The Marvel Cinematic Universe is preparing to welcome a brand new hero in a new series on Disney+ called Moon Knight that will adapt the titular Lunar Avenger to live-action for the first time, with Oscar Isaac signed on to play Marc Spector in the highly-anticipated MCU series that will join other new Disney+ heroes like Ms. Marvel and She-Hulk.
Moon Knight is a unique and sometimes complicated hero who is often underestimated by his fellow heroes that is sure to make a fantastic addition to the MCU, so today we are going to explore a few important facts about the character to get fans ready for Moon Knight's debut on Disney+ in the fourth phase of Marvel Studios' fan-favorite cinematic universe.
10 Marc Spector Is The Jewish Son Of A Rabbi Who Joined The Marines
While he isn't practicing for a few different reasons, Marc Spector was raised by his rabbi father in the Judaic faith before he had a run-in with a former Nazi-turned false rabbi and serial killer that caused him to question his faith along with his father's own pacifism.
Spector abandoned both his father and his faith and enlisted in the Marines where he was handpicked by the CIA for black ops missions. He eventually became disillusioned with the government's dirty work and became a highly skilled and well-trained soldier for hire that eventually took him to Egypt on a job.
9 He's Died And Been Resurrected As The Fist Of Khonshu
It was in Egypt at an archeological dig site that uncovered an ancient tomb where Spector was betrayed by his mercenary boss (who would become the vicious villain Bushman) and left for dead in the tomb beneath a statue of an ancient entity known as Khonshu.
Spector was resurrected and empowered with enhanced abilities that waxed and waned based on the lunar cycle after agreeing to serve as Khonshu's avatar, earning Moon Knight the title of the Fist of Khonshu. This blessing/curse from Khonshu has led to Spector's frequent resurrections over the years as he is brought back repeatedly to serve the God of Vengeance.
8 Uses His Dissociative Identity Disorder To Fight Crime
Moon Knight is fairly unique among the superhero community due to his use of multiple civilian identities to help him in his mission as the FIst of Khonshu, though it was ultimately revealed that these personalities were as a result of a dissociative identity disorder brought on by his childhood trauma.
Aside from his original identity as Marc Spector and his costumed persona as Moon Knight, he also operates as wealthy playboy Steven Grant to finance the operation and street-level cab driver Jake Lockley to keep his ear to the ground and establish leads and relationships.
7 He Wears White So His Enemies Will See Him Coming
Moon Knight is quite often compared to DC's Batman with nicknames like Marvel's "Light Knight" given his sometimes brutal vigilante methods and opposite color scheme, though Charlie Huston and David Finch revealed the reasons behind his costume choice in "The Bottom" storyline.
Spector revealed that he had a discussion with Hawkeye about his costume and that the reason he wore white was not to hide, but so that his enemies would know who was coming for them. Even though his costume made him an easy target, they would likely be too terrified to hit him anyway.
6 Moon Knight Uses Specially-Designed Gear And Has Themed Vehicles
Another reason Moon Knight often gets compared to DC's Dark Knight is the fact that he uses themed weaponry and vehicles that he pays for thanks to his millionaire playboy secret identity, though it goes much deeper than that for Marc Spector.
His costume is considered a royal vestment that he wears in honor of Khonshu, and his moon-shaped weaponry serves the same purpose. He also has an advanced Moon-Chopper and previously used special weapons provided by the Priests of Khonshu that were revealed to have been created in the past by a time-lost Hawkeye.
5 He's Developed A Support Network Of Allies And Informants
While Moon Knight is capable of running a one-man show given his multiple personas, he is often surrounded by a network of close allies that includes his frequent lover Marlene Alraune, for who he sacrificed himself initially in Egypt before he became Moon Knight.
He is also aided by his pilot and fellow former mercenary Jean-Paul "Frenchie" Duchamp who joined Spector on his mission for years. Moon Knight also employed a team of analysts and his connected informants as the secretive Shadow Cabinet that he organized after he founded his company SpectorCorp.
4 Moon Knight Has Joined Multiple Teams Of Avengers
The character is usually known best as a loner or outsider who operates on the fringe of street-level crime, though he has joined with a few superhero groups over the years that have included the Defenders and Heroes for Hire.
Moon Knight has even joined with The Avengers on multiple occasions because he said no one takes superheroes seriously in New York if they weren't an Avenger. He first joined with the West Coast Avengers before later working with Steve Rogers' team of Secret Avengers, though he didn't last too long with either time.
3 Briefly Took On A Sidekick Who Became A Deadly Cyborg Villain
The villainous cyborg known as Midnight first appeared as a teenager named Jeffrey Wilde who attempted to take out revenge on Moon Knight for the accidental death of his father, the costumed criminal known as Midnight Man.
Midnight joined Moon Knight after their first encounter as his new partner, though he was seemingly killed during a battle with the Secret Empire. The evil organization had actually save Wilde and rebuilt him with advanced technology, though he was left twisted and seeking revenge against Moon Knight.
2 Protects The Night From All Kinds Of Supernatural Threats
Spector added another costumed persona to his repertoire known as Mr. Knight, a well-dressed and masked investigator who aided the police with cases that potentially involved the supernatural, which fell under Spector's jurisdiction as the protector of anyone that travels under the light of the moon.
This direction for the character tied in well to his origins as a silver-clad hunter in Werewolf By Night that established a lasting relationship with lycanthrope Jack Russel and led Moon Knight to join darker groups like the Midnight Sons to help deal with the dark occult side of the Marvel Universe.
1 Moon Knight Can Access Incredibly Powerful Cosmic Abilities
Jason Aaron and Javier Garrón's "Age of Khonshu" storyline from the current Avengers ongoing showcased an evolution of Moon Knight's moon-based abilities as Khonshu took advantage of a galactic supermoon to use his increased power to make a play for world domination.
Moon Knight was not only able to bludgeon Thor with moons from across the galaxy but he also stole control of Mjolnir due to its apparent origins as a moon rock. He also used ancient artifacts to steal elemental abilities like the Iron Fist and the hellfire of Ghost Rider to further increase his power, though Spector ultimately rebelled against Khonshu with the Phoenix Force.