Wednesday, 10 February 2021 13:00

Moon Knight: 10 Comics To Read In Preparation For The Disney+ Show

Written by Scoot Allan
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Check out the comic history of Moon Knight before the character makes his MCU debut on the upcoming Disney+ series starring Oscar Isaac!

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has expanded to Disney+ with shows like WandaVision and the upcoming The Falcon & The Winter Soldier which continue the storylines of already established characters from the MCU, though the streaming service will also debut new characters in series like the upcoming Moon Knight, starring Oscar Isaac in the titular role.

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Marc Spector/Moon Knight is not the most well-known comic character outside of his own fanbase, which could make some fans curious about the mysterious Lunar Legionnaire and his unique take on vigilantism, so we've put together a helpful guide for anyone looking to explore the rich comic history of Moon Knight before he joins the MCU.

10 Werewolf By Night

Moon Knight's comic debut in the pages of Doug Moench and Don Perlin's Werewolf by Night #32 could be a very big part of the upcoming series, as the character was first introduced as a mercenary hired to hunt and kill Jack Russell/Werewolf By Night.

Marc Spector's origins weren't yet revealed in his debut and he ultimately allied with Russell to turn against his villainous employers. Since the Disney+ series could choose to explore the supernatural side of the MCU using Moon Knight, his debut as a werewolf hunter could prove to be an important read.

9 The Macabre Moon Knight

Marc Spector's origins as a mercenary were explored throughout his subsequent appearances in Werewolf By Night, though his complete past was finally revealed in Doug Moench and Bill Sienkiewicz's Moon Knight ongoing series that debuted in 1980.

Spector's mercenary past and his connection to the Egyptian moon god of vengeance Khonshu was teased as Marc was killed and brought back as Khonshu's avatar, explaining his costume and connection to the moon while also introducing a number of his most dangerous villains that are sure to make an appearance in the MCU.

8 Fist Of Khonshu

Moon Knight: Fist of Khonshu was one of the first series that connected Marc Spector's use of his alternate personas (wealthy entrepreneur Steven Grant and under the radar cab driver Jake Lockley) to a possible mental illness, which was thought to be schizophrenia at the time.

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Spector abandoned his aliases and rededicated himself to Khonshu after he was given new abilities and weapons by the Cult of Khonshu. This version of Moon Knight would go on to work with the West Coast Avengers for a brief time before he later returned to his original costume and mission.

7 Spectorcorp

Spector eventually returned to his alternate personas and used his resources to build his own company Spectorcorp, which he used to further his public image as Moon Knight while also upgrading his armor and equipment.

During this period he was introduced to a powerful ancient race known as the Hellbent who first appeared in Terry Kavanagh and James Fry's Marc Spector: Moon Knight #49 as they attempted to use Spectorcorp's high-tech resources for their own goals, which eventually resulted in Moon Knight's sacrifice of both his company and his life.

6 Resurrection War

Thankfully, Spector's connection to Khonshu meant that death was never final for an avatar of the god of vengeance, and he was resurrected by Khonshu in Doug Moench and Tommy Lee Edwards' "Resurrection War" to reclaim his title of Moon Knight.

The series also featured a collection of Moon Knight's greatest villains like Seth Phalkon of the Hellbent, Bushman, Black Spectre and Morpheus, all of whom could make an appearance on the upcoming Disney+ series.

5 Marvel Knights

Marc Spector spent some time in retirement after his second resurrection by Khonshu, though he returned as Moon Knight to help Daredevil and his assembled team of heroes that first appeared in Chuck Dixon and Ed Barreto's Marvel Knights #1.

Spector didn't join the team until later in the series, though he provided the unnamed squad with resources and a headquarters, though after he was seriously injured and the headquarters was destroyed, Moon Knight left the team.

4 The Bottom

Marc Spector returned in a new Moon Knight ongoing series from Charlie Huston and David Finch that brought the character to "The Bottom" and re-examined his mental issues and connection to Khonshu that cast doubt on his origins and his own understanding of his abilities.

RELATED: Moon Knight: 10 Ethan Hawke Movies To Watch In Preparation For The Show

However, the series also reintroduced the character to fans in a dark and gritty new way that worked perfectly for Moon Knight and is likely to play a huge role in the development of the Disney+ series given the success of the relaunch of the character.

3 Vengeance Of The Moon Knight

After years spent as a dark and brutal vigilante using questionable methods as he switched between his working personalities, Spector returned to New York City to live the life as a hero in Gregg Hurwitz and Jerome Opeña's Vengeance of Moon Knight.

The series further explored Moon Knight's connection to Khonshu and his role as the moon god's fist of vengeance while he attempted to regain his status as a hero, which led this armored version of the character to work with the Secret Avengers briefly.

2 Mr. Knight

Warren Ellis and Declan Shalvey introduced a new era of Moon Knight in 2014 with the introduction of Mr. Knight, another version of the Moon Knight persona that wore a business suit and white mask when investigating his sometimes supernatural cases.

The character also received an updated costume that he wore during his more superheroic moments which could influence the design of his live-action costumes and mission as a street-level hero dealing with cases bigger names in the MCU would be too busy to handle.

1 Age Of Khonshu

While it's one of the more recent comic storylines to feature Moon Knight, "The Age of Khonshu" storyline that ran in Jason Aaron and Javier Garrón's Avengers showcased the upper limits of Moon Knight's potential as he took on the most powerful heroes in the Avengers.

The storyline explored Khonshu's ancient connection to the Avengers and his avatar's ability to manipulate their elemental abilities that further cemented the character into the history of the Marvel Universe, which could play a role in Moon Knight's integration into the MCU.

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