Moon Knight is Marvel’s first shot at a character driven by the psychology of the human mind. Let’s know where he comes from.
Moon Knight aka Fist of Khonshu is Marvel’s next vigilante who serves the purpose of cleaning the world off evil. But there’s more to him than meets the eye. Here, we will talk about his past in the comics and how he is connected with Marc Spector.
Watch: Secret Agent | Marvel Studios’ Moon Knight | Disney+
Marvel’s own Batman, in that being a wealthy businessman by day and a vigilante by night, Moon Knight falls among the comic book publisher’s high-profile characters. He is struggling with mental illness, he is the priest of an ancient Egyptian God and he is also a remorseless killer.
Moon Knight History in the Comics
Moon Knight first turned up in the 1975’s Werewolf by Night for two issues. And finally some special appearances later, he got his solo outing in 1980’s Moon Knight and has since then become permanent in Marvel Comics. Mercenary Marc Spector was left for dead in a cold desert night by his hirer mercenary Raoul Bushman during a job in Egypt. And this is where it all began.
The Fist of Khonshu
Egyptian Moon God Khonshu’s assistants carried a half-dead Marc to his temple where Marc’s heartbeat stops. This is when Khonshu meets him and offers him life in return for his allegiance on Earth. Marc nods and gets his life backThis is why he is also known as the Fist of Khonshu. Taking the famous Moon Knight shroud from the temple itself, he embarks on his journey to end evil. As for his powers, he has super-strength which comes and goes with the waxing and waning of the moon respectively. However, and we don’t know if we will have it in the show, Fist of Khonshu is basically immortal i.e. he cannot die. But it’s not up to him but Khonshu to resurrect him. He can also resist mind-control so he will be able to tell if and when Scarlet Witch tries to control him (since both of them have Chaos magic). He cannot fly but his crescent-shaped cape allows him to glide across otherwise-long distances and heights. We will hopefully have all these powers of his in Moon Knight too.
Moon Knight is More than Batman
If we compare Marvel’s Moon Knight with DC’s Batman, the former is far more fatal. Batman has a no-kill code whereas Moon Knight not only kills but does so in a most visceral manner. He is more like Marvel’s own Frank Castle aka the Punisher. Given that Marc was a merc, he has no trouble killing people using the most lethal of forces. He is also known to brand his enemies’ forehead with a crescent moon mark. So, in a way, he is more like an anti-hero who does horrible things but for a righteous cause.
The Knight’s Future in the MCU
In the comics, Fist of Khonshu has had his personal experiences with werewolves and vampires, both of which are soon coming to the MCU i.e. Werewolf by Night and Blade. So we can expect a crossover in the distant future. Besides this, the very mythology to which Moon Knight belongs is completely new and unique. So, it will be interesting to see how the folks at Marvel Studios portray it.
Moon Knight arrives exclusively at Disney+ Hotstar on March 30.
