Kraven is gearing up for his latest hunt in the Marvel Universe...except, this time, instead of going after Spider-Man, the villain appears to be targeting the entire X-Force team.
Marvel released a preview for X-Force #30 -- written by Benjamin Percy with art by Robert Gill -- that announces longtime Spider-Man villain Kraven the Hunter will be involved in an upcoming X-Force storyline called "The Hunt for X. The synopsis for X-Force #30 reads, "X-Force has taken some lumps, but a new era begins as old-school X-Forcer Wade Wilson makes his grand return! Well, grand for him, necessary for the team, as X-Force needs all the help it can get in the fallout from the Hellfire Gala and the revelations of A.X.E.: JUDGMENT DAY! Find out why Kraven the Hunter is involved in the start of a landmark storyline titled “The Hunt for X.”
Kraven the Hunter first appeared in 1964's The Amazing Spider-Man #47 by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. The character is a popular member of Spider-Man's rogues' gallery who is typically portrayed as a big-game hunter whose ultimate goal is to hunt and kill Peter Parker's superhero alter ego. One of the more popular Kraven storylines, 1987's Kraven's Last Hunt by J. M. DeMatteis and Mike Zeck, sees the character nearly succeed in his mission, right up until Spider-Man digs his way out from the literal grave that Kraven has placed him in.
What Kraven wants with X-Force or how if he truly intends to hunt an entire team of mutants remains to be seen in X-Force #30, which releases in July. "Since the dawn of Krakoa, the mutants have faced many threats -- assassins, political rivalries, telefloronic infections, sea monsters, interdimensional wars, A.I. adversaries, time-traveling troublemakers (I could go one) -- but there has always been the nagging sense that they might have a way out," Percy told Newsarama about the issue. "Maybe Moira could reset the timeline or maybe death could be solved through resurrection or or or. But now -- with Judgment Day -- we've entered a whole other category of crisis. This is an extinction-level event. Not just for the mutants, but mankind. It's always fun to play with a thorny, high-stakes situation like this. Doubly so when my favorite Marvel villain, Kraven, is involved. X-Force is going to have its hands full."
X-Force #30 ties directly into Marvel's upcoming Judgment Day crossover. The event begins in May with Free Comic Book Day Avengers/X-Men #1 and into June with Eve of Judgment #1 before fully launching in July with A.X.E.: Judgment Day #1 and A.X.E.: Judgment Day #2. Other July tie-ins include Immortal X-Men #5, X-Men Red #5, A.X.E.: Death to Mutants #1 and X-Men #13.
X-Force #30 features cover art by Joshua Cassara and a variant cover by Carlos Magno. The issue goes on sale July 27 from Marvel.
Source: Marvel, Newsarama
