SPIDER-MAN
Earth-26965

Real Name: Sergei Kravinoff

Identity/Class: Alternate reality (Earth-26965) human mutate bonded to an extraterrestrial (Klyntar) symbiote

Occupation: Hunter, would-be adventurer

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Formerly Anna Kravinoff

Enemies: Doctor Octopus (Otto Octavius), "Kingpin," "Scorpion," Spider-Man (Peter Parker), Vermin, "Vulture"

Known Relatives: Anna Kravinoff (mother, deceased), unidentified father (first name likely Nikolai - see comments), likely additional unrevealed family members

Aliases: Kraven the Hunter

Base of Operations: A mansion in New York City, New York, USA

First Appearance: What If?: Spider-Man III#1 (September, 2026)

Powers/Abilities: Due to the various herbs and potions he had ingested and mystic rituals he had performed on himself, Sergei Kravinoff possessed enhanced strength, reflexes, vision and hearing, as well as an extended lifespan.

    As Kraven the Hunter, Kravinoff used various weapons such as nets and tranquilizer guns.

    While briefly bonded to an alien symbiote, Kravinoff was capable of generating symbiotic tendrils and his strength and durability were augmented to superhuman levels.

Height: Unrevealed (approximately 6'0")
Weight: Unrevealed (approximately 235 lbs)
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Black

History:
(What If?: Spider-Man III#1 (fb) - BTS) - Sergei Kravinoff was born into Russian aristocracy but his family soon fled St. Petersburg, living a life of poverty afterwards.

(What If?: Spider-Man III#1 (fb)) - Following a rough upbringing involving an abusive, alcoholic father and a mother that had committed suicide, Sergei Kravinoff dedicated himself to the hunt, traveling the world to hone his skills and during his travels, he learned of jungle herbs, potions and rituals that extended his lifespan and enhanced his strength, reflexes and senses. Ingesting the herbs and potions, Sergei became known as the Kraven the Hunter and he came to believe a monstrous arachnoid being was responsible for the downfall of his family. Learning of the heroic Spider-Man, the insane Kraven began to perceive Spider-Man as a human host for the spider being he sought to destroy and he became a regular foe of the hero, battling him for several years, only to meet defeat during each encounter. As he plotted to destroy Spider-Man once and for all, Kraven captured the cannibalistic Vermin, something that Spider-Man had previously failed to do, and he began ritualistically devouring spiders.

    More determined to destroy Spider-Man than ever, Kraven ultimately trapped the hero in a net then shot him with tranquilizers before burying the hero alive. Upon Spider-Man's defeat, the insane Kraven then donned Spider-Man's costume and assumed his heroic identity as the new Spider-Man while the real Spider-Man awakened within his buried coffin and fought his way out, soon bursting free of the coffin and digging himself out of the ground two weeks after his burial. Addled and nearly mad from his experiences, Spider-Man fought his way into Kraven's church base of operations, easily defeating Kraven's two agents before suffering a mental breakdown and leaping through one of the stained glass windows to the ground.

(What If?: Spider-Man III#1) - No longer fearing Spider-Man due to his prior defeat of him, Kraven walked up to the prone Spider-Man and unmasked him. Upon seeing the mentally broken face of Peter Parker, Kraven realized that he had been a fool, chasing an imaginary spider being that did not exist and completely ruining the life of another human being. Coming to terms with the fact that Spider-Man was nothing more than a man with a mind as fragile as glass, shattered by the ordeal Kraven himself had put him through, Kraven carried Spider-Man back to his mansion and monitored the hero's mental state for hours. When Parker called for his wife, Kraven realized the full scope of the horror he had put Parker through and he returned Parker to Mary Jane Watson-Parker to recover. Feeling as if he had been the real monster, Kraven then returned to the basement of his mansion and turned his attention away from Peter Parker, instead focusing on the captive Vermin, whom Kraven freed in an effort to deal with him permanently. Vermin immediately attacked Kraven but Kraven took his own personal rage and frustration out on the creature, savagely beating him and eventually snapping Vermin's neck, only to witness Vermin transform back into his normal human form. Upon seeing the human side of Vermin, Kraven again felt shame at having mistaken another man for a monster. Kraven learned shortly after that Vermin had been transformed into his rat-like form against his will by the villainous Baron Zemo.

    Burying his own feelings of shame and regret in a haze of alcohol and carnal passions, Kraven was soon drawn out by Doctor Octopus, who attacked the city in an effort to confront the "impostor" Spider-Man. Deciding to continue acting as Spider-Man in the recovering Peter Parker's absence, Kraven met Octavius' public challenge as Spider-Man. When Doctor Octopus knocked him into a wall, Kraven retaliated by savagely beating Octavius within an inch of his life, feeling a renewed sense of purpose but still unsure if he was perhaps only masking his continued feelings of shame beneath a veil of heroism. Fully adopting the mantle of Spider-Man, Kravinoff stalked and hunted Spider-Man's former foes, receiving acknowledge, both good and bad, for the brutality of his methods. Comforted by his pretend heroism, Kravinoff slept at night, at first unaware that the alien symbiote that Peter Parker had once been bonded to was stalking him. Awaking to smell the symbiote's presence in his home, Kraven deduced that the symbiote had somehow found its way back to Parker and that it was feeding on Parker's feelings of anger and humiliation suffered at the hands of Kraven himself. Suspecting that the symbiote would soon come for him and despite not wanting to do so, Kraven ingested herbs and performed rituals that he had never dared attempted before, feeling he owed a debt to Parker.

    Not long after, the alien symbiote fully took over Peter Parker and went straight for Kraven on a mission of vengeance. Refusing to admit to fear, Kraven avoided the symbiote-bonded Peter Parker's attacks, all the while wondering if perhaps the symbiote was the perceived spider being he had long sought to destroy. During the subsequent brutal fight, Kraven overcame his fear but the symbiote-bonded Parker broke Kraven's hands before savagely clawing Kraven's chest and shoulders. Before the symbiote could kill Kraven, Peter Parker briefly regained control, refusing to let the symbiote kill or assume control over his entire life. Kraven then laughed, taunting the symbiote into leaving Parker to bond with him instead. After touching Kraven's mind and seeing all of the pain and loss in Kraven's memories, the symbiote agreed to Kraven's suggestion that they bond, unaware that the forbidden rituals and herbs that Kraven had recently exposed himself to had temporarily given him the ability to control the symbiote. Taking advantage of the brief period of control he still retained and wishing to atone for his past shame and regret, Kraven then ingested poisonous herbs that would kill both the symbiote and himself. With his last vestiges of life, a saddened Kraven looked Peter Parker in the eyes and collapsed, succumbing to death.

    Following Kraven the Hunter's burial, Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson-Parker visited the grave to leave a single rose on it. When Peter remarked that Kraven had given his life to save him, Mary Jane suggested that Kraven had instead punished himself for his past sins. Peter argued that Kraven had indeed died to save him and Mary Jane relented that, for whatever reasons Kraven had, he did save Peter and she remarked that she would be eternally grateful for that. The two then left the grave, with Peter expressing hope that Kraven had finally found peace, both completely unaware of someone else approaching the grave and digging it up.

Comments: Created by J.M. DeMatteis and Yildiray Cinar.

    "Kingpin," "Lizard," "Scorpion" and "Vulture" were never identified by name in the What If?: Spider-Man III#1 story but since the reality in this issue diverged from Earth-616, it stands to reason that their respective codenames reflected those used on Earth-616. Since there was no in-story confirmation, I listed their codenames in quotations. Similarly,Kraven's father is never identified by name in the What If? story but it is likely Nikolai, like on Earth-616. Also similar to Earth-616, this divergent Earth Kraven likely also has a large family and children, but none were seen or mentioned in the What If? story.

    The Marvel Database Wiki website states that Kraven killed Dr. Octopus, Kingpin, Lizard, Scorpion, Vermin and Vulture, but the only character that the actual story confirms dead is Vermin. The others are just shown to be brutally beaten by Kraven but there is no evidence to directly show that Kraven killed them.

   This profile was completed on 08/19/2026 but its publication was delayed, as it was intended for the Appendix's 25th anniversary celebratory event.

Profile by Proto-Man.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Earth-26965's Spider-Man (Sergei Kravinoff) should be distinguished from:

Baron Zemo

Baron Zemo was a lunatic that transformed a young man into the rat-like Vermin, whom Kraven the Hunter captured. After releasing Vermin and ultimately killing him, Kraven learned that Vermin had been transformed against his will by Baron Zemo.

--What If?: Spider-Man III#1 (fb) - BTS
Doctor Octopus

Otto Octavius was a recurring foe of Spider-Man (Peter Parker) under his criminal alias of Doctor Octopus. After having battled Spider-Man (Parker) for years, Doctor Octopus learned that someone had been impersonating his heroic foe and went on a rampage in an effort to draw the impostor out. When Dr. Octopus was met by Kraven the Hunter, who had assumed the mantle of Spider-Man as Peter Parker recovered from mental trauma at Kraven's hands, Kraven demanded to know why Dr. Octopus cared if someone was impersonating Spider-Man and Dr. Octopus replied that only the Spider-Man he had fought for many years was a worthy foe for one such as Dr. Octopus. When Dr. Octopus then accused Kraven of being nothing, Kraven beat Dr. Octopus within an inch of his life, finding renewed purpose in life by continuing Spider-Man's work.

Like his Earth-616 counterpart, Dr. Octopus utilizes four metallic tentacles.

--What If?: Spider-Man III#1
"Kingpin"

"Kingpin," much like his Earth-616 counterpart, was a recurring foe of Spider-Man (Peter Parker). After Kraven the Hunter assumed the mantle of Spider-Man, he began stalking and hunting Spider-Man's former foes and when he confronted the "Kingpin," Kraven dangled him out the window of a high-rise building.

--What If?: Spider-Man III#1
Anna Kravinoff

Anna Kravinoff was Sergei Kravinoff's mother and she was holding the young Sergei when her family fled from St. Petersburg. In their new home, Anna and her family lived in poverty and Anna occasionally witnessed her husband abusing young Sergei. Anna ultimately committed suicide with a knife on her bed.

--What If?: Spider-Man III#1 (fb)
"Lizard"

"Lizard," much like his Earth-616 counterpart, was a recurring foe of Spider-Man (Peter Parker). After Kraven the Hunter assumed the mantle of Spider-Man, he began stalking and hunting Spider-Man's former foes, battling "Lizard" in the sewers and slamming the creature against the wall.

Like his Earth-616 counterpart, "Lizard" had a humanoid reptilian form, complete with long tail and sharp claws.

--What If?: Spider-Man III#1
"Scorpion"

"Scorpion," much like his Earth-616 counterpart, was a recurring foe of Spider-Man (Peter Parker). After Kraven the Hunter assumed the mantle of Spider-Man, he began stalking and hunting Spider-Man's former foes, defeating "Scorpion" and raising his unconscious foe into the air over the ledge of a building.

Like his Earth-616 counterpart, "Scorpion" had enhanced strength and durability and he was bonded to a battlesuit equipped with an extendable tail.
--What If?: Spider-Man III#1
Vermin

Vermin was a young man that was mutated against his will by the insane Baron Zemo into a rat-like form. When his foe Spider-Man (Peter Parker) proved unable to apprehend the cannibalistic Vermin, Kraven the Hunter hunted and captured Vermin himself, imprisoning him in the basement of his mansion in a cage. After he came to the realization that he had completely ruined Peter Parker's life and mental state, the regretful Kraven returned to his home and freed Vermin, who immediately attacked him. Following a savage attack from Vermin, Kraven retaliated by beating Vermin severely, ultimately snapping his neck and killing the creature, only to watch the deceased Vermin transform back into human form. Overcome with shame that he may have mistaken another human being as a monster, much like he had with Spider-Man, Kraven subsequently buried his feelings in alcohol and carnal indulgence.

Like his Earth-616 counterpart, Vermin possessed a rat-like form, complete with sharp claws and teeth.

--What If?: Spider-Man III#1 (#1 (fb) - BTS, #1d,
"Vulture"


"Vulture," much like his Earth-616 counterpart, was a recurring foe of Spider-Man (Peter Parker). After Kraven the Hunter assumed the mantle of Spider-Man, he began stalking and hunting Spider-Man's former foes, defeating the airborne "Vulture" in the skies.

Like his Earth-616 counterpart, "Vulture" wore a technological flying harness that boosted his strength and was equipped with wings capable of flight.

--What If?: Spider-Man III#1
images: (without ads)
What If?: Spider-Man III#1, p23, pan2 (Spider-Man/Kraven bonded to symbiote, main image)
What If?: Spider-Man III#1, p6, pan2 (Kraven, headshot)
What If?: Spider-Man III#1, p22, pan4 (Sergei Kravinoff as a young boy & Anna Kravinoff images)
What If?: Spider-Man III#1, p1, pan2 (Kraven the Hunter, original costume)
What If?: Spider-Man III#1, p2, pan2 (Kraven as Spider-Man)
What If?: Spider-Man III#1, front cover (unmasked Kraven in Spider-Man costume, perched on a gravestone)
What If?: Spider-Man III#1, p24, pans1-6 (Kraven's death)
What If?: Spider-Man III#1, p13, pan1 (Dr. Octopus)
What If?: Spider-Man III#1, p16, splash page ("Kingpin," "Lizard," "Scorpion" & "Vulture")
What If?: Spider-Man III#1, p8, pan6 (Vermin)

Appearances:
What If?: Spider-Man III#1 (September, 2026) - J.M. DeMatteis (writer), Yildiray Cinar (art), Tom Groneman (editor)

First posted: 09/23/2026
Last updated: 08/19/2026

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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