This Underrated Marvel Comics Character is Having a Peak Run

For many of the characters published by Marvel Comics, their many incredible comic books have afforded them immense popularity over the years. This has seen Spider-Man, the X-Men and a few other characters achieve renown and success even before they were adapted into blockbuster movie franchises. One character is only now finding mainstream success, but he’s in the middle of one of his best runs ever.

Moon Knight has largely been a more esoteric Marvel hero, which fits given his darker, more grounded yet supernatural nature. In the past decade, however, he’s seen numerous great comic books that have raised his profile. Now, the Fist of Khonshu stars in one of Marvel’s best comic books, which builds upon his years of development.

Moon Knight’s Resurgence Began in the 2000s

Debut: Werewolf by Night #32 by Doug Moench and Don Perlin

While Moon Knight has truly hit his stride in the past decade, his current path to the mainstream began in 2006. Beforehand, Moon Knight was much more of a C-list hero who appeared in his comic books and occasionally in other characters’ titles.

His comics were often written similarly to characters such as DC Comics’ Batman or Marvel’s violent vigilante The Punisher, which made sense given that comic book creator Doug Moench worked extensively on the antihero. A major difference was that Moon Knight had multiple secret identities instead of just one. Beyond Marc Spector, Moon Knight also took the identities of Jake Lockley and Steven Grant, with these additional personas aiding him in some way.

Later comics established that Marc Spector had Dissociative Identity Disorder, which was once known as Multiple Personality Disorder. His alters were showcased as having manifested when he was a child, and different events in Marc Spector’s life made them manifest more blatantly in his life. This eventually came to a head in the Charlie Huston run on Moon Knight in 2006.

The series was the character’s first solo comic book in years, and it was known for its dark, gritty tone that emphasized just how violent Moon Knight’s world was. After the ending of this volume and the later Vengeance of the Moon Knight, the character joined the Secret Avengers comic. This series (which was written by Warren Ellis) established that Moon Knight sometimes operated wearing only a white mask. This concept appeared again at the beginning of the Moon Knight Renaissance.

Moon Knight Has Been On the Rise for a Decade

First Appearance of Mr. Knight: Secret Avengers (Vol. 1) #19 by Warren Ellis, Michael Lark, Stefano Gaudiano, Brian Thies, José Villarrubia and Dave Lanphear

The Marvel Now! branding saw the release of the seventh volume of the Moon Knight comic book series, and the title started off with a bang. The initial run by Warren Ellis and Declan Shalvey built upon an idea that Ellis had already introduced. This saw Moon Knight gain a new identity in the form of Mr. Knight, who first appeared in Ellis’ earlier Secret Avengers run.

Mr. Knight wore a white mask and a business suit while using various gadgets. The series’ semi-noir tone and street-level scope were lauded amid its cleverness and artist direction. Ellis also confirmed the existence of Moon Knight’s patron god, Khonshu. Beforehand, this character was seen as a potential manifestation of Moon Knight’s mental state, with many of his fellow heroes seeing Spector’s ramblings about the god as further proof of his “craziness.”

The subsequent runs built upon this new scope and tone, namely the “All-New, All-Different” volume for Moon Knight by Jeff Lemire. This dived into more of Moon Knight’s history, namely how Khonshu had been watching over Marc Spector for years before he was reborn as Moon Knight. These elements seamlessly tied into what had already been written, making for comics that were logical continuations of what had come before while also introducing completely new elements. Likewise, tie-ins to the main Avengers comic book were proof of how mainstream Moon Knight had become, with the storyline involving a clash between Khonshu and the Asgardians of Thor comics.

More than ever, Moon Knight now exists on a narrow plane within the Marvel Universe. Though empowered by a god and facing many supernatural threats over the years, his powers make him barely superhuman (at most), and he’s truly a street-level character in the same vein as Daredevil or The Punisher. Even with the addition of more paranormal elements in his adventures, this tone and scope have remained the same, which is a big part of why Moon Knight is so popular.

Characters such as Spider-Man, who were once known for being more down-to-Earth and relatable, have largely become as engrossed in the same multiversal and grand storytelling as other heroes. Now, a new comic book has taken Moon Knight to his apex, and it’s one of Marvel’s best offerings in years.

Why Jed MacKay’s Moon Knight Is the Character’s Zenith

Moon Knight (Vol. 8) by Jed MacKay, Alessandro Cappuccio, Rachelle Rosenberg and Cory Petit

Beginning in 2021, the ninth volume of Moon Knight by Jed MacKay, Alessandro Cappuccio and Rachelle Rosenberg continued many of the themes from the previous runs on the character. This included Marc Spector’s mental health, with the character’s therapy being a major part of his characterization in the story. Khonshu was more important than ever, with Spector forming a “Midnight Mission” to worship the god and bring about his edicts. This involved representing the four phases of Khonshu and what he represented to his patron hero.

Moon Knight’s Four Phases of Khonshu:

The Traveler The Pathfinder The Embracer The Defender of Those Who Travel at Night

Moon Knight’s allies, beyond those in the Midnight Mission, include a vampire named Reese and fellow Avenger Tigra. The various identities of Moon Knight are emphasized a bit less than they had been in the past, but the series is an incredible manifestation of what makes the character tick. Marc Spector and Moon Knight feel (somewhat begrudgingly) at home in the role of leading the Midnight Mission, with Spector not feeling entirely at war with himself for the first time in years. This character development is rare in comic books, especially since the change in the status quo is different while still fitting perfectly.

In many ways, the newest Moon Knight volume was Marvel’s next equivalent to the series Immortal Hulk. That book brought back the Incredible Hulk in a major way, embracing his horror roots for a series that respected his entire publication history. It’s since been succeeded by similar titles, such as Immortal Thor, but MacKay’s Moon Knight is the true follow-up to the series, at least thematically and in terms of scope and tone. They both feature the title characters as champions of gods, making the similarities even more obvious.

A New Moon Knight Rose After The Death of Marc Spector

Vengeance of the Moon Knight (Vol. 2) #1 by Jed MacKay, Alessandro Cappuccio, Rachelle Rosenberg and VC’s Cory Petit

Vengeance of the Moon Knight was the follow-up to MacKay’s Moon Knight, and it built upon the seeming death of Marc Spector. As the new series continued, Khonshu was freed from his Asgardian prison, allowing him to resurrect Marc Spector and control his body. It’s an epic change of pace that ties Moon Knight to the world of the supernatural more than ever, all while continuing his fight for control with his patron god. The fact that Tigra is such a staunch ally of Moon Knight in the book also helps to elevate her in the same way as what was done with Marc Spector.

Thus, the Moon Knight title is home to not only the titular protagonist, but a wider array of somewhat overlooked Marvel heroes. The character is supernatural, street-level, subversive, introspective and a solo hero while also being an Avenger. This makes it a great book to read for Marvel completionists as well as those who want something a bit outside the usual trappings of the Marvel Universe.

It helps that the action in these books is usually superb, namely because Spector has to rely mostly on his gadgets and fighting skills. While some might falsely look at Moon Knight as Marvel’s version of Batman, the fact of the matter is that he typically covers more scopes and genres than the Caped Crusader. Thus, it’s no wonder why so many Marvel fans have made the Moon Knight comics of the last decade into major hits.