WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Avengers #33 by Jason Aaron, Javier Garron, Jason Keith and VC's Cory Petit, on sale now.
The pressure and prominence of being the Marvel Universe's Sorcerer Supreme has made Doctor Strange a frequent target over the years. Ever since becoming the Master of the Mystic Arts, Doctor Strange has battled everyone from Baron Mordo to Loki for the right to hold the preeminent magical position of power within the universe.
Strange's latest battle, however, doesn't come from a longtime rival or new nefarious villain, but rather from a familiar face who has been secretly hunting magic users around Earth: Moon Knight. More shockingly, it is Moon Knight that emerges triumphant over the Sorcerer Supreme before making off with his powers in Avengers #33.
Inside his usual base of operations at the Sanctum Sanctorum, Strange battles an army of Egyptian mummies that have risen in an attempt to overwhelm the sorcerer within his own home. As Strange valiantly defends the Sanctumy, he is surprised to see Moon Knight appear, initially believing his seemingly fortuitous arrival is in assistance against the mummy horde. Instead, Strange is shocked to learn it was Moon Knight and his Ancient Egyptian deity Khonshu who summoned the mummies in the first place, to distract and weaken Strange ahead of Moon Knight's infiltration of the Sanctum.
As a shocked Strange reacts to Moon Knight's betrayal, overwhelmed by the mummies, Moon Knight reminds him that Earth's lunar phase is currently a supermoon, significantly boosting his superhuman abilities. This idea that the strength of Moon Knight's powers are derived directly from the phases of the moon and thus get stronger as the moon gets fuller was introduced early in the character's history by creators Dough Moench and Don Perlin in 1976's Marvel Spotlight #28.
By the '90s, this ability was downplayed considerably to make the character more of a gritty, street-level superhero that relied on his own wits and training to save the day. Charlie Huston and Mico Suayan explained in 2007's Moon Knight #9 (Vol. 3) that Khonshu had since stripped him of his lunar-based powers after growing displeased with his performance and reluctance to commit more extreme violence in his name.
With Moon Knight evidently back in Khonshu's favor and on a new mission for the God of Vengeance, Marc Spector's connection to the moon and superhuman abilities have been visibly restored. As Moon Knight triumphs over Doctor Strange, he uses the mystical ankh amulet given to him by Khonshu to become his avatar and drain Strange of his magical abilities. Moon Knight then adds Strange's powers to his own, which effectively makes him the Marvel Universe's latest Sorcerer Supreme.
With each superhero he defeats, Moon Knight's magical powers grow even stronger as he absorbs each of his target's abilities. All done in service to Khonshu, Marc Spector's original set of superpowers has been restored and then some, making him more dangerous than ever before.
Interestingly, the hard-hitting superhero appears to be targeting heroes linked to the prehistoric Avengers 1,000,000 B.C. -- including Black Panther and Doctor Strange -- as part of his latest rampage. As the new Master of the Mystic Arts, the odds are certainly stacked in Moon Knight's favor as he continues his violent hunt.