History ComicBook / KravensLastHunt

''Kraven's Last Hunt'', or ''Fearful Symmetry'', is a 1987 BatFamilyCrossover between various ComicBook/SpiderMan titles regarding his last battle with Kraven the Hunter. It spans ''Web of Spider-Man'' #31-32, ''[[ComicBook/TheAmazingSpiderMan1963 The Amazing Spider-Man]]'' #293-294 and ''The Spectacular Spider-Man'' #131-132. This is the first event title in Spider-Man's publication history, and the first time a single story carried across all the books.

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-->'''Spider-Man:''' I've been in worse shape before. I know Kraven's method. He's just like Doc Ock and The Vulture and all the rest of 'em. He's gonna pack me off to some secret hideout, spend a couple of hours ranting and raving -- and while he does, [[ExplainExplainOhCrap I'll find a way to beat his smirking face right into the-]] '''[[ExplainExplainOhCrap A RIFLE?!]]'''

The story was popular enough to receive multiple [[SpiritualSuccessor follow-ups]] over the years. The graphic novel ''Soul of the Hunter'' by the same artistic team shows Peter Parker still struggling with the aftereffects of being buried alive and his repressed guilt over not having prevented Kraven's suicide. This came about partly to answer accusations that ''Kraven's Last Hunt'' glorified suicide. In either case, Kraven's still dead and gone in that story. Later still, ''The Grim Hunt'' has Kraven's ex-wife and children rounding up spider-powered heroes and using them in blood rituals to resurrect both Kraven and his dead eldest son in the same mansion Kraven uses in this story, much to Kraven's fury at being cheated out of a peaceful end through unnatural means. Creator/NickSpencer's 2019 event ''ComicBook/{{Hunted}}'' also builds on the legacy of ''Kraven's Last Hunt'' and ''Grim Hunt'', while pretty definitively ending Kraven's story.

''Kraven's Last Hunt'', or ''Fearful Symmetry'', is a 1987 BatFamilyCrossover between various ComicBook/SpiderMan titles regarding his last battle with Kraven the Hunter. It spans ''Web of Spider-Man'' #31-32, ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #293-294 and ''The Spectacular Spider-Man'' #131-132. This is the first event title in Spider-Man's publication history, and the first time a single story carried across all the books.

''Kraven's Last Hunt'', or ''Fearful Symmetry'', is a 1987 crossover series between various ComicBook/SpiderMan titles regarding his last battle with Kraven the Hunter. It spans ''Web of Spider-Man #31-32'', ''The Amazing Spider-Man #293-294'' and ''The Spectacular Spider-Man #131-132''. This is the first [[BatFamilyCrossover event title in Spider-Man's publication history]], and the first time a single story carried across all the books.

-->'''Peter:''' That's what it's all about, isn't it? Yesterday, Ned Leeds, today, Joe Face. Tomorrow... Aunt May? Mary Jane? Me? Funny. I'm out there facing death every day as Spider-Man -- But I never really think about it. Guess I don't let myself. Yet so many people I love have died before their time: Uncle Ben, Captain Stacy, Gwen -- now Ned...Do I think I'm somehow immune? I'm going to die. But not yet.''

* AteHisGun: After feeling that he's sufficiently proven his point and is ready to die honorably (by his standards, at least), Kraven positions himself in front of a coffin, sticks his rifle in his mouth, and fires up, with his body falling inside.

--> '''I've been in worse shape before. I know Kraven's method. He's just like Doc Ock and The Vulture and all the rest of 'em. He's gonna pack me off to some secret hideout, spend a couple of hours ranting and raving-- and while he does, I'll find a way to beat his smirking face right into the...a ''RIFLE?!?'''

-->''That's what it's all about isn't it? Yesterday, Ned Leeds, today, Joe Face. Tomorrow...Aunt May? Mary Jane? Me? Funny. I'm out there facing death every day as Spider-Man -- But I never really think about it. Guess I don't let myself. Yet so many people I love have died before their time: Uncle Ben, Captain Stacy, Gwen -- now Ned...Do I think I'm somehow immune? I'm going to die. But not yet.''

* FetalPositionRebirth: Peter Parker dreams of himself naked in the fetal position, floating in a white void, while drugged and BuriedAlive by Kraven the hunter. Then the drug-induced sleep turns nightmarish, with amongst other niceties Peter "birthing" out of a GiantSpider.

* ImAHumanitarian: Vermin drags a woman into the sewer while thinking "yum" multiple times. A little while later, Vermin can be seen with a human rib cage, indicated he did in fact eat her. In the ''ComicBook/WhatIf''' of this issue (where Kraven actually ''kills'' Spider-Man rather than just drugging him), Kraven continually eats parts of Peter's corpse.

--> '''Look at his eyes. There's something in his eyes! This isn't the Kraven ''I'' know!'''

* SceneryGorn: Mike Zeck's artwork makes New York's sewers look ugly, dark, and grimy, rather than the cavernous, but cool underground tunnels it's usually shown as.

-->'''Even if he does know...I can't tell him.'''

* ThouShallNotKill: Spider-Man refuses to play Kraven's games (beating the bestial Vermin to death) because he's not a killer.

--> '''I've been in worse shape before. I know Kraven's method. He's just like Doc Ock and The Vulture and all the rest of 'em. He's gonna pack me off to some secret hideout, spend a couple of hours ranting and raving-- and while he does, I'll find a way to beat his smirking face right into the...a ''RIFLE?!?''

-->'''I've been in worse shape before. I know Kraven's method. He's just like Doc Ock and The Vulture and all the rest of 'em. He's gonna pack me off to some secret hideout, spend a couple of hours ranting and raving-- and while he does, I'll find a way to beat his smirking face right into the...a ''RIFLE?!?''

-->'''Look at his eyes. There's something in his eyes! This isn't the Kraven ''I'' know!'''

-->'''Look at his eyes. There's something in his eyes! This isn't the Kraven ''I'' know!

* CaughtMonologuing: Averted. And ''how''. After Spidey gets shot with a dart and becomes entangled in a net, as Kraven approaches he immediately muses that The Hunter will start ranting and raving about his imminent victory, giving the Wallcrawler and opportunity to turn the tables and escape. But things don't turn out that way...

-->'''I've been in worse shape before. I know Kraven's method. He's just like Doc Ock and The Vulture and all the rest of 'em. He's gonna pack me off to some secret hideout, spend a couple of hours ranting and raving-- and while he does, I'll find a way to beat his smirking face right into the...''A RIFLE?!?''

-->'''I've been in worse shape before. I know Kraven's method. He's just like Doc Ock and The Vulture and all the rest of 'em. He's gonna pack me off to some secret hideout, spend a couple of hours ranting and raving-- and while he does, I'll find a way to beat his smirking face right into the...'''A RIFLE?!?'''

-->'''I've been in worse shape before. I know Kraven's method. He's just like Doc Ock and The Vulture and all the rest of 'em. He's gonna pack me off to some secret hideout, spend a couple of hours ranting and raving-- and while he does, I'll find a way to beat his smirking face right into the...''A RIFLE?!?''

Sergei Kravinoff, a.k.a. [[Characters/MarvelComicsKravenTheHunter Kraven the Hunter]], has been a major member of Spider-Man's rogues gallery for years. Originally invited to New York by his half-brother the Chameleon (the first supervillain Peter Parker fought), Kraven was soon introduced to the unique challenge of hunting Spider-Man. Since the '70s however, he'd diminished somewhat. This time, Kraven is setting out to truly prove himself to be superior to Spider-Man -- by going for the kill and seeking to become his replacement.

-->''That's what it's all about isn't it? Yesterday, Ned leeds, today, Joe Face. Tomorrow...Aunt May? Mary Jane? Me? Funny. I'm out there facing death every day as Spider-Man -- But I never really think about it. Guess I don't let myself. Yet so many people I love have died before their time: Uncle Ben, Captain Stacy, Gwen -- now Ned...Do I think I'm somehow immune? I'm going to die. But not yet.''

* SuperiorSuccessor: Kraven defeats Spidey, then takes up his costume, going out to defeat Vermin, which all three men point out required Spidey needing ComicBook/CaptainAmerica's help the last time Vermin was fought. This is Kraven's big goal before he allowed himself to die -- proving that he could be a better Spidey than Spider-Man was. He of course misses the point. There is no Spider-Man. Only Peter Parker, and as Kraven realizes that Spider-Man's humanity and compassion is what defines him and gives him purpose, which Kraven himself doesn't have.

* SympathyForTheHero: Kraven experiences this when he and Spider-Man confront each other a second time. Especially when he sees Peter's sense of responsibility and concern for Vermin. He even saves Spider-Man's life from Vermin which shocks Peter after what he did earlier. Kraven then advises him on how to find Vermin and after Spider-Man leaves (while warning him he'll come back), Kraven proceeds to commit suicide.
* ThouShallNotKill: Spider-Man refuses to play Kraven's games because he's not a killer.

* SecretKeeper: Mary Jane eats herself out of this. Because she knows Peter's secret, she has no way of communicating or sharing her concern with anyone, or any way to explain her husband's absence or the fact that the impostor Spider-Man going on a rampage isn't Spider-Man. She briefly considers going to Joe Robertson, a family friend, (and "a man of integrity" as MJ notes) but she can't bring herself to tell him.

* PsychopathicManchild: Vermin is a murderous cannibal with the reasoning level of an infant. Spider-Man's inner monologue recalls how it's Baron Zemo's fault.

* NotQuiteDead: Spider-Man wasn't shot with a bullet, just horse tranquilizer.
* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: As Spider-Man points out, Kraven's never been a gun man, he's always wanted to beat Spider-Man with either his own bare hands or more primitive weapons.
* PrematurelyMarkedGrave: In the covers, we see a grave marked for ComicBook/SpiderMan with either an empty tomb or Spidey himself rising from the ground, showing that he is far from dead.
* PsychopathicManchild: Vermin is a murderous cannibal with the level of reasoning of a child. Spider-Man's inner monologue recalls how it's Baron Zemo's fault.

* ImAHumanitarian: Vermin drags a woman into the sewer while thinking "yum" multiple times. A little while later, Vermin can be seen with a human rib cage, indicated he did in fact eat her. In the ''ComicBook/WhatIf''' of this issue, Kraven also eats parts of Peter after killing him.