A Sony Spider-Man Universe Villain Shockingly Beats the Marvel Hero

One of the villains in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe has finally gotten the upper hand on the web-slinger. The release of Kraven the Hunter has unfortunately marked the end of Sony’s cinematic universe based on Marvel characters… at least for now. The box office performance for Kraven has been underwhelming, to say the least, resulting in Sony pressing the pause button on future efforts. So far we’ve gotten three Venom movies, Mobius, Madame Web, and Kraven the Hunter, with the focus placed on Spider-Man’s rogues gallery. While they may not have all been hits at the box office, one of these villains scored a recent win inside the comics. WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Ultimate Spider-Man #12. Continue reading at your own risk!

Ultimate Spider-Man #12 comes from the creative team of Jonathan Hickman, Marco Checchetto, Matthew Wilson, and VC’s Cory Petit. It’s a Christmas-themed issue featuring a get-together at Peter Parker and Mary Jane’s apartment. There are some unexpected guests, such as Mary Jane’s Aunt Anna, mother Madeline, and sister Gayle. Ultimate Spider-Man gives them a modern update that some will argue is for the better. While the family drama ends on a positive note, the same can’t be said for the issue’s epilogue story featuring Kraven.

Kraven the Hunter captures Spider-Man and Green Goblin

Things aren’t looking good for Spider-Man and Green Goblin at the end of Ultimate Spider-Man #12. Mary Jane is interrupted during the party by a phone call from Gwen Stacy. She’s looking for her husband, Harry Osborn, who was supposed to meet her at their holiday house but didn’t show up. When Mary Jane asks Peter if he knows where Harry is, Peter doesn’t answer. In fact, Peter keeps his back turned to Mary Jane and just gazes out their bedroom window. When Mary Jane taps Peter on the back, symbiote tendrils begin to form on Peter’s sweater. Mary Jane slowly realizes the man in front of her isn’t Peter. Instead, it’s his picotech/symbiote suit masquerading as him.

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We then find Peter Parker and Harry Osborn with their arms and wrists chained above their heads. Their arms have bloody cuts on them and IV bags are also hooked on. Kraven has used his hunting prowess to capture Peter and Harry, who have their mouths gagged and are in their civilian clothing. We know from future solicitations that “Kraven’s Most Dangerous Game!” in Ultimate Spider-Man #13 is being billed as a love letter to “Kraven’s Last Hunt,” the seminal 1987 Spider-Man storyline by J.M. DeMatteis and Mike Zeck. Kraven will serve as the hunter, with Spider-Man and Green Goblin as the hunted.

Ultimate Spider-Man is already better than Sony’s Spider-Man Universe

Kraven the Hunter is a member of Wilson Fisk / Kingpin’s Sinister Six, along with Mister Negative, Black Cat, Mysterio, and Mole Man. They all ultimately serve The Maker, the evil mastermind responsible for this twisted Ultimate Universe. Spider-Man and Green Goblin have been interfering with Kingpin’s operations, so he’s called in the Sinister Six to take care of his vigilante problem. After quickly defeating the original Black Cat, Kraven has already proven to be a tougher challenge for Spidey.

Ultimate Spider-Man is arguably the highlight of Marvel’s new Ultimate Universe. The series is up for several end of the year lists, including ComicBook’s Golden Issue Award for Best Ongoing Comic. That’s already more accolades than the latest string of Spider-Man-adjacent movies from Sony Pictures. Mobius was more popular on social media than at the box office, Madame Web was a dud, and Kraven the Hunter currently sits at 16% on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer. 2025 is already promising some more intense storylines in Ultimate Spider-Man, and Spider-Man 4 will start production too. Sony Pictures can call the latter a win, but that’s mostly due to Spidey’s connection to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, not for actually fighting the likes of Venom or Kraven.

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Spider-Man will more than likely come out on top against Kraven the Hunter, as he works his way through the Sinister Six for a rematch with Kingpin. That doesn’t mean Spidey won’t walk away unscathed. On the contrary, while his physical wounds will heal, there will be emotional damage to deal with in the aftermath of his battles. Mary Jane has to fear for her husband’s life on a daily basis, and at some point a villain will learn Spider-Man’s secret identity and target his loved ones. These are the things fans have wanted to see play out on the big screen in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe movies. But for that to happen, they would have needed to include the main character that audiences tune in for: The Amazing Spider-Man.