HISTORY: A master of disguise, a brilliant actor, and a genius at creating lifelike masks, the villain once known as Dmitri Smerdyakov is Spider-Man's oldest nemesis. He has worn thousands of different faces and assumed countless false identities. He also speaks dozens of languages, each with the pronunciation and subtlety of a native, and can mimic any individual after only a brief observation. Although the Chameleon is a former international spy, he now specializes in industrial espionage and various criminal activities.

His most vicious scheme thus far was when he formed an alliance with Hammerhead in an attempt to displace the Kingpin. In order to use the power of the Daily Bugle to publicize Wilson Fisk's misdeeds (a.k.a. the Kingpin), the Chameleon kidnapped J. Jonah Jameson and began impersonating him; hoping that the authorities would mobilize against the Kingpin. However, his plan was ruined when Spider-Man caught on to the charade, exposed him, and rescued the real ungrateful J. Jonah Jameson.

Defeated by Spider-Man on numerous occasions afterwards, the Chameleon soon turned to behind-the-scenes manipulations. After discovering he was the half-brother of frequent ally Kraven the Hunter (RIP), the Chameleon changed his name to Dmitri Kravinov and teamed up with Kraven at several occasions, always competing for the honor of killing Spider-Man. All their collaborative attempts failed, although Kraven almost single-handedly succeeded in killing Spider-Man and even began impersonating him for a while…