WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Avengers #38 by Jason Aaron, Ed McGuinness, Mark Morales, Jason Keith, & VC's Cory Petit, on sale now.
Marc Spector, the Moon Knight, is set to make his live-action debut in an upcoming Disney+ series, so it's only fitting that Moon Knight has been in the spotlight a lot more lately. The hero recently clashed with the Avengers and ultimately helped the team defeat Khonshu, the Egyptian moon god. Of course, this collaboration wasn't seamless. Moon Knight initially battled the Earth's Mightiest Heroes, and he even stole their powers.
That's one reason why it's so surprising to see Black Panther offer Spector a seat at the table. In Avengers #38, T'Challa invites Moon Knight to join the Avengers so that they can continue to work together. Spector harshly rejects the offer and maintains his status as a relative outsider in the Marvel Universe.
In theory, T'Challa has every reason to recruit Spector. Moon Knight just received an incredible temporary boost when he used the Phoenix Force to overcome Khonshu and set the world free of the Egyptian deity. As a result, this successful mission makes Moon Knight an even more desirable candidate for the team. Plus, Black Panther himself acknowledges the fact that the Avengers face threats on every front. From Dracula to Namor, the Earth's Mightiest Heroes are stretched thin. They need all the help they can get, so T'Challa wants Spector to help the team because he just proved his merit.
Still, Black Panther, who remains one of Marvel's most powerful heroes, initially treats Moon Knight with hostility. He hinted that he wants Spector to be locked up after Moon Knight assaulted the team, but he changes course by praising Moon Knight's virtue. "I respect your passion and your commitment," T'Challa tells him. "Not to mention your ability to single-handedly defeat my entire team," he adds. Black Panther knows Moon Knight would be a valuable addition to The Avengers, especially with the threat of Mephisto still lurking. So it's a shame that Spector brashly turns the offer down.
Moon Knight doesn't mince words when T'Challa offers him a spot on the team. He's frustrated that the Avengers stood in his way when he tried to stop Mephisto, so he refuses to work with them again. Spector tells T'Challa that because The Earth's Mightiest Heroes interfered with his plan, Mephisto is the team's problem now. At best, Spector just ruined his chances of rejoining the Avengers anytime soon. But given his harsh answer to T'Challa, the seeds have been planted for future hostility between Moon Knight and this legendary team.
The Avengers clearly need Moon Knight. As Tony Stark learns in Avengers #38, a multiversal army of Mephistos and his "maggots" have launched a war that threatens everything the team has vowed to protect. Given Moon Knight's success in his most recent clash with Marvel's resident devil, he'd be the perfect addition to the team in response to this conflict. T'Challa does his best to recruit Spector, but Moon Knight firmly turns the offer to join the Earth's Mightiest Heroes down, a decision that could doom the team in their new war against Mephisto.