Under the full moon, Marvel has finally released the official trailer for the Disney+ series "Moon Knight"! Here, let's briefly introduce the origins and interesting settings of the Moon Knight character!
Moon Knight's Origin
▼ "Moon Knight" first appeared as an antagonist in the protagonist's story in 1975's Werewolf by Night #32. Due to the character's enthusiastic reception from readers, Marvel began publishing his solo stories in 1976's Marvel Spotlight #28.
▼ Marvel Spotlight #28
Marc Spector was once a U.S. Marine, but after a dishonorable discharge, he joined the CIA. He later left the agency to become a mercenary. During a mission in Egypt, he was betrayed and left for dead by his companion, Raul Bushman.
▼Raul Bushman, who betrayed Marc Spector
However, this was just the beginning of his journey. Marc died in the desert before a statue of the Egyptian moon god Khonshu, who decided to make a pact with him, transforming him into his avatar, Moon Knight, also known as the Fist of Khonshu.
▼Marc dying before the statue of Khonshu.
Now, Marc—Moon Knight's mission is to protect those who travel by night for Khonshu, and he utilizes the intelligence gathered through his dissociative identity disorder to aid this task. He is also one of the few mentally unstable superheroes who employs violent methods against villains.
For years, Marc has mostly operated alone, but he occasionally joins superhero teams like the Avengers (such as the "Secret Avengers" and "West Coast Avengers"). Furthermore, like most street-level heroes in New York City, he is also considered part of the "Marvel Knights" sub-brand.
▼The protagonist of the "Moon Knight" series, Marc Spector, is portrayed by Guatemalan-American actor "Oscar Isaac." He previously played Poe Dameron in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, the villain Apocalypse in X-Men: Apocalypse, and voiced "Spider-Man 2099" Miguel O'Hara in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
For an analysis of the Easter eggs and details in the first trailer for the "Moon Knight" series, please refer to our special feature:→ The Super Violent Hero with Dissociative Identity Disorder! "Moon Knight" Trailer Easter Eggs & Detail Analysis
Multiple Personalities
Marc is arguably the most famous dissociative identity disorder patient in the Marvel Universe, besides Bruce Banner. In addition to his original personality, Marc Spector, he also has two other personalities: the wealthy Steven Grant and the taxi driver Jake Lockley. When operating as "Moon Knight," he also possesses a more rational personality known as "Mr. Knight."
▼"Mr. Knight."
Moon Knight's Abilities
As a veteran and mercenary, Marc is proficient in various unarmed combat techniques, multiple martial arts, weaponry, and driving skills. He possesses Olympic-level physical conditioning and agility comparable to an acrobat or gymnast. Furthermore, Marc is fluent in multiple languages.
▼ Marc possesses remarkable agility and combat skills, often showcasing a variety of spectacular fighting styles.
Due to mental instability, torture, numbness from years of combat injuries, and his inherent mental gifts, Marc is able to mitigate pain to a certain extent. Furthermore, his mental barriers allow him to resist a certain degree of psychic attacks.
▼ Marc has an extremely high pain threshold.
More importantly, as Khonshu's avatar, Marc's physical abilities are enhanced at night or in shadows, correlating with the moon's phase. During a full moon, he can even lift objects weighing up to 2 tons. Additionally, Khonshu has granted him a degree of immortality, always resurrecting Marc after death to continue serving him.
When transformed into Moon Knight, Marc dons a specialized uniform and fights with equipment such as crescent darts, a truncheon, and a grappling hook gun. As a wealthy individual, he also has access to several moon-themed aerial vehicles. Because of this, fans have playfully dubbed him Marvel's Batman.
▼ In the original comics, Moon Knight doesn't even need to be "worthy" to control Mjolnir. Because he possesses a portion of Khonshu's power, Moon Knight can manipulate the moon; and Mjolnir is forged from Uru metal, which originates from the moon. Therefore, Moon Knight is capable of controlling Mjolnir.
And as a superhero, he must have his supervillains! Here are a few particularly noteworthy characters:
Raul Bushman
Bushman is a formidable African mercenary and was Marc's companion during a mission in Egypt. He ultimately betrayed and nearly killed everyone else, leading to Marc becoming Moon Knight. For years, he has been a long-standing adversary of Moon Knight and was once incarcerated in Ravencroft Asylum. In addition to being skilled in swordsmanship, firearms, and hand-to-hand combat, Bushman also possesses iron teeth that he uses in battle.
Arthur Harrow
Arthur Harrow is a doctor dedicated to finding ways to eliminate "pain," conducting research through various illicit means and almost winning a Nobel Prize in Medicine. Moon Knight intervened to stop him after seeing his actions in a vision, but Harrow escaped with the assistance of the criminal organization O.M.N.I.U.M. and continued his research. He suffers from trigeminal neuralgia, which prevents him from closing his mouth.
▼ The Disney+ "Moon Knight" series will star renowned Hollywood actor Ethan Hawke. Ethan's ex-wife is Uma Thurman (Kill Bill), and they have a daughter, Maya Hawke, who became widely known for her role as Robin in Stranger Things Season 3. Foreign media speculate that Ethan Hawke's portrayal of Arthur Harrow will merge with the character of Sun King.
Sun King
His true name is unknown. Patient 86, suffering from bipolar disorder, was an inmate at Ravencroft Asylum who became possessed by the Egyptian sun god Amon Ra. He calls himself "Sun King" and collaborates with Bushman to harm Marc. As an avatar of the sun god, he can conjure flames out of thin air or engulf himself in fire.
Text by: Marsus