Morlun

Morlun
File:Morlun.png Morlun. Art by John Romita, Jr.
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 2) #30 (June, 2001)
Created by	J. Michael Straczynski John Romita, Jr.
In-story information
Alter ego	Unrevealed, possibly Morlun
Team affiliations	Dex, possibly other totem-eaters
Abilities	Superhuman strength, nearly limitless endurance, can absorb life forces through physical contact

Morlun is a supervillain from the Marvel Comics universe, and one of the deadliest foes of Spider-Man.

Character history

When Spider-Man met a similarly-powered man named Ezekiel, Ezekiel explained to him that Spider-Man's powers were not an accident, and that the spider that had bit him did so voluntarily to pass his powers onto Peter before it died. This made Spider-Man a "totem", a bridge between man and beast, with the properties of both. Ezekiel then warned Spider-Man that as a totem, he was in danger from those who would seek to destroy such beings. One of those, who showed up soon after, was Morlun.

Little is known about exactly what Morlun is and where he comes from. According to Ezekiel, as long as totemistic forces have walked the earth, there have also been those who have fed on them. While Morlun and his brothers (it is not known how many there are in existence, but Morlun is not the only one) can subsist on the life forces of normal humans and non-totemistic superhumans for a time, they always crave a pure host... and Peter fit the bill perfectly.

After Peter's meeting with Ezekiel, Morlun, and his hapless minion Dex, subtly began tormenting Peter from the shadows, stalking him and wreaking havoc with his spider-sense. Morlun finally revealed himself when Spider-Man was investigating a fire at the wharfs, punching him with what Spider-Man claimed was the hardest punch he had ever felt. Morlun then taunted Spider-Man, telling him that he would eventually kill him at the time and place of his choosing, and now that they had made physical contact, he could find Spider-Man wherever he went. Spider-Man fought back, but Morlun laughed off his attacks and brutally battered him. Peter tried to flee, but Morlun was able to find him easily and resume the fight. Spider-Man finally got away after Morlun burned down the building they were fighting in, but Ezekiel told him it was no use. Morlun would find him once again, and kill him.

Morlun relentlessly attacked Spider-Man over the next few days, endangering the lives of innocent citizens if Peter tried to flee. Finally Peter managed to briefly escape with a sample of Morlun's blood, which he discovered contained the DNA of every genus in the animal kingdom. Realizing that Morlun's DNA was pure, Peter realized a weakness he could exploit. Luring Morlun to a nuclear power plant, Spider-Man injected himself with a dose of radiation that would kill a normal human being, but was only enough to weaken him. When Morlun arrived, he prepared to feed, only to be burned instead by the radiation in Peter's blood. Peter explained that he wasn't a pure spider totem as Morlun had guessed, and that while Morlun could feed on the spider, he couldn't digest the radiation. Morlun began to disintegrate, and he pleaded for Spider-Man to spare his life, saying he was merely doing what was necessary for his survival, and that it was nothing personal. While Peter debated whether or not to let a monster like Morlun walk free, Dex suddenly appeared and shot Morlun, causing him to crumble to dust.

Powers and Abilities

Morlun had the ability to drain the life force from anybody he wished through physical contact. Depending on the power of the individual he drained, Morlun would then regain a degree of vitality and strength. Without periodic feedings, Morlun would age and weaken.

Morlun had some degree of superhuman strength and durability, although the degree of this is open to debate. Morlun certainly had abilities beyond that of normal humans, as he was depicting as lifting massive objects and surviving what would be lethal circumstances. Peter claimed that Morlun hit harder than any foe he had ever battled, including the Hulk and Thor. However, since Morlun was draining his life force from him, it is likely that the resulting power drain made Morlun's blows feel more powerful than they actually were.

Morlun has walked the earth for centuries, if not longer, and is a relentless and remorseless stalker. Once Morlun has physically touched somebody, that person is forever "imprinted" in Morlun's senses, allowing him to track his quarry down from anywhere on earth.