WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Avengers #33 by Jason Aaron, Javier Garron, Jason Keith, and VC's Cory Petit, available now.
In the latest issue of Avengers, Marvel reminds fans that anime and manga character One-Punch Man isn't the only superhero capable of delivering single-blow finishing moves -- now Moon Knight has that power, too.
One-Punch Man is a very popular Japanese manga and anime series centered around Saitama, a superhero with the devastating ability to destroy any opponent he faces with a single punch. Played as much for laughs as for a character study, One-Punch Man has been nominated for both Eisner and Harvey awards and is known for having graphically violent scenes; bloody exploding heads punched clear off their bodies is all in a day's work for Saitama and company.
Marvel borrowed a note from the Japanese franchise in Avengers #33. The issue features the return of Moon Knight to Earth's Mightiest Heroes -- but not in the manner anyone expected.
Moon Knight has been an on and off member of the Avengers since joining the West Coast Avengers back in the '80s. He is the avatar of Khonshu, the Egyptian god of the moon, in much the same way as the Juggernaut is the avatar of Cyttorak. Traditionally, Moon Knight has been a street level vigilante, occasionally venturing into the realm of magic as necessary. The god he serves, Khonshu, has occasionally joined with Moon Knight, bolstering his abilities to superhuman levels largely reliant upon the cycles of the moon.
In Avengers #33, Moon Knight shows up outside the gates of the mystical city of K'un-Lun and is met by the city's protector, fellow Avenger Danny Rand, aka Iron Fist. Moon Knight seems a little off, but Iron Fist fails to notice as his teammate announces that he "seeks the Iron Fist."
Mistakenly thinking that Spector has come to team-up with him, Iron Fist is taken by surprise when Moon Knight suddenly attacks. A master martial artist, Rand quickly recovers, blocking and unleashing a barrage of blows while offering to get help for what he believes to be a schizophrenic episode.
Danny delivers a wide range of attacks and seems to have the upper hand when he notices something is happening with the moon. He starts to ask Spector what he's done, but before he can even finish asking the question, Moon Knight reclaims the advantage. He attacks Iron Fist over and over again with a single attack, a crushing punch to the face that is called "the fist of Khonshu."
As he pummels Iron Fist, Moon Knight insists he is not having a psychotic episode and that he is in his right mind. He expresses a sense of resentment at being called "the maniac in white" and the "super schizophrenic" while he continues to pummel his opponent using his single attack. In short order, Moon Knight succeeds in defeating a hero who should have been the superior fighter -- with a single punch. Adding insult to injury, Moon Knight then uses a gold ankh around his neck to steal the power of the Iron Fist from Danny while the latter screams in agony.
Although this fight was tame in comparison to the fights seen in One-Punch Man, there were still similarities. Moon Knight, like Saitama, was not only able to soundly defeat a formidable foe, but was also able to do so using a single form of attack: One punch.