Spider-Man Hit Kraven With the Perfect Insult 5 Years Before It Made Sense
The wisecracking Spider-Man is known for his creative digs at villains, but one quip delivered to Kraven the Hunter may be his most prescient in Marvel Comics. At the end of the brutal «Grim Hunt» storyline in The Amazing Spider-Man, Peter comes frighteningly close to ending the life of his foe once and for all. However, the hero came to his senses and ended the confrontation with a joke, one that would take on a whole new meaning just five years later.
The «Grim Hunt» storyline featured many of Spider-Man's classic villains such as Electro and Rhino return in upgraded forms one after another, in a plan masterminded by Sasha Kravinoff, the wife of Kraven. The intention was to wear Spider-Man down and ultimately sacrifice him in order to resurrect the then-dead Sergei. However, Kaine took Peter's place, causing the ritual to go wrong and curse Kraven with the inability to die.
Related: Wolverine vs Kraven Will Finally Crown Marvel's Greatest Hunter
From there, the two enemies were destined for a brutal, final fight. Peter wanted revenge for the murder of Kaine and Kraven, enraged at his family for bringing him back to life, needed Spider-Man to kill him to break his curse. The two's bitter rivalry almost came to an end in The Amazing Spider-Man #637 by Joe Kelly, Michael Lark, and Marco Checchetto where Peter nearly stabs Kraven with a spear before being stopped by Madame Web. Peter comes to his senses and refuses to kill Kraven, advising his enemy to use his second chance at life wisely and departing with a traditional Spider-Man quip: «Go be a dentist or something...»
At the time, this line was nothing more than a character moment to show Spider-Man's prevailing sense of humor amid the tragedies in his superhero career.
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