Sony Marvel Universe of live-action films when the movie debuts later this year. Though Morbius The Living Vampire may not be as well-known in popular culture as other major Spider-Man villains, comic book readers know he has been both a villain and an ally of the Wall-Crawler for nearly fifty years.
Morbius The Living Vampire occupies a unique spot in Spider-Man lore as a direct link to the horror genre of comics that was very popular in the 1970s and remains a vital part of the comics years later. His tragic backstory and the internal struggle over his own vampiric nature have made him a compelling figure to comic book readers and most likely will for movie fans as well.
Updated on March 18th, 2022 by Darby Harn: As Morbius approaches release after several delays, the latest trailers for the Sony Marvel Universe movie exhibit more connections to Marvel Comics. Some of those connections have intriguing possibilities for connections to the MCU thanks to the emergence of other horror-themed characters emerging recently like Moon Knight and Blade. Comic book fans know there is much to explore with Morbius, including whether or not Morbius is a hero or villain, and whether he could be potentially part of a number of supernatural teams and storylines from the comics.
Changes In The Comics Code Made Morbius Possible
The Comics Code Authority had a major impact on comic books through most of the Silver and Bronze Age, prohibiting anything considered violent or sexual in nature. In 1971, the restrictive Code was beginning to relax a little, and that allowed Marvel to begin to explore previously forbidden subjects like vampires.
Writer Roy Thomas initially considered using Dracula as the villain in The Amazing Spider-Man #101, Morbius's first appearance, but Stan Lee's desire for a new villain led to the creation of Morbius. That decision led to one of Spider-Man's best comic book villains.
An Experiment Gone Wrong
Unlike most vampires in vampiric lore, Morbius is not the result of a vampire biting him. He actually gained his vampiric nature from a scientific experiment gone wrong. Michael Morbius had a rare blood condition that left him pale and sickly.
His efforts to cure himself led to an experiment that transformed him into a living vampire with a need to feed off of blood, as detailed in his first appearance, one of the best Spider-Man comics of the 70s. Though he looks and acts in many respects like a traditional vampire, he isn't one and so isn't subject to their primary weaknesses like exposure to sunlight.
Vampire Tales
Vampires were very popular as villains in '70s movies, so it's no surprise that Marvel Comics wanted to capitalize on their success with Morbius. Morbius would be a big part of the horror revival in the '70s and led his own book, Vampire Tales.
Vampire Tales started in 1973 in a magazine-style format. This allowed Marvel to further get out from under the restrictions of the Comics Code Authority, as the organization only had purview over traditional comic books. The series ran through 1975 under the 'Marvel Monster Group' banner that also included Dracula Lives!
A Spider-Man Villain
Morbius isn't a villain in the traditional sense, but he's not exactly a hero, either. He first encounters Spider-Man while trying to find a cure for his condition in New York City. Things didn't get off to a great start; Spider-Man teamed up with his usual enemy the Lizard to get a sample of the vampire's blood.
Both The Lizard and Spider-Man sought a cure for their own mutations. They weren't successful, and the encounter created some bitter feelings on both sides that would continue through the next several years in the comics.
And Then A Hero
Morbius gradually started to shift toward being an ally of Spider-Man in the '90s. Morbius teamed up with Spider-Man to defeat Carnage in the massive Maximum Carnage storyline, which despite the cinematic existence of all the characters involved is probably a comic book crossover the MCU should avoid.
Morbius teams up with Spider-Man, Venom, and many other heroes to stop Carnage in his bloody rampage across New York City. In the story, Morbius helps Spider-Man fight all of New York after Shriek turns ordinary people into a violent mob.
Ultimate Morbius
As is the case with nearly every major Marvel Comics character, there are a number of different versions of Morbius. One of the most significant versions that could potentially inform the live-action take is the version from Ultimate Comics.
The Ultimate Comics Morbius is actually a full vampire and the son of Dracula. He fights against his nature though, and is a vampire hunter like Blade, making his struggle between being a hero and villain even more dire and compelling.
Almost Cured
Earth-616 Morbius has had a couple of close calls with being cured of his affliction. One of the most dramatic came in Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #38. Morbius drinks Peter Parker's blood, and as he does, he's struck by lightning. This unusual confluence of events seemed to cure him.
Though he was human again in appearance, he realized he did still have a thirst for blood. His respite from his vampiric nature would only last a short time, however, and he would revert back to his pseudo-vampire state.
Helping The She-Hulk
During his brief period as a normal human, Morbius attempted to help other superheroes with their own conditions. One of them was Jennifer Walters, the She-Hulk.
At the time, Jennifer Walters was experiencing violent, uncontrollable swings back and forth between being her regular self and the She-Hulk. Morbius helped stabilize her with a serum he had invented to try and help his own condition. This is possibly a comic book storyline the She-Hulk streaming series could adapt in some way.
Morbius Nearly Cured The Lizard
Morbius is a potential member of the Sinister Six in the MCU depending on how things go between Sony and Marvel Studios. He's also had encounters with some of the supervillain team, including the Lizard. Morbius very nearly cured the Lizard of his own condition when he bit him in their first encounter in The Amazing Spider-Man #101.
The bite temporarily reverted the Lizard back to his human form, prompting both Curt Connors and Peter Parker to trail Morbius to see if the effect could be made permanent. This particular aspect of Morbius' story could be a way to bring the villains together in the movies.
M.O.R.B.I.U.S.
There are many powerful variants of Spider-Man in the multiverse of Marvel Comics and that's true of Morbius as well. One of the best that could eventually appear in either animation or live-action is M.O.R.B.I.U.S. from the universe as Peni Parker.
M.O.R.B.I.U.S. is something a cyborg kaiju creature, but instead of blood, he feeds off information. This unique and powerful version of the character is a fascinating modern take on Morbius and would be right at home in the Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse (Part 1).
