Marvel has reimagined one of Spider-Man’s most acclaimed stories with a new What If…? comic, bringing original writer J.M. DeMatteis back to explore an alternate fate for Kraven the Hunter nearly 40 years after Kraven’s Last Hunt, writes Collider.
Marvel Comics has released What If…? Spider-Man: What If Kraven Survived His “Last Hunt”?, offering fans an alternate ending to one of the most celebrated Spider-Man storylines ever published.
Rather than asking a new creative team to revisit the classic tale, Marvel reunited original writer J.M. DeMatteis with Kraven’s story, delivering a darker reimagining that explores what might have happened had Sergei Kravinoff survived the events of Kraven’s Last Hunt.
In the original 1987 storyline, Kraven the Hunter takes his own life after believing he has finally surpassed Spider-Man.
The new one-shot imagines a very different outcome.
Instead of ending his life, Kraven remains consumed by his obsession with proving himself the ultimate hunter.
Meanwhile, Peter Parker survives the ordeal but is left psychologically scarred, haunted by nightmares and guilt over killing Vermin.
The emotional trauma reportedly leads to a period of institutionalisation as Peter struggles to rebuild his life.
Years after his confrontation with Spider-Man, Kraven sets his sights on a new challenge—the Venom symbiote.
According to the story, Kraven secretly prepares for years by poisoning his own body with herbs and rituals taught by Calypso, turning himself into a deadly trap for the alien organism.
When the symbiote eventually leaves Peter Parker, it bonds with Kraven, believing him to be the ideal host.
Instead, Kraven sacrifices himself, ensuring both he and the symbiote perish together, finally achieving the purpose he had spent his life pursuing.
Although the comic appears to bring Kraven’s journey to a definitive end, DeMatteis adds one final surprise.
In the closing pages, Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson visit Kraven’s grave, believing the hunter’s story is over.
However, the final panel reveals a mysterious figure beginning to dig up Kraven’s body, hinting that Marvel may not be finished with the iconic Spider-Man villain after all.
Kraven’s Last Hunt remains one of the most influential Spider-Man stories ever published, praised for its psychological depth and mature storytelling.
By bringing DeMatteis back to revisit his own work, Marvel has offered fans an alternate version that expands the original without replacing its celebrated ending.
What If…? Spider-Man: What If Kraven Survived His “Last Hunt”? is available now from Marvel Comics.
