Who exactly is Morbius, The Living Vampire? Well, Empire summed it up pretty well in their discussion of Jared Leto’s casting as the blood-thirsty anti-hero:

“Michael Morbius, a Nobel Prize-winning biochemist who tries to cure a rare blood disease using an experimental treatment that combines electroshock therapy and vampire bats. The results are predictably catastrophic… He has some of the traditional vampiric qualities – he ingests blood to live, and conversely is not fond of bright light. He can fly, has superhuman strength and healing capabilities. When he bites victims and drinks their blood, his attacks are often lethal, but he doesn’t turn anyone into a bloodsucker himself.”

That’s the summary, but what if that has left you thirsty for more?

As is often the case with lesser-known and secondary characters in the Marvel comics, Morbius’ presence is scattershot, with him making only occasional appearances since his introduction in 1971. This can make it difficult to get a lock on him when compared to major characters like Spider-Man or Captain America, purely because there isn’t an abundance of material available. Luckily, a character’s marginality has a flip side. Due to Michael Morbius being out of the spotlight Marvel writers, such as Fred Van Lente, Joe Keatinge and Al Barrionuevo, have been able to have a little freer reign on his stories, with more experimental and dark tones being explored.

The Living Vampire, or pseudo-vampire to be technically accurate, has been a member of many other hero teams in his career, including the Legion of Monsters and the Midnight Sons. He has killed and he has protected. He has worked for the S.H.I.E.L.D affiliate A.R.M.O.R and been incarcerated in the Raft, the prison for those with superpowers. He’s an anti-hero, who strives, struggles and often fails. This makes for a hugely stimulating and rewarding read.

Here’s a reader’s guide to some of the greatest and most important Morbius appearances to get your teeth into. Drink up and enjoy.