Rhino

Aleksei Sytsevich was just another thug in the Russian Mafia, grasping at dreams of easy money, and headed for a short brutal life. Seduced by promises of wealth and power, Aleksei underwent a life-threatening series of chemical and radiation treatments to transform him after several months into the superhumanly strong agent for a collective of professional spies - in part, to support his family. Aleksei's powerful armor permanently bonded to his form, was modeled after the hide of a rhinoceros. Two scientists named Igor and Georgi chose this form, both for its visual impact and in recognition of the fact that the rhino is the result of countless generations of evolution towards the ultimate form for armored assault. They selected Aleksei for his muscular physique and low intelligence, which they believed would insure his loyalty.

Given the code-name Rhino, his first mission was to kidnap astronaut John Jameson, son of Daily Bugle publisher J. Jonah Jameson, and sell him to the highest bidder. He received intensive sub-hypnotic training in American English and false citizenship papers bearing the name Alex O'Hirn. Feeling cocky, he turned on his benefactors, destroying their headquarters, and attempted to abduct Jameson under his own initiative. As the Rhino made his way towards New York City, Spider-Man began to formulate how to defeat this apparently unstoppable foe. His discovered two key factors: once charging, the Rhino cannot change directions or easily halt his advance. Second, Aleksei is rather dumb. Spider-Man deduced that if he could avoid a direct hit from the Rhino's horn, his superior tactical skills and agility would always leave him the final victor in any fair fight.

Spider-Man defeated the Rhino sending the villain to a special state correctional hospital where he was kept under heavy sedation. After a few weeks, the Rhino broke out of the hospital and escaped, seeking revenge of Spider-Man. This time, Spider-Man defeated him using a specially-formulated version of his web fluid, devised with the aid of Dr. Curt Connors, that contained encapsulated acid pellets whose containers dissolved upon contact with air. The special webbing rendered the Rhino's costume weak and brittle, which deprived him of needed impact resistance. The Rhino was recaptured, tried, and convicted.

The Rhino served a commuted sentence and was discharged. When he was released, the spies who had transformed him, apparently showing no sign of malice towards his betrayal, approached him with the offer to strengthen him using a gamma-ray process. They had also devised an improved, acid-resistant material rhinoceros suit. Having no other prospects of gainful employment, the Rhino accepted the offer. The new series of radiation treatments were successful and doubled the Rhino's previous strength level. The augmented Rhino's first mission was to abduct Dr. Bruce Banner, an authority on biochemical gamma-ray experimentation, also known as the Hulk. The spies planned to coerce Banner into developing an army of gamma-ray treated superhuman assassins. When the Rhino tried to abduct Banner, Banner transformed into the Hulk and overpowered the Rhino. Again, Rhino was sent to a state facility under heavy sedation and high security.

The Rhino's battle with the Hulk came to the attention of the Leader, one of the Hulk's foremost enemies, who decided that further gamma-ray treatments would give the Rhino enough power to overcome the Hulk. The Leader freed the Rhino from the state facility, and further increased his strength by gamma-ray bombardments. The Leader then dispatched the Rhino to crash the wedding of Bruce Banner and Betty Ross. Succeeding in interrupting the wedding, the Rhino engaged in battle with the Hulk when the Leader accidentally shot him with a radiation blast intended for the Hulk. The Rhino turned on the Leader and caused the Leader's escape module to explode. (Banner's wedding to Ross was subsequently delayed for several years.) The Rhino was left comatose but otherwise unharmed and taken to a state hospital. The Leader used his mental energies to revive him, and reoutfitted him to battle the Hulk once again - this time with the Leader's mind controlling his every move. When the Leader released the Rhino, Aleksei was aboard a space shuttle battling the Hulk. The fight continued until the shuttle crash landed on the High Evolutionary's artificial planet on the opposite side of the sun called Counter-Earth. While the ship automatically repaired its damage, the Leader telemetrically signaled for it to return. The Hulk fought his way back on, the Rhino in tow. When the ship crash landed back on Earth, the Rhino lay buried in the wreckage for some time until he revived.