The reason why Morbius seems bi-polar regarding killing people is his hunger…Vamps have hunger cravings and it might be closer to addiction, which after he feeds and the hunger has been satisfied he feels bad. lol. I’ve been there before. 🥴😂

Adults: "This is bad and we should protect the children." Children: "We're adults now and all of the stuff you tried to keep from us is going to be mainstream." And the cycle continues...

I like the idea of Stan writing ASM #100 that ends with Peter growing 4 extra arms, and the caption says "This is not a dream! This is not an imaginary story! Peter really does have 6 arms now!" and then throwing the book on Roy Thomas' desk saying "I'm out! You write your way out of this one."

1: Gil Kane was awesome 2: I love that the first thing Spidey does after getting four extra arms is to wave them in Doc Connor's face. Poor traumatized, one-armed Doc Connors. Regrowing his one arm was his life's work and Parker grows four by mistake! He must've been salivating at the sight of them, poor schmuck. Spidey's the all-time troll!

As a kid in the 1970s, this was really cool. And completely new. You never saw horror monsters in comics. Robots, aliens or mutation from radiation. As a kid that watch the Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff old monster movies on TV with my dad, to see Spiderman fight a “classic monster”was cool…even if he was science based. Also…in the late 60, early 70s there was a resurgence in the “classic monsters.” As well as the beginning of the Zombie genre.

I bought that comic in 1971. I was 9. Morbius scared the heck out of me.

I was first introduced to Morbius and six-armed Spidey, in the 90's cartoon. It's nice to see that both of those depictions are pretty accurate to their comic counterparts.

In hindsight, the “no supernatural creatures” rule in the CCA was the rival companies legislating EC (the biggest comic company at the time) out of business.

"Feeeliiicciiiaaaa! I need PLLAAAASSSMMMAAAA!!!" If anyone knows Morbius for one thing, it's just his appearances in Spider-Man TAS, maybe giving Blade his vampire powers, or now being played by Jared Leto now, because Sony gonna Sony. Technically, this isn't the first NOt Vampire character from Marvel, they wanted a big Vampire bat monster, but they couldn't, so he became the mutant who could become a Pterodactyl Man who told Spider-Man he doesn't wanna cure cancer, but make people dinosaurs, Sauron.

“Felicia!!!”

The use of the word *"plasma"* used to crack me up.

Gil Kane is famous for drawing characters at an angle in which you can see up their noses, the "upnose" shot. Therefore Morbius must have been his favourite to draw as he was always "upnose".

I bought and read this comic as an 11yr old in 1971. I thought that the six armed Spiderman was a great way to make peter parker mire spidery more "spidery" with 8 limbs. I thought Morbius was an interesting vampire, without all the silly Dracula stuff. Thanks for the opportunity to share. Clay Hutsler

The "What If Spiderman kept his six arms" comic is pretty entertaining.

If you're interested in more Vampire characters, you might wanna look at DC's resident vampire, Andrew Bennett. He appears in the "I, Vampire" series.

There's an amazing panel from around this time of Scarlet Witch going "Wonder Man might be a... Zuvembie!" because they weren't allowed to say "zombie" and I love it

Lol...Peter called himself a "human centipede"

One of my favorite code related thing from the 80's was......it was allowed to show a sword going into a character, all the way through their body, and out the other side...but the sword couldn't puncture the clothing on the way out. Many drawings with the sword pushing on the back of the shirt as it protrudes out the back of a character, but not ripping through the fabric.

Sawney Bean jumps out of the shadows. "I'm going to make ye into haggis, sonny Jim!" Plays bagpipes

6:47 "It's Morbius Time" So close to being ahead of the time

And to think, we almost missed out on Moon Knight shaking down Dracula for money.

Spiderman was awesome during the 70s

As a priest in the Church of the Algorithm, I bless this video with a comment.

Calling a serum a potion made me laugh

"...Dracula, and other high calibre literary works" - I doubt anyone at the squeamish comics code authority read any of the these "respected authors" or they wouldn't be promoting a book were Dracula feeds his three brides a baby just as they are about to have a 4-way with Johnathon Harker.

Oddly enough Morbius got suction cup in his hands to drink "plasma" in Spider-Man TAS because of censorship. The Comic Book Code and the FCC really hated vampires.

The real reason for the supernatural ban on comics was because Dracula like a big nerd didn’t pay moonknight his money

I had these books when they came out! I was shocked to see a "vampire" even if he was synthetic...but the six-armed Spidey is what made me buy the book! Then 20 yrs later, to see it played out in the cartoon....well, I was thru the roof!!!

"Six arms? No! Now my Goro Cosplay will just look ridiculous!"

Morbius: I be from Europe, man Samson Simpson: What part of Europe? Morbius: The part near the beach...Boy!!!

I hereby declare this video as a stealth origin of "it's morbin' time."

Telling people what they can or can;t read, say or do is futile So a whoa is me moment for Peter also known as Tuesday.

Spider-Man: "You're some kind of vampire!" Morbius: "That's our word, you bloody racist!"

I was there at the time (I was 10 or 11), and it wasn't really a very big deal, from a CCA perspective, for me to see a vampire...although I found it odd that they took a Scientific angle (they did the same for zombies in Brother Voodoo, which REALLY pissed me off; "no supernatural zombies in a VOODOO book?" )

DC Intellectual Property Rules and Guidelines Section 7 Part B: Batman is not allowed to perform oral sex on women as that is "not what heroes do".

That your Morbius voice is a Werner Herzog impression ENTIRELY validates my subscription. I'm so glad you're making this stuff.

When I first read, and enjoyed, the Morbius stories in the 70's, I wasn't really aware of "the ban" and just thought great Vampires! (And also a fan of Dracula in Marvel comics a year later.) I knew of "the code" but I guess just kind of assumed it was about language and decency. (Well what teen-age me thought of decency at the time.) As always thank you so very much for the video. (And like the short hair; reminds me of when I was first appreciating your videos on another 'top' channel.)

I always thought Werewolf by Night was the one to break out.

It would be a few years before Venom threatened to eat anyone's spleen.

I like that you showed the cover for the "What If Spider-Man Kept His Extra Arms" comic. It's an ok story, with Spidey eventually learning to live the arms and becoming a spokesperson for those with disabilities (now that I think about it, that part of the story may not have aged well, haven't read it since it came out). But the best part of that story is the thing that caused this alternate story to happen. Back then all the What If stories had one event that caused the change (i.e. person A originally did X but this time they did Y). In this story, the reason Spidey kept his extra arms is because he never met Morbius. Why did they never meet? Because after Morbius killed everyone on the ship, instead of flying to shore, he swam. And his clothes were stained with the blood of his victims. And the blood attracted sharks. Yes, Morbius was eaten by sharks. It's glorious and hilarious. You can find the panels on the internet.

In his animated series appearances Morbius didn't use his fangs in the traditional manner but instead "absorbed plasma" through the suckers (or whatever he called them) in his hands. 8:57.

additional "I need that on a mug" content at 12:16 : Mmm--that's good serum

I actually loved this story arc when I first read it as a kid in Marvel Treasury Edition 14. One of my favorite books from the '70s.

Lillie: “Hmm, what taboo do you think is best for me?” Cannibalism? Brain to get smarter… Werewolf so I can be doggo… Vampire to drink blood? Lillie: “Wait… I already do 2 out of these 3. Lol.”

Ah yes... when the comic industry gave a middle finger to authority. You are missed.

Amazing vid as always Sasha, sending love from Australia 🇦🇺

I like your wig today: Lavender Librarian. And anytime we can laugh at the comic code, it's a good day.

Right around 78ish is when I started reading comics. One of my uncles from 78-89 was giving me stacks of comics once every three months, a lot dated back as far back as 1970. The books that I got were mostly Amazing Spider-Man, Peter Parker the Spectacular Spider-Man, Luke Cage, Power Man and Iron Fist, and the Fantastic Four. Oh and a hand full of Archie books would get shuffled into the mix too. (I forgot I had a lot of the Action Comics and Superman family comics that were also apart of this bundle with an occasional issue of Detective Comics). The X-Men was the start of my collecting period I started off with the JRJR and Claremont stuff just after the Phoenix Saga, good thing Classic X-Men started around then to allowing me to get all caught up on that. Anyway yeah I was reading all these crazy stories as a kid, and for you to recap them is very refreshing, with a sprinkle of Member berries added to it is way cool, I of course had way different reactions to these stories, now I did live a very uncensored life when I was reading these, so I really don't recall there being any shock value, however reading some of those now. It is a wonder anything got published by either DC and Marvel. I wanna see more. I really want to hear your take on the Punisher, mostly the good stuff the Garth Ennis Steve Dillion era, "Welcome back Frank" "Army of One", The Punisher meets Archie, and the Punisher/Daredevil cross over, by Carl Potts, and While Portico, and Ann Nocenti and John Romita JR.

Read this as "Supernatural Creature Ben" and was confused. I thought I missed one of the retcons made to Peter Parker's parents

I can see the meeting between Marvel Comics and the Comics Code Authority now! CCA: Morbius isn't a he's Vampire? Marvel Comics: No he's just a guy who sucks blood. CCA: Are you sure he's not a vampire? Marvel Comics: Yes! CCA: Ok that's enough for me I'm going to pick on DC Comics now. Marvel Comics: Ah! that was a close one folks.

Anytime I hear or see Morbius I just think of him in the 90s cartoon saying "I need plasma" it's forever stuck in my head, I know most people hate that Sony is making its own Spider-Man universe with just the villains but I'm hyped for Morbius I think it has potential I mean what isn't interesting about someone trying to cure their disease and turning themselves into a Monster? Sounds like a set up for a Classic Monster to me

Based on a line in Dr. Strange (almost twenty years later), Morbius is Greek ("my native Greek isles..."), likely with a Jack Palance delivery, since that's who Gil Kane based him on. I always liked the classic version of the character - especially the run in Vampire Tales magazine - and he will occasionally have a decent cameo or appearance every now and then, although most of the time his ongoing series runs have been way too experimental and barren of an engaging story to get far. He's been retconned a lot in recent years, with Nikos having a sister who wants revenge on Morbius, and apparently a son who was dying of a blood disease just like Morbius had been - and yet none of these elements match up to the origin and background featured for the characters in a story from less than five years ago. Morbius wife has come and gone a lot, being portrayed differently in many cases. I'm not a fan of the Legion of Monsters angle some writers have used, but it is interesting when the right team puts the character through his paces, with the vampirism as a mirror for addiction. The 90's cartoon was weird in they gave him suckers in his hands since biting outright would be taboo, although I actually think the hand/mouths is a bit disturbing.

11:53 I remember how things went for Peter in the Marvel Zombies universe, and he would totally eat people if he became a monster like Morbius.

I was 11 when ASM 101 came out, and I can tell you it made a huge splash on us horror-starved late 60s kids. Dark Shadows had been huge a couple of years earlier. But once again we couldn't figure out why there was yet another "vampire" or "demon" with a sci-fi background as opposed to a horror origin, and we didn't understand that the Code prevented it. There wasn't an internet we could refer to in order to see what the 'A' was all about; we just assumed it was a standard of quality for color printing or something. We had Creepy and Eerie magazines, which were black and white and uncensored and the ink rubbed off on our hands, so in our naïve understanding, color comics couldn't get printed by this Authority group if they had blood and guts, because the Authority actually had to read the books in order to get all the ink and paper set right before they printed them, and Marvel and DC didn't want to jeopardize their relationship with the printer. Yeah, I know it's convoluted, but e had a lot of time and hearsay to pontificate about such matters. This is also why we felt DC and Marvel were writing for adult eyes (the Authority people) but the good guys like Warren and Skywald were writing directly to us kids, and were willing to sacrifice color printing so they could smuggle us the nudity and gore we needed to sustain ourselves. Marvel (and to a much lesser extent, DC) were baby stuff. Morbius kind of made it alright to have a stack of Marvel books in plain sight when your friends came over, whereas before, you hid them under House of Mystery or GI Combat.

While vampires were banned in comics, they still were everywhere in movies! Also there was 'Dark Shadows', the late 60's-early 70's soap opera starring a vampire (Barnabas Collins)! That show was on at 3 in the afternoon, when kids were getting home or already home from school, and were part of the shows major audience! This is the show's 55th anniversary, and I'm obsessed with it because it started on the same the day I was born! (A wolf howls at the moon).

Having read these stories at the time they were originally published they came across as somewhat tame, if not lame. Ignoring the comics code altogether, Vampirella left a bigger impression on me in 1969. Boy did she ever!

I loved Morbius, he was always one of my favourite characters. Spiderman always introduced/teamed up with the best characters like The Punisher and Howard The Duck. I am really looking forward to the Morbius movie with Jared Leto.

I love the scene (6:15) of Spidey saying that having six arms makes him a "human centipede", never imagining what *that* phrase would come to imply. I also like the fleeting thought I had that sixties TV Batman could have used "QUENCH!" as a sound-effect graphic if only he'd been allowed to face a vampire villain.

I love the Morbius stuff in the 90's Spiderman show

*DC’s Comics Rules* 1: No Bat-wang. Never again.

As a kid in the early 80's first discovering comics, my mom found a super sized copy of this plotline at a garage sale for less than a dollar. I think it was a Treasury edition. It had the three comics of this story plus a bonus Peter Porker. Because it was super sized, the art was huge. I read it thousands of times, savoring every page and image. It was very important in solidifying Spidey as my favorite super hero.

I "inherited" issues #100 and #102 of Amazing Spider-Man from older cousins about five years after publication. In fact, I acquired their copy of #102 on American Bicentennial Day. I was not yet 10. Unlike Sasha or my own daughter, I'm not particularly into horror, except on the fringes. I prefer instead reading about horror than experiencing it viscerally. However, I have always enjoyed the concept of a traditional monster transplanted and juxtaposed against a slightly sleazy early seventies milieu. I seriously love issue #102 . . . and Marvel Team-Up #4. The "overwrought melodrama" common to comics of that period worked for me at that age. I read a number of comic message boards where predominantly younger, but still middle-aged people (mostly men) review in-depth comics of this period with a dismissive air. They seem to have largely come to comics post-1986 (which is understandable) and look at these comics through a post-Dark Knight/post-Watchmen lens and seem unable to put themselves in the mind of a pre-teen or younger teen reader, which were the primary audience for these particular stories when published. When my own children discovered my old comics as early readers, I observed them quite carefully. My own son gravitated toward Marvels published between 1976-80 and would constantly re-read them alongside the late-nineties/early 2000's comics that were written most like them, like Busiek/Perez Avengers, Iron Man, and Thunderbolts.

Also, have to say...digging the round glasses. It's a good look!

Nice overview of the Supernatural ban in the code. Did you know about how writer Marv Wolfman played a part in easing the restriction? its an Amazing story and easily lookupable, worthy of an episode in its own rite.

The Morbius stories in the B&W magazines were well done. There is also a continuation of this story in Marvel Team up 3 and 4.

Anyone catch that Spider-Man refers to himself as a "human centipede". There's an area of horror NO ONE is going near.

I'm a fan of Morbius and always enjoyed the supernatural side of Spiderman stories! I am surprised the Man-Wolf and Morbius never fought each other!

I first read a Spidey comic with Morbius in about 76-77. He's since been one of my favorite Spidey villains. With all the super heroes and villains with all the crazy powers around, it only follows that someone would get super powers that replicate a vampire to some degree. When Morbous was the villain, you could almost count on a more gritty and dark story. His powers seemed to be a pretty good match for Spidey's power level, too. Add in his moral quandary with his hunger, and it's pretty much a sure fire Dave pleaser.

Michael Morbius the living vampire should have his very own spin off television series starring Nick Jameson

Great Video Shasa. By the Way I Would Love to see A Video About Rick Jones.

I like the rocker biker leather look Morpheus had in the 90s

Peter needs to watch more movies before thinking to himself he's a human centipede.

Love the wig!!!!

As a geezer, I remember these stories when they were first pubbed (I would have been 16 or 17). I was aware of the comics code and their prohibition on the supernatural, but I confess that when I read these books it didn't strike me as odd to have a vampire character... didn't really consider that it was something that had been verboten and was now OK. A couple other things: I love Gil Kane's work (he does have some goofy faces sometimes) -- to me, he is one of the most dynamic artists of the era. Also, regarding Marvel vampires, I'd like to mention Sauron, who first appeared in X-Men 60 (Sept 1969). Although not a blood-sucker, his story is very similar to Morbius, but drains life/energy from victims in order to survive.

Your optician knows their job.

Would a family of cannibals be a "clannibal?"

_"Vampire"?_ *_"Take a BITE out of crime."_* 😊

only a vampire can call another vampire vampire

The TV daytime show Dark Shadows which introduced the vampire Barnabas Collins to the world, ran from June 27,1966 to April 2,1971. Barnabas was at first considered evil, but as time went on and his origin was presented, he became a character deserving of sympathy and even a hero. Morbius first appeared in Oct. 1971 and was a similar type of vampire. I wonder if his creators were influenced in any way by Barnabas, instead of making Morbius just pure evil

Before Morbius showed up in the 90s Spider-Man cartoon, he had made a comeback in the comics with the Midnight Sons line, where he had his own title, in addition to: Ghost Rider, the Nightstalkers (Blade, Hannibal King and Frank Drake), the Darkhold, and Doctor Strange. The Midnight Sons books were all horror-tinged (or in the Darkhold's case, just out and out horror).

I was 9 back in ‘77 and you had Morbius in the newly launched Peter Parker title (#6-8), with one issue being a reprint from 1972, as well as Marvel Treasury Edition 14, which reprinted the Spidey issues you presented. Somehow these stories didn’t frighten me like they should have.

I was around 10 years old when I bought the first comic appearance of Michael Morbius in Spiderman #111 in 1971 (or so: coverless cause poor family with 7 kids). I loved Morbius. Well I loved all monsters especially those in comics. To put this in proper historical context you have to remember that Dark Shadows introduced gothic horror in its run 1967 to 1971 and the protagonist was the sympathetic vampire Barnabas Collins. It was on at 3:30pm EST so the bunch of us watched the show after school. Timing is everything. I seriously doubt that there would have been a Michael Morbius if there had not already been a Barnabas Collins.

I feel like the main character in "beyond the boundary" anime. Those glasses make you feel awesome.

I'm old so I was there. Comics were messy in the 70s. You sort of found your favorites and looked for more issues wherever you could. I don't think we even realized they were monthly. So there was no sense that Morbious came before Dracula. It was just suddenly horror stuff was turning up. Which was great to my seven-year-old self. But my kid self was disappointed with a science based vampire. I wanted my vampires spooky and mysterious. Science isn't spooky. I felt the same way about J. John's Jameson's son being Man-Wolf. Now, as a middle aged man, I feel pretty much the same.

This story arc is absolutely ridiculous and I love it!

I bought these comics back in '71. I was 9 or 10. What I liked then was that these three characters were so similar--scientists who became monsters. Looking back at it, it was downright Jungian! Morbius (the shadow figure) dies, Peter (and Doc Connor) embrace humanity. In his trippy 70's series (which unnerved me), Morbius fully becomes a figure of the Id--I remember he encounters a supernatural being singing "We're off to see the wizard---the wonderful wizard of Id--because of the wonderful things he did."

You cant use that word Vampire. Thats our word. - Im getting what we do in the shadows flashbacks.

6:45 no way. You almost predicted the meme

Sasha, you've opened up a can of worms. Morbius is done. You got Dracula and Blade now. Someone has video potential for Halloween...

Sasha I loved the Radiohead quote at 5:56

Fun fact; In the 1950's, Dell did not adopt the Comics Code. They were by far the most successful publisher, had many mainstream licenses on their side, and felt joining in would be the other, less reputable publishers just trying to ride their coattails. This meant that in the 1960's, they were able to adapt horror novels like Dracula and Frankenstein, and Gold Key (which was kind of Dell 2.0?) published and adaptation of "Dark Shadows". This was probably a huge impetus to the other companies being like "Come on, we can do vampires now, right?"

The algorithm just recommended this video right now. What a time to be alive

I love the inset photo you used of Roy Thomas🤣 good ole Roy😏

My favorite Comics Code Authority joke was She Hulk's indestructible nightie.

I actually had the first two issues that told this story. At that time I was not really "into" the medium (that changed later), but I had read issue (I think) 75 with a character named Silvermane, who was trying to regain his youth. It did not go well, as the years were falling off until he became a child. One panel showed him trying to flee his own self-inflicted fate and he is screaming that he wanted youth but "Not like this! NOT LIKE THIS!!" So when Peter woke to six arms screaming the same line, I got the heebie-jeebies.

I loved the 90s animated Spider-Man (I was born in 89) and as a kid Morbius creeped me out so bad. I also was terrified of Monster Spidey with six arms, and later on full on spider characteristics, but I had the action figure and loved it.

Girl you are so freaking funny! Love it. Keep rocking it!

Have you ever read the What if where Spider-man keeps his 6 arms? It has some choice moments, and we get to see Morbius eaten by sharks.

I'm not going to lie, I am having a drink as I watch this... That 1920's mobster voice over you use for Spiderman is freaking hilarious😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

Wait wasn't Marvels 1st Vampire X-Mens Sauron? He was an energy absorbing mutant with a Jackyl & Hyde persona that would transform into an awesome pterodactyl villian with an insatiable hunger for more power!