Michael Morbius is a doctor, and the director of Horizon Labs. Morbius suffers from a rare blood disease. At the age of ten he met Lucien; a child with the same disease, whom he nicknamed "Milo". Emil Nicholas; the doctor who was treating Morbius' condition, was amazed by his genius, and offered to send Michael to a school for gifted children in New York City. 25 years later, Morbius enlisted the help of Martine Bancroft with his research at Horizon Labs; in an attempt to cure his rare blood disease, the experimental treatment accidentally transformed Morbius into a Living Vampire.
Michael Morbius was born in 1984 and became orphaned at an unknown point in his youth. At some point during his childhood, Morbius was sent to a private hospital in Greece, where he found out he had something missing from his blood, hence realizing he had a rare blood disorder. At some point, in the hospital, Morbius got acquainted with the director, doctor Emil Nicholas. But Morbius would often get bullied for his condition by people who went to the school near the hospital. While there, Morbius also got acquainted to various people who sat next to him, each whom he called "Milo", but they always got replaced.[1]
"Hello, Milo." "My name's Lucien. The person who was here before was Milo." "No. He was also the new Milo. And before him was the other new Milo. I don’t even remember the first Milo."
At age of 10, Michael decided to play chess with himself, but suddenly noticed by the window a boy walk towards the hospital. Nicholas introduced him to Morbius and stated his name was Lucien. Morbius then quickly got acquainted to Lucien and called him Milo instead. However, Lucien got confused and stated that Milo was the person before him. Morbius then told him that everybody who sat next to him was called Milo. Once the new "Milo" asked how long he had been there, Morbius mentioned for as long as he could remember and mentioned that they suffered from a blood disorder, and there were certain ways they had to survive.
One day, Milo got upset looking at some people outside laughing at them, and Morbius reminded them that they were the ones against the many. This caused Milo to smile. However, Milo fell unconscious. After calling for a nurse, Morbius used a pen to unscrew Milo's blood pump and fixed it using a spring. This saved Milo's life, and Morbius was taken to Nicholas' office. He mentioned he had a gift and invited him to study in New York City. When Morbius asked about Milo, Nicholas mentioned he would take care of him. Morbius then wrote a goodbye letter to Milo, promising he would fix their disorder.[1]
Searching for a Cure[]
Starting Horizon Labs[]
At age of 19, Michael completed his doctorate and quickly established himself as the world's leading authority on blood-borne diseases. He started Horizon Labs and developed artificial blood, known for saving more lives than penicillin.[1]
Nobel Prize Ceremony[]
Michael receives the Nobel Prize
In 2019, Morbius was presented with the Nobel prize for his work in developing artificial blood; despite the achievement, Morbius refused to accept the award. After the award ceremony, Morbius returned to Horizon Labs in order to continue treatment of his patients, as well as the illegal experiments he was conducting to cure his disease.
At Horizon Labs, Martine confronted Michael over his actions during the Nobel Prize Ceremony, as well as the illegal experimentation he was conducting with bats. Michael explained the reason for his experiments; believing it to be necessary in order for science to progress. When one of his experiments appeared to be a success, Michael visited his best friend, who would take care of funding for his illegal expedition to Costa Rica. Milo was supportive and they assembled a group of mercenaries, as well got the ship titled "LCV Murnau" and a helicopter for the trip.[1]
Expedition to Costa Rica[]
Morbius gets Vampire Bats' attention
"It's impressive, don't you think? Vampire bats weigh almost nothing, but they can down a creature nearly ten times their size."
Michael successfully arrived at the destination, with one of the mercenaries asking him if he needs a doctor. Morbius replied that he is a doctor and hobbled next to the cave. He sliced his palm with a machete in order to get attention of the Vampire Bats and got several examples of the species for research purposes.[1]
On his way back home, Morbius began the human trials, finishing the last version of his serum. Upon its completion, Michael noted that the experiment was a success. With the help of his fiancée, the serum was injected into his body. One of the mercenaries was asked to check on Michael and visited the lab, where he asked Martine Bancroft about Morbius' whereabouts. They noticed that Michael has left the room and after rushing to the next cabin, Michael was seen hanging on the ceiling. Aghast Mr. Fox started shooting, and Michael, now as a Living Vampire, jumped on the mercenary and seemingly killed him, as Martine left the room.[1]
"Mayday, mayday, mayday. This is the LCV Murnau. Call letters 3-X5Y. We are 13 nautical miles off the coast of Long Island. Request immediate airlift. Repeat, this is the LCV Murnau. Mayday, mayday, mayday."
Michael kills and drains the crew of their blood after they attack him out of fear. Once his bloodlust subsides and he regains his senses, a horrified Michael erases all CCTV footage of his experiment before contacting the authorities and jumping overboard.[1]
Soon after, Milo had learned that Morbius is cured and became furious when Morbius refused to cure him as well. Bloodthirsty, Morbius was visited by Milo in his laboratory, where he received a blood bag in time with his friend demanding the cure. Morbius, back to normal, replied he simply cannot for Milo's own good. Since his warnings kept getting ignored, Morbius yelled at Milo to get out.
After the agents interviewed Bancroft, a nurse got her blood sucked, with Morbius seeing the aftermath of the incident the next day when visiting his patient Anna. He rusheed to exit the hospital, confronted by the agents. They were thwarted by Morbius' powers after trying to convict him, and he escaped to the roof of the building, halted by Stroud. He then was held prisoner at the Manhattan Detention Complex, where he wrote about his incoming limit to artificial blood.[1]
Escaping Prison[]
Morbius escapes from prison
In prison, Morbius was met by Milo posing as his lawyer, who promised to use his connections to have him freed. After Milo left without his cane, Morbius realized he had taken the cure and most likely killed the nurse, and escaped from prison to confront him, hearing him kill a man who mocked Morbius for his original disability.
Admitting he killed the nurse, but only due to the same bloodlust that caused Morbius to kill the ship's crew, Milo asked Morbius to join him in embracing their truer selves and live as vampires, before killing a group of police officers attempting to arrest Morbius and leaving.[1]
After Morbius told Bancroft about Milo's involvement and to distance herself from him, the FBI released footage of Milo's murdering. Viewing it on a news program, Nicholas met Milo in his apartment, pleading him to quit. Angered, also because of his assumption of Morbius being Nicholas' supposed "favorite", Milo wounded him and told him to call Morbius. As Morbius arrived to see his caretaker's death, Milo took Martine and forced her to call Morbius. Morbius rushed to her location, sharing a last kiss before feeding on her blood.
Confronting Milo, Morbius tackled him into the sewers, before summoning an army of thousands of bats from the sewers and setting them upon Milo, keeping him motionless long enough for Morbius to use his compound on him, ending his bloodlust and killing him. Milo then apologized to Morbius.[1]
"Thanks for meeting me, doc. I've been reading about you." "I'm listening." "I'm not sure how I got here. Has to do with Spider-Man, I think. I'm still figuring this place out, but I think a bunch of guys like us should team up. Could do some good." "Intriguing."
Vulture, who travelled from an alternate universe, tracked Morbius down and approached him in forming a team doing some good, thinking Spider-Man was responsible for his displacement. This intrigued Michael Morbius, who agreed to help him.[1]
Personality[]
"I know that all you've ever tried to do is help people."
Michael, since a young age, has been widely regarded as a genius; at the age of 10 he was able to determine the cause of a malfunctioning blood pump, and quickly fix it with the spring from a ballpoint pen. Michael was also able to achieve his doctorate by the age of 19, and has made advancements in medical treatment that have saved millions of lives. Morbius is driven by his pursuit to cure his blood disease; not just to save himself, but all who suffer like he and his best friend Milo. In this pursuit, Morbius became arrogant and reckless; performing illegal and dangerous experiments, with a callous disregard for medical ethics. Michael’s attempt at a cure would go horribly wrong; transforming him from Man to Monster. The initial transformation into a Living Vampire would cause Morbius to become consumed by his bloodlust; leading to the slaughter of a number of mercenaries. Despite being a doctor, Michael showed no remorse for his actions; however, when he believed he was responsible for the death of a nurse (an innocent life), Michael felt intense guilt for his supposed role in her death.----
"As a result of my procedure, I have an overpowering urge to consume... blood. Human blood. In certain respects, I have succeeded far beyond anything I could have imagined. For the first time in my entire life, I feel... good. Yesterday, I could barely walk. Today, I don't know what I'm capable of. For a period of time after ingestion, my numbers are off the charts. I have the constitution of an Olympic athlete. Increased strength and speed that can only be described as... superhuman. And all of this... on artificial blood. I've become something different. I feel a kinship with these creatures. They would tear anyone else apart, but they welcome me. Like a brother. I've even developed a form of echolocation. Bat radar, for the uninitiated."
In an attempt to cure his rare blood disorder, Michael Morbius accidentally transformed himself into a Living Vampire. As a living vampire Morbius possesses pseudo-supernatural and superhuman physical abilities; in addition to superhuman levels of strength and speed, Morbius claimed to have the constitution of an Olympic athlete. Morbius also lacks the weaknesses associated with mythological vampirism; such as an aversion to holy water or a sensitivity to sunlight. The transformation also affects Michael’s overall appearance; when using his abilities, Morbius develops bat-like features, possessing fangs and claws, a flattened nose and extremely grey and pale skin. His eyes will also change color depending on what ability he is using, from blood red, to white with black star-like shapes (this change only occurs when he is using his echolocation).
Transformation: Living Vampires possess the ability to shift their features to express bat-like traits. In this form, Morbius develops a flattened nose, extremely grey and pale skin, and his eyes will change color depending on what ability he is using; from blood red, to white with black star-like shapes. Michael also develops wickedly sharp fangs and claws, that can easily tear apart flesh.
Superhuman Strength:
Morbius breaks glass with ease
Morbius possesses considerably enhanced strength; he is numerous times stronger than any normal human, enabling him to overpower, lift, toss and kill fully-grown men with relative ease. Morbius is able to exert sufficient force to smash glass or break bones; the force of his strikes is capable of denting metal, cracking concrete walls, and knocking down steel doors. Morbius can also go toe-to-toe with superhuman beings; including other living vampires such as Milo.
Superhuman Durability: Morbius' body is much more resistant to conventional forms of physical injury than the body of a human being. Morbius has withstood the impact of falls from tremendous heights, shrugged off gunfire from multiple automatic weapons, endured slashes, high-velocity impact traumas, even the force of Milo’s attacks, without sustaining any significant or long-lasting injuries.
Superhuman Speed:
Morbius dodging bullets
Morbius possesses considerable superhuman speed; he is capable of moving at exceptionally high-speeds that enable him to quickly scale buildings, cross a room in the blink of an eye, and even dodge bullets. After escaping from prison, Morbius was able to quickly dash across several buildings in order to catch up to Milo, and during their fight, they were able to cover the distance from the train station entrance, down to one of the platforms in a matter of seconds. Whilst moving at superhuman speeds, Morbius generates an aura of energy currents and mist-like shapes that match the colors of the clothes he is wearing; this aura creates a trail, much like fire or wind.
Accelerated Perception: Morbius' speed allows him to process sensory information at such high speeds that time appears to slow down. Morbius is able to use this effect to observe what would normally move too fast, and respond accordingly; such as dodging incoming gunfire, or using air currents to fly in front of a train in order to prevent Milo from chasing him.
Superhuman Agility: Morbius possesses greater agility, dexterity, balance, and body coordination than that of a normal human being. Morbius can leap considerably higher and further than any human being, easily vault and roll over obstacles, land on his feet from tremendous heights, and even scale vertical and upside-down surfaces; enabling him to run across walls and scale the sides of buildings.
Superhuman Stamina: Morbius' advanced musculature is considerably more efficient than that of a normal human. As a result, his muscles produce virtually no fatigue toxins during physical activity; immediately after slaughtering the entire crew of the LCV Murnau, Morbius was able to swim 13 nautical miles back to shore. His endurance allows him to exercise his maximum capacity for an indefinite period of time without tiring at all; however, his health and vitality are affected by how regularly he ingests blood.
Superhuman Reflexes: Morbius possesses increased reaction times; he is able to react and dodge objects traveling at high speeds, enough to dodge bullets, even whilst free falling. Morbius is also able to match Milo in high-speed hand-to-hand combat during their fights, enabling him to dodge Milo’s feral attacks, as well as land his own blows.
Enhanced Senses: Morbius possesses senses of sight, hearing and smell that are superior to a normal human's. These enhanced senses enable Morbius to detect the faintest smell of blood, see and hear the blood pumping through someone’s veins, and even track his targets.
Echolocation:
Morbius using echolocation
Morbius is able to emit sound waves, and use the reflected echoes to locate and identify the objects within an environment. Similar to a bat, Morbius is able to use echolocation to isolate and track his prey, even in a large urban cityscape; he has utilised his echolocation in order to track down Milo, another Living Vampire, on several occasions.
Regenerative Healing Factor: The transition into a living vampire cured Morbius of his blood disorder, as well as modified his overall health, vitality and metabolism; enabling him to rapidly regenerate damaged bodily tissues with greater speed and efficiency than that of a normal human. Morbius was able to continue to function after receiving multiple gunshots, and quickly recovered from the injuries he received during his final conflict with Milo. Due to the nature of his abilities, Morbius’ health and vitality are affected by how regularly he ingests blood; going without blood will cause his blood disorder to return and his vitals to drop.
Gliding: Morbius is able to use air currents in order to hover above the ground at considerable speeds and simulate flight.
Vampirization: Morbius’ blood can be used to convert people into living Vampires; When Martine was dying, Morbius dripped his blood into her mouth; turning her into a Living Vampire and saving her life.
Bat Communication: Morbius described possessing a kinship with bats; this allows him to be in a confined space with bats without fear that they will attack him, as well as call upon an army of bats and order them to attack Milo.
Abilities[]
"It took a team of scientists to build that machine and you fixed it with a ballpoint pen? There's a school for gifted children in New York. I think that I could get them to agree to cover your tuition and provide private care to help manage your condition. Somewhere you could study, learn, hone your skills. You have a gift, Michael. I don’t think I could forgive myself if I saw it go to waste."
Genius-Level Intellect: Doctor Morbius is a brilliant man. As a child he showed a keen scientific mind; ant the age of 10 he attended a school for gifted children and completed his doctorate by 19. Morbius would also go on to establish himself as the world's leading authority on blood-borne diseases.
Master Scientist: Morbius is a tremendous scientist. As a child, he fixed Milo's malfunctioning blood transfusion machine with the spring from a ballpoint pen. His understanding of bats and genetic engineering allowed him to splice their genes into his DNA; in attempt to cure his degenerative blood disease. He later developed an antibody to inhibit Milo's ferritin and induce a massive iron overload to cause instant hemochromatosis.
Master Physician: Morbius is the world's leading expert on blood diseases. He is the director of the prestigious Horizon Labs and the inventor of artificial blood, which has saved more lives than penicillin. He was nominated to receive the Nobel Prize, although he declined the achievement.
Bilingualism: Morbius speaks fluent English as well as Russian.
"You know, eight dead mercs on a boat really doesn't ruffle our feathers. I'm pretty sure they were guilty of something and happy to have them off the water."
Skilled Combatant: Upon obtaining his powers, Morbius became a highly skilled combatant due to his superhuman physical prowess. He defeated and killed eight mercenaries on a cargo ship. He easily subdued Agents Stroud and Rodriguez, despite the former being an ex-soldier, and he ultimately defeated Milo in combat.
Weaknesses[]
"This is an antibody. It inhibits ferritin, induces a massive iron overload, instant hemochromatosis. Deadly to bats, fatal to humans."
Antibody: Morbius developed an antibody which is harmful to humans. This was made to kill Living Vampires, as he first used it on Milo during the fight.
Haematophagy: Morbius’ condition as a living Vampires requires him to regularly ingest blood in order to maintain his health and vitality. The longer Morbius goes without blood, the sicker and weaker he will become. This dependency on blood also manifests as a thirst for blood, being deprived of blood will also cause Morbius to act feral.
In the comics, Michael Morbius is a Nobel Prize-winning biochemist suffering from a blood disease, who became the anti-hero known as Morbius the Living Vampire, who originally fought Spider-Man as a villain before becoming an anti-hero instead.
