Spider-Man has some of the best villains of any superhero. From Doc Ock to Green Goblin, Venom, Mysterio, and many more, there is no shortage of compelling baddies to choose from. Our Web-Head friend has been protecting his homeland from serious threats for decades but some bad guys are stronger than others and offer a greater challenge. One of the most notable of these villains is Kraven the Hunter.

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Perhaps the most popular villain that has yet to appear in live action, Kraven is an important part of some of Spider-Man's greatest adventures.

10 Origins

The son of a Soviet aristocrat, Sergei Nikolaevich Kravinoff grew up a Russian immigrant to the United States. Trained since he was a young child by a man named Gregor, Sergei grew up to become one of the greatest hunters of all time.

Unlike most big game hunters, however, Kraven despised the use of weapons such as bows or guns. He preferred a more hands-on approach, literally. After many years of successfully catching some of the most dangerous animals with his bare hands, Kraven became bored. He then traveled to New York in hopes of hunting much more dangerous game: Spider-Man.

9 Powers And Skills

Kraven drinks a mystical serum that enhances his strength and reflexes, while also slowing his aging process. While he is actually over 70 years old, Kraven appears to be in his mid 3os. The potion also enhances the hunter's instincts, increasing his perceptive abilities while he is on the prowl.

Without the serum, Kraven would still be incredibly formidable. He is a master hunter, perhaps the best in the world. Kraven also is a master hand-to-hand combatant and has knowledge of every animal's nerve clusters, allowing him to disable one with a few short jabs. On his person, he often carries a plethora of poisons, nets, tranquilizers and other hunting equipment at his disposal.

8 The Family

Spider-Man-Chameleon

Kraven has a large extended family, the Kravinoffs, all of which are formidable opponents in their own rights. Among them are Kraven's wife Sasha Alexander,  his daughter Ana and his three sons.

His most prominent relative is Kraven's half-brother Dmitri Nikolayevich, also known as the Chameleon. A master of disguise, Chameleon is actually the first villain Spider-Man ever fought. It was Chameleon that convinced Kraven to come to America and hunt Spider-Man as the ultimate prey.

7 Kraven's Legacy

Ana Kravinoff holding a knife in Marvel Comics

All four of Kraven's children have sought to continue their father's legacy. His oldest son carried on the mantle for some time as the Grim Hunter. He was quickly killed by the villain Kaine. Alyosha, Kraven's second son, was born with enhanced senses and an ability to communicate with animals. His third son, Nedrocci, tried to murder Alyosha but died himself at the hand of the Chameleon.

The only successful Kravinoff to carry on the mantle was Kraven's daughter Ana. The youngest child of Sasha and Kraven, Ana hunts various heroes and villains mercilessly in hopes of gaining her father's approval.

6 Calypso

A longtime lover and companion of Kraven, Calypso often makes her way into his adventures. A master of voodoo and mysticism, she has a variety of skills that compliment Kraven's quite nicely. Among these include various potions and poisons, mind control and necromancy.

As her relationship with Kraven continued to grow, so did her hatred for Spider-Man. After the hunter's untimely demise, Calypso took it upon herself to kill the wall-crawler. Bewitching the Lizard into following her commands, she nearly succeeded.

5 Sinister Six

Perhaps the greatest supervillain team in all of Marvel comics, the Sinister Six has long been a thorn in Spider-Man's side. Kraven was a founding member of the team, and has appeared in multiple incarnations of the Sinister Six.

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Doctor Octopus came to Kraven with an offer. Join him and four other Spider-Man villains to take down the web-slinger once and for all. Kraven accepted, setting up a trap with three tigers for Spidey in Central Park. Although they were defeated, the deadly villain team would return to pester the superhero for years to come.

4 Hunting Heroes

Kraven Alexei Kravinoff fights the Black Panther in Marvel Comics

Although Spider-Man remains Kraven's most coveted prey, he has hunted other heroes over the years. Among them include Daredevil, Black Panther, and Tigra, among others.

While Kraven often chooses targets around his power level, there was one notable exception -- The Incredible Hulk. Kraven trapped the Hulk by tying his face in a series of adamantium fishhooks. It turned out that the hunter actually wanted to work with the jolly green giant. In tracking him down, Kraven proved that he is a good enough hunter to go after much bigger prey.

3 Ultimate Kraven

In the Ultimate line of Marvel comics, writer Brian Michael Bendis went with a new interpretation of the comic book character. This Kraven was a Russian-Australian reality TV star. He hosted a crocodile-hunter-esque show where Kraven would search for the most dangerous prey.

Later on, he decides to hunt down and kill Spider-Man on live television in a last-ditch effort to boost his ratings. This Kraven has no powers, however, and is defeated by Spider-Man with one quick punch.

2 Kraven's Last Hunt

One of the greatest Spider-Man stories of all time, this is the comic book run that truly put Kraven on the map. Written by J. M. DeMatteis, Kraven's Last Hunt was the story where Kraven finally caught and defeated Spider-Man.

After doing so, Kraven donned Spider-Man's black costume and patrolled the streets of New York as a "better" version of the wall-crawler. After seemingly proving that he was the ultimate hunter, Kraven decides to take his own life. There was nothing left for him to prove.

1 Next In Line For the MCU

Spider-Man: Far From Home

With the MCU's Spider-Man movies, Marvel Studios is choosing only to use characters that have not been seen on the big screen before.

With villains like Venom, Green Goblin, Doc Ock and Mysterio off the table, the biggest enemy left is Kraven the Hunter. He would make for a great antagonist to the webhead, and it seems that the end of Spider-Man: Far From Home sets up a possible Kraven storyline quite nicely.

Other rumors indicate that the MCU is setting up their version of the Sinister Six. Since Kraven was an important founding member of the team, it just makes sense that he would be the next of Spidey's rogue gallery to appear on the big screen. We can't wait to see him.

NEXT: Spider-Man: 10 Underrated Villains That Are Actually Dangerous