Rhino (character)
The Rhino is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He was created by writer Stan Lee and artist John Romita Sr., and first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #41. The character is a Russian thug who underwent an experimental procedure that gave him an artificial skin covering and superhuman strength. Rebelling against the scientists responsible for his transformation, Rhino used his newfound powers to become a successful criminal, and soon clashed with superheroes like Spider-Man and the Hulk. The character is typically portrayed as a dimwitted brute, capable of great destruction, but ultimately easily deceived.
One of Spider-Man's most prominent adversaries, the Rhino has been adapted into various forms of media since his original debut during the Silver Age of Comic Books, including animated television series and video games. He has also featured in Marvel merchandise such as action figures and trading cards.
In live-action, Paul Giamatti played a version of Aleksei Sytsevich who uses a rhinoceros-themed battle armor, similar to the character's Ultimate Marvel incarnation, in the 2014 film The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Another version appeared in the 2024 Sony's Spider-Man Universe film Kraven the Hunter played by Alessandro Nivola.
Publication history
Described by writer Mike Conroy as "famously one of Spider-Man's dimmest villains", the Rhino debuted in The Amazing Spider-Man #41–43 as a thug for hire working for an Eastern Bloc country. He volunteers to participate in an experiment that bonds a super-strong polymer to his skin, as well as augmenting his strength and speed. The character returned in The Incredible Hulk #104, and although he apparently died at the end of the story, he was revived in The Incredible Hulk #124, becoming a perennial opponent of both Spider-Man and the Hulk.The character achieved significant exposure in the 1980s and 1990s, appearing in both a solo capacity and as a villain for hire in over 12 titles. Significant appearances included starring in the limited series Deadly Foes of Spider-Man #1–4 ; the "Flowers for Rhino" storyline in Spider-Man's Tangled Web #5–6, which is told from the character's perspective; and Punisher War Journal #13–15, in which Rhino begins to rethink his lifestyle. He has also been a member of multiple supervillain teams, including the Emissaries of Evil, the Sinister Syndicate, and the Sinister Six.
Fictional character biography
Origin and early villainy
Aleksei Sytsevich is a low-ranking member of the Russian mafia who willingly undergoes a series of chemical and radiation treatments meant to give him an artificial skin covering that grants superhuman strength. After successfully completing the treatment, Sytsevich rebels against the Eastern Bloc agents who gave him these powers and sought to use him as a weapon, destroying their laboratory. He is subsequently hired to kidnap Colonel John Jameson and obtain the extraterrestrial spores to which Jameson is exposed during a space mission, but Sytsevich is defeated by the superhero Spider-Man and taken to prison.After serving his sentence, the Rhino is approached by the same scientists for more augmentation. This time, they use the same gamma radiation that granted the Hulk his abilities to further increase the Rhino's strength. They also equip him with a more durable, acid-proof suit that further increases his abilities. As repayment, the Rhino agrees to find and kidnap Bruce Banner, the Hulk's human alter ego, for his knowledge of gamma radiation. Despite the Rhino's training and equipment, he is easily defeated by the Hulk, who places him in a coma.
Months later, the Rhino is revived by the Leader, who plans to interrupt Banner's wedding to Betty Ross. The Leader intends to transform Banner into the Hulk, and wants to be protected by the Rhino from the ensuing rampage. At the wedding, the Rhino betrays the Leader and attacks Banner the moment he transforms. In the resulting chaos, the Rhino is once again comatose, and the Leader briefly takes mental control of Sytsevich's body to combat the Hulk. The Leader abandons the Rhino and the Hulk on an alien world, and returns home in a rocket, which crashes on arrival.
The Rhino's first collaboration with other villains occurs when he and the Abomination activate a gamma bomb at the Hulkbuster base in an attempt to destroy the Hulk. Although this attempt fails, Egghead recruits the Rhino for his supervillain team, the Emissaries of Evil, where he is paired with Solarr in search of a rare jewel. Rhino and Solarr are defeated by the Defenders, Doctor Strange, and Doc Samson.
Samson takes the Rhino to Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S., where he is part of a failed prison break involving Moonstone, Blackout, and Electro. While being transferred to another facility, the Miracle Man attempts to free the Rhino, who wants to stay in P.E.G.A.S.U.S. for medical treatment. The rocket crash permanently affixed the Rhino's costume to his body, and he wants it separated. He and the Thing successfully stop Miracle Man. The Rhino is then taken to a medical facility within P.E.G.A.S.U.S.
When the treatments fail to return the Rhino to normal, he escapes P.E.G.A.S.U.S. and joins the Sinister Syndicate, fighting Spider-Man on multiple occasions. After the team falls apart, the Rhino is hired by the Kingpin under the belief that he can raise the money for more surgery. When he hears the Kingpin tell a group of scientists not to remove the Rhino suit, Sytsevich kidnaps one of their children until they complete the procedure. Sytsevich then requests a removable suit from Justin Hammer, allowing him to continue his life of crime.
Hulk, in the bandaged disguise of "Bob Danner", plays baseball for the Florida Pistols when they compete against the Miami Emperors. One player on the Miami Emperors turns out to be Rhino under the alias of "Alex O'Hirn". A fight soon happens between both teams where the baseball players leave the field when they find out how strong "Bob Danner" and "Alex O'Hirn" are.
Rhino is among the villains who accompany Klaw in his invasion of Wakanda. It takes the Wakandan Air Force to subdue Rhino.
''Civil War'' and aftermath
When the Rhino accidentally kills a security guard during a bank robbery, he is humiliated by the Punisher, and captured by Alyosha Kravinoff, the son of Kraven the Hunter. The Punisher rescues the Rhino from Kravinoff's superhuman zoo, and he is convinced to make amends. The Rhino sends a letter and money to the security guard's widow, and aids the Punisher on a case. Later, the Rhino persuades the Punisher not to kill Michael Watts, the third Stilt-Man.During The Gauntlet storyline, the Rhino gives up his life of crime, surrendering himself to the police. S.H.I.E.L.D. removes his Rhino suit and sentences him to 25 years on Ryker's Island. He is released early on good behavior. Upon release, he meets Doctor Tramma in a restaurant who wants to reinvent the Rhino. Sytsevich declines upon developing a crush on the fired waitress Oksana and Tramma creates a new Rhino. At Spider-Man's persuasion, Sytsevich refuses to fight the new Rhino. That promise is broken when Sytsevich's wife Oksana is killed, and a grief-stricken Sytsevich kills the new Rhino.
Doctor Octopus recruits the Rhino for his iteration of the Sinister Six. During the Ends of the Earth storyline, the Rhino tells Spider-Man that the loss of Oksana has changed him, and he is prepared to die. When Octopus self-destructs his own lair, the Rhino pins Silver Sable to the floor of a flooding corridor, knowing that Spider-Man will blame himself for her death. He is presumed drowned, and while in Octopus' dying body, Spider-Man meets Oksana and the Rhino in the afterlife.
''All-New, All-Different Marvel''
As part of the lead-up to the Dead No More: The Clone Conspiracy storyline, the Rhino resurfaces, having survived his apparent demise. The Jackal finds Sytsevich in hiding in Tahuexco, Guatemala, where he persuades the Rhino to do his bidding with the promise of a revived Oksana. When Doctor Octopus activates a virus in all of the Jackal's clones that causes them to rapidly decay, Oksana turns to dust, and the Rhino goes on a grief-stricken rampage. Spider-Man calms him by convincing him to move forward for Oksana's sake, and the two agree to see each other once in a while to help the other with their pain.In a prelude to the "Hunted" storyline, the Rhino is among the animal-themed characters captured by the Taskmaster and the Black Ant on behalf of Kraven the Hunter. He is among those who Arcade publicly reveals as the Savage Six.
During the "King in Black" storyline, Rhino is among the villains recruited by Mayor Wilson Fisk to be part of his Thunderbolts at the time of Knull's invasion. Following the deaths of Ampere and Snakehead, Taskmaster could not bring himself to prevent Rhino from walking away.
During the "Sinister War" storyline, Rhino accompanies the Savage Six into attacking the premiere of a movie in which Mysterio is involved. This leads up to the Savage Six also fighting the Sinister Six.
During the "Devil's Reign" storyline, Rhino appears as a member of Wilson Fisk's latest incarnation of the Thunderbolts when Fisk passes a law that forbids superhero activities. He assists Agony, Electro, and U.S. Agent in taking down Moon Knight. In truth, Rhino did not sign up to dispose underage superheroes after learning the Kamala's Law incidents in Outlawed and its conclusion in Killer App, so he secretly helps the Champions by giving them the Thunderbolts badge due to Fisk's patrol system becoming even tighter with Doctor Octopus' Octobots and many innocent people being unsaved. It was because of Rhino declaring himself out of the Thunderbolts because of this reason that caused Mayor Fisk to bring in Abomination as a replacement.
Orchis subjects Rhino to the same mind-control device that they used on Nightcrawler. He goes on a rampage before fighting Nightcrawler. Despite interference from Silver Sable and the Wild Pack, Spinnenmann defeats Rhino.
Now sporting a costume that has a more rhinoceros-shaped head, Rhino goes on a rampage and fights Spider-Man. He suddenly collapses from a heart attack causing Spider-Man to do CPR. Rhino survives and is incarcerated at Ravencroft.