WARNING: The following contains major spoilers for Moon Knight #1 from Marvel Comics, on sale now.

While Moon Knight usually keeps to the corners of the Marvel Universe, Marc Spector found himself at its forefront for much of the past year. When his patron god Khonshu tried to conquer Earth and laid claim to New York to stop Mephisto's plans, Marc Spector found himself fighting Avengers and imbued with the Phoenix Force, And when the dust settled and Khonshu was imprisoned in Asgard, Marc Spector was left to his own devices by the rest of the Avengers. Thankfully, Marc's stint as a benevolent protector is far from over, and he can get back to carrying on his life's mission.

In Moon Knight #1 by Jed MacKay, Alessandro Cappuccio, Rachelle Rosenberg, and VC's Cory Petit, Marc Spector is continuing on his work as the Fist of Khonshu, even though he and the god are separated. And now, Moon Knight has opened up his Midnight Mission and declared himself to be the patron saint and protector of those who travel in darkness.

And when the dust settled and Khonshu was imprisoned in Asgard, Marc Spector was left to his own devices by the rest of the Avengers. Thankfully, Marc's stint as a benevolent protector is far from over, and he can get back to carrying on his life's mission.

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Moon Knight Midnight Mission

As revealed in Moon Knight #1, Moon Knight's mission has taken on a more literal form than ever before, as he has christened his home and the areas of the city under his purview as the Midnight Mission. Apart from his usual patrols bringing him into conflict with errant vampires, zombies, and other creatures of the night, Moon Knight has also opened his doors to whatever else might be ailing those who he has sworn to keep safe. When an old woman comes to his office seeking aid, Moon Knight welcomes her warmly before hearing out her plight and taking action against it. There is no hesitation on his part when it comes to leaping into the fray and hunting the nefarious forces that prowl the city at night, although Moon Knight has developed a more tactful approach when it comes to dispensing justice.

When Marc encountered a small army of Vermin clones, he left most of them bloody and bruised before ultimately giving them the opportunity to find a less well-guarded territory to stalk. Upon stopping a van full of vampires, Marc even takes pity on those of them that were turned against their will so as to be forcefully conscripted into someone else's undead army. Even if Moon Knight still has no qualms about killing his foes, the fact that he is now displaying so much resistance to falling immediately on a lethal course of action might just be the biggest indicator of how much Marc Spector has changed in recent months.

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Moon Knight Midnight Mission 1

No matter how many superpowered clones or undead soldiers he mows down, the fact that Moon Knight is neither carving his mark into or peeling the faces off of his enemies is a testament to how far he has come from his more brutal beginnings. There is no doubt that this is in large part due to his recent rejection of Khonshu's conquest and mention his personal victory over his own patron god.

While Moon Knight and Khonshu may not be on speaking terms, Moon Knight is keeping the god's mission to protect the night's travelers alive in his own way. While Moon Knight has never really been a villain in his own right, but he brutal methods could have the casual cruelty of a god. But now, that's simply not the case. The Marvel Universe may have a kinder, gentler Moon Knight roaming its streets, but that doesn't mean that he won't let evildoers taste his vengeance.

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