Skip to main content

Characters & first appearances

What is the first appearance of Morbius?

Published Sep 14, 2026 · Updated Sep 14, 2026 · 1 min read

Short answerMorbius, the Living Vampire, first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #101, cover-dated October 1971, by Roy Thomas and Gil Kane; his origin is told in #102. The story is the six-armed Spider-Man arc, and #101 was the first issue of Amazing Spider-Man not written by Stan Lee. Morbius was created as a scientific vampire to get around the Comics Code's ban on the supernatural kind.

The six-armed saga

Amazing Spider-Man #100 ends with Peter Parker growing four extra arms. In #101 he retreats to a Long Island laboratory where he meets Michael Morbius, a Nobel-winning biochemist whose cure for his own blood disease turned him into a pseudo-vampire. Issue #102, a giant-size 25-cent issue with the Lizard, tells Morbius's origin and resolves the arms.

Thomas made Morbius a scientific rather than supernatural vampire. The Comics Code's 1971 revision, which allowed traditional vampires when handled in the classic literary tradition, opened the door for Tomb of Dracula the following year.

Collecting

  • #101 is the first appearance and the more valuable book.
  • #102 is the origin, and as a square-bound giant it is hard to find in high grade; a CGC 9.4 is in the store.

Both rose with the 2022 film. See the Morbius character page and First appearance of Spider-Man.

Written by the Rare Comics Collectors grading team. Spotted an error or have a question this guide does not answer? Tell us.

In the vault right now

Browse all listings →
SaleKey issueLast copy

Marvel Comics · Bronze Age

Amazing Spider-Man #102

CGC 9.4 · Universal Blue

Origin and second appearance of Morbius

(0)
$770$999
SaleKey issueLast copy

Marvel Comics · Silver Age

Amazing Spider-Man #8

CGC 8.0 · Universal Blue

Peter Parker fights Flash Thompson; Fantastic Four back-up by Kirby and Ditko

(0)
$1,389$1,513
Key issueLast copy

Marvel Comics · Bronze Age

Marvel Team-Up #141

CGC 9.8 · Universal Blue

First appearance of Spider-Man's black costume (newsstand edition)

(0)
$1,265
Key issueLast copy

Marvel Comics · Bronze Age

Amazing Spider-Man #129

CBCS 8.5 · Universal Blue

First appearance of the Punisher and the Jackal

(0)
$2,158

Keep reading

  • Collecting

    What are the ages of comic books? Golden, Silver, Bronze, Copper and Modern explained

    Collectors divide American comics into eras: the Golden Age (1938 to the mid-1950s), the Silver Age (1956 to about 1970), the Bronze Age (about 1970 to 1985), the Copper Age (about 1985 to 1991) and the Modern Age (1991 to today). The boundaries are conventions rather than official dates, but each era has its own print runs, survival rates, paper and pricing, which is why listings and price guides always state one.

    Updated Sep 14, 2026

  • Collecting

    What is a key issue in comics?

    A key issue is a comic that matters for a reason beyond its story: the first appearance of a character, an origin, a first issue, a death, a famous cover, a creator's debut, or the first appearance of a costume or team. Keys are the books that hold and grow value because demand is tied to the character or event rather than to the issue's rarity alone.

    Updated Sep 14, 2026

  • Collecting

    First appearance vs cameo: what is the difference?

    A cameo is a brief appearance — often a single panel, a shadowed figure, or a last-page teaser — while a first full appearance is the issue in which the character plays a real part in the story. The market usually prices the first full appearance higher, but when the cameo is the first time the character is seen at all, both issues become keys. Incredible Hulk #180 (cameo) and #181 (first full appearance) for Wolverine is the classic example.

    Updated Sep 14, 2026

  • Collecting

    What are Marvel Value Stamps, and why do they matter for grading?

    Marvel Value Stamps were a promotion printed inside most Marvel comics from 1974 to 1976: a numbered stamp of a character on an interior page that readers were encouraged to cut out and paste into a stamp book. Because readers did exactly that, many Bronze Age Marvels from those years are missing a piece of a page. A cut stamp drops the grade sharply or earns a green qualified label, so "Marvel Value Stamp intact" is a meaningful phrase in a listing.

    Updated Sep 14, 2026

  • News

    The most expensive comic books ever sold: documented record sales

    The record for a single comic is 6 million dollars, paid for a CGC 8.5 copy of Action Comics #1 (1938) at Heritage Auctions in April 2024. Other documented milestone sales include a CGC 7.0 Superman #1 at 5.3 million dollars (private sale, 2022), a CGC 9.6 Amazing Fantasy #15 at 3.6 million dollars (Heritage, September 2021), a CGC 8.5 Action Comics #1 at 3.25 million dollars (ComicConnect, April 2021) and a CGC 9.4 Captain America Comics #1 at 3.12 million dollars (Heritage, April 2022).

    Updated Sep 14, 2026

  • Characters

    What is the first appearance of Superman?

    Superman first appeared in Action Comics #1, cover-dated June 1938 and on sale in April 1938, created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster and published by Detective Comics, Inc., the company that became DC Comics. It is the first superhero comic and the most valuable comic book in the world: a CGC 8.5 copy sold for 6 million dollars in April 2024.

    Updated Sep 14, 2026