared in the pages of Spectacular Spider-Man #243 (February 1997
1997 in comics
-January:*Avengers #3 - Marvel Comics*Captain America #3 - Marvel Comics*Fantastic Four #3 - Marvel Comics*Iron Man #3 - Marvel Comics-February:...
).
Fictional character biography
Alyosha Kravinoff is an illegitimate mutantMutant (Marvel Comics)
In comic books published by Marvel Comics, a mutant is an organism who possesses a genetic trait called an X-gene that allows the mutant to naturally develop superhuman powers and abilities...
son of the supervillain Kraven the Hunter
Kraven the Hunter
Kraven the Hunter is a fictional character, a supervillain and enemy of Spider-Man appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Kraven's name is Sergei Kravinoff. He also appears as Xraven, with white-grey skin and red eyes, possessing the powers of X-Men. He is the half-brother of Dmitri...
. Unlike Alyosha's half-brother Vladimir (the Grim Hunter
Grim Hunter
Grim Hunter is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Comics Universe, in which he is an enemy of Spider-Man. He is the son of Kraven the Hunter. His first appearance was in Spider-Man #47.-Fictional character biography:...
), Alyosha was separated from his family and raised in an African jungle. After Kraven's suicide, Alyosha came to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to investigate the father he barely knew. Dressed as Kraven, Alyosha confronted his Uncle Dmitri (The Chameleon
Chameleon (comics)
The Chameleon is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in The Amazing Spider-Man #1 , and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko; the Chameleon is the first member of Spider-Man's rogues' gallery, based on issue...
). Believing his abusive half-brother had returned from the dead, the Chameleon revealed to Alyosha much about the dysfunctional Kravinoff family. Kraven's former lover, Calypso Ezili, did actually return from the dead, and she mistook Alyosha for Kraven. She seduced Alyosha, but afterwards he spurned her affections. Later, riding a bull elephant atop Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
's rooftops, Alyosha attacked Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
; he poisoned him with a hallucinogenic dart, but then set him free. While at the Kravinoff estate, Alyosha was learning about his father from Spider-Man when Calypso
Calypso (comics)
Calypso is a fictional villain in the Marvel Comics universe, who first appeared in Amazing Spider-Man #209. She was created by Denny O'Neil and Alan Weiss.-Fictional character biography:...
returned with Kraven's tribesmen; she set the home ablaze and killed all but one animal, Gulyadkin the lion. Calypso poisoned Alyosha and Spider-Man and used her hypnotic powers to force the two to fight to the death. Spider-Man resisted and injured Calypso, while Alyosha subdued her with his lion. Despite asking for her forgiveness, Alyosha savagely killed Calypso and all the tribesmen.
He was later hired by the city of New York to help capture the Fantastic Four
Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four is a fictional superhero team appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The group debuted in The Fantastic Four #1 , which helped to usher in a new level of realism in the medium...
's enigmatic enormous canid Puppy. Next, he was hired by the White Wolf, head of the deposed Wakandan
Wakanda (comics)
Wakanda is a fictional nation in the Marvel Universe. It is the most prominent of several fictional African nations in the Marvel Universe. Wakanda is located in Northeastern Africa, although its exact location has varied throughout the nation's publication history: some sources place Wakanda in...
secret police, to capture the Black Panther
Black Panther (comics)
The Black Panther is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and penciller-co-plotter Jack Kirby, he first appeared in Fantastic Four #52...
. The Black Panther turned the battle around, nearly killing Alyosha. The Sandman
Sandman (Marvel Comics)
Sandman is a fictional character who appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. A shapeshifter endowed through an accident with the ability to turn himself into sand, he eventually reformed, and became an ally of Spider-Man...
later invited Alyosha to join Sandman
Sandman (Marvel Comics)
Sandman is a fictional character who appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. A shapeshifter endowed through an accident with the ability to turn himself into sand, he eventually reformed, and became an ally of Spider-Man...
's Sinister Six
Sinister Six
The Sinister Six are a group of supervillains in the Marvel Comics universe, drawn from Spider-Man's rogues gallery. The original incarnation of the group was organized by Doctor Octopus, and first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1 ....
to hunt Doctor Octopus
Doctor Octopus
Doctor Octopus is a fictional character, a supervillain that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics since 1963. A highly intelligent mad scientist, Doctor Octopus is one of Spider-Man's greatest foes...
and Senator Ward, host body for the alien Z'nox. Venom
Eddie Brock
Eddie Brock is a fictional character created by David Michelinie and Todd McFarlane. A comic book supervillain, Brock's earliest appearance is a cameo in Web of Spider-Man #18 before making his first full appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #299 as Venom...
, slighted at his rejection by the Six, hunted each of the team members. Refusing to be "the hunted," Alyosha trapped Venom with fire, but Venom seriously injured him and escaped.
Alyosha then adopted a more relaxed personality as a suave, witty ladies' man. As "Al," he began dating Timber Hughes, an aspiring actress who worked as a waitress at an all-villain bar. Al sought to help Timber's career in Hollywood
Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
Hollywood is a famous district in Los Angeles, California, United States situated west-northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Due to its fame and cultural identity as the historical center of movie studios and movie stars, the word Hollywood is often used as a metonym of American cinema...
by becoming a director. Despite celebrity connections, Al's efforts were stonewalled by arrogance, greed, and corruption within the Hollywood elite. Forced out of Hollywood by the powerful Rothstein brothers, Al is beaten while Timber was brutally raped. Both Al and Timber exacted vengeance which involved defeating another half-brother Ned Tannengarden, and left Hollywood to pursue heroics in New York City.
Alyosha is one of few mutants that retained their superhuman powers after the M-Day
Decimation (comics)
Decimation is the late 2005 Marvel Comics storyline spinning off from the House of M limited series. It focuses on the ramifications of the Scarlet Witch stripping nearly all of the mutant population of their powers, thereby reducing a society of millions to one of scant hundreds.This event, which...
. He is one of the superpowered beings recruited within the Beyond!
Beyond!
Beyond! was a six-issue comic book limited series published by Marvel Comics. It was written by Dwayne McDuffie and illustrated by Scott Kolins. The first issue of the series was released on July 6, 2006 and the final issue on December 6, 2006...
miniseries.
Alyosha Kraven later eventually becomes fully deranged from experimenting with his father's potions, and in his madness began collecting a zoo
Zoo
A zoological garden, zoological park, menagerie, or zoo is a facility in which animals are confined within enclosures, displayed to the public, and in which they may also be bred....
of animal-themed superhumans, including Bushmaster
Bushmaster (Marvel Comics)
Bushmaster is the name of two Marvel Comics brothers, both supervillains.-Fictional character biography:John McIver was a powerful crime boss, criminal financier and organizer, and was oft-confronted by the super-hero Iron Fist. McIver is best known for his attempts to lure Misty Knight to his...
, Gargoyle
Gargoyle (comics)
Gargoyle is a name shared by two fictional characters appearing in the Marvel Comics universe.-Gargoyle :-Publication history:The Gargoyle appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1 , and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby....
, Tiger Shark, Kangaroo
Kangaroo (comics)
The Kangaroo is the alias of two fictional Spider-Man villains in the Marvel Universe. The first was introduced in The Amazing Spider-Man #81 in 1970; the second was first seen in Cage #13 in 1993 and made his debut in The Spectacular Spider-Man #242 in 1997...
, Black Knight's former horse Aragorn
Aragorn (comics)
Aragorn was a fictional winged horse that has served as a mount for various characters in the Marvel Universe.-Fictional character biography:...
, Vulture
Vulture (comics)
The Vulture is the name of six comic book supervillains in the Marvel Comics universe. The best known Vulture in the Marvel Universe is Adrian Toomes, an elderly enemy of Spider-Man created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko in The Amazing Spider-Man #2 .-Golden Age Vulture:In Young Men #26, a scientist...
, Mongoose
Mongoose (comics)
Mongoose is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain from the Marvel Comics universe.-Fictional character biography:Apparently, Mongoose was a real mongoose before his powers were genetically engineered by the High Evolutionary to serve as his agent. At one point, the Mongoose arrives in...
, Man-Bull
Man-Bull
Man-Bull is a fictional character, a supervillain from Marvel Comics.-Publication history:Man-Bull first appeared in Daredevil #78-79 , and was created by Gerry Conway and Gary Friedrich....
, Dragon Man
Dragon Man
Dragon Man is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Comics Universe. He is an artificial dragon-like humanoid android who was animated via alchemy. He was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in Fantastic Four #35 ....
, Swarm
Swarm (comics)
Swarm is a fictional character and supervillain, an enemy of Spider-Man in the Marvel Comics universe. A former Nazi sympathizer, his most notable physical feature is that his entire body is composed of bees....
, Mandrill
Mandrill (comics)
Mandrill is a fictional character, a mutant supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe. His first appearance was in Shanna the She-Devil #4. He was created by writer Carole Seuling and artist Ross Andru...
, Grizzly
Grizzly (comics)
Grizzly is the name of four unrelated fictional characters from the Marvel Comics universe. One is a wild west villain, one is an A.I.M. Agent, one is a foe of Spider-Man, and the fourth is a mutant who was a member of Six Pack.-Grizzly :...
, Frog-Man
Frog-Man
Frog-Man is a minor comedic superhero created by writer J. M. DeMatteis and artist Kerry Gammill for Marvel Comics. His first appearance was in Marvel Team-Up #121.- Fictional character biography :...
, and Rhino
Rhino (comics)
The Rhino is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist John Romita, Sr., the character first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #41 The Rhino (Aleksei Mikhailovich Sytsevich) is a fictional character that appears in comic...
. In the end, the Punisher
Punisher
The Punisher is a fictional character, an anti-hero appearing in comic books based in the . Created by writer Gerry Conway and artists John Romita, Sr., and Ross Andru, the character made its first appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #129 .The Punisher is a vigilante who employs murder,...
, whom Kraven referred to as "Tiny Monkey" managed to sabotage this zoo. Kraven himself escapes to the Savage Land
Savage Land
The Savage Land is a hidden prehistoric land within the fictional Marvel Comics Universe. It is a tropical preserve hidden in Antarctica. It was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in X-Men #10...
.
During The Gauntlet storyline, Alyosha returned to New York to help his half-sister Ana and stepmother Sasha in the Grim Hunt by hunting Kaine
Kaine
Kaine is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics supervillain and antihero who serves as both an ally and an enemy of Spider-Man. He first appeared in Web of Spider-Man #119, and is the Jackal's first failed attempt at cloning Peter Parker...
. They then witness Spider-Man's fight with the Lizard
Lizard (comics)
The Lizard is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe and enemy of Spider-Man. The Lizard first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #6 , and was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko...
. He was present at the ritual where Sasha sacrifice Mattie Franklin
Spider-Woman (Mattie Franklin)
Spider-Woman is a fictional character who is a superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. She is the third character to be called Spider-Woman and the second to receive her own ongoing series.-Publication history:...
as part of a revival ritual that resurrects his half-brother Vladimir
Grim Hunter
Grim Hunter is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Comics Universe, in which he is an enemy of Spider-Man. He is the son of Kraven the Hunter. His first appearance was in Spider-Man #47.-Fictional character biography:...
as a humanoid lion-like creature. After the Kravinoff Family was defeated, Alyosha alongside the other Kravinoff Family members escaped to the Savage Land. Alyosha soon abandoned his family after Kraven killed Sasha and Vladimir. In an attempt to impress Kraven, Ana pursued Alyosha with the intent of killing him in exchange that he trains her in order to rebuild the Kravinoff Family.
Powers and abilities
Alyosha is a mutantMutant (Marvel Comics)
In comic books published by Marvel Comics, a mutant is an organism who possesses a genetic trait called an X-gene that allows the mutant to naturally develop superhuman powers and abilities...
who has superhuman strength, speed, agility, dexterity, reflexes/reactions, coordination, balance, endurance, and a healing factor. His five senses are extraordinarily heightened, and when enraged, he may shift into a bestial fury. He inherited these from his father Kraven, who mutated himself through the constant use of mystical potions.
Alyosha revealed to Spider-Man in his limited series that his mother was a natural-born mutant from whom he inherited the ability to communicate with and have control over animals.
Additionally, he is an experienced expert in weaponry such as poisons, guns, darts, axes, spears, whips, and nets, and is an exceptional hand-to-hand combatant. He wore his father's lion vest, with embedded electroshock circuitry. He travels with his pet wolf Nickel and occasionally other exotic animals.
Spider-Man: Reign
In the dystopian future of Spider-Man: ReignSpider-Man: Reign
Spider-Man: Reign is a four-issue comic book limited series featuring Spider-Man, written and illustrated by Kaare Andrews and published by Marvel Comics...
, Kraven leads the Sinner Six
Sinister Six
The Sinister Six are a group of supervillains in the Marvel Comics universe, drawn from Spider-Man's rogues gallery. The original incarnation of the group was organized by Doctor Octopus, and first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1 ....
.
External links
- Alyosha Kravinoff at Marvel.com