Aleksander Lukin was born in the Soviet village of Kronas some time in the late 1930s. His village was used as the Red Skull's 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; Aleksander's mother was killed during the battle's course. The Soviet forces' leader Vasily Karpov takes the orphaned Lukin under as a protege. In the ensuing decades, Lukin became an important figure in the Soviet military and the KGB, rising to the General rank. After his mentor's passing, 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 the Winter Soldier for anything less than the reality-altering Cosmic Cube. 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". Lukin uses the Cosmic Cube to enrich his legitimate business front Kronas Corporation. But when, in a fit of rage, the Cosmic Cube harms one of his friends, Lukin has the Cosmic Cube sent away. After the Winter Soldier destroys the Cosmic Cube and regains his own memories, Lukin and the Red Skull have worked uneasily together against their common foe Captain America, even as the Red Skull wages a campaign for control of Lukin's body; Lukin vows to kill himself before allowing that to happen. Upon the Winter Soldier's discovery of Lukin's connection with the Red Skull, the Red Skull and Lukin fake 'their' death to continue to operate from the shadows. With Bucky as Captain America, the pair contrive to abduct Sharon Carter to attach to a machine that will bring back the time-displaced Steve Rogers, however, their captive rebels and destroys the machine. In a last-ditch maneuver, Arnim Zola transfers the Red Skull's consciousness into a robot while Lukin is free at last before being gunned down by Carter only a few seconds afterwards. It was later revealed that Lukin was brought back from the dead by his wife Alexa, with the help of Rasputin and Selene, as the Lukins join the Power Elite. As a side effect of his revival, the fragment of Red Skull's mind that is in Lukin was also revived.
In other media
Television
Aleksander Lukin is mentioned in . In the episode "Widow's Sting", he has been contacted for his organized crimeconnections by Black Widow at Baron Strucker's behest for HYDRA.
Film
The character himself does not appear in the 2014 film but Alexander Pierce bears many similarities to the character, primarily that of being the Winter Soldier's handler.
Video games
The Kronas Corporation is featured in as the Vulture's hideout to construct armor for the Kingpin's forces.
