Valiant Entertainment is introducing Russian leader Vladimir Putin as a villain in its upcoming "Divinity II" event series, from writer Matt Kindt and artist Trevor Hairsine.

Announcing Putin's induction into the Valiant Universe to New York Daily News, Kindt said, "You can't have Russia taking over the world without their leader being involved."

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A follow-up to last year's "Divinity," the sequel series sees Putin manipulating a '60-era cosmonaut -- who has returned to Earth with superpowers -- into rebuilding Russia as a new Soviet empire.

"I don't think you could have an all-powerful Russian cosmonaut roaming the Earth without Putin having something to say about it," Kindt said.

He added, "I did a massive amount of research on Putin, but I kept his dialogue to a minimum. I think it's a tricky thing to put words into an acting leader's mouth."

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Kindt noted that Putin's role in the series will be important, but not too overpowering: "So while Putin plays a critical role in motivating the characters and driving the story, I think he's more cooking with spices...If you use him too much, he'll overpower (the taste). And we can't let him do that."

"Divinity II" #1 hits stands on April 20.