Kronas Corporation

Aleksander Lukin
Aleksander Lukin Art by Steve Epting.
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Captain America (v5) #1 (2004)
Created by	Ed Brubaker (writer) Steve Epting (artist)
In-story information
Team affiliations	Kronas Corporation Roxxon Oil KGB
Notable aliases	Red Skull
Abilities	Strategic genius, political mastermind

Aleksander Lukin (Russian: Александр Лукин) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.

He first appeared in Captain America vol. 5 #1, and was created by Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting. The character serves as the main antagonist of the Winter Soldier storyline.

Born in the Soviet village of Kronas some time in the late 1930s, Lukin's village is used by the Red Skull as a base of operations during the Second World War. Soviet troops attempt to retake the town, assisted by the Western Allies' Invaders superhero team which include Captain America and Bucky Barnes. Lukin's mother is killed in the course of the battle. The Soviet forces' leader Vasily Karpov takes the orphaned Lukin under his wing.

In the ensuing decades, Lukin became an important figure in the Soviet military and the KGB, rising to the rank of General. After his mentor's passing away, Lukin is left in custody of a large cache of special projects developed over the decades, including the Winter Soldier. He sells some of these devices to the highest bidders to raise funds. In one instance, he sells weapons to the Red Skull himself, but refuses to part with Winter Soldier for anything less than the reality-altering Cosmic Cube (which the Red Skull was not in possession of and would not give up in any case).

Five years after that meeting, the Red Skull finally recovers the Cosmic Cube, only to be assassinated by the Winter Soldier on Lukin's orders. However, the Red Skull used the Cosmic Cube to transfer his own mind right before death into Lukin's body, leaving the two men stuck together "like rats in a cage".