Born into Russian aristocracy, Sergei Kravinoff enjoyed the pursuits of big game hunting over the life of a socialite. He became so notorious for his hunting skills that he started to call himself Kraven the Hunter. Kraven stole an elixir from a witch doctor, which increased his strength, reflexes and stamina, as well as unknowingly extending his lifespan, granting him the power to take on the greatest hunts in existence. When his brother told him about Spider-Man, Kraven made it his goal to hunt and kill the Web-Crawler, but after numerous defeats, Kraven was encouraged by Director Fury into hunting Incursions instead.