Morlun
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Morlun is a supervillain from the Marvel Comics universe, and one of the deadliest foes of Spider-Man.
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[edit] 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 its abilities 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.
Recently Morlun returned, determined as ever to feed on Spider-Man. This time he overpowered Peter and tore his eye out, feeding on it. Peter was taken to a hospital, but true to form Morlun tracked him down. Peter's wife Mary Jane Watson tried to defend Peter with a scalpel, but Morlun simply laughed and broke Mary Jane's arm. Seeing his wife in danger caused something to snap within Peter. He suddenly burst from his bed, his body mutated into a hideous man-spider hybrid. With raw animal aggression he overpowered Morlun, paralyzing him with sharp spikes from his wrists, and sucking the life force out of him with a bite to the throat. A stunned Morlun stammered that things weren't supposed to end this way before dissolving into ashes. Peter then reverted to normal and apparently died in Mary Jane's arms, only to be reborn in a cocoon, now embracing the duality of species his powers afford him. In this sense, Morlun's actions actually helped Peter make this leap, albeit unintentionally.
[edit] 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 depicted 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.
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.
[edit] Literature
Morlun's race, the Ancients, are a central focus of the 2006 novel 'Spider-Man: The Darkest Hours' by Jim Butcher, which is set after the death of Morlun but before 'The Other'.
