Aleksander Lukin
Aleksander Lukin () is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Lukin first appeared in Captain America vol. 5 #1 (January 2005), and was created by Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting. The character serves as the main antagonist of the Winter Soldier storyline.

Fictional character biography
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 (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".

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 Alexander Lukin was also revived.

In other media

Television and film
Aleksander Lukin is mentioned in The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes. In the episode "Widow's Sting", he has been contacted for his organized crime connections (along with Count Nefaria's connections) by Black Widow at Baron Strucker's behest for HYDRA. 

The character himself does not appear in the 2014 film Captain America: The Winter Soldier but Alexander Pierce (portrayed by Robert Redford) bears many similarities to the character, primarily that of being the Winter Soldier's handler.

Video games
 Aleksander Lukin's Kronas Corporation is featured in Spider-Man: Web of Shadows. It is seen as the Vulture's hideout to construct armor for the Kingpin's forces.
 Aleksander Lukin's Kronas Corporation appears in Lego Marvel Super Heroes.