WARNING: The following contains major spoilers for "The Pageant of the Masters of Nocturnal Artistry" by Jason Aaron, R.M. Guera, Giulia Brusco and VC's Cory Petit, from the pages of Heroes Reborn #5, on sale now.
Almost every corner of the Marvel Universe has been reshaped by the mysterious events surrounding Heroes Reborn, including its most terrifying villains. The absence of the Avengers from the timeline has had some truly shocking effects on the rest of the world, even with villains who are only tangentially related to Earth's Mightiest Heroes. The likes of Doctor Doom and Red Skull may have become something almost entirely unrecognizable from their former selves, but it is Kraven the Hunter who has been transformed into the most maniacal version of himself yet in Heroes Reborn #5.
A riot has broken out at the Ravencroft Institute, and while the inmates wreak havoc both within and outside of the facility, the Squadron Supreme's Nighthawk is busy calculating just where he needs to drop in to quell the violence. However, Kraven the Hunter emerges from the shadows in his own Nighthawk suit and packing heat. While Kraven has always been ruthless, he has never been more bloodthirsty than calculating in his endeavors, at least not until now. Not only is Kraven looking for Nighthawk, but he is prepared to become him as well if it means showing the world who the greatest of Marvel's Dark Knights truly is.
When he was first introduced during 1964's Amazing Spider-Man #15 by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, Sergei Kravinoff had been called in by Chameleon to deal with Spider-Man, who had grievously injured the latter villain's fragile ego during their previous encounters.
As the last of a long-dead aristocracy, Kraven had dedicated himself to killing the biggest game on Earth with his bare hands and the enhanced strength given to him by Calypso during his time in Africa. When his first attempt at subduing the wall-crawler failed, Kraven returned as part of the original Sinister Six.
Over the years, Kraven's inability to eliminate or even subdue Spider-Man drove him to the brink of madness, which eventually led to him hunting his own children after yet another failed attempt to finally fell his longtime quarry. Kraven has always been a menacing threat, but he has only the kind of obsessive maniac that Heroes Reborn has turned him into at his most dangerous moments in stories like "Kraven's Last Hunt." Just as he was with Spider-Man in that story, no longer is Kraven content to simply murder his targets, but he is instead dedicated to wearing their skin to usurp their roles and prove himself better. And this time, he has heavy artillery to help with his dark mission.
Kraven may not be the most terrifying villain of all of Heroes Reborn, but this issue returns him to his savage peaks. As unlikely as it is that any more Kraven the Hunter action will be on the way throughout the rest of the series, his appearance in the pages of Heroes Reborn #5 is still a poignant moment that highlights just how twisted the Marvel Universe has become. A world remade in Mephisto's image is surely one of the worst things that could have happened, especially when reimagined villains like Kraven are on the prowl
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