Phase 8: Four Heroes for the price of One

Issue 8 (Jul. 2011): Written by David Lapham, this features "an Al-Qaeda fringe group called the Crescent Moon Knights." But not our Moon Kight.

Issues 1-12 (Jul. 2011 - Jun. 2012): Writer Brian Michael Bendis transplants MK to L.A. where he can get some breathing room from the other "costumes" and mark his own turf. Out of costume, Spector is now making his big bucks as a TV producer. This does not seem to follow the Vengeance of/Shadowland storyline, and Marlene's condition is still unknown (she was back with him and pregnant when she was hospitalized by his brother in Shadowland: Moon Knight #2). Boils down to a 12-issue series of MK trying to take down Count Nefaria, assisted by Echo and discharged S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Buck Lime (taking over the traditional Frenchie role). Bendis closes with the foretelling that MK will return in "The Age of Ultron." (It is unfortunate, though, that his involvement would not turn out to be as momentous or long-lasting as this promise would lead one to believe!)

A shame it was not successful enough to live past a year! I found that Bendis succeeded in ways that his recent predecessors had not. He managed to distance it from previous incarnations, rather than follow along in the footsteps of other writers' works, and it did something I never could have anticipated: it restored the character's sense of humor (and no, not dark humor). Thankfully, Khonshu was not an overwhelming presence (he had long since gone from being interesting to becoming a bore), and Spector himself was an enjoyable character once more. (To be honest, I had not expected this, initially dreading what the writer of Avengers Disassembled would do given free reign over MK's fate.)

(Oct. 2011): This interview mag is not a comic but is worth mentioning here especially because of the Doug Moench interview, which should NOT be missed by die-hard MK fans. A lot is revealed here about Moench's original intentions for the character.

Issue 3 (Oct. 2011): In this Jonathan Maberry tale, MK is a face in the background of a few panels, nothing more.

Issues 13-16 (Oct. - Dec. 2011): Written by Rob Williams, this is definitely the "Bendis" Moon Knight, and the story ties in with what's going on in MK's solo title. But after we're led to believe he could actually be a mainstay in this series, he disappears from it.

Issue 4 (Nov. 2011): Written by Cullen Bunn, this issue features a segment where Dr. Strange summons "all" former Defenders, even those who only joined them once, to participate in a battle. And even though MK never actually "joined" them, it is nice to think that he is considered an honorary member (in addition to being considered an Avenger). However, he only appears in three panels.

Issues 2, 6 (Jan., May 2012): Written by David Lapham. These do NOT have MK in it, just more of those Crescent Moon Knights from MAX I.

Issue 1 (Feb. 2012): Jamie S. Rich wrote the segment that has MK's appearance--literally on the last page, where, after Ben Grimm wraps up his escapade, he proceeds to hang out with fellow Jewish heroes to celebrate the holiday in their own way. MK does nothing more than hit on another hero (I believe it might be Songbird).

Issue 49.1 (Mar. 2012): Daniel Way presents "Deadpool the Musical!" simply for laughs. MK can be found on one page alongside fellow Secret Avengers Steve Rogers and Black Widow in a musical recap of issues 27-29 (see the Phase 7: Redeemed at Last? page).

Issue 1 (Apr. 2012): Another offering of updated Marvel profiles. MK isn't given his own listing and is simply grouped in with the Secret Avengers data.

Issue 266-267 (Jul. - Aug. 2012): Writer Christos Gage brings MK into the "Avengers vs. X-Men" (AvX) conflict alongside She-Hulk and Falcon as, after simple surveillance escalates to conflict, the three attempt to "take" the Jean Grey School, with Rogue, Gambit, and all its student mutants to face. When selecting his Avenger representatives, Gage said that he liked the idea of a Gambit/MK battle. Gage impressed me before when he included MK in his House of M: Avengers mini, so I know there's careful thought behind his selection, as opposed to so many of those random appearances where MK simply fills space (and might even be the artist's choice).

Issue 1 (Dec. 2012): Written by Jonathan Maberry, MK makes an appearance in one panel simply because he is considered an Avenger.

Issue 639-640 (Jan. - Feb. 2013): Written by Cullen Bunn, MK makes an appearance on the last page of #639 alongside others who have come to join the fight. In addition to being on the cover of #640, he makes a few minor appearances inside, the most prominent one showing him fighting along with the Black Knight (a cool pairing, if you ask me).

Issues 2, 4, 5, 10 (May, Jun., Aug. 2013): Written by Brian Michael Bendis. MK figures prominently in issue 2, not so much in #4, but his full-page, show-stopping cameo alongside Red Hulk and Black Widow at the end of it is almost worth the price of admission alone. However, despite all his gung-ho volunteering, he is left behind in issue 5 and (as expected) does not appear again until the final issue, in which his appearance is solely thanks to the fact that Bendis revisits the events from The Avengers issue 12.1, where all this started.

Issue 14 (Jun. 2013): Written by Al Ewing, this provides a missing chapter from Age of Ultron that shows how MK ended up alive with Black Widow in that secret bunker of Nick Fury's. It's worthwhile in that it offers a missing piece of the puzzle, but it lacks consistency in tone, with Spector being too shaken and wishy-washy when compared to his depiction in Age of Ultron #2.

Issue 1 (Sep. 2013): Written by Christopher Yost, MK makes a one-panel appearance.