Zangief , based on Russian Зангиев, often called the Crimson Cyclone , is a fictional character in Capcom's Street Fighter series. Considered to be the first controllable fighting game character whose moveset is centered on grappling, he made his first appearance in Street Fighter II: The World Warrior in 1991. In the series, he is a professional wrestler that fights to prove Russia's superiority over other nations' fighters.