History in the Comics

Each page in this section covers a different period in MK's publication history, and significant changes dictate when a new page is needed.​

Click on the links below to be taken to the page that is dedicated to that time period.

 

The Early Years (1975-1980) of course presents all of his orginal pre-series appearances, significantly his creation in Werewolf by Night, his defining feature stories in Marvel Spotlight & Marvel Preview, his run in The Hulk! magazine, and his brief romp with The Defenders.

 

His First Series (1980-1984) also includes the wonderful early team-ups he enjoyed with such heroes as Spider-man, Iron Man, the Avengers, and more.

 

On the Fist of Khonshu page (1985-1988), where he is now officially a servant of Khonshu and no longer uncertain about the god's role in his life, I have also included his term in The West Coast Avengers, since it is basically an extension of the character as depicted in MK's short-lived second series.

 

The principal series on the Ex-Avenger, Ex-Fist page (1989-1997) is Mark Spector: Moon Knight, so named because it presents a Moon Knight that is free of Khonshu's influence. This saga ends with the character's death. Other noteworthy appearances listed here include a brief stint in Marvel Comics Presents and a wrap-up story arc in The Amazing Spider-Man.

 

Resurrected(?)--Again! (1997-2006) primarily focuses on Doug Moench's two 4-part mini-series, "The Resurrection War" and "High Strangeness," bringing our hero back from an uncertain situation (was he actually dead?), and also features his run in Marvel Knights.

 

Vigilante (2006-2009) covers the years of his 2006 series, the darkest period in the character's history. Audiences at the time seem to respond to the more brooding, Wolverine-like anti-heroes that stray from the more "heroic" ideal.

 

Redeemed at Last? (2009-2011) continues from Vengeance of the Moon Knight through his flirts with the Secret Avengers and Heroes for Hire, plus the Shadowland event. Moon Knight works to clear his name and reputation from his previous over-the-top brutality (in the 2006 series).

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Four Heroes for the Price of One (2011-2013) deals with the period of time that he spent thinking he was also Captain America, Spider-Man, and Wolverine (the Bendis series), as well as his part in the "Avengers vs. X-Men" and "Age of Ultron" events.

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Another Identity? (2014-2016) introduces "Mr. Knight" in a disjointed series that changes creative teams after every six issues (being cancelled before the final team can even reach six). Moon Knight also gets a decent-sized role in the Original Sin limited series. 

 

Less Wolverine / More Deadpool (2016-2020) sees Moon Knight evolve into a character that seems to be influenced by the popularity of Deadpool. Humor (especially in reference to his own mental instability) begins to be been injected into his dialogue, making him almost a comic relief character at times. In addition to the Lemire and Bemis series, he figures prominently in issues of Doctor Strange: Damnation, The Punisher, and Contagion, where in that last one he actually utilizes his mental condition against the enemy.

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Exploring His Dark Side (2020-2024) finds the character suddenly acting more violently again, and then we have one of his personalities forcibly replace another as we've seen in the Disney+ series (which captured new audiences by storm and drove new interest in the character, seeming to finally propel him into the big leagues). Prior to that, however, he stars with an assortment of Robert E. Howard characters in Conan: Serpent War before stepping back into the role of villain (as he was originally introduced to Marvel readers) in The Avengers. This period ends with his death in the MacKay series, teasing that it could be final.

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MacKay continues his story over the course of two follow-up series in The New Moon Knight (2024- ) with two series that borrow previously used series names. In the aftermath of Marc's demise, a new Moon Knight steps onto the scene in Vengeance of the Moon Knight. And when Spector returns from the dead (yes, again) to serve Khonshu, he comes back with a new look, which is carried over into Moon Knight: Fist of Khonshu.