The Origins of Morbius

Morbius: Origins

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re talking about the origins of Morbius.

This time around, we’ll be looking at how and why a Nobel-prize winning scientist became known to superheroes and civilians as a living vampire.

Which of these Morbius facts surprised you the most? Let us know in the comments below.

When Michael Morbius was a child, his mother tried to keep him inside as much as possible. She was worried that any small accident could spell his end because of his rare blood condition. Although Morbius passed the time by reading and accumulating knowledge, he still longed to connect with others. Fortunately, he had a friend named Emil Nikos who came to understand his medical condition. The two grew up together and worked closely on experiments that might heal Morbius for good. After graduation, they successfully used vampire bat blood to make a major breakthrough that earned the duo a Nobel Prize. But Morbius didn’t have time to celebrate.

Unfortunately, the doctor’s condition was getting worse by the day. A desperate Morbius decided to push his experiments beyond anything he attempted before. He used his remaining funds to purchase a boat where he could conduct his research out of sight. The doctor then placed himself in a special machine while Emil watched over him. But during the experimental treatment, Morbius became a vampire-like creature. Unable to control his newfound bloodlust, he attacked and slayed his friend Emil in an instant. Morbius was instantly flooded with regret and horror at what he’d done. Since he no longer trusted himself and his fiancée Martine was onboard the boat, the doctor jumped overboard. His desperate dive into the ocean only led to more trouble.

After emerging from the sea, Morbius saw a different vessel. Although he tried to contain his new vampire instincts, he was eventually pushed over the edge and took the lives of more men. The conflicted Morbius quickly fled the scene of the crime and found himself on Long Island. After a quick rest, he stumbled across Spider-Man. During this fateful meeting, the webcrawler was trying to get rid of the extra arms he had sprouted. It’s a long story. In any case, Spidey was so distracted that Morbius easily caught the hero off guard. Their tense fight got even more complicated when Dr. Curt Connors arrived and transformed into the Lizard. When the melee concluded, the webhead realized he could get rid of his extra arms by using Michael’s blood. Spider-man’s best hope to heal was the living vampire.

Morbius and Peter had another intense clash above the streets of New York. In the end, the vampiric doctor fell into the ocean. Since the webhead thought his strange new foe was gone,he cured himself. But the vampiric Morbius later emerged from the water to continue searching for a solution to his condition. During his misadventures, he fully came to understand how many unique abilities he had. His strength was off the charts, he could glide through the air, heal quickly and do so much more. Morbius occasionally used these talents to help the supernatural team known as the Midnight Sons. But Morbius still found himself with a burning desire to feed on innocents. What made him stand out from a typical vampire is that he tried to suppress his urges. Unfortunately, whenever he came into contact with a villain or had a misunderstanding with a hero, his fangs were liable to come out.

While Morbius made his debut in a Spider-Man comic, he was popular enough to make appearances across a variety of stories and mediums. He even got his own self-titled book in 1992. Outside of comics, Morbius appeared in everything from video games to animated shows. He most notably got plenty of time to shine in “Spider-Man: The Animated Series.” The vampire doctor was also going to make an exciting live-action cameo in 1998’s “Blade”. Unfortunately, his scene didn’t make it into the theatrical cut of the film. After rumors of a “Morbius” film floated around for years, Jared Leto was officially cast to play the living vampire in a feature film.

The trailers have hinted that the writers will be remixing certain elements of the source material. While Morbius will still be a doctor hunting for a cure, the movie’s version of Emil appears to be closer to a father figure than a friend. We hope this change also means that the doctor won’t bite into his ally. Speaking of people who are close to Morbius, a version of his fiancée will be played by Adria Arjona. The most notable omission in the cast so far is Spider-Man. Although we get a brief glimpse of the wallcrawler in the trailer, there’s no solid proof that we’ll see the hero in full. However, if Michael Keaton is playing the same Vulture character he was in “Spider-Man: Homecoming”, then a Spider-man cameo is more likely.

Whether the webhead shows up or not, we’re looking forward to seeing the conflicted Morbius on the big screen. The character is constantly torn between a need to feed and desire not to hurt innocent people. His constant inner battle has made it hard to classify him as a noble hero or sinister villain. Fortunately, his stories are interesting no matter who’s side he’s on. The living vampire is ultimately an intriguing character that you wouldn’t want to hang around when he’s hungry.