Issue(s): Morbius #10
Cover Date: Jun 93
Title: "The real monster"
Credits:
Gregory Wright - Writer
Ron Wagner - Penciler
Mike Witherby - Inker
Matthew Morra - Assistant Editor
Bobbie Chase - Editor

Review/plot:
This begins a crossover with Nightstalkers, not be confused with the crossover immediately following these issues, which is with Nightstalkers and the rest of the Midnight Sons line.

On paper, the plot outline for this crossover probably looked something like this: "The Nightstalkers think that Morbius is responsible for a rash of vampire killings, but the killer is really Victor Slaughter. And, uh, let's see if we can fit in the Nightstalker's new villain Stonecold somehow."

Should be a standard Team-Up type story. Misunderstanding Fight, and then go after the bad guy. In practice, it's a bit more convoluted than that. The set-up, which happens in this issue, starts things off fine. There's a rash of vampire killings, etc., and Morbius even gets a warning from Hannibal King.

We do get the revelation of an eyebrow-raising new power for Morbius.

Morbius sired Slaughter, but this is one case where i don't blame him for his actions, since until recently his science-vampire bites didn't cause people to turn into vampires. That changed with the infusion of Lilin blood from Morbius #1.

So, after chasing Slaughter in front of a subway train and (incorrectly) assuming that he's dead, Morbius understandably decides that he needs to go to Boston and get some tips on the supernatural from Hannibal King.

You can see that things have already gone off the rails in a major way, with Morbius now thinking about Frank Drake's "Exorcist" gun instead of help with the supernatural. And just with Morbius' dialogue generally. But the main story in this issue is padded with an 8 page back-up, so we stop here and pick things up in the Nightstalkers book.

Quality Rating: C

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: Continues directly in Nightstalkers #8. There is a back-up in this issue, but the back-up continues next issue and seems to take place after the Nightstalkers crossover, so i'll cover it in next issue's entry.

It's worth noting that future developments with Morbius and the Lilin demon that is inside him make it possible that it really was Morbius, not Slaughter, who was responsible for the killings. Either way, i am listing Bloodthirst as a character since Morbius does black out during a portion of this story when he's presumably controlled by the demon.

References:

• Morbius turned Slaughter into a vampire in Morbius #7.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A