HERO WORSHIP: MORBIUS THE LIVING VAMPIRE

Hero: Michael Morbius

Ranking: 7 out of 10

Breakdown: Dr. Michael Morbius was a noble prize winning hematologist. All his life he had suffered from a rare blood disease that would eventually prove lethal. This disease shaped his young life, limiting the kind of roughhousing he could do as child. This disease was the reason he became a blood specialist. This disease ruled his life. Blood was his whole life.

Throughout his studies eventually he came across a cure. An enzyme contained within the blood of vampire bats proved immune to the disease. He cultured the vampire bat blood distilling it into a vaccine. His partner and friend urged him to do further tests but after 30 years of battling this disease his patience was at it's end. He injected himself and the vaccine worked! But there were unforeseen side effects. His body transformed. His skin became sensitive to light. His thirst became insatiable. And his canine teeth grew longer.

Instead of dying of blood he now needed blood to survive. Morbius became a vampire in every definition of the word. Except he was alive not undead. A vampire borne of science not mysticism. He became MORBIUS THE LIVING VAMPIRE!

The Review: Morbius 1st appeared in October 1971 in Amazing Spider-Man #101. He was introduced as a villain but presented more as a tortured human being in search of cure who would go to great lengths to achieve his goal. He became a popular character quickly, guest starring in many other books, typically facing off against Spider-Man and agonizing over the monster he had become. Soon Morbius starred in his own book called VAMPIRE TALES, an oversized magazine for adult readers. Morbius became the new anti-hero of Marvel.

He appeared off and on again with Spider-Man and other heroes until returning in the early 1990's alongside Ghost Rider, Blade, and Dr. Strange as a cosmically selected member of the Midnight Sons, heroes of the supernatural. It was here that I was introduced to him and it was here that I quickly grew to becoming a lifelong fan. His 1990's comic book rocks! It represents the height of his popularity and the era in which he shined the most.

Sadly, it wasn't to last. Lesser writers have taken him to inferior places. Lesser artists have reduced his terrifying persona to a laughable image. He had a brief moment where I thought he'd come back but again it was short lived. Marvel Zombies 3 and Marvel Zombies 4 are the last books in which Morbius retained a little of what made him so great. Thank you Fred Van Lente. Rick Remender and Joe Keatinge... you guys suck at writing Morbius.

The best stories for Morbius are:

Vampire Tales Vol. 1-3
Adventures Into Fear #20-31
Doctor Strange: The Vampiric Verses
Rise Of The Midnight Sons
Morbius The Living Vampire #1-31
Spider-Man: Maximum Carnage
The Midnight Massacre
Siege Of Darkness
Marvel Zombies 3
Marvel Zombies 4

Stick to the 1970's stuff and 1990's stuff for the cream of the crop.

Stuff to stay away from, these stories blow:
Franken-Castle by Rick Remender
Legion of Monsters by Dennis Hopeless
Morbius: The Living Vampire: The Man Called Morbius (Marvel Now) by Joe Keatinge

Once again, a great character during the 1970's and 1990's. Not so much nowadays. Still worth it.