Morgan Michaels

Biographical information
Age	54
Home country	United States
Residence	New York City
Occupation	Oscorp biochemist
Physical information
Height	5'10"
Weight	170 lbs
Gender	Male
Behind the scenes
Portrayed by	Phil Morris

Morgan Michaels is a supporting character in Marvel's Spider-Man. He is one of Oscorp's top researchers, and one of the scientists who worked with Norman Osborn in developing GR-27 (nicknamed "Devil's Breath"), and the only one with a sample. Michaels' work on the project led him to become a target of the Inner Demons, and later to work with Spider-Man in stopping the virus that then spread.

History

Early history

Michaels was born in Neola, Iowa around the year 1966. Michaels specialized in curing hereditary genetic diseases, and earned a PhD. Beyond that, little is known about Michaels's history: despite his expertise in biochemistry, he is obscure in the scientific community, having only a few mentions in academic databases.

In his adulthood, Michaels began working for Oscorp. Eventually, he was placed in charge of Project GR-27, Oscorp's attempt to develop CRISPR-based genome therapy to cure genetic disorders. When the first tests proved disastrous, the only sample of the serum (which gained the nickname "Devil's Breath" from the lab technicians) was entrusted to Michaels, who kept it on him at all times.

Michaels has been the Osborn family doctor for decades, as he was responsible for prescribing experimental treatments for Emily Osborn in 1997.

Marvel's Spider-Man

Michaels' possession of the Devil's Breath sample makes him a target of Mister Negative and, later, Doctor Octopus, who aimed to use it on New York City in their crusade against Norman Osborn. For his protection, he was taken by Sable International.

Michaels' name was revealed to Mister Negative by Isaac Delaney after Delaney was corrupted. In "Collision Course", the Inner Demons then managed to apprehend him and take the vial, though Spider-Man retrieved him. As Silver Sable turned her guns on Spider-Man, Michaels ordered they stop and thanked him for saving his life. Michaels contacted Spider-Man to warn him about the dangers posed, and said that if released, Devil's Breath would not only end Osborn's election hopes, but could lead to him being "tried in the Hague for war crimes".

When Devil's Breath was released by Doctor Octopus, Michaels headed to the secret production facility to develop an antiserum. In "The Heart of the Matter", Mister Negative captured him to retrieve it. Spider-Man stopped Mister Negative, but was badly wounded by Doctor Octopus, who took it himself. Michaels and Silver Sable brought Spider-Man to the F.E.A.S.T. shelter to provide medical attention to him, and to care for the other patients at the shelter.

After "Pax in Bello", when Spider-Man retrieved the antiserum from Dr. Octopus, Dr. Michaels was able to develop a cure with the sample. However, he was not able to cure May Parker then, as there would not be enough to develop it for everyone else if it was used on her. Following May's passing, Michaels was able to mass produce it and help distribute it with assistance from the Morales family (Miles and his mother, Rio), and TriCorp.

Characteristics

Dr. Michaels is a middle-aged man with short graying hair. He is generally seen dressed simply in a button-down shirt over a white T-shirt and slacks. Spider-Man notes that Michaels looks unhealthy, being pale, thin, and having dark circles under his eyes. This leads him to briefly suspect that Michaels has a genetic condition, although he passes it off as sleep deprivation.

In contrast to Osborn, Michaels is remorseful for his role in Project GR-27, acknowledging that he ignored the risks of the project for too long. He admits that the actions of Mister Negative have been a wake-up call, and puts his faith in Spider-Man to make up for his and Osborn's mistakes. His role in helping end the Devil's Breath crisis shows his sense of duty.

Original appearance

For more background of Morgan Michaels throughout comic book history, see all appearances of Morbius and the original appearance of Morgan Michaels on the Marvel Database

In the comics, Morgan Michaels is an alias of Michael Morbius, the Living Vampire. His first appearance was in Amazing Spider-Man #101 (October 1971).

References

• Insomniac Games (2018). Marvel's Spider-Man [Game]. Sony Interactive Entertainment. PlayStation 4.