Quote: “If I must drink blood, let it be the blood of the corrupt, of those who deserve to die.”

Title : The Living Vampire

Name : Michael Morbius (a.k.a. Morgan Michaels)

Sire : science?

Generation : N/A -Revenant

Nature : Penitent

Demeanor : Loner

Age : mid 30's

Attributes :

Str.3 /Dex.3 /Sta.2 /Cha.3 /Man.2 /App.3 /Per.3 /Int.5 /Wit.4

Abilities : Alertness 2, Brawl 2, Dodge 4, Intimidation 2, Subterfuge 1, Animal Ken 2, Stealth 3, Law 1, Investigation 3, Linguistics 1 (Latin), Occult 3, Science 5 (Hematology)

Virtues : Courage 3, Conscience 4, Self-Control 3

Backgrounds : Equipment 4, Resources 5, Allies 5, Fame 3, Influence 1, Contacts 3,

Disciplines : Protean 5*, Dominate 3, Presence 2, Chimerstry 3

Willpower : 8

Humanity : 7

Image : As a man, Michael Morbius is tall, well built for a scientist and rather handsome. He has black hair, dark eyes and dark complexion that betray his eastern European origins. When not wearing his lab coat, he tends to wear nice suits and dressy clothes in dark colors. As the Living Vampire, Morbius wears a full black leather body suit with a ragged “ Cape ” attached to it. His hair becomes wild and his skin pale white. The overall appearance is that of a bloodless, walking corpse.

Roleplaying Hints: Morbius is torn between protecting lives and taking them. His lust for blood can, at times be great enough to overcome his rational thought but he tries vigilantly to keep his dark side in check. He believes that he is not cut out for the hero business but often finds himself in situations where he has no choice in the matter. He is a workaholic and still grieves for his lost love, Martine Bancroft.

Haven : The home of Dr. Jacob Weisenthal, New York City .

Influence : Due to his skill and reputation as a world-renowned scientist, Morbius conceivably possesses some influence in medical research circles.

Merits/Flaws : True Love (Martine), Short Fuse, Enemies (lots), Vow, Derangement (Split personality/Possessed), Special: Sunlight causes aggravated damage as if vampire, Special: Blood Lust as if vampire.

Notes: Morbius is unable to transform himself into a bat or wolf or other creature. Instead, this power allows him to stretch and distend his body, flowing through tight spaces and slipping out of the grip of attackers, as well as open “holes” in his body to dodge attacks. Basically, this power gives him +4 dice to dodge or escape.

History:

Very little is known of the early life of the man known as Michael Morbius. It is likely that he excelled in academics for as an adult, he became one of the most brilliant scientists of our time. Likened to be the modern equal of Pasteur and Salk, Morbius' career culminated in his receipt of the Nobel Prize. A short time later, Morbius met a woman named Martine Bancroft and the two fell deeply in love. It was shortly after their engagement that Morbius discovered that he was dying of a rare blood disease.

For months, Morbius labored in secret to find a cure for his illness. As time began to run out, he began experimenting with strange and untested treatments, including electric shock and serums extracted from vampire bats. The unorthodox treatments worked but at a great price. The process transformed him into a creature that had to feed on human blood to survive, a Living Vampire!

After nearly killing Martine, Morbius fled from his fiancée and began searching for a way to reverse the transformation, all the while fighting bouts of frenzied rage and overwhelming blood hunger. Many times he came tantalizingly close to recovery, only to relapse again into a monster. Morbius also fought many other powerful beings while lost to rage and hunger, including a very powerful Mage and a heroic Ananasi myrmidon.

It was during a battle with the Ananasi that Morbius' closest brush with recovery occurred. While struggling atop an ancient mansion, Morbius overcame the warrior and, as he began to drain his blood, the pair were struck by lighting. The lighting, paired with the Ananasi's strange blood reversed Morbius' transformation and for a time he resumed a normal life. Unfortunately, the remission did not last and Morbius devolved into a monster once more.

Unknown to Morbius, however, his fiancée, Martine, never lost hope. After weeks of searching, she was able to track Morbius down with the help of a motorcycle riding, vengeful Wraith and a monster hunter named Blaze. They took Morbius to a scientist, David Langford, whom they thought had discovered a cure for Morbius. Instead, Langford double crossed them at the command of the mysterious Dr. Paine and tried to kill Morbius with a lethal serum. What Langford didn't know was that one of the Lillum, the children of the demon mother Lillith, had added some of his own blood to the poisonous serum. The Serum had an unexpected, mutagenic effect on Morbius body, causing him to further transform.

Morbius fled the lab and Martine and sought the help of another friend, Dr. Jacob Weisenthal, who told Morbius he would help him synthesize more serum. While Blaze and the Wraith searched for Morbius, Martine discovered Langford's betrayal and paid for that discovery with her life. When Morbius discovered what Langford had done, he took his vengeance on the traitorous doctor by draining his last drop of blood.

Fearing that Morbius had finally lost the last remaining shreds of humanity that he possessed, the Wraith and Blaze prepared to deal with him. Morbius convinced them that he was in control and that he now knew what he must do; pay penance for his past deed by punishing those who would prey upon the weak and helpless. He vowed that he would, from that point on, drink only the blood of the guilty.

Dr. Weisenthal secured for Morbius a new identity, Dr. Morgan Michaels, as well as a job in the hematology department of St. Jude's hospital in Manhattan . The two scientists also developed a new serum that allowed Morbius to appear as a normal human, as long as he did not suffer from blood hunger or become overwhelmed by rage.

In the weeks that followed, Morbius fought beside Ghost Rider, Blaze and even his old adversary, Dr. Strange as they fought Lillith and her demon brood, along with a host of other evils. The Lillum blood in Morbius body continued to change him however and he discovered that he suddenly possessed new and frightening abilities. Morbius also discovered that there seemed to be another presence within his own mind, a personal specter that, during times of rage, would take control of Morbius' body and commit horrendous crimes. Morbius fought hard against this evil lurking within, which he discovered, was part of a plot by Lillith to destroy him and the mystical force known as the Nine; a gathering of beings dedicated to defending humanity from supernatural evil. As a member of the Nine, Morbius had allies to aid him in his struggle, including some that he had previously fought against. With their aid, Morbius continues to stand against evil, both from without and from within.