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Attributes

Height: 5'10"

Weight: 170 lbs

Eyes: Blue

Hair: Black

Features: Chalk-white skin and fang-like canines.

Summary

Created By: Stan Lee, Gil Kane, Frank Giacoia

Real Name: Dr. Michael Morbius

Current Aliases: None

Former Aliases: None

Dual Identity: Publically Known

Current Occupation: Vampire

Former Occupation: Chemist, scientific researcher

Citizenship: Unknown European

Legal Status: Criminal at Large

Place of Birth: Unknown European

Marital Status: Single, formerly engaged

Known Relatives: None

Known Confidants: None

Known Allies: Unknown

Major Enemies: Spider-Man

Usual Bases: Unknown

Former Bases: Unknown

Current Groups: None

Former Groups: Unknown

Education: Doctorate

Powers & Paraphenalia

Strength Level: Greatly enhanced strength

Powers: None

Abilities: Ability to 'fly' on air currents, able to quickly regenerate physical wounds

Equipment: None

Weapons: None

Limitations: While he is termed as a 'living' vampire, he does have an adversity to sunlight, but unlike regular vampires, Morbius is not vulnerable to garlic, direct sunlight, silver, etc.

Background

Working on a research ship in the Atlantic to keep his work private and secure, he managed to find a treatment for the disease, but it also transformed him into Morbius, The Living Vampire. Needing sleep after the treatment, Morbius woke up in a blind rage and killed Nikos without a second thought. He immediately was stunned at what he had done, and wanted to go to his girlfriend's, Martine, room on the boat to get help. But realizing that he wanted to feed off of her, Micheal threw himself off of the boat to save her. His suicide attempt failed as he struggled between self-hatred for the thing he had become, and his desire to live.

He was picked up by another boat and traveled to the coast of Long Island. The crew didn't last long after they demanded to know from him why their ship mates kept disappearing, and after he was done with them, Morbius jumped ship and arrived at the summer home of Dr Curtis Connors. Dr Connors had loaned the house to Spider-Man to use as a research lab to find a cure for Spideys six armed mutation. Initially surprised to find a six armed man in a spider costume alone in the house, Morbius's hunger soon drove him to attack Spidey. The battle was quick and an exhausted Spider-Man was nearly lunch for the vampire. That is when Connors showed up and the shock of seeing the grotesque creature caused him to transform into the Lizard.

The Lizard and Morbius fought over who had the right to kill Spider-Man, and during the battle, Morbius bit the Lizard but only deep enough to puncture the scales. Tired of battling two enhanced beings, Morbius left to find mortal prey. Soon after he left, Lizard began to change back into Connors, but only part way. Spidey and Connors surmised that the bite caused Dr Connors to change back, and it it could change the Lizard, it could help Spider-Man lose his four extra arms. After finding Morbius, Spidey devised a formula from the vampire's saliva that changed him back.

Morbius found a cure for his state in Spectacular Spider-Man #38 by means of a lightening strike, and lived a relatively normal life for a time. Subsequent events saw him return however to his vampyric condition, and he has featured in recent issues of the Spider-Man titles.

Morbius hates that he needs to feed on human beings to live, but the hunger is too great. After being a shadowy hunter for a time, Morbius decided that if he had to feed on blood to live, he would feed on criminals. He joined the Midnight Sons, a supernatural band of adventurers that included Moon Knight and Ghost Rider.

He also has joined Spider-Man in times of crisis, such as during Maximum Carnage. While Carnage, Shriek, Carrion II, Doppelganger and Demogoblin tore Manhattan apart, Morbius joined with Spider-Man, Venom, Captain America, Cloak, Dagger, the Black Cat and others to end the murder spree.

Aparantly his ability to control his hunger also faded, as did his "cure." Shortly after the Clone Saga, Morbius was stalking Empire State University, looking for Dr Andrea Janson, a hematologist and molecular biologist. He came to her to look for a cure, but was constantly interrupted by Spider-Man. The battles that followed only fueled Morbius's hunger and he nearly fed on Spider- Man, until he was stopped by the mutant hating group called The Friends of Humanity. Morbius dealt with the racists, and returned his attention to Spidey when Mary Jane stepped in and asked Micheal to fight his cravings and be a man, not a monster. Dr Janson arrived with a blood package to sate the vampire's thirst but demanded that he control his conditions urge to kill. Morbius left with Dr Janson to find a cure and promised that if the cure were unavailable, he would take his own life.

Dr Janson turned out to be a fraud and she wanted to use Morbius in her experiments. Morbius was saved by Spider-Man and, ironically, Blade, the vampire hunter. This episode seems to have embittered Morbius, as he now attacks innocent victims without remorse. In a creepy story, Morbius stalks a young man with cerebral palsy. Joey Beal spends most of his time on the roof of his apartment building, watching the world go by. He is confined to a wheelchair and cannot speak, which makes Morbius think he will be easy prey.

Gliding over to the roof top from the abandoned apartment building across the street, Morbius tells Joey, "I know you've been watching and hoping, wondering who I am. What I am. Well, I am Morbius. You know my voice, that's me in the night, soothing you in dreams. Feeling your pain. How hard it must be to stay trapped inside that body. It will end soon. Don't be afraid." Naturally, that's when Spidey shows up and Joey gets a front row seat to a battle that he compares to gods fighting over heaven and earth. Morbius is defeated and Spidey unmasks for the paralyzed young man.

Early stories indicated that Morbius was able to "glide" because of the lightness of his bones. More recent tales have indicated that his power of flight is psionic in nature, and also that he possesses hypnotic powers, as well as his enhanced physical abilities (speed, reflexes, agility, senses, healing, etc.)

Morbius can turn other people into living vampires by biting them and letting them live. At first, the living bite victims only had the teeth and hunger for blood, as well as some fraction of his healing power. More recently, because of the mutation he went through in Morbius the Living Vampire #1, the living bite victims can become exactly like him... powers and all.

Thanks To:

The assistance of the Marvel Chronology Project is gratefully acknowledged.

Character Appearances