Issue(s): Morbius #20
Cover Date: Apr 94
Title: "Monster in a box"
Credits:
Gregory Wright - Writer
Nick Napolitano - Penciler
Ralph Cabrera - Inker
James Felder - Assistant Editor
Bobbie Chase - Editor

Review/plot:
This issue resolves the situation of Bloodthirst, the Lilan demon that has semi-possessed Morbius since, well, technically since the first issue of this series although we didn't start seeing hints of him until Gregory Wright's run and it was first fully revealed in Morbius #15.

Morbius attempts another cure on himself, this time by fully filtering out his Lilan-tainted blood. The cure seemingly works and Morbius becomes human in appearance. But later, while Morbius is at work at the hospital, the filtered blood takes on a form of its own.

Martine Bancroft observes this. Just to recap her status, she died in Morbius #1 but was resurrected in Morbius #13 as an evil emotionless demon. Her evilness has since been put on the background, and she's just sort of been aimlessly hanging around at Morbius' place. But now we learn that she's jealous of Morbius' other love interest, Mandy Tyler, and has concocted some paranoid theories about the situation.

After badly injuring Morbius' doctor friend Jacob Weisenthal, Bloodthirst goes to the hospital to attack Morbius.

Morbius transforms into vampire form after Bloodthirst badly injures Mandy.

Without the Lilan blood, Morbius seems to be back in his old status, with his old powers. He can't stretch his body anymore, and it's suggested that he's no longer immortal.

However, Morbius is able to kill Bloodthirst by injecting him with a dose of procainamide.

In the aftermath, Jacob is at least conscious, but he's got at least 3 broken limbs. Mandy required fourteen hours of surgery, and is missing a kidney and parts of her stomach and intestines. She's still in a coma. Morbius swears to make up for all the people hurt or killed by his curse.

In set-up for the next arc, Victor Slaughter resurfaces...

...and we check in on Simon Stroud.

Morbius' demon-possessed blood taking on a human form that Morbius can punch is par for the course for Marvel's Midnight Sons "horror" books, but it also feels like the beginning of Gregory Wright putting away his toys before the end of his run. Same with the return of Slaughter and Shroud. Wright's run will end after a three part story following this issue. A "challenge" is given in the lettercol for this issue:

Due to other commitments... Gregory Wright... will be ending his run...

We are currently cooking up something special with our new writer (more on that in the next few months). We've had fun and thrills with MORBIUS, but now we're planning on doing some stuff with Morbius that's kind of... special. It's not the type of stuff that's been done in a comic like this before. We're excited.

We want to get you in on this, because this will be the type of thing that you, the reader, will be more involved in. Now, whether you hated or loved any big or small aspect of this book up until this issue, we have to know. We challenge you to have a say in what this book will be in four months. As specifically as possible, we want to know from you what you want to see in MORBIUS. That means mood, character, costume, action, kitchen sink... we mean everything! YOU tell US what this book should be. We have an elaborate plan for something different and it includes a place for you at the table. You have one week from the time this issue ships... from the moment you are reading this very sentence, to let us know! Write!

Maybe i'm too cynical, but that reads to me like, "Oh, yeah, we totally have a new writer lined up, and we totally know what to do with this book. But, um... readers, what the heck do you want us to do with this book?". After Wright's final arc, there will be a fill-in issue and then Lisa Trusiani (who prior to this was the regular writer on Barbie) will become the writer until the series is canceled with issue #32. But at least for the time being, this will be the last issue of Morbius that i'll cover. I've had more Morbius than i can take.

Quality Rating: D

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: "Days" pass while Morbius and Jacob Weisenthal administer the cure at the start of this issue.

References:

• Morbius was infected with Lilan blood in Morbius #1.
  
• Bloodthirst tells Mandy that she was a "hot date". That may just be a general comment, but it may refer specifically to Morbius #15.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A