- "You're exactly like our father, just another man hunting for a trophy."
- ―Dmitri Smerdyakov to Sergei Kravinoff[src]
Dmitri Nikolaevich Kravinoff (Russian: Дмитрий Николаевич Кравинов) is the illegitimate son of Nikolai Kravinoff and Sonya Smerdyakova, and the half-brother of Kraven the Hunter. Since childhood, Dmitri was a victim of abuse from his father, as he was considered a weak person and continued to be molested by his father after Sergei ran away from home. During the war between his father and Rhino, Diitri was reunited with Kraven before being kidnapped by Rhino and used as a hostage for Nikolai, but he did not seek to save him, so Kraven successfully went to rescue his half-brother. Following his father's death, Dmitri took his position in the criminal empire and encountered Doctor Miles Warren, who granted him the ability to change his appearance, with Dmitri taking on the nickname Chameleon and feuding with Kraven.
Biography[]
Early Life[]
Dmitri is the illegitimate son of notorious Russian gangster Nikolai Kravinoff, born from an affair with a woman named Sonya Smerdyakova. Despite this he was raised with his father and welcomed by his stepmother, who he loved as if she was his mother, and his older half-brother Sergei Kravinoff. Growing up in London however his stepmother suffered from mental illness and was eventually committed by his father, who sent both Dmitri and his brother to school in America. During this time Dmitri learned to mimic the voices of others, often to entertain his brother, but grew up feelings unfairly compared to Sergei who Nikolai was grooming to take over the family business.
During his teens his father one day picked him and Sergei up from school, where he revealed their mother had committed suicide. He then took them on a hunt in Africa, accompanied by a man named Aleksei Sytsevich, where Sergei was attacked and taken away by a lion. While Sergei survived and was reunited with Dmitri at a hospital, upon their return to London Nikolai revealed that he intended to send Dmitri back to school while Sergei remained with him, leading to Sergei to run away. Despite Dmitri's attempts to convince his brother to stay, Sergei insisted he had to leave though he promised to return.[1]
Kidnapping[]
Over the next sixteen years, Sergei would visit Dmitri on his birthday but would remain isolated in the wildness while Dmitri grew up to become a piano player at his father's club, his voice mimicry skills improving until he could mimic famous singers. During one night however an assassination attempt on his father occurred while Dmitri cowered, leading Nikolai to express his anger and disappointment with his son. Soon after his brother surprised him again for his birthday, the two going out at their father's club where Dmitri expresses his anger with himself over his weakness. Their father makes a surprise appearance where he talks to his sons about the three of them one day moving forward together as a family, and after Sergei returns him to his flat where he passes out.
While Sergei is out however, Dmitri is kidnapped by men working for Aleksei Sytsevich, who was now a crime boss seeking to take over Nikolai's territory. Dmitri is tortured and has his ring finger cut off, before Sytsevich reveals the true reason behind his kidnapping: Sergei was actually the Hunter, an urban legend believed to be responsible for the deaths of many criminals and who Sytsevich was now after him. He also reveals that he was underestimated due to his health problems, much like Dmitri, and that thanks to a scientist named Miles Warren he was cured of his illness and given superhuman abilities, at the cost of needing medication to keep his mutation at bay. He offers Dmitri the opportunity to take over Nikolai's business as his partner, but Dmitri refuses.
Before Sytsevich can go through with killing Dmitri, the Foreigner arrives and reveals his own desire to see Kraven killed, having tracked him to Siberia. Using Dmitri as bait, Sytsevich and the Foreigner attempt to kill Sergei and almost succeed, but his brother ultimately succeeds in killing both of them with help from Calypso. Shortly after this Nikolai is killed in what appears to be a hunting accident though Dmitri quickly realizes that it was Sergei's work and, despite Sergei handing over control of their father's assets so he can dismantle it, decides to take over the business. He also tracks down Dr. Warren and convinces him to give him a similar procedure, which gives him shape shifting abilities so that he can look like anyone.
A year after his kidnapping, Dmitri is visited again on his birthday by his brother and reveals how he has taken over their father's empire. He dismisses and criticises Sergei's insistence that he has any moral superiority over their father, claiming they are exactly like, and after revealing his own abilities the two part ways.[1]
Escaping Prison[]
Now known as Chameleon, Kravinoff was arrested for his crimes. The Daily Bugle later reported on his mysterious escape.[2]
Personality[]
To be added
Powers and Abilities[]
Powers[]
Shapeshifting: After Dmitri's procedure with Miles Warren, he gained an ability to change his appearance to look like anyone, which he demonstrated to intimidate his brother with his own reflection. During his transformation process, his head gains a white, featureless, mannequin-like appearance.
Abilities[]
Even before his procedure, Dmitry demonstrated an ability to impersonate anyone's voice, mostly his father's.
Relationships[]
Family[]
Allies[]
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Enemies[]
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Trivia[]
- In the comics, Dmitri Smerdyakov/Chameleon is a supervillain and adversary of Spider-Man. He is Kraven the Hunter's maternal half-brother and has the ability to shapeshift. He was also a member of the Sinister Six.
Behind the Scenes[]
- Chameleon in the Sony's Spider-Man Universe is the second live-action incarnation of the character followed by an incarnation portrayed by Numan Acar.
- Kodi Smit-McPhee was originally offered the role of Chameleon, but declined due to a scheduling conflict.[3]
- Chameleon Theatre was an easter egg to Chameleon; however, it was only seen in behind-the-scenes images from the 2022 film Morbius.[4]
- Luke Gomes was a stunt double for Fred Hechinger in the role of Chameleon.
