Product Code Database
Morbius (born Michael Morbius, also known as Morbius the Living Vampire) is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Roy Thomas and originally designed by penciler Gil Kane, he debuted as a tragic, sympathetic adversary of the superhero Spider-Man in The Amazing Spider-Man #101 (October 1971). (2026). 9781465478900, DK Publishing. ISBN 9781465478900 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 "Midnight Sons" crossover event then revived and revised several horror-themed Marvel characters to present them as lead protagonists in new titles. The event launched the new series Morbius the Living Vampire, 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).
Michael Morbius is depicted as 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" creatures such as (which exist in the Marvel Universe). 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' mutation affects his ability to reason while experiencing hunger. This leads to blackouts and acts of violence that result in murder and Supervillain, 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. Morbius the Living Vampire #1. Marvel Comics. 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 of Dr. Morgan Michaels, while at night secretly acting as a lethal Vigilantism 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, Morbius is a recurring character voiced by Nick Jameson. 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 Blood plasma through his hands rather than with his fangs. Jared Leto portrayed Michael Morbius in the Sony's Spider-Man Universe (SSU) live action feature film Morbius (2022), with Matt Smith co-starring as Milo, a composite character also based on Morbius and several other characters.
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, 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 rather than magic. Thomas and penciller Gil Kane 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-Vampire traits via scientific rather than supernatural means. (2026). 9780756692360, Dorling Kindersley. ISBN 9780756692360 Kane based the character's appearance on that of actor Jack Palance.Kane in Thomas said the name "Morbius" was not deliberately taken from the antagonist Doctor Morbius in the 1956 film Forbidden Planet. The initial two-story arc emphasized that Morbius, like other Spider-Man villains such as the Lizard, 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 best 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 #3–4 (July – September 1972) and the one-shot Giant-Size Super-Heroes #1 (June 1974). Morbius went on to star in Vampire Tales, a black-and-white horror comics magazine published by Marvel's sister company, Curtis Magazines, appearing in all but two of the mature audience title's 11 issues (August 1973 – June 1975).Morbius did not appear in issues #6 and 9; reprinted Morbius stories from the series appeared in Vampire Tales Super Annual #1 (summer 1975), the only issue of that title. The first Morbius solo story was written by Steve Gerber, while the rest of the stories, save for the last three, were written by Don McGregor, with Penciller by Rich Buckler and by Tom Sutton, 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 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, Steve Gerber, Doug Moench and Bill Mantlo, working with a wide variety of pencillers.
Morbius was then seen as a tragic figure lamenting his past and willing to stand trial for his actions in The Savage She-Hulk #9–12 and 25. The Savage She-Hulk #9–12 and 25. 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 (Jack Russell) in West Coast Avengers (vol. 2) #5. West Coast Avengers (vol. 2) #5. Marvel Comics.
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 him. These included Dr. Thaddeus Paine,Dr. Paine is first mentioned by name in Morbius the Living Vampire #1; he first appears on-panel in Morbius the Living Vampire #4. the Basilisk II (Wayne Gifford), Morbius the Living Vampire #5. Marvel Comics. Vic Slaughter and the Hardcases, Morbius the Living Vampire #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 #20. Marvel Comics. and Bloodbath. Midnight Sons Unlimited #2. Marvel Comics. Along with these foes, Morbius the Living Vampire featured recurring appearances by Simon Stroud. Introduced as a rogue CIA agent hunting the Man-Wolf in Creatures on the Loose #37, Stroud had first encountered Morbius in Adventure into Fear #27 and was now determined to end Morbius' life.
To increase awareness and the popularity of Morbius the Living Vampire, 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 #144, the one-shot Strange Tales: Dark Corners #1 (May 1998), Amazing Fantasy (vol. 2) #17 (March 2006), and the one-shot Legion of Monsters: Morbius #1 (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 Doctor Strange as well as the Ghost Rider and the Nightstalkers, a group which included Blade as well as Hannibal King, 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 true undead vampire rather than a scientific mutation. In Morbius the Living Vampire #12, Blade is possessed by a demon and, against his will, kills Morbius. Morbius is immediately resurrected in Spirits of Vengeance #13.
During the 1993 Marvel Comics crossover event Maximum Carnage, Morbius and his longtime adversary Spider-Man temporarily become uneasy allies to stop a New York City murder spree led by the spree killer Carnage. In #77–80 (1997), Morbius again teams up with Spider-Man to stop Hydra agent Loxias Crown, who then becomes another pseudo-vampire called the Hunger. Spider-Man #77–80. Marvel Comics.
Morbius the Living Vampire series writer Len Kaminski had regular conflicts with series penciller Ron Wagner. The two were collaborators who used the "Marvel method" of comic book scripting, meaning Kaminski 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 in 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 it was 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 featured the resurrection of Michael's former lover, Martine Bancroft, in issues #13–17. The story line 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 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 has finally put the disease back into remission. It also does not resolve the fact that Martine is left a true undead vampire who is obsessed with Morbius (though this is finally resolved in 2010; see below). Since the series' cancellation, there has been no further depictions of Morbius' 1990s supporting cast of his 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.
In 2011, the Marvel Comics series Legion of Monsters (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", 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 and artist Richard Elson. 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 pseudo-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. 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, 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 forced Marvel Comics to halt or slow down several operations. Rather than continue 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 first appearance and death of Christos Nikos, son of Emil Nikos.
After years of research, Morbius attempts a radical cure on himself involving chemical treatments, samples of vampire bat DNA, and electroshock therapy. The experiment puts the blood disease into remission, but radically mutates Morbius into a pseudo-vampire with enhanced abilities. To keep his disease in remission, Morbius must now feed on fresh blood of living humans 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. The Amazing Spider-Man #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-reptilian monster known as the Lizard and the super-hero Spider-Man, who at the time is dealing with a mutation of his own 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. Morbius and Martine synthesize an antidote for these victims, but the serum does not work on Morbius' own condition. Overtaken by bloodlust, Morbius attacks Martine, turning her into a pseudo-vampire as well. After using their serum to cure her, Morbius flees 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, Vampire Tales #2–5 and 7–8. Marvel Comics. 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. Giant-Size Super-Heroes #1. Marvel Comics. Later, Morbius encounters Reverend Daemond, the Caretakers of the planet Arcturus IV, the Cat People of the Land Within and , Adventure into Fear #20–26. Marvel Comics. the extra-dimensional demon known as Helleyes, Adventure into Fear #27–29. Marvel Comics. and the Living Eraser. Marvel Two-in-One #15. Marvel Comics. He also meets other monsters, such as the Werewolf (Jack Russell), Giant-Size Werewolf #4. Marvel Comics. Marvel Premiere #28. Marvel Comics. the Ghost Rider (Johnny Blaze), and the Man-Thing (Ted Sallis), and superhuman adventurers such as Blade, Adventure into Fear #24. Marvel Comics. the original X-Men Marvel Team-Up #4. Marvel Comics. and the Human Torch Marvel Team-Up #3. Marvel Comics. and the Thing, the last two both being members of the Fantastic Four. During this time, he continues to frequently clash with Spider-Man.
Later, Morbius meets rogue CIA agent Simon Stroud 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 pseudo-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) Vampire Tales #10. Marvel Comics. and battles Morgana St. Clair, an enigmatic vampire expert living in England who is actually a true undead vampire and a member of a Satanic cult of true undead vampires known as the Brotherhood of Judas. Morbius destroys St. Clair and the members of the cult, as well as a priest that was being used by them as a human sacrifice and blood meal at the priest's request. Vampire Tales #11. Marvel Comics. 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 and Morbius is forced to kill him. Marvel Preview #8. Marvel Comics.
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 that helps them on a case. Eventually, despite all of his efforts, Morbius reverts to being a pseudo-vampire again. Doctor Strange (vol. 3) #10. Marvel Comics. Working alongside several allies, the sorcerer Doctor Strange is able to use the "Montesi Formula" (a spell found in the Darkhold) to banish all true 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, a true undead vampire and 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, Morbius battles Marie Laveau and witnesses the return of true undead vampires to Earth. Doctor Strange (vol. 3) #14–18. Marvel Comics.
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 with himself, Morbius flees into the sewers and falls deeper into depression. Spider-Man #13–14. Marvel Comics.
After a brief battle with the Ghost Rider and Blaze, Morbius is subdued and taken to Langford's lab, where he is given the phony cure. The result of Langford's serum mixed with demonic Lilin blood creates a new mutagenic agent, altering Morbius' abilities and appearance while also largely restoring his sanity and his 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 true undead vampirism has returned), the dhampir (or "half-vampire") Blade, and Frank Drake, the last living mortal descendant of Dracula.
Over the next year, Morbius confronts several new foes, including Dr. Paine, the Basilisk II (Wayne Gifford), Vic Slaughter, Bloodthirst and Bloodbath. During the initial battle with the bounty hunter Vic Slaughter and his team of mercenaries 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 then later discovers that if he drains a certain amount of blood from a victim, the infection of his bite is actually more powerful than it was before. Vic Slaughter rises from near-death as a new pseudo-vampire, his powers and abilities equal to those of Morbius. Morbius the Living Vampire #10. Marvel Comics.
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, Eddie Brock, the Black Cat and other superheroes against a gang of supervillains led by spree killers Carnage and Shriek during the crossover event called Maximum Carnage. Web of Spider-Man #102–103, The Amazing Spider-Man #379–380, Spider-Man #36, Spectacular Spider-Man (vol. 2) #202 and Spider-Man Unlimited #2. Marvel Comics. During a battle with the dream-empowered demon 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. Morbius the Living Vampire #9. Marvel Comics. Soon afterward, Blade is bitten by Morbius and temporarily becomes a true undead vampire called Switchblade. He kills several allies, including Morbius. Morbius the Living Vampire #12. Marvel Comics. Soon afterward, Blade is cured of his vampirism and his victims are magically restored back to life, including Morbius. Spirits of Vengeance #13. Marvel Comics.
From Dr. Paine, Morbius learns that his blood disease is not in full remission and will still eventually 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 radioactive 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 Morbius if he ingests too much of it. 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 pseudo-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 true undead vampire and detective Hannibal King to see if it satisfies his bloodlust, only to discover that his body simply rejects vampire blood because it is "lifeless". Nightstalkers #8–9. Marvel Comics.
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 true undead 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 help of the cyborg Deathlok, Morbius halts the "vampire cult" from committing a terrorist bombing and then seemingly kills DeWolff. Morbius the Living Vampire #18–19. Marvel Comics.
Thanks to traces of Lilin blood still in Morbius' body, the spirit of a Lilin called Bloodthirst begins guiding Morbius' 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 #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 Doctor Strange, Morbius reasserts control over his own body. To defeat Parasite, Morbius then kills Martine's body, forcing the Lilin spirit out of her 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 Morbius. 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 body of a true undead vampire for himself and seriously injures both Jacob and Mandy before Morbius finally destroys him. Morbius decides to distance himself from Mandy 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 he suggests to Lena that she seeks medical treatment from "Dr. Morgan Michaels". Unaware this is the pseudo-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 #25–27. Marvel Comics.
Martine 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 a true undead vampire, 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 him but rents a nearby apartment so she can continue spying on her former lover. She then begins a casual romantic relationship with Jack Russell.
As a result of Jacob's serum, Morbius seems to lose his bloodlust and only temporarily achieves a partial pseudo-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 that "Dr. Morgan Michaels" is actually Dr. Michael Morbius, alias Morbius the Living Vampire. Feeling betrayed, Lena leaves Morbius. Morbius then realizes he is experiencing bloodlust again and losing his reason as he regains his full pseudo-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 all 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 bloodlust and once again a danger to everyone around him, Morbius abandons his identity of Dr. Morgan Michaels and leaves behind both Jacob and St. Jude's Memorial Hospital. Morbius the Living Vampire #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 leads Morbius' hunger to temporarily increase. X-Man #24. Marvel Comics. 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. Peter Parker, Spider-Man #4. Marvel Comics. 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. Peter Parker, Spider-Man #7–8. Marvel Comics.
Years later, the Superhuman Registration Act is passed, obligating anyone with superhuman abilities to register with S.H.I.E.L.D. and comply with its authority. For a time, Morbius submits to the SRA and joins an effort to capture Blade. Blade (vol. 2) #5. Marvel Comics. 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 #1–4. Marvel Comics. Shortly afterward, Morbius forms a new version of the Midnight Sons with Jennifer Kale, Daimon Hellstrom, Jack Russell and the Man-Thing. Together, they contain a zombie outbreak on an isolated island, briefly encountering the Hood in the process. Marvel Zombies 5 #1–4. Marvel Comics. Morbius also helps the Man-Thing revive the Punisher (Frank Castle) into the monster called Franken-Castle. The Punisher (vol. 7) #11. Marvel Comics.
When Morbius concludes that Spider-Man's blood 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 is still a true undead 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 himself and kills Martine with a wooden stake driven through her heart, causing her body to disintegrate to ashes that are then scattered. Despite their history as enemies, the Web-Slinger voluntarily donates more blood samples to Morbius to aid him in his research. The Amazing Spider-Man #623. Marvel Comics.
After briefly working with Doctor Octopus, The Amazing Spider-Man #642. Marvel Comics. 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 of this, 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" affair. Morbius is later confronted by the 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 (Phillip Hayes). During this time, he develops a friendship with Bucky Barnes and encounters his long-estranged father, Makarioa Morbius. Morbius the Living Vampire (vol. 2) #1–9. Marvel Comics.
During a journey to Barcelona, Morbius is captured by local true undead vampires. He then joins forces with Domino, Diamondback and Outlaw to defeat them before Domino helps him escape a vampire hunter. Domino (vol. 3) #7–8. Marvel Comics. Morbius later becomes involved in a Vampire Civil War and is rescued from Dracula's disciples by the Wasp and the Man-Wolf. Avengers (vol. 8) #12. Marvel Comics. When the spree killer 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 this, Morbius also meets Emil's son, Christos Nikos, who hopes that Morbius' genetics may cure him of his own fatal illness. These efforts fail and Christos dies. Morbius: Bond of Blood #1. Marvel Comics.
During the "Beyond" storyline, Morbius briefly fights the new Spider-Man (Ben Reilly, 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 radioactive blood will no longer work in creating even a temporary cure for his pseudo-vampirism. The Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 5) #77–78. Marvel Comics. 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 and Colleen Wing fight Creature Z and is able to destroy it with his own blood. The Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 5) #91–92.BEY. Marvel Comics.
During the "Blood Hunt" storyline, Morbius was working on a vampire cure for Misty Knight when he and Colleen Wing were captured by true undead vampires who were operating a Beyond Foods truck. After breaking out, Morbius and Colleen explore the facility and take an elevator to Floor Z4, where they find a floor filled with true undead vampires. There is a fight among them until their leader, Theocratis, breaks it up and subdues Colleen Wing. As Colleen Wing is taken to the pens, Morbius is told by Theocratis that he is in his start-up company, Hemoglobin Inc., where Theocratis wants Morbius to work on the vampire cure once and for all. Amazing Spider-Man: Blood Hunt #1. Marvel Comics.
Experimental procedures have turned Michael Morbius into a pseudo-vampire or living vampire. As opposed to a true undead vampire who is re-animated 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.
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. The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Volume 2 #9. Marvel Comics. 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 factor is not as strong as that of Dracula, the Lord of the Vampires or the mutant Wolverine). 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 from (drinking fresh blood from living humans 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 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 cloth wings attached underneath the sleeves 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. Morbius the Living Vampire (vol. 2) #6–9. Marvel Comics.
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 #3), Emilio (seen in Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #7), Nate Grey (in X-Man #24), and a homeless 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 pseudo-vampire with near-equal powers and abilities to his. On one occasion, Morbius bit Blade, who is himself a dhampir (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 undead vampire named Switchblade.
While he was temporarily infected by 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 he expelled the Lilin blood from his body.
To keep his blood disease from returning at an accelerated rate that will quickly kill him, Morbius must regularly feed on fresh blood from living humans. 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 inhibitions when he is overwhelmed by his bloodlust, causing him to feed and not realize his own actions until minutes later.
True undead vampires in the Marvel Universe are sometimes able to survive by draining blood from non-human animals, recently deceased humans or even other true undead vampires if the situation is such that living humans are not immediately available (the true undead vampire and detective Hannibal King survived for a time by feeding on the blood of the recently buried dead). Morbius, however, is completely unable to be nourished from these same sources and must drink only fresh blood from living humans in order to satisfy his bloodlust. As a stop-gap, Morbius has used collected blood from blood banks when he is desperate enough 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 it will poison him if he ingests such samples regularly or in great enough quantities.
On more than one occasion, Spider-Man's radioactive blood (used in tandem with electricity or other chemical agents) has put Morbius' pseudo-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.
| + !Title !Material collected !Publication date !ISBN | |||
| Morbius the Living Vampire: The Man Called Morbius | Morbius the Living Vampire (vol. 2) #1–9; The Amazing Spider-Man #699.1 | ||
| Morbius the Living Vampire: Old Wounds | Morbius #1–5 | ||
| Morbius: Preludes and Nightmares | The Amazing Spider-Man #101–102; Marvel Team-Up #3–4; Adventure into Fear #20; The Amazing Spider-Man #699.1 | ||
| Marvel-Verse: Morbius | The Amazing Spider-Man #101–102; Marvel Two-in-One #15; Morbius: Bond of Blood #1; material from Spider-Man Family #5 |
| 1 | Morbius: The Living Vampire | Amazing Spider-Man #101–102; Marvel Team-Up #3–4; Giant-Size Super-Heroes #1; Adventure Into Fear #20-26; material from Vampire Tales #1-5, 7-8; Giant-Size Werewolf #4 | 432 | |||
| 2 | Morbius: The End of a Living Vampire | Adventure Into Fear #27–31; Marvel Premiere #28; Marvel Two-in-One #15; Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #6–8, 38; Savage She-Hulk #9–12; material from Vampire Tales #10–11, Super Annual #1 (front cover only); Marvel Preview #8 | 400 |
| + !Title !Material collected !Publication date !ISBN | |||
| Morbius the Living Vampire Omnibus | The Amazing Spider-Man #101–102; Marvel Team-Up #3–4; Giant-Size Super Heroes #1; Adventure into Fear #20–31; Giant-Size Werewolf #4; Marvel Premiere #28; Marvel Two-in-One #15; Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #6–8, 38; The Savage She-Hulk #9–12; material from Vampire Tales #1–5, 7–8, 10–11, Super Annual #1 (front cover only) and Marvel Preview #8, plus extras |
| + !Title !Author !Publisher !Publication date !ISBN | ||||
| Morbius the Living Vampire: Blood Ties – A Novel of the Marvel Universe | Brendan Deneen | Titan Books | 9 March 2021 |
|
|
