Morbius, The Living Vampire
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Morbius the Living Vampire, real name Michael Alexander Morbius,
M.D. Doctor of Medicine (abbreviated M.D., from the Latin ''Medicinae Doctor'') is a medical degree, the meaning of which varies between different jurisdictions. In the United States, and some other countries, the M.D. denotes a professional degree. T ...
,''Morbius the Living Vampire'' (vol. 1) #1. Marvel Comics.
Ph.D. A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is ...
, is a
fiction Fiction is any creative work, chiefly any narrative work, portraying individuals, events, or places that are imaginary, or in ways that are imaginary. Fictional portrayals are thus inconsistent with history, fact, or plausibility. In a traditi ...
al
character Character or Characters may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''Character'' (novel), a 1936 Dutch novel by Ferdinand Bordewijk * ''Characters'' (Theophrastus), a classical Greek set of character sketches attributed to The ...
appearing in
American comic book An American comic book is a thin periodical originating in the United States, on average 32 pages, containing comics. While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publication of ''Action Comics'' ...
s published by
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
. Created by writer
Roy Thomas Roy William Thomas Jr."Roy Thomas Checklist" ''Alter Ego'' vol. 3, #50 (July 2005) p. 16 (born November 22, 1940) is an American comic book writer and editor, who was Stan Lee's first successor as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics. He is possibl ...
and originally designed by
penciler A penciller (or penciler) is an artist who works on the creation of comic books, graphic novels, and similar visual art forms, with a focus on the initial pencil illustrations, usually in collaboration with other artists, who provide inks, colors ...
Gil Kane Gil Kane (; born Eli Katz ; April 6, 1926 – January 31, 2000) was a Latvian-born American comics artist whose career spanned the 1940s to the 1990s and virtually every major comics company and character. Kane co-created the modern-day versio ...
, he debuted as a tragic, sympathetic
adversary An adversary is generally considered to be a person, group, or force that opposes and/or attacks. Adversary may also refer to: * Satan ("adversary" in Hebrew), in Judeo-Christian religion Entertainment Fiction * Adversary (comics), villain fro ...
of the
superhero A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...
Spider-Man Spider-Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appeared in the anthology comic book '' Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in the ...
in ''
The Amazing Spider-Man ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' is an ongoing American comic book series featuring the Marvel Comics superhero Spider-Man as its main protagonist. Being in the Earth 616, mainstream continuity of the franchise, it began publication in 1963 as a bim ...
'' (vol. 1) #101 (October 1971). For years, Morbius frequently clashed with Spider-Man and other superheroes while occasionally regaining his reason and helping those he regarded as allies. The 1992 Marvel Comics " Rise of the Midnight Sons" crossover event then revived and revised several horror-themed Marvel characters in order to present them as lead protagonists in new titles. The event launched the new series ''Morbius the Living Vampire'' (vol. 1), which ran from 1992 to 1995 and now presented the title character as a lethal anti-hero and vigilante. After the cancellation of this series, various stories shifted back and forth between portraying Morbius as a conflicted and brutal anti-hero or a tragic character subject to episodes of madness and murder (once again, most often fighting Spider-Man). In the Marvel Comics canon, Michael Morbius is a famous biochemist who contracts a rare blood disease which he then tries to cure by using a combination of experimental chemicals, electroshock therapy, and genetic samples of vampire bats. The experiment mutates him into a "pseudo-vampire" or "living vampire", a life form with abilities and traits resembling, but not identical to, those of truly supernatural and "
undead The undead are beings in mythology, legend, or fiction that are deceased but behave as if alive. Most commonly the term refers to corporeal forms of formerly-alive humans, such as mummies, vampires, and zombies, who have been reanimated by super ...
" creatures such as
vampire A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the Vitalism, vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead, undead creatures that often visited loved ones and caused mi ...
s (which exist in the
Marvel Universe The Marvel Universe is a fictional shared universe where the stories in most American comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Comics take place. Super-teams such as the Avengers, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, the Guardians of ...
). To keep his blood disease in remission, Morbius must now regularly feed on fresh human blood or face rapid illness followed by death. Initially, Morbius's mutation affects his ability to reason while experiencing hunger. This leads to blackouts and acts of violence that result in murder and villainy, occasionally followed by lucid periods during which he regrets causing harm. A mixture of electricity and Spider-Man's blood restores his humanity for several years, but he later reverts to being a pseudo-vampire. During the "Rise of the Midnight Sons", a mixture of poison and genuine demon blood alters Morbius' physiology slightly while also restoring his mental capacity, allowing him greater control and awareness even while experiencing bloodlust. A new "anti-viral" serum involving Spider-Man's blood also allows him to regain humanity for hours at a time. Concluding he now has greater control over his condition and wishing to regain some semblance of a normal life, Morbius creates a new cover identity as Dr. Morgan Michaels, while at night secretly acting as a lethal
vigilante Vigilantism () is the act of preventing, investigating and punishing perceived offenses and crimes without Right, legal authority. A vigilante (from Spanish, Italian and Portuguese “vigilante”, which means "sentinel" or "watcher") is a pers ...
who only feeds on "the blood of the guilty." Later on, another mutagenic serum saves his life but results in Morbius once again being vulnerable to temporary madness and a loss of his faculties when his bloodlust is too strong. As a result, he abandons his Morgan Michaels identity and becomes a fugitive again. The character has appeared in several media adaptations outside of comics. In the 1990s animated series ''
Spider-Man Spider-Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appeared in the anthology comic book '' Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in the ...
'', Morbius is a recurring character voiced by
Nick Jameson Nicholas Jameson (born December 5, 1950) is an American actor, musician and producer, perhaps best known for his portrayal of Russian president Yuri Suvarov over three seasons on the show '' 24''. He currently resides in Reykjavík doing live co ...
. In contrast to the comics, the cartoon depicted Morbius both as a regular ally of the character Blade and as a being who feeds on human plasma through his hands rather than with his fangs.
Jared Leto Jared Joseph Leto ( ; born December 26, 1971) is an American actor and musician. Known for his method acting in a variety of roles, he has received numerous accolades over a career spanning three decades, including an Academy Award and a Golde ...
portrayed Michael Morbius in the
Sony's Spider-Man Universe Sony's Spider-Man Universe (SSU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films produced by Columbia Pictures in association with Marvel Entertainment. Distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing, the f ...
live action film '' Morbius'' (2022).


Publication history


Initial creation as a villain

Morbius debuted in ''
The Amazing Spider-Man ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' is an ongoing American comic book series featuring the Marvel Comics superhero Spider-Man as its main protagonist. Being in the Earth 616, mainstream continuity of the franchise, it began publication in 1963 as a bim ...
'' (vol. 1) #101 (published in August 1971 and
cover-date The cover date of a periodical publication is the date displayed on the cover, which is not necessarily the true date of publication (the on-sale date or release date); later cover dates are common in magazine and comic book publishing. More unusu ...
d October 1971). His creation followed the comic book industry's self-
censorship Censorship is the suppression of speech, public communication, or other information. This may be done on the basis that such material is considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive, or "inconvenient". Censorship can be conducted by governments ...
board, the
Comics Code Authority The Comics Code Authority (CCA) was formed in 1954 by the Comics Magazine Association of America as an alternative to government regulation. The CCA allowed the comic publishers to self-regulate the content of comic books in the United States. ...
, updating its policies in February 1971, which included lifting a ban on comic book stories depicting vampires and certain other supernatural characters. Morbius' introduction was the first issue of
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
' flagship ''
Spider-Man Spider-Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appeared in the anthology comic book '' Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in the ...
'' series written by someone other than character co-creator and then editor-in-chief
Stan Lee Stan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber ; December 28, 1922 – November 12, 2018) was an American comic book writer, editor, publisher, and producer. He rose through the ranks of a family-run business called Timely Publications which ...
, who was busy writing a screenplay for an unproduced
science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...
movie. Lee bequeathed the role of series writer to his right-hand editor
Roy Thomas Roy William Thomas Jr."Roy Thomas Checklist" ''Alter Ego'' vol. 3, #50 (July 2005) p. 16 (born November 22, 1940) is an American comic book writer and editor, who was Stan Lee's first successor as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics. He is possibl ...
. In 2009, Roy Thomas said there was interest in having the company's flagship character Spider-Man fight a vampire, possibly even the famous Count Dracula. "We were talking about doing
Dracula ''Dracula'' is a novel by Bram Stoker, published in 1897. As an epistolary novel, the narrative is related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist, but opens with solicitor Jonathan Harker taking ...
, but Stan wanted a costumed villain. Other than that, he didn't specify what we should do." Thomas added that part of the character conception came from the 1957 film '' The Vampire'', a science fiction film he saw in his youth that depicted a man turned into a vampire by
radiation In physics, radiation is the emission or transmission of energy in the form of waves or particles through space or through a material medium. This includes: * ''electromagnetic radiation'', such as radio waves, microwaves, infrared, visi ...
rather than magic. Thomas and
penciller A penciller (or penciler) is an artist who works on the creation of comic books, graphic novels, and similar visual art forms, with a focus on the initial pencil illustrations, usually in collaboration with other artists, who provide inks, colors ...
Gil Kane Gil Kane (; born Eli Katz ; April 6, 1926 – January 31, 2000) was a Latvian-born American comics artist whose career spanned the 1940s to the 1990s and virtually every major comics company and character. Kane co-created the modern-day versio ...
then discussed and created the character together, deciding it was more appropriate for the science-fiction based Spider-Man to fight a villain given pseudo-
vampiric A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the Vitalism, vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead, undead creatures that often visited loved ones and caused mi ...
traits via scientific rather than supernatural means. Kane based the character's look on that of actor
Jack Palance Jack Palance ( ; born Volodymyr Palahniuk ( uk, Володимир Палагню́к); February 18, 1919 – November 10, 2006) was an American actor known for playing tough guys and villains. He was nominated for three Academy Awards, all fo ...
.Kane in Thomas said the name "Morbius" was not deliberately taken from the antagonist Doctor Morbius in the 1956 film ''
Forbidden Planet ''Forbidden Planet'' is a 1956 American science fiction film from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, produced by Nicholas Nayfack, and directed by Fred M. Wilcox (director), Fred M. Wilcox from a script by Cyril Hume that was based on an original film story ...
''. The initial two-story arc emphasized that Morbius, like other Spider-Man villains such as the
Lizard Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The group is paraphyletic since it excludes the snakes and Amphisbaenia alt ...
, was not truly a malicious villain but a tragic and sympathetic character who had unwittingly been changed into a monster, in this case as a result of trying to cure his own rare but fatal blood disease. The story also introduced Morbius' lover Martine Bancroft and revealed that his first victim had been his scientific colleague and great friend Emil Nikos. Later on, ''Giant-Size Spider-Man'' #1 (July 1974) did depict Spider-Man and Dracula together in a story, but the two characters only briefly cross paths while unaware of each other's true nature. After their initial meeting, Morbius collided again with Spider-Man in ''
Marvel Team-Up ''Marvel Team-Up'' is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics. The series featured two or more Marvel characters in one story. The series was originally published from March 1972 through February 1985, and featured Spider-Man as ...
'' #3–4 (July – September 1972) and the
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''Giant-Size Super-Heroes'' #1 (June 1974). Morbius went on to star in ''
Vampire Tales ''Vampire Tales'' was an American black-and-white horror comics magazine published by Magazine Management, a corporate sibling of Marvel Comics. The series ran 11 issues and one annual publication from 1973 to 1975, and featuring vampires as both ...
'', a black-and-white
horror comics Horror comics are comic books, graphic novels, black-and-white comics magazines, and manga focusing on horror fiction. In the US market, horror comic books reached a peak in the late 1940s through the mid-1950s, when concern over content and the ...
magazine published by Marvel's sister company,
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, appearing in all but two of the mature audience title's 11 issues (August 1973 – June 1975). The first Morbius solo story was written by
Steve Gerber Stephen Ross Gerber (; September 20, 1947 – February 10, 2008) was an American comic book writer and creator of the satiric Marvel Comics character Howard the Duck. Other works include ''Man-Thing'', ''Omega the Unknown,'' ''Marvel Spotlight:' ...
, while the rest of the stories, save for the last three, were written by
Don McGregor Donald Francis McGregor (born June 15, 1945) is an American comic book writer best known for his work for Marvel Comics; he is the author of one of the first graphic novels. Early life Don McGregor was born in Providence, Rhode Island, where he w ...
, with
penciling A penciller (or penciler) is an artist who works on the creation of comic books, graphic novels, and similar visual art forms, with a focus on the initial pencil illustrations, usually in collaboration with other artists, who provide inks, colors ...
by
Rich Buckler Rich may refer to: Common uses * Rich, an entity possessing wealth * Rich, an intense flavor, color, sound, texture, or feeling ** Rich (wine), a descriptor in wine tasting Places United States * Rich, Mississippi, an unincorporated commun ...
and by
Tom Sutton Thomas F. Sutton (April 15, 1937 – May 1, 2002) He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force after graduating from high school in 1955, and worked on art projects while stationed at Fort D.A. Russell (Wyoming), Fort Francis E. Warren, near Laramie, Wyom ...
, primarily. These stories focused on Morbius as more of a tragic anti-hero, one subject to blackouts and violence but who could also act altruistically towards allies and those he saw as victims of unjust circumstances. After his first two ''Vampire Tales'' stories, Morbius concurrently became the star of his own feature in Marvel's bimonthly ''
Adventure into Fear ''Adventure into Fear'' is an American horror comic book series published by Marvel Comics from cover dates November 1970 through December 1975, for 31 issues. This is its trademarked cover title for all but its first nine issues, though the ser ...
'' anthology series, beginning with issue #20 (February 1974) and continuing through issue #31 (December 1975), the last issue of the series. These were written, successively, by
Mike Friedrich Mike Friedrich (; born March 27, 1949) is an American comic book writer and publisher best known for his work at Marvel and DC Comics, and for publishing the anthology series '' Star*Reach'', one of the first independent comics. He is also an a ...
, Steve Gerber,
Doug Moench Douglas Moench (; born February 23, 1948) is an American comic book writer notable for his ''Batman'' work and as the creator of Moon Knight, Deathlok, Black Mask, ''Electric Warrior'' and ''Six from Sirius''. He is also known for his critically ...
and
Bill Mantlo William Timothy Mantlo (born November 9, 1951) is an American comic book writer, primarily at Marvel Comics. He is best known for his work on two licensed toy properties whose adventures occurred in the Marvel Universe: ''Micronauts'' and ''Ro ...
, working with a wide variety of pencillers. Morbius was seen as a tragic figure lamenting his past and willing to stand trail in ''The Savage She-Hulk'' #9–12. Marvel Comics. These stories also showed him willing to lend his expertise to help others who suffered from a mutation or "curse" they did not choose. This continued when Morbius is seen researching the condition of the
Werewolf In folklore, a werewolf (), or occasionally lycanthrope (; ; uk, Вовкулака, Vovkulaka), is an individual that can shapeshift into a wolf (or, especially in modern film, a therianthropic hybrid wolf-like creature), either purposely or ...
(Jack Russell) in ''West Coast Avengers'' (vol. 2) #5.


1990s anti-hero

Following sporadic appearances as a villain throughout the next 16 years, Morbius was retooled as part of the 1992 "Rise of the Midnight Sons"
crossover Crossover may refer to: Entertainment Albums and songs * ''Cross Over'' (Dan Peek album) * ''Crossover'' (Dirty Rotten Imbeciles album), 1987 * ''Crossover'' (Intrigue album) * ''Crossover'' (Hitomi Shimatani album) * ''Crossover'' (Yoshino ...
event, the purpose of which was to launch a new line of horror- and supernatural-themed comics following the success of the new ''
Ghost Rider Ghost Rider is the name of multiple antiheroes and superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Marvel had previously used the name for a Western character whose name was later changed to Phantom Rider. The first s ...
'' series. "Rise of the Midnight Sons" featured the new Ghost Rider (Danny Ketch) and Johnny Blaze (the previous Ghost Rider) seeking out the "Midnight Sons", different unique individuals who would eventually be crucial to stopping the demonic Lilith from laying waste to humanity (as well as potentially other threats just as great). This led directly into the new series ''Morbius the Living Vampire'' (vol. 1), which would run for 32 issues (September 1992 – April 1995). ''Morbius the Living Vampire'' (vol. 1) #1 showed the title character being mutated further, which altered his abilities slightly, revealed he had untapped "psionic" power, and gave him a more rational, introspective nature. Morbius takes on the role of a lethal vigilante, vowing only to feed on killers who are truly evil and beyond remorse. The next month, ''Morbius the Living Vampire'' (vol. 1) #2 retroactively explained much of the Living Vampire's villainy in the past as the result of his initial mutation altering his brain and making him "insane", a condition now alleviated with his latest mutation. Morbius also discovers that his blood disease is no longer in remission and is slowly killing him. This introduces an ongoing series sub-plot wherein Morbius and his trusted friend Dr. Jacob Weisenthal regularly research treatments and anti-viral serums that may put his disease and his condition as a living vampire both into remission. With his ability to reason restored and his newfound purpose as a vigilante rather than a villain, Morbius is seen creating a new cover identity for himself, that of human hematologist Dr. Morgan Michaels. Rather than only pitting Morbius against Marvel heroes or previously established villains as had been done in the past, new enemies were introduced and created specifically to fight the Living Vampire. These included Dr. Thaddeus Paine,Dr. Paine is first mentioned by name in ''Morbius the Living Vampire'' (vol. 1) #1; he first appears on-panel in ''Morbius the Living Vampire'' (vol. 1) #4. the
Basilisk In European bestiaries and legends, a basilisk ( or ) is a legendary reptile reputed to be a serpent king, who causes death to those who look into its eyes. According to the ''Naturalis Historia'' of Pliny the Elder, the basilisk of Cyrene is ...
II (Wayne Gifford),''Morbius the Living Vampire'' (vol. 1) #5. Marvel Comics. Vic Slaughter,''Morbius the Living Vampire'' (vol. 1) #6. Marvel Comics. Bloodthirst (a demonic presence in Morbius' mind and body who later manifests his own body in issue #20),''Morbius the Living Vampire'' (vol. 1) #20. Marvel Comics. and Bloodbath.''Midnight Sons Unlimited'' #2. Marvel Comics. Along with these foes, Morbius the Living Vampire featured recurring appearances of
Simon Stroud Sabra Sabreclaw Sabreclaw is a character in the Marvel Comics 2, MC2 universe who first appeared in ''J2 (comics), J2'' #8 (May 1999). He is the half-brother of Wild Thing (comics), Wild Thing and the son of Wolverine (character), Wolverine. ...
. Introduced as a rogue CIA agent hunting the Man-Wolf in ''
Creatures on the Loose ''Tower of Shadows'' is a horror fiction, horror/fantasy anthology comic book published by the American company Marvel Comics under this and a subsequent name from 1969 to 1975. It featured work by writer-artists Neal Adams, Jim Steranko, Johnny ...
'' #37, Stroud had first encountered Morbius in ''
Adventure into Fear ''Adventure into Fear'' is an American horror comic book series published by Marvel Comics from cover dates November 1970 through December 1975, for 31 issues. This is its trademarked cover title for all but its first nine issues, though the ser ...
'' #27 and was now determined to end the pseudo-vampire's life. To increase awareness and the popularity of ''Morbius the Living Vampire'' (vol. 1), a reprint series entitled ''Morbius Revisited'' was published from 1992 to 1993. The series featured material originally published in ''Adventure into Fear'' #27–31. Along with this, Morbius appeared in short solo stories featured in the anthology series ''Midnight Sons Unlimited'' (1993–1995), as well as in ''
Marvel Comics Presents ''Marvel Comics Presents'' was an American comic book anthology series published by Marvel Comics originally from 1988 to 1995. It returned for a second volume in 2007–2008, and a third volume that started in 2019. Volume 1 The first volume ...
'' #144, the one-shot ''
Strange Tales ''Strange Tales'' is a Marvel Comics comics anthology, anthology series. The title was revived in different forms on multiple occasions. Doctor Strange and Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. (feature), Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. made their d ...
: Dark Corners'' #1 (May 1998), ''
Amazing Fantasy ''Amazing Adult Fantasy'', retitled ''Amazing Fantasy'' in its final issue, is an American comic book anthology series published by Marvel Comics from 1961 through 1962, with the latter title revived with superhero features in 1995 and in the 2000 ...
'' (vol. 2) #17 (March 2006), and the one-shot ''Legion of Monsters: Morbius'' (September 2007). As he was now a vigilante and part of the Midnight Sons, Morbius engaged in several team-ups with heroes and anti-heroes throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. He frequently crossed paths with the sorcerer Dr. Strange as well as the Ghost Rider and the Nightstalkers, a group which included
Blade A blade is the portion of a tool, weapon, or machine with an edge that is designed to puncture, chop, slice or scrape surfaces or materials. Blades are typically made from materials that are harder than those they are to be used on. Historic ...
as well as
Hannibal King Hannibal King is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared as a supporting character in the 1970s comic book ''The Tomb of Dracula'', issue #25 (Oct. 1974). King was played by Ryan Reyn ...
, a "quasi-vampire" who was similar to Morbius in that he tried to curb his bloodlust so as not to compromise his morals, but unlike Morbius was a truly supernatural vampire rather than a scientific mutation. In ''Morbius the Living Vampire'' (vol. 1) #12, Blade is possessed by a demon and, against his will, kills Morbius. Morbius is immediately resurrected in ''Spirits of Vengeance'' (vol. 1) #13. During the 1993 Marvel Comics crossover event ''
Maximum Carnage "Maximum Carnage" is a 14-part comic book fictional crossover, crossover published in Marvel Comics' ''Spider-Man'' family of titles in 1993 in comics, 1993. It featured Spider-Man, Venom (Marvel Comics character), Venom, and a host of other super ...
'', Morbius and his longtime adversary Spider-Man temporarily become uneasy allies to stop a New York City murder spree led by the villain Carnage. In '' Peter Parker: Spider-Man'' #77–80 (1997), Morbius again teams up with Spider-Man to stop HYDRA agent Loxias Crown, who then becomes another living vampire called the Hunger.''Spider-Man'' (vol. 1) #77–80. Marvel Comics. ''Morbius the Living Vampire'' (vol. 1) series writer Len Kaminski had regular conflicts with series penciller
Ron Wagner Ron J. Wagner is an American comics artist who has drawn for titles such as '' G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero'', ''The Punisher'', '' Nth Man: The Ultimate Ninja'', and '' Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight''. He is also an animation storyboard ...
. The two were collaborators who used the " Marvel method" of comic book scripting, meaning Kaminksi would plot out the stories, Wagner would then determine more of the narrative details by illustrating the scenes (potentially adding ones) and creating the narrative pace, after which Kaminski would see the art and any notes Wagner had, then either ask for changes or accept the art and fill in the final dialogue and captions. As time went on, Kaminski claimed Wagner often complained about his stories to the editorial staff and left "snide margin notes
n the art N, or n, is the fourteenth Letter (alphabet), letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the English alphabet, modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is English alphabet# ...
in which he made his personal opinion of my plots clear." Wagner alleged he expressed concerns Kaminski's stories were too introspective and character-focused when a series about a violent vampire who hunted evil people needed to have more action and bloodshed. According to Kaminski, he was willing to discuss the story and series direction further but Wagner ignored his attempts at contact. Marvel Comics sided with Wagner, replacing Kaminski with issue #9 by asking series colorist Gregory Wright to step in as writer. A one-shot special, tentatively titled ''Spider-Man/Venom/Morbius'' was scheduled for 1993, but never published due to Kaminski's departure from the series. Wagner remained as series penciler until issue #15, then left as well. Under writer Gregory Wright, the series ''Morbius the Living Vampire'' (vol. 1) featured the resurrection of Michael's former lover Martine Bancroft in issues #13–17. The storyline ended with Martine now alive again due to mystical forces but no longer able to experience her full range of emotions. Throughout the rest of the series, Martine shifts from supporting character to occasional antagonist as she sometimes clashes with Morbius due to resentment over the circumstances of her resurrection and the pursuit of restoring her emotions sometimes placing other in danger. Wright stayed as writer on ''Morbius the Living Vampire'' (vol. 1) until issue #23. Pat Mills wrote issue #24 in 1994, after which Lisa Trusiani took over as series writer. She remained in this role until issue #32, when the series was cancelled due to declining sales and waning fan interest. The series ends with Morbius being mutated once again by an anti-viral serum that saves his life, but results in his now once again losing his ability to reason and experiencing blackouts when his bloodlust is too strong. This leads him to abandon his vigilante life and the double identity of Dr. Morgan Michaels. The final story arc of the series does not resolve whether or not Morbius' blood disease is still killing him, despite his vampiric regenerative abilities, or if the newest anti-viral system finally put the disease back into remission. The final story arc also does not resolve the fact that Martine is left an undead vampire obsessed with Morbius (though this is finally resolved in 2010). Since the series' cancellation, there has been no further depiction of Morbius' 1990s supporting cast of friend Jacob Weisenthal or his love interests Mandy Tyler and Lena Ivana. For the next several years, Morbius once again made sporadic appearances as an uneasy ally or outright villain who encountered other superheroes, particularly Spider-Man.


2000s

In 2010, Morbius and Martine both appear in ''Amazing Spider-Man'' #622, written by Fred Van Lente and illustrated by Joe Quinones. The story features Martine, having now become a true, undead vampire, fighting Morbius and Spider-Man. Morbius ends Martine's life by driving a stake through her heart and then scattering her ashes. In 2011, the Marvel Comics series ''
Legion of Monsters Legion of Monsters is the name of different fictional superhero teams appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Publication history The Legion of Monsters first appeared in Marvel Comics chronology in ''Marvel Premiere'' #28 ( ...
'' (vol. 2) featured Morbius, Jack Russell, and other supernatural-themed characters as a loose-knit team hunting more dangerous monsters. Morbius then appeared in the 2011 crossover event "
Spider-Island "Spider-Island" is a 2011 comic book storyline starting in ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' and crossing over into other comic books published by Marvel Comics, most of which were limited series or one-shots specifically for this storyline. The main ...
", after which he was seen being incarcerated at the Raft, a prison made for supervillains. On October 17, 2012, Marvel announced that Morbius would appear in a new comic book series by writer
Joe Keatinge Joe Keatinge is an American comic book Comic book creator, writer and editor, best known for his writing work with Marvel Comics and Image Comics, and as the co-editor of ''Popgun (comics), Popgun'' with Mark Andrew Smith. Early life Joe Keatinge ...
and artist
Richard Elson Richard Elson (born 1962) is a British people, British comic book artist best known for his work on ''Sonic the Comic'', ''2000 AD (comics), 2000 AD'' and ''Thor (Marvel comics), Thor''. Biography Richard Elson is a fine art graduate with over ...
. ''Morbius the Living Vampire'' (vol. 2) began publication in January 2013. Unlike the 1990s series that featured Morbius as a violent anti-hero, this series referred to him as a "hunted, haunted fugitive", who was now dealing with weakened abilities and mental depression following his escape from the Raft. The series featured the vampire protagonist once again attempting to cure himself of his condition while dealing with New York gangs, including the crime lord known as the
Rose A rose is either a woody perennial flowering plant of the genus ''Rosa'' (), in the family Rosaceae (), or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred species and tens of thousands of cultivars. They form a group of plants that can be ...
. It also expanded Morbius' pre-Living Vampire history, revealing more information about his mother and his childhood friendship with Emil Nikos. ''Morbius the Living Vampire'' (vol. 2) met with mixed reviews and low sales, and was cancelled after nine issues. During the 2019 crossover event ''
Absolute Carnage ''Absolute Carnage'' is a 2019 comic book crossover published by Marvel Comics, by Donny Cates and Ryan Stegman. Editorial history The comic book event was first announced in March at the 2019 Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo, followed by an on ...
'', Morbius was seen as one of several characters opposing the mass murderer Carnage and the Cult of Knull. In late 2019, Morbius starred in a new series, now simply titled ''Morbius'', written by Vita Ayala with art by Marcelo Ferreira, Francisco Mobili, and Roberto Poggi. The series featured several appearances by Spider-Man, as well as new character Elizabeth Nikos, sister of Morbius' friend, scientific collaborator, and then victim Emil Nikos. Although plans and promotions were released for at least eight issues, the series was abruptly put on hiatus after issue #5 when the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
forced Marvel Comics to halt or slow down several operations. Rather than continue with the series, it was later officially cancelled. In 2021, Marvel published a one-shot entitled ''Morbius: Bond of Blood'', written by Ralph Macchio, with art by Tom Reilly and Chris O'Halloran. The one-shot featured the appearance and death of Christos Nikos, son of Emil Nikos.


Fictional character biography

Michael Alexander Morbius is born and raised in
Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
by his single mother, and experiences a largely isolated childhood due to a rare and fatal blood condition. His only true friend during this time is a boy named Emil Nikos who, like him, is interested in medicine and science. Intellectually gifted, Morbius spends much of his isolation reading and studying. In time, he becomes a highly respected and
Nobel Prize The Nobel Prizes ( ; sv, Nobelpriset ; no, Nobelprisen ) are five separate prizes that, according to Alfred Nobel's will of 1895, are awarded to "those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind." Alfr ...
-winning biochemist and biologist with a medical degree in
hematology Hematology ( always spelled haematology in British English) is the branch of medicine concerned with the study of the cause, prognosis, treatment, and prevention of diseases related to blood. It involves treating diseases that affect the produc ...
. As an adult, Morbius researches a means to cure his own fatal condition, hiring Emil Nikos as his research partner and a woman named
Martine Bancroft Nakia Bahadir Nakia Bahadir is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She is a Turkish girl and friend of Kamala Khan. Nakia Bahadir in other media Nakia Bahadir appears in ''Ms. Marvel'', portrayed ...
as his office assistant. Martine and Michael fall in love and become engaged to be married. After years of research, Michael Morbius attempts a radical cure on himself involving chemical treatments, samples of
vampire bat Vampire bats, species of the subfamily Desmodontinae, are leaf-nosed bats found in Central and South America. Their food source is blood of other animals, a dietary trait called hematophagy. Three extant bat species feed solely on blood: the com ...
DNA, and
electroshock therapy Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a psychiatric treatment where a generalized seizure (without muscular convulsions) is electrically induced to manage refractory mental disorders.Rudorfer, MV, Henry, ME, Sackeim, HA (2003)"Electroconvulsive th ...
. The experiment puts the blood disease into remission, but radically mutates Morbius into a "living vampire" with enhanced abilities. To keep his disease in remission, Morbius must now feed on fresh blood regularly or risk death. His appearance and personality also shift, making him now prone to bouts of rage, paranoia, and bloodlust. During one of these early bouts of bloodlust and madness, Morbius' first victim is his friend Emil.''Amazing Spider-Man'' (vol. 1) #101–102. Marvel Comics. Horrified by his actions and mutation, Morbius leaves for New York to conduct more research in secret. He encounters the scientist-turned-monster known as the
Lizard Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The group is paraphyletic since it excludes the snakes and Amphisbaenia alt ...
and the adventurer
Spider-Man Spider-Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appeared in the anthology comic book '' Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in the ...
, who at the time is dealing with a mutation that has left him with four extra arms. Samples of Morbius' blood leads the Lizard to revert to his human form of Curt Connors and allows Spider-Man to lose his extra limbs. It is discovered that a few of Morbius' victims did not die and are now infected with a form of his own mutation, giving them increased strength and bloodlust but no further superhuman abilities. Michael and Martine synthesize an antidote for these victims, but the serum does not work on his own condition. Overtaken by bloodlust, Morbius attacks Martine, turning her into a pseudo-vampire as well. After using their serum to cure her, Morbius leaves rather than endanger Martine again. Morbius eventually leaves New York, moving location frequently to avoid capture. During this time, he rescues Amanda Saint from a Satanic cult known as Demon-Fire, then encounters John Jameson, who at the time is cursed to transform into the Man-Wolf. Alongside the Man-Wolf, Morbius battles Spider-Man again. Later, Morbius encounters Reverend Daemond, the Caretakers of the planet Arcturus IV, the Cat People of the Land Within, Tara the Girlchild, the extra-dimensional demon known as Helleyes. and the Living Eraser.''Marvel Two-in-One'' #15. Marvel Comics. He also meets other monsters, such as the
Werewolf In folklore, a werewolf (), or occasionally lycanthrope (; ; uk, Вовкулака, Vovkulaka), is an individual that can shapeshift into a wolf (or, especially in modern film, a therianthropic hybrid wolf-like creature), either purposely or ...
(Jack Russell),''Marvel Premiere'' #28. Marvel Comics. the
Ghost Rider Ghost Rider is the name of multiple antiheroes and superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Marvel had previously used the name for a Western character whose name was later changed to Phantom Rider. The first s ...
(Johnny Blaze),and the
Man-Thing The Man-Thing (Dr. Theodore "Ted" Sallis) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writers Stan Lee, Roy Thomas, and Gerry Conway and artist Gray Morrow, the character first appeared in ''S ...
(Ted Sallis), and superhuman adventurers such as
Blade A blade is the portion of a tool, weapon, or machine with an edge that is designed to puncture, chop, slice or scrape surfaces or materials. Blades are typically made from materials that are harder than those they are to be used on. Historic ...
, the original
X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, first appearing in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 by artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby and writer/editor Stan Lee in 1963. Although initially cancelled in ...
and the
Human Torch The Human Torch (Jonathan "Johnny" Storm) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is a founding member of the Fantastic Four. He is writer Stan Lee's and artist Jack Kirby's reinvention of ...
and the
Thing Thing or The Thing may refer to: Philosophy * An object * Broadly, an entity * Thing-in-itself (or ''noumenon''), the reality that underlies perceptions, a term coined by Immanuel Kant * Thing theory, a branch of critical theory that focuses ...
, both members of the
Fantastic Four The Fantastic Four is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team debuted in ''The Fantastic Four'' #1 ( cover dated Nov. 1961), helping usher in a new level of realism in the medium. It was the first ...
. During this time, he continues to frequently clash with Spider-Man. Later, Morbius meets rogue CIA agent
Simon Stroud Sabra Sabreclaw Sabreclaw is a character in the Marvel Comics 2, MC2 universe who first appeared in ''J2 (comics), J2'' #8 (May 1999). He is the half-brother of Wild Thing (comics), Wild Thing and the son of Wolverine (character), Wolverine. ...
and together they fight a group of new pseudo-vampires created by Morbius's bites and resulting infection. One of these pseudo-vampires bites and infects Martine, turning her into a living vampire as well. Thanks to Morbius' efforts, Martine is cured and the other pseudo-vampires destroyed. Morbius then flees, believing he is still a danger to Martine.''Adventure into Fear'' #30–31. Marvel Comics. After this, he befriends desperate landowner Alicia Twain (later avenging her murder) and battles Morgana St. Clair, an enigmatic vampire expert living in England who is a member of a Satanic cult known as the Brotherhood of Judas. Morbius later enlists help in finding a cure for his pseudo-vampirism from his old friend Ronson Slade, a scientist. Slade, however, becomes a
werewolf In folklore, a werewolf (), or occasionally lycanthrope (; ; uk, Вовкулака, Vovkulaka), is an individual that can shapeshift into a wolf (or, especially in modern film, a therianthropic hybrid wolf-like creature), either purposely or ...
and Morbius is forced to kill him.


Remission

During another battle with Spider-Man, Morbius succeeds in feeding on a sample of the hero's irradiated blood. By chance, Morbius is then hit by a lightning bolt at the same time. Morbius survives the lightning strike and discovers he is seemingly human again, his appearance, sanity, and normal human traits restored, though his blood disease has returned and he now requires frequent treatment and blood transfusions.''Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man'' #38. Marvel Comics. While continuing to research how to stabilize a full cure, Dr. Michael Morbius agrees to stand trial for his several crimes over the years and hires attorney Jennifer Walters (whose identity as the
She-Hulk She-Hulk (Jennifer "Jen" Walters) is a fictional Character (arts), character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist John Buscema, she first appeared in ''The Savage She-Hulk'' #1 (cov ...
is not publicly known at the time). Later, Morbius learns of Walters' status as the She-Hulk and that she suffers from sometimes erratic transformations. He gives her a serum based on research regarding his own condition and Walters finds herself now able to change form at will (though with effort). In court, Walters' argues that Morbius' crimes as a living vampire were due in large part to his "medical condition" affecting his ability to reason, while adding that most of Morbius' victims survived and were cured of pseudo-vampirism by the biochemist himself. Taking this into account, the court finds Morbius guilty of
involuntary manslaughter Manslaughter is a common law legal term for homicide considered by law as less culpable than murder. The distinction between murder and manslaughter is sometimes said to have first been made by the ancient Athenian lawmaker Draco in the 7th c ...
rather than murder. For the next few years of his life, Morbius continues to research his disease while acting as a consultant to others. He becomes a closer friend to the Werewolf (Jack Russell) and offers information to the
Avengers Avenger, Avengers, The Avenger, or The Avengers may refer to: Arts and entertainment In the Marvel Comics universe * Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes **Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes of ...
that helps them on a case. Eventually, despite all of his efforts, Morbius reverts to being a living vampire again. Working alongside several allies, the sorcerer
Doctor Strange Doctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Steve Ditko, the character first appeared in ''Strange Tales'' #110 (cover-dated July 1963). Doctor Strange serves as Sorce ...
is able to use the "Montesi Formula" (a spell found in the
Darkhold The comic book stories published by Marvel Comics since the 1940s have featured several noteworthy concepts besides its fictional characters, such as unique places and artifacts. There follows a list of those features. Places Certain places fe ...
) to banish all undead vampires from Earth's dimension. Morbius is unaffected since he is a scientific mutation and not a supernatural creature. The only other vampire to be unaffected is
Hannibal King Hannibal King is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared as a supporting character in the 1970s comic book ''The Tomb of Dracula'', issue #25 (Oct. 1974). King was played by Ryan Reyn ...
, a vampire detective who refused to ever feed on living people and so was spared from the spell's effects. Years later, alongside the sorcerers Doctor Strange and
Brother Voodoo Brother Voodoo (Jericho Drumm) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in ''Strange Tales'' #169 (September 1973). The character was created by publisher Stan Lee, Roy Thomas, Len W ...
, Morbius battles Marie Laveau and witnesses the return of true vampires to Earth's dimension. Frustrated by his repeated failures to cure himself, Morbius takes refuge in the sewers of New York City and discovers a community of underground dwellers who offer to help him in exchange for protection. The community brings Morbius "bad ones" to feed on and Morbius believes from their descriptions that these people brought to him are killers themselves. After feeding on several victims, Morbius is confronted by Spider-Man, who accuses him of becoming a serial killer. Discovering the underground community deems ''anyone'' living on the surface to be a "bad one", Morbius is horrified to realize he has murdered people at random. Disgusted at himself, Morbius flees into the sewers and falls deeper into depression.


The Midnight Sons

Soon after Spider-Man and Morbius' confrontation in the sewers, Johnny Blaze and the new Ghost Rider (whose human host is Danny Ketch) learn that Lilith the Mother of All Demons has returned to Earth's dimension and intends to lay waste to humanity with help from her children and descendants, the Lilin. The Ghost Rider experiences a vision of several individuals who together can oppose Lilith, an alliance known as "the Nine" or "the
Midnight Sons The Midnight Sons is a fictional team of supernatural superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Including Ghost Riders Danny Ketch and Johnny Blaze, Blade, and Morbius, the original team first formed as part of ...
." Seeing that Morbius is one of the Midnight Sons, the Ghost Rider and Blaze track him down with the aid of Martine Bancroft and her ally Dr. David Langford, a biochemist she hopes can cure Michael at last. Secretly, Langford is working with a villainous scientist named Dr. Thaddeus Paine who intends to kill Morbius and then conduct research on his mutated body. Langford's "cure" will actually simply kill. Not knowing this, and wishing to sabotage the effort to help Morbius, Lilith sends one of her Lilin to use their own demonic blood to poison Lanford's serum. After a brief battle with the Ghost Rider and Blaze, Morbius is subdued and taken to Lanford's lab, where he is given the false cure. The result of Langford's serum mixed with demon blood creates a new mutagenic agent, altering the Living Vampire's abilities and appearance while also largely restoring his sanity and true personality. Confused by his new state, Morbius seeks out his old friend and colleague, Dr. Jacob Weisenthal, a general practitioner. Meanwhile, Martine discovers Langford's treachery and he kills her. Morbius arrives moments later, feeding on Langford and then realizing he feels no guilt over ending the life of a corrupt and remorseless killer. When the Ghost Rider and Blaze arrive on the scene, Morbius explains the situation and vows he is not an enemy of the innocent. From now on, if he must feed on living people, it will be "the blood of the guilty," villains "who deserve to die." The Ghost Rider accepts this, warning Morbius that this vow may not be easy to follow. Days later, Morbius and the other Midnight Sons hold their first official alliance meeting and join forces against Lilith.''Ghost Rider'' (vol. 3) #31. Marvel Comics. Despite his agreement to fight Lilith, Morbius is immediately looked on with suspicion by the Midnight Sons known as the Nightstalkers, a trio of vampire hunters and occult investigators that includes Hannibal King (whose vampire abilities have returned), the half-vampire
Blade A blade is the portion of a tool, weapon, or machine with an edge that is designed to puncture, chop, slice or scrape surfaces or materials. Blades are typically made from materials that are harder than those they are to be used on. Historic ...
, and Frank Drake, the last living mortal descendant of Dracula. Over the next year, Morbius confronts several new foes, including Dr. Paine, the
Basilisk In European bestiaries and legends, a basilisk ( or ) is a legendary reptile reputed to be a serpent king, who causes death to those who look into its eyes. According to the ''Naturalis Historia'' of Pliny the Elder, the basilisk of Cyrene is ...
II (Wayne Gifford), Vic Slaughter, and Bloodbath. During the initial battle with Vic Slaughter and his team the Hardcases, Martine Bancroft's tombstone is damaged by gunfire. Enraged, Morbius kills the Hardcases and drains Slaughter of some blood, but then buries the villain alive rather than killing him outright. Morbius leaves, believing his bite no longer infects people with partial pseudo-vampirism. Morbius later discovers that if he drains a certain amount from a victim, the infection of his bite is actually more powerful than before. Vic Slaughter rises from near-death as a new living vampire, his abilities equal to Morbius. Despite not being trusted by many of them, Morbius continues to join the Midnight Sons in battles against evil whenever they need his help. He also aids Spider-Man,
Venom Venom or zootoxin is a type of toxin produced by an animal that is actively delivered through a wound by means of a bite, sting, or similar action. The toxin is delivered through a specially evolved ''venom apparatus'', such as fangs or a sti ...
, the
Black Cat A black cat is a domestic cat with black fur that may be a mixed or specific breed, or a common domestic cat of no particular breed. The Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) recognizes 22 cat breeds that can come with solid black coats. The Bombay b ...
and other superheroes against a gang of supervillains led by spree killers Carnage and Shriek during the crossover event called ''
Maximum Carnage "Maximum Carnage" is a 14-part comic book fictional crossover, crossover published in Marvel Comics' ''Spider-Man'' family of titles in 1993 in comics, 1993. It featured Spider-Man, Venom (Marvel Comics character), Venom, and a host of other super ...
''. During a battle with the dream-empowered villain Nightmare, Morbius learns that his new mutation due to demon blood has made him immortal in the traditional sense, meaning he can die from injury but no longer ages. Soon afterward, Blade is influenced by outside forces and becomes a corrupted version of himself called Switchblade. He kills several allies, including Morbius.''Morbius the Living Vampire'' (vol. 1) #12. Marvel Comics. Soon afterward, Blade is cured of his possession and his victims magically restored, including Morbius. From Dr. Paine, Morbius learns that his blood disease is not in full remission and will eventually still kill him despite constantly feeding on fresh blood and his otherwise impressive regenerative abilities. With help from Jacob Weisenthal, Morbius researches how to at least alleviate his condition if a cure is impossible. With newly obtained samples of Spider-Man's blood, Morbius and Weisenthal create an "anti-viral" serum that restores his human form for several hours at a time. Now able to operate for part of the day as a normal man, Morbius creates the cover identity of Dr. Morgan Michaels and attains a job as a hematologist at St. Jude's Memorial Hospital in New York. As a hematologist, Morbius is able to steal collected blood donations to briefly alleviate his bloodlust in-between feeding on living people, although the preservatives and anti-coagulants used with donated blood means it will poison the living vampire if he ingests too much. He also attains a hyperbolic chamber and dialysis equipment, allowing him to oxygenate his blood and cleanse his system as he sleeps. Jack Russell tracks Morbius to St. Jude's Hospital, offering to help the man learn how to live with his newest mutation rather than attempt to fight it. Morbius refuses this viewpoint, arguing that being a living vampire is a curse he should not accept. Later, fearing his condition is worsening, Morbius attempts to cure himself with "necro-technology" used by the Nightstalkers, but this fails. Morbius also attempts feeding on the blood of the vampire Hannibal King to see if it affects him, only to discover his body simply rejects vampire blood, since it is "lifeless." At the hospital, Morbius meets and is romantically pursued by Mandy Tyler, the executive administrative assistant of the hospital's hematology department. Mandy later learns of Morbius' true nature and tells him she accepts it. On a date, Mandy reveals she is part of a private fetish club whose members emulate vampires by drinking blood. Morbius meets the club's leader, Brian DeWolff. Formerly the vigilante called the Wraith, DeWolff is secretly using his psionic powers to turn the club members into followers who will perform terrorist acts against the NYPD. With the cyborg
Deathlok Deathlok (also referred to as Deathlok the Demolisher) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in ''Astonishing Tales'' #25 (Aug. 1974), created by Rich Buckler. At least three subs ...
, Morbius halts the "vampire cult" from committing a terrorist bombing and then seemingly kills DeWolff. Thanks to traces of Lilin blood still in Morbius' body, the spirit of a Lilin called Bloodthirst begins guiding the Living Vampire's mind. Bloodthirst influences Morbius to use the Darkhold, a book of corrupt magic, to resurrect Martine Bancroft. Morbius then realizes this was a scheme by the Lilin, who use Martine's body so that one of their own, a being called Parasite, may now have a body.''Morbius the Living Vampire'' (vol. 1) #13–17. Marvel Comics. Bloodthirst then takes full possession of Morbius' body and attacks the Midnight Sons with the help of Martine/Parasite. With help from Dr. Strange, Morbius reasserts control over his own body. To defeat Parasite, Morbius then kills Martine's body, forcing the Lilin spirit out of her form so it can be destroyed. Later, Martine's true spirit is revived and restored to her body, but the resurrection process leaves her a true undead vampire, unable to feel touch. She also claims to lack her full ability to experience emotions, including the love she used to have for Michael. Martine moves into Morbius' home, but becomes frustrated by her new condition. Soon afterward, Morbius expels the traces of Lilin blood in his body so that Bloodthirst cannot influence him further. Bloodthirst is able to manifest a new vampiric body for himself and seriously injures both Jacob and Mandy before Morbius finally destroys him. Morbius decides to distance himself from Mandy in order to protect her. Morbius later encounters Lena Ivana, a woman kidnapped from her home in Eastern Europe and then forced into sex work in New York City. After freeing her, Morbius becomes enamored with Lena. In contrast, she fears Morbius after seeing how quickly he kills criminals. Despite this, Morbius hopes to see her again and suggests to Lena she seeks medical treatment from "Dr. Morgan Michaels." Unaware this is the living vampire who frightens her, Lena finds herself drawn to Dr. Michaels. Lena then takes a job at St. Jude's Memorial Hospital as well, working in the morgue and seeing Dr. Michaels often.''Morbius the Living Vampire'' (vol. 1) #25–27. Marvel Comics. Martine Bancroft becomes obsessed with having her humanity restored, accusing her former lover of stealing her emotions and dismissing her from his life. Morbius points out that Martine's changed attitude and lack of love for him cannot be due to a lack of emotions because she clearly feels anger, resentment, hope, frustration, and envy. Though he promises to continue searching for a way to cure her of being undead, he says that he and Martine cannot resume a relationship, due to their feelings for each other changing. After fighting Morbius and then hurling herself through a window, Martine leaves but rents a nearby apartment so she can continue spying on her former lover. She then begins a casual romantic relationship with Jack Russell.


Return of the monster

Lena Ivana's influence leads Morbius to reconsider his vow to only feed on the guilty, realizing he does not investigate his criminal victims enough to fully realize if they are in need of help or can be reformed. He decides it is better to abstain from feeding and simply allow himself to die rather than continue to justify murder. Realizing his friend intends suicide, Jack Russell confronts Morbius and they fight each other. Weakened by the fight and a lack of blood for several days, Morbius is then exposed to the rising sun and quickly burns. Jacob Weisenthal arrives and administers his latest attempt at a cure for Morbius' mutation, but the pseudo-vampire seemingly dies. Jacob and Jack Russell arrange for a midnight burial attended by the Midnight Sons, Martine, and Lena. Possibly thanks to Jacob's latest anti-viral serum, Morbius suddenly heals and regains consciousness, rising from his grave. As a result of Jacob's serum, Morbius seems to lose his bloodlust and only temporarily achieves a partial vampiric appearance every night at midnight. Jacob becomes alarmed that Morbius is experiencing blackouts again and may be feeding without realizing it, but Michael insists he is cured and continues pursuing Lena romantically. Enraged with jealousy, Martine meets with Lena and tells her Dr. Morgan Michaels is actually the Living Vampire, Michael Morbius. Feeling betrayed, Lena leaves Michael. Morbius then realizes he is experiencing bloodlust again and losing his reason as he regains his full vampiric appearance. After blacking out, Morbius realizes he has attacked and fed on a random person. Jacob's latest "cure" has only made him once again a monster who loses reason and sanity when he feels the need to feed, no longer able to maintain any kind of morality or any vow to only feed on the "blood of the guilty." Driven by his hunger and once again a danger to anyone around him, Morbius abandons his Morgan Michaels identity and leaves behind both Jacob and St. Jude's Memorial Hospital.''Morbius the Living Vampire'' (vol. 1) #30–32. Marvel Comics. Although Jacob's serum did not cure his pseudo-vampirism, it evidently put his blood disease back into remission, as it is never mentioned again that the disease is still killing him. Once again a fugitive, Morbius escapes detection for some time while occasionally clashing with Spider-Man. An encounter with the mutant
Nate Grey Nathaniel Grey (X-Man) is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with the X-Men. Created by writer Jeph Loeb and artist Steve Skroce, the character first appeared in ''X-Man'' ...
leads Morbius' hunger to temporarily increase. Frightened that his condition is worsening, Morbius seeks out help from hematologist Dr. Andrea Janson. Before he can be helped, he is captured and tortured by HYDRA agent Loxias Crown. He then assists both Spider-Man and S.H.O.C. against the terrorist organization and drains Crown of blood before leaving him for dead. Rather than die, Crown becomes a new pseudo-vampire called the Hunger and creates a cult of pseudo-vampire followers. Later, Morbius is kidnapped and biologically engineered to be more powerful so he can oppose the Hunger. He is freed by Spider-Man and Blade, but the identity of who kidnapped and experimented on him is never revealed. Years later, the
Superhuman Registration Act Discrimination against superheroes is a common theme and plot element comic books and superhero fiction, usually as a way to explore the issue of superheroes operating in society or as commentary on other social concerns. Often in response to ...
is passed, obligating anyone with superhuman abilities to register with
S.H.I.E.L.D. S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage, special law enforcement, and counter-terrorism agency appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in ''Strange Tales'' #135 (August 1965), it often deals ...
and comply with its authority. For a time, Morbius submits to the SRA and joins an effort to capture Blade. Later, during an invasion from the '' Marvel Zombies'' universe of Earth-2149, Morbius is seen as a member of A.R.M.O.R. and fights a zombie version of himself.''
Marvel Zombies 4 ''Marvel Zombies 4'' is a four-issue comic book limited series published by Marvel Comics beginning in April 2009. It is part of the ''Marvel Zombies'' series. The series is written by Fred Van Lente, penciled by Kev Walker, with covers by Greg ...
'' #1–4. Marvel Comics.
Shortly afterward, Morbius forms a new version of the Midnight Sons with
Jennifer Kale Jennifer Kale is a fictional character, a sorceress appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Steve Gerber and Rich Buckler in 1972, she was originally a supporting character in Man-Thing comic books. Since h ...
,
Daimon Hellstrom Daimon Hellstrom, also known as the Son of Satan and Hellstorm, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Daimon made his live-action debut in the Hulu television series '' Helstrom'', played by Tom ...
, Jack Russell and the Man-Thing. Together, they contain a zombie outbreak on an isolated island, briefly encountering the
Hood Hood may refer to: Covering Apparel * Hood (headgear), type of head covering ** Article of Academic dress#Hood, academic dress ** Bondage hood, sex toy * Hoodie, hooded sweatshirt Anatomy * Clitoral hood, a hood of skin surrounding the clitori ...
in the process. Morbius also helps the Man-Thing revive the
Punisher The Punisher (Francis "Frank" Castle, born Castiglione) is an antihero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Gerry Conway and artists John Romita Sr. and Ross Andru. The Punisher made ...
(Frank Castle) into the monster called Franken-Castle. When Morbius concludes that Spider-Man's cells may help cure Jack Russell of being the Werewolf, he steals samples of the Web-Slinger's blood. Spider-Man learns Morbius is behind the theft from Martine Bancroft, who has allowed herself to become a supernatural vampire. The hero finds Morbius and Martine arrives, declaring once more her desire to reunite with her former lover and offering to kill his frequent enemy Spider-Man as proof of her love. Morbius refuses to endanger Spider-Man and argues that Martine's feeling for him is only a longing for completion because her soul has not been intact since her resurrection. Seeing that Spider-Man cannot bring himself to kill even a vampire, Morbius takes action and kills Martine with wood through the heart, causing her body to disintegrate to ashes that are scattered. Despite their history as enemies, the Web-Slinger voluntarily donates more blood samples to Morbius to aid his research. After briefly working with
Doctor Octopus Doctor Octopus (Dr. Otto Gunther Octavius), also known as Doc Ock for short, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko and first appeared in ''Th ...
, Morbius accepts an offer to become a researcher at Horizon Labs, given access to advanced equipment in exchange for sharing his research with company head Max Modell. To keep his identity hidden from the other researchers who may not approve, Morbius stays hidden and is referred to only as Number Six, since he occupies Lab 6. Peter Parker later learns the truth of Number Six's identity during the "
Spider-Island "Spider-Island" is a 2011 comic book storyline starting in ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' and crossing over into other comic books published by Marvel Comics, most of which were limited series or one-shots specifically for this storyline. The main ...
" affair. Morbius is later confronted by authorities and taken to the supervillain prison known as the Raft, but escapes during a large-scale breakout. Taking refuge in the neighborhood of Brownsville, he becomes a local protector, leading to confrontations with the newest criminal to call himself the
Rose A rose is either a woody perennial flowering plant of the genus ''Rosa'' (), in the family Rosaceae (), or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred species and tens of thousands of cultivars. They form a group of plants that can be ...
(Phillip Hayes). During this time, he develops a friendship with
Bucky Barnes James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Originally introduced as a sidekick to Captain America, the character was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby and first appeared ...
and encounters his long-estranged father Makarioa Morbius.''Morbius the Living Vampire'' (vol. 2) #1–9. Marvel Comics. During a journey to
Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
, Morbius is captured by local vampires. He then joins forces with
Domino Dominoes is a family of tile-based games played with gaming pieces, commonly known as dominoes. Each domino is a rectangular tile, usually with a line dividing its face into two square ''ends''. Each end is marked with a number of spots (also ca ...
,
Diamondback Diamondback may refer to: Animals * ''Crotalus adamanteus'', the eastern diamondback rattlesnake * ''Crotalus atrox'', the western diamondback rattlesnake * Diamondback moth, a European moth that has spread to North America * Diamondback terrapin ...
and
Outlaw An outlaw, in its original and legal meaning, is a person declared as outside the protection of the law. In pre-modern societies, all legal protection was withdrawn from the criminal, so that anyone was legally empowered to persecute or kill them ...
to defeat them before Domino helps him escape a vampire hunter. Morbius later becomes involved in a Vampire Civil War and is rescued from Dracula's disciples by the
Wasp A wasp is any insect of the narrow-waisted suborder Apocrita of the order Hymenoptera which is neither a bee nor an ant; this excludes the broad-waisted sawflies (Symphyta), which look somewhat like wasps, but are in a separate suborder. Th ...
and the Man-Wolf. When the mass murderer Carnage and the Cult of Knull threaten humanity, Morbius joins the efforts to oppose them. Later, Morbius finds himself hunted by Elizabeth Nikos, the sister of his longtime friend, scientific collaborator, and first victim Emil Nikos. Not long after that, Morbius also meets Emil's son, Christos Nikos, who hopes the Living Vampire's genetics may cure him of his own fatal illness. These efforts fail and Christos dies. During the "Beyond" story line, Morbius briefly fights the new Spider-Man (
Ben Reilly Benjamin "Ben" Reilly (), also known as the Scarlet Spider, is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Grown in a lab by the Miles Warren / Jackal, he is a clone of Peter Parker / Spider-Man tasked ...
, a clone of Peter Parker) before fleeing. After taking a sample of Reilly's blood, which is identical to Parker's on a cellular level, Morbius realizes Spider-Man's blood will no longer work in creating even a temporary cure for his pseudo-vampirism. Upon being taken to the Beyond Corporation's secret facility on Staten Island, Morbius' genetic template is used to help create Creature Z, a "binary clone" of Morbius himself and a genetic duplicate of the Lizard. Morbius helps
Misty Knight Mercedes "Misty" Knight is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Tony Isabella and Arvell Jones, Knight was first mentioned (by name) in ''Marvel Premiere'' #20 (Jan. 1975) and appeared in ...
and
Colleen Wing Colleen Wing is a fictional Character (arts), character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Descended from a family of samurai, Wing is a Japanese martial artist who avenged her grandfather's death with the help of the s ...
fight it Creature Z and is able to destroy the creature with his own blood.


Powers and abilities

Even before he contracted the disease of pseudo-vampirism, Michael Morbius already possessed a genius-level intellect. He is an M.D. with a Ph.D in biochemistry. A biologist specializing in
hematology Hematology ( always spelled haematology in British English) is the branch of medicine concerned with the study of the cause, prognosis, treatment, and prevention of diseases related to blood. It involves treating diseases that affect the produc ...
, Michael Morbius is an expert radiologist and a
Nobel laureate The Nobel Prizes ( sv, Nobelpriset, no, Nobelprisen) are awarded annually by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, the Swedish Academy, the Karolinska Institutet, and the Norwegian Nobel Committee to individuals and organizations who make out ...
. His own condition as a "living vampire" and his frequent studies of superhumans such as Spider-Man, the She-Hulk, Martine Bancroft (when she was resurrected as an undead vampire), and the Werewolf (Jack Russell) have made him an authority on superhuman mutation, including those influenced by supernatural or magical forces. Experimental procedures have turned Michael Morbius into a pseudo-vampire. As opposed to a true undead vampire who is reanimated by supernatural forces, Morbius is still a living being with no inherent supernatural or magical energies (though he has at times been temporarily affected or tainted by demonic forces). As such, his abilities, traits, and weaknesses are similar to but do not exactly align with those of true undead vampires that inhabit the Marvel Universe. Due to his second mutation being influenced by demon blood, Morbius has become immortal in the traditional sense, meaning he no longer ages. This immortality has remained with him even after all traces of demon blood were removed from his body. Morbius' senses are somewhat enhanced, granting him greater hearing, taste, and smell, as well as night vision. His talons are able to easily tear through flesh, bone, and wood (though not metal or concrete). Morbius' mutation has altered and increased the strength of his skeleton, as well as his muscle tissue. He has superhuman strength. allowing him to lift nearly two tons of weight. He has resistance to physical injury a few times greater than that of an average human being, making it more difficult to burn him, pierce his organs, or break his bones. Morbius has advanced regenerative abilities (though his healing is not as strong as that of
Dracula ''Dracula'' is a novel by Bram Stoker, published in 1897. As an epistolary novel, the narrative is related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist, but opens with solicitor Jonathan Harker taking ...
, the Lord of the Vampires or the mutant
Wolverine The wolverine (), (''Gulo gulo''; ''Gulo'' is Latin for "gluttony, glutton"), also referred to as the glutton, carcajou, or quickhatch (from East Cree, ''kwiihkwahaacheew''), is the largest land-dwelling species of the family Mustelidae. It is ...
). Given time, he can recover from many and multiple wounds that would be fatal for a normal human being. Bullet wounds can be fully healed in hours, while more severe damage such as broken bones, major damage to organs, and severe burns may take a few days to recover (fresh blood will also enhance his cellular regeneration). If the injuries are severe enough and he is not given time to heal before further injury or is unable to ingest sufficient blood in due time, he will succumb to his wounds and die. Morbius has also concluded that he would be unable to regenerate lost limbs and organs if they were completely destroyed. Morbius has psionic abilities that allow him to hypnotize others. The strength of this hypnosis varies from person to person, allowing Morbius to either influence them subtly or to alter their short-term memory of a recent event. Some people, such as those who are aware of Morbius' hypnotic abilities, seem more resistant to this power. Morbius' psionic power also allows for a limited telekinetic-like ability that allows him to glide on air currents and aids him in climbing surfaces such as walls. While gliding, his top speed is believed to be roughly 35 mph. Morbius has often used specialized clothing to aid him. His original costume had bat-like wings attached to the arms to aid him in gliding. He later wore a reinforced leather outfit to provide extra protection in battle. Later on, he used Horizon Labs resources to develop personal body armor. Most of Morbius' victims die from blood loss, even those he does not drain completely. On rare occasion, Morbius' bite has infected a victim with a mutation similar but weaker to his own, giving them some enhanced strength and a desire for blood but no psionic or healing abilities. This occurred with his former fiancé Martine Bancroft, as well as the characters Jefferson Bolt (seen in ''
Marvel Team-Up ''Marvel Team-Up'' is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics. The series featured two or more Marvel characters in one story. The series was originally published from March 1972 through February 1985, and featured Spider-Man as ...
'' #3), Emilio (seen in ''Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man'' #7), Nate Grey (in ''X-Man'' #24), and a woman named Roxy (''Legion of Monsters: Morbius'' #1). When Morbius was temporarily infected by demonic Lilin blood, his bite caused the bounty hunter Vic Slaughter to become another living vampire with near-equal powers and abilities to his. On one occasion, Morbius bit
Blade A blade is the portion of a tool, weapon, or machine with an edge that is designed to puncture, chop, slice or scrape surfaces or materials. Blades are typically made from materials that are harder than those they are to be used on. Historic ...
, who is himself a
dhampir In Balkans folklore, dhampirs (sometimes spelled ''dhampyres'', ''dhamphirs'', or ''dhampyrs'') are creatures that are the result of a union between a vampire and a mortal human. This union was usually between male vampires and female mortal huma ...
(or "half-vampire"), a being halfway between being a vampire and a normal human being, and the result was that Blade temporarily became a true vampire named Switchblade. While he was infected with demonic Lilin blood, Morbius was able to collapse his body into a near-liquid, putty-like state that allowed him to pass through cracks in doors and other barriers. He lost this ability after expelling the Lilin blood from his body.


Weaknesses

As he is not a true undead vampire, Morbius is unaffected by religious symbols or objects considered holy and he is not affected by wood or silver more than other metals or substances that may damage his body. While he is vulnerable to direct sunlight, he will not be reduced to ash by it as may happen with supernatural vampires. Instead, Morbius' skin will take several minutes to blister and burn and it will take several minutes more before he risks being overwhelmed by pain and dehydration. If he is weakened, the burns may become more severe more rapidly, killing him after only a few minutes. Even if he is not in direct sunlight, ambient radiation from the sun weakens his abilities and health unless he is properly protected by lead or concrete barriers. To keep his blood disease from returning at an accelerated rate that will quickly kill him, Morbius must regularly drain and feed on blood from living people. He does not require blood on a daily basis, but his need does increase the longer he goes without blood or if he is injured or engages in strenuous activity. Throughout his life since his mutation, Morbius has often been vulnerable to losing all reason and moral inhibition when he is overwhelmed by bloodlust, causing him to feed and not realize his own actions until minutes later. Supernatural vampires in the Marvel Universe are sometimes able to survive by draining blood from animals or recently deceased people or even other vampires (the vampire Hannibal King survived for a time by feeding on the recently buried dead). Morbius, however, is unable to be nourished from these same sources and must rely on blood from living human beings. As a stop-gap, Morbius has used collected blood from blood banks when he is desperate to keep his bloodlust at bay; however, the chemical preservatives and anti-coagulants used by blood banks make donated blood a poor source of nourishment for Morbius and will poison him if he ingests such samples regularly or in great enough quantity. On more than one occasion, Spider-Man's irradiated blood (used in tandem with electricity or other chemical agents) has put Morbius' vampiric mutation into remission for hours or even years at a time, leaving him a non-powered human being with normal human vulnerabilities. On a few occasions, however, Morbius has been greatly injured while in his human form and instead of dying, the shock of the injuries has triggered his pseudo-vampiric form and abilities to immediately return.


Reception


Accolades

* In 2014, ''
IGN ''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
'' ranked Morbius the Living Vampire 19th in their "Top 25 Spider-Man Villains" list. * In 2014, ''
WhatCulture WhatCulture Ltd. is an online entertainment news website and magazine which was launched in 2010. The site offers news in the field of professional wrestling, television, films, video games, and board games. History Originally started by Peter ...
'' ranked Morbius the Living Vampire 2nd in their "7 Unused Spider-Man Villains Who'd Be Great in the Marvel Cinematic Universe" list. * In 2015, ''
Den of Geek ''Den of Geek'' is a US and UK-based website covering entertainment with a focus on pop culture Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gan ...
'' ranked Morbius the Living Vampire 10th in their "Marvel’s 31 Best Monsters" list. * In 2019, ''
CBR.com ''Comic Book Resources'', also known by the initialism CBR, is a website dedicated to the coverage of comic book–related news and discussion. History Comic Book Resources was founded by Jonah Weiland in 1995 as a development of the Kingdom Co ...
'' ranked Morbius the Living Vampire 17th in their "25 Deadliest Spider-Man Villains" list. * In 2020, ''
CBR.com ''Comic Book Resources'', also known by the initialism CBR, is a website dedicated to the coverage of comic book–related news and discussion. History Comic Book Resources was founded by Jonah Weiland in 1995 as a development of the Kingdom Co ...
'' ranked Morbius the Living Vampire 4th in their "Marvel: Dark Spider-Man Villains, Ranked from Lamest to Coolest" list. * In 2021, ''
CBR.com ''Comic Book Resources'', also known by the initialism CBR, is a website dedicated to the coverage of comic book–related news and discussion. History Comic Book Resources was founded by Jonah Weiland in 1995 as a development of the Kingdom Co ...
'' ranked Morbius the Living Vampire 4th in their "10 Best Spider-Man Villains Missing from ''No Way Home''" list. * In 2021, ''
Screen Rant ''Screen Rant'' is an entertainment website that offers news in the fields of television, films, video games, and film theories. ''Screen Rant'' was launched by Vic Holtreman in 2003, and originally had its primary office in Ogden, Utah. ''Scr ...
'' included Michael Morbius in their "Marvel: 10 Most Powerful Vampires" list. * In 2022, ''
CBR.com ''Comic Book Resources'', also known by the initialism CBR, is a website dedicated to the coverage of comic book–related news and discussion. History Comic Book Resources was founded by Jonah Weiland in 1995 as a development of the Kingdom Co ...
'' ranked Morbius the Living Vampire 1st in their "10 Best Members of Marvel's Legion of Monsters" list and 10th in their "Scariest Comic Book Vampires" list. * In 2022, ''
CBR.com ''Comic Book Resources'', also known by the initialism CBR, is a website dedicated to the coverage of comic book–related news and discussion. History Comic Book Resources was founded by Jonah Weiland in 1995 as a development of the Kingdom Co ...
'' ranked Morbius the Living Vampire 3rd in their "10 Most Important Marvel Vampires" list.


Other versions


''House of M''

In the ''
House of M "House of M" is a 2005 comic book storyline published by Marvel Comics, consisting of a core eight-issue comic book limited series written by Brian Michael Bendis and illustrated by Olivier Coipel and a number of crossover tie-in books. Its fir ...
'' series, Michael Morbius appears in a flashback as one of the scientists (along with
Jonas Harrow Jonas Harrow is a fictional supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is usually depicted as an enemy of Spider-Man. Publication history Jonas Harrow's first appearance was in ''The Amazing Spider-Man ...
and
Farley Stillwell Farley Stillwell is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is a scientist best known for transforming Mac Gargan into the Scorpion (Mac Gargan), Scorpion. Publication history Stillwell first appeare ...
) behind
Luke Cage Lucas "Luke" Cage, born Carl Lucas and also known as Power Man, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in ''Luke Cage, Hero for Hire'' #1 (June 1972) and was created by Archie Go ...
's powers.


Marvel MAX

Morbius appears in '' Dead of Night featuring Werewolf by Night'' #4 as one of the anomalous beings contained and experimented on by the Babylon Group. When Jack Russell attempts to escape from the Babylon Group with his infant daughter, the facility tries to stop him by unleashing Morbius and the
Frankenstein Monster Frankenstein's monster or Frankenstein's creature, often referred to as simply "Frankenstein", is a fictional character who first appeared in Mary Shelley's 1818 novel '' Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus''. Shelley's title thus compare ...
. In the ensuing brawl, Morbius's heart is punched out by the Monster.


''Marvel Zombies 4''

A zombified version of Morbius the Living Vampire appears in the 2008–2009 ''
Marvel Zombies 4 ''Marvel Zombies 4'' is a four-issue comic book limited series published by Marvel Comics beginning in April 2009. It is part of the ''Marvel Zombies'' series. The series is written by Fred Van Lente, penciled by Kev Walker, with covers by Greg ...
'' miniseries. The real Morbius of
Earth-616 In the fictional Marvel Comics multiverse, Earth-616 is the primary continuity in which most Marvel Comics titles take place. History of the term The term was first used in "Rough Justice", a story credited to both Alan Moore and Alan Davis p ...
(the mainstream Marvel Universe) is kidnapped and beaten by his zombie counterpart, who found a way from the Marvel Zombies universe into the Marvel Universe. The zombie Morbius holds the real one captive while using a latex mask to look normal. It is revealed that he plans to infect every member of the
Fifty State Initiative ''Avengers: The Initiative'' is a comic book series from Marvel Comics. Written by Dan Slott and Christos Gage with artwork initially by Stefano Caselli, Steve Uy and Harvey Tolibao, the series deals with the aftermath of Marvel's "Civil War" s ...
with the zombie virus. His captivity is later inadvertently uncovered by an A.R.M.O.R. team member, whom Morbius tries to warn of an impending attack. The warning comes too late, as Morbius's zombie counterpart attacks the team member and infects her, thus creating a violent chain of events after she attacks another team member. Towards the end of the crisis, the real Morbius appears out of nowhere and grabs a tree, which he uses as a stake and stabs his zombified version from behind and straight into the heart, killing him instantly.''Marvel Zombies 4'' #4. Marvel Comics.


Ultimate Marvel

The
Ultimate Marvel Ultimate Marvel, later known as Ultimate Comics, was an imprint of comic books published by Marvel Comics, featuring re-imagined and modernized versions of the company's superhero characters from the Ultimate Marvel Universe. Those characters in ...
version of Morbius the Living Vampire is more akin to a traditional vampire, the son of Dracul and brother of
Vlad III Dracula Vlad III, commonly known as Vlad the Impaler ( ro, Vlad Țepeș ) or Vlad Dracula (; ro, Vlad Drăculea ; 1428/311476/77), was Voivode of Wallachia three times between 1448 and his death in 1476/77. He is often considered one of the most imp ...
himself. He has all of the powers and abilities associated with the usual interpretation of
Dracula ''Dracula'' is a novel by Bram Stoker, published in 1897. As an epistolary novel, the narrative is related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist, but opens with solicitor Jonathan Harker taking ...
. This version of Morbius, however, seems to be heroically struggling against his baser instincts and is, in fact, a
vampire hunter Vampire hunter or vampire slayer is a fictional occupation in history and fiction which specializes in finding vampires, and sometimes other supernatural creatures. A vampire hunter is usually described as having extensive knowledge of vampires a ...
. He meets
Spider-Man Spider-Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appeared in the anthology comic book '' Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in the ...
in a typical misunderstanding, centering on a cabal of vampires attacking
Ben Urich Benjamin "Ben" Urich is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character usually appears in comic books featuring Daredevil and Spider-Man. Urich is a chain-smoking, tough-as-nails investigative jo ...
. He tries to stop Urich from becoming a vampire, in which he succeeds, despite the conflict. When Spider-Man is bitten by a vampire, Morbius sniffs Spider-Man and determines that the young superhero is immune to vampirism.


"Spider-Geddon"

During the "
Spider-Geddon ''Spider-Geddon'' is a 2018 comic book limited series and crossover storyline published by Marvel Comics featuring multiple alternative versions of Spider-Man that had appeared in various media, and his supporting cast. In this sequel to ''Spide ...
" story line, different versions of Morbius the Living Vampire are seen: * In the universe of
Peni Parker Peni Parker is a superhero appearing in publications by Marvel Comics. She is an alternative version of Spider-Man. The character is depicted as a 14-year-old high school student who was adopted by Aunt May and Uncle Ben following the death of he ...
, M.O.R.B.I.U.S. is a techno-organic dragon-like
kaiju is a Japanese media genre that focuses on stories involving giant monsters. The word ''kaiju'' can also refer to the giant monsters themselves, which are usually depicted attacking major cities and battling either the military or other monster ...
with tentacles which feeds on technology. During the battle between SP//dr and VEN#m, it attacks the latter and overloads it. * In the Web-Slinger's universe (which takes place in an environment similar to the
Old West The American frontier, also known as the Old West or the Wild West, encompasses the geography, history, folklore, and culture associated with the forward wave of American expansion in mainland North America that began with European colonial ...
), Doc Morbius has a vampiric condition similar to his Earth-616 counterpart. In his efforts to find a cure, he decides to experiment on people he kidnaps, including children. During a fight with the hero Web-Slinger, Morbius realizes the harm he is causing and sacrifices himself to save both the Web-Slinger and the children he was about to experiment on.


''Infinity Warps''

In this new universe, Morbius is fused with
Morpheus Morpheus ('Fashioner', derived from the grc, μορφή meaning 'form, shape') is a god associated with sleep and dreams. In Ovid's ''Metamorphoses'' he is the son of Somnus and appears in dreams in human form. From the Middle Ages, the name b ...
and is an enemy of the hero Arachknight (a fusion of Spider-Man and the
Moon Knight Moon Knight is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Doug Moench and artist Don Perlin, the character first appeared in ''Werewolf by Night'' #32 (August 1975). The son of a rabb ...
).


In other media


Television

* Morbius the Living Vampire appears in ''
Spider-Man Spider-Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appeared in the anthology comic book '' Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in the ...
'', voiced by
Nick Jameson Nicholas Jameson (born December 5, 1950) is an American actor, musician and producer, perhaps best known for his portrayal of Russian president Yuri Suvarov over three seasons on the show '' 24''. He currently resides in Reykjavík doing live co ...
. This version drains
blood plasma Blood plasma is a light amber-colored liquid component of blood in which blood cells are absent, but contains proteins and other constituents of whole blood in suspension. It makes up about 55% of the body's total blood volume. It is the intra ...
through his hands, leaving his victims with a series of welts covering their bodies. He first appeared as Michael Morbius, a foreign Empire State University biologist, in the episodes "The Insidious Six" and "Battle of the Insidious Six" before transforming into a vampiric creature in a self-titled episode. In the following episodes "Enter the Punisher", "Duel of the Hunters", "Blade the Vampire Hunter", and "The Immortal Vampire", he attacks people for their plasma and battles
Spider-Man Spider-Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appeared in the anthology comic book '' Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in the ...
and
Blade A blade is the portion of a tool, weapon, or machine with an edge that is designed to puncture, chop, slice or scrape surfaces or materials. Blades are typically made from materials that are harder than those they are to be used on. Historic ...
while attempting to create more pseudo-vampires like himself. In "The Vampire Queen", Morbius becomes a hero after joining forces with Spider-Man, Blade, and the
Black Cat A black cat is a domestic cat with black fur that may be a mixed or specific breed, or a common domestic cat of no particular breed. The Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) recognizes 22 cat breeds that can come with solid black coats. The Bombay b ...
to defeat Miriam the Vampire Queen, and leaves with Blade and the Black Cat to destroy other vampires around the world. Morbius makes a final cameo appearance in "Secret Wars Pt. 2" alongside his allies. * Morbius appears in ''
Ultimate Spider-Man ''Ultimate Spider-Man'' is a superhero comic book series that was published by Marvel Comics from 2000 to 2011. The series is a modernized re-imagining of Marvel's long-running Spider-Man comic book franchise as part of the company's Ultimate ...
'', voiced by
Benjamin Diskin Benjamin Isaac Diskin (born August 25, 1982) is an American actor who was affiliated in Studiopolis, Bang Zoom!, SDI Media, Funimation, VSI Los Angeles, and NYAV Post. Early life Diskin was born in Los Angeles County, California to a Jewish fa ...
. This version is a HYDRA scientist specializing in symbiotes. In the episode "Anti-Venom", he and
Doctor Octopus Doctor Octopus (Dr. Otto Gunther Octavius), also known as Doc Ock for short, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko and first appeared in ''Th ...
create the
Anti-Venom Anti-Venom is a fictional antihero appearing in Comic books published by Marvel Comics. It first appeared in '' The Amazing Spider-Man'' #569 (August 2008), and was created by Dan Slott and John Romita Jr. The creature belongs to a race of amorp ...
symbiote. In the three-part episode "The Symbiote Saga", Morbius creates the Carnage symbiote before Doctor Octopus mutates him into a pseudo-vampire, which grants him the power to absorb life forces. Morbius later fights Spider-Man,
Agent Venom Eugene "Flash" Thompson is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, the character first appeared in '' Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962). Flash Tho ...
and the Patrioteer while trying to control the Carnage Queen, who defeats him.


Film

* Morbius the Living Vampire made a cameo appearance in a deleted scene from ''
Blade A blade is the portion of a tool, weapon, or machine with an edge that is designed to puncture, chop, slice or scrape surfaces or materials. Blades are typically made from materials that are harder than those they are to be used on. Historic ...
'', portrayed by director
Stephen Norrington Stephen Norrington (born 1964) is an English filmmaker and special effects artist known for his work in the horror and action genres. Beginning his career as a sculptor and makeup artist, he worked under Dick Smith, Rick Baker, and Stan Winston ...
. The scene was included as a bonus feature on the DVD release. Marvel Entertainment denied ''
Blade II ''Blade II'' is a 2002 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character Blade, directed by Guillermo del Toro and written by David S. Goyer. A sequel to ''Blade'' (1998), it is the second installment in the ''Blade'' franchise, fol ...
'' director
Guillermo del Toro Guillermo del Toro Gómez (; born October 9, 1964) is a Mexican filmmaker, author, and actor. He directed the Academy Award–winning fantasy films ''Pan's Labyrinth'' (2006) and ''The Shape of Water'' (2017), winning the Academy Awards for Be ...
the rights to use the character. * In 2000,
Marvel Entertainment Marvel Entertainment, LLC (formerly Marvel Enterprises) is an American show business, entertainment company (law), company founded in June 1998 and based in New York City, New York (state), New York, formed by the merger of #Marvel Entertainment ...
entered a joint venture agreement with
Artisan Entertainment Artisan Entertainment (formerly known as U.S.A. Home Video, International Video Entertainment (IVE) and LIVE Entertainment) was an American film studio and home video company. It was considered one of the largest mini-major film studios until ...
to turn at least 15 Marvel superhero franchises into films, television series, direct-to-video films, and internet projects. These franchises included an adaptation of Morbius the Living Vampire. * In November 2017,
Sony Pictures Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Sony Pictures or SPE, and formerly known as Columbia Pictures Entertainment, Inc.) is an American diversified multinational mass media and entertainment studio Conglomerate (company), conglom ...
announced plans to make a film adaptation as part of
Sony's Spider-Man Universe Sony's Spider-Man Universe (SSU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films produced by Columbia Pictures in association with Marvel Entertainment. Distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing, the f ...
, written by
Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless are American screenwriters, best known for writing films together, like '' Dracula Untold'', '' The Last Witch Hunter'', '' Gods of Egypt'' and '' Morbius.'' Career In August 2008, Sazama and Sharpless were hired ...
, directed by
Daniel Espinosa Jorge Daniel Espinosa (born 23 March 1977) is a Swedish film director from Trångsund, Stockholm, of Chilean origin. Early life He attended the National Film School of Denmark and graduated in 2001. Career His third feature film, '' Easy Mone ...
, and starring
Jared Leto Jared Joseph Leto ( ; born December 26, 1971) is an American actor and musician. Known for his method acting in a variety of roles, he has received numerous accolades over a career spanning three decades, including an Academy Award and a Golde ...
as Dr. Michael Morbius. Production began in November 2018. Filming began in February 2019. Additionally,
Charlie Shotwell Charlie Shotwell (born July 17, 2007) is an American actor. He started acting professionally at the age of six. His first notable role being the young Nai Cash in the 2016 comedy-drama film ''Captain Fantastic (film), Captain Fantastic'' for whic ...
portrays young Michael. '' Morbius'' was originally scheduled to be released on January 28, 2022, before it was pushed back to April 1, 2022.


Video games

* Morbius the Living Vampire appeared as a non-playable character in '' Spider-Man and Venom: Maximum Carnage''. * Morbius the Living Vampire appears as a boss in the
Wii The Wii ( ) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released on November 19, 2006, in North America and in December 2006 for most other Regional lockout, regions of the world. It is Nintendo's fifth major ho ...
,
PS2 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia o ...
, and PSP versions of the ''
Spider-Man 3 ''Spider-Man 3'' is a 2007 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character Spider-Man. It was directed by Sam Raimi from a screenplay by Raimi, his older brother Ivan and Alvin Sargent. It is the final installment in Raimi's ...
'' film tie-in game, voiced by Sean Donnellan. This version is married to Shriek, who was unwittingly responsible for the lab accident that transformed him into a pseudo-vampire. One of the game's side stories revolves around Spider-Man and Dr. Curt Connors trying to cure Morbius's pseudo-vampirism. * Morbius the Living Vampire appears as a playable character in ''
Marvel Super Hero Squad Online ''Marvel Super Hero Squad Online'' was a massively multiplayer online game for younger audiences based on the ''Marvel Super Hero Squad'', developed by American video game companies The Amazing Society and Gazillion Entertainment. The open beta ...
'', voiced by
Tom Kenny Thomas James Kenny (born July 13, 1962) is an American actor and comedian. He is known for voicing the titular character in ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' and associated media. Kenny has voiced many other characters, including Heffer Wolfe in ''R ...
. * Morbius the Living Vampire appears as an unlockable character in '' Marvel Avengers Alliance''. * Morbius the Living Vampire appears as a playable character in ''
Spider-Man Unlimited ''Spider-Man Unlimited'' is an American animated series by Saban Entertainment which features the Marvel comic book superhero Spider-Man, intended as a loose sequel series to the previous '' Spider-Man: The Animated Series'', which ran from 199 ...
''. * Morbius the Living Vampire appears as a playable character in ''
Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2 ''Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2'' is a Lego-themed action-adventure video game developed by Traveller's Tales and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and Xbox One on 14 November 2 ...
''. * Morbius the Living Vampire's alias and past background as Morgan Michaels is used for an African-American character depicted in '' Marvel's Spider-Man'', voiced by Phil Morris. Dr. Michaels is the former chief scientist of the Devil's Breath project headed by
Norman Osborn Norman Osborn is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character, created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, first appeared in ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #14 (July 1964) as the first ...
at
Oscorp Oscorp (sometimes stylized as OsCorp), also known as Oscorp Industries, is a fictional multibillion-dollar multinational corporation appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, predominantly in stories about Spider-Man. The compa ...
. After being attacked by
Mister Negative Mister Negative is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is usually depicted as an enemy of Spider-Man, the Punisher, and Cloak & Dagger. The character was created by Dan Slott and Phil Jime ...
and the
Sinister Six Sinister commonly refers to: * Evil * Ominous Sinister may also refer to: Left side * Sinister, Latin for the direction "left" * Sinister, in heraldry, is the bearer's true left side (viewers' right side) of an escutcheon or coat of arms; see de ...
and stealing the Devil's Breath bio-weapon to infect New York, the repentant Michaels works to atone for his actions by helping
Spider-Man Spider-Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appeared in the anthology comic book '' Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in the ...
create a cure. Once he receives an anti-serum, he is able to mass-produce a vaccine for the Devil's Breath and cure New York. * Morbius the Living Vampire appears as a downloadable playable character in '' Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order'', voiced by Jake Green.


Miscellaneous

In ''
The Amazing Spider-Man ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' is an ongoing American comic book series featuring the Marvel Comics superhero Spider-Man as its main protagonist. Being in the Earth 616, mainstream continuity of the franchise, it began publication in 1963 as a bim ...
'' newspaper strip, Michael Morbius returns to New York, seemingly cured of his pseudo-vampirism, and with a fiancé, Martine Bancroft. However, at night, he begins exhibiting his old symptoms and comes into conflict with Spider-Man. It is later revealed that Bancroft is behind his troubles and gained her own vampiric abilities after she was attacked and killed by
Dracula ''Dracula'' is a novel by Bram Stoker, published in 1897. As an epistolary novel, the narrative is related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist, but opens with solicitor Jonathan Harker taking ...
.


Collected editions


'' Marvel Epic Collections''


''

Marvel Omnibus ''Marvel Omnibus'' is a line of large format, high quality, full color, hardcover graphic novel omnibuses published by Marvel Comics. The ''Marvel Omnibus'' series reprints comics previously printed in single-issue format. Unlike Marvel's '' Esse ...
''


References


External links

*
Morbius
at Marvel.com
Morbius
at Marvel Database
Morbius
at Comic Vine
Morbius
at Writeups.org {{Steve Gerber 1992 comics debuts Blade (comics) characters Characters created by Gil Kane Characters created by Roy Thomas Comics characters introduced in 1971 Fictional biochemists Fictional biologists Fictional characters with slowed ageing Fictional characters with superhuman durability or invulnerability Fictional characters with superhuman senses Fictional Greek people Fictional hypnotists and indoctrinators Fictional medical specialists Fictional Nobel laureates Marvel Comics adapted into films Marvel Comics characters who can move at superhuman speeds Marvel Comics characters with accelerated healing Marvel Comics characters with superhuman strength Marvel Comics male superheroes Marvel Comics male supervillains Marvel Comics mutates Marvel Comics scientists Marvel Comics telekinetics Marvel Comics titles Marvel Comics vampires Spider-Man characters Vampire superheroes Vampire supervillains Vigilante characters in comics