History
The Hunterbot was an android commissioned by Kraven the Hunter to Arcade as part of his plan to gather millionaire would-be hunters and make them hunt down animal-themed criminals in Central Park in an event he called the "Great Hunt".[2] Each Hunterbot was controlled remotely by one of the Great Hunt's participants from the safety of the Plaza Hotel using a VR headset.[1]
A feature of the Hunterbots that went unmentioned to its users was that the virtual link to the drone could not be severed, and their pilots would feel pain whenever their unit was damaged, being at the risk of dying if their Hunterbot was damaged too much.[3] Additionally, Kraven and Arcade facilitated the Hunter's prey a Hunter Killer to disable the robots' defenses.[4] This was set up with the intent to teach the would-be hunters the dangers of a true hunt.[3]
When Spider-Man confronted Kraven, the hunter used the Hunterbots as a bargaining chip to make the hero kill him in order to shut down the androids, putting the hunters out of harm's way. Once Spider-Man convinced Kraven to recognize the value of compassion, the hunter ordered Arcade to disable the androids.[5]
Properties[]
The Hunterbot is a near-indestructible synthetic android modeled after Kraven the Hunter, possessing augmented reflexes, superhuman strength and advancing targeting/tracking software. They are controlled by its users with an advanced virtual reality control unit that connects directly to their cerebral cortex.[1] By design, damage inflicted in the Hunterbots can be felt by its user, which can cause death to a Hunterbot's pilot if their unit is severely damaged.[3] The Hunterbots were also made to be susceptible to the Hunter Killer, a device capable of disabling a drone's defenses, armament, and its connection to the pilot.[4]
Each Hunterbot is customizable with millions of weapons from Arcade's arsenal database, from a bow and arrow to bleeding-edge A.I.M. blaster cannons. A Hunterbot can also be altered cosmetically. It can be equipped special costumes, emblems and even social media handles.[1]