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| Foreigner | |
|---|---|
 The Foreigner battlingSpider-Man on the cover ofThe Spectacular Spider-Man #209 (February 1994). Art bySal Buscema. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #116 (July 1986) |
| Created by | |
| In-story information | |
| Team affiliations | 1400 Club |
| Notable aliases | Kris Keating |
| Abilities | Trained assassin and master of disguise Minor hypnotic abilities |
TheForeigner is asupervillain appearing inAmerican comic books published byMarvel Comics. He was formerly married toSilver Sable. The Foreigner is a mercenary and assassin. Although he has no superhuman abilities, he has trained his body to be in absolute peak physical condition, is among the greatest martial arts practitioners in the Marvel Universe, and as a professional assassin, who has evaded detection by various international law enforcement agencies, is highly intelligent. He is often depicted as being exceedingly competent.
Christopher Abbott played the Foreigner in theSony's Spider-Man Universe (SSU) filmKraven the Hunter.
WriterPeter David created the Foreigner as a master assassin character to be a nemesis for Spider-Man. According to David, the character was designed to bear a strong resemblance to actorPatrick McGoohan.[1] The character's voice was first heard on a telephone in a scene inWeb of Spider-Man #15 (June 1986), which was written byDavid Michelinie, but he did not make a full, visual appearance until the following month inPeter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #116 (July 1986).
The Foreigner was favored by editorJim Owsley as theHobgoblin's true identity.[1]
The Foreigner first appears as a foe ofSpider-Man when making a wager with another villain,Chance, that the latter could not defeat and kill Spider-Man. The Foreigner wins this wager.[2] In an attempt to impress the Foreigner, the assassinSabretooth volunteers to killBlack Cat, who has stolen a solid gold notebook from the Foreigner's office. However, Spider-Man intervenes and defeats Sabretooth.[3] Eventually, Foreigner defeats Black Cat himself and decides to start a relationship with her under the pretense of forming an alliance in order to destroy Spider-Man. In truth, Foreigner plans to enlist Spider-Man to join the 1400 Club, a club of assassins that he leads. Spider-Man turns him down.
The Foreigner is hired to killNed Leeds byJason Macendale. It is later revealed that Leeds was a puppet of theoriginal Hobgoblin (Roderick Kingsley), who had abandoned the persona to avoid such an assassination.[4] Foreigner hires Whisper, Pulse, Swift, and Warfare to killBetty Brant, Leeds' widow, who is seeking to expose the Foreigner's role in his death. Foreigner reveals to Betty that Leeds was supposedly the original Hobgoblin.[5]
Foreigner and Chance learn that Empire State University student Jamie Tolentino used the Clairvoyant to win all bets and racked up a debt when it ran out of battery power. Tolentino tells the two that he they can get him the Catalyst as a power source for the Clairvoyant.[6] They succeed despite the intervention of Spider-Man and both devices are now in the Palace, Chance's airborne casino.[7] Spider-Man and Tolentino prevent the Palace from crashing into Manhattan. With his bank accounts drained, Foreigner hiresTaskmaster andBlack Ant to assist in his payback plot.[8]
The Foreigner has no superhuman abilities. However, he has trained his body to be in peak physical condition. He is stronger, faster, more agile, and has better reaction time than any Olympic athlete. He is adept in all known forms of martial arts, and most forms of conventional hand weaponry. He is among the greatest pugilists in the Marvel Universe, similar in ability toCaptain America andWolverine. His skills are such that even without superhuman abilities, he is able to pull off seemingly inhuman feats of strength through intense concentration, and has even battled Spider-Man to a standstill.[citation needed]
He possesses a near-mystic ability to place an opponent in a 10-second hypnotic trance through eye contact. This leaves the target disoriented, making them believe that the Foreigner can move at superhuman speeds.[citation needed]
He is a master of disguise and has assumed various identities all over the world. He is a brilliant strategist, tactician, and intelligence gatherer who has somehow escaped much notice from governments and their agencies, leaving it to Spider-Man and other superheroes to handle him.[citation needed]
The Foreigner appears inKraven the Hunter, portrayed byChristopher Abbott.[9] This version is an associate ofAleksei Sytsevich who is recruited to killKraven in revenge for murdering one of his associates. He attempts to poison Kraven, only to be shot and killed byCalypso.
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