Morlun
Encyclopedia
Morlun is a fictional
comic book
supervillain
in Marvel Comics
' shared universe
, the Marvel Universe
, and a foe of Spider-Man
. Morlun first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man vol. 2, #30 (June 2001), created by writer
J. Michael Straczynski
and penciler John Romita, Jr.
. He is best known as the killer of Spider-Man in the popular storyline, "Spider-Man: The Other
".
, Ezekiel explained to him that Spider-Man's powers were not an accident, and that the spider that had bit him did so voluntarily to pass its abilities onto Peter before it died. This made Spider-Man a "totem
," a bridge between man and beast, with the properties of both. Ezekiel then warned Spider-Man that as a totem, he was in danger from those who would seek to destroy such beings. One of those, who showed up soon after, was Morlun.
Little is known about exactly what Morlun is and where he comes from. According to Ezekiel, as long as totemistic forces have walked the earth, there have also been those who have fed on them. While Morlun and his brothers (it is not known how many there are in existence, but Morlun is not the only one) can subsist on the life forces of normal humans and non-totemistic superhumans for a time, they always crave a pure host and Peter fits the bill perfectly.
After Peter's meeting with Ezekiel, Morlun and his hapless minion Dex subtly began tormenting Peter from the shadows, stalking him and wreaking havoc with his spider-sense. Morlun finally revealed himself when Spider-Man was investigating a fire at the wharfs, punching him with what Spider-Man claimed was the hardest punch he had ever felt. Morlun then told Spider-Man that he would eventually kill him, and now that they had made physical contact, he could find Spider-Man wherever he went. Though Spider-Man fought back, Morlun continually regained the upper hand. Peter tried to flee, but Morlun was able to find him easily and resume the fight. Spider-Man finally got away after Morlun burned down the building they were fighting in, but Ezekiel told him it was no use. Morlun would find him once again, and kill him.
Morlun continually attacked Spider-Man over the next few days, endangering the lives of innocent citizens if Peter tried to flee. With Ezekiel's help, Peter managed to briefly escape with a sample of Morlun's blood, which he discovered contained the DNA of every genus in the animal kingdom. Realizing that Morlun's DNA was pure, Peter found a weakness he could exploit. Luring Morlun to a nuclear power plant, Spider-Man injected himself with a dose of radiation that would kill a normal human being, but was only enough to weaken him due to the radiation already in his blood. When Morlun arrived, he prepared to feed, only to be burned instead by the radiation in Peter's blood. Peter explained that he wasn't a pure spider totem as Morlun had guessed due to the spider that bit him having been previously subjected to a dose of radiation, and that while Morlun could feed on the spider, he couldn't digest the radiation. Absorbing the radiation rather than his spider-powers with every punch Peter threw at him, Morlun began to disintegrate, and he negotiated with Spider-Man to spare his life, saying he was merely doing what was necessary for his survival, and that it was nothing personal. While Peter debated whether or not to let a monster like Morlun walk free, Dex suddenly appeared and shot Morlun, causing him to crumble to dust.
Returning soon thereafter, Morlun entered Spider-Man's room in the Emergency Ward and prepared to feast, apparently unconcerned about the presence of the Avengers (of the New Avengers line-up) in the hospital to check up on their teammate - Captain America
, Iron Man
and Luke Cage
had come in the front door while Mary Jane and an uncostumed Jessica Drew
snuck in around the back. Mary Jane, who arrived at Peter's room just as Morlun was about to feed, tried to stop him, but he casually broke her forearm and threw her off to one side. As it appeared he would kill her, Spider-Man suddenly sprung to life in a ferocious display of mysterious new powers, including stingers sprouting from his arms that he used to pin Morlun down, and fangs that he used to rip Morlun's throat out. Morlun apparently died once again, crumbling to dust, weakly saying that it wasn't supposed to be this way.
storyline, a secret group resurrects Morlun so that he can devour the Panther totem in danger with the Black Panther
gravely injured and in turn weaken the nation of Wakanda. As a start, Morlun slays the long-term Panther adversary Man-Ape
. He was defeated by the new Black Panther Shuri, who, with the help of a witch-doctor, sent Morlun into limbo, where he was forced to battle the endless hordes of Death.
Morlun had some degree of superhuman strength and durability, the limits of which aren't fully known. Spider-Man states that Morlun hits harder than any foe he had ever battled, including the Hulk
and Thor
. When facing the Black Panther, Morlun survived a vibranium
tipped nuclear missile fired at him and tore through an adamantium net, which in his fight with Spider-Man he survived being inside an exploding building with the only sign he'd been present at the explosion being his clothing and hair being incinerated, his hair returning to its usual length by the time the sun rose. Morlun's physical speed, stamina, agility, and reflexes are sufficiently heightened to enable him to keep up with Spider-Man, as well as allowing him to climb several flights of stairs and cover several blocks in only slightly more time than it takes Spider-Man to reach the same destination by web-swinging.
Morlun has walked the earth for centuries, if not longer, and is a relentless and remorseless stalker. Once Morlun has physically touched somebody, that person is forever "imprinted" in Morlun's senses, allowing him to track his quarry down from anywhere on Earth.
Spider-Man: The Darkest Hours
by Jim Butcher
, which is set after the death of Morlun but before his resurrection and return. In the novel, Spider-Man confronts Mortia, Thanis and Malos, other beings like Morlun, who seek revenge for the death of their fellow Ancient. With Doctor Strange
unable to help Spider-Man directly due to the Ancients' role in the natural order of things meaning that he could call in greater dangers if he used his powers against them, Spider-Man is forced to team up with the Rhino
- who was initially hired by the other Ancients to help them before they attempted to feed on him after he accidentally hit them in a fight- and Black Cat
to defeat them. Spider-Man also speculates that the Ancients' powers are based primarily on their concentration, with them being vulnerable during feeding because their attention is more focused, hence why Ezekiel was able to make Morlun bleed when he punched Morlun just as Morlun had begun to feed on Peter; Morlun succumbed to Peter's blows after Peter injected himself with radiation because he was panicking at the unexpected turn of events. With this strategy in mind, Peter, Black Cat and Rhino were able to get the drop on the Ancients by separating them and striking them each individually, rendering them unconscious long enough for Spider-Man to trap the Ancients in three unique gems that Doctor Strange indirectly gave him for this purpose.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
supervillain
Supervillain
A supervillain or supervillainess is a variant of the villain character type, commonly found in comic books, action movies and science fiction in various media.They are sometimes used as foils to superheroes and other fictional heroes...
in Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
' shared universe
Shared universe
A shared universe is a fictional universe to which more than one writer contributes. Work set in a shared universe share characters and other elements with varying degrees of consistency. Shared universes are contrasted with collaborative writing, in which multiple authors work on a single story....
, the Marvel Universe
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
, and a foe of Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
. Morlun first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man vol. 2, #30 (June 2001), created by writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
J. Michael Straczynski
J. Michael Straczynski
Joseph Michael Straczynski , known professionally as J. Michael Straczynski and informally as Joe Straczynski or JMS, is an American writer and television producer. He works in films, television series, novels, short stories, comic books, and radio dramas. He is a playwright, a former journalist,...
and penciler John Romita, Jr.
John Romita, Jr.
John Salvatore Romita, Jr. is an American comic book artist best known for his extensive work for Marvel Comics from the 1970s to the 2000s...
. He is best known as the killer of Spider-Man in the popular storyline, "Spider-Man: The Other
Spider-Man: The Other
"The Other" is a comic book crossover story arc published by Marvel Comics from October 2005 to January 2006. It was the first Spider-Man crossover since 2001, and was published in Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #1-4, Marvel Knights Spider-Man #19-22, The Amazing Spider-Man #525-528.-Publication...
".
First encounter with Spider-Man
When Spider-Man met a similarly powered man named EzekielEzekiel (comics)
Ezekiel Sims was a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe; a former supporting character in The Amazing Spider-Man.-Fictional character biography:...
, Ezekiel explained to him that Spider-Man's powers were not an accident, and that the spider that had bit him did so voluntarily to pass its abilities onto Peter before it died. This made Spider-Man a "totem
Totem
A totem is a stipulated ancestor of a group of people, such as a family, clan, group, lineage, or tribe.Totems support larger groups than the individual person. In kinship and descent, if the apical ancestor of a clan is nonhuman, it is called a totem...
," a bridge between man and beast, with the properties of both. Ezekiel then warned Spider-Man that as a totem, he was in danger from those who would seek to destroy such beings. One of those, who showed up soon after, was Morlun.
Little is known about exactly what Morlun is and where he comes from. According to Ezekiel, as long as totemistic forces have walked the earth, there have also been those who have fed on them. While Morlun and his brothers (it is not known how many there are in existence, but Morlun is not the only one) can subsist on the life forces of normal humans and non-totemistic superhumans for a time, they always crave a pure host and Peter fits the bill perfectly.
After Peter's meeting with Ezekiel, Morlun and his hapless minion Dex subtly began tormenting Peter from the shadows, stalking him and wreaking havoc with his spider-sense. Morlun finally revealed himself when Spider-Man was investigating a fire at the wharfs, punching him with what Spider-Man claimed was the hardest punch he had ever felt. Morlun then told Spider-Man that he would eventually kill him, and now that they had made physical contact, he could find Spider-Man wherever he went. Though Spider-Man fought back, Morlun continually regained the upper hand. Peter tried to flee, but Morlun was able to find him easily and resume the fight. Spider-Man finally got away after Morlun burned down the building they were fighting in, but Ezekiel told him it was no use. Morlun would find him once again, and kill him.
Morlun continually attacked Spider-Man over the next few days, endangering the lives of innocent citizens if Peter tried to flee. With Ezekiel's help, Peter managed to briefly escape with a sample of Morlun's blood, which he discovered contained the DNA of every genus in the animal kingdom. Realizing that Morlun's DNA was pure, Peter found a weakness he could exploit. Luring Morlun to a nuclear power plant, Spider-Man injected himself with a dose of radiation that would kill a normal human being, but was only enough to weaken him due to the radiation already in his blood. When Morlun arrived, he prepared to feed, only to be burned instead by the radiation in Peter's blood. Peter explained that he wasn't a pure spider totem as Morlun had guessed due to the spider that bit him having been previously subjected to a dose of radiation, and that while Morlun could feed on the spider, he couldn't digest the radiation. Absorbing the radiation rather than his spider-powers with every punch Peter threw at him, Morlun began to disintegrate, and he negotiated with Spider-Man to spare his life, saying he was merely doing what was necessary for his survival, and that it was nothing personal. While Peter debated whether or not to let a monster like Morlun walk free, Dex suddenly appeared and shot Morlun, causing him to crumble to dust.
Return/The Other
Morlun mysteriously returned months later and plagued Spider-Man by sudden and mysterious appearances, warning him that he was coming to finish him. Spider-Man, for a reason not explainable by science, was dying, and Morlun hung back to watch the causes and effects of his ailment. Finally, Morlun struck, and in a climactic battle, Morlun beat Spider-Man badly. Morlun left when the police arrived, opting for a more appropriate time to absorb Spider-Man's life force, leaving the web slinger at death's door with only one eye.Returning soon thereafter, Morlun entered Spider-Man's room in the Emergency Ward and prepared to feast, apparently unconcerned about the presence of the Avengers (of the New Avengers line-up) in the hospital to check up on their teammate - Captain America
Captain America
Captain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
, Iron Man
Iron Man
Iron Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #39 .A billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer,...
and Luke Cage
Luke Cage
Luke Cage is a fictional character, a superhero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Archie Goodwin and artist John Romita, Sr., he first appeared in Luke Cage, Hero for Hire #1...
had come in the front door while Mary Jane and an uncostumed Jessica Drew
Veranke
Veranke is a fictional character created by Marvel Comics who serves as the queen of the Skrull empire in the Marvel Universe. She plays a significant role in the events of Secret Invasion as she leads her empire to invade and conquer Earth....
snuck in around the back. Mary Jane, who arrived at Peter's room just as Morlun was about to feed, tried to stop him, but he casually broke her forearm and threw her off to one side. As it appeared he would kill her, Spider-Man suddenly sprung to life in a ferocious display of mysterious new powers, including stingers sprouting from his arms that he used to pin Morlun down, and fangs that he used to rip Morlun's throat out. Morlun apparently died once again, crumbling to dust, weakly saying that it wasn't supposed to be this way.
Dark Reign
During the Dark ReignDark Reign (comics)
"Dark Reign" is a 2008–2009 crossover comic book storyline published by Marvel Comics. It deals with the aftermath of the "Secret Invasion" storyline, which led to a shift of power in the Marvel Universe toward Norman Osborn. The title "Dark Reign" refers to Osborn's rise to national power and the...
storyline, a secret group resurrects Morlun so that he can devour the Panther totem in danger with the Black Panther
Black Panther (comics)
The Black Panther is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and penciller-co-plotter Jack Kirby, he first appeared in Fantastic Four #52...
gravely injured and in turn weaken the nation of Wakanda. As a start, Morlun slays the long-term Panther adversary Man-Ape
Man-Ape
Man-Ape is a fictional character, a supervillain in the , and frequent enemy of the Black Panther. He first appeared in Avengers #62 -Fictional character biography:...
. He was defeated by the new Black Panther Shuri, who, with the help of a witch-doctor, sent Morlun into limbo, where he was forced to battle the endless hordes of Death.
Powers and abilities
Morlun has the ability to drain the life force from other beings through physical contact. Depending on the power of the individual he drains, Morlun's powers and vitality can increase substantially. Without periodic feedings, Morlun will age and weaken.Morlun had some degree of superhuman strength and durability, the limits of which aren't fully known. Spider-Man states that Morlun hits harder than any foe he had ever battled, including the Hulk
Hulk (comics)
The Hulk is a fictional character, a superhero in the . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1 ....
and Thor
Thor (Marvel Comics)
Thor is a fictional superhero who appears in publications published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Journey into Mystery #83 and was created by editor-plotter Stan Lee, scripter Larry Lieber, and penciller Jack Kirby....
. When facing the Black Panther, Morlun survived a vibranium
Vibranium
Vibranium is a fictional metal that appears in the Marvel Universe. It is most commonly known as one of the materials used to construct Captain America's shield, but it is also noted for its connection to the Black Panther and his native homeland of Wakanda .-Publication history:Vibranium first...
tipped nuclear missile fired at him and tore through an adamantium net, which in his fight with Spider-Man he survived being inside an exploding building with the only sign he'd been present at the explosion being his clothing and hair being incinerated, his hair returning to its usual length by the time the sun rose. Morlun's physical speed, stamina, agility, and reflexes are sufficiently heightened to enable him to keep up with Spider-Man, as well as allowing him to climb several flights of stairs and cover several blocks in only slightly more time than it takes Spider-Man to reach the same destination by web-swinging.
Morlun has walked the earth for centuries, if not longer, and is a relentless and remorseless stalker. Once Morlun has physically touched somebody, that person is forever "imprinted" in Morlun's senses, allowing him to track his quarry down from anywhere on Earth.
Novels
Morlun's race, the Ancients, is a central focus of the 2006 novelNovel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
Spider-Man: The Darkest Hours
Spider-Man: The Darkest Hours
Spider-Man: The Darkest Hours is a novel written by Jim Butcher featuring characters from the Spider-Man Marvel Comics created by Stan Lee. Thus, itself is based on a story arc from those of the comics...
by Jim Butcher
Jim Butcher
Jim Butcher is a New York Times Best Selling author most known for his contemporary fantasy book series The Dresden Files. He also wrote the Codex Alera series. Butcher grew up as the only son of his parents, and has two older sisters. He currently lives in Independence with his wife, Shannon K...
, which is set after the death of Morlun but before his resurrection and return. In the novel, Spider-Man confronts Mortia, Thanis and Malos, other beings like Morlun, who seek revenge for the death of their fellow Ancient. With Doctor Strange
Doctor Strange
Doctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in Strange Tales #110 ....
unable to help Spider-Man directly due to the Ancients' role in the natural order of things meaning that he could call in greater dangers if he used his powers against them, Spider-Man is forced to team up with the Rhino
Rhino (comics)
The Rhino is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist John Romita, Sr., the character first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #41 The Rhino (Aleksei Mikhailovich Sytsevich) is a fictional character that appears in comic...
- who was initially hired by the other Ancients to help them before they attempted to feed on him after he accidentally hit them in a fight- and Black Cat
Black Cat (comics)
The Black Cat is a fictional character, a superheroine in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist Keith Pollard, she first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #194 ....
to defeat them. Spider-Man also speculates that the Ancients' powers are based primarily on their concentration, with them being vulnerable during feeding because their attention is more focused, hence why Ezekiel was able to make Morlun bleed when he punched Morlun just as Morlun had begun to feed on Peter; Morlun succumbed to Peter's blows after Peter injected himself with radiation because he was panicking at the unexpected turn of events. With this strategy in mind, Peter, Black Cat and Rhino were able to get the drop on the Ancients by separating them and striking them each individually, rendering them unconscious long enough for Spider-Man to trap the Ancients in three unique gems that Doctor Strange indirectly gave him for this purpose.