M O R B I U SMichael Morbuius ♦ Forensic Consultant♦ Brownsville, Brooklyn ♦C H A R A C T E R C O N C E P T:"I was a man who sought to cure death. Now I am something far worse."
Morbius exists in a unique space between hero, antihero, and outright horror and as a result rubs a lot of heroes the wrong way, especially those he has come into contact with early into his afflication like Blade or Spider-Man. He is trying to prove himself as a changed man, but altering this image is proving far harder than he wishes.C H A R A C T E R M O T I V A T I O N S & G O A L S:
I believe that Morbius is a very underrated character within Marvel and there are many stories that can be told from the perspective of a cursed man trying to do good while battling with an afflication that forces him to do bad to survive. I'd love to explore stories surrounding him being involved in the wider hero community and turning their opinion around on him from believing he is a villanous monster into seeing him as a tragic figure who is trying, despite everything, to fight for the right cause.
A throughline of his story would be his desire to cure himself of his Vampyrism. While he fights for good with the power he now has, he'd much prefer to revert back to how he was before. I'm especially interested in exploring his approach to crime fighting in relation to other heroes. He fights in part to sustain himself with blood, and his methods may be darker than most would be comfortable with. His battles may be in part against mobsters, traffickers, and the like, but he could also have an angle to fight monsters lurking in the city's darkest corners. He doesn't have the luxury of being seen as a hero, and I want to play with the tension of whether New York will ever accept him or if he'll even let himself be accepted.C H A R A C T E R N O T E S:
Abilities
- Pseudovampirism – Morbius is a living vampire, possessing enhanced strength, speed, reflexes, and healing. However, he is not undead and posseses few of the weaknesses a regular vampire has.
- Blood Dependency – He must consume blood to survive. Animal blood sustains him, but human blood is far more potent. The longer he starves, the less control he has.
- Echolocation & Night Vision – His senses are adapted for hunting in darkness. He can "see" heartbeats, track movement, and detect fear.
- Psionic Gliding - Morbius lacks true flight but through a combination of his hollow bones and mental powers he is able to glide for long distances.
- Hypnotic Influence – Not true mind control, but he can hypontise those who look directly into his eyes for long enough. He can strongly input suggestion into their heads and the victim is likely to follow their command dependant on how strong their willpower is.
Skills
- Genius Intellect - Previous to becoming the living vampire, Michael Morbius was a brilliant Nobel-Prize winning scientist with a speciality in biochemistry and more specifically hematology.
- Hand-To-Hand Combat - Though not a trained martial artist, Morbius is a ferocious and instinctual fighter, using his inhuman agility, strength, and claws to overwhelm opponents. When in control, he fights tactically, using his environment and speed to his advantage. When starving or enraged, he becomes far more unpredictable, relying on raw power and brutal attacks.
Enemies
- The Rose (Richard Fisk)
- Basilisk (Wayne Gifford)
- Hunger (Loxias Crown)
- Doctor Paine
- Kingpin (Wilson Fisk)
Allies
- Dr. Jacob Weisenthal – One of the few people Morbius truly trusts, Dr. Weisenthal is a fellow scientist who has dedicated himself to finding a cure for Morbius' condition. He serves as a confidant and occasional benefactor, providing Morbius with medical assistance, research, and a rare sense of human connection. Without Weisenthal's help, Morbius would have little hope of ever reversing his affliction.
- Martine Bancroft - Morbius' former fiancee and one of the most tragic figures in his life. Once deeply in love, Martine stood by him even after his transformation, desperately searching for a cure alongside him. However, their relationship became strained as Morbius' condition worsened, and was ultimately nullified the night he became the living vampire and fed on her. She is unaware if he is alive or dead at the moment, but still searches for any trace of him.
- Blade – The Daywalker has hunted Morbius more than once, viewing him as another creature of the night to be put down. But over time, their relationship has grown more complex. While Blade still doesn't fully trust him, the two have fought side by side against greater supernatural threats.
- Spider-Man – Peter Parker has often found himself at odds with Morbius, viewing him as a tragic yet dangerous figure. They have clashed repeatedly, but Spider-Man has also tried to help him, believing there is still good in him. Morbius, in turn, sees Spider-Man as a persistent obstacle but, deep down, acknowledges that Peter’s unwavering morality is something he envies.
S A M P L E P O S T:The hunger called to him like instinct. It felt like more than an urge, more than the feeling an alcoholic gets at seeing an open bottle, this felt like second nature. Like his body was screaming at him for blood. And yet he resisted, despite everything telling him otherwise he resisted.
Morbius perched on the rooftop of a tenement building, staring down at the alley below. His claws dug into the crumbling brickwork, body tense, motionless, like a stone gargoyle watching over the worst part of town. He didn't need his echolocation to hear the struggle unfolding beneath him. The stench of sweat, fear, and fresh blood already told him everything.
A woman in the alley below, late twenties, cornered with her pulse racing. Her breath came in ragged gasps, her wide eyes darting for any escape, but the walls of the alley seemed to only close in around her. She clutched her handbag to her chest, her knuckles turning white. The copper scent of fresh blood reached Morbius' nostrils. She had been cut, not deeply, but enough to panic her, enough to fill the air with the sweet, sickening perfume that made his fangs ache.
Morbius leapt down from the rooftop behind her assailant in a soundless blur. His feet making no noise as he gently landed behind the hooded figure holding the switchblade, stretching out behind him almost entirely in black like a shadow. He glided over to the mugger, practically already tasting the sweet nectar of his blood as his fangs grew and his claw outstretched. The woman's eyes caught Morbius' own crimson pair, burning with desire. The woman gasped, she would have screamed had her breath not caught in her throat at the sight of the man.
The mugger quickly spun, and for a moment he froze, the weight of the inhuman visage before him rooting him to the ground. Then, instinct took over. He slashed out with the knife in a desperate attempt to kill the monster before him.
Morbius caught his wrist mid swing. His grip was like a vice as he raised his arm, pulling the mugger off the ground, dangling within his grasp. Panic surged through the criminal, his eyes glancing left and right as he squeeked out a desperate request.
"L-let me go, man!"
Morbius glanced up, using his other hand to quickly pull back the hood to reveal the muggers youthful appearance. He was just a kid. He could feel a wave of disappointment crash through him. This was par for the course in Brownsville, kids turning to crime and becoming adults in jail. He let out a sigh before letting him drop to the floor.
"Run."
The boy hesitated for only a second before scrambling out of there, dropping the knife as he stumbled backward. His sneakers scraped against the pavement as he bolted into the night, his panicked footfalls echoing down the alley.
The woman remained, still trembling, still clutching her bag. She had every right to run, to scream, to assume he was worse than the mugger who had just fled. Instead, she stared at him, a mixture of confusion and fear staining her face as she glanced to and from his pale, gaunt face.
Morbius turned away, stepping back into the shadows as his form melted into the darkness. The night would claim him once more.
The hunger was still there, clawing at his insides. But for tonight, at least, he had chosen not to feed.
Morbius is APPROVED
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