While Moon Knight (aka Marc Spector) has mercenary roots, there are plenty of instances in which his heroism has shone through at the expense of whatever job he had been hired for. However, he seemed particularly cold during his first appearance when he was ordered to bring in Jack Russell, the protagonist of the Werewolf By Night series. Jack, or simply the Werewolf as he was known, was part of the 1970s horror wave at Marvel, which saw success in adapting classic literary characters such as the vampire Dracula and Frankenstein's Monster. While Moon Knight was a new character, his unsettling persona as a vigilante inspired by the moon was a good fit for Jack, whose transformation into the Werewolf was triggered by full moons.
In the series, Jack wasn't in control of his Werewolf persona, and villains would often take advantage of his savage, lycanthrope state. In Werewolf By Night #32-33 (by Doug Moench and Don Perlin), an evil corporation known as the Committee seeks to turn Jack into their personal weapon. They pay Moon Knight ten thousand dollars to capture him and the Fist of Khonshu is all too happy to oblige. Having uncovered Jack's secret human identity, Moon Knight brutally ambushes him at his stepfather's home.
Moon Knight's Intentions are Wildly Inconsistent
Moon Knight employs silver-coated weapons against Jack, which the Werewolf is vulnerable to. Hobbled by a broken hand and overcome with guilt for an earlier failure, the Werewolf doesn't put up much of a fight and is soon subdued. Spector loads him onto his Mooncopter, flown by his partner Frenchie. However, Jack regains consciousness and attacks Moon Knight, forcing them both out of the helicopter and into an icy pier below. They trade vicious blows and attempt to drown each other, but the Werewolf is victorious. Luckily for Marc, just as he's about to deliver the killing blow, the full moon disappears, and he turns back into ordinary Jack Russell. In his human form, Jack is no match for the lunar vigilante. Moon Knight turns him over to the Committee, apparently more interested in being paid than doing the right thing.
However, he is struck with a pang of guilt when he discovers the Committee's dastardly plans for Jack. At this point, a glimmer of Moon Knight's true heroic nature appears, as he kicks Jack's cage open and lets the beast free. Fighting side by side, Spector and Russell easily defeat the Committee's goons. Moon Knight watches on passively as the Committee's leader is slaughtered by Jack's Werewolf persona, which has fully taken over. With his employers dead, Moon Knight gives up the payment he was promised and is forced to reckon with his morality.
Moon Knight is Now a Much More Likable Character
Nowadays, Moon Knight is arguably more popular than the protagonist of the comic he was introduced in. While his mercenary roots are still important, his stories have shifted focus to his fragile mental health. Experiencing firsthand, what it's like to be exploited and controlled by others. Today's Moon Knight wouldn't think twice about assisting Jack against a villainous cabal like the Committee. However, the Moon Knight who tried to take him down all those years ago was a different man, less developed both in-story and from a creative standpoint.
Jack Russell is primed to make his live-action debut in the much-anticipated Disney+ special Werewolf By Night. While there are still no plans to produce a second season of Moon Knight, it would be a thrill to see the titular character interact with the Werewolf again. However, based on how he was portrayed in his own series, it’s difficult to see Spector going against Russell. Perhaps instead they can work together from the start as an odd couple whose personas are both in some fashion influenced by the mystic nature of the moon. It should be noted that there are currently no plans for an MCU crossover, but Marvel has been prone to misdirection before, and it might only be a matter of time before these two children of the moon cross paths again.