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{{Infobox Individual
{{Infobox Individual
|image            = Morbius in Junior Novelisation.jpg
|image            = Morbius the Monster.jpg
|aliases          = The General
|alias            =  
|species          = Time Lord
|species          = Time Lord
|job              = Lord President
|job              =  
|affiliation        = High Council
|origin            = [[Gallifrey]]
|origin            = [[Gallifrey]]
|first             = The Brain of Morbius (TV story)
|first cs          = The Brain of Morbius (TV story)
|appearances      = [[Morbius - list of appearances|'''''see list''''']]
|appearances      = {{Appears|Morbius}}
|actor            = Stuart Fell
|actor            = Stuart Fell
|voice actor      = Michael Spice
|voice actor      = Michael Spice
|other voice actor = [[Samuel West]]
|clip              =  
|bts              = Restoring Classic Monsters - Doctor Who The Fan Show
}}
}}
{{Incarnations of Morbius}}
{{incarnations of Morbius}}
'''Morbius''', also known near the end of his [[First Morbius|first life]] as '''the General''', was a notorious and malevolent [[renegade Time Lord]]. His career was the first in millennia to dramatically alter [[Gallifrey]]'s relations with the wider [[universe]]. He attempted to overturn Gallifrey's [[non-interference policy]] in favour of [[military]] conquest, a controversial move which sparked the Time Lords' first and greatest [[Civil War]]. He failed, was [[exile]]d and eventually executed, only to survive, saved by [[Cult of Morbius|his followers]].
The '''second incarnation''' of the [[Time Lord]] criminal '''[[Morbius]]''' was an artificial, monstrous form created for him by the scientist [[Mehendri Solon]], referred to in some accounts as "the '''Morbius Monster'''". ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Doctor Who and the Brain of Morbius (novelisation)}}, {{cs|Monsters and Villains (reference book)}}) Following his botched execution, Morbius was reduced to a disembodied brain, which Solon installed in a monstrous new patchwork body. Although not the product of [[regeneration]], the Monster was considered distinguishable enough from Morbius' [[First Morbius|original incarnation]] to appear separately from it as one of the faces in his [[mindbending]] duel with the [[Fourth Doctor]].


== Biography ==
== Biography ==
=== Incarnations of Morbius ===
=== Creation ===
* Morbius's [[First Morbius|original incarnation]] ([[TV]]: ''[[The Brain of Morbius (TV story)|The Brain of Morbius]]'') was a charismatic man slightly below medium height, with "classically handsome" features and a domed forehead. He served as [[President of the High Council]] before being deposed, taking on the name of "the General". He was ultimately executed. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Warmonger (novel)|Warmonger]]'')
After the execution of his [[First Morbius|original incarnation]], Morbius's follower [[Mehendri Solon]] absconded with his still-living [[brain]], which he kept alive in his secret laboratory on [[Karn]].
* After his brain was salvaged, Morbius was transplanted into a [[Second Morbius|new body]] by [[Mehendri Solon]]. An unstable patchwork of parts from various species, topped by a purely artificial brain-case, the "monster" was hounded off the edge of a cliff by the [[Sisterhood of Karn]] and destroyed shortly after Morbius had been transplanted in this body. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Brain of Morbius (TV story)|The Brain of Morbius]]'')
 
* Using a fragment of Morbius's original brain and biodata from [[Straxus]], the [[Cult of Morbius]] managed to effect a full [[regeneration]] from the brain fragment, with Morbius resurrected in a [[Third Morbius|new Time Lord body]]. However, he needed frequent transfusions of biodata from Straxus to keep himself stable. This resurrection was later temporally undone, with only Straxus and [[Lucie Miller]] remembering the [[aborted timeline]]. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Vengeance of Morbius (audio story)|The Vengeance of Morbius]]'')
[[File:Morbius the monster.jpg|right|thumb|The body crafted for Morbius by [[Mehendri Solon|Solon]]. ([[TV]]: {{cs|The Brain of Morbius (TV story)}})]]
Over the years, Solon acquired a great many body parts, which he used to create Morbius's new body. These included [[lung]]s from a [[Birastrop]], a left arm from Solon's unknowing assistant [[Condo]] and a claw for his right arm. During this time, Morbius hid his presence from the Sisterhood by placing a barrier around his mind, and his hatred for them had increased. This plan to create a new body for Morbius and wreak vengeance was nearing completion when the [[Fourth Doctor]] and his [[companion]] [[Sarah Jane Smith]] arrived at his [[castle]] on Karn.
 
By this point, Morbius had become increasingly antagonistic towards Solon, frustrated by the [[scientist]]'s never-ending promises. He didn't care about what he looked like in his new body, he only wished to walk, to feel and to see again. He likened himself to "a [[sponge]] beneath the [[sea]]", though he noted that a sponge had more life than what he was going through. He pitied his fate, which he saw as tragic, mourning that when he led the High Council on Gallifrey, he had "dreamed the greatest dreams of history". ([[TV]]: {{cs|The Brain of Morbius (TV story)}})
 
=== A new body ===
The haphazardly-assembled body lacked a head to hold the brain of Morbius, so Solon planned to use the Doctor's head. After Morbius's brain was damaged during a fall when Condo fought with Solon on discovering his arm was being used, Solon was forced to use a [[plastic]] braincase. He had not used this before as there was the danger of a [[static electricity]] build-up which would probably damage the brain. Morbius was unable to speak for some time due to the damage sustained. Eventually, Solon was able to repair this but was killed soon afterwards when the Doctor poisoned him with [[cyanide]] [[gas]]. As Morbius proclaimed his return to power, he was challenged to a [[mindbending]] contest by the Doctor, who informed him that he doubted Morbius's power after his brain had spent so long trapped in the tank, and agreed.
 
[[File:Long way down.jpg|left|thumb|Morbius falls from a cliff. ([[TV]]: {{cs|The Brain of Morbius (TV story)}})]]
Morbius was apparently winning the contest, but the static build-up left him in a dazed, animalistic state. He didn't speak again, only groaning in agony. Upon leaving Solon's castle, he was chased by the [[Sisterhood of Karn]], surrounded and forced over the edge of a high cliff, apparently falling to his death. ([[TV]]: {{cs|The Brain of Morbius (TV story)}})
 
=== Reduced to a brain once more ===
After the Doctor left Karn, the Sisterhood went to the bottom of the cliff and recovered what was left of Morbius's "not entirely destroyed" brain. [[Ohica]] led the wounded Morbius to the [[Death Zone]] to use the remains of Rassilon to give Morbius immortality. Ohica discovered that [[Iris Wildthyme]] had infiltrated the Sisterhood and used the [[Time Scoop]] to bring seven of Iris' own incarnations to Death Zone. The Irises were able to get past the [[Ice Warrior]]s, [[Ogron]]s, [[Sea Devil]]s, [[Zarbi]], [[Mechanoid]]s and [[Quark]]s that Ohica time scooped to the Death Zone and defeated Morbius before he gained immortality. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Verdigris (novel)}}) [[The gathering of the Irises in the Death Zone|This adventure]] would be often alluded to by Iris. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|The Scarlet Empress (novel)}}, {{cs|The Blue Angel (novel)}}, {{cs|Bafflement and Devotion (short story)}}, etc.)
 
Morbius cultists would later acquire fragments of Morbius's brain and use them to resurrect him in a [[Third Morbius|new and more humanoid, though unstable, body]]. ([[AUDIO]]: {{cs|The Vengeance of Morbius (audio story)}})
 
=== Legacy ===
[[File:Morbius DWM illustration.jpg|thumb|right|The Fourth Doctor summons the Morbius Monster. ([[AUDIO]]: {{cs|Morbius (audio story)}})]]
In a battle with another resurrected aspect of Morbius, that of the ''mind'' of Morbius, a [[matrix projection]] of the [[Fourth Doctor]] summoned a [[hard light]] projection of the Morbius Monster to fight on his behalf. ([[AUDIO]]: {{cs|Morbius (audio story)}})
 
In the [[video game]] ''[[Happy Deathday]]'', played by [[Izzy Sinclair]] on the [[Time-Space Visualiser]], Morbius was among a host of "every single [[enemy]]" that [[the Doctor]] had ever [[defeat]]ed, who were assembled by the [[Beige Guardian]] and pitted against the Doctor's first eight [[incarnation]]s. ([[COMIC]]: {{cs|Happy Deathday (comic story)}})
 
The TV show ''[[Doctor Who (in-universe)|Doctor Who]]'', which existed as a popular work of [[fiction]] on [[Earth]], had featured "the Brain of Morbius" as an antagonist by [[1981]]. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Fanboys (short story)}})
 
== Appearance ==
The body built for Morbius by Solon was a lumbering, asymmetrical creature, ([[TV]]: {{cs|The Brain of Morbius (TV story)}}) a "hideous hybrid of alien life forms", made up of "bits of other creatures; (...) fur, scales and even feathers were jumbled together in a ghastly parody of life". ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Doctor Who and the Brain of Morbius (novelisation)}}) His left arm was human, having been taken from Solon's assistant [[Condo]] while the right was an enormous, crab-like [[claw]]. With Solon unable to graft an organic head quickly enough to satisfy his master's wishes, the finished product utilised a clear glass brain-case to contain Morbius's original Gallifreyan brain, with two trumpet-like "horns" jutting out of it. ([[TV]]: {{cs|The Brain of Morbius (TV story)}})
 
== Personality ==
Following his long years of being trapped in a tank as a disembodied brain, the Morbius Monster was a combination of depressed and vengeful, resenting the universe for what had happened to him. He retained his former arrogance, however, claiming that he was still "a Time Lord of the [[First Rank]]" (something which the [[Fourth Doctor]] doubted). ([[TV]]: {{cs|The Brain of Morbius (TV story)}})
 
== Behind the scenes ==
== Behind the scenes ==
* [[The Imperator]] as featured or mentioned the [[Faction Paradox (series)|''Faction Paradox'' series]] fills the same place in Time Lord history as Morbius, and the authorial intent is clearly that "the Imperator" be read as a title or alias of Morbius. However, as none of the stories featuring the Imperator held the licence to the character or name of Morbius, this Wiki does not acknowledge them to be the same individual. Interestingly, the Imperator's contemporary in ''Faction Paradox'', [[the War King]], is for his part implied to be a future version of [[the Master]]; this would, logically, mean that "Morbius" was a contemporary of [[the Doctor]] themselves.
*In ''The Brain of Morbius'', the Monster was referred to simply as "Morbius". He was first given the name "Morbius Monster" in [[Doctor Who and the Brain of Morbius (novelisation)|the novelisation]] and later in [[Justin Richards]]'s 2005 reference book [[PROSE]]: ''[[Monsters and Villains (reference book)|Monsters and Villains]]''.
* Morbius was named after Dr Edward Morbius from the 1956 film {{wi|Forbidden Planet}}. ([[INFO]]: ''[[The Brain of Morbius (TV story)|The Brain of Morbius]]'')
 
* Morbius was referenced in [[Craig Hinton]] and Chris McKeon's ''Time's Champion'', a sequel to Hinton's ''[[Millennial Rites (novel)|Millennial Rites]]'' and ''[[The Quantum Archangel (novel)|The Quantum Archangel]]''. It was revealed Morbius fathered twin children, the Children of Contempt, with an unknown renegade Time Lady.
{{TitleSort}}


== External links ==
[[Category:Incarnations of Morbius]]
{{fpx|Imperator|Imperator}}
{{Presidency}}
{{Maruthea}}
{{NameSort}}
[[Category:Morbius]]
[[Category:Renegade Time Lords]]
[[Category:Renegade Time Lords]]
[[Category:Time Lord Presidents]]
[[Category:Cult leaders]]
[[Category:Cult leaders]]
[[Category:Individuals with psychic powers]]
[[Category:Individuals with psychic powers]]
[[Category:Murderers]]
[[Category:Murderers]]
[[Category:Residents of Gallifrey]]
[[Category:Biologically modified individuals]]
[[Category:Biologically modified individuals]]
[[Category:Time Lords who have been to Maruthea]]
[[Category:Time Lords who have been to Maruthea]]
[[Category:Resurrected individuals]]
[[Category:Military officers]]
[[Category:Criminals]]
[[Category:Criminals]]
[[Category:Patrexes]]
[[Category:Patrexes]]

Revision as of 00:02, 11 September 2024

The second incarnation of the Time Lord criminal Morbius was an artificial, monstrous form created for him by the scientist Mehendri Solon, referred to in some accounts as "the Morbius Monster". (PROSE: Doctor Who and the Brain of Morbius [+]Loading...["Doctor Who and the Brain of Morbius (novelisation)"], Monsters and Villains [+]Loading...["Monsters and Villains (reference book)"]) Following his botched execution, Morbius was reduced to a disembodied brain, which Solon installed in a monstrous new patchwork body. Although not the product of regeneration, the Monster was considered distinguishable enough from Morbius' original incarnation to appear separately from it as one of the faces in his mindbending duel with the Fourth Doctor.

Biography

Creation

After the execution of his original incarnation, Morbius's follower Mehendri Solon absconded with his still-living brain, which he kept alive in his secret laboratory on Karn.

The body crafted for Morbius by Solon. (TV: The Brain of Morbius [+]Loading...["The Brain of Morbius (TV story)"])

Over the years, Solon acquired a great many body parts, which he used to create Morbius's new body. These included lungs from a Birastrop, a left arm from Solon's unknowing assistant Condo and a claw for his right arm. During this time, Morbius hid his presence from the Sisterhood by placing a barrier around his mind, and his hatred for them had increased. This plan to create a new body for Morbius and wreak vengeance was nearing completion when the Fourth Doctor and his companion Sarah Jane Smith arrived at his castle on Karn.

By this point, Morbius had become increasingly antagonistic towards Solon, frustrated by the scientist's never-ending promises. He didn't care about what he looked like in his new body, he only wished to walk, to feel and to see again. He likened himself to "a sponge beneath the sea", though he noted that a sponge had more life than what he was going through. He pitied his fate, which he saw as tragic, mourning that when he led the High Council on Gallifrey, he had "dreamed the greatest dreams of history". (TV: The Brain of Morbius [+]Loading...["The Brain of Morbius (TV story)"])

A new body

The haphazardly-assembled body lacked a head to hold the brain of Morbius, so Solon planned to use the Doctor's head. After Morbius's brain was damaged during a fall when Condo fought with Solon on discovering his arm was being used, Solon was forced to use a plastic braincase. He had not used this before as there was the danger of a static electricity build-up which would probably damage the brain. Morbius was unable to speak for some time due to the damage sustained. Eventually, Solon was able to repair this but was killed soon afterwards when the Doctor poisoned him with cyanide gas. As Morbius proclaimed his return to power, he was challenged to a mindbending contest by the Doctor, who informed him that he doubted Morbius's power after his brain had spent so long trapped in the tank, and agreed.

Morbius falls from a cliff. (TV: The Brain of Morbius [+]Loading...["The Brain of Morbius (TV story)"])

Morbius was apparently winning the contest, but the static build-up left him in a dazed, animalistic state. He didn't speak again, only groaning in agony. Upon leaving Solon's castle, he was chased by the Sisterhood of Karn, surrounded and forced over the edge of a high cliff, apparently falling to his death. (TV: The Brain of Morbius [+]Loading...["The Brain of Morbius (TV story)"])

Reduced to a brain once more

After the Doctor left Karn, the Sisterhood went to the bottom of the cliff and recovered what was left of Morbius's "not entirely destroyed" brain. Ohica led the wounded Morbius to the Death Zone to use the remains of Rassilon to give Morbius immortality. Ohica discovered that Iris Wildthyme had infiltrated the Sisterhood and used the Time Scoop to bring seven of Iris' own incarnations to Death Zone. The Irises were able to get past the Ice Warriors, Ogrons, Sea Devils, Zarbi, Mechanoids and Quarks that Ohica time scooped to the Death Zone and defeated Morbius before he gained immortality. (PROSE: Verdigris [+]Loading...["Verdigris (novel)"]) This adventure would be often alluded to by Iris. (PROSE: The Scarlet Empress [+]Loading...["The Scarlet Empress (novel)"], The Blue Angel [+]Loading...["The Blue Angel (novel)"], Bafflement and Devotion [+]Loading...["Bafflement and Devotion (short story)"], etc.)

Morbius cultists would later acquire fragments of Morbius's brain and use them to resurrect him in a new and more humanoid, though unstable, body. (AUDIO: The Vengeance of Morbius [+]Loading...["The Vengeance of Morbius (audio story)"])

Legacy

The Fourth Doctor summons the Morbius Monster. (AUDIO: Morbius [+]Loading...["Morbius (audio story)"])

In a battle with another resurrected aspect of Morbius, that of the mind of Morbius, a matrix projection of the Fourth Doctor summoned a hard light projection of the Morbius Monster to fight on his behalf. (AUDIO: Morbius [+]Loading...["Morbius (audio story)"])

In the video game Happy Deathday, played by Izzy Sinclair on the Time-Space Visualiser, Morbius was among a host of "every single enemy" that the Doctor had ever defeated, who were assembled by the Beige Guardian and pitted against the Doctor's first eight incarnations. (COMIC: Happy Deathday [+]Loading...["Happy Deathday (comic story)"])

The TV show Doctor Who, which existed as a popular work of fiction on Earth, had featured "the Brain of Morbius" as an antagonist by 1981. (PROSE: Fanboys [+]Loading...["Fanboys (short story)"])

Appearance

The body built for Morbius by Solon was a lumbering, asymmetrical creature, (TV: The Brain of Morbius [+]Loading...["The Brain of Morbius (TV story)"]) a "hideous hybrid of alien life forms", made up of "bits of other creatures; (...) fur, scales and even feathers were jumbled together in a ghastly parody of life". (PROSE: Doctor Who and the Brain of Morbius [+]Loading...["Doctor Who and the Brain of Morbius (novelisation)"]) His left arm was human, having been taken from Solon's assistant Condo while the right was an enormous, crab-like claw. With Solon unable to graft an organic head quickly enough to satisfy his master's wishes, the finished product utilised a clear glass brain-case to contain Morbius's original Gallifreyan brain, with two trumpet-like "horns" jutting out of it. (TV: The Brain of Morbius [+]Loading...["The Brain of Morbius (TV story)"])

Personality

Following his long years of being trapped in a tank as a disembodied brain, the Morbius Monster was a combination of depressed and vengeful, resenting the universe for what had happened to him. He retained his former arrogance, however, claiming that he was still "a Time Lord of the First Rank" (something which the Fourth Doctor doubted). (TV: The Brain of Morbius [+]Loading...["The Brain of Morbius (TV story)"])

Behind the scenes