In its own way, Moon Knight’s arrival in the MCU through his own Disney+ series is a small event. This is the first character that has not been presented in one of the films of the saga and which has only appeared in the comics. Before letting you binge the episodes of Moon Knight, here is a playlist entirely devoted to this very particular superhero.
After Hawkeye, Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Loki and Wanda Vision, it’s a new character who has the honor of getting his series on Disney + from March 30. And for the first time, it’s not a known face, since Marvel and Disney have gone looking for Moon Knight, a superhero little known to the general public, despite his influence in the world of comics.
To say that Moon Knight risks unsettling MCU fans is an understatement. The “hero” of the new Disney+ series indeed contrasts (sometimes literally) with its predecessors. Darker. More violent. Also addressing heavy themes, it is likely to change the situation in this universe sometimes a tad polished.
To help you better understand this character, allow you to learn more about his universe and support the dissemination of the series, we have concocted a small reading list made up of 4 essential comics. Good reading !
And if you want to discover the series directly, nothing could be simpler. All you need is a subscription to Disney+, from 8.99 euros per month.
But by the way, who is Moon Knight?
According to his fictional biography, Moon Knight is Marc Spector’s alter ego. Son of a New York rabbi, Marc was chosen very young (and without his knowing it) by Khonshu, an entity revered by the ancient Egyptians as the god of the moon. Khonshu decides to make the young man his representative on earth.
Marc Spector manifests during his youth the first signs of dissociative disorders, which lead him to endorse several personalities (Steven Grant, Jake Lockley) which earn him a one-way trip to the psychiatric hospital. Having become a mercenary after a brief stint in the Marines, Spector develops his martial skills and his sense of justice alongside his friend Frenchie. It was during a mission in Sudan that he met his destiny. Left for dead by Raoul Bushman, a violent and merciless mercenary, he is resuscitated by Khonshu who makes him his avenging knight, and his avatar on earth.
Moon Knight is a complex character, constantly moving between light and shadow, and whose multiple personalities make him a broken, incomplete man. This break is also found at the level of these powers. Athletic man, formidable fighter, Marc Spector also has some skills related to his status as Moon Knight. For a time, his physical abilities evolved, for example, with the phases of the moon. His multiple personalities also give him great resistance to psychic attacks. He finally demonstrated several mystical abilities, such as the ability to glimpse the future or to resuscitate.
Interesting fact, Moon Knight is one of the few comic book characters whose history has never been rewritten. The different runs which have spread since its creation (nearly 50 years now), constitute a fresco which develops its history a little more each time. It’s just if we can note a few minor changes to stick to our modern times.
Moon Knight the origins (1975 – 1984)
For our first reading recommendation, we decided to keep it simple by simply suggesting that you read the first stories dedicated to Moon Knight. It was in 1975 under the pen of Doug Moench and Don Perlin that the character made his first appearance in the series. Werewolf by Nightas the main character’s antagonist, before turning his back and joining the good guys’ side.
The following decade he appeared in various publications (Marvel Spotlight, Defenders, Spectacular Spider-Man, Marvel Two-In-One and Hulk!) which serve to establish the bases of its history in parallel with its own series, which begins in 1980.
Scheduled for the end of April at Panini Comics, this album includes all of the first adventures of the white knight. We discover in particular the relationship between Moon Knight and Konshu, the first confrontations with his classic enemies (Bushman, Midnight Man) or his entourage (Frenchie, Marlene).
These stories are also an opportunity to discover Moon Knight’s relationship with many Marvel heroes, from Spider-Man to the X-Men. Be careful however, these stories having been written between 1975 and 1984, the lines and the narration are very different from current productions. Obviously, they will not please everyone.
Moon Knight: The Bottom (2007)
It is with this run written by the novelist Charlie Huston and illustrated by David Finch that Moon Knight truly enters modernity. The two friends give us here a dark and violent story, perfectly portrayed, which depicts a figure a thousand leagues from the usual Marvel heroes.
Marc Spector is a broken man, tired of fighting criminals, so much so that he decided to get rid of all forms of morality, going so far as to drive away everyone who matters to him.
During yet another confrontation with Bushman, his lifelong enemy, he gives in to rage and disfigures him, arousing Khonshu’s anger. Haunted by his act, rejected by his god and his loved ones, he then embarks on a deep introspection. Story of redemption with controlled narration, The Bottom invites us to discover a character who constantly navigates between good and evil, clairvoyance and madness.
Moon Knight (2014)
Launched in 2014 by Warren Ellis, continued by Brian Wood and finished by Cullen Bunn (three of the most interesting authors of their generation), this run of Moon Knight brings new depth to the character.
Moon Knight has well and truly drawn a line under her violent past and the tears in her personality seem to be a distant memory. Regularly consulting a psychiatrist, Marc Spector lives in harmony with his different personalities, even managing to communicate with them (Khonshu included) in the secrecy of his mind.
There is also a different Moon Knight, who now adopts two different personas: the Knight of Khonshu shares the poster with Mr Knight, a more intellectual version who acts as a consultant to the police in order to make them benefit from his capacities of superior analysis.
Ideal gateway to discover the complexity of the character without diving into the meanders of his origin story, this Moon Knight of 2014 is a must.
All-New, All-Different Marvel: Moon Knight (2016)
This volume of the adventures of Moon Knight is undoubtedly one of the most interesting, and no wonder, since its author is none other than Jeff Lemire, one of the most prolific and amazing authors who currently officiate.
It introduces us to a Marc Spector who discovers that he is actually interned in an insane asylum, alongside patients such as Marlene, Frenchy and many other characters related to his adventures as Moon Knight. What if Spector was sick from the start, and Moon Knight’s adventures were just a figment of his imagination trying to escape reality?
This is the question that runs through this part of the adventures of Moon Knight. A masterfully crafted story that plays with the codes of the character and the comics to make us doubt everything we see, and put us on the same level as Marc Spector.
Reflection at human level on the nature of heroism, flagrant deconstruction of the myth of the superhero, this album is undoubtedly one of the pillars of the series.
And the Moon Knight series, in all this?
What does the MCU version of Moon Knight ? This is a very valid question, since Marvel has a habit of transforming the basic material provided by the comics during their passage on the big (or the small) screen. And this series should be no exception.
The series begins with Steven Grant (played by Oscar Isaac), a fairly unremarkable museum employee whose most salient characteristic is that he appears to suffer from fairly severe memory loss, coupled with memories of what appears to be a past life. . He will soon realize that he is actually hosting another personality, that of Marc Spector. A mercenary with whom he shares his body, and who turns out to be light years away from what he is. To top it off, each of these two personalities also enjoys the support of Khonshu, the Egyptian god of the moon, who allows him to shapeshift into a Moon Knight when the need arises. And that shouldn’t be too much to fight against the swarm of enemies in pursuit of Spector and his heroic alter ego.
Side antagonists, Marvel has not given in to ease. No Bushmaster on the horizon (that we know) therefore, but Arthur Harrow (played by Ethan Hawke), a minor character from the comics who seems to have gained rank here. Midnight Man will also be present, the last role played by Gaspard Ulliel before his tragic death. If it is obvious that Marvel has some surprises in store for us (for example, we would not be surprised to see a Defender appear since the action takes place in New York), it is difficult to guess how this plot will fit in with the rest. of the MCU. We bet, however, that this series will be able to hang up the wagons perfectly with the extended universe of Marvel, and open up avenues for future productions.
Series in 6 episodes which plays the role of origin story for Marc Spector, before his integration into the cinema, Moon Knight is available today. To discover this series, and the rest of the MCU productions, all you need is a subscription to Disney+. It is available from 8.99 euros per month, or 89.90 euros per year.
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