Sony’s answer to the ongoing comic book superhero cinematic universe craze is based almost entirely around Spider-Man villains who have been recast as grim anti-heroes. But, when these characters make the shift to the good side, it can be tough to find a villain bad enough to make these former bad guys seem good.
After twomildly successfulVenomfilms, Sony is moving on toMorbius, starring Jared Leto as The Living Vampire. Crafted by Roy Thomas and Gil Kane in 1971 as part of a horror-themed slate of antagonists for Spider-Man, Morbius gradually shifted towards a dark vigilante role. The character has taken on heroes like Spidey and Blade but has also tangled with the demon Lillith, the Basilisk, and Dr. Loxias Crown, also known as Hunger.
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Matt Smith is cast as this film’s main antagonist, Dr. Loxias Crown. Crown was created by Howard Mackie and John Romita Jr. in 1997. In the comics, Crownwas a Hydra agentwho performed unethical experiments on innocent bystanders and any special folks he could get his hands on. In his first appearance, he brutally murders a scientist named William Fields, leaving his young son Todd to swear revenge. He wore a suit of super-powered armor that allowed him to wield negative energy in the form of laser blasts. Sometime later, he set out to acquire another scientist but wasthwarted by Spider-Manand his old nemesis, Todd. On the back foot, Crown was forced to flee to a private island and to meet the new subject of his experiments; Michael Morbius.
Crown setto work on Morbius, while also plotting vengeance against Spider-Man and Todd Fields. In an unfortunate coincidence, he kidnaps Fields and a couple of his ESU classmates, one of whom happens to be Peter Parker. His elaborate and largely unexplained revenge plot was completely derailed, however, when a group of gangsters led by Rhino shot up his lab and murdered his girlfriend. Crown, driven mad with rage, decides to set off a tremendous explosive and kill everyone involved, himself included. Rhino, Todd, and Spider-Man did their best to intervene, but Crown easily defeated all three of them. All seemed lost, but the chaos allowed Morbius to escape his bonds and attack Crown. While Spidey and Todd redirected the explosives,The Living Vampire proceededto violently drain the blood from Crown’s neck. After the smoke cleared, both had disappeared.
In the comics, Morbius never tangled with the monster he sired again. Though believed to be dead, Crown took on the name Hunger and set to kidnapping people again, from his new base in the sewers. He kidnaped random bystanders, Morlocks, and Daily Bugle reporter Betty Brant. Spider-Man,joined by lesser-known mutantMarrow, rescued Hunger’s would-be victims and beat him down savagely again. He escaped, but his greatest scheme came as a result of his attack on a New York City Mafia family meeting. He managed to enthrall large chunks of the city’s organized crime leadership, and set to work taking over the city. He was thwarted once again by Spider-Man and Blade, who slew his enslaved victims and left him vulnerable. Hunger fled once again and hasn’t been seen again since.
The Loxias Crown of the comic book universe is defined by attempting a monstrous scheme, failing, then disappearing for long periods. In fairness, that’s the essential career plan of most comic book villains, but Hunger’s methods are shockingly ineffective when viewed against his capabilities. As apseudo-vampire turned by Morbius, he has the same powers as The Living Vampire. He’s faster and stronger than any normal person, he can manipulate large swarms of bats, he can enthrall his victims, he can heal from any injury, and he must feed on human blood to survive. He’s pulled off some impressive feats but typically runs away whenever things aren’t going 100% his way. What little is known about the version of Hunger that will appear in the film has made it clear that he will be different in several ways.
Crown is described in the film’s press as an old friend of Michael Morbius' who suffers from the same rare blood disease. His brief appearances in the trailer do not give the impression of a character who starts off as villainous. He gives a brief speech to Morbiusin the most recent trailer, encouraging him to be the bad guy. The implication seems to be that Crown will fill the classic dark reflection of the protagonist style of villain. Whether Morbius is responsible for this iteration of Crown coming down with vampirism remains to be seen. Whatever percentage of Hunger’s comic book history makes it into his first big-screen appearance, Hunger is an interesting villain to pit Morbius against. In many ways, he stands as a monument to the character’s villainous past.
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