In the 60s and 70s, Spider-Man’s rogue gallery could pass for a zoo register: the Vulture, Scorpion, Grizzly, Iguana, Basilisk, Tarantula, Man-Wolf, Lizard, Kangaroo, just to start. Most of these animal villains have evolved over the years, either into comedic punching bags (Grizzly, Kangaroo) or more terrifying versions of themselves (Vulture, Lizard), or often both, given Spider-Man’s penchant for banter. Out of the pack of villains, Rhino has run a pretty ragged ark from thug to tragic figure, and he’s stomping onto the silver screen in “Amazing Spider-Man 2” May 2nd.
First appearing in The Amazing Spider-Man # 41, Aleksei Sytsevich was just a poor, Russian thug in New York until an experiment bonded him with a rhino suit: a polymer second skin complete with two horns that gave him super strength, speed, stamina and little explanation as to how he could use the restroom.
Like the larger and more powerful Juggernaut, Rhino was unstoppable, but easily confused, tripped, or temporarily blinded by your friendly neighborhood web-head. Definitely dangerous, he was most often in the employ of some mastermind villain, serving as hired muscle. Several gamma treatments relieved the suit and Systevich of its permanence, also leaving the Rhino with enhanced strength and abilities both in suit and in plain clothes.
A frequent member of evil super groups the Sinister Syndicate, Emissaries of Evil, and the Exterminators, character took a few deepening turns, particularly when he tried to give up his life of crime to keep his wife, Oksana, safe. A second rhinoceros-themed villain, Rhino II, decided that he must exterminate Aleksei if he was to ascend (there can be only one, apparently). With Spider-Man’s help, Aleksei tried to go into hiding with his wife rather than fight the usurper. Tragically, Rhino II finds them en route, killing Oksana and dragging Aleksei back into his Rhino persona. Aleksei took up the mantle once again, avenging his wife. Blaming Spider-Man for not letting Aleksei kill Rhino II in the beginning, Rhino retreated fully into his villain identity, now bent on revenge. Knowing Spider-Man would blame himself, Rhino killed his ally Silver Sable, pinning her with his body and letting them both drown.
Not surprisingly, the film version of Rhino has done away with the polymer second skin. Paul Giamatti will play the character in the film, empowered by a mechanized battle suit complete with machine guns. Supposedly, he only has about four minutes of screen time as the Rhino proper, but he will also be in the sequel and the rumored/possible upcoming Sinister Six movie, which means there’s plenty of time for him to destroy things. Though little footage has been released, the solo tank suit looks very intimidating, more so than a very large man in a rhino suit might onscreen.
