Marvel-Verse Morbius

 

Another library pickup - of course, I read the original Morbius stories in The Amazing Spider-Man #101 and 102 but think I missed the other tales that are compiled here from Marvel Two-In-One #15, Morbius Bond of Blood and Spider-Man Family #5.

Morbius' first appeared with Spider-Man, while Peter Parker was having problems of his own - an highly unlikely situation where a formula that Parker drank endowed him to 4 extra arms, making him even more spider-like! But Morbius, a scientist himself, turned himself into a "living vampire" by his own potion! Damn crazy scientists! Add the Lizard, whose alter Ego Dr. Connors turned himself into the rampaging reptile by HIS concoction, and you're got a wild ride! Artist Gil Kane does an especially good job with these characters, as well.

The Two-in-One with the Thing is not quite as successful, with the return of Giant-Man's (somewhat forgettable) nemesis, the Eraser, who shifts them to another dimension ("erasing" them), Dr. Strange gets involved when Morbius tries to use the black arts to help a terminal friend (definitely a better tale) and he makes a deal with, not the devil himself but pretty close, Mr. Hyde, who, of course, does not honor his side of the bargain, as Morbius tries to help another terminal friend.

A mixed bag, to be sure. Could have been better, I think, and there's a lot of potential for this character that hopefully they will tap into (if the character is even still "alive" in the Marvel Universe).