Rhino (character)

The Rhino
The Rhino. Art by Khari Evans.
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	The Amazing Spider-Man #41 (Oct. 1966)
Created by	Stan Lee John Romita, Sr.
In-story information
Alter ego	Aleksei Sytsevich
Team affiliations	Sinister Syndicate Sinister Six Secret Defenders Klaw's Army Legion Accursed Emissaries of Evil
Abilities	Superhuman strength, speed, stamina, and durability Razor-sharp horns

The Rhino (Aleksei Sytsevich) is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist John Romita, Sr., the character first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #41 (Oct. 1966).

The character of the Rhino has featured in other Marvel-endorsed products such as animated television series, arcade and video games, and merchandise such as action figures and trading cards.

Publication history

1960s

Introduced in The Amazing Spider-Man #41 - 43 (Oct. - Dec. 1966) as a nameless thug for hire working for a foreign country, the character volunteers to participate in an experiment to bond a superstrong polymer to his skin and augment strength and speed. This origin was later retconned so that the character was a poor immigrant from Russia named Aleksei Sytsevich, desperate to pay for the rest of his family to come to the United States. Eastern Bloc agents offered this man money for participating in an experiment which would bond a superstrong polymer to his skin and augmented his strength and speed. After agreeing and undergoing treatment, he is given the code name "Rhino". Hired to capture Colonel John Jameson for his military secrets, the Rhino is defeated by the hero Spider-Man. The Rhino returns in Hulk vol. 2, #104 (June 1968) where the character is given superhuman strength by a team of scientists, but during a battle with the hero the Hulk, is badly burnt and defeated.

1970s

In Hulk vol. 2, #124 (Feb 1970) the character is healed by Hulk arch-foe the Leader, who further increased his strength. The Rhino aids the Leader in preventing the wedding of Bruce Banner to Betty Ross. They battle until the Leader betrays the Rhino, with both being caught in an explosion, leaving the Rhino comatose. In Hulk vol. 2, #139 (May 1970), the Leader tries to unsuccessfully torture the Hulk with illusions of his past foes, including the Rhino. The Rhino is again revived by the Leader and battles the Hulk in Hulk vol. 2, #157 - 159 (Nov. 1972- Jan 1973), and after being defeated makes an alliance with another Hulk foe, the Abomination in Hulk vol. 2, #171 (Jan. 1974) in an unsuccessful bid to take over the Hulkbuster base. In Defenders #42 - 43 (Dec. 1976 - Jan. 1977), the Rhino joins the supervillain team the Emissaries of Evil and battles superhero team the Defenders for a rare jewel, and then briefly battles hero Doc Samson in Hulk vol. 2, #218 (Dec.1977).

1980s

The character appears as a memory in the mind of the Hulk in Defenders #83 (May 1980); battles Doc Samson and Spider-Man once again in Marvel Team-Up #102 (Feb. 1981) and then features along with other Hulk foes as an illusion used to torment the Hulk by the entity Glorian in Hulk #267 (Jan. 1982). After a cameo appearance in Marvel Two-in-One #96 (Feb. 1983); the character participates in an unsuccessful mass breakout attempt from Project: Pegasus in Avengers #236 - 237 (Oct. - Nov. 1983) and then battles the hero the Thing in Thing #24 (June 1985) after participating in an experiment to remove his suit.

Another cameo appearance followed in Secret Wars II #7 (Jan. 1986) before joining criminal group the Sinister Syndicate to battle Spider-Man in Amazing Spider-Man #280 - 281 (Sep. - Oct. 1986). The Rhino then features in Amazing Spider-Man Annual #21 (Dec. 1987), Iron Man #238 (Jan. 1989), Amazing Spider-Man #319 (Sep. 1989), and Fantastic Four #330 (Sep. 1989).

1990s

After an appearance in the Acts of Vengeance storyline in The Spectacular Spider-Man #160 (Jan. 1990) and Amazing Spider-Man #344 (Feb. 1991), the Rhino appears in the limited-series Deadly Foes of Spider-Man #1 - 4 (May - Aug. 1991). The character then features in Sensational She-Hulk #30 (Aug. 1991); Silver Surfer #54 (Sep. 1991); Spectacular Spider-Man Annual #11 (Dec. 1991); Alpha Flight Special vol. 2, #1 (June 1992); Death's Head II #4 (June 1992); The Spectacular Spider-Man #190 (June 1992); and Marvel Tales #265 (Sep. 1992).

The Rhino then makes multiple appearances across several titles simultaneously, including Cage #9 - 10 (Dec. 1992 - Jan. 1993); the "Hero Killers" storyline in New Warriors Annual #2, Spectacular Spider-Man Annual #2, and Web of Spider-Man Annual #8 (1992); Amazing Spider-Man: Carnage on Campus #1 (Jan. 1993); the graphic novel Spider-Man: Venom Returns #1 (Jan. 1993); and Captain America #412 - 413 (Feb. - Mar 1993). More Spider-Man appearances followed, with the Rhino featuring in the limited series Deadly Foes of Spider-Man #1 - 4 (Sep. - Dec. 1993) and Silver Sable and The Wild Pack #18 (Nov. 1993).

The character continued to remain popular, and made prominent appearances in Secret Defenders #12 - 14 (Feb. - Apr. 1994); Spider-Man Unlimited #4 (Feb. 1994); War Machine #1 (Apr. 1994); What If? vol. 2, #64 (Aug. 1994), Marvel's alternate universe title; Force Works #5 (Nov. 1994); Amazing Spider-Man Annual #28 (Dec. 1994); Spider-Man Adventures #8 (July 1995); Green Goblin #2 (Nov. 1995); Hulk vol. 2, #435 (Nov. 1995); Spider-Man: The Parker Years #1 (Nov. 1995); Amazing Spider-Man #409 (Mar. 1996); The Sensational Spider-Man #2 (Mar. 1996); Venom: Hunted #3 (July 1996); Adventures of Spider-Man #5 (Aug. 1996); Spider-Man/Badrock #1 (Mar. 1997); Code of Honor #3 (Apr. 1997); and Ka-Zar vol. 3, #5 - 6 (Sep. - Oct. 1997).

The Rhino's last appearances in the 1990s included Hulk 0.5 (Wizard Edition - Jan. 1998); Captain America #9 - 10 (Sep. - Oct. 1998); The Sensational Spider-Man #31 (Sep. 1998); What If? vol. 2, #112 (Sep. 1998); Nova vol. 3, #1 (May 1999); Thunderbolts #26 (May 1999); and Amazing Spider-Man #8 (Aug. 1999).

2000s

The Rhino makes two more pseudo appearances: first as a mental illusion used by fellow Spider-Man villain Mysterio in Spider-Man: The Mysterio Manifesto #2 - 3 (Feb. - Mar 2001) and then as a memory in Spider-Man's Tangled Web #1 (June 2001). After a flashback appearance in Amazing Spider-Man #32 (Aug. 2001) and featuring in Peter Parker: Spider-Man #33 (Sep. 2001), the Rhino stars in "Flowers for Rhino", a story published in Spider-Man's Tangled Web # 5 - 6 (Oct - Nov. 2001) and based on the Daniel Keyes work "Flowers for Algernon". Mirroring the original story, the Rhino receives an intelligence boost via surgery and becomes a genius, eventually undergoing surgery again to reverse the process when life becomes dull.

After appearing in Peter Parker: Spider-Man #36 (Dec. 2001) and X-Men Unlimited #33 (Dec. 2001), the character has a humorous encounter with the mercenary Deadpool in Deadpool #66 (June 2002); meets space adventurer Captain Marvel in Captain Marvel #32 (July 2002); appears in flashback in Tigra #3 (July 2002) and X-Factor vol. 2, #2 (July 2002). The Rhino continued to appear in the Spider-Man titles and featured in the "flashback" story Spider-Man: Blue #2 (Aug. 2002); Spider-Man: Get Kraven #1 (Aug. 2002); Spider-Man's Tangled Web #19 (Dec. 2002); Ultimate Spider-Man #28 (Dec. 2002); Peter Parker: Spider-Man #50 (Jan. 2003); Exiles #21 (Mar. 2003); Amazing Spider-Man #500 (Dec. 2003); Uncanny X-Men #435 (Feb. 2004); and Spider-Man Unlimited vol. 3, #2 (May 2004).

The character appears in the Hulk titles Hulk vol. 3, #71 (June 2004); She-Hulk #5 - 6 (Sep. - Oct. 2004); and then Powerless #4 (Nov. 2004); Marvel Knights: Spider-Man #7 (Dec. 2004); Spider-Man Unlimited #6 (Jan. 2005); and Marvel Knights: Spider-Man #10 (Mar. 2005); before encountering the hero the Black Panther in Black Panther #3 - 5 (Jun - Aug. 2005). The Rhino features in Gravity #2 (Sep. 2005); Marvel Team-Up vol. 3, #11 (Oct. 2005); Ultimate Spider-Man Annual #1 (Oct. 2005); the graphic novel Incredible Hulk: Prelude to Planet Hulk #1 (Jan. 2006); briefly in Daughters of the Dragon #3 (Mar. 2006); in flashback in Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #5 (Apr. 2006); and in the background as a "zombified" character in Marvel Zombies #4 (May 2006).

After featuring in Underworld #3 (June 2006), Spider-Man Unlimited #15 (July 2006), Daughters of the Dragon #3 (Aug. 2006), Spider-Man Special: Black and Blue and Read All Over (Nov. 2006), and The Sensational Spider-Man #32 - 34 (Jan. - Mar. 2007), the Rhino has another comical encounter with Deadpool Cable & Deadpool #36 - 37 (Mar. - Apr. 2007), ending with the Rhino's defeat by a diminutive - courtesy of the Pym Particles discovered by Henry Pym - Deadpool. Also published across this period is The Punisher War Journal #3 - 4 (Mar. - Apr. 2007), in which the Rhino battles the vigilante the Punisher. The Rhino also has a brief battle with Spider-Man in Fallen Son: The Death of Captain America #4 (July 2007) before having a cameo appearance in World War Hulk: Gamma Files #1 (Aug. 2007) and New Warriors #2 (Sep. 2007). The character features in She-Hulk #21 (Oct. 2007) and is then recruited with other villains by the Chameleon in Civil War: Peter Parker Spider-Man #1 (Dec. 2007) in an unsuccessful bid to destroy Spider-Man.

In The Punisher War Journal vol. 2, #13 - 15 (Jan. - Mar. 2008, the Rhino begins robbing banks, and after the accidental death of a Security Guard is stopped by the Punisher. Almost killed by the Punisher, the Rhino is saved by Spider-Man but is then captured by Alyosha Kravinoff, the son of Kraven the Hunter, another old Spider-Man foe. Kravinoff, collecting a zoo of animal-themed superhumans, is defeated by the Punisher, with the Rhino and other villains being freed. The Rhino shows remorse over the accidental death, and begins to rethink his lifestyle.

After a cameo appearances in Clandestine #1 (Apr. 2008), King-Size Hulk #1 (July 2008), and Marvel: 1985 #6 (Nov. 2008), the Rhino features in The Punisher War Journal #23 vol. 2, #23 (Nov. 2008) and aids the Punisher. Paying his debt for his previous rescue, the Rhino is allowed to leave, and is told by the Punisher to "be good." The Rhino is established as a minor ongoing character in The Punisher War Journal Annual #1 (Dec. 2008) and then in The Punisher War Journal vol. 2, #26 (Feb. 2009).

Powers and abilities

Sytsevich possesses a thick polymer mat suit similar to a rhinoceros hide, covering his entire body except for his face, which is highly impervious to damage and temperature extremes. The suit is also equipped with a razor-sharp horn, which the character uses to good effect. Mutagenic chemical and radiation treatments, including gamma ray bombardment, provides the character with superhuman strength, heightened levels of speed and stamina, and a high degree of durability.

Other versions

Ultimate Rhino

In the Ultimate universe, Ultimate Rhino (R.H.I.N.O.) appears in Ultimate Spider-Man #28 (Dec. 2002) and differs from the mainstream version in that the Rhino is a mechanized suit. He is a diminutive genius who speaks Russian and is listed as Alex O'Hirn.

House of M

In Spider-Man: House of M #1 - 4 (Aug. 2005 - Nov. 2005), the Rhino is the bodyguard of Spider-Man, who is now a celebrity.

In other media

Television

• The Rhino shows up in the first season of the 1967 Spider-Man cartoon voiced by Ed McNamera. Rhino appears in the episodes "Horn of the Rhino" and "The golden Rhino". This version of the Rhino is much dumber than any of his comic book or telvison appearence. The Rhino appears several times in Spider-Man: The Animated Series voiced by Don Stark. This version of Rhino shows up on the ailen coustme story , and also appears in all the episodes that have the Insidous Six. Rhino appears onThe Spectacular Spider-Man voiced by Clancy Brown. At first Rhino was just a dumb crook who was with Flint Marko (Sandman) , but Otto Octavious later turend him into the Rhino. This version of Rhino shows up in the first six episodes , and episodes that have the Sinster Six.

Video games

• The character appears in the 1989 game Doctor Doom's Revenge; The Amazing Spider-Man for Game Boy; Spider-Man/X-Men: Arcade's Revenge; The Incredible Hulk for Sega Genesis,SNES, and Sega Game Gear 2000; the Spider-Man game voiced by Dee Bradley Baker; Spider-Man: Mysterio's Menace; in Spider-Man 2; Spider-Man 3 voiced by John DiMaggio and Steve Blum and Spider-Man: Web of Shadows voiced by Fred Tatasciore.

Steve Blum also voiced Rhino as a boss in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance. Ultimate Rhino appears in Ultimate Spider-Man voiced by Bob Glouberman.

Novels

• The Rhino appears in Jim Butcher's Spider-Man novel The Darkest Hours.

Toys & collectibles

• The Rhino has been reproduced in action figure form several times by Toy Biz, as part of their Spider-Man: The Animated Series line; Spider-Man Classics, and the Marvel Legends series. The Spider-Man Classics figure was later repainted and reissued by Hasbro.

• The character has been reproduced in mini-bust form by Art Asylum (as part of their Rogues Gallery collection) and as both a bust and statue by Bowen Designs.

External links

• Rhino's profile at Spiderfan.org