Moon Knight is among Marvel's most infamous heroes. While he was working as a mercenary in Egypt, Marc Spectre was granted supernatural powers by Khonshu, the Egyptian God of Vengeance and the Moon. In the years since then, he has saved thousands of lives, tortured criminals with astounding brutality, and became one of the most recognizable street-level heroes operating in New York (and a few other major cities when the mood struck him).
People tend to either love or hate Moon Knight, and even his fellow heroes are divided on their opinions of him, but there is no denying that he has definitely made a serious impact. His actions often prove that he is a street-level hero like none other; sometimes it's for better and others for worse.
10 Best: He Blocked A Bullet With A Shuriken
There is a bad trope in comics of a character moving so fast they can block bullets. To be clear, this not what happened with Moon Knight in this scene.
Instead, he predicted the movements of an assailant, and as they drew their gun on him, he moved at the same time by drawing a moon-shaped shuriken from his belt and holding it before him in his gloved hands. Unlike some heroes, he can't move faster than a speeding bullet, but it takes just as long to lift a gun as to lift a shuriken. Moon Knight intuited the angle and trajectory of the shot, allowing him to block it with the shuriken, which absorbed the impact. His gloves protected his hands, and another shuriken was all it took to kill his opponent.
9 Worst: He Tried To Become Other Heroes
Marc Spectre is one of many neurodivergent heroes in comics whose medical history has not always been presented with sensitivity. He has been ascribed numerous medical diagnoses that do not accurately describe his experiences. Since then, it has been revealed that he actually suffers from psychological trauma because his brain was touched by Khonshu. Mortal minds cannot handle the weight of a god.
The most famous of Marc's symptoms involves him disassociating and creating multiple personalities. However, he also once hallucinated that he was Captain America, Spider-Man, and Wolverine, while also hallucinating that they were all talking to him. Needless to say, it did not help his credibility in the superhero community.
8 Best: He Fought His Way Up Flights Of Stairs
Among the most harrowing fights of Marc Spectre’s career took place in Moon Knight #5 by Warren Ellis and Declan Shelvey. After a little girl was kidnapped and held on the fifth floor of an old tenement building, he went to her rescue, fighting his way up all five flights.
This is a truly brutal battle, all the more so because of Shelvey’s intense panel layouts that accentuate every strike and movement while making the most of the setting. This is a masterclass in how solid writing and art combine to make a breathtaking fight scene.
7 Worst: Ghost Punks Were Able To Beat Him Up
Two things can be said about ghosts. First, they are dead. And second, they’re incorporeal. This makes them pretty hard to punch, something Moon Knight learned the hard way when he tried to throw a left jab as his opening move against a band of resurrected punks.
However, the punks succeeded in hitting back with the full might of their anti-authoritarian rage, gaining physical mass long enough to kick the snot out of him. Later, Moon Knight came back and beat them with Khonshu’s magical relics. The message of this story is clear: these hardcore punks may be dead, but the spirit of punk endures.
6 Best: He Defaced His Worst Enemy
Back when Marc Spectre worked as a mercenary, another soldier of fortune who he worked alongside was Raoul Bushman. Then Bushman tried to kill Spectre in an Egyptian tomb, which led to the latter eventually becoming Moon Knight.
The two became bitter enemies, until Moon Knight decided to try settling things once and for all with Bushman—not by killing him—but by cutting his face off. This is extreme, but it guaranteed Moon Knight’s street rep by striking fear into everyone he encountered.
5 Worst: He Endangered Everyone He Loved
Superheroes use secret identities to protect their loved ones from being targeted for retaliation. Moon Knight has tried to keep his identity secret, but it has not been a great success. Most heroes go have their lives compromised at some point. However, most heroes are able to keep their friendships and romantic relationships from being completely ruined.
Pretty much every single person who ever worked with Moon Knight has sworn that they will have nothing to do with him. Some have been tortured. Others have received permanent debilitating injuries. Some have been put through torments too dark to name here. The worst time a loved one of his was targeted, a villain went after the child he'd had with his ex.
4 Best: He Saved The World As A Secret Avenger
The Avengers may be Earth's mightiest heroes, but the Secret Avengers are an off-the-books black ops team who do the dirty work heroes can't be seen doing. Led by Steve Rogers, the original roster of the team had a few different members rotated in and out, including Moon Knight.
During a particularly significant mission, the team infiltrated one of the Secret Empire's underground city and prevented a nuclear time machine from being turned into a bomb. Moon Knight flew through the vast subterranean city, taking out enemies and then helping his allies with their exfiltration.
3 Worst: He Broke Both Legs In A Fight
Jumping from rooftops to dropkick criminals in the face is a signature move of Moon Knight's. It also is awful for his knees. During a particularly brutal fight, both of his kneecaps ruptured in a burst of blood.
This put him out of commission for a long time and it took extensive physical therapy (as well as the divine blessing of the god Khonshu, a team of specialists, and an arsenal of high-tech lunar-themed weapons) for him to get back out on the streets.
2 Best: He Demolished The Avengers
The Avengers: Age of Khonshu story features Moon Knight taking out the entire Avengers roster and taking their powers for himself. The ki of the Iron Fist, Doctor Strange's Eye of Agomoto, and Ghost Rider's Spirit of Vengeance all became his to wield.
This was part of a plan to save the Earth from a coming threat, based on dire warnings that Khonshu had passed along to him. Unfortunately, Khonshu might not have been totally honest about things.
1 Worst: He Demolished The Avengers
Taking down the Avengers might be a great display of strength, but it is not exactly something a superhero wants to put on their resume. Moon Knight fought them with the best of intentions, thinking he was saving the world. But that doesn't change the results.
Marc Spectre put the world in peril by taking out the earth's protectors. He also turned the entire planet into a tyrannical neo-Egyptian theocracy ruled over by Khonshu. Worse, any dissent was crushed by a militarized police force comprised of undead mummies. Marc's decision to beat the Avengers did not quite create hell on earth, but he definitely turned earth into an Egyptian afterlife.