Unlikely Pairings: Rocket Racoon and Kraven the Hunter
In the world of unlikely pairings, Rocket Racon and Kraven the Hunter are up there with peanut butter and jelly. They don’t appear to go together, but they are a whole lot of fun.
When you think of Rocket Racoon it’s difficult not to picture him with Groot and the Guardians of the Galaxy. They are friends. They are family. But sometimes you need to take a break from friends and family.
During some alone time, Rocket finds himself in a relationship with Kraven the Hunter. On one level, Rocket and Kraven appear to completely mismatched. And it is worth noting from the beginning that Rocket and Kraven are anything but friends.
They meet because Kraven the Hunter is, you guessed it, hunting Rocket Racoon. People stick to what they’re good at. They stay in their comfortable zone. Kraven has taken up hunting aliens and Rocket is his prize.
Rocket doesn’t back down from a fight and is willing to give as good as he gets, but he isn’t stupid. He survives.
At first, Rocket doesn’t even know he’s being hunted. That’s a bit of a disadvantage that allows Karven to get the drop on him. But Kraven has fallen into the trap of only seeing Rocket for a small animal.
He might look like a racoon, but Rocket is a whole lot more. He fights back and he knows what he is doing. Rocket is more than happy to give Kraven as good as he gets. But Kraven has the advantage.
Kraven is on his home turf. He knows how things work on Earth. He knows how to escape (which given his rather conspicuous leggings and lion vest is impressive). And Kraven has the resources. In addition to an adamantium knife (you know the metal that Wolverine’s unbreakable skeleton is made out of), Kraven has an inexhaustible collection of pimp vans. Rocket can destroy one of Kraven’s van, but he soon appears in another one.
Rocket’s fight with Kraven leads to the destruction of the Statue of Liberty and Rocket is taken into custody. He isn’t arrested, but some serious enforcement are taking some serious precautious with Rocket who is dropped off in Camp Oubliette.
It’s a place where aliens are kept. Human ships can’t get them home and alien fuel is too expensive, but because they aren’t humans and not legal residents, they can be kept in the camp indefinitely.
Rocket doesn’t hang around and stages a prison break. He helps some of the others escape and decides to stay for a little fun. A little mechanical failure put him in harms way until he gets an unlikely rescue from Kraven the Hunter.
Rocket and Karven have their differences. As far as Kraven is concerned, they are both fighters. They will both do whatever they need to achieve their objectives and do what they think is right.
Kraven respects Rocket as a great fighter who will not give up and does not want to see Rocket rotting in a cage.
Kraven and Rocket could be friends, but they aren’t. In the end Kraven is still a bully. Rocket doesn’t like bullies and doesn’t like losing. So Rocket will do everything he needs to do to help the other aliens and makes sure he wins.
For more on Rocket Raccoon and his adventures on Earth without the Guardians of the Galaxy, check out Rocket Racoon: Grounded.
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