Phase 9: another identity?
"That's Mr. Knight, a concerned citizen . . . If that man were identified by the name of a dangerous vigilante, then I'd have to follow a very specific set of standing orders and restrain him using whatever force was necessary."
--Det. Flint to a policeman claiming to see Moon Knight
(Moon Knight, 2014 series, #1)
"Mr. Knight" steps onto the scene, but he seems to be less a new personality and more how Marc Spector chooses to dress when conducting business with the police or clients. But then, such ambiguity has always been an aspect of Moon Knight.
Moon Knight
Issue 1-17 (May 2014 - Sep. 2015): At first written by Warren Ellis (who leaves after six issues), MK returns to his New York roots after Bendis's West Coast relocation, and with it comes a change in tone, back to being dark and humorless. When Brian Wood steps in for the series' second six-issue run (#7-12), the tone remains, and as for the art, some of these first twelve issues come across as an art experiment, sometimes resembling less a comic book than a string of glorified storyboards. When writer Cullen Bunn comes in for issues 13-17, the series starts to feel like a traditional comic book again, with story and plot no longer taking a backseat to art and visuals. But Bunn doesn't even have a chance to make it to six issues, as the series is wrapped up to make way for a new one that promises to take the character in a daring new direction.
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A major aspect of Moon Knight's current history begins here as Ellis takes a look he used in issue 19 of Secret Avengers and develops it into a whole new identity: Mr. Knight. This persona allows him to assist local law enforcement on cases where, were he to show up as Moon Knight, he would be arrested as the murderous vigilante he is still reputed to be (a nifty loophole that Det. Flint employs with his uniformed officers). All evidence suggests that it is NOT an actual identity living inside his mind.
Deadpool
Issue 27 (Jun. 2014): Cover appearance only--and not even the front cover! (On this wraparound cover, MK can be found standing next to Spider-Woman.)
Original Sin
Issues 1, 3-8 (Jul. - Nov. 2014): Very happy to see that writer Jason Aaron has included MK in this mystery. MK plays a featured role in this and is only absent from one issue, a vast improvement over his participation in past overblown "mega-events" (such as Shadowland or Age of Ultron). Between Deodato's fine art and the intrigue of this grand-scale event, I would recommend collecting the whole series and possibly some of the tie-ins.
Captain America
Issues 24-25 (Nov. - Dec. 2014): In #24, MK simply appears on a monitor, nothing more. In #25, he appears among others in a few frames, serving as nothing more than a face in a crowd.
Secret Wars Journal
Issue 1 (Jul. 2015): Matthew Rosenberg wrote the second half of this two-story issue, "We Worship What We Don't Understand," in which a "Battleworld" alternate-reality Marc Spector plays a pivotal part. I found myself unable to resist picking it up due to a very interesting, potential connection to his very first appearance in Marvel history. I'll say no more to avoid spoilers.
Ultimate End
Issues 1, 4, 5 (Jul., Oct. 2015, Feb. 2016): Brian Michael Bendis wrote this five-part miniseries about "Battleworld," what's left after the multiverse is destroyed. MK is nothing more than a face in a crowd in issue #1 (and it is our MK, the one from "Earth-616," not the Ultimate Moon Knight incarnation). He makes two crowd appearances in #4 (but not really, since one of them is just a rehash of the two-page spread from #1!). For #5--the end of the Ultimate universe--we have several glimpses of MK, but a few of them are the same image used over again as the universe winks out of existence piece by piece. His one spoken line ("I'm so confused.") could have been spoken by anyone.
The Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows
Issue 1 (Aug. 2015): In Dan Slott's alternate-reality tale, MK is mentioned a couple of times and a picture of him is shown in a file.
Groot
Issue 2 (Sep. 2015): Cover appearance only.
Master of Kung-Fu
Issues 3-4 (Sep. - Oct. 2015): Haden Blackman offers a female alternate-reality version of MK.
House of M
Issue 1 (Oct. 2015): Dennis Hopeless wrote this, revisiting the "House of M" scenario which had MK as part of Luke Cage's resistance (see the Phase 6: Vigilante page). His appearance is minimal--three panels--before the group is taken down by Wolverine's team of mutants.
Giant-Size Little Marvel: AVX
Issue 4 (Nov. 2015): Writer/artist Skottie Young sticks Moon Knight in a bottom corner of a two-page spread, as MK officially--albeit briefly--becomes one of the brats of Marville.
What If? Infinity: Guardians of the Galaxy
Issue 1 (Dec. 2015): Writer Joshua Williamson offers a tale of how "Rocket Raccoon Kills the Marvel Universe," and Moon Knight's limp form can be found amidst all the others shown on a splash page announcing this title (although the actual title page reads "What If? Guardians of the Galaxy Tried to Free Thanos?").
Source of art used on this page: Moon Knight (2014) #17.