Moon Knight: Who is He? What is His Story? Origin, Power and Weapons Here Everything Explained
Moon Knight will soon be available on Disney Plus! Marvel’s Moon Knight is often seen as the company’s answer to the eternal Batman, but the former’s secret superpower means he’s easily Bruce Wayne’s best. The similarities are paramount, especially when comparing the history and techniques of the two heroes: both use the shadow to their advantage, both have lives marked by tragedy, and both suffer from various mental illnesses.
It’s easy to see why many comic book readers call Moon Knight the “Batman of Marvel.” His fighting style is quite similar, he uses gadgets but mostly relies on his fists. He uses emotional manipulation to his advantage, he covers his face and wears a long, flowing cape. Moon Knight, however, is far more violent than Batman, often approaching Frank Miller levels. If the new Moon Knight trailer has you wondering about the character, here ‘s Moon Knight’s story!
What Is The Character’s Story In The Comics?
Even before his origin was revealed, Moon Knight made his villainous debut in Marvel’s classic 70s horror comic Werewolf By Night, as an agent of a secret organization who wanted to capture Jack Russell, the titular werewolf. But Moon Knight instead helped Russell escape, and the character eventually embarked on his own crime-fighting adventures.
Moon Knight first appeared in backup strips in a few existing comics, written by Doug Moench and drawn by artist Bill Sienkiewicz. The team then launched an ongoing Moon Knight series which became an early example of a comic released directly to specialty comic stores.
Who Is Moon Knight?
Marc Spector is a mercenary, the son of a rabbi who ran away from home to become an adventurer. Hired to protect an archaeological dig, Marc Spector is betrayed by his employer, Raoul Bushman, and left for dead as Bushman plans to steal the discovered treasures. Instead of dying, Marc is given a second chance at life, as well as superpowers, by the ancient Egyptian moon god Khonshu depicted as the god of vengeance or justice. In exchange, Marc agrees to become Moon Knight, the earthly agent of Khonshu’s will.
As Moon Knight, Marc Spector travels to the United States and uses his ill-gotten mercenary fortune to establish several new identities, including that of millionaire investor Steven Grant, and taxi driver Jake Lockley. Although he operated like this for years, Moon Knight‘s multiple identities eventually caught up with him, showing the first cracks in Marc Spector’s personality, and his first brush with mental illness.
Marc Spector suffers from an identity disorder which results in multiple identities appearing at different times, having different memories, knowledge, skills and personalities. So his various identities of Marc Spector, Jake Lockley, Steven Grant, and possibly even Moon Knight are not mere disguises but actual aspects of his personality and spirit.
After a bout of dissociation that leads to him staying in the hospital, Moon Knight recovers enough to resume crime-fighting and arms himself with an arsenal of weapons such as crescent-shaped boomerangs, smoke bombs, and others, while joining the West Coast Avengers, in the 80s.
In the comics, Moon Knight is Marc Spector, a former CIA agent turned mercenary who was nearly killed by his nemesis, before the Moon God Khonshu saved his life. Four different personalities vie for control of his body and he of course fights magical crimes in a mummy costume, having been convinced by his near-death experience that his new quest is to defend the innocent.
The trailer suggests things change a bit in Moon Knight. We first meet Steve there, a man played by the very convincing English accent of Oscar Isaac, who works in a museum somewhere in Great Britain. But Steve seems to be losing his mind as multiple personalities battle for dominance, including a name Steve has never heard before: Marc. Once again we explain all this to you in the article dedicated to its history. Now, let’s take a closer look at Moon Knight’s powers!
What Are Moon Knight’s Powers?
Many of Moon Knight ‘s powers and abilities come from his many years in the military and his martial arts training. Due to this, Moon Knight has the following powers and abilities: Marc has spent many years as a professional boxer and martial artist, which means he is an expert in unarmed combat. Many compare him to Marvel’s Batman except he reaches a level closer to Punisher than Batman.
Moon Knight is also an expert pilot due to his years of service as a US Marine. He can escape or chase someone with a lot of vehicles. He is an excellent detective and has great knowledge of the criminal world. As the Fist of Khonshu, Moon Knight possesses super strength that varies with the phases of the moon, with the full moon granting him the greatest strength.
Through his years as a US Marine, he is a very high-level Weapons Master and marksman. He also possesses a high pain threshold due to many years of damage to his body. This makes it very resistant to shocks and brutal fights of which it is an expert. Moon Knight‘s multiple personality disorder also allowed him to develop telepathic resistance. This makes it nearly impossible to manipulate or torture him. He was also able to perform other supernatural feats, such as hypnotizing people with the “voice of Khonshu” and communing with the spirit world.
What Are Moon Knight’s Weapons?
Moon Knight wields a vast arsenal of weaponry ranging from a magical danger-sensing ankh to crescent-shaped throwing projectiles, smoke bombs, gliders, vehicles, and even an adamantium battle suit. It is difficult to list the entire list of weapons of Moon Knight as there have been in the comics. But the main weapons mentioned above should return to the Disney Plus series!
