Marvel Pays Homage to a Classic, Influential Spider-Man Story

Marvel Pays Homage to a Classic, Influential Spider-Man Story

As a seasoned gamer of Marvel comics, I can confidently say that the upcoming storyline for Ultimate Spider-Man has me more excited than a kid with a new action figure! “Kraven’s Most Dangerous Game!” promises to be an exhilarating ride, reminiscent of the iconic “Kraven’s Last Hunt.” I can already envision the suspenseful cat-and-mouse chase scenes between Spidey and Kraven, a battle that has always been a highlight of our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man’s life.


In the latest developments of the Ultimate Universe, a well-loved tale from Spider-Man’s history is making a comeback. This revisit is one of the exciting aspects of Marvel’s new Ultimate Universe, as it offers insights into how our beloved characters, such as Spider-Man and Green Goblin (Harry Osborn), are being reimagined. Interestingly, in this universe, Peter Parker doesn’t assume the role of Spider-Man until he’s a married man with children. His crimefighting partner is none other than his best friend, Green Goblin. Despite the differences in circumstances, familiar threats like Kraven the Hunter and the Sinister Six still pose significant challenges. The epic battles between Kraven and Spider-Man from the past, particularly “Kraven’s Last Hunt,” are legendary. An adaptation of this story is set to appear in an upcoming issue of Ultimate Spider-Man.

In January 2025, Marvel unveiled its catalog of comics for its Ultimate series, featuring titles like “Ultimate Spider-Man” #13 penned by Jonathan Hickman and Marco Checchetto. The upcoming storyline titled “Kraven’s Most Dangerous Game!” is being hyped as a tribute to the groundbreaking 1987 Spider-Man saga, “Kraven’s Last Hunt,” written by J.M. DeMatteis and Mike Zeck. Notably, “Kraven’s Last Hunt” has been revisited multiple times, and its trade paperback remains a top seller among fans, who often cite it as one of their favorite Spider-Man storylines. This narrative helped elevate Kraven to the status of an iconic Spider-Man antagonist.

What is Spider-Man: Kraven’s Last Hunt about?

Marvel Pays Homage to a Classic, Influential Spider-Man Story

The storyline “Kraven’s Last Hunt” unfolded over issues #31-32 of Web of Spider-Man, issues #293-294 of The Amazing Spider-Man, and issues #131-132 of Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man. In this tale, Kraven the Hunter targets Spider-Man for his final hunt, aiming to defeat him and assume his role. The narrative follows Kraven pursuing Spider-Man, eventually capturing him, shooting him with a rifle, and burying him underground while wearing Spider-Man’s black suit. However, Spider-Man manages to escape and confronts Kraven once more. Having already envisioned himself as the victor, Kraven is at peace with his life and chooses to end it with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Indeed, Marvel has brought back Kraven the Hunter multiple times through methods such as cloning or using his son, or even cloning his son. Now, Aaron Taylor-Johnson will portray Kraven the Hunter in the standalone film produced by Sony Pictures.

Why is Kraven hunting Ultimate Spider-Man?

In my excitement as a die-hard fan, let me share how I’ve rephrased it in the first person:

In a turn of events, genius inventor Tony Stark bestowed upon Peter Parker a high-tech suit known as the Stark picotech and a radioactive spider. The spider’s bite transformed Peter into the renowned Spider-Man. Throughout his exploits, Spider-Man encountered the Green Goblin, another individual influenced by the Maker’s nefarious schemes. Tragically, both Peter Parker (Spider-Man) and Harry Osborn lost their loved ones when the Maker falsely accused Tony Stark of terrorism, leading to the deaths of Aunt May and Norman Osborn (Green Goblin’s father). Now, Spider-Man and Green Goblin have squared off against crime lord Kingpin, but during a 2-on-1 confrontation, they were overpowered. As a consequence, Kingpin has delegated his Sinister Six to handle these vigilantes, with Kraven the Hunter seeming particularly excited for the chase.

What is Ultimate Spider-Man #13 about?

Marvel Pays Homage to a Classic, Influential Spider-Man Story

In the Deadly Pursuit: The Six Most Treacherous Foes are after Spider-Man and the Green Goblin, with the Kingpin as their leader. However, this time, Kraven has gained the advantage in a tribute to the classic tale “Kraven’s Final Act”!

Ultimate Spider-Man #13 goes on sale January 22, 2025.

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2024-10-03 00:11