Alyosha Kravinoff
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Alyosha Kravinoff, also known as Kraven the Hunter, is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics Universe.
[edit] Fictional character biography
Alyosha Kravinoff, an illegitimate mutant son of the infamous Kraven the Hunter, was — unlike his half-brother Vladimir (the Grim Hunter) — separated from his family and raised in an African jungle. After Kraven's suicide, Alyosha came to New York 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, poisoning 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, setting the home ablaze and killing 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 the Sinister Six to hunt Dr. Octopus and Senator Ward, host body for the alien Z'nox. Venom (Eddie Brock), 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 waitressed 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 was beaten while Timber was brutally raped. Both Al and Timber exacted vengeance, defeated another half-brother, Ned, and left Hollywood to pursue heroics in New York City. Considering his family history and personality shifts, his mental stability remains in question. He retained his mutant powers after M-Day.
Alyosha was one of the superpowered beings recruited within the Beyond miniseries.
[edit] Powers and abilities
Alyosha has superhuman strength, speed, agility, dexterity, reflexes, coordination, stamina, and endurance. His five senses are extraordinarily heightened, and he can communicate with animals. When enraged, he may shift into a bestial fury. He revealed to Spiderman in his limited series that his mother was a mutant like himself, and thus the source of his X-genes. He is highly experienced in weaponry such as poison darts, axes, spears, whips, guns, and nets, and is an exceptional unarmed combatant. He wore his father's lion vest, with embedded electro-shock circuitry. He travels with his pet wolf, Nickel, and occasionally other exotic animals.
