Phase 5: Resurrected(?)--Again!

Issue 24 (Dec. 1997): The Doug Moench interview alone makes this worth the price--and more!--as he talks about Moon Knight's return, as well as his--the creator's--views on the character.

Issues 1-4 (Jan. - Apr. 1998): This miniseries, also known by its story title "The Resurrection War," marks the return of Doug Moench to a Moon Knight series (although it is strictly a miniseries, it is credited as Moon Knight Vol. 3 in the indicia of its first issue, then Vol. 2 for the rest), as reported a month earlier in Marvel Vision magazine #24. Marlene and Frenchie, Gena and her kids, Bushman, Black Spectre, Morpheus, Scarlet Fasinera--an absolute MUST for fans of MK & especially of Doug Moench!

Note the question mark in the title of this web page. That's there to suggest the possibility that MK never died in Mark Spector: Moon Knight #60! In fact, it is implied that everyone (audience included, I presume) has been in a haze created by Morpheus, and readers are left to decide for themselves just how much of the Kavanaugh years of Marc Spector: Moon Knight actually happened! MK is now back on track and ready for further adventures.

Issues 1, 10, 12 (Feb., Nov. 1998, Jan. 1999): Kurt Busiek wrote these, and to his credit he did not simply stick MK somewhere in the background or have him stand around to fill in a panel in the first issue. In #10 & 12, however, he is simply a face in the crowd.
Regarding issue 1, the appearance is brief, and since he doesn't appear in any other issues of this series (outside of the other two), it doesn't really amount to much.

Issue 1 (Mar. 1998): This has a female Moon Knight of the future in it but no appearance of the MK this site is devoted to. Len Kaminski is the writer.

Issues 1-4 (Jan. - Feb. 1999): Incorrectly titled "High Strangers" on the covers (and just what is that supposed to mean?), this four-parter was written by Doug Moench. And just like his previous miniseries' first issue, this one is also credited as Moon Knight Volume 3 in the indicia (with "High Strangeness" not officially part of the title). As with "The Resurrection War," a MUST-HAVE! Moench delves back to the type of storytelling he offered in The HULK! magazine and Marvel Preview #21.

Issue 134 (Feb. 1999): A wild Wolverine, not in control of his actions, takes on every hero who comes his way, and this marks MK's first actual one-on-one encounter with Marvel's famous bad boy. Written by Erik Larsen, he uses MK in about four panels.

Issue 1 (Sep. 1999): Another of those one-panel cameos, intended to suggest that every Marvel hero has been included. Written by Chris Claremont.

Issue 11 (Nov. 1999): The MK that appears for a portion of one panel is one of the Avengers called forth "from every timeline that went bad--every divergent reality that turned dark and destructive" and there to fight the "real" Avengers from this title. Kurt Busiek and Roger Stern were the writers. If you pick it up and get into its story, you WILL want issue 12, which concludes the series. 

Issue 34 (Nov. 1999): MK appears in a gag segment that precedes the main story--or is perhaps a nightmare of the main character's? Either way, it is NOT to be mistaken for a canonical MK appearance. Christopher Priest and Paco Diaz were the writers.

Issues 20-22 (Jul. - Sep. 2000): Perhaps writer Christopher Priest wanted to make up for his earlier use of MK (see above entry), for he actually gave him a noteworthy appearance, aiding the Black Panther in fine form. And their costumes looked striking together! Also nice to see Velluto (Marc Spector: Moon Knight) drawing MK once more!

Since these are apparently an alternate reality storyline (perhaps similar to the "Ultimate" line but much shorter), I decided to group them all together. He is listed as appearing in Universe X 0, 6, 7 (Sep. 2000, Mar. - Apr. 2001); Universe X Omnibus 1 (Jun. 2001); Mutant X Annual 3 (2001); and Paradise X 0 (Apr. 2002), 11 (Jul. 2003), and A (Oct. 2003). Writers include Jim Krueger (Universe & Paradise), with story assists from Alex Ross, and Howard Mackie (Mutant). In the Universe ones, MK has a significant role, especially in #6 (I have not seen the Omnibus one, but it seems to just be a collection of Alex Ross's art sketches). In the Mutant one, it is some simian version of him that lasts two panels, and in the Paradise ones, he makes one-panel cameos in each.

Issues 4-9, 11-14 (Oct. 2000 - Sep. 2001): Chuck Dixon wrote this series, so it's little surprise that he would bring MK into the group--formed by Daredevil with the intent to bring the Punisher to justice! He comes into it at the end of #4 (although Jake Lockley appears earlier in that issue), offering to provide an HQ and financial backing for the group (as Tony Stark did for the Avengers), and it was quite promising at first, with regulars DD, Black Widow, Shang-Chi, Cloak & Dagger, and of course their target: the Punisher! MK joins the roster and brings in Power Man Luke Cage for some added muscle power. I don't know if it was only planned to go 15 issues or if the series simply never caught on and was cancelled, but I tend to think it was the latter because it suddenly lost steam and wrapped things up in a quick and unsatisfying way (the final confrontation between DD and Punisher being especially weak). Reminiscent of when MK appeared in The Defenders but lasting longer than he did with that other non-group (the "Marvel Knights" never even give themselves a name).

Issue 57 (Oct. 2001): One cameo of MK literally acting as background filler. Written by Fabian Nicieza.

Issue 1 (Feb. 2002): A bizarre concept where artists draw different versions of Marvel heroes, which writers can then select, if they so choose, for future issues or series. The MK shown here is supposed to be Mark Spector's daughter Jessica (entirely made up here, by artist Darick Robertson, and not to be mistaken with future daughter Diatrice). 
 
Definitely NOT an MK appearance. But if you do get your hands on this issue, check out former MK & Black Panther artist Sal Velluto's concept of a future Black Panther (also depicted as female)!

Issue 20 (Feb. 2003): Judd Winick wrote this story, but since the Exiles are "reality-hopping nomads," I cannot say for certain that it isn't just an alternate-reality MK seen here. But since he isn't in parts 2 or 3 of this tale (in issues 21 & 22) and simply appears once in the background among a slew of superheroes (again, just to show that all heroes were affected by whatever threat is happening at the time), it matters little.

Issue 3 (Dec. 2003): Kurt Busiek wrote this interesting DC/Marvel crossover, but MK simply appears on the back cover of issue 3.
Hardly an MK appearance, but an intriguing DC/Marvel crossover, fun for fans of either the Justice League or the Avengers. 

Issue 1 (Aug. 2004): Robert Rodi includes MK among a number of heroes on one page.

Issue 29 (Sep. 2004): Written by Robert Kirkman, it looks like it might be MK gliding by in the air in one panel.

Issues 501-503 (Oct. - Dec. 2004): Future Moon Knight writer Brian Michael Bendis includes MK in crowd scenes but nothing more.

Vol. 3, issues 1, 3, 7, 10, 25 (Jan., Feb., Jun., Sep. 2005, Dec. 2006): All written by Robert Kirkman. In issues 1 & 25 (the first and last issues of the series), MK is simply on the cover among other heroes who probably appear at some point in the series); in issue 3, Kirkman simply has MK glide across the sky in one panel (just like he may have had him do in Captain America, above); and in #7 & 10 (two parts of the same story), Kirkman offers him a bigger role in an absolutely silly story, teaming him up with Spidey in #7 (who sums things up nicely in #10 when he says, "I'm sorry . . . but this whole adventure was ridiculous!") and having them joined by Daredevil (and even the Punisher--kinda) in #10.

Issue 1 (Jun. 2005): Frank Tieri includes MK at the funeral for Vision, Ant-Man, Jack of Hearts, and Hawkeye.

Issue 2 (Jul. 2005): Dan Slott wrote this short (four-issue) series, and to my surprise MK actually has a whole page devoted to his refusal to join the team-that-no-one-wants-to-be-a-part-of, whereas many "bigger" star cameos simply had a panel to voice their rejection.

Issue 1 (Jul. 2005): Mike Raicht compiled this companion sourcebook, in which MK (as Marc Spector) gets roughly a half-page feature--a lot more than some of Cage's gang got! Make's a good introduction to the "House of M" story arc.

Issues 3-8 (Sep. - Dec. 2005): [MK can also be found on a variant cover for issue 1 (Aug. 2005).] Brian Michael Bendis writes this follow-up to his "Avengers Disassembled" storyline, and it is an emotionally powerful tale that deals with characters' personal desires and tragedies in an honest fashion. But you may not recognize MK in this one, since he is out of costume as Marc Spector and only makes cameo appearances. In fact, many (non-fans mostly) might not even realize who he is unless they check out the later House of M: Avengers series, which shows how Luke Cage's team develops (a precursor to this story), or unless they read the Secrets of the House of M companion. MK is not in #8, but a poster of him (from his upcoming 2006 series) can be seen hanging on Layla Miller's wall.

As with the X titles above, I am grouping Ultimate titles together because "Ultimate Moon Knight" is a different character altogether from the character this website is devoted to. As such, these should NOT be considered standard MK appearances. Ultimate Spider-Man issues 79-80, 82-85, Annual 2, 107-110 (Sep. 2005 - Jan. 2006, Oct. 2006, May - Aug. 2007) were written by Brian Michael Bendis; Ultimate Fantastic Four issues 23 (Nov. 2005) & 53 (Jun. 2008) were written by Mark Millar and Mike Carey, respectively; and Ultimate Secrets #1 (Mar. 2008), which has a one-page file on the character, is a handbook to Marvel's Ultimate line and had various contributing writers.

Issues 1-3 (Feb. - Apr. 2006): Robert Kirkman wrote this five-issue series, in which a zombie MK appears in the first three (but only shown prominently in the first one).