Criminal Record
While imprisoned, the Rhino was transported into the future along with Antonio Rodriguez, AKA Armadillo, the Morlock Caliban, Jason Macendale, AKA Jack O’Lantern (later Hobgoblin), Cain Marko, AKA Juggernaut, Master-Mold, and Victor Creed, AKA Sabretooth, by the former World War II villain Simon Meke, AKA Isbisa, who had hoped to use his time machine to restart his career and become popular, to battle Jennifer Walters, AKA She-Hulk; after She-Hulk destroyed Isbisa’s machine, Rhino and others were returned to their own time. Immediately upon his return, Rhino became part of another army of Super Villains summoned across time and space, this time to battle the Defenders when the Headsmen, with George Tarleton, AKA M.O.D.O.K., and Advanced Idea Mechanics (A.I.M.)’s assistance, sought to conquer the world via the virtually all-powerful entity Orrgo. The Defenders ultimately defeated the Headsmen while M.O.D.O.K. and A.I.M. withdrew, and Orrgo returned the army of Super Villains to the present.
Shortly afterwards, Sergei Kravinoff, AKA Kraven the Hunter, wanting to study Spider-Man, stopped the sleeping gas that kept the Rhino sedated, allowing the Rhino to escape and battle Spider-Man, whom Rhino defeated. Rhino believed the hero was killed during their next encounter when a group of steel girders nearly fell on Spider-Man, and Rhino continued his mission to capture Jameson. Rhino tried to abduct Jameson from the hospital, but failed when Spider-Man dissolved his armor with special acid webbing created by Dr. Curtis Connors, AKA Lizard, and was taken into custody again. Escaping, the Rhino joined Egghead’s Emissaries of Evil alongside Leopold Stryke, AKA Eel, Alexander Gentry, AKA Porcupine, Erik Josten, AKA Power Man (later Atlas), Silas King, AKA Solarr, and Jacques Duquesne, AKA Swordsman, in Canada and tried to blackmail the world with a nuclear missile, but Egghead’s plot to destroy New York, which he concealed from the Rhino and others, was thwarted by Canada’s Flight, an early incarnation of Alpha Flight consisting of Groundhog, Stitch, Logan/James Howlett, AKA Wolverine, Saint Elmo, Narya, AKA Snowbird, and Smart Alec. Upon release after serving a commuted sentence, the Rhino accepted an offer by Igor and Georgi, who apparently held no malice over his previous betrayal, to outfit him with new armor and augment his strength through a process involving gamma radiation. The two scientists quickly assigned Rhino to capture Bruce Banner, AKA the Hulk, in hopes of coercing Banner into developing an army of gamma-ray-treated superhuman assassins; however, when the Rhino tried to abduct Banner, Banner transformed into the Hulk and overpowered the Rhino, who initially appeared to suffer fatal injuries. Recovering, the Rhino was once again remanded to a high-security state facility, where he was kept under heavy sedation. Samuel Sterns, AKA The Leader, wanting revenge after Hulk foiled his world domination plans, bombarded the Rhino with gamma-ray treatments, granting him the power to defeat the Hulk; however, when the Leader accidentally shot Rhino with a radiation blast intended for the Hulk, the Rhino attacked the Leader’s escape module, which exploded, rendering the Rhino comatose. Later, the Leader revived the Rhino and possessed his body, luring the Hulk onto a space shuttle. Once launched into space, the Leader released the Rhino as the shuttle crashed on Herbert Wyndham, AKA High Evolutionary’s Counter-Earth; the Hulk defeated the Rhino and returned the two to Earth, but their ship crashed upon re-entry.
Though the crash fused his suit to his skin, the Rhino was initially unconcerned. Afterwards, the Rhino and Abomination sought revenge against the Hulk using a gamma bomb, but the Hulk prevailed with the help of his friend Jim Wilson. Rhino rejoined the Emissaries of Evil to fight the Defenders and later tried to defeat Leonard Samson, AKA Doc Samson, twice, meeting defeat each time. When Amora the Enchantress sought the Crown of Power, an ancient Asgardian artifact, she manipulated Bentley Wittman, AKA the Wizard, Peter Petruski, AKA Trapster, and Rhino into helping her, but her plans were foiled by Steve Rogers, AKA Captain America, Hulk, Spider-Man, and Jessica Drew, AKA Spider-Woman. Tiring of his inability to remove his suit, Rhino agreed to participate in an experimental procedure at Project: Potential Energy Group/Alternate Sources/United States (PEGASUS) that could remove it, and he would receive a commuted sentence if it worked. After growing tired of testing, the Rhino joined a mass escape attempt along with fellow prisoners Marcus Daniels, AKA Blackout, Max Dillon, AKA Electro, and Karla Sofen, AKA Moonstone, however, the Avengers thwarted the escape.
While being transported to another facility, the Rhino was freed by Joshua Ayers, AKA Miracle Man, who wanted the Rhino to help him regain his mystical powers; however, upon encountering Benjamin Grimm, AKA the Thing, Miracle Man instead hypnotized Rhino into attacking the Thing, but Miracle Man’s plans failed when a Scourge of the Underworld vigilante apparently killed him. Fearing he would be accused of murder, the Rhino fled, but the Thing convinced Rhino to return to Project: PEGASUS after vouching for him. After the virtually omnipotent Beyonder briefly destroyed Death, Mephisto captured the Beyonder’s energies before they could return to him. Disguised as a human, Mephisto sent the demon Bitterhorn to various Super Villains, empowering them with Beyondersbane, energy that would destroy the Beyonder. The Rhino agreed to help Bitterhorn defeat the Beyonder, unaware he was actually helping Mephisto, in exchange for removing his armor, but the Thing held off the villains until the Beyondersbane overloaded.
Rhino joined Abe Jenkins, AKA Beetle’s Sinister Syndicate to obtain the funds needed to remove his hide. During this time, unscrupulous industrialist Justin Hammer upgraded Rhino’s hide even more by adding armor. Jason Macendale to battle Silver Sablinova, AKA Silver Sable, and Spider-Man in his stead, but was forced to retreat when William Baker, AKA Sandman, intervened. When the Syndicate posed as freedom fighters while looting the nation of Belgriun with Dr. Otto Octavius, AKA Doctor Octopus, the same trio defeated the criminals once again. Imprisoned in Colorado’s Vault maximum security superhuman prison, Rhino joined other prisoners in a mass escape attempt foiled by the Avengers and Mystique’s Freedom Force. Around this same time, Rhino was pulled forward in time by a dimension-hopping madman as one of many criminals pitted against the Avengers and the heroes of a distant cosmos in a galactic game of life, but the villains were defeated, and Rhino returned to his own time.
Depressed during the holiday season, the Rhino discovered the Hulk nearby; disguising himself as “Santa Claus,” Rhino quickly volunteered to stand in as a mall Santa Claus after being accepted by people instead of feared, but became angered when the kids did not get along with him. The Hulk discovered Rhino and a fight ensued until a tearful young girl convinced the two to be merry and work together. Rhino accepted various jobs as an enforcer, including attacking Mac Gargan, AKA Scorpion, for Justin Hammer and fighting Namor the Sub-Mariner for J.Q. Stamp, who tried to take Namor’s company Oracle Inc. by force; following a battle with a cosmically enhanced Spider-Man, Rhino was imprisoned once again.
Afterward, the Syndicate reunited, but was betrayed by the Beetle, who used them to pay off the Wilson Fisk, AKA Kingpin, for arranging his early release from prison, and getaway driver Leila Davis, who sought revenge against the Beetle for the apparent death of her husband Anthony Davis, AKA Ringer. The Rhino, who had hoped to use his earnings to remove his rhino hide, double-crossed the Beetle in exchange for Kingpin’s scientists removing his hide; however, upon discovering Kingpin had double-crossed him and had no intention of losing an enforcer like him, the Rhino forced the Kingpin’s scientist Dr. Benjamin Peterson to remove the hide. Once freed from his hide, Rhino had Spider-Man place Peterson and his family into protective custody for helping him; however, Aleksei’s happiness was short-lived after the Kingpin located and threatened the Peterson family; Aleksei offered his services to Justin Hammer once again in exchange for a new costume in order to better protect the family.
The Rhino eventually saved enough money to bring his mother and niece to the U.S., but had to leave his father behind. When local thugs robbed the family, taking his niece’s locket that had been given to her by his sister, Aleksei found the thieves and forced them to return the stolen items. After his mother discovered he also stole money from the criminals, she initially disowned him, but soon forgave him. The mad Titan Thanos sent Rhino, Rbert Hunter, AKA Nitro, Kl’rt, AKA Super-Skrull, and Boris Bullski, AKA Titanium Man, to procure an ancient being called the Oracle of Ancient Knowledge from the planet H’aarg. After succeeding, Thanos left the group on H’aarg, but Norrin Radd, AKA Silver Surfer, and Genis-Vell, AKA Legacy (later Photon), rescued them. Fueled with the desire to bring the rest of his family to the U.S., the Rhino continued his criminal activities and fought Spider-Man repeatedly; battled the New Warriors while working for Anath-Na Mut, AKA the Sphinx; teamed with a group of villains to try and defeat the Hulk and the Thing; and later received help from Luke Cage when a group of Guardsmen tried to frame him for the murder of Super Villains Cinder, a pyrokinetic who killed a Guardsman while escaping, and Animator, an electronics manipulator who tried to fight back in self-defense. Later, Rhino attended an annual A.I.M. weapons exposition in Boca Caliente where he battled Captain America, Sam Wilson, AKA Falcon (later Captain America), and Shang-Chi, and also attended Robert Brasman, AKA Brass Bishop’s auction in Canada where he battled Spider-Man and Alpha Flight. When the Rhino was hired to steal a canister of experimental medical gas, while fleeing Spider-Man, the canister began to leak and empowered orphanage janitor Guy Jones with superhuman strength. With Spider-Man’s help, Jones stopped the Rhino.
Rhino continued to try to raise money to both support and bring the rest of his family to the U.S. This led to battles with Phil Urich, AKA Green Goblin, Kaine (a Peter Parker clone), Shannon Fitzpatrick, AKA Muse, and an alternate Spider-Man, Ben Reilly. During this time, Rhino entered the “Great Game,” a contest whose wealthy patrons employed and manipulated costumed fighters into battling each other while they wagered on the outcomes. When Rhino’s powers began to wear off, Parnival Plunder, AKA Plunderer, offered to restore Aleksei to his former self with the use of his Cyclotron machine in exchange for subservience. Rhino was sent to kill Plunder's brother Kevin Plunder, AKA Ka-Zar, but Ka-Zar convinced Rhino to betray Plunderer after his powers became unstable. Rhino eventually used the Cyclotron to permanently stabilize his powers.
Afterwards, Rhino used a battlesuit supplied by General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross (later Red Hulk) to capture the Hulk and briefly adapted the name “Mecha-Rhino,” but Hulk defeated him. Imprisoned at Seagate prison after a battle with Captain America, Rhino tried to escape, but was stopped by former Syndicate member Abe Jenkins (now MACH-1). Shortly afterward, Rhino’s intelligence reverted to its old levels and he was hired by crime boss Fyodor Rebrov to protect his daughter Stella. Rhino fell in love, but Stella rejected him, thinking him only a dumb brute. Rhino had Georgi increase his intelligence and a month later became a novelist, became kingpin of his own crime syndicate (with 95% of all takings given to help third-world poverty, aid troubled inner cities and support arts), and learned law (even getting a restraining order against Spider-Man), but eventually his intelligence increased too much, causing him to view others as intellectual inferiors, including Stella.
Rhino returned to Georgi and had his intelligence reduced to its previous levels. When multimillionaire Boscoe Wittaker hired Wade Wilson, AKA Deadpool, to procure Rhino’s horn to increase his vitality, Deadpool used Pym Particles to shrink Rhino and sawed off his horn. Deadpool kept Rhino as a “pet” until he grew tired of him and flushed him down the toilet, and the Pym Particles eventually wore off. When Agency X—Alex Hayden, AKA Agent X, Inez Temple, AKA Outlaw, and Taskmaster—clashed with the Four Winds crime family over Agent X’s property, Four Winds hired Rhino and other mercenaries to kill the Agency trio, but Rhino was forced to flee after battling Agent X. At some point, the Rhino was subjected to experimentation and temporarily mutated into a half-man/half-rhino creature. He battled Juggernaut and Tony Stark, AKA Iron Man, before the effects wore off. Incarcerated in the Big House, an experimental penitentiary for Super Villains, the Rhino was once again shrunk and joined in a mass escape attempt; however, the escape was thwarted by the She-Hulk and Sasha Martin, AKA Southpaw. Rhino returned to crime, battling Spider-Man on a few occasions; Richard Rider, AKA Nova, who helped capture Rhino by pushing him off a building into Spider-Man’s webbing; Greg Willis, AKA Gravity, getting arrested by S.H.I.E.L.D. afterwards; Felicia Hardy, AKA Black Cat, after brutally beating Spider-Man for the Dmitri Smerdyakov, AKA Chameleon; Deadpool, on whom Rhino vengefully used Pym Particles; and Frank Castle, AKA Punisher, who defeated Rhino using a copy of Wolfgang von Strucker, AKA Baron Strucker’s Satan Claw weapon. During Wilbur Day, AKA Stilt-Man’s wake, the Punisher poisoned and then blew up Rhino and other super-villains attending, but they recovered following hospitalization. At some point, Rhino’s mother passed away and while he visited her grave, Spider-Man, who thought Rhino was engaged in criminal activities, attacked Rhino. Enraged that Spider-Man caused him to destroy his mother’s tombstone, Rhino blindly attacked, allowing Spider-Man to get the upper hand. Sometime later, the Rhino was captured by Donyell Taylor, AKA Night Thrasher’s New Warriors and imprisoned. The Punisher tried to apprehend the Rhino after he accidentally killed security guard Jim Maclemore during a bank heist, but Alyosha Kravinoff, AKA Kraven, captured Rhino for his collection of animal-like super-beings instead. The Punisher defeated Kraven and let Rhino go after he realized Maclemore’s death was an accident. Later, the Rhino helped the Punisher defeat the Wrecking Crew to pay back his debt to Punisher for saving him from Kraven. When a group of thugs found the Stilt-Man’s armor, the Rhino talked the Punisher out of killing them.
Rhino reached a turning point in his life after Spider-Man revealed his identity during the Superhuman Civil War. Rhino turned himself in, S.H.I.E.L.D. removed his armor, and he served a brief time in jail. Released on parole, he met Russian waitress Oksana and they married. But when Oksana was killed by a new Rhino—created by criminal scientist Dr. Tramma—he returned to his old ways and murdered the new Rhino. He blamed Spider-Man for the role he played in turning him into something he wasn’t and for the loss of his wife. He then allied with the Jackal (Ben Reilly) when he restored Oksana to life but as a clone. His reunion was short lived as the clone broke down so he had to say goodbye once more. Subsequently, he went on a rampage of grief and then turned himself in to be the man Oksana would have wanted him to be.
