Quote1 Accept this vow, then: If I must drink blood, let it be the blood of the corrupt -- of those who deserve to die. The blood of the guilty. Quote2
-- Morbius src

Early Life

Dr. Michael Morbius was a scientist born in Greece who became a Nobel Prize winning biochemist. He suffered from a debilitating blood disease and developed an experimental treatment involving vampire bats and electroshocks. Its side effects turned him into a pseudo-vampire who needed to consume blood in order to survive, and gained typical vampire characteristics such as an aversion to sunlight, and the powers of flight, enhanced strength, speed, and healing (a healing factor). His overall appearance changed as well: he gained fangs, his nose flattened to appear more bat-like, and his skin became extremely pale. Additionally, the victims of his bite would turn into living vampires themselves. When he first experienced the change, he killed the assistant who had helped him develop the treatment.[3]

Meeting Spider-Man

Morbius traveled to the United States by ship, and in his blood thirst slaughtered the crew. He tried to kill himself but failed and took a room at a beach house where he encountered Spider-Man who was, at the time, trying to reverse the process that had given him six arms. Morbius attacked Spider-Man, but their battle was interrupted by Dr. Connors who transformed into the Lizard.[4]

Morbius escaped, but not before biting Connors (which partially returned him to normal). Spider-Man and Connors realized that Morbius' blood could be a cure for both of them and decided to help each other. They tracked him down and after another battle extracted some of his blood, causing Connors to remain in his human state and Spider-Man to lose his additional arms.[3]

Human Torch

Morbius was washed ashore and found by Jefferson and Jacob Bolt, on whom he tried to feed after being revived (he turned Jefferson into a vampire). Meanwhile, Morbius' fiancé Martine Bancroft tried contacting the Fantastic Four to help Morbius. The Human Torch sought out Morbius' former colleague, Hans Jorgenson, and joined forces with Spider-man during another battle with Morbius. During the fight, Morbius accidentally killed Jefferson Bolt and fled.[5]


When news of Jorgenson's supposed kidnapping by Spider-Man reached Professor X (an old colleague of Jorgenson), he sent the X-Men to track down Spider-Man. When he discovered that Morbius was truly to blame, he sent the mutants to capture him instead. After a lengthy battle, the X-Men managed to defeat Morbius and rescue Jorgenson. Jorgenson was able to cure Spider-Man, who thanked the X-Men before leaving them to deal with Dr. Morbius.[6][7]

Vampire Tales

Morbius saved Amanda Saint from the Demon-Fire cult and helped her in the search for her parents[8]


Michael Morbius and Martine Bancroft battled Reverend Daemond and encountered the Caretakers of Arcturus.[9] He visited the Land Within, home of the Cat People.[10] Battling their greatest warrior, Balkatar,[11] Balkatar and Morbius worked together to take down Daemond.[12] He was hunted by Blade the vampire slayer until Blade became aware of his plight, the two cooperate to battle Daemond.[13] Daemond creates Tara, a Psychic vampire.[14] Morbius is able to kill Daemond and Tara.[15] He then encountered Simon Stroud, a CIA agent tasked with hunting him.[16] Together, they battled the Helleyes.[17] Morbius, Martine, and Stroud later battled vampires at Mason Manor.[18]

Legion of Monsters

Morbius joined the team Legion of Monsters, who united by chance to investigate the appearance of the Starseed. Though Starseed was a benevolent entity, both the Werewolf and Morbius, overcome by their monstrous hungers, attacked it. Ghost Rider and Man-Thing attempted to intervene, but Starseed was unable to overcome his fear of Man-Thing and suffered severe burns at his touch. The dying Starseed attempted to cure the Legion of their monstrous forms but was too weak and died.[19] Morbius visited his old scientist friend Ronson Slade in hope for a cure to his disease. Ronson, however had become a werewolf and Morbius was forced to kill him.[20]

Dimension Z

After Morbius and the Thing battled the Living Eraser from Dimension Z,[21] Morbius used the Living Eraser's dimensional transportation devices to return to Earth.[22]

The Empathoid

The Empathoid who wished to learn how it felt to be a vampire used Morbius to attack Spider-Man, but Morbius resisted.[23] Spider-Man managed to knock out Morbius, causing the Empathoid to leave his body and possess Spider-Man to battle Morbius once more. He lead him into a football stadium where the emotions of all the sports fans overwhelmed the Empathoid, causing it to leave Spider-Man's body and pass out. Spider-Man allowed Morbius to depart unharmed.[24]

Temporary Cure

Driven mad by his bloodlust, Morbius battled Spider-Man again, but was restored to his human form when he hit by a freak bolt of lightning.[25] He remained human for some years, assisting both Spider-Woman and the West Coast Avengers at various times, but his vampiric condition eventually returned.[citation needed]


Scientist and Hydra agent; Dr. Loxias Crown kidnapped Morbius to study him.[26] Spider-Man came to his rescue but when he freed Morbius he attacked Crown. As they grappled the island began to explode. In the resulting explosion, Morbius drained his blood.[27] This lead to him becoming a living vampire like Morbius.[28]

Civil War

Morbius was registered under the SRA. He was sent by S.H.I.E.L.D. to convince Blade to register.[29]


Michael worked with A.R.M.O.R., an organization tasked with keeping an eye on extra-dimensional activity on the planet. As such, when cross-over with a zombie infected universe occurred in Man-Thing's swamp, Command, was dispatched to investigate. However, it was revealed that Morbius had been incapacitated and replaced within the organization by a zombified, extra-dimensional version of himself.[30] How long this had been the case was not clear. A member of A.R.M.O.R came in to check on the zombie Morbius and found the real Morbius but was then bitten by the zombie Morbius (and incited a zombie plague).[31] When Morbius was able to move again, he snuck behind his zombie counterpart and drove a stake through his heart. This turned him into ashes.[32]

After the zombie plague was taken care of, it was discovered that the Zombie Simon Garth and the head of Deadpool's zombie counterpart escaped. Morbius gathered the Midnight Sons to search for Deadpool and Simon Garth and disposed of anything infected with the zombie plague.[33]

While staying in Monster Metropolis, the remaining pieces of a dead Frank Castle were brought by the sewage system. Morbius and the Legion of Monsters revived him into a Frankenstein's Monster shape. They needed him to fight against Hunter of Monster Special Force who killed monsters for "not being of God." [34]

Michael Morbius (Earth-616) from Amazing Spider-Man Vol 1 679.1

Morbius was working on a cure for the zombie virus but was unable to find it, as the virus's genetic code was too complicated to decipher. Morbius found a Planestorm has opened a gateway to alternate realities.[35] Each of them had a different zombie virus, and the only way to decipher his home realities' virus was to compare it with other zombie viruses.[36] Morbius took some equipment from A.R.M.O.R and sent Howard the Duck and Machine Man to the alternate realities to bring him a sample of each virus. Some time later, the director of A.R.M.O.R Charles Little Sky discovered Morbius' plans and the missing A.R.M.O.R tech and put him under arrest.[37]


Later, he secretly joined Horizon Labs with the help of his friend Max Modell (who was in charge of the lab). He took the identity of Number Six and, in a hazmat suit to protect his true identity, assisted Mr. Fantastic in preparing the cure to the spider-powers virus.[38] When Peter Parker tried to investigate the identity of "Number Six," he accidentally provoked Morbius, who had been using the cure to try to develop a basis for a cure for his own condition, into a frenzy. Morbius was driven to leave when it was revealed that he had been working with the The Lizard. He had been trying to find a cure for both of their conditions.[39] He used DNA samples from the corpse of Doc Connors' son (Billy) to create a cure that would restore the Lizard to human form, but he failed to recognize that the Lizard had fully destroyed Doc Connors' human persona.[40] They left the Lizard alone in Morbius' lab, allowing the Lizard to release blood into the laboratory's air vents to provoke the injured Morbius into attacking the other scientists. Morbius fleed the laboratory with Spider-Man following.[41] Morbius was captured by Spider-Man and locked up in a cell in the Raft.[42][43]

Death of Spider-Man

When Peter Parker mind was transferred into Doctor Octopus' dying body, he organized a group of prisoners at the Raft to capture Spider-Man (who now contained Doc Ock's mind). During the break out, Morbius offered his help but was refused; he chose to work with the Lizard instead.[44] The cells turned off and Morbius escaped from the Raft.[45]


Morbius lived on a crime filled street in Brownsville where he meet a street thug named Noah St. Germain. The two ended up having a fight in the subway, which left Morbius mortally wounded with a gunshot wound in the chest (even after saving St. Germain's life from an oncoming train). Morbius killed Noah and his gang. After killing the Godfather of Brownsville, and incited a gang war against The Rose. After the Battle of Brownsville, he escaped to Manhattan, to Horizon Labs, to finally cure his vampirism. Morbius worked with the new superior Spider-Man. Morbius found out The Rose had an Ultimate Nullifier in Brownsville and teamed up with the Legion of Monsters. Morbius killed the Rose.[46]


  • Pseudo-Vampirism: Morbius has been transformed into a being similar to a vampire and, as a result, possesses a number of superhuman abilities similar to those possessed by true vampires. Morbius is not a true vampire as the source of his transformation is scientific, not mystical.[4] However, mystical elements have occasionally been introduced into his system, complicating the issue.[47]
    • Superhuman Strength: Morbius possesses super-human strength (the extent of which depends on the amount of blood he has ingested and the type of blood). At his peak, Morbius possesses sufficient superhuman strength to lift approximately 1,500 lbs.[48]
    • Superhuman Speed: Morbius can run and move at speeds that are beyond the natural physical limits of the finest human athlete.[49]
    • Superhuman Stamina: Morbius' enhanced musculature produces less fatigue toxins during physical activity than the musculature of a normal human. He can physically exert himself at peak capacity for several hours before the build up of fatigue toxins in his blood begins to impair him.[49]
    • Superhuman Agility: Morbius' agility, balance, and bodily coordination are enhanced to levels that are beyond the natural physical limits of the finest human athlete.[49]
    • Superhuman Reflexes: Morbius' reflexes are similarly enhanced and are superior to those of the finest human athlete.[49]
    • Superhuman Acute Senses: Morbius' senses of sight and smell are enhanced to levels well beyond that of normal humans. Morbius is able to detect objects with perfect clarity at much greater distances than a normal human. He retains this clarity, even in near-total darkness. He is also able to see into the infra-red end of the electromagnetic spectrum, allowing him to see individuals at night by their body heat. His sense of smell is similarly enhanced, able to detect the scent of blood in the air from miles away.[50]
    • Regenerative Healing Factor: Like true vampires, Morbius possesses an accelerated healing factor that enables him to rapidly regenerate damaged bodily tissues much faster and more extensively than a normal human. Injuries such as gunshots, slashes, and severe burns heal within hours or minutes, depending upon their severity. Though highly developed, Morbius' healing powers aren't sufficient to regenerate missing limbs or organs.[47]
    • Fangs & Claws: Like supernatural vampires, Morbius possesses elongated canines that he uses to pierce the flesh of other beings for the purpose of consuming their blood. Morbius can also, however, use his fangs as weapons in very close combat situations. He also possesses a single retractable claw at the tip of each finger. The claws are very sharp, capable of rending human flesh and bone with ease.[4]
    • Psionic Gliding: Through mental concentration, Morbius is able to glide through the air over short distances. However, Morbius can only glide at speeds of about 35 miles an hour.[48]
    • Mesmerism: After absorbing elements of the Lilin into his bloodstream, Morbius gained the ability to hypnotize others if they look directly into his eyes long enough. While under his control, Morbius typically has full control over an individual. If an individual has sufficient willpower, they can resist or overcome this power.[51]
    • Vampire Creation: Like true vampires, Morbius is able to transform individuals into pseudo-vampires like himself by draining them of all their blood. Morbius has control over the pseudo-vampires he creates, just as supernatural vampires have mental control over the vampires they create. The vampires that Morbius creates possess superhuman strength but do not possess accelerated healing factors. Upon receiving lethal injuries, their bodies turn to dust.[52]
    • Immunity To Most Vampire Vulnerabilities: As Morbius isn't a supernatural vampire, he is immune to all of the special mystical vulnerabilities that they have. He is unaffected if confronted with religious icons like crucifixes and will not incinerate if exposed to direct sunlight. Morbius does tend to rest during the hours of the day, but does not have any of the consequences of vampirism that supernatural vampires face during the daylight hours. Morbius also has no special vulnerability to objects or weapons composed of silver, or wooden stakes driven through his heart.[48]


  • Genius Intelligence: Morbius is brilliant scientist specializing in biochemistry. He is also able to put his hand to various other scientific disciplines,[53] having won the Nobel Prize for biochemistry.[14]
  • While he has had no formal training, Morbius' powers make him a formidable combatant against most individuals.[54]


  • The one true weakness Morbius has that supernatural vampires possess is that he must ingest fresh blood several times a week in order to maintain his physical and mental vitality. The longer he goes without blood, the weaker he becomes and the more likely he is to lose control.
  • While he can't be killed by sunlight, his eyes and skin are sensitive to exposure to sunlight.[4]

  • Morbius was one of the characters featured in the series of Marvel Value Stamps issued in the 1970's.
Morbius Marvel Value Stamp

Marvel Value Stamp #75

Discover and Discuss


  1. Morbius: The Living Vampire #4
  2. Marvel Zombies 4 #4
  3. 3.0 3.1 Amazing Spider-Man #102
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Amazing Spider-Man #101
  5. Marvel Team-Up #3
  6. Marvel Team-Up #4
  7. Marvel Treasury Edition #18
  8. Vampire Tales #1-8
  9. Fear #20
  10. Fear #21
  11. Fear #22
  12. Fear #23
  13. Fear #24
  14. 14.0 14.1 Fear #25
  15. Fear #26
  16. Fear #27
  17. Fear #28-29
  18. Fear #30-31
  19. Marvel Premiere #28
  20. Marvel Preview #8
  21. Marvel Two-In-One #15
  22. Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #6
  23. Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #7
  24. Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #8
  25. Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #38
  26. Spider-Man #79
  27. Spider-Man #80
  28. Peter Parker: Spider-Man Vol 2 #4
  29. Civil War Battle Damage Report #1
  30. Marvel Zombies 3 #1
  31. Marvel Zombies 3 #3
  32. Marvel Zombies 3 #4
  33. Marvel Zombies 4 #1-4
  34. Franken-Castle #21
  35. Marvel Zombies 5 #1
  36. Marvel Zombies 5 #2
  37. Marvel Zombies 5 #5
  38. Amazing Spider-Man #671
  39. Amazing Spider-Man #679.1
  40. Amazing Spider-Man #688
  41. Amazing Spider-Man #689
  42. Amazing Spider-Man #690-691
  43. Amazing Spider-Man #698
  44. Amazing Spider-Man #699
  45. Amazing Spider-Man #699.1
  46. Morbius: The Living Vampire Vol 2 #1-9
  47. 47.0 47.1 Morbius: The Living Vampire #1
  48. 48.0 48.1 48.2 Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Vol 2 #9
  49. 49.0 49.1 49.2 49.3 Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Master Edition #36
  50. Amazing Spider-Man #380
  51. Morbius: The Living Vampire #1-3
  52. Amazing Fantasy Vol 2 #17
  53. Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z #7
  54. Maximum Carnage crossover.
  55. Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z hardcover Vol. 7

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