Line #29 ComicBook/Morbius


1	[[quoteright:350: https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/07ba8952_2887_4aad_ac8f_9f86a5a6bfb0.jpeg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:''"I am not a vampire. I am not a super villain. I am not a super hero."'']]
3
4	''Morbius the Living Vampire'' is a series of comics by Creator/MarvelComics starring the character of the same name.
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6	Created by Creator/RoyThomas and Gil Kane, Morbius has fought ComicBook/SpiderMan ever since his first appearance in ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #101 (October 1971), occasionally working together or fighting against several other [[Creator/MarvelComics Marvel]] characters, perhaps most often with ComicBook/{{Blade}}. He was also seen as a character in ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManTheAnimatedSeries''.
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8	Dr. Michael Morbius, also known as "The Living Vampire", was a Nobel Prize-winning scientist suffering from a fatal blood disease. In the hopes of curing this illness, he treated himself with fluids distilled from vampire bats and, as a last resort, tried shock-treatment as a way to electrically create blood cells. This "cured" him by transforming him into a vampiric-human mutate who lusts for blood as a way to counter the disease. He also gained several other vampiric attributes, such as white skin, fangs, [[WeakenedByTheLight an allergy to sunlight]] (since he isn't undead, sunlight won't kill him outright, but his lack of melanin leads to quick burns), SuperStrength, a HealingFactor, and hollow bones that give him the ability of flight. Later he gains more supernatural abilities, such as hypnosis.
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10	Because of his need to drink blood from living victims (stored blood contains too many anticoagulants for his body to handle, or the need to kill stays even after the physical need is satisfied), Morbius wallows in guilt and tries to find both an alternative substance to blood and a way to cure himself -- without much success. At best he has been able to change back into a human for short periods of time, but either soon reverts back or retains the need to drink blood.
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12	Despite all this, he's generally willing to help or at least unwilling to harm people he sees as innocent or has a closer relationship with, and he has consistently tried his best to only target violent or incorrigible criminals. He also regularly uses his skill and knowledge as a scientist to give back to the community to the best of his ability.
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14	He had a new series in January 2013 as part of Comicbook/MarvelNOW that lasted nine issues. A new series, written by Vita Ayala and penciled by Marcelo Ferreira, debuted in 2019.
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16	In 2018, it was announced that Creator/{{Sony}} was developing a [[Film/Morbius2022 film]] centering on the character for their [[Film/SonysSpiderManUniverse shared film universe]], with Creator/JaredLeto in the title role. It was released April 1, 2022.
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18	!!''Morbius: The Living Vampire'' has appeared in:
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20	[[AC:Comics]]
21	* ''Adventure into Fear'' #20-31 (1974-1975)
22	* ''Vampire Tales'' #1-11 (1973-1975)
23	* ''Morbius: The Living Vampire'' #1-32 (1992-1995)
24	* ''Legion of Monsters: Morbius'' #1 (2007)
25	* ''Morbius: The Living Vampire'' #1-9 (2013)
26	* ''Morbius: The Living Vampire'' #1-5 (2019-2020)
27	* ''Morbius: Bond of Blood'' #1 (2021)
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29	[[AC:Live-Action Films]]
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31	* ''Film/{{Morbius\|2022}}''
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33	[[AC:Video Games]]
34	* ''VideoGame/SpiderManAndVenomMaximumCarnage''
35	* ''VideoGame/SpiderMan3''
36	* ''VideoGame/SuperHeroSquadOnline''
37	* ''VideoGame/MarvelAvengersAlliance''
38	* ''VideoGame/TheAmazingSpiderMan''
39	* ''VideoGame/SpiderManUnlimited''
40	* ''VideoGame/LEGOMarvelSuperHeroes2''
41	* ''VideoGame/MarvelUltimateAlliance3TheBlackOrder''
42	* ''VideoGame/MidnightSuns''
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44	[[AC:Western Animation]]
45	* ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManTheAnimatedSeries''
46	* ''WesternAnimation/UltimateSpiderMan2012''
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48	----
49	!!''Morbius: The Living Vampire'' provides examples of:
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51	[[foldercontrol]]
52
53	[[folder:Vol 1]]
54	* CreativeDifferences: When ComicBook/{{Morbius}} [[OurVampiresAreDifferent the Living Vampire]]'s first solo series started in the early 1990s, it was helmed by writer Len Kaminski and penciler Ron Wagner. Wagner, however, felt that Kaminski's stories were too character-driven, and according to Kaminski complained about this to [[Creator/MarvelComics Marvel's]] editorial staff as well as leaving "snide margin notes in which he made his personal opinion of my plots clear". Moreover, Wagner ignored Kaminski's attempts to get in touch with him so that they could discuss how the comic should be done. After nine issues of this, Kaminski had had enough and quit.
55	* DeathOfPersonality: This is the path ComicBook/{{Morbius}} is on after a cure goes wrong and he becomes more and more [[BatPeople bat-like]], fearing soon there will be nothing left of him except a raging beast with no trace of his human personality.
56	* DontLookAtMe: In ''ComicBook/{{Morbius}}'' #1, Michael says this while trying to hide his face when he is confronted by his ex-fiancée Martine.
57	* PayEvilUntoEvil: In the NinetiesAntiHero version, ComicBook/{{Morbius}} the Living Vampire uses this as a solution to slake his bloodthirst, figuring that if he needs to kill, he'll kill serious criminals.
58	* PainfulTransformation: In his first solo series, Morbius is able to turn back into a human for short amounts of time thanks to a serum derived from ComicBook/SpiderMan's blood. The change from vampire to human and back is excruciatingly painful and involves lots of screaming.
59	* RageAgainstTheReflection: In ''ComicBook/{{Morbius}}'''s '90s solo series, Michael uses Spider-Man's blood to develop a serum that changes him back into a human. While out on the street, he is attacked and beaten by a gang. Crawling out of the gutter where they left him lying, he makes his way across the sidewalk to look into a shop window and sees he has reverted to his vampire self. He runs off after punching a hole in the shop window.
60	* SpikedBlood: In his first solo series, ComicBook/{{Morbius}} feeds off a man who just used drugs and ends up tripping balls. Time slows, he can't think straight, then he gets shot in the leg and is distracted by [[MushroomSamba how beautiful the blood seeping from the wound looks]].
61	[[/folder]]
62
63	[[folder:Vol 2]]
64	* BadassLongcoat: In his second solo series, ComicBook/{{Morbius}} [[OurVampiresAreDifferent the Living Vampire]] "borrows" one from a man on the subway during his fight with Noah, and is seen wearing it later on.
65	* BloodFromTheMouth: Inverted in ''ComicBook/{{Morbius}}'' v2 #2. Morbius coughs up blood just as the wound from a shotgun blast to the chest heals and gets back up.
66	* DelinquentHair: Noah St. Germain, the guy at the top of the criminal world in Brownsville as seen in ''ComicBook/{{Morbius}}'' vol. 2, has a blue mohawk. [[spoiler:This is an invoked trope; he used to look average but his criminal mastermind employers made him change his appearance, presumably to make him appear more intimidating.]]
67	* IHaveYourWife: In ComicBook/{{Morbius}}' Marvel NOW! series, [[TheDragon the Rose]] tells Morbius he has his mother, who is alive "but I wouldn't say well" and is bound to get a lot worse. The Rose gives Morbius his mother's wedding ring as a reminder that he works for him now. [[spoiler:Subverted when Morbius reveals his mother died years ago; he was even at her side when she passed away. The Rose's employer, who provided the ring, ''knows'' Morbius would know the threat was empty -- so it was the Rose who was being conned.]]
68	* InsistentAppellation: Throughout ComicBook/{{Morbius}}' second solo series, Becky keeps calling Morbius "Mike" despite him telling her several times that he prefers his full first name, Michael.
69	* VillainousGentrification: Most of ComicBook/{{Morbius}}'s second solo series deals with the gentrification of Brownsville, New York.
70	[[/folder]]
71
72	[[folder:Vol 3]]
73	* BatOutOfHell: In his third solo series, ComicBook/{{Morbius}} starts turning more and more into a bat after an attempt to cure himself of [[ArtificialHybrid his]] [[OurVampiresAreDifferent affliction]] goes wrong. He's also seen in a monstrous bat form in various other universes: in an ''ComicBook/{{Exiles}}'' story arc (transformed when a sorcerer used magic to bring out the worst in him); in ''Spider-Man Heroes and Villains Collection'' published by Eaglemoss; in ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManTheAnimatedSeries''; and in the ''[[WesternAnimation/UltimateSpiderMan2012 Ultimate Spider-Man]]'' cartoon.
74	* BatPeople: ComicBook/{{Morbius}} is an AntiHero who became a [[OurVampiresAreDifferent genetically modified vampire]], with bat genes and an [[LooksLikeOrlok Orlok-like appearance]]. However, in his third solo series and some alternate universes -- such as in an ''ComicBook/{{Exiles}}'' story arc and in [[WesternAnimation/SpiderManTheAnimatedSeries animated]] [[WesternAnimation/UltimateSpiderMan2012 series]] -- he was transformed into a half-man, half-bat monster, looking more like an anthropomorphic bat with wings.
75	* BeastMan: In ''ComicBook/{{Morbius}}'' (2019) the Melter turns his henchmen into various beast people (bird, rat, cockroach, rabbit, grasshopper, etc.) against their will to pressure them into doing his bidding.
76	* GrowingWings: ''ComicBook/{{Morbius}}'': In his third solo series, Morbius grows bat wings after an attempt to cure himself of his [[ArtificialHybrid scientific]] [[OurVampiresAreDifferent vampirism]] goes wrong and the bat [=DNA=] starts taking over the human [=DNA=]. They grow larger as he becomes [[BatPeople less human]].
77	* KidSidekick: Also played with in ComicBook/{{Morbius}}' Marvel NOW! series with the teenager Becky, who keeps saying she's his sidekick but Morbius insists she's not.
78	* MagicPants: Double subverted in ComicBook/{{Morbius}}' third solo series. A combination of [[TransformationHorror turning into]] a [[BatPeople bat monster]] and being physically attacked causes most of his [[SuperheroesWearTights one-piece suit]] to be destroyed, except for the lower half, essentially turning the suit into PaintedOnPants. Later it seems he has lost that part too and is walking around naked... but it turns out to be a [[InconsistentColoring coloring error]], and some panels later his pants have reappeared.
79	* TheMindIsAPlaythingOfTheBody: In his third solo series, he messes up a cure and becomes more and more [[BatPeople bat-like]]. He begs ComicBook/SpiderMan for help because he fears soon there will be [[DeathOfPersonality nothing left of him]] except a raging beast.
80	* NotQuiteBackToNormal: In his third solo series, ComicBook/{{Morbius}} turns into a [[BatOutOfHell monstrous]] [[BatPeople bat form]] after a cure goes wrong. Eventually he manages to turn himself back into a "normal" [[OurVampiresAreDifferent living vampire]], but retains the bat wings he grew.
81	* PainfulTransformation: In his third solo series, an attempt to cure himself of his vampirism goes wrong and he starts turning into a [[BatOutOfHell monstrous bat]]. The change can be slowed or partially reversed by ingesting blood, leading to a lot of painful changing back and forth.
82	* VillainousGentrification: In his third solo series, it's revealed he eventually took to causing the developers over a billion dollars in damages, halting the construction and allowing the original residents to move back.
83	[[/folder]]

Context ComicBook / Morbius