Is Moon Knight just another street-level vigilante in the Marvel universe?
Just another superhero? No. Not at all. Wondering how his multiple personality
disorder and literal god-given powers give him an advantage? Keep watching!
Marc Spector crossed paths with Khonshu in his adult life after a botched operation left him
near-dead in an African desert. Barely making it to a mystical Egyptian tomb,
Spector passes away at the feet of the moon god's statue, leading to his spirit meeting Khonshu.
The ancient deity saves Spector's life, in exchange for the mercenary becoming his knight,
as Spector himself recounts in "Moon Knight" Vol. 9 #1. This encounter gives birth to the superhero
called Moon Knight and fundamentally changes not only Spector's life, but his brain as well.
Due to the nature of Khonshu's powers as a multifaceted, extradimensional entity,
his interactions with Spector are said to have contributed to the fracturing of Spector's psyche.
In fact, it has been explained on more than one occasion that
Spector's dissociative identity disorder may have been a direct result of his mind
attempting to match the complex nature of the god's own persona.
Furthermore, Spector sometimes possesses the ability to switch between his personas at will,
including Moon Knight himself, which is actually a separate personality,
not just a secret identity. The already formidable traits that Spector possesses due to his military
background are amplified by the powers of whichever persona is in charge at the moment.
For a time, Moon Knight was able to harness Khonshu's powers in the form of superhuman
strength. According to the "Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Marvel Knights 2005,"
the Fist of Khonshu's physical strength increases under the light of the moon,
peaking during nights with a full moon.
Interestingly, Moon Knight's strength, speed, and agility are all affected by the phase of the
moon — full moon, half-moon, waning or waxing crescent, or new moon. These fluctuating power
levels are said to be in place because of Spector's direct ties to both the moon and
the Egyptian god. Other guides, such as the "Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe
Deluxe Edition" #9, establish that Spector is typically capable of bench-pressing 450 pounds.
However, he can lift approximately 4,000 pounds when he’s operating under a full moon.
In recent years, however, Moon Knight has had to deal with the loss of this useful ability,
forcing him to push himself to his physical limits in order to continue his superhero activities.
As Spector himself explained in "Moon Knight" Vol. 5 #9, his super-strength was stripped away
from him by a wrathful Khonshu after he went against the god's orders.
As Moon Knight can likely attest, the cool thing about having a god on your side is that,
for as long as they have a reason to keep you around, death will be less of
a final destination for you and more of a revolving door. Not that death ever tends
to be permanent in the Marvel universe, but still. In the case of Moon Knight,
this means that unless Khonshu decides to find a new servant, Spector is functionally immortal.
“Thanks”
In a discussion with his psychiatrist Dr. Andrea Sterman in "Moon Knight" Vol. 9 #1,
Spector confronts the uncomfortable question of whether or not he can die with a level of
uncertainty. He even recounts that Khonshu has resurrected him not once, not twice,
but at least three times, including when they met in the Egyptian tomb. Hence, on more than
one occasion, Moon Knight has found himself in a situation where he should have died, but didn't.
That said, Khonshu doesn't seem to have any qualms about reminding Spector that he is disposable.
In "Moon Knight" Vol. 5 #6, during a vision in which he took the form of Moon Knight's horribly
disfigured nemesis Bushman, he took Spector's life and brought him back just to prove a point.
While Moon Knight may be functionally immortal, that doesn't mean that his body is impervious to
injury like Luke Cage. In fact, Moon Knight's battles tend to be extremely brutal, bloody,
and violent. They almost always end with both him and his opponents sustaining broken bones,
smashed limbs, massive bleeding, and other types of physical trauma.
Rather impressively, Spector is able to bear the extreme pain that comes from his injuries. He has
a near-superhuman level of endurance even in the face of torture from his most sadistic enemies.
Moon Knight's high pain tolerance has been said to be a combination of his mental state, Khonshu's
empowerment, and the sheer amount of physical abuse he experienced during his time in the
military. This has led to Spector enduring pain unlike that of any other street-level superhero.
For instance, in "Moon Knight" Vol. 5 #6, Spector is shown to be basically unaffected by direct
crossbow shots from Taskmaster and is able to soundly beat his foe despite the severity of
his injuries. Six issues later, his crazed former partner Midnight subjects Spector
to an inhuman level of torture. His limbs are pinned against a giant clock that digs
into his back to systematically remove Spector's vertebra one bone at a time.
Moon Knight endures this pain long enough to break free from his restraints.
He, then, defeats his enemy by ripping off one of the clock's hands and stabbing him fatally.
"Avengers" Vol. 8 #33 depicts Moon Knight during one of his most powerful phases.
In an attempt to stop the machinations of the hellish ruler Mephisto, Khonshu decides that it's
time for his earthly avatar to bring about the Age of Khonshu. He imbues Spector with a host of
abilities that the superhero has never possessed before, a fraction of what Khonshu himself can do.
Among the powers that Spector temporarily receives from the moon god is the ability
to literally control moons and anything that was made from moon-based materials.
This came with the implication that Moon Knight could also control many other celestial bodies,
as they are mostly made up of materials of similar cosmic origin.
While this power on its own is already impressive, it also granted Spector a frightening new ability.
He could manipulate one of the Marvel universe's most iconic and fearsome weapons,
a tool wielded by another god. Thor's hammer Mjolnir is made out of Uru,
a metal ore reportedly as old as the universe itself. Since Uru metal is formed in a dying
star's heart from material that comes from a primordial moon, Moon Knight's newfound
lunakinesis allows him to control Thor's weapon, regardless of his worthiness. Spector demonstrates
this when he makes quick work of the Thunder God by smacking him around with his own hammer.
“I knew it.”
Marc Spector shares his mind-space with at least four other main personalities,
each with their own unique skill sets and talents reflective of Khonshu's multiple
aspects. Combined with his main persona's own fighting skills and deductive reasoning,
Spector maximizes the talents that each of his personas brings to the table.
There is, of course, the Moon Knight persona, which is said to represent Khonshu's side as
the "Watcher of Overnight Travelers," as shown in "Moon Knight" Vol. 9 #1. Then, there's Mr. Knight,
a suave, sharp-dressed consultant who typically does the talking. There are also two alter-egos
that Spector's psyche developed in his youth: Steven Grant and Jake Lockley. Grant is depicted
as a wealthy public figure and is the persona that finances Moon Knight's activities. He utilizes and
grows Spector's wealth to allow him to operate as a costumed vigilante. Lockley, on the other hand,
is a taxi driver who wanders around New York and gathers intel from street-level sources.
For a brief time in his career, Spector was also able to tap into the abilities
of three iconic Avengers… sort of. As shown in "Moon Knight" Vol. 6 #1,
Spector developed the personas of Captain America, Spider-Man, and Wolverine,
and would even occasionally have "meetings" with them. Whenever each of the personas takes control,
Spector even equips himself with the appropriate gear to mimic their iconic move sets.
Yet another example of a short-lived but spectacular power in Moon Knight's arsenal
was shown in "Avengers" Vol. 8 #33. After being allowed to tap into the vast reserves
of Khonshu's might, Moon Knight gained the ability to absorb the powers of his opponents
via mystical artifacts. However, his impressive absorption abilities also had their limits.
Moon Knight first puts this ability to the test in a confrontation with the Iron Fist,
Danny Rand. After subduing Iron Fist with a barrage of Khonshu-powered attacks, Spector whips
out a divine ankh, which he uses to steal the power of the immortal dragon residing within Rand.
Using the ankhs and a bit of necromancy, Moon Knight easily defeats Doctor Strange as well,
and brazenly takes control of Ghost Rider Robbie Reyes' Spirit of Vengeance.
However, the ankhs were of virtually no help to Moon Knight when he went up against Wakanda's
T'Challa, revealing their limitations. As Black Panther's powers were granted
by the heart-shaped herb he'd consumed, Moon Knight could not use the ankhs to steal them.
“Wakanda forever!”
While Moon Knight has sported quite a few different looks over the course
of his costumed career, his most iconic ensemble remains his all-white hooded suit.
And while they may not look like they offer much in the way of protection,
Spector's assorted outfits are actually designed to be as resistant and durable as their wearer.
They're also all white, of course, as Moon Knight prioritizes shock
value and intimidation over the element of surprise when it comes to subduing perps.
Spector's early suits include Kevlar vests, as well as a host of defensive and offensive
features. Later on, Moon Knight would tweak his getup to offer even more protection,
infusing the design with Carbonadium. In the Marvel universe, Carbonadium is
described as a flexible material comparable to Adamantium in terms of quality and durability.
You may know Adamantium as the material that coats Wolverine’s bones and Carbonadium
from its heavy use in X-Men villain Omega Red’s tentacles. Moon Knight
also wears a long cape that enables him to catch updrafts and glide across limited distances,
as well as metal bracers on his arms. Some of Moon Knight's most recognizable weapons
include his crescent moon-shaped throwing blades and his adamantium-laced bo staff.
Incredibly, the one thing about Moon Knight that
many may perceive as a disadvantage has proven to be the superhero's strongest
line of defense against some of the Marvel universe's greatest minds.
Due to Spector's mental state, the white-clad crime fighter has developed
a powerful resistance against various forms of psychic attacks and attempts at mind control.
His mental resilience also makes it tremendously difficult for telepathic
individuals to read his mind, effectively deterring them from anticipating his next
move or discerning what his true objectives are.
Moon Knight doesn't take too kindly to mental invaders. In fact,
as "Moon Knight" Vol 9 #2 shows, his mind can be a very hostile place for unwelcome visitors.
While facing off against a criminal telepath named Hawley, Moon Knight was able to overpower his
adversary almost as soon as he invaded. Spector himself claims that his direct interactions
with Khonshu have turned his mind into "poisoned ground." The villain was thoroughly overwhelmed
by Moon Knight's sheer mental fortitude and was rendered catatonic after their encounter.
While he generally doesn't have access to this ability,
Moon Knight was once able to wield complete control over his physical form.
This includes the ability to pass right through otherwise impassable objects, as well as being
able to survive in places without an Earth-like atmosphere for extended periods of time.
In "Conan: Serpent War" #4, Moon Knight finds himself temporarily time-displaced. Upon his
return to the present day, Spector discovers that he is able to pass through the glass pane of his
residence, transforming into his costumed alter upon stepping out. This power boost,
which was granted by Khonshu to enable his servant to complete a series of complicated tasks,
is also seen on full display in "Avengers" Vol. 8 #33. As Moon Knight himself observes, he is able
to ride Ghost Rider's flaming 1969 Dodge Charger and even battle Thor in outer space without dying.
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