Dexter Morgan is the lead and title character of both the Dexter Book Series and Dexter Comics, all written by Jeff Lindsay. Dexter is a charming yet sophisticated forensic blood-spatter analyst who just so happens to be a Serial killer.
The character and novel Darkly Dreaming Dexter inspired the SHOWTIME series DEXTER which follows the events of Darkly Dreaming Dexter throughout Season One with several key differences (notably Debra Morgan does not find out about Dexter's true life but Deborah Morgan does, Maria LaGuerta is alive while her counterpart Migdia LaGuerta is not and Dexter's biological brother, Brian Moser dies at the end of the season while Brian Moser in the novels survives and has returned in at least two novels to date). Season Two onward diverges itself from the Novel's timeline and makes the series a separate universe altogether with new characters, events, and deaths that have not occurred in the novels (thus far).
Dexter Morgan as far as difference in character is far more "human" in the TV series, starting to discover the importance of love for friends and family throughout midway into Season One and then each season after this tests his emotional state in one way or the other. Season Two tests his ability to accept his Dark Passenger after killing his brother Brian Moser while also dealing with the relationship issues with his girlfriend Rita Bennett, Season Three sees Dexter opting for marriage while also finding out he's a father-to-be (when Rita becomes pregnant) in addition to finding a friend that he shows the "true" him to but unfortunately finds that his friend merely used him for personal gain, Season Four has Dexter as a father and husband struggling to figure out how to survive for years to come and seeks assistance from Arthur Mitchell, a serial-killer family man who has murdered for over 30 years. Season Five provides Dexter the loss of his beloved Rita, with her dying at the end of the previous season he struggles to cope with this loss by first killing people but then deciding to aide a woman named Lumen Pierce who he becomes romantically involved with and in turn finally moves passed the grief and guilt of Rita's death. Season Six throws Dexter into religion and his relationship with just his son Harrison, also gaining a friend by the name of Brother Sam then losing him shortly thereafter while also in a sense gaining back his brother, Brian Moser.
During a unknown period of time at Coconut Grove High School, Dexter was bullied by a cuban student known as Steve Gonzalez. After a pep talk with his father Harry, Dexter went all the way to make Steve pay for his abuse to the point of managing to get Steve on his table, however he was ultimately interrupted and unable to kill Steve.
When Dexter reaches a sexually mature age, he realizes that he is uninterested in sex and needs instruction by his father on how to act with women.
When Dexter was 18, Harry fell ill of coronary artery disease and was confined to a hospital where Harry spots a nurse who kills people by overdosing them on morphine. Harry gives Dexter his permission to kill her. However, Harry realizes he made a mistake when Dexter returns.
As stated in Darkly Dreaming Dexter, at some point after high school, Dexter went and completed his studies at the University of Miami.
Plot
Dexter Morgan is the title character of each of the books in the series and as such has been the main focus of each novel, mostly told from his perspective.
Near the end of the first book Brian and Dexter meet in a storage container similar to the one they were held in as children, and Brian recounts what happened. He says that one of the bodies they were surrounded by could have been their father for all they knew. Deborah is awake when Dexter arrives at the cargo container, and she learns of Dexter's hobby as a serial killer. After the death of Detective LaGuerta, Deborah begins to accept Dexter.
During Dearly Devoted Dexter, Dexter is forced to 'wear' his disguise all the time after finding out that Sergeant Doakes is following him, trying to catch him in the act of killing somebody. In desperation, Dexter tries to find something out about Doakes that might be useful in getting Doakes off his tail. However, he finds out very little.
Dexter realizes that Doakes and Kyle Chutsky know each other after Doakes has Captain Matthews call in help from Washington when a still-alive and heavily-dismembered body is found. Dexter learns from Deborah and Chutsky that Doakes served in a black-ops mission in El Salvador, and he also learns about Dr. Danco, the man responsible for the mutilated body. However, Chutsky himself is taken and Deborah pleads with Dexter to find him. Luckily for Dexter, he finds a new friend, Someone who understands his lizard brain. Luis Barba, is introduced in the book as dexters new side kick and student, he helps dexter a lot by confusing doakes and taking some of the attention away from dex.
Not long after, Dr. Danco sends Deborah Chutsky's finger with the ring still attached. Dexter keeps the ring to give back to Deborah, but Rita finds it and believes that Dexter was meaning to propose to her.
Dexter, Deborah and Doakes work together to try to find other members of the El Salvador unit. During a chase through Miami, Dr. Danco runs Dexter and Deborah off the road, and it is left to Dexter to find Dr. Danco and Chutsky. Dexter and Doakes set up a trap to lure the doctor. The trap works too well - Dr. Danco takes Doakes. Dexter traces Doakes' cell phone to an alligator farm where he finds Chutsky and helps him escape, but Dr. Danco escapes with Doakes. Deborah and Chutsky ask for Dexter's aid in finding Dr. Danco once more, however Dexter himself is captured by Dr. Danco and it is only due to the timely arrival of Deborah and Chutsky that saves him.
In Dexter in the Dark, the third novel of the series, it is revealed through third person narrative of an entity referred to as "IT" that the Dark Passenger is an independent agent inhabiting Dexter, rather than a deviant psychological construction. Later, Dexter realizes the Dark Passenger is related to Moloch, a Middle Eastern deity worshiped in Biblical times. The Dark Passenger is one of Moloch's many offspring; Moloch had many children (formed through human sacrifice), and learned to share its knowledge with them. Eventually, there were too many, and Moloch killed the majority; however, some of them escaped into the world. In the novel, Dexter learns of the Dark Passenger's true nature when it briefly "leaves" him, frightening him into researching possible reasons for its existence. Dexter comes to accept his role as stepfather to both children very seriously in Dexter in the Dark, albeit in his typical fashion. For example, while on a stakeout, he begins to wonder if Cody had brushed his teeth before bed and if Astor had set out her Easter dress for picture day at her school. These thoughts distract him from hunting an intended victim, which thoroughly annoys him.
Dexter by Design is the fourth book in Jeff Lindsay's series about Dexter Morgan, a Miami blood spatter analyst and vigilante serial killer. Here, Lindsay deviates from the supernatural subtext of the previous book, Dexter in the Dark, and focuses on the psychological suspense. The book opens in Paris, with Dexter and Rita on their honeymoon. There, while visiting an art gallery, Dexter and Rita are introduced to the concept of body parts being used as art by an avant-garde performance piece called "Jennifer's Leg" in which the artist amputates her own limb. When they return to Miami, Dexter crosses paths with two new enemies; a suspicious homicide detective, and a new serial killer in town targeting tourists.
In Dexter is Delicious, Dexter finally decides to give up his dark hobby after witnessing the birth of his daughter Lily Anne. He believes that for the first time in his life he is feeling genuine emotion.
During the novel, Dexter is reacquainted with his brother Brian, who knows about Dexter's child. Dexter struggles with the burden of feeling emotions while attempting to give up his serial killing life. At one point, Dexter indulges himself after getting angry, but he immediately vows not to do it again.
At the end of the novel, Dexter sets out to kill Bobby Acosta, the cannibal son of a city commissioner who gets away with murder and cannibalism, after Deborah realizes that Bobby's father will simply pay for the entire thing to disappear.
In this Novel Dexter is unwitting spotted while performing his Hobby. This person soon begins to torment Dexter while also beginning their own killing spree. Dexter finds himself in a game of Cat and Mouse, as Dexter tries to find his tormentors Identity, because they do know his.
Following the novels continuity, the first volume of the DEXTER comics follows Dexter Morgan and his now Detective sister Deborah Morgan as they deal with a figure from Dexter's past.
While a mustached man is ready to assault an innocent on a dark alley, Dexter approaches the man and asks for some change, however when the man tries to attack Dexter with a knife, Dexter rapidly uses M99 to bring him down and finds out his Dark Passenger was not wrong and this subject is indeed a killer, Dexter proceeds to kill the man with a knife.
The very next day, Dexter and Rita talk about Dexter's High School Reunion at Coconut Grove High School, which they assist that very night. Continuing his attitude of faking human emotions, Dexter blends in the party and dances, but his facade is interrupted when a figure from his past returns, Steve Gonzalez. Dexter suddenly flashbacks to those years in High school were Steve bullied him. During that time, while Harry was still alive, he advised Dexter to stand up and show a bully the wrong of his ways. Dexter took this chance and finally got Steve on his table. However before Dexter could do anything to Steve, the janitor found him in fraganti and stopped Steve's sure demise.
Dexter fears Steve's return is not a coincidence
Back to the present, Dexter's Dark Passenger reacts to this unexpected encounter and although Steve states he is a changed man (thanks to Dexter and their confrontation years ago), Dexter's Dark Passenger thinks otherwise.
The next day, Dexter reports to duty to assist on the recent death of murder victim Arthur Bleek. When Deborah and Dexter find the victim is connected to the New Hope Foundation, an institution owned by Steve Gonzalez, Dexter suspects this man's death and Gonzalez's return are not a coincidence.
Dexter has been incapacitaded by Steve Gonzalez. He is taken captive by Steve and his men to the famous Mar Dorado resort, located on an island, which is owned by Steve. There Dexter finds out the so called patients of Mar Dorado are been used as slaves to build the local.
When Dexter verbally threatens Steve, the latter commands his henchman Octavio to tazze Dexter, to which Dexter faints.
Dexter cuts his tongue.
Dexter grows a beard, on a remote location far from metropolitan cities...sounds familiar.
Now, an unknown amount of days pass, and while been supervised personally by Octavio, Dexter is forced into slave labor just like the rest of the people on the island. A fellow slave co-worker disturbs and mocks Dexter, to which the latter reacts by cutting the subject's tongue. Octavio beats Dexter because of this, and Dexter is sent back to work. Dexter waits patiently for Deborah, as he knows she will start looking for him once she realizes he is lost. Deborah indeed arrives to Mar Dorado but not in the way he expected. Deborah is too, taken captive to the island.
Both Dexter and Deborah are taken to a warehouse in Mar Dorado, and are tied up to x-shaped metallic plates inside what seems as Steve's Killroom. Steve is sitting on a somewhat throne on the warehouse and explains them how the death of Deveaux and Bleek were rushed. He states that he will not make the same mistakes again and will take his time to kill both Dexter and Deborah.
Steve is prepared to kill Dexter with a pitchfork, however he is interrupted when an alarm goes off and leaves the task to Octavio. In the midst of the discussion, Dexter manages to free himself and attacks Octavio out of Deborah's view. Dexter grabs the pitchfork left by Steve and is prepared to kill Octavio, however Deborah's cry of help interrupts him. Neverthless he proceeds to stabb Octavio on the neck, killing him. Dexter proceeds to rescue Deborah and both escape and pursue Steve.
Dexter and Deborah are unable to chase Steve as he escapes on his yacht and are then captured by members of the F.B.I. who arrived at the island. They are eventually released as they were victims of Steve. Dexter theorizes Steve could have gone to Venezuela.
Eventually Dexter travels to Venezuela and indeed finds an unsuspecting Steve. While Steve walks into a dark alley, Dexter kills him off panel. A red moon shines as Dexter is back as cunning as ever.
Dexter is contacted by Captain Matthews, who tells Dexter he is been requested for assistance at somewhere exotic - Australia.
Freshly arrived to the airport he is received by a group of cops whom he thinks are coming for him because of his Dark Passenger actions, needless to say they are not greeting him for that, on the contrary, Sergeant Shawna Wiggs, is the Sergeant who requested his assistance in the first place. Dexter and Shawna seem to like each other despite having just met for a couple of minutes, Dexter states he is surprised Shawna is so good looking, she says the same of him. Shawna then scorts Dexter to the Canberra Police HQ.
Shawna and Dexter enter the farm by ripping a hole in the fence surrounding it. Dexter lifts Shawna to view the insides of the farm, only to find out a group of inmigrants are imprisoned in cages. After such discovery, they try to escape but are surprised by Bruce Grigsby who takes both down by shooting both in the chest with a shotgun.
Known Victims
Main article: Dexter's Kill List/Novels
The following is a list of Dexter most prominent victims in the novels:
Alex Doncevic - Thought to be one of the killers displaying corpses in public, Dexter killed him. He later finds out Doncevic was not a killer, he and Brandon Weiss were just stealing corpses of already dead people from the morgue and displaying them with decorations. Doncevic's death caused Brandon to become an actual serial killer. Alex became the first somewhat innocent victim of Dexter.
Attempted
Debra Morgan - Influenced by his newfound biological brother Brian, Dexter reluctanly attempts to kill his adoptive sister Deborah, but in a rapid change of mind, he does not go through with it against his brother wishes.
Interesting side note, Dexter has never killed a main antagonist in the novels. While he indeed killed a main antagonist, Steve Gonzalez, this happened in the comic books.
Author Jeff Lindsay in talking about Double Dexter refers to Dexter as a man you shouldn't be seduced by. ""Some believe that Dexter cares about justice. Dexter doesn't care about justice, he cares about killing,""...this differentiates the serial killer in the TV series that appears to have some sense of justice (such as his actions in Season Two) from the one in the novels, making him more inhuman.[1]
Despite the fact that Michael C. Hall's likeness can not be used on the comics, the cover of issue #5 clearly resembles a Dexter with the hairstyle and face traits of his television counterpart.
