Believing himself to be descended from the famous Gregori Rasputin (unproven) he sought to conquer the world and trained in unspecified dark magic. At one time he hired the Hand to steal the Eye of Agamotto from Strange. They failed. While he was incarcerated he decided he was not fit for supervillainy and retired.

It is possible that he was one of the magicians the Eye of Agamotto considered for succeeding Dr. Strange as Sorceror Supreme. However, Jericho Drumm was eventually chosen, rechristening himself Dr. Voodoo.

Meeting Phil Coulson

Mr. Rasputin is taken into S.H.I.E.L.D. custody and forced to accompany Agent Phil Coulson and Spider-Man into Doctor Strange’s magically altered house. Although he initially cooperates, it becomes clear that the environment deeply unsettles him. As the group moves deeper inside, Rasputin uses his arcane knowledge to guide them, but his fear grows. He repeatedly attempts to withdraw, warning that the magic at work exceeds his comfort and that he wants no further responsibility for what follows. When visibility collapses and perception itself becomes unreliable, Rasputin panics and tries to escape on his own. He briefly turns hostile, attempting to assert control with magic, but is quickly neutralized by Spider-Man and Coulson. Rendered unconscious but alive, Rasputin becomes a liability rather than an asset. Despite this, Coulson keeps him alive and later orders that he be safely escorted out, insisting S.H.I.E.L.D. honor their agreement.

Later, Rasputin regains consciousness amid chaos: demonic entities unleashed by the Book of Prophecy flood the house, attacking indiscriminately. Terrified and outmatched, Rasputin abandons subtlety and openly uses destructive magic to shield himself, admitting the situation is far beyond what he anticipated. His arrogance collapses into raw survival instinct as the enchantments spiral out of control.

In the climax, Rasputin survives only because Coulson intervenes directly, physically striking him to break his focus and stop the spell from escalating further. The Book is sealed, the immediate threat contained, and Rasputin is once again subdued. In the aftermath, Rasputin is stripped of agency entirely. He is rendered unconscious, disarmed, and formally processed into S.H.I.E.L.D. custody.

Trivia

• If he is indeed descended from Gregori Rasputin then that would make him related to Piotr Rasputin, otherwise known as the X-Man, Colossus.
• His son once stumbled onto his books and trying to summon a demon to do his bidding, accidentally summoned Cloak who was in the middle of a battle with Mr. Jip. The reformed Mr. Plotnik happily sent Cloak back to Dagger's side.