Jared Leto's portrayal of the Living Vampire in Morbius didn't have much of a bite when it hit theaters, with poor reviews coming in from fans and critics alike. Morbius is the latest entry in Sony's Spider-Man Universe, and he joins the already established Venom as well as the upcoming Kraven the Hunter in the live-action film continuity.
While Morbius might not have left the best impression on fans in the theaters, it's still possible that some movie-goers were still curious about Marvel's Living Vampire. Thankfully, there are still quite a few amazing comics featuring Morbius that fans can dig their teeth into instead of the disappointing live-action adaptation.
10 The Living Vampire Made His Debut As An Enemy Of Spider-Man In "A Monster Called Morbius"
Marvel introduced a few monstrous characters in the 70s after the Comics Code Authority relaxed some of the rules, including Dr. Michael Morbius. He first appeared in the pages of The Amazing Spider-Man #101 when he faced off with one of the worst versions of Spider-Man during the Six-Arms Saga.
The storyline explored Morbius' initial transformation into a living vampire as well as his first interactions with Marvel's costumed characters. The Amazing Spider-Man #699 later featured an updated look at Morbius' origin story as he reflected on his history for fans looking for a modern take on his debut.
9 Morbius Faced Off Against The Demon-Fire Cult To Help Amanda Saint In Vampire Tales
Following his debut, Morbius, the Living Vampire found himself involved with an evil organization known as the Demon-Fire Cult. The ritualistic group was originally organized by a mysterious leader named Mr. Kazarian, aka Apocalypse (Earth-616).
Morbius found himself targeted by the cult when he saved a woman named Amanda Saint. Morbius then traveled the world with her as she searched for her parents. Morbius' friendship with Amanda Saint and his battle with the Demon-Fire Cult were explored in Marvel's Vampire Tales magazine which also featured stories about other important Marvel vampires.
8 His Ongoing Battles With Reverend Daemond Were Explored In Marvel's Adventures Into Fear
Morbius soon became one of the leads of Marvel's Adventures Into Fear series, which saw him reconnect with his former fiance Martine Bancroft. The two began working for mystical aliens known as the Caretakers of Arcturus who opposed an ancient sorcerer named Reverend Daemond.
Most of Morbius' missions during this time saw him attempting to stop Reverend Daemond and his evil Cult of the New Order from unleashing supernatural forces on the world. Morbius' run in Adventures Into Fear introduced a few lasting characters like CIA agent Simon Stroud who also made an appearance in the live-action movie.
7 Morbius Worked With More Than One Version Of The Legion of Monsters Over The Years
1975's Marvel Premiere #28 brought together Marvel's scariest characters as the first Legion of Monsters, which saw Morbius team up with Ghost Rider, Man-Thing, and Werewolf by Night. The team was coincidentally gathered together to deal with the threat of the alien being known as Starseed.
The Legion of Monsters later reformed along with the Elsa Bloodstone, Living Mummy, and Manphibian in their own mini-series to become protectors of an underground city known as Monster Metropolis. The team briefly welcomed Frankencastle to the team during the Punisher's unique monster storyline before disbanding after Dracula attacks Monster Metropolis.
6 Morbius Joined Other Supernatural Heroes To Fight Evil During The Rise Of The Midnight Sons
While the Living Vampire usually lived a solitary life as he fought the never-ending bloodlust that consumed him, Morbius also found himself working alongside other supernatural heroes. The Rise of the Midnight Sons event launched Morbius' first ongoing series and saw him join a new team.
Heroes like Blade and his Nightstalkers joined Ghost Rider, Johnny Blaze, Daimon Hellstrom, Doctor Strange, and Morbius to take on threats like Lillith and the rise of the Darkhold. His solo series also further explored the characters from his past as he attempted to lead a more heroic life.
5 He Also Joined Alongside The Original Lethal Protectors During The Maximum Carnage Event
When Carnage gathered a team of villains and launched a massacre in Manhattan during the Maximum Carnage event, Morbius was one of the heroes who stepped up to help stop the murderous "family." He joined with other anti-heroes like Venom, Nightwatch, Cloak and Dagger, Spider-Man, and Black Cat. Iron Fist, Captain America, and Deathlok later joined as well.
His role with the team during the event was limited to only a few incursions with the villains, but he still appeared in a few of Maximum Carnage's most shocking moments. Morbius later rejoined with the Lethal Protectors during the Absolute Carnage event as they once again fought to keep the city safe from the symbiotic serial killer.
4 Morbius Formed His Own Squad Of Midnight Sons To Fight The Undead In Marvel Zombies 3 & 4
He began working with an organization known as A.R.M.O.R. (Altered-Reality Monitoring and Operational Response Agency) in Marvel Zombies 3. He was replaced during a mission by an undead alternate reality version of himself. While he eventually reclaimed his place and killed his variant, he found a new mission to protect his reality from the other-dimensional zombies.
Morbius formed his own squad called Midnight Sons in Marvel Zombies 4 which saw him allied with heroes like Werewolf by Night, Daimon Hellstrom, Jennifer Kale, and Man-Thing. They continued fighting against the threat of zombies which allowed Morbius to flex his scientific muscles as well as his vampiric abilities during some of the most horrific moments in Marvel Zombies.
3 He Attempted To Start A New Life As A Costumed Hero In 2013's "Midnight Son" Storyline
Following his escape from the superhuman prison known as the Raft, Morbius hoped to start a new life away from superheroes in the second volume of Morbius: The Living Vampire by Joe Keatinge and Richard Elson.
This took him to the town of Brownsville, where he adopted a new armored costume and tried to lead a new life as the town's only anti-hero. He got involved in a turf war with masked criminal The Rose and even teamed up with the Superior Spider-Man during the short but well-received comic series.
2 A Failed Attempt To Cure His Vampiric Curse Monstrously Transformed Morbius Even Further
Morbius grew tired of struggling against his bloodlust, so he attempted to create a new cure for his vampirism by stealing the necessary chemicals from other supervillains in his 2020 ongoing. While the cure initially seemed to begin reverting Morbius to his human form, it ultimately began to transform him into a more monstrous form.
His bloodlust was almost uncontrollable, though drinking the radioactive blood of Spider-Man helped him maintain control. While the series was ultimately canceled before reaching its conclusion, it was an interesting development for the character that attempted to set him on a new monstrous path. However, that path would have likely made him one of Blade's most powerful villains.
1 Morbius Attempted To Save The Life Of His First Victim's Son In The Bond of Blood One-Shot
Ralph Macchio and Tom Reilly united for the Morbius: Bond of Blood one-shot in 2021 that dived into a tragic moment from the Living Vampire's past. When he was first transformed, he accidentally killed his closest friend, Emil Nikos. This death haunted the character for years and was one of the worst things Morbius has done.
Bond of Blood saw Morbius confront his evil deeds by trying to save the life of his first victim's only son. He was dying from a similar rare blood disease that had afflicted Michael Morbius before his transformation into a Living Vampire. The one-shot dived into Morbius' history and explored his various attempts at heroism that almost always turned against him.