Moon Knight is a
fiction
Fiction is any creative work, chiefly any narrative work, portraying individuals, events, or places that are imaginary, or in ways that are imaginary. Fictional portrayals are thus inconsistent with history, fact, or plausibility. In a traditi ...
al
character
Character or Characters may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''Character'' (novel), a 1936 Dutch novel by Ferdinand Bordewijk
* ''Characters'' (Theophrastus), a classical Greek set of character sketches attributed to The ...
appearing in
American comic book
An American comic book is a thin periodical originating in the United States, on average 32 pages, containing comics. While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publication of ''Action Comics'' ...
s published by
Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
. Created by writer
Doug Moench
Douglas Moench (; born February 23, 1948) is an American comic book writer notable for his ''Batman'' work and as the creator of Moon Knight, Deathlok, Black Mask, '' Electric Warrior'' and '' Six from Sirius''. He is also known for his critica ...
and artist
Don Perlin
Don Perlin (; born August 27, 1929) is an American comic book artist, writer, and editor. He is best known for Marvel Comics' ''Werewolf by Night'', ''Moon Knight'' (a character he co-created), '' The Defenders'', and ''Ghost Rider''. In the 1990s ...
, the character first appeared in ''
Werewolf by Night
The Werewolf by Night (usually referred to by other characters simply as the Werewolf) is the name applied to two fictional characters who are werewolves appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first incarnation of We ...
'' #32 (August
1975
It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe.
Events
January
* January 1 - Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...
).
The son of a
rabbi
A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as ''semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of ...
, Marc Spector served as a
Force Recon Marine and briefly as a
CIA
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian intelligence agency, foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gat ...
operative before becoming a
mercenary
A mercenary, sometimes also known as a soldier of fortune or hired gun, is a private individual, particularly a soldier, that joins a military conflict for personal profit, is otherwise an outsider to the conflict, and is not a member of any o ...
alongside his friend
Jean-Paul "Frenchie" DuChamp. During a job in
Sudan
Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...
, Spector is appalled when ruthless fellow mercenary
Raoul Bushman attacks and kills archeologist Dr. Alraune in front of the man's daughter and colleague,
Marlene Alraune
Marlene may refer to:
People
* Marlene (given name), including a list of people with the name
* Marlene (Burmese businesswoman), Nang Kham Noung (born 1991)
* Marlene (Japanese singer) (born 1960), a Filipina jazz singer active in Japan
Film
* ' ...
. After fighting Bushman and being left for dead, a mortally wounded Spector reaches Alraune's recently unearthed tomb and is placed before a statue of the
Egyptian
Egyptian describes something of, from, or related to Egypt.
Egyptian or Egyptians may refer to:
Nations and ethnic groups
* Egyptians, a national group in North Africa
** Egyptian culture, a complex and stable culture with thousands of years of ...
moon god
A lunar deity or moon deity is a deity who represents the Moon, or an aspect of it. These deities can have a variety of functions and traditions depending upon the culture, but they are often related. Lunar deities and Moon worship can be foun ...
Khonshu. Spector dies, then suddenly revives, fully healed. He claims Khonshu wants him to be the "moon's knight", the left "Fist of Khonshu", redeeming his life of violence by now protecting and avenging the innocent. While early stories imply Spector is merely insane, it is later revealed Khonshu is real, one of several entities from the Othervoid (a dimension outside normal time and space) once worshipped by ancient Earth people. On his return to the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
, Spector invests his mercenary profits into becoming the crimefighter "Moon Knight", aided by Frenchie and Marlene Alraune, who becomes his lover and eventually the mother of his daughter. Along with his costumed alter ego, he primarily uses three other identities to gain information from different social circles:
billionaire
A billionaire is a person with a net worth of at least one billion (1,000,000,000, i.e., a thousand million) units of a given currency, usually of a major currency such as the United States dollar, euro, or pound sterling. The American busin ...
businessman
A businessperson, businessman, or businesswoman is an individual who has founded, owns, or holds shares in (including as an angel investor) a private-sector company. A businessperson undertakes activities (commercial or industrial) for th ...
Steven Grant,
taxicab
A taxi, also known as a taxicab or simply a cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice ...
driver Jake Lockley, and suited
detective
A detective is an investigator, usually a member of a law enforcement agency. They often collect information to solve crimes by talking to witnesses and informants, collecting physical evidence, or searching records in databases. This leads th ...
and police
consultant
A consultant (from la, consultare "to deliberate") is a professional (also known as ''expert'', ''specialist'', see variations of meaning below) who provides advice and other purposeful activities in an area of specialization.
Consulting servic ...
Mr. Knight.
It is later revealed Moon Knight has
dissociative identity disorder
Dissociative identity disorder (DID), better known as multiple personality disorder or multiple personality syndrome, is a mental disorder characterized by the presence of at least two distinct and relatively enduring personality states.
The di ...
(DID) (incorrectly referred to as
schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by continuous or relapsing episodes of psychosis. Major symptoms include hallucinations (typically hearing voices), delusions, and disorganized thinking. Other symptoms include social withdra ...
in some stories) and that the alters known as Grant and Lockley originally manifested during his childhood. Other subsequent alter egos who do not assume the Moon Knight identity have emerged at other points during his adulthood, including a
werewolf
In folklore, a werewolf (), or occasionally lycanthrope (; ; uk, Вовкулака, Vovkulaka), is an individual that can shapeshift into a wolf (or, especially in modern film, a therianthropic hybrid wolf-like creature), either purposely or ...
-fighting
astronaut
An astronaut (from the Ancient Greek (), meaning 'star', and (), meaning 'sailor') is a person trained, equipped, and deployed by a human spaceflight program to serve as a commander or crew member aboard a spacecraft. Although generally r ...
;
impersonator
An impersonator is someone who imitates or copies the behavior or actions of another. There are many reasons for impersonating someone:
*Entertainment: An entertainer impersonates a celebrity, generally for entertainment, and makes fun of ...
s of Khonshu,
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appeared in the anthology comic book '' Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in the ...
,
Wolverine
The wolverine (), (''Gulo gulo''; ''Gulo'' is Latin for "gluttony, glutton"), also referred to as the glutton, carcajou, or quickhatch (from East Cree, ''kwiihkwahaacheew''), is the largest land-dwelling species of the family Mustelidae. It is ...
,
Captain America
Captain America is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by cartoonists Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, the character First appearance, first appeared in ''#Golden Age, Captain America Comics'' #1 (cover ...
,
Iron Man
Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby. The charact ...
, and
Echo
In audio signal processing and acoustics, an echo is a reflection of sound that arrives at the listener with a delay after the direct sound. The delay is directly proportional to the distance of the reflecting surface from the source and the lis ...
; and a red-haired little girl known as the Inner Child (who first appeared in the
Ultimate Marvel
Ultimate Marvel, later known as Ultimate Comics, was an imprint of comic books published by Marvel Comics, featuring re-imagined and modernized versions of the company's superhero characters from the Ultimate Marvel Universe. Those characters in ...
continuity). It is debated in different stories whether Spector has genuine DID due to childhood trauma or if his similar symptoms are the result of "brain damage" caused by his psychic connection to Khonshu, a connection compelling his personality to shift between the four major aspects of the moon god's multi-faceted nature ("the traveler", "the pathfinder", "the embracer", and "the defender of those who travel at night"). Khonshu claims he created a psychic connection with Spector, Grant, and Lockley when the latter were young, decades before they became Moon Knight.
In most of his stories, Moon Knight has no supernatural abilities beyond occasional visions of mystic insight. He relies on athletic ability, advanced technology, expert combat and detective skills, and a high tolerance for pain based on willpower, training, and experience. Since becoming Moon Knight, there have been multiple occasions when the character has died only to then be resurrected by Khonshu, implying he may now be effectively immortal until the moon god's protection is revoked (whether Khonshu has limitations on how often he can resurrect Spector is unknown). For a time, Moon Knight's strength and resistance to injury could reach superhuman levels depending on the phases of the moon, but this ability later vanished, while the Moon Knight identity is occasionally depicted as an independent alter ego of the others.
The character has made appearances in various media outside of comics, including animated series and video games.
Oscar Isaac
Óscar Isaac Hernández Estrada (born March 9, 1979) is a Guatemalan-born American actor. Known for his versatility, he has been credited with breaking stereotypes about Latino characters in Hollywood. He was named the best actor of his gene ...
portrays
Marc Spector / Moon Knight,
Steven Grant / Mr. Knight, and
Jake Lockley in the
Marvel Cinematic Universe
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appear in American comic books published by ...
live-action television series ''
Moon Knight
Moon Knight is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Doug Moench and artist Don Perlin, the character first appeared in ''Werewolf by Night'' #32 (August 1975).
The son of a rabb ...
'' (2022).
Development
In an interview,
Doug Moench
Douglas Moench (; born February 23, 1948) is an American comic book writer notable for his ''Batman'' work and as the creator of Moon Knight, Deathlok, Black Mask, '' Electric Warrior'' and '' Six from Sirius''. He is also known for his critica ...
recalled the character's genesis: "Somebody mentioned in the office and suggested using the committee, and that I should bring The Committee back, and then I found out who The Committee were and thought, well they're really boring, I don't wanna use them. And then I thought, well wait a minute, how about, if The Committee hires a mercenary, to kill the werewolf. And I thought yeah that's a good idea then I create this new character and it won't be these boring guys in business suits, it would be a flashy character. So I said who is best to kill the werewolf ? Well someone who uses
Silver
Silver is a chemical element with the Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European wikt:Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₂erǵ-, ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, whi ...
weapons because Silver hurts the werewolf. And tied to the night because the werewolf only comes out at night, and I'll base this character on the
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It is the fifth largest satellite in the Solar System and the largest and most massive relative to its parent planet, with a diameter about one-quarter that of Earth (comparable to the width of ...
, because the Moon makes the werewolf change, and this is going to be the opposite of the werewolf, and as soon as I said the Moon I said, ooh I'll have a costume that's just like the Moon, just black and white, jet and silver, no color on the costume."
Don Perlin
Don Perlin (; born August 27, 1929) is an American comic book artist, writer, and editor. He is best known for Marvel Comics' ''Werewolf by Night'', ''Moon Knight'' (a character he co-created), '' The Defenders'', and ''Ghost Rider''. In the 1990s ...
also commented on the character's creation, "We were told we needed a costumed character in the book. So Doug and I created Moon Knight. I wanted the costume to be just black and white. Since he'd be on a color page, that would make him a little bit different. He had a silver baton he could use when he battled werewolves. See, he was hired to track down to kill the werewolf."
Publication history
The character debuted in ''
Werewolf by Night
The Werewolf by Night (usually referred to by other characters simply as the Werewolf) is the name applied to two fictional characters who are werewolves appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first incarnation of We ...
'' #32 (August
1975
It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe.
Events
January
* January 1 - Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...
), written by
Doug Moench
Douglas Moench (; born February 23, 1948) is an American comic book writer notable for his ''Batman'' work and as the creator of Moon Knight, Deathlok, Black Mask, '' Electric Warrior'' and '' Six from Sirius''. He is also known for his critica ...
with art by
Don Perlin
Don Perlin (; born August 27, 1929) is an American comic book artist, writer, and editor. He is best known for Marvel Comics' ''Werewolf by Night'', ''Moon Knight'' (a character he co-created), '' The Defenders'', and ''Ghost Rider''. In the 1990s ...
and
Al Milgrom
Allen L. Milgrom (born March 6, 1950) is an American comic book writer, penciller, inker and editor, primarily for Marvel Comics. He is known for his 10-year run as editor of ''Marvel Fanfare''; his long involvement as writer, penciler, and inker ...
, as a mercenary hired by the Committee to capture the title character. The creative team gave Moon Knight moon-related symbols and silver weapons (a metal poisonous to a werewolf) to mark him as a suitable antagonist for the werewolf hero. The two-part story continues into #33, when Moon Knight realizes Russell is a victim rather than a monster and decides to help him. A demonic vision of Moon Knight then appeared in ''Werewolf by Night'' #37 (March 1976).
Editors
Marv Wolfman
Marvin Arthur Wolfman (born May 13, 1946) is an American comic book and novelization writer. He worked on Marvel Comics's ''The Tomb of Dracula'', for which he and artist Gene Colan created the vampire-slayer Blade, and DC Comics's '' The New Te ...
and
Len Wein
Leonard Norman Wein (; June 12, 1948 – September 10, 2017) was an American comic book writer and editor best known for co-creating DC Comics' Swamp Thing and Marvel Comics' Wolverine, and for helping revive the Marvel superhero team the X-Men ( ...
liked the character and decided to give him a solo story in ''
Marvel Spotlight
''Marvel Spotlight'' is a comic book comics anthology, anthology series published by Marvel Comics as a try-out book. It stood out from Marvel's other try-out books in that most of the featured characters made their first appearance in the series. ...
'' #28–29 (June/August 1976), again written by Doug Moench with art by Don Perlin. The story, along with ''
Spectacular Spider-Man
''The Spectacular Spider-Man'' is a comic book and magazine series starring Spider-Man and published by Marvel Comics.
Following the success of Spider-Man's original series, ''The Amazing Spider-Man'', Marvel felt the character could support ...
'' #22–23 (September/October 1978) written by Bill Mantlo, recast Moon Knight as a more heroic character. His association with the evil Committee during his first appearance was retconned to be an undercover mission he undertook to learn more about the villains. Moon Knight acted as a hero again in ''
Marvel Two-in-One'' #52, written by
Steven Grant with art by Jim Craig. In ''
The Defenders'' #47–51, Moon Knight briefly joined the Defenders during their war against the
Zodiac Cartel.
Moon Knight appeared in recurring backup stories in ''
Hulk! Magazine'' #11–15, #17–18, and #20, as well as a black and white story in the magazine publication ''Marvel Preview'' #21, all written by Doug Moench. Artist
Bill Sienkiewicz
Boleslav William Felix Robert Sienkiewicz ( ; born May 3, 1958) is an American artist known for his work in comic books—particularly for Marvel Comics' ''New Mutants'', '' Moon Knight,'' and '' Elektra: Assassin''. Sienkiewicz's work in the 198 ...
drew Moon Knight in ''Hulk! Magazine'' issues #13–15, 17–18, and #20, creating a new look for the character heavily influenced by the art of
Neal Adams
Neal Adams (June 15, 1941 – April 28, 2022) was an American comic book artist. He was the co-founder of the graphic design studio Continuity Associates, and was a creators-rights advocate who helped secure a pension and recognition for Supe ...
, who at that time was most popular for his work on ''Batman'' and ''Green Lantern/Green Arrow'' for DC Comics. This, along with Moon Knight's methods and the atmosphere of his stories, cemented a perception among some readers that he was Marvel's version of
Batman
Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on ...
. The ''Hulk'' backups and ''Marvel Preview'' issue provided Moon Knight with a partial origin story and introduced his brother, recurring villain Randall Spector (who would later become
Shadow Knight Shadow Knight may refer to:
* Shadow Knight (character), a Marvel Comics supervillain
* ''Shadow Knight'', a supplemental rule book for the ''Amber Diceless Roleplaying Game
The ''Amber Diceless Roleplaying Game'' is a role-playing game created ...
).
Volume 1
Moon Knight received his first ongoing series in 1980, with
Doug Moench
Douglas Moench (; born February 23, 1948) is an American comic book writer notable for his ''Batman'' work and as the creator of Moon Knight, Deathlok, Black Mask, '' Electric Warrior'' and '' Six from Sirius''. He is also known for his critica ...
and Bill Sienkiewicz as its main creative team. The character received an expanded origin story in issue #1, including Spector's "resurrection" in the tomb of Khonshu, suggested by editor Denny O'Neil),
which also introduced several supporting characters as well as recurring enemy
Bushman. Though many characters doubted the moon god Khonshu was real and believed Marc Spector only experienced a hallucination while near death, it was never explained why others, such as Spector's lover Marlene, concluded this when there was no other explanation for Marc's spontaneous recovery from his wounds and a death-like state.
After early sales were good, Marvel made the ''Moon Knight'' series a flagship title available in comic shops starting with issue #15.
The companion mini-series ''Moon Knight: Special Edition'' reprinted the ''Hulk'' and ''Marvel Preview'' Moon Knight stories in color and standard comic format, adapted from their original magazine format. Sienkiewicz stopped penciling the series after issue #30, though he continued to contribute covers until the series ended with issue #38.
Volume 2
In 1985, Marvel retooled the character with a new 6-issue mini-series ''Moon Knight'' by
Alan Zelenetz
Alan Zelenetz is an American film producer and comic-book writer best known for co-creating the series '' Alien Legion'' for the Marvel Comics imprint Epic Comics and a founder of Ovie Entertainment. Zelenetz also wrote several issues of Marvel' ...
and
Chris Warner
Christopher Alexander Warner is a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera ''Shortland Street'' who has been portrayed by Michael Galvin since the show's first episode, making him the longest running original character. Galvin quit the ...
. The mini-series was titled "Fist of Khonshu". Only the first 4 issues were written by Zelenetz, the final two issues were each written by a different author. Along with giving Moon Knight new Egyptian-themed weaponry, this mini-series reveals that Marc Spector's strength now increases in accordance to the phases of the moon.
Marvel Fanfare and West Coast Avengers
Following the "Fist of Khonshu" mini-series, Moon Knight appeared in ''Marvel Fanfare'' for two issues (#30 and #38) and became a regular cast member in ''
West Coast Avengers
The West Coast Avengers is a fictional group of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team first appeared in ''The West Coast Avengers'' #1 (Sept. 1984), created by Roger Stern and Bob Hall. It was the fir ...
'' (#21–41 and ''Annual''s #1–3), written by
Steve Englehart
Steve Englehart (; born April 22, 1947) is an American writer of comic books and novels. He is best known for his work at Marvel Comics and DC Comics in the 1970s and 1980s. His pseudonyms have included John Harkness and Cliff Garnett.
Early li ...
. When
John Byrne became the series writer, Moon Knight was written out of the
West Coast Avengers
The West Coast Avengers is a fictional group of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team first appeared in ''The West Coast Avengers'' #1 (Sept. 1984), created by Roger Stern and Bob Hall. It was the fir ...
team.
Marc Spector: Moon Knight
After a guest spot in ''Punisher Annual'' #2 (part of the "
Atlantis Attacks
"Atlantis Attacks" was a comic book superhero crossover storyline which ran through most of the summer annuals published by Marvel Comics in 1989 and 2020.
The storyline is a complicated, multi-layered crossover regarding the return of the seve ...
" storyline), the character was given a new ongoing title in 1989, ''Marc Spector: Moon Knight,'' originally under the direction of writer
Chuck Dixon
Charles Dixon (born April 14, 1954) is an American comic book writer, best known for his work on the Marvel Comics character the Punisher and on the DC Comics characters Batman, Nightwing, and Robin in the 1990s and early 2000s.
Early life
D ...
. Two one-shots, ''Marc Spector: Moon Knight – Special Edition'' #1 and ''Moon Knight: Divided We Fall,'' were published during the run of the title. Dixon then left the series after issue #24, leaving several storylines unresolved such as the fate of Moon Knight's errant sidekick, the second Midnight, who was seemingly killed by the terrorist organization known as the
Secret Empire. Midnight II's fate and plotline were later resolved in the pages of ''
Amazing Spider-Man
''The Amazing Spider-Man'' is an ongoing American comic book series featuring the Marvel Comics superhero Spider-Man as its main protagonist. Being in the mainstream continuity of the franchise, it began publication in 1963 as a bimonthly ...
'' #353–358, written by
Al Milgrom
Allen L. Milgrom (born March 6, 1950) is an American comic book writer, penciller, inker and editor, primarily for Marvel Comics. He is known for his 10-year run as editor of ''Marvel Fanfare''; his long involvement as writer, penciler, and inker ...
.
''Marc Spector: Moon Knight'' ended with #60 (March 1994). Marc Spector seemingly dies in the issue, sacrificing himself while battling a villain called Seth the Immortal. His body is recovered and then buried by his allies. The final storyline was written by Terry Kavanagh and with art by Stephen Platt, who was then hired by
Image Comics
Image Comics is an American comic book publisher and is the third largest comic book and graphic novel publisher in the industry in both unit and market share. It was founded in 1992 by several high-profile illustrators as a venue for creator-ow ...
based on the strength of his work during several of the series final issues.
Volume 3
In 1998, the 4-issue mini-series ''Moon Knight'' vol. 3 was published under writer
Doug Moench
Douglas Moench (; born February 23, 1948) is an American comic book writer notable for his ''Batman'' work and as the creator of Moon Knight, Deathlok, Black Mask, '' Electric Warrior'' and '' Six from Sirius''. He is also known for his critica ...
, artist
Tommy Edwards
Thomas Jefferson Edwards (October 15, 1922 – October 23, 1969) was an American singer and songwriter. His most successful gramophone record, record was the multi-million-selling song "It's All in the Game (song), It's All in the Game", becomin ...
, and inker Robert Campanella. The four part story "Resurrection Wars" shows Marc Spector resurrected again by Khonshu, materializing alive and well in his home while experiencing a vision of himself rising from the grave as Khonshu summons him. Witnessing Marc's sudden manifestation in his home, and noting that the Statue of Khonshu explodes only to then repair itself, Marlene finally believes Khonshu is real and not a delusion. Despite this, the story mentions the possibility that Marc was not dead but somehow and inexplicably was put into a "death-like" state for months as a result of his previous injuries.
Volume 4
In 1999, Moench and artist
Mark Texeira
Mark Texeira () is an American comic book artist. Classically trained as a painter, he broke into the comics field in the early 1980s.
Career
Mark Texeira was born and raised in New York City. He attended Manhattan's High School of Art and ...
produced ''Moon Knight'' vol. 4. This four-part mini-series was nominated for the
Comics Buyer's Guide Fan Award
The ''Comics Buyer's Guide'' (''CBG'') magazine administered the annual Comics Buyer's Guide Fan Awards from 1982 to circa 2010, with the first awards announced in issue #500 (June 17, 1983).
Upon taking over as ''CBG'' editors, Don and Maggie T ...
for Favorite Limited Series. The title of the story was mistakenly given as "High Strangers" on each issue cover, while the correct title "High Strangeness" appeared on the interior title page of each issue.
Volume 5
A new ongoing series, ''Moon Knight'' vol. 5, was launched in April 2006, written by
Charlie Huston
Charlie Huston is a novelist and TV writer. His twelve novels span several genres from crime to horror to science fiction. His books have been published in English by Ballentine, Del Rey, Mulholland and Orion, and translated into nine other lang ...
with art by
David Finch. The series revises Marc Spector's history by saying he fought in the
Gulf War
The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Iraq were carried out in two key phases: ...
. Starting with issue #14 of this series,
Mike Benson took over writing duties while Huston acted as a story/plot adviser according to Benson. The 2006 series ended with #30 (July 2009), and only one Annual issue for the series was printed in 2008.
Peter Milligan
Peter Milligan (born 24 June 1961) is a British comic book writer who has written extensively for both British and American comic book industries. In the UK, Milligan has contributed to numerous anthology titles including '' 2000 AD'', ''Revolv ...
wrote a 2008 seasonal one-shot titled ''Moon Knight: Silent Knight'' with artist
Laurence Campbell
Laurence Campbell is a British comics artist best known for his work in '' 2000 AD'', but he has also recently received attention from his work for Marvel.
Biography
Campbell started evening courses at the London Cartoon Centre and then studie ...
.
''Vengeance of the Moon Knight''
In September 2009, a new series titled ''Vengeance of the Moon Knight'' began by writer
Gregg Hurwitz
Gregg Andrew Hurwitz is an American novelist, screenwriter, and comic book writer. Most of his novels are in the thriller fiction genre. His script writing work includes a film adaptation of his book '' Orphan X'', a TV adaptation of Joby Warri ...
and artist Jerome Opena. ''Vengeance of the Moon Knight'' ended with issue #10. Moon Knight became a regular team cast member in ''
Secret Avengers
''Secret Avengers'' is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics featuring a fictional black ops superhero team of the same name. The series started with Ed Brubaker on writing duties, depicting a black-ops sect of Marvel's premie ...
'' #1–21. In ''Secret Avengers'', writer Warren Ellis introduced the idea that Moon Knight sometimes operates without a costume and instead wearing a simple white suit and full white mask. Moon Knight also appeared in the ''Shadowland'' crossover and in the 2010 relaunch of ''
Heroes for Hire
Heroes for Hire are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team first appeared in ''Power Man and Iron Fist'' #54 (December 1978), and was created by Ed Hannigan and Lee Elias. The team continued to appe ...
''.
Volume 6
In 2011, the series ''Moon Knight'' vol. 6 was launched by
Brian Michael Bendis
Brian Michael Bendis (; born August 18, 1967) is an American comic book writer and artist. He has won five Eisner Awards for both his creator-owned work and his work on various Marvel Comics books.Bendis, Brian Michael and Oeming, Michael Avon, ' ...
and
Alex Maleev
Alex Maleev ( Bulgarian: Алекс Малеев) is a Bulgarian comic book illustrator, best known for the Marvel Comics' series '' Daredevil'' (vol. 2) with frequent collaborator Brian Michael Bendis.
Career
Coming from a fine arts background, ...
. The series depicted Moon Knight once again experiencing four alters, though now three of his alters were imitations of
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appeared in the anthology comic book '' Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in the ...
,
Captain America
Captain America is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by cartoonists Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, the character First appearance, first appeared in ''#Golden Age, Captain America Comics'' #1 (cover ...
, and
Wolverine
The wolverine (), (''Gulo gulo''; ''Gulo'' is Latin for "gluttony, glutton"), also referred to as the glutton, carcajou, or quickhatch (from East Cree, ''kwiihkwahaacheew''), is the largest land-dwelling species of the family Mustelidae. It is ...
. Due to poor sales, the series was canceled after 12 issues.
Volume 7
In March 2014, the
Marvel NOW!
Marvel Now! (stylized as Marvel NOW!) is a comic book branding for the relaunch of several ongoing comic books published by Marvel Comics, that debuted in October 2012 with new #1 issues. The relaunch also included some new titles, including ''Un ...
initiative launched ''Moon Knight'' vol. 7. The series involved rotating creative teams that included
Warren Ellis
Warren Girard Ellis (born 16 February 1968) is a British comic book writer, novelist, and screenwriter. He is best known as the co-creator of several original comics series, including ''Transmetropolitan'' (1997–2002), ''Global Frequency'' ( ...
and
Declan Shalvey
Declan Shalvey is an Irish comics artist and writer. He has worked for Marvel Comics, drawing titles like ''Moon Knight'', ''Thunderbolts'' and ''Deadpool''. For Image Comics, he has collaborated with writer Warren Ellis on science fiction ser ...
for issues #1–6,
Brian Wood and Greg Smallwood for issues #7–12, and
Cullen Bunn
Cullen Bunn is an American comics writer, novelist, and short story writer, best known for his work on comic books such as ''Uncanny X-Men'', '' X-Men: Blue'', ''Magneto'' and various ''Deadpool'' miniseries for Marvel Comics, and his creator-owne ...
and Ron Ackins for issues #13–17. The series brings back the white suit and tie outfit first seen in ''Secret Avengers'', and now has Moon Knight adopt this outfit when working as a police consultant, answering to "Mr. Knight." With issue #1 of this series, writer Warren Ellis confirmed that Khonshu is a real god or extraterrestrial entity and that Marc Spector indeed died and was resurrected years ago in the tomb in Egypt.
Issue #1 of this series depicted a psychologist confirming that stress and the use of multiple cover identities cannot cause someone to suffer from DID if they did not already suffer from the condition and that Marc's symptoms do not correspond to actual DID. Marc Spector's different alters are now said to be due to "brain damage," alterations to his brain made by the alien entity Khonshu that connect their minds. These alterations also cause Moon Knight to sometimes shift his personality to match one of the moon god's four distinct roles and facets. These four roles are described as: "pathfinder", "embracer", "defender", and "watcher of overnight travelers." These four roles can manifest in different ways, either with original names or borrowing names and personality traits of people Marc has observed (such as when he briefly acted as if he were Spider-Man, Wolverine, and Captain America).
Volume 8
In April 2016, the "
All-New, All-Different Marvel
All-New, All-Different Marvel (ANADM) is a 2015–2019 branding for Marvel Comics' entire main line of comics. Taking place after the crossover storyline " Secret Wars", it details the new Marvel Universe, with nearly 60–65 titles relaunched w ...
" initiative included the new series ''Moon Knight'' vol. 8. Written by
Jeff Lemire
Jeff Lemire (; born March 21, 1976) is a Canadian comic book writer, artist, and television producer. He is the author of critically acclaimed titles including the '' Essex County Trilogy'', '' Sweet Tooth'', and '' The Nobody''. His written work ...
and artist Greg Smallwood (returning from his run with Brian Wood), the series began having rotating artists with issue #6. After fourteen issues, the series numbering changed to acknowledge it was a continuation of the Moon Knight volumes published before, so issue #15 was instead give the designation #188. This renumbering was done as part of the company-wide
Marvel Legacy
Marvel Legacy is a 2017–18 relaunch of a line of American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is concurrent with All-New, All-Different Marvel and Marvel NOW! 2.0.
Publication history
On April 22, 2017, Marvel Comics announced Marvel ...
initiative. The series ended with issue #200, which involved contributions from several previously established Moon Knight artists. In 2019,
Cullen Bunn
Cullen Bunn is an American comics writer, novelist, and short story writer, best known for his work on comic books such as ''Uncanny X-Men'', '' X-Men: Blue'', ''Magneto'' and various ''Deadpool'' miniseries for Marvel Comics, and his creator-owne ...
wrote and Ibrahim Mustafa and Matt Horak drew ''Moon Knight Annual'' #1.
Lemire's stories revised Marc's history to show he had first exhibited symptoms of DID and assumed the identity of his alter Steven Grant while still a young boy. The series also showed Khonshu creating a psychic connection between himself and Marc Spector when the latter was still a boy, indicating the moon god may still be responsible for Marc's DID-like condition. In the series, Khonshu claims he influenced Marc at times over the years, waiting until years later to fully reveal himself. Khonshu then reveals he intends to use Marc as a host body, fully dominating his personality, but Marc refuses. The series has Marc acknowledge that he had exhibited DID symptoms long before assuming the mask of Moon Knight and that his previous claim that his alters were nothing more than cover identities was simply denial of his condition.
[''Moon Knight'' vol. 9 #9–10 (Marvel Comics, 2016).]
In ''Avengers'' vol. 8 #33–38 (Marvel Comics, 2020), Khonshu attempts to dominate Earth to save it, compelling Moon Knight to help him. A battle with the Avengers results in Khonshu being imprisoned by the
Asgardians. The story was produced by
Jason Aaron
Jason Aaron (born January 28, 1973) is an American comic book writer, known for his creator-owned series '' Scalped'' and '' Southern Bastards'', as well as his work on Marvel series ''Ghost Rider'', ''Wolverine'', ''PunisherMAX'', ''Thor'', and ' ...
, Javier Garron, and Jason Keith.
Volume 9
In 2021, the series ''Moon Knight'' vol. 9 launched under writer Jed MacKay, and artists Alessandro Capuccio and Rachelle Rosenberg. The new series has Marc Spector not only acting as the crimefighter Moon Knight but also (despite his Jewish background) adopting the role of high priest of "the Midnight Mission," a congregation dedicated to Khonshu. In discussing his connection to Khonshu, Marc Spector now describes his four aspects as "the traveler", "the pathfinder", "the embracer", "the defender of those who travel at night." Once again, Marc Spector is depicted as being in regular therapy with a psychologist to help manage his psychological issues. The series also offers that Marc Spector may be immortal, as he has now been literally resurrected on multiple occasions and could be resurrected again in the future.
''Moon Knight: Black, White, and Blood''
In April 2022 an anthology series ''Moon Knight: Black, White, and Blood'' is being released alongside the Disney+ series with various stories by creative teams Jonathan Hickman and Chris Bachalo; Marc Guggenheim and artist Jorge Fornes; and writer Murewa Ayodele and Dotun Akanda.
Fictional character biography
Origin
Born in
Chicago, Illinois
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
, Marc Spector is the
Jewish-American
American Jews or Jewish Americans are American citizens who are Jewish, whether by religion, ethnicity, culture, or nationality. Today the Jewish community in the United States consists primarily of Ashkenazi Jews, who descend from diaspora J ...
son of
Elias Spector, a
rabbi
A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as ''semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of ...
who survived Nazi persecution. In the Othervoid, a realm outside of normal time and space, the entity
Khonshu (once worshipped as a moon god by the people of Ancient Egypt) becomes interested in Marc. Khonshu and those like him cannot leave the Othervoid without great difficulty but can create psychic connections with hosts and avatars in the physical universe of Earth. Believing Marc Spector to have a "weak mind" that makes him vulnerable to psychic connection, Khonshu chooses the boy to one day act as his knight and avatar. After Khonshu chooses Marc, the boy discovers by chance that Rabbi Yitz Perlman, a close friend of his family, is really a Nazi named Ernst who continues to target and murder Jews. Marc fights Perlman and escapes. Perlman then disappears without a trace.
Soon afterward, Marc Spector begins showing signs of
dissociative identity disorder
Dissociative identity disorder (DID), better known as multiple personality disorder or multiple personality syndrome, is a mental disorder characterized by the presence of at least two distinct and relatively enduring personality states.
The di ...
. Marc believes he meets and befriends a boy named Steven Grant, not realizing he himself is acting as Steven at times.
In a vision, Marc sees Khonshu promising to one day heal the boy's mind. Khonshu, being an entity who has multiple aspects to his personality and exists out of phase with normal time and space, later claims that Marc's alters are the result of his mind trying to echo the moon god's own multi-faceted nature.
As a teenager, Marc exhibits another alter in addition to Steven named Jake Lockley. The appearance of this third alter leads Marc's parents to send him to live at Putnam Psychiatric Hospital. Released to attend his father's funeral, Marc escapes and joins the
U.S. Marine Corps, where he becomes a formidable combatant and a trained heavy-weight boxer. After Marc serves three years in
Force Recon
Force Reconnaissance (FORECON) is one of the United States Marine Corps' special operations capable forces (SOC) which supplies military intelligence to the command element of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF). Force Reconnaissance compa ...
, the Marines discover he lied on his paperwork and conclude his history of mental illness makes him "unfit for duty".
[''Moon Knight'' vol. 9 #11 (Marvel Comics, 2017).] He is discharged and earns a living as an underground boxer and fighter in Baghdad until he is recruited by
French pilot
An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators, because they a ...
and mercenary
Jean-Paul “Frenchie” DuChamp.
The two work together on several assignments. During this time, Spector encounters CIA operative
Jason Macendale
Jason Philip Macendale, Jr. is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.
Publication history
The character first appears in ''Machine Man'' #19 (Feb. 1981), created by writer Tom DeFalco and artist Steve ...
, who later becomes the costumed mercenary Jack O'Lantern and then becomes the second villain to adopt the name
Hobgoblin
A hobgoblin is a household spirit, typically appearing in folklore, once considered helpful, but which since the spread of Christianity has often been considered mischievous. Shakespeare identifies the character of Puck in his ''A Midsummer Nigh ...
.
[''Marc Spector: Moon Knight'' #33 (Marvel Comics, 1991).] Marc's brother
Randall Spector becomes a mercenary as well, but is driven by bloodlust. In Italy, Randall kills Marc's girlfriend Lisa. After a violent confrontation, Marc leaves Randall for dead. Randall later recovers from his injuries.
[ ''Rampaging Hulk!'' #17–18. Marvel Comics.]
Eventually, Frenchie and Marc meet mercenary
Raoul Bushman, who is impressed by their work and recruits them to help with certain jobs. Spector considers that morally he exists in the center between Frenchie, a good man with a firm moral center, and Bushman, a ruthless, often amoral man who takes pride in his ability to kill. Spector and Frenchie accept a contract with Bushman helping a local warlord in the Sudan quell a rebellion. One of the rebels they shoot down is Marc's own brother Randall, though Marc is unaware of this and does not even know that Randall is in the area. Despite his bullet wounds, Randall survives, convinced Marc recognized him and deliberately tried to kill him.
[''Marc Spector: Moon Knight'' #35–38 (Marvel Comics, 1991).]
Marc Spector is appalled at Bushman's bloodlust and that he targets civilians as well as enemy combatants. Bushman kills Dr. Peter Alraune, an archeologist whose team (which includes his daughter Marlene Alraune) recently unearthed a hidden tomb. Bushman intends to loot the tomb and kill any witnesses. Spector scares off Marlene, saving her life, and then engages Bushman in combat. Defeated, Spector is injured and abandoned in the desert without food or shelter, suffering in the freezing temperature of the night. Despite this, he makes his way back to civilization before collapsing, near-death. Locals carry him into the tomb and leave him before a statue of Khonshu, moon god and protector of travelers at night. Marlene realizes Marc saved her life earlier and prepares to mourn him as his heart stops. Moments later, Marc Spector revives, fully healed. He claims to have seen the moon god Khonshu and been chosen to now act as the moon's "knight of vengeance", the "fist of Khonshu". Marlene believes this was a dream or delusion. Marc takes a silver, hooded cloak from the statue of Khonshu, adopting it as his own. Randall watches this all from nearby. As soon as Marc leaves, Randall presents himself to the same statue of Khonshu, hoping to also be blessed with power and have his wounds healed. When nothing happens, he resents Marc for winning the moon god's favor instead.
''Werewolf By Night, Hulk!'' Magazine'', Moon Knight'' vol. 1 (1975–1984)
After confronting and defeating Bushman, Spector returns to America with Frenchie, now joined by Marlene and determined to become a crimefighter called Moon Knight, adopting a white and silver kevlar bodysuit coupled with Khonshu's hooded cloak. When asked why he would wear white and silver while operating at night, Moon Knight answers he is meant to be a light in the darkness and that he and Khonshu want their enemies to know he is coming. To fund his activities and gain influence in business, Spector uses his Steven Grant identity to start a business and make some careful investments, turning his mercenary profits into a small fortune. Buying a mansion for his home base, Spector/Grant then funds the creation of crimefighting equipment and weaponry, including the "Moon Copter." To help gain knowledge from street criminals and civilians, Marc becomes a
taxi
A taxi, also known as a taxicab or simply a cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice ...
cab driver as Jake Lockley. Lockley quickly makes friends with diner manager Gena Landers, and her sons Ray and Rick. Ray, a pilot, later becomes an ally of Moon Knight, piloting the Moon Copter when Frenchie is unavailable. Moon Knight also befriends Bertrand Crawley, a former textbook salesperson who is now homeless and operates as a street informant.
[''Marvel Spotlight'' #28. Marvel Comics.]
Learning of the criminal network known as the Committee, Moon Knight accepts an assignment from the group and pretends to agree with their agenda. Armed with silver weaponry, Moon Knight is sent to fight the werewolf
Jack Russell in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
. After capturing the werewolf, Moon Knight later frees him and together they halt the Committee's plans. Moon Knight then battles a variety of enemies and criminals, some on his own, some while teaming-up with heroes such as Spider-Man, Daredevil,
[''Moon Knight'' #13. Marvel Comics.] Dr. Strange, the X-Men, and the Fantastic Four. His own brother Randall, having recovered from their last fight, embarks on a career as the Hatchet-Man, an axe-wielding serial killer who targets women. Moon Knight fights the Hatchet-Man, who seemingly dies during their battle.
Years later, Moon Knight learned that the Hatchet-Man who died was an impostor. Randall had used drugs and psychological manipulation to convince the impostor he was the real Randall Spector, even having him undergo plastic surgery so they would be identical. Having faked his death, Randall hides and plans his next move against Marc.
During one adventure, Spector encounters the
Midnight Man, a thief named Anton Mogart who steals for the thrill and wears a black costume resembling Moon Knight's own suit. During his battle with Moon Knight, Midnight Man falls into the New York River, seemingly to his death. In truth, he survives but his face is deformed by acidic sewage. Swearing vengeance, Midnight Man joins forces with Bushman and lures Moon Knight into a trap. Moon Knight survives and Midnight Man escapes again. Later, after gaining a greater sense of peace with his past and his deceased father, Marc Spector decides to largely retire his Moon Knight identity and focus on living a quieter life with Marlene at his side.
''Moon Knight'' vol. 2 ''"Fist of Khonshu"'' and ''West Coast Avengers'' (1985–1989)
Marlene and Marc Spector set up Spector International Galleries, an art business that curates and organizes collections and exhibits. When Marc Spector has visions of Khonshu summoning him, he decides to return to Egypt and investigate. Convinced Marc is delusional and only thinks he sees visions and hears voices, Marlene leaves him. In Egypt, Spector meets priests of Khonshu who supply him with a new arsenal of
moon
The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It is the fifth largest satellite in the Solar System and the largest and most massive relative to its parent planet, with a diameter about one-quarter that of Earth (comparable to the width of ...
-themed weaponry and declare he will now be a true vengeance avatar, the Fist of Khonshu. The moon god then blesses him with increased strength depending on how much moon light shines down on Earth. With his new power and weapons, Moon Knight defeats a villainous priest of Anubis, god of death.
After returning to America, Moon Knight works with the newly formed West Coast Avengers, although this distances him even further from Frenchie and Marlene. He time travels to 2940 BC to rescue the Avengers, where he gains replacement weapons designed by fellow Avenger
Hawkeye. He then officially joins the West Coast Avengers and enters a brief romantic relationship with
Tigra
Tigra (Greer Grant Nelson) is a fictional superheroine appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Introduced as the superpowered and gadget-wielding crime fighter the Cat in ''The Claws of the Cat'' #1 (November 1972). The ...
. Moon Knight and the Avengers are later attacked by soldiers working for Khonshu's rival,
Seth
Seth,; el, Σήθ ''Sḗth''; ; "placed", "appointed") in Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Mandaeism, and Sethianism, was the third son of Adam and Eve and brother of Cain and Abel, their only other child mentioned by name in the Hebrew Bible. A ...
, who is invading
Asgard
In Nordic mythology, Asgard (Old Norse: ''Ásgarðr'' ; "enclosure of the Æsir") is a location associated with the gods. It appears in a multitude of Old Norse sagas and mythological texts. It is described as the fortified home of the Æsir ...
. Khonshu abandons Moon Knight to battle Seth. He then explains it was his wish that Spector join the Avengers and so he influenced Moon Knight's mind to do so. Following Seth's defeat, Moon Knight resigns from the team. Moon Knight also gives up the Egyptian themed replacement weapons designed by Hawkeye. This act of independence, and his defiance to remain in the Avengers simply because Khonshu wishes it, evidently causes Marc to lose his lunar-based superhuman strength as punishment.
[Moon Knight #9 – Midnight Sun, Chapter 3: For The Occasion]
, Marvel, May 1st, 2007
''Marc Spector: Moon Knight'' (1989–1994)
After reuniting with Marlene and Frenchie, Marc Spector sets up a new home in a mansion in South Hampton, Long Island, NY, expands his business into Spector Enterprises, and resumes his activities as Moon Knight. Soon afterward, he and the Black Cat cross paths with a new thief
Midnight
Midnight is the transition time from one day to the next – the moment when the date changes, on the local official clock time for any particular jurisdiction. By clock time, midnight is the opposite of noon, differing from it by 12 hours. ...
who wears the costume of the Midnight Man. Moon Knight learns the thief is 18-year-old Jeffrey Wilde, son of Anton Mogart. Wilde reveals Mogart discovered he had contracted cancer due to the same chemicals that disfigured him and spent his final days in a hospice, where Wilde tracked him down. The two bonded and learned from each other. Following Mogart's death, Wilde adopted his father's costume and performed dynamic thefts to impress Moon Knight, hoping to convince the hero to let him become his sidekick. As Midnight, Wilde hopes to make up for his father's criminal past while finding his own purpose in life.
Despite Moon Knight's protests that he does not need a sidekick, Midnight follows him into new adventures and is able to gain some training during adventures with the
Punisher
The Punisher (Francis "Frank" Castle, born Castiglione) is an antihero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Gerry Conway and artists John Romita Sr. and Ross Andru. The Punisher made ...
and with the mercenaries
Silver Sable
Silver is a chemical element with the symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical cond ...
,
Sandman
The Sandman is a mythical character in European folklore who puts people to sleep and encourages and inspires beautiful dreams by sprinkling magical sand onto their eyes.
Representation in traditional folklore
The Sandman is a traditional charact ...
, and
Paladin
The Paladins, also called the Twelve Peers, are twelve legendary knights, the foremost members of Charlemagne's court in the 8th century. They first appear in the medieval (12th century) ''chanson de geste'' cycle of the Matter of France, where ...
. Over time, Wilde concludes that Moon Knight's ethics and methods are too much responsibility and that he prefers to pursue excitement. He grows to resent Moon Knight, believing the hero owes him more respect and is responsible for the death of his father (since their battle indirectly led to Mogart being exposed to toxic chemicals).
Marc Spector is kidnapped and brought to the country of Bosqueverde in South America. He is put on trial for his actions while acting as a mercenary during a previous regime change, including causing the death of Ricardo Dominguez, the previous president whom Spector instinctively shot in self defense when the man reached for a gun. Marlene leads a rescue effort with Frenchie. Left alone in New York City, Jeff Wilde performs thefts using Moon Knight's costume and equipment and stumbles onto a meeting between members of the
Secret Empire terrorist cult. He barely escapes. In Bosqueverde, Spector is found guilty but is able to bargain with the new regime and have his sentence overturned.
Wilde runs into Spider-Man, who realizes he is an impostor. Panicking, Wilde tries to escape only to then be hunted by the Secret Empire. He is saved by Spider-Man and the real Moon Knight. Angry that he panicked and determined to prove himself, Wilde challenges one of the Secret Empire leaders, Number VI, to attack him. Number VI strikes Wilde with an energy blade that burns his body instantly. The Secret Empire then takes Wilde away, leading Moon Knight to pursue, aided by Spider-Man and the Punisher. After facing several Secret Empire agents, the heroes are told that Jeff Wilde died from his injuries and computer records confirm it. In truth, the Secret Empire rebuilds Wilde as a cyborg so he can be their living weapon. Blaming Moon Knight for his injuries and abandoning him, as well as for his father's death, Wilde swears revenge. Meanwhile, Moon Knight resumes his activities, feeling guilty that he may have been able to prevent Wilde's death if he had acted differently or had been a better influence on the boy.
Moon Knight encounters members of the Knights of the Moon, soldiers of a rogue faction of the Cult of Khonshu. This particular cell of the Knights of the Moon are led by Plasma, a mutant terrorist they believe to be the true chosen champion of Khonshu. Plasma is determined to convince different groups and cults she is their messiah, chosen by various gods, so she can then use her new followers to achieve global domination. Together with
Ghost Rider
Ghost Rider is the name of multiple antiheroes and superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Marvel had previously used the name for a Western character whose name was later changed to Phantom Rider.
The first s ...
, Moon Knight defeats Plasma's soldiers. Plasma inadvertently causes her own death when she does not heed Moon Knight's warning. The experience shakes Moon Knight, leading him to question if he is also misguided in his belief that he follows the will of Khonshu.
While fighting the lethal vigilante Stained-Glass Scarlet, Moon Knight is seriously injured and then falls into New York's
East River
The East River is a saltwater tidal estuary in New York City. The waterway, which is actually not a river despite its name, connects Upper New York Bay on its south end to Long Island Sound on its north end. It separates the borough of Queens ...
from the top of the
Brooklyn Bridge
The Brooklyn Bridge is a hybrid cable-stayed/ suspension bridge in New York City, spanning the East River between the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn. Opened on May 24, 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge was the first fixed crossing of the East River ...
. After making impact with the water, Marc experiences visions of both Khonshu and his father, leading him to realize Khonshu is not limited to vengeance and is also a god of justice, offering people redemption just as he was offered the chance to be a hero after years of being a mercenary. Emerging from the water, Marc has already partially recovered from his knife wound. He believes he died from his injuries and the fall but that Khonshu resurrected him once again. Seeing himself now as a light in the darkness rather than simply a warrior, Marc shares his personal story with Scarlet, offering sympathy and redemption if she gives up her crusade and turns herself into the authorities. Believing she has failed God and is unworthy of redemption, Scarlet leaps to her death.
Moon Knight learns from Spider-Man that Jeff Wilde AKA Midnight is alive, now operating as a cyborg warrior for the Secret Empire. Believing Wilde is not in his right mind and can be redeemed, Moon Knight tries to rescue him, fighting the Secret Empire alongside the heroes Spider-Man,
Darkhawk
Darkhawk (Christopher Powell) is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in ''Darkhawk'' #1 (March 1991), and was created by writer Tom DeFalco and artist Mike Manley. The c ...
, the
Punisher
The Punisher (Francis "Frank" Castle, born Castiglione) is an antihero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Gerry Conway and artists John Romita Sr. and Ross Andru. The Punisher made ...
,
Nova
A nova (plural novae or novas) is a transient astronomical event that causes the sudden appearance of a bright, apparently "new" star (hence the name "nova", which is Latin for "new") that slowly fades over weeks or months. Causes of the dramati ...
and
Night Thrasher In comics, Night Thrasher may refer to:
* Night Thrasher (Dwayne Taylor), the first Night Thrasher, a fictional superhero appearing in books published by Marvel Comics
* Donyell Taylor
N'astirh
N'Garai
N'Kantu, the Living Mummy
Naga
Nah ...
. Encouraged by his nurse Lynn Church (whom he is now in love with), Wilde attempts a coup so he can lead the Secret Empire. During a final climactic battle, Wilde realizes that Lynn Church has been manipulating him and sees him as a weapon. Once again feeling betrayed by those he put faith in, Wilde destroys the Secret Empire's main base in New York City, seemingly killing himself and Church in the process. Moon Knight once again mourns Wilde, regretting that he did not know how to reach the young man.
Moon Knight encounters Jason Macendale (Hobgoblin) while the mercenary is possessed by a demon (an entity later called
Demogoblin
Demogoblin is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.
Publication history
Demogoblin first appeared as Demogoblin in ''Web of Spider-Man'' #86 (March 1992), and had previously appeared as an unnamed ...
). During the encounter, the demon infects Moon Knight with a demonic parasite.
Unaware of the infection, Moon Knight continues his crime-fighting activities. He and the Punisher encounter the renegade branch of the Cult of Khonshu again and its new leader Sandal Swarn, a former CIA operative who now calls herself Princess Nepthys, a former CIA operative and the lover of Randall Spector. Using mind-control techniques she learned in the CIA, she was able to convince an impostor to assume Randall's identity as the Hatchet-Man and fight Moon Knight, leading to the man's death. Assuming a leadership role in the Cult of Khonshu following Plasma's death, Nepthys declares that Randall will be Khonshu's true knight of vengeance. Randall and Nepthys destroy Moon Knight's house in a bombing that leaves Frenchie paralyzed. Calling himself ShadowKnight, Randall undergoes experimental treatment by Nepthys that gives him superhuman resiliency to injury thanks to a shell over his skin. During their battle, Moon Knight sees an ancient scroll that seems to confirm Khonshu is dedicated to justice rather than vengeance. Moon Knight is able to crack ShadowKnight's shell with an adamantium weapon. Punisher executes Nepthys and later unleashes heavy gunfire on ShadowKnight, who suffers extensive internal injuries before then suffering a seemingly fatal fall.
Following the destruction of his home, Marc Spector sets up a new "ShadowKeep" lair in the Lower West Side of Manhattan, nearby SpectorCorp headquarters. To advise him on his operations, his council "the Shadow Cabinet" meet at the ShadowKeep via holographic transmission and use codenames. The Shadow Cabinet includes tech expert Stash, business woman Penny Annie, low-level crime boss Don G, and psychologist Sigmund, who also acts as Marc's therapist.
Soon afterward, the demonic parasite in his body causes Marc's strength to steadily increase even as his health and physical form deteriorate. To compensate for his health problems, he exchanges his kevlar Moon Knight armor for a new suit of light-weight
adamantium
Adamantium is a fictional metal alloy appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics and in various games in the Elder Scrolls franchise. It is best known as the substance bonded to the character Wolverine's skeleton and claws. In ...
armor right before he illegally enters the consulate of Latveria to confront the country's monarch
Doctor Doom
Doctor Victor Von Doom is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, and first appeared in ''The Fantastic Four'' #5 in July 1962. The monarch of the fi ...
.
[''Marc Spector: Moon Knight'' #38 (Marvel Comics, 1992).] The Avengers, a team that relies on cooperation with the US government and the United Nations, learn Moon Knight gained help in invading the consulate by showing his credentials as an Avengers reservist and implying he was on an official mission. During the
''Infinity War'' event, Moon Knight fights an alien-created doppleganger called Moon Shade who then absorbs the life force of different Moon Knights from parallel realities. This leads Moon Knight to meet a few of his multiversal counterparts, including the crime-fighting dynamic duo known as MoonMan and MoonBoy.
Following the Infinity War,
Doctor Strange
Doctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Steve Ditko, the character first appeared in ''Strange Tales'' #110 (cover-dated July 1963). Doctor Strange serves as Sorce ...
and
Mister Fantastic
Mister Fantastic (Reed Richards) is a superhero character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is a founding member, and the leader, of the Fantastic Four. Richards has a mastery of mechanical, aerospace a ...
operate on Moon Knight and remove the parasite. Moon Knight is warned it will not be certain until 48 hours have passed whether or not the damage done by the parasite is fatal. Marc Spector contemplates who could be the new Moon Knight if he dies. After deciding two candidates chosen by his "legacy quest" program are not suitable, Spector tries to recruit photojournalist Peter Parker, not realizing the young man is also Spider-Man. After Parker declines, Moon Knight gives up finding a successor. He is relieved when the 48 hour mark passes and his health remains stable. A side effect seems to be that his eyes now have a crescent-moon mark over the irises (though this mutation vanishes in later stories). Afterward, the Avengers confront Moon Knight about his abuse of his team reservist status to confront Doctor Doom. The hero decides to simplify matters by resigning his membership and burning his Avengers ID card.
A technological villain called Seth the Immortal and his "Zero Hour" program threaten Moon Knight and all his allies. During a desperate battle, Moon Knight defeats Seth by blowing up his office with both of them inside, sacrificing himself in the process. Marlene is present and holds him as he dies. He is buried by his friends on the grounds of the estate he purchased as Steven Grant.
''Moon Knight'' vol. 3 – "Resurrection Wars"; ''Moon Knight'' vol. 4 – "High Strangeness"
When the god Seth selects his own avatar to act on Earth and perform acts of destruction, Khonshu responds. Marc Spector wakes up in his grave and has a vision of being tasked with resuming his life as a champion of the moon. In the mansion of Steven Grant, Marlene and Frenchie witness a statue of Khonshu seemingly explode, revealing a living and fully healed Marc Spector. Marc's latest resurrection (his third) and the fact that the Khonshu statue magically returns, fully repaired, finally convinces Marlene that Moon Knight does not suffer delusions and is in fact the chosen avatar of the moon god.
For a time, Moon Knight decides to allow the world to continue believing Marc Spector is dead and chooses instead to focus on his other identities of Moon Knight, Steven Grant, and Jake Lockley. Despite this, news surfaces that Marc Spector is alive, leading to assassination attempts.
''Moon Knight'' vol. 5 (2006–2009)
For reasons unexplained, Moon Knight abandons his belief that his role includes understanding his enemies and offering redemption and now acts with greater violence and brutality. Defeating Bushman after a vicious battle, Moon Knight goes further by carving off the villain's face. Spector is then haunted by Khonshu, who chooses a faceless Bushman as his representation. Frenchie reveals he is
homosexual
Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" to peop ...
or
bisexual
Bisexuality is a romantic or sexual attraction or behavior toward both males and females, or to more than one gender. It may also be defined to include romantic or sexual attraction to people regardless of their sex or gender identity, whi ...
and that he has been so loyal to Marc in part because he is in love with him, though he knows these feelings are not felt in return.
The new Secret Committee hires
the Profile
The Profile is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.
Publication history
The character was created by writer Charlie Huston and penciler David Finch (comics), David Finch, and first appeared in ''Mo ...
, who has superhuman analytical skills, to help trap Moon Knight. After the plan fails, Profile becomes a reluctant confidante and source of information for Spector himself. Around this time, some heroes take notice that Moon Knight is now more violent and ruthless and attempt to speak to him about it. Moon Knight discovers his would-be sidekick Midnight may still be alive. Moon Knight is later forced into a final confrontation with Midnight. No longer attempting reconciliation, Moon Knight seemingly kills him for good.
[''Moon Knight'' vol. 5 #12. Marvel Comics.]
The new
Superhero Registration Act, enforced by registered heroes such as
Iron Man
Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby. The charact ...
, requires superhumans and costumed champions to register as agents of the government agency S.H.I.E.L.D. or be imprisoned. After prodding from Khonshu, Moon Knight reluctantly registers, not wanting authorities to interfere with his agenda. To be approved for registration requires a psychiatric exam. Believing Moon Knight to be mentally unstable and thinking he could become worse if he finds himself in conflict with the Registration Act or its enforcement, Tony Stark and the government have no intention of granting Marc Spector approval. The psychiatrist agrees and is about to make the decision official, even suggesting possible future imprisonment. Spector then seems to speak in the voice of Khonshu and points out the doctor's own antisocial tendencies (as told to Moon Knight earlier by the Profile). The psychiatrist gives Moon Knight a pass on his exam and literally bows in deference to Khonshu.
Moon Knight shows little regard for his registration status or his registered colleagues. Carson Knowles, the Black Spectre, steals Stark nanotechnology and attempts to frame him for murder. Moon Knight later confronts Knowles and pushes him off a rooftop, apparently causing a fatal fall. Iron Man revokes Moon Knight's registration and buries the fact that Black Spectre stole his technology. Rather than be imprisoned as an unregistered vigilante, Marc Spector gives up his role as Moon Knight but continues to fight crime clandestinely while wearing an entirely black costume. He considers that crimefighting is easier without the use of an alias or "costume recognition." After realizing this change in methodology means he no longer has the insight and protection of Khonshu, he pleads for the moon god's forgiveness only to be told in a vision that he is no longer needed when Khonshu has other, more faithful followers.
Despite having seemingly retired from vigilante activities, Moon Knight is targeted by the
Thunderbolts, former villains led by Norman Osborn (the
Green Goblin
The Green Goblin is the alias of several supervillains appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first and best-known incarnation Norman Osborn, created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, is generally regarded as one of the a ...
) who now act as enforcers of the Registration Act. To lure Moon Knight into resurfacing, the Thunderbolts arrange for the
Whyos
The Whyos or Whyos Gang, a collection of the various post-Civil War street gangs of New York City, was the city's dominant street gang during the mid-late 19th century. The gang controlled most of Manhattan from the late 1860s until the early 1 ...
gang to attacks Frenchie's restaurant, resulting in his lover Rob being injured. As hoped, Spector becomes Moon Knight again to avenge his friend. Spector fights the villain
Bullseye
Bullseye or Bull's Eye may refer to:
Symbols
* ◎ (Unicode U+25CE BULLSEYE), in the Geometric Shapes Unicode block
* (Unicode U+0298 LATIN LETTER BILABIAL CLICK), the phonetic symbol for bilabial click
Animals and plants
* Bull's Eye, '' Eury ...
, an operative of the Thunderbolts at this time. Moon Knight lures the assassin into a warehouse where he then sets off explosives. While Bullseye escapes, it is believed Moon Knight was killed, leading Iron Man to publicly denounce the Thunderbolts and its methods, blaming the group for the explosion. Jake Lockley, having now resurfaced and become the dominant alter, relocates to Mexico. After hiding for a time, Lockley crosses paths with local Mexican criminal cartels and encounters the Punisher again, as well as an avatar of
Toltec
The Toltec culture () was a Pre-Columbian era, pre-Columbian Mesoamerican culture that ruled a state centered in Tula (Mesoamerican site), Tula, Hidalgo (state), Hidalgo, Mexico, during the Epiclassic and the early Post-Classic period of Mesoam ...
.
[''Moon Knight'' vol. 5 #30. Marvel Comics.]
In the U.S., the organization S.H.I.E.L.D. is shut down and replaced by H.A.M.M.E.R., led by Norman Osborn. Concerned about Osborn now being in charge of enforcing, imprisoning, and controlling registered superheroes, Lockley decides to adopt the Moon Knight identity again and return to NYC.
''Vengeance of the Moon Knight'' (2009–2010)
Returning to New York, Lockley regrets Moon Knight's recent acts of ruthlessness. He tries to make amends to Marlene and Frenchie for his recent behavior. Determined Moon Knight must again be more heroic, he decides never to kill enemies or cause more injury than necessary in the future. Khonshu, now taking the form of a man in the Moon Knight costume with a bird skull, tests Lockley's resolve by repeatedly goading him to kill his foes. Moon Knight's efficient crimefighting and non-lethal tactics quickly gain favor with New York's population, angering Norman Osborn who resents failing to capture and imprison the hero before. Osborn hires the villains the
Hood
Hood may refer to:
Covering
Apparel
* Hood (headgear), type of head covering
** Article of academic dress
** Bondage hood, sex toy
* Hoodie, hooded sweatshirt
Anatomy
* Clitoral hood, a hood of skin surrounding the clitoris
* Hood, a flap of ...
and
Profile
Profile or profiles may refer to:
Art, entertainment and media Music
* ''Profile'' (Jan Akkerman album), 1973
* ''Profile'' (Githead album), 2005
* ''Profile'' (Pat Donohue album), 2005
* ''Profile'' (Duke Pearson album), 1959
* '' ''Profi ...
to take down Moon Knight. Using power borrowed from the demonic sorcerer
Dormammu
Dormammu () is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in ''Strange Tales'' #126 (Nov. 1964), and was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko.
Debuting in the Silver Age of Comi ...
, the Hood resurrects Raoul Bushman.
Bushman and the villain
Scarecrow
A scarecrow is a decoy or mannequin, often in the shape of a human. Humanoid scarecrows are usually dressed in old clothes and placed in open fields to discourage birds from disturbing and feeding on recently cast seed and growing crops.Lesley ...
break into Ravencroft Asylum where they perform brain surgery on several patients, then manipulate them into attacking New York City. After quelling the attack, Moon Knight subdues Bushman. Despite Khonshu demanding lethal vengeance, Moon Knight spares Bushman's life, satisfied the villain will be incarcerated.
''Secret Avengers'' (2010–2012)
After ordering an attack on Asgard and having his corruption and insanity exposed, Norman Osborn is removed from power. In the wake of H.A.M.M.E.R. being dissolved, the Registration Act is undone, meaning Moon Knight and other unregistered heroes are no longer fugitives.
Steve Rogers, the original Captain America, recruits Moon Knight to the new team
Secret Avengers
''Secret Avengers'' is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics featuring a fictional black ops superhero team of the same name. The series started with Ed Brubaker on writing duties, depicting a black-ops sect of Marvel's premie ...
, with Steven Grant becoming the dominant identity. On one mission, Moon Knight adopts a simple white suit and mask rather than his usual body armor and hooded cape.
During the events of ''
Shadowland'', the hero
Daredevil is possessed by the Beast, a demon worshipped by the ninja assassin clan known as
The Hand. Moon Knight joins a group of heroes on an assault on Daredevil's Shadowland fortress. Daredevil almost kills Moon Knight, but Khonshu appears and asks Marc's life be spared. Daredevil is able to see the moon god and concedes, leaving Moon Knight. Khonshu then reveals he needs Moon Knight to track down an artifact called the Sapphire Crescent. He must also fight and likely kill Randall Spector, who is still alive and operating as Shadow Knight again. Moon Knight and Shadow Knight track down the Sapphire Crescent in
. During another battle, Randall threatens a hostage. Seeing no other choice, Moon Knight uses the Sapphire Crescent against his brother to save the hostage, killing Randall in the process. Jake Lockley suffers a mental breakdown as a result, going dormant as the host, Marc Spector, becomes dominant again.
''Moon Knight'' vol. 6 (2011–12)
Marc Spector relocates to
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
and creates a TV show based on his own exploits called ''Legends of the Khonshu''. Secretly, he continues fighting crime as Moon Knight. But now, along with existing as Marc/Moon Knight, he also displays three new alters based on imitating the personalities of Spider-Man,
Wolverine
The wolverine (), (''Gulo gulo''; ''Gulo'' is Latin for "gluttony, glutton"), also referred to as the glutton, carcajou, or quickhatch (from East Cree, ''kwiihkwahaacheew''), is the largest land-dwelling species of the family Mustelidae. It is ...
, and Steve Rogers. Moon Knight teams up with the superhero
Echo
In audio signal processing and acoustics, an echo is a reflection of sound that arrives at the listener with a delay after the direct sound. The delay is directly proportional to the distance of the reflecting surface from the source and the lis ...
against
Count Nefaria
Count Luchino Nefaria is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.
Publication history
The character first appears in '' The Avengers'' #13 (February 1965), and was created by Stan Lee and Don Heck.
Fictional ...
. Nefaria strikes back and Echo is killed. This sends Moon Knight's Wolverine alter into a berserker rage, seemingly causing the deaths of Marc's alters based on Captain America and Spider-Man.
Moon Knight fights Nefaria and his daughter Madame Masque, then shows a new alter based on the personality of Echo, who asks that she not die in vain. After further battle, Moon Knight summons the Avengers for help and Nefaria is defeated. Iron Man commends Marc Spector. After he leaves, Spector seems to develop a new alter based on Iron Man's personality as well. In the epilogue to the series, Spector leaves Los Angeles.
''Avengers vs. X-Men'' (2012)
During the events of the "
Avengers vs. X-Men" storyline, Moon Knight is partnered with a small team of
Avengers
Avenger, Avengers, The Avenger, or The Avengers may refer to:
Arts and entertainment In the Marvel Comics universe
* Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes
**Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes of ...
and battles some members of the X-Men team. At one point, Moon Knight grabs
Rogue with his bare hand. Able to absorb the memories, powers, and life force of those she makes skin-to-skin contact with, Rogue experiences temporary madness as she absorbs the perspectives of Marc Spector's different alters. Later, Moon Knight is invited to
Stark Tower
The Stark Tower Complex is a fictional high-rise building complex appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, USA, the complex is named after its owner Tony Stark, who is the alter eg ...
to celebrate the return of
Janet van Dyne, who had been thought killed in battle years before.
''Moon Knight'' vol. 7 (2014–2015)
Spector returns to New York. His identity and past now a matter of public record, Marc regularly utilizes two versions of the Moon Knight identity. When engaging in battle with high-tech equipment, he dons a new Moon Knight body armor and sometimes uses shamanic tools of Khonshu such as an enchanted skull helmet. When dealing with crime scene investigation and consulting openly with law enforcement, Spector dons only his mask and the white business suit he briefly wore during his time with the Secret Avengers, calling himself Mr. Knight.
[''Moon Knight'' vol. 7 #1. Marvel Comics.]
Deciding he needs to manage his mental health better, Marc Spector meets with a psychologist who determines that he does not have dissociative identity disorder (DID) as some have hypothesized in the past or some form of schizophrenia. In truth, he has a form of brain damage due to his brain being physically altered by Khonshu, who is a real entity from another world or dimension and altered Marc to create a conduit between them. Marc's different personalities are a result of his mind adjusting to the four different aspects of Khonshu's nature and aspects. It is why he sometimes has four alters existing simultaneously but never more. Moon Knight encounters another renegade Cult of Khonshu, though this cell targets the homeless and other marginalized people, making them new cult members as well or using them as human sacrifices.
''Moon Knight'' vol. 8 (2016–2017)
Marc Spector wakes up in a mental institute with no recollection of his past or how he got there. The staff, led by Dr.
Emmet, seems to have supernatural powers and thwart Marc's attempts to recover his past. Marc is shown evidence that he is a mentally ill man who has convinced himself he is also Moon Knight, a vigilante he has seen on the news. Khonshu contacts Marc and explains that Emmet is an avatar like him, one who is connected to the Othervoid god Ammit. Khonshu decides it is now time for him to completely dominate Marc Spector's body. Marc denies Khonshu and fights him with the help of all of his alters. Marc accepts that whether they are the result of childhood trauma or Khonshu's interference, his alters are a part of him and have been for most of his life. After defeating Emmet and Khonshu, Marc resumes his life as Moon Knight, determined to be a protector and crime-fighter on his own terms rather than as a tool of anyone else. Later, Marc and Khonshu resume their bond.
"Crazy Runs in the Family" (2018)
After re-appropriating Khonshu, Marc Spector resumes his normal life and his Moon Knight activities. Raoul Bushman collaborates with a mysterious mental patient only referred to as "Patient 86", who becomes an avatar of
Ra and calls himself the Sun King. Together they come up with a plot to kill Moon Knight. To accomplish their plan, Bushman and Sun King go to Marlene's house and discovered she and Jake Lockley had a child together, a revelation that shocks Marc Spector and Steven Grant. Raoul and Sun King then kidnap Marlene and lure Moon Knight to an island base. With Khonshu's guidance, Moon Knight is able to overpower Sun King, although Bushman escapes.
"The Age of Khonshu"
Deciding to take over Earth to protect it, Khonshu compels Moon Knight to acquire power for him. With enhanced abilities and insight, and convinced that Khonshu's plan is the only way to protect Earth from the demon lord
Mephisto
Mephisto or Mephistopheles is one of the chief demons of German literary tradition.
Mephisto or Mephistopheles may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''Méphisto'', a 1931 French film
* Mephisto (1981 film), ''Mephisto'' (1981 film), a German- ...
and others, Moon Knight takes the power of
Iron Fist, Ghost Rider's hellfire,
Thor
Thor (; from non, Þórr ) is a prominent god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding æsir, god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred trees and groves in Germanic paganism and mythology, sacred groves ...
's hammer Mjolnir, and some of Dr. Strange's magic. With this and more, Khonshu begins to reshape Earth. During a battle with the Black Panther, Moon Knight temporarily becomes a host for the cosmic Phoenix Force. But rather than allow the Phoenix power to "cleanse" the Earth by wiping out humanity, Moon Knight releases the power even while the Avengers defeat Khonshu. The Asgardians imprison Khonshu and Moon Knight is allowed to return to his activities. The Black Panther offers him membership in the Avengers again, but he refuses, preferring to focus on battles he understands and angry at Khonshu's extreme actions.
[''Avengers'' vol. 8 #33–38 (Marvel Comics, 2020).]
''Moon Knight'' vol. 9 (2021)
Despite believing that Khonshu is a god unworthy of his worship, Marc Spector still considers himself to be spiritually connected to the deity, and decides to continue acting not only as a knight of the moon god but also as a priest of his teachings. He creates the Midnight Mission, a religious congregation following the teachings of Khonshu. As its high priest, Marc adopts his Mr. Knight suit and mask as his official religious vestments. Living at the Midnight Mission, he offers aid to listen to anyone who visits and needs his help. As Moon Knight, Spector frees several people who were kidnapped by vampires and unwillingly made into vampires themselves. Rather than condemn them, he offers them sympathy. One of the new vampires, a woman named Reese, takes a job as Marc's assistant at the Midnight Mission.
He crosses paths with Dr. Badr/Hunter's Moon, who proclaims himself to be the second fist of Khonshu and believes that Moon Knight's path must be "corrected' after straying from Khonshu's methods of vengeance. After defeating Hunter's Moon in combat, Moon Knight confronts enemies sent after him by the villain Zodiac, leading to a direct confrontation between the two.
During the "
Devil's Reign
"Devil's Reign" is an American comic book event written by Chip Zdarsky with art by Marco Checchetto, published from 2021 to 2022 by Marvel Comics.
Premise
In a ploy to increase his power, Mayor Wilson Fisk has outlawed superheroes in New York C ...
" storyline, Mayor Wilson Fisk passes a law that outlaws superheroes. Moon Knight is the first to be apprehended by Thunderbolts members
Agony
Agony may refer to:
Concepts
*Pain, anguish, or struggle, especially precededing death
*Suffering of intense degree, relating to physical or mental suffering
*Passion (Christianity), also called the Agony of Christ
*Agony in the Garden, Christ' ...
,
Electro II,
Rhino
A rhinoceros (; ; ), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. (It can also refer to a member of any of the extinct species o ...
, and
U.S. Agent
U.S. Agent (John Walker) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, usually those starring Captain America and the Avengers (comics), Avengers. He first appeared in ''Captain America (comic book), Capta ...
.
Powers and abilities
Skills and training
Moon Knight is an Olympic-level athlete and a skilled acrobat who excels at combat strategy. Spector is a superb driver and can pilot a helicopter. Thanks to his life experience and training as a
U.S. Marine
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through com ...
, boxer, and mercenary, Marc Spector became an expert at hand-to-hand combat,
marksmanship
A marksman is a person who is skilled in precision shooting using projectile weapons (in modern days most commonly an accurized scoped long gun such as designated marksman rifle or a sniper rifle) to shoot at high-value targets at longer-than- ...
,
boxing
Boxing (also known as "Western boxing" or "pugilism") is a combat sport in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermined ...
,
kung fu
Chinese martial arts, often called by the umbrella terms kung fu (; ), kuoshu () or wushu (), are multiple fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in Greater China. These fighting styles are often classified according to common ...
,
eskrima
Arnis, also known as Kali or Eskrima/Escrima, is the national martial art of the Philippines. The three are roughly interchangeable umbrella terms for the traditional martial arts of the Philippines (" Filipino Martial Arts", or FMA), which em ...
,
judo
is an unarmed gendai budō, modern Japanese martial art, Olympic sport (since 1964), and the most prominent form of jacket wrestling competed internationally.『日本大百科全書』電子版【柔道】(CD-ROM version of Encyclopedia Nipponi ...
,
karate
(; ; Okinawan language, Okinawan pronunciation: ) is a martial arts, martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the Okinawan martial arts, indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tii'' in Okinawan) under the ...
,
ninjutsu
, sometimes used interchangeably with the modern term , is the martial art strategy and tactics of unconventional warfare, guerrilla warfare and espionage purportedly practised by the ninja. ''Ninjutsu'' was a separate discipline in some tradit ...
,
savate
Savate (), also known as boxe française, savate boxing, French boxing or French footfighting, is a French kickboxing combat sport that uses the hands and feet as weapons combining elements of English boxing with graceful kicking techniques.
...
, and
Muay Thai
Muay Thai ( th, มวยไทย, , ), sometimes referred to as Thai boxing, is a combat sport that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. This discipline is known as the "art of eight limbs", as it is characterised ...
. Moon Knight's fighting style combines elements of various combat techniques and relies heavily on adaptability, using the environment to his advantage, intimidating his opponents, and accepting a certain level of pain and injury. The villain and mercenary
Taskmaster, who can perfectly replicate fighting styles, has stated he prefers not to copy Moon Knight since the hero would sometimes rather take a punch than block or dodge it. Moon Knight is shown to possess a very high tolerance for pain and torture. Moon Knight is also an expert detective.
[''Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe'' #7. Marvel Comics.] Investigation is an important part of his stories, where he is often aided by his other personalities. Jake Lockley gathers information on the street level,
Steven Grant among the rich and influential figures, and Mr. Knight works with the
NYPD
The New York City Police Department (NYPD), officially the City of New York Police Department, established on May 23, 1845, is the primary municipal law enforcement agency within the City of New York, the largest and one of the oldest in ...
investigating police cases.
Technology and equipment
As Moon Knight, Spector typically wears lightweight,
kevlar
Kevlar (para-aramid) is a strong, heat-resistant synthetic fiber, related to other aramids such as Nomex and Technora. Developed by Stephanie Kwolek at DuPont in 1965, the high-strength material was first used commercially in the early 1970s a ...
body armor and a specially constructed, silver glider-cape that can catch winds and
thermal updrafts. He typically wears metal
bracers
A bracer (or arm-guard) is a strap or sheath, commonly made of leather, stone or plastic, that covers the ventral (inside) surface of an archer's bow-holding arm. It protects the archer's forearm against injury by accidental whipping from the ...
on his wrists and calves. Later costumes have added metal plates providing extra protection to his chest and shoulders. Moon Knight employs a variety of weapons over the course of his career, many of which involve or are made of silver. His most commonly used weapons are his silver crescent-darts (some of which are blunt, some of which are blades) and an
adamantium
Adamantium is a fictional metal alloy appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics and in various games in the Elder Scrolls franchise. It is best known as the substance bonded to the character Wolverine's skeleton and claws. In ...
-reinforced
truncheon that can fire a
grappling hook
A grappling hook or grapnel is a device that typically has multiple hooks (known as ''claws'' or ''flukes'') attached to a rope; it is thrown, dropped, sunk, projected, or fastened directly by hand to where at least one hook may catch and hol ...
and extend into a
bō staff. At times, he has also used
nunchaku
is a traditional Okinawan martial arts weapon consisting of two sticks (traditionally made of wood), connected to each other at their ends by a short metal chain or a rope. It is approximately 30 cm (sticks) and 1 inch (rope). A person wh ...
and a
compound bow
In modern archery, a compound bow is a bow that uses a levering system, usually of cables and pulleys, to bend the limbs.
In general, compound bows are widely used in target practice and hunting.
The pulley/cam system grants the user a mechan ...
. For a brief time, Moon Knight wore
gauntlets with spiked knuckles.
At one point, Moon Knight accepted golden and ivory Egyptian-themed weapons created by followers of Khonshu. These included
bolas
Bolas or bolases (singular bola; from Spanish and Portuguese ''bola'', "ball", also known as a ''boleadora'' or ''boleadeira'') is a type of throwing weapon made of weights on the ends of interconnected cords, used to capture animals by entan ...
, golden
scarab-shaped darts, an ivory boomerang, throwing irons, an axe-shaped lasso-grapple, and a golden
ankh
Progressive ankylosis protein homolog (ANK ilosis H omolog) is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ''ANKH'' gene.
This gene encodes a multipass transmembrane protein that is expressed in joints and other tissues and controls pyrophosphate ...
-shaped blunt weapon which glowed in the presence of danger. These items were later replaced with duplicate weapons designed by
Hawkeye.
In a period while suffering from health issues, Moon Knight adopts thin, lightweight adamantium armor for greater protection. During this time, he acquires an adamantium staff, a truncheon capable of firing a cable line, and gauntlets that fire crescent darts.
During the events of "
Dark Reign," the
Tinkerer
Tinker or tinkerer is an archaic term for an itinerant tinsmith who mends household utensils.
Description
''Tinker'' for metal-worker is attested from the thirteenth century as ''tyckner'' or ''tinkler''. Some travelling groups and Romani p ...
makes Moon Knight
carbonadium
Adamantium is a fictional metal alloy appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics and in various games in the Elder Scrolls franchise. It is best known as the substance bonded to the character Wolverine's skeleton and claws. In ...
armor with joint-locking functions, reinforcing his strength.
[''Vengeance of the Moon Knight'' #5. Marvel Comics.] Moon Knight uses this feature to support a building from collapsing, despite a lack of superhuman strength. Additionally, the armor could instantly assemble around his body after being triggered by remote control.
For transportation, Moon Knight employs a variety of sophisticated aircraft such as the
Mooncopter and the Angelwing, a mini-jet featuring
VTOL
A vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft is one that can take off and land vertically without relying on a runway. This classification can include a variety of types of aircraft including helicopters as well as thrust-vectoring fixed-win ...
(vertical take-off and landing) and 20mm cannons. At times, Moon Knight has also used a white, customized motorcycle, a remote-controlled white limousine, and a remote-controlled crescent-shaped drone/glider capable of carrying a single person.
During the onset of the "Age of Khonshu" event, Marc was provided by the cult whom worships his divinity with magical Ankhs that enabled him to drain away and utilize the primordial powers bestowed upon Earth's Mightiest through their colorful prehistoric ancestry. Taking the powers of
The Iron Fist from Daniel Rand, the vengeance spirit Zarathos from
The Ghost Rider alongside his hellcharger, and the mystical abilities pertaining to the Sorcerer Supreme
Doctor Strange
Doctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Steve Ditko, the character first appeared in ''Strange Tales'' #110 (cover-dated July 1963). Doctor Strange serves as Sorce ...
. He acquired these with the intent of assimilating those of the
Star Brand
The Star Brand is the name of a number of similar objects of power in the world of the Marvel Comics. The name "Star Brand" is also often adopted by the wielders of these objects. Three of these Star Brands have been prominently featured in seri ...
, the
Phoenix Force and the Odin-Force-imbued Mjolnir belonging to
All-Father Thor as well.
Superpowers
On more than one occasion, Marc Spector has died and then been resurrected by the other-dimensional entity Khonshu. It is not known if Khonshu will continually do this, making Marc Spector effectively immortal, or if he will only do this until he chooses a new champion.
Due to his brain being altered by Khonshu, Marc Spector is more resistant to telepathic and psychic attack than the average person. He sometimes experiences visions of prophecy or enhanced insight. Some initially believed these visions were
delusions
A delusion is a false fixed belief that is not amenable to change in light of conflicting evidence. As a pathology, it is distinct from a belief based on false or incomplete information, confabulation, dogma, illusion, hallucination, or some o ...
or inspired simply by Spector inadvertently performing
self-hypnosis
Self-hypnosis or auto-hypnosis (as distinct from hetero-hypnosis) is a form, a process, or the result of a self-induced hypnotic state.
Frequently, self-hypnosis is used as a vehicle to enhance the efficacy of self-suggestion; and, in such case ...
, but it is now known that Khonshu is real and grants him these visions. It has been implied in several stories that Marc's connection to Khonshu and this supernatural insight increases when he wears his Moon Knight costume, as it represents "
vestments
Vestments are liturgical garments and articles associated primarily with the Christian religion, especially by Eastern Churches, Catholics (of all rites), Anglicans, and Lutherans. Many other groups also make use of liturgical garments; this ...
" of the moon god. The villain-for-hire
Profile
Profile or profiles may refer to:
Art, entertainment and media Music
* ''Profile'' (Jan Akkerman album), 1973
* ''Profile'' (Githead album), 2005
* ''Profile'' (Pat Donohue album), 2005
* ''Profile'' (Duke Pearson album), 1959
* '' ''Profi ...
has a superhuman analysis ability that does not function properly on beings with supernatural/magic-based abilities, and remarked that he found it painful to look at Marc Spector whenever the hero donned his Moon Knight costume. Profile was not sure if this was due to Spector's mental illness or if wearing the costume helped Moon Knight tap directly into the moon god's power.
During the time that Moon Knight adopted golden and ivory weapons (symbolizing his status as the Fist of Khonshu), his strength, endurance, and reflexes would increase depending on the phases of the moon, operating on a superhuman level during a full moon night. Even during a new moon, he can lift several hundred pounds.
Although some believed this superhuman strength had nothing to do with Khonshu and was the result of self-hypnosis, it is now known that Khonshu is real and is directly connected to Marc Spector. Khonshu later removed this power from Moon Knight as punishment for disobedience and has never returned it.
After the "Serpent War", Marc's patron deity Khonshu opted to further empower his champion on Earth with all new abilities in preparation for the rise of Mephistopheles. By giving his herald the lion share of the moon supremacy's power; Marc would be endowed with all the abilities of his namesake as the Fist of Khonshu along with a couple others outside of the criteria. He is granted the transformational capability to change to and from his costumed identity at will, on top of powers over lunar effects such as creating astral rock formations consisting of planetary orbital satellites, raising and commanding the dead; mummies loyal to his divinity, lunar empowerment under the super moon created by Khonshu's will and the ability to survive unaided in the cold recesses of space without life support.
These powers gave Moon Knight enough raw might to battle and defeat the world's most powerful heroes, the Avengers.
For a brief time Moon Knight became a host avatar for the immortal Phoenix Force, the cosmological raptor that governs life, death and rebirth throughout the universe and potentially the multiverse. Possessing all the typical skills and abilities of an Avatar to the cosmic entity regarding cosmic pyrokinesis, telekinesis, flight, etc.
Supporting characters
Throughout his different stories, certain supporting characters frequently help Marc Spector in his activities as Moon Knight.
* Marlene Alraune – An archeologist, her father is murdered by Raoul Bushman. She meets and is saved by Marc hours before his first resurrection at the hands of Khonshu. Despite her initial belief that Khonshu is not real, she supports Marc's career as Moon Knight, becoming his advisor and aid as well as his lover, carrying his daughter Diatrice Alraune. Later, she believes Khonshu is real but still encourages Moon Knight to leave violence behind and live fully as either Marc Spector or Steven Grant. The two separate on multiple occasions.
* – A homeless man and former textbook salesman who acts as one of Moon Knight's informants regarding unusual activities on the streets.
*
Jean-Paul "Frenchie" DuChamp – Moon Knight's helicopter pilot and closest friend. The two meet after Marc left the Marines. Frenchie is a mercenary but with moral principles he does not like to compromise, leading him to fully support Marc Spector's choice to protect people and avenge the wronged rather than profit from combat and killing.
* Cult of Khonshu – A secret and isolated cult of priests and scholars dedicated to Khonshu. The members are driven to aid Khonshu's avatars on Earth and have provided Marc Spector with special information and weaponry on rare occasions. At different times, rogue factions of the Cult of Khonshu believing Marc Spector is not fit to be the Moon Knight have acted against him.
* Gena Landers – A diner manager. She is a friend to Jake Lockley and helps him gain information.
* Ray Landers – The son of Gena Landers, he is an expert pilot and mechanic who helps Jake Lockley gain information. He pilots the Mooncopter when Frenchie is unavailable.
[''Moon Knight'' #2. Marvel Comics.]
* Ricky Landers – The son of Gena Landers and brother of Ray Landers.
* Reese – A vampire aided by Moon Knight. She is his assistant in managing the Midnight Mission and acts as his researcher during different criminal investigations.
* Shadow Cabinet – A temporary council of advisors to Marc Spector's business and vigilante activities. Members used codenames and held meetings via video conference or holographic projection. The Shadow Cabinet included tech expert Stash, business woman Penny Annie, low-level crime boss Don G, and psychologist Sigmund (who temporarily acted as Marc's therapist).
* Hunter's Moon – Dr. Baldr, another follower of Khonshu and the left fist.
* Diatrice Alraune – The Daughter of Marc Spector and Marlene Alraune.
*
Khonshu – The god who gave Marc Spector his powers and identity as his avatar. While an ally for Marc for his early adventures in recent stories he grew more antagonistic such as when he was the main villain of the 2016 series and The Age of Khonshu storyline in Jason Aaron's run on Avengers.
* Detective Flint – A detective who acts as Marc's ally from the force.
* Nedda – Moon Knight's maid when he was in his Steven Grant Persona.
* Peter Alraune – The Father of Marlene Alraune, he died by Bushman's hands.
* Peter Alraune, Jr – His son. Created Morpheus by accident.
* Rob Silverman – Frenchie's husband.
* Samuels – Moon Knight's butler.
*
Profile
Profile or profiles may refer to:
Art, entertainment and media Music
* ''Profile'' (Jan Akkerman album), 1973
* ''Profile'' (Githead album), 2005
* ''Profile'' (Pat Donohue album), 2005
* ''Profile'' (Duke Pearson album), 1959
* '' ''Profi ...
– An informer banker. A mutant with the ability to analyze anything.
* Toltec – A vigilante from Mexico.
Rogues gallery
While Moon Knight has fought many famous villains of the Marvel Universe, he has also accumulated his own rogues gallery of villains that have a personal connection to him and/or rarely appear outside of his own stories. Moon Knight's major recurring enemies include:
Cultural impact and legacy
Critical reception
Matt Attanasio of ''
ComicsVerse
ComicsVerse is a comics journalism website covering comics news, reviews, analysis, and interviews with artists and writers. In addition to original written content, the site produces podcasts, videos, original webcomics, and covers news related ...
'' referred to Moon Knight as the "excellent example of how anyone can suffer from a mental illness and manage to overcome such an illness," writing, "When you look at Moon Knight’s story as a whole, it appears to be more and more of a story about perseverance, endurance, and coming to grips with who you are. That’s an extremely universal story. That’s something anyone can relate to, in one way or another. It’s a call to believe in yourself, and to never give up. And, really, that’s one of the most heroic tales you can get." Syfy Wire Staff of ''
Syfy
Syfy (formerly Sci-Fi Channel, later shortened to Sci Fi; stylized as SYFY) is an American basic cable channel owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of Comcast's NBCUniversal through NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. Lau ...
'' called Moon Knight an "unusual fan favorite," saying, "For decades, some fans have affectionately called Moon Knight "Marvel’s Batman." But that's not a strictly accurate way to describe the Fist of Khonshu, who's his own man.
..While Spector's public cover as a millionaire is definitely Bruce Wayne-lite, what separates the Moon Knight from the Dark Knight is that he has three secret identities. Chase Magnett of ''
Comicbook.com
The following is a list of major assets that are owned by Paramount Global.
Paramount Pictures Corporation (Film)
* Paramount Pictures
** Paramount Home Entertainment
** Paramount Television Studios
** Paramount Pictures International
** Para ...
'' stated, "Ever since Moon Knight premiered in the pages of ''Werewolf by Night'' in 1975, he has been a cult favorite among superhero fans. It took until 1980 for the complicated hero and his many personalities to get their own ongoing series. It was a hit from the very start with two of the great talents of the era doing career-defining work (we'll get to who). That high bar has encouraged a lot of others to take similarly distinctive shots at the character ever since." Shawn S. Lealos of ''
CBR.com
''Comic Book Resources'', also known by the initialism CBR, is a website dedicated to the coverage of comic book–related news and discussion.
History
Comic Book Resources was founded by Jonah Weiland in 1995 as a development of the Kingdom Co ...
'' wrote, "Too many people call Moon Knight Marvel's version of Batman. There are some similarities, but Moon Knight is a much more complex character than Batman. Yes, both men are wealthy and use their money to front their crime-fighting adventures, but Batman is just a man fighting for good. Moon Knight has a split-personality and struggles to maintain his sanity. He gained the power of super-strength, durability, and stamina from the Moon God Khonshu. He doesn't mind killing, and most superheroes consider him to be completely insane. Sure, some fans compare him to Batman but only on the surface."
Comparisons to Batman
Charlie Huston
Charlie Huston is a novelist and TV writer. His twelve novels span several genres from crime to horror to science fiction. His books have been published in English by Ballentine, Del Rey, Mulholland and Orion, and translated into nine other lang ...
, writer of the 2006 re-launch of ''Moon Knight'', attempted to answer the criticism that Moon Knight is an
ersatz
An ersatz good () is a substitute good, especially one that is considered inferior to the good it replaces. It has particular connotations of wartime usage.
Etymology
''Ersatz'' is a German word literally meaning ''substitute'' or ''replaceme ...
Batman
Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on ...
in an interview with Comixfan writer Remy Minnick. Minnick noted that the comparison is not baseless, as both Moon Knight and the Dark Knight are wealthy, "normal" humans who fight crime with detective skills, cover identities, skilled confidants, and are equipped with high-tech gadgetry, personalized air craft, and personalized throwing items. Likewise, Moon Knight briefly had a teenage would-be sidekick, with the Steven Grant identity becoming a billionaire (similar to Bruce Wayne), using the fortune to fund his career as Moon Knight.
["Charlie Huston: Shining Light on Moon Knight"](_blank)
, ''Comixfan'', August 17, 2005 Huston accepted that the two characters have similarities, but went on to contrast them by noting particular differences in origin, motives, and personality. He said, "Bruce Wayne fights crime to avenge the murders of his parents," whereas Moon Knight "beats up whoever has it coming because he believes he is the avatar of the Egyptian god of vengeance and it helps him to feel better about all the people he killed when he was a mercenary." Thus, Batman is motivated by vengeance for a personal wrong against his parents, while Marc Spector is motivated by vengeance as a concept. Huston further notes that Bruce Wayne, Batman's alter ego, takes on other identities merely to aid in his investigations, while Moon Knight's three alters aid him as much in dealing with personal demons as fighting law-breakers, and had a further psychological toll by apparently causing
dissociative identity disorder
Dissociative identity disorder (DID), better known as multiple personality disorder or multiple personality syndrome, is a mental disorder characterized by the presence of at least two distinct and relatively enduring personality states.
The di ...
.
Accolades
* In 2011, ''
Wizard'' ranked Moon Knight 149th in their "top 200 comic book characters" list.
* In 2011, ''
IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
'' ranked Moon Knight 89th in their "top 100 comics book heroes" list.
* In 2015, ''
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'' ranked Moon Knight 80th in their "Let's rank every Avenger ever" list.
* In 2015, ''
IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
'' ranked Moon Knigh 49th in their "Top 50 Avengers" list.
* In 2015, ''
BuzzFeed
BuzzFeed, Inc. is an American Internet media, news and entertainment company with a focus on digital media. Based in New York City, BuzzFeed was founded in 2006 by Jonah Peretti and John S. Johnson III to focus on tracking viral content. Ken ...
'' ranked Moon Knight 48th in their "84 Avengers Members Ranked From Worst To Best" list.
* In 2017, ''
WhatCulture
WhatCulture Ltd. is an online entertainment news website and magazine which was launched in 2010. The site offers news in the field of professional wrestling, television, films, video games, and board games.
History
Originally started by Peter ...
'' ranked Moon Knight 1st in their "10 Underappreciated Marvel Superheroes Who Deserve Their Own Movies" list.
* In 2019, ''
CBR.com
''Comic Book Resources'', also known by the initialism CBR, is a website dedicated to the coverage of comic book–related news and discussion.
History
Comic Book Resources was founded by Jonah Weiland in 1995 as a development of the Kingdom Co ...
'' ranked Moon Knight 3rd in their "Marvel: 10 Best Street Level Heroes" list and 9th in their "10 Most Powerful Members of The Secret Avengers" list.
Literary reception
Volumes
''Vengeance of the Moon Knight'' - 2009
According to
Diamond Comic Distributors
Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc. (often called Diamond Comics, DCD, or casually Diamond) is an American comic book distributor serving retailers in North America and worldwide. They transport comic books and graphic novels, as well as other po ...
, ''Vengeance of the Moon Knight'' #1 was the 73rd best selling comic book in September 2009.
Jesse Schedeen of ''
IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
'' gave ''Vengeance of the Moon Knight'' #1 a grade of 7.5 out of 10, saying, "On the whole, it's simply to early to judge this book one way or the other. I'm not enamored with some of the changes to the Moon Knight formula, but it's clear, if nothing else, that Hurwitz has a handle on his main character. Hopefully this series will strengthen in the coming months and manage to pull in more readers than the last one did. Moon Knight wasn't broken before - it's just that no one seemed to notice it." Chase Magnett of ''
Comicbook.com
The following is a list of major assets that are owned by Paramount Global.
Paramount Pictures Corporation (Film)
* Paramount Pictures
** Paramount Home Entertainment
** Paramount Television Studios
** Paramount Pictures International
** Para ...
'' called the ''Vengeance of the Moon Knight'' comic book series one of the "greatest Moon Knight runs of all time," asserting "This short-lived version of the series, under a new title, emphasized Moon Knight's incredibly violent nature. There is a constant push-pull effect as the character resists his impulses only to give back into them. Few other iterations play into Moon Knight's prior history as a mercenary quite as well, and how that career has warped his personality every bit as much as the mask has."
''Moon Knight'' - 2014
According to
Diamond Comic Distributors
Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc. (often called Diamond Comics, DCD, or casually Diamond) is an American comic book distributor serving retailers in North America and worldwide. They transport comic books and graphic novels, as well as other po ...
, ''Moon Knight'' #1 was the 16th best selling book in March 2014.
Doug Zawisza of ''
CBR.com
''Comic Book Resources'', also known by the initialism CBR, is a website dedicated to the coverage of comic book–related news and discussion.
History
Comic Book Resources was founded by Jonah Weiland in 1995 as a development of the Kingdom Co ...
'' said, "While I'm not ready to proclaim "Moon Knight" #1 to be this year's "Hawkeye," this is a magnificent debut issue, which raises many more questions asked than answers. Ellis gives readers plenty of incentive to return for more action and intrigue next issue, and his take on the character fits right between Daredevil and Punisher. The debut issue gives readers exactly enough action and mystery translated through brilliant art to hook them until the next installment. With lines like, "I died before," Ellis proves a sliver of humor hiding under the cowl, but not an overwhelming amount. That humor, combined with the ingenuity and intelligence of Khonshu's disciple maes for a compelling and intriguing "all-new" Moon Knight. Thanks to gorgeous art and smart storytelling, "Moon Knight" #1 is an incredibly strong debut." Benjamin Bailey of ''
IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
'' gave ''Moon Knight'' #1 a grade of 9.9 out of 10, asserting, "''Moon Knight'' #1 is a masterpiece, anyway you cut it. Whether you are a longtime fan or new to the character, this is a comic you need to read. Like, right now. Stop what you are doing and read ''Moon Knight''."
''Moon Knight'' - 2016
According to
Diamond Comic Distributors
Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc. (often called Diamond Comics, DCD, or casually Diamond) is an American comic book distributor serving retailers in North America and worldwide. They transport comic books and graphic novels, as well as other po ...
, ''Moon Knight'' #1 was the 17th best selling book in April 2016.
Alexander Jones of ''
ComicsBeat
Heidi MacDonald (born November 15) is a writer and editor in the field of comic books based in New York City. She runs the comics industry news blog '' The Beat''.
Career
MacDonald is a former editor for DC Comics' Vertigo imprint and ''Disney A ...
'' stated, "''Moon Knight #1'' does a lot of things right, especially in how the comic characterizes the lead hero while asking some interesting new questions about him. The comic takes the impeccable sense of style and presentation that went into the last run and weaves a new story thread out of it. This comic book does not seem like a brand new take on the character that avoids all previous continuity, but it does shake things up within the context of what came before." Jesse Schedeen of ''
IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
'' gave ''Moon Knight'' #1 a grade of 8 out of 10, writing, "It's good to have Moon Knight back on the stands. This new series retains much of what made its predecessor so appealing while also shaking up the formula in a major way. Between the moody atmosphere and terrific sense of style, this issue has a lot going for it. It's just a shame the book works against itself by rushing to the big reveal rather than offering a slower and more purposeful build-up."
''Moon Knight'' - 2021
According to ''
Bleeding Cool
Bleeding Cool is an Internet news site, focusing on comics, television, film, board games, and video games. Owned by Avatar Press, it was launched by Rich Johnston on March 27, 2009. Avatar Press also publishes an associated magazine, ''Bleeding ...
'', ''Moon Knight'' #1 was the best-selling comic book in the week of July 25, 2021, while ''Moon Knight'' #3 was the best-selling comic book in the week of September 26, 2021. ''Moon Knight'' #1 was the 7th best-selling comic book in 2021.
In 2021, the ''Moon Knight'' comic book series won the Golden Issue Award for Best Ongoing Comic.
Matthew Aguilar of ''
Comicbook.com
The following is a list of major assets that are owned by Paramount Global.
Paramount Pictures Corporation (Film)
* Paramount Pictures
** Paramount Home Entertainment
** Paramount Television Studios
** Paramount Pictures International
** Para ...
'' stated, "''Moon Knight'' #1 captures the essence of the character and all the elements that make him stand out from his peers while expanding the character's mythos and supporting cast in exciting new ways, and it does so with flair and wit to spare. If that weren't enough, the stunning artwork from Cappuccio and colorist Rachelle Rosenberg demands your attention with every page.
..''Moon Knight'' #1 pulls together several threads of Knight's complicated history along with fresh new ideas to create something absolutely perfect for the character. The hype was at an all-time high, but Moon Knight manages to deliver on it, and I certainly could not have asked for a better debut." Benjamin Bailey of ''
IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
'' gave ''Moon Knight'' #1 a grade of 9.9 out of 10, writing, "Moon Knight's books have almost always been good, often they're great, but this new relaunch is on a whole other level. This is more than a re-imaging, it's a brilliant introduction to a character more folks need to be acquainted with. Whether you are a longtime fan or brand new to the character, this is a comic you absolutely must read.
..''Moon Knight'' #1 is a masterpiece, anyway you cut it. Whether you are a longtime fan or new to the character, this is a comic you need to read. Like, right now. Stop what you are doing and read Moon Knight."
Other versions
2099
The
one-shot ''2099: Manifest Destiny'' (March 1998) introduced a female
Marvel 2099
Marvel 2099 is a Marvel Comics imprint, started in 1992, that was originally one possible future of the Marvel Universe, but later revealed in a climax of ''Superior Spider-Man Goblin Nation arc'' and ''Amazing Spider-Man'' Vol. 3 #14 to be the ...
version of Moon Knight, fighting crime in the lunar city of
Attilan
The comic book stories published by Marvel Comics since the 1940s have featured several noteworthy concepts besides its fictional characters, such as unique places and artifacts. There follows a list of those features.
Places
Certain places f ...
. This version of the character also appears in issue #14 of ''
Spider-Man 2099
Spider-Man 2099 is a Character (arts), fictional superhero character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by Peter David and Rick Leonardi in 1992 for the Marvel 2099 comic book line, and is a fut ...
'' (2015).
''House of M''
Moon Knight appears in ''
House of M
"House of M" is a 2005 comic book storyline published by Marvel Comics, consisting of a core eight-issue comic book limited series written by Brian Michael Bendis and illustrated by Olivier Coipel and a number of crossover tie-in books. Its fir ...
'' as part of
Luke Cage
Lucas "Luke" Cage, born Carl Lucas and also known as Power Man, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in ''Luke Cage, Hero for Hire'' #1 (June 1972) and was created by Archie Go ...
's Sapien Resistance against Earth's rulers, the House of Magnus (
Magneto
A magneto is an electrical generator that uses permanent magnets to produce periodic pulses of alternating current. Unlike a dynamo, a magneto does not contain a commutator to produce direct current. It is categorized as a form of alternator, ...
and his children,
Quicksilver,
Polaris
Polaris is a star in the northern circumpolar constellation of Ursa Minor. It is designated α Ursae Minoris ( Latinized to ''Alpha Ursae Minoris'') and is commonly called the North Star or Pole Star. With an apparent magnitude that ...
, and the
Scarlet Witch
Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby. Her first appearance was in ''The X-Men'' #4 (March 1964) ...
), although he is not wearing his costume in this timeline. He also appears in House of M: Avengers wearing his costume. A little more of his backstory is uncovered as well, still following Khonshu and still suffering from dissociative identity disorder.
''The Infinity War''
In the ''
Infinity War
''Avengers: Infinity War'' is a 2018 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics superhero team the Avengers. Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is the sequel to '' The Avengers'' ( ...
'' crossover, the alien double of Moon Knight uses
Franklin Richards' powers to become the multi-dimensional Moon Shade. He then murders the majority of the Multiverse's alternate versions of Moon Knight.
''Marvel Zombies''
In ''
Marvel Zombies'', Moon Knight is one of the superheroes infected by the zombie plague. Previously he had been part of the resistance organized by
Nick Fury
Colonel Nicholas Joseph "Nick" Fury Sr. is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer/artist Jack Kirby and writer Stan Lee, he first appeared in ''Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos ...
, but presumably turned into one of the zombies in a later battle. He is attacked by 'Deadites', reanimated versions of many of the dead humans, which seemingly tear Moon Knight apart (he presumably escapes, as he is seen in the first issue of the regular
Marvel Zombies series, which is set after ''Army of Darkness''). He is later killed by Deadpool, who appears on the Marvel Zombies Earth and cuts his head off.
Old Man Logan
In the pages of ''
Old Man Logan
Old Man Logan is an alternative version of the Marvel Comics fictional character Wolverine. This character is an aged version of Wolverine set in an alternate future universe designated Earth-807128, where the supervillains overthrew the super ...
'', a flashback was seen where Moon Knight assisted Daredevil and She-Hulk in fighting
Enchantress and
Electro in Manhattan. In his fight against Electro, Moon Knight was electrocuted into a state of unconsciousness.
''S.H.I.E.L.D.''
''
S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage, special law enforcement, and counter-terrorism agency appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in ''Strange Tales'' #135 (August 1965), it often dea ...
'' #1 features an ancient Egyptian version of Moon Knight during the days of the
Brotherhood of the Shield. This version is similar in appearance to the Khonshu statue that Marc Spector worshiped in the past. He can be seen holding a staff that has a crescent moon at the top.
Ultimate Marvel
In the parallel universe of ''
Ultimate Marvel
Ultimate Marvel, later known as Ultimate Comics, was an imprint of comic books published by Marvel Comics, featuring re-imagined and modernized versions of the company's superhero characters from the Ultimate Marvel Universe. Those characters in ...
'', Marc Spector is a
Navy SEAL
The United States Navy Sea, Air, and Land (SEAL) Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the U.S. Navy's primary special operations force and a component of the Naval Special Warfare Command. Among the SEALs' main functions are conducting sma ...
who becomes a test subject for a "
super-soldier" program of the US government. Although he gains increased strength, resiliency to injury, and accelerated healing, the experiment fractures Spector's mind, causing symptoms similar to dissociative identity disorder. Spector now manifests as both his own persona and the alters named Moon Knight and Steven Grant, as well as an unnamed alter who identifies as a girl with red hair (referred to as "Inner Child"). Like some people with DID, Spector experiences co-consciousness and so his alters are able to share information and are aware of each other's activities. At times, Spector's alters create a new personality for special situations or will somehow combat each other to take or maintain control.
After leaving the US military, Spector temporarily works for the
Roxxon Corporation as
Paladin
The Paladins, also called the Twelve Peers, are twelve legendary knights, the foremost members of Charlemagne's court in the 8th century. They first appear in the medieval (12th century) ''chanson de geste'' cycle of the Matter of France, where ...
. After leaving Roxxon's employ, Spector's Moon Knight alter takes more control and begins operating as a vigilante in New York City. During this time, Spector lives with his girlfriend Marlene Alraune, who is aware he has DID and that one of his alters is the vigilante Moon Knight. During a gang war between the crime lord
Kingpin and newcomer gangster
Hammerhead, Moon Knight is seriously wounded by the assassin
Elektra but escapes to safety. He then encounters the vigilantes
Punisher
The Punisher (Francis "Frank" Castle, born Castiglione) is an antihero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Gerry Conway and artists John Romita Sr. and Ross Andru. The Punisher made ...
,
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appeared in the anthology comic book '' Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in the ...
, and
Daredevil. Later on, Daredevil invites Moon Knight to join an
organization of superheroes dedicated to bringing down the Kingpin. Spector accepts and then decides to infiltrate the Kingpin's ranks. Opposing how much control the Moon Knight persona has, the personalities of Steven Grant and Marc Spector create a new alter named
Ronin to take command, a ruthless warrior who would be more easily welcomed into Kingpin's organization. The Moon Knight alter opposes this decision, only to then be seemingly destroyed by the new Ronin alter. It is later revealed the Moon Knight alter is not gone, only buried and in a state mirroring unconsciousness.
After Kingpin discovers Ronin is an agent of Daredevil, the crime lord orders the man's execution. Ronin survives an attack and then informs the police that the Kingpin has attempted to murder him. He then calls for the Moon Knight alter to wake once more.
Universe X
In ''
Universe X
The universe is all of space and time and their contents, including planets, stars, galaxies, and all other forms of matter and energy. The Big Bang theory is the prevailing cosmological description of the development of the universe. Accor ...
'', Moon Knight is locked in a never-ending battle with the Sons of Set, over the statue of Khonshu. It is actually stated that Marc Spector has been dead from the beginning, and just as the moon reflects light, Spector has been "reflecting" the form of a living man, making him effectively immortal. Moreover, it is also suggested that the original inspiration for the moon god Khonshu was the Watcher
Uatu
Uatu (), often simply known as the Watcher, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, he first appeared in '' The Fantastic Four'' #13 (April 1963). He is a mem ...
who watches the Earth from his base on the moon.
''Secret Wars''
During the "
Secret Wars
''Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars'', commonly known as ''Secret Wars'' for short, is a twelve-issue American comic book Fictional crossover, crossover limited series published from May 1984 to April 1985 by Marvel Comics. The series was written ...
" storyline, different versions of Moon Knight reside in the different
Battleworld
Battleworld is a fictional patchwork planet appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.
Publication history
The first Battleworld debuted in the ''Secret Wars'' crossover where it was created by Jim Shooter and Mike Zeck.
The ...
domains:
* In the Battleworld domain of the Regency, Moon Knight is mentioned as one of the superheroes targeted by Regent during his rise to power.
* In the Battleworld domain of K'un-L'un, Spector is a master of a faction called the Faces of the Moon. He is defeated by
Shang-Chi
Zheng Shang-Chi ( ), also known as the Master of Kung Fu and Brother Hand, is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Steve Englehart and artist Jim Starlin, debuting in '' ...
in the Tournament of the Thirteen Chambers.
* In the Battleworld domain of Egyptia, Spector is werewolf and a member of the Moon Knights, Khonshu's elite warriors.
* In the Battleworld domain of Marville, Moon Knight is among the heroes fighting for the attention of the twins Zach and Zoe.
Apocalypse Wars
In the ''
Extraordinary X-Men
''Extraordinary X-Men'' was a comic series from Marvel Comics and the flagship X-Men title under the All-New, All-Different Marvel re-branding. The story takes place following the conclusion of the Secret Wars crossover event. In this comic se ...
'' Apocalypse Wars crossover, a female version of Moon Knight is one of the
Horsemen of Apocalypse
The Horsemen of Apocalypse are a team of supervillain characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.
Publication history
The Horsemen of Apocalypse are first mentioned in ''X-Factor'' #10 (Nov. 1986), and make their f ...
. She is killed by Nightcrawler, who teleports her into a spiked pit trap.
''Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe Again''
Working with the
Punisher
The Punisher (Francis "Frank" Castle, born Castiglione) is an antihero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Gerry Conway and artists John Romita Sr. and Ross Andru. The Punisher made ...
, Moon Knight / Mr. Knight investigates the killings of multiple superheroes by an unknown assailant, with his own personal assistant
Gwenpool
Gwenpool (Gwendolyn "Gwen" Poole; colloquial: "GwenPool" or "Pink Slayer") is a fictional Character (arts), character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. A girl from the Reality, real world transported to the Marvel Univ ...
finding
Magneto
A magneto is an electrical generator that uses permanent magnets to produce periodic pulses of alternating current. Unlike a dynamo, a magneto does not contain a commutator to produce direct current. It is categorized as a form of alternator, ...
,
the Red Skull,
the Abomination and
Doctor Doom
Doctor Victor Von Doom is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, and first appeared in ''The Fantastic Four'' #5 in July 1962. The monarch of the fi ...
to be responsible, directing
Deadpool
Deadpool is an antihero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Fabian Nicieza and artist/writer Rob Liefeld, the character first appeared in ''New Mutants'' #98 (cover-dated Feb. 1991). Initially, Deadp ...
to kill the Marvel Universe's heroes on their behalf. As Gwen sends the photos and flees, Moon Knight loses reception and assumes her dead, before being killed himself by Deadpool sometime later, realizing in his dying moments that Deadpool is being remotely directed via brainwashing and is mostly unaware of what he is actually doing but for a few moments of lucidity caused by Moon Knight's punches, which he uses to warn Moon Knight about the villains' plans, allowing a message to be passed on to the remaining heroes.
Infinity Warps
During the "
Infinity Warps" storyline, Moon Knight's life is combined with elements of Spider-Man's history. The result is a character named Peter Spector whose Uncle Ben and Aunt May are killed by the being known as the
Goblin by Night. Attacked and left for dead by the Goblin, Peter Spector is then revived to be an avatar of a mystical Spider deity. Peter gains spider-powers but also has his mind split into four personas. As the ArachKnight, he fights crime. As Peter Spector, he rises to become president of his company, working alongside his girlfriend
Marlene Jane. He soon discovers the truth from his friend Harry that Norman Osborn was cursed into the Goblin and killed both Ben and May against his will. When the Goblin curse took over Norman's body and transfers its curse infects his own son against his will, ArachKnight forgives and welcomes a now cured Norman to join his company to find a cure for a recently cursed Harry.
Earth-818
On Earth-818 which was ruled by Multiversal Masters of Evil member
Black Skull
KNM-WT 17000 (also known as "The Black Skull") is a fossilized adult skull of the species ''Paranthropus aethiopicus''. It was discovered in Lake Turkana, West Turkana, Kenya by Alan Walker (anthropologist), Alan Walker in 1985. Estimated to be ...
, a version of Moon Knight named Mariama Spector is a member of the resistance against Black Skull that is led by Ant-Man (this Earth's version of Tony Stark). During the fight with Black Skull, Moon Knight and Vision get sucked into one of Black Skull's portals and end up at the Center of Infinity where they are approached by
Captain Carter
Margaret "Peggy" Carter is a fictional character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) media franchise portrayed by Hayley Atwell, based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. Carter is depicted as a British MI6 agent and member o ...
, War Widow, and Longbow who recruit them into Avenger Prime's army.
In other media
Television
* According to author Doug Moench, a Moon Knight series was licensed by
Toei for production in Japan, but was instead serialized as a
manga
Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...
from 1979-1980.
*Moon Knight appears in the ''
Ultimate Spider-Man
''Ultimate Spider-Man'' is a superhero comic book series that was published by Marvel Comics from 2000 to 2011. The series is a modernized re-imagining of Marvel's long-running Spider-Man comic book franchise as part of the company's Ultimate ...
'' episode "The Moon Knight Before Christmas", voiced by
Diedrich Bader
Karl Diedrich Bader (born December 24, 1966) is an American actor and comedian who is best known for his comedy roles. He has appeared as a series regular in television sitcoms ''The Drew Carey Show'', ''American Housewife'', and '' Outsourced'' ...
.
This version is shown to follow the
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It is the fifth largest satellite in the Solar System and the largest and most massive relative to its parent planet, with a diameter about one-quarter that of Earth (comparable to the width of ...
's advice. He chases Frances Beck before
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appeared in the anthology comic book '' Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in the ...
, mistaking Moon Knight for a villain, saves her while house-sitting for
Doctor Strange
Doctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Steve Ditko, the character first appeared in ''Strange Tales'' #110 (cover-dated July 1963). Doctor Strange serves as Sorce ...
. After figuring out that Frances is the daughter and would-be-successor of her father
Quentin Beck / Mysterio, Spider-Man works with Moon Knight to defeat her. Using a special wand from a restricted room in the
Sanctum Sanctorum
The Latin phrase ''sanctum sanctorum'' is a translation of the Hebrew term ''קֹדֶשׁ הַקֳּדָשִׁים'' (Qṓḏeš HaQŏḏāšîm), literally meaning Holy of Holies, which generally refers in Latin texts to the holiest place of th ...
, Moon Knight stabs the Mysterio helmet, allowing Spider-Man to free the Becks. Following this, Moon Knight joins Spider-Man,
May Parker
Maybelle "May" Parker-Jameson (née Reilly), commonly known as Aunt May, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Spider-Man. Making her first full appeara ...
, and the Becks for
Christmas
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus, Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by country, around t ...
dinner.
* Moon Knight appears in ''
Avengers Assemble'', voiced by
Gideon Emery
Gideon Emery is an English actor and singer. He is best known for his role as Deucalion in '' Teen Wolf'' and for providing voice-over work in video games, television series and films.
Early life and education
Emery was born to Pauline, a compe ...
.
He first makes a
cameo in the episode "Avengers World", among the heroes the
Avengers
Avenger, Avengers, The Avenger, or The Avengers may refer to:
Arts and entertainment In the Marvel Comics universe
* Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes
**Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes of ...
planned to recruit in their expansion program before Moon Knight makes his first full appearance in the episode "Beyond", in which a pyramid he is guarding ends up in the
Battleworld
Battleworld is a fictional patchwork planet appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.
Publication history
The first Battleworld debuted in the ''Secret Wars'' crossover where it was created by Jim Shooter and Mike Zeck.
The ...
domain of Egyptia. When
Captain America
Captain America is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by cartoonists Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, the character First appearance, first appeared in ''#Golden Age, Captain America Comics'' #1 (cover ...
and
Black Widow enter the pyramid and reunite with
Iron Man
Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby. The charact ...
, they fight a mind-controlled Moon Knight and an army of sand-powered mummies to claim an orb he is guarding. Eventually, Iron Man destroys the device controlling Moon Knight, who helps defeat the remaining mummies. Captain America offers him to join the Avengers, but Moon Knight chooses to stay behind and guard the evils contained in the pyramid.
* Moon Knight appears in the ''
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appeared in the anthology comic book '' Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in the ...
'' episode "Vengeance of Venom", voiced by Peter Giles. This version became a cynical survivalist after someone close to him was killed, leading to him abandoning the Moon Knight identity. Marc Spector saves Spider-Man during the
Klyntar
The Klyntar (colloquial: symbiotes) are a fictional species of extraterrestrial life, extraterrestrial Symbiosis, symbiotes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, most commonly in association with Spider-Man. The symbiotes ...
's invasion, but is reluctant to take on the Moon Knight identity again. Following a pep talk from May Parker during another battle with the Klyntar, Spector becomes Moon Knight again and assists in the fight against the aliens.
Marvel Cinematic Universe
The character's dissociative identities of Marc Spector / Moon Knight, Steven Grant / Mr. Knight, and Jake Lockley appear in live-action media set in the
Marvel Cinematic Universe
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appear in American comic books published by ...
(MCU), all portrayed by
Oscar Isaac
Óscar Isaac Hernández Estrada (born March 9, 1979) is a Guatemalan-born American actor. Known for his versatility, he has been credited with breaking stereotypes about Latino characters in Hollywood. He was named the best actor of his gene ...
, with Carlos Sanchez portraying Grant and Spector as a child while David Jake Rodriguez portrays Spector as a teenager. In the MCU, the Marc Spector identity is depicted as an ex-mercenary who assumes the role of Moon Knight under the
Egyptian god
Ancient Egyptian deities are the gods and goddesses worshipped in ancient Egypt. The beliefs and rituals surrounding these gods formed the core of ancient Egyptian religion, which emerged sometime in prehistory. Deities represented natural fo ...
,
Khonshu to save his life, the Steven Grant identity is a British gift shop employee who assumes the alias of Mr. Knight under Khonshu, and the Jake Lockley identity is depicted as brutal and Khonshu's favored avatar.
Isaac was in talks for the role in October 2020,
and was cast by January 2021,
before Marvel officially confirmed his casting that May.
* The character first appears in the
Disney+
The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment
Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and interest of an audience or gives pleasure and deligh ...
series ''
Moon Knight
Moon Knight is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Doug Moench and artist Don Perlin, the character first appeared in ''Werewolf by Night'' #32 (August 1975).
The son of a rabb ...
'', which premiered on March 30, 2022.
* In November 2019,
Marvel Studios
Marvel Studios, LLC (originally known as Marvel Films from 1993 to 1996) is an American film and television production company that is a subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios, a division of the Walt Disney Company. Marvel Studios produces the Mar ...
president
Kevin Feige
Kevin Feige ( ; born June 2, 1973) is an American film and television producer who has been the president of Marvel Studios and the primary producer of the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise since 2007. The films he has produced have a combin ...
revealed that Moon Knight is set to appear in future MCU films following his introduction in his Disney+ series.
Video games
* Moon Knight appears as an unlockable playable character in the
Wii
The Wii ( ) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released on November 19, 2006, in North America and in December 2006 for most other Regional lockout, regions of the world. It is Nintendo's fifth major ho ...
,
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox series. It competed with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation ...
, and
PlayStation 3
The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. The successor to the PlayStation 2, it is part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. It was first released on Novemb ...
versions of ''
Marvel Ultimate Alliance
''Marvel: Ultimate Alliance'' is a 2006 action role-playing video game, developed by Raven Software for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox and Xbox 360, and published by Activision. The game was ported to the PlayStation Portable and Wii by Vi ...
'',
voiced by
Nolan North
Nolan North (born October 31, 1970) is an American actor best known for his voice acting roles.
After his breakthrough role as Dr. Chris Ramsey on the ABC soap opera '' Port Charles'' in 1997, North moved into voice acting when the show ended ...
.
* Moon Knight appears as an assist character in ''
Spider-Man: Web of Shadows'', voiced by
Robin Atkin Downes
Robin Atkin Downes is an English actor known for his work in animation and video games.
Early life
Downes was born in London. He earned an MFA from Temple University in Philadelphia.
Career
Downes has voiced characters in animated films s ...
.
He assists Spider-Man in his fight with
Black Cat
A black cat is a domestic cat with black fur that may be a mixed or specific breed, or a common domestic cat of no particular breed. The Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) recognizes 22 cat breeds that can come with solid black coats. The Bombay b ...
before working with him to disrupt the
Kingpin's illegal activities and repelling the
symbiotes' invasion.
* Moon Knight appears in
Hawkeye's ending for ''
Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3
is a crossover fighting game developed by Capcom in collaboration with Eighting. It is an updated version of '' Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds''. The game features characters from both Capcom's video game franchises and comic book se ...
'', as a member of the
West Coast Avengers
The West Coast Avengers is a fictional group of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team first appeared in ''The West Coast Avengers'' #1 (Sept. 1984), created by Roger Stern and Bob Hall. It was the fir ...
.
* Moon Knight appears in ''
Marvel Pinball
''Marvel Pinball'' is a 2010 pinball video game developed by Zen Studios. It features Marvel Comics-themed pinball tables. It is available as a standalone game for the PlayStation 3 via the PlayStation Network, and as downloadable content for '' ...
'' and the downloadable content for ''
Pinball FX 2
''Pinball FX 2'' (stylized as ''Pinball FX2'') is a pinball video game for Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Microsoft Windows ( XP and higher) and is the sequel to '' Pinball FX''. It was developed by Zen Studios and published by Microsoft Studios. It was ...
'', voiced by
Troy Baker
Troy Baker (born April 1, 1976) is an American voice actor and musician. Baker is known for his video game roles, including Joel Miller in ''The Last of Us'' (2013) and its sequel (2020), Booker DeWitt in ''BioShock Infinite'' (2013), Samuel ...
.
In his own table, Moon Knight battles
Morpheus
Morpheus ('Fashioner', derived from the grc, μορφή meaning 'form, shape') is a god associated with sleep and dreams. In Ovid's ''Metamorphoses'' he is the son of Somnus and appears in dreams in human form. From the Middle Ages, the name b ...
,
Midnight
Midnight is the transition time from one day to the next – the moment when the date changes, on the local official clock time for any particular jurisdiction. By clock time, midnight is the opposite of noon, differing from it by 12 hours. ...
,
Bushman,
Black Spectre Black Spectre has two meanings in the Marvel Universe. The first Black Spectre is the name of a fictional organization which first appeared in ''Daredevil'' #108 (March 1974) and was created by writer Steve Gerber and penciller Bob Brown. It was a l ...
, and
Khonshu.
* Moon Knight appears as an unlockable playable character in ''
Marvel Avengers Alliance''.
* Moon Knight appears as an unlockable playable character in ''
Marvel Heroes'', voiced again by Robin Atkin Downes.
* Moon Knight appears as an unlockable playable character in ''
Lego Marvel Super Heroes
''Lego Marvel Super Heroes'' is a 2013 Lego-themed action-adventure video game developed by Traveller's Tales and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii U, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Microsoft W ...
''.
* Moon Knight appears in ''
Marvel Avengers Academy
''Marvel Avengers Academy'' was a freemium mobile game for iOS and Android, based on the characters featured in Marvel Comics. It was released on February 4, 2016. The game was shut down three years later. Despite the name, the game was not rel ...
'', voiced by Alan Adelberg.
* Moon Knight appears in ''
Lego Marvel's Avengers
''Lego Marvel's Avengers'' is a Lego-themed action-adventure video game developed by Traveller's Tales and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, for the Nintendo 3DS, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Wii U, Wind ...
'', voiced by
Keith Silverstein
Keith Silverstein is an American voice actor, known for lending his voice to English Versions of Japanese anime and video games, affiliated with Bang Zoom! Entertainment, Viz Media, Studiopolis and Funimation. He is best known for his roles as ...
.
* Moon Knight appears as an unlockable playable character in ''
Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2
''Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2'' is a Lego-themed action-adventure video game developed by Traveller's Tales and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and Xbox One on 14 November ...
''.
* Moon Knight appears as an unlockable playable character in ''
Marvel Contest of Champions
''Marvel Contest of Champions'' is a 2014 fighting video game developed and published by Kabam. It was released on December 10, 2014, for iOS and Android. The fighting game is primarily set in the Marvel Universe. The game is strongly based o ...
''.
* Moon Knight appears as an unlockable playable character in ''
Marvel Future Fight
''Marvel: Future Fight'' is a 2015 superhero-themed mobile video game developed by Netmarble Games.
Gameplay
Plot
The collapse of several dimensions prompts investigations from Thor, Black Bolt, and Black Panther. After battling alternat ...
''.
* Moon Knight appears as a downloadable playable character in ''
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order'', voiced again by
Gideon Emery
Gideon Emery is an English actor and singer. He is best known for his role as Deucalion in '' Teen Wolf'' and for providing voice-over work in video games, television series and films.
Early life and education
Emery was born to Pauline, a compe ...
.
He was added through the "Marvel Knights: Curse of the Vampire"
DLC.
* Moon Knight appears as a playable character in ''
Marvel Strike Force
''Marvel Strike Force'' is a turn-based role-playing mobile game by FoxNext (later acquired by Scopely) for Android, iOS, and iPadOS platforms. The game was launched worldwide on March 28, 2018, and is primarily set in the Marvel Universe.
Pre ...
''.
* Two incarnations of Moon Knight appear in ''
Marvel Future Revolution'', voiced again by Gideon Emery. One version is a member of
Omega Flight
Omega Flight is the name used by four teams of fictional characters with superpowers appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Omega Flight is one of the few Canadian teams published by an American comic book company. Omega Fl ...
while the other hails from Earth-5468, where he became the sole survivor of
Ultron
Ultron () is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Roy Thomas and artist John Buscema, and initially made his debut as an unnamed character in '' The Avengers'' #54 (July ...
's conquest.
* Moon Knight appears as an purchasable outfit in ''
Fortnite Battle Royale
''Fortnite Battle Royale'' is a free-to-play battle royale video game developed and published by Epic Games. It is a companion game to '' Fortnite: Save the World'', a cooperative survival game with construction elements. It was initially re ...
''.
Miscellaneous
The MCU versions of Marc Spector / Moon Knight and Steven Grant / Mr. Knight appear as meet-and-greet characters at
Avengers Campus
Avengers Campus is a Marvel Cinematic Universe–themed area located at Disney California Adventure and Walt Disney Studios Park in Disneyland Paris, and being developed for Hong Kong Disneyland. The Marvel-themed areas or "lands" are being dev ...
.
Collected editions
References
External links
Moon Knightat Marvel.com
Comic Foundry – The Conversation: Doug Moench + Charlie Huston*
*
at
Don Markstein's Toonopedia
Don Markstein's Toonopedia (subtitled A Vast Repository of Toonological Knowledge) is an online encyclopedia of print cartoons, comic strips and animation, initiated February 13, 2001. Donald D. Markstein, the sole writer and editor of Toonopedi ...
Archivedfrom the original on March 10, 2016.
Marc Spectorat Marvel Wiki
{{Midnight Sons
Avengers (comics) characters
Characters created by Don Perlin
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Comics characters introduced in 1975
Egyptian mythology in comics
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Fictional boxers
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Khonsu
Marvel Comics characters who can move at superhuman speeds
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