The first issue of Marvel’s new Moon Knight series reveals that a Marvel god physically changed Marc Spector in an extremely unusual way.
Warning: the following contains spoilers for Moon Knight #1, on sale now from Marvel Comics.
Moon Knight has always been a hero with several facets to his personality. Born as Marc Spector, his empowering as the Fist of Khonshu has also seen him take on the personas of Jake Lockley and Steven Grant. These aren’t just mere aliases, however, but entirely different personalities that are separate from his identity as Marc Spector.
The first issue of the character’s new comic book series dives deeper into the implications of Moon Knight’s various personalities, namely their relation to his patron god. Moon Knight #1, by Jed MacKay, Alessandro Cappuccio, Rachelle Rosenberg, and VC’s Cory Petit, speculates that Khonshu’s initial resurrection of Marc Spector actually changed his brain structure, not just his personality.
Moon Knight’s Psyche
The first issue of his new series has Moon Knight relaying his story and mission to a Dr. Sterman, who questions the hero’s actions. Moon Knight has recently opened a religious mission in the name of Khonshu, taking his role as the Fist of Khonshu more seriously than ever. In relaying this information to Sterman, Moon Knight also discusses his origin, wherein he, as Marc Spector, died and was brought back to life by Khonshu. He would become a superhero and employed the additional identities of Jake Lockley and Steven Grant to fulfill his three Khonshu-related roles as the traveler, the embracer and the pathfinder.
Despite being there to talk to Moon Knight on behalf of the Avengers, Berman is incredibly skeptical, particularly concerning Spector’s Dissociative Identity Disorder. She later tells Moon Knight the story of Caedmon, a real-life figure who is one of the earliest documented poets. He was previous a rather simple-minded man who fit in more with his role of tending to animals, but after an encounter with a heavenly being, he found himself able to excel in the wordplay of song and poetry that once eluded him. According to Berman, Caedmon wasn’t the only one to literally have his brain changed by a divine experience.
The Phases of the Moon Knight
Berman tells Moon Knight that his multiple personalities might be a reflection of a completely different status brought about by his contact with Khonshu. Apparently, M.R.I.s of Marc Spector’s brain reveal that it has undergone a change since he became Moon Knight. Although this is a new idea, it actually draws from what’s known about the hero’s sometimes esoteric abilities.
Moon Knight’s powers in the past have waxed and waned with the phases of the moon… literally. With a full moon, the hero has proven able to draw upon superhuman levels of strength. A physical change brought about by Khonshu’s power could logically affect not only Spector’s muscle structure, but also fundamentally alter his brain’s physicality forever. Some have also surmised, however, that the extra adrenaline and strength experienced during these moon phases are simply the result of Moon Knight self-hypnotizing himself into a placebo effect. Being able to constantly do this would be easier, however, if his brain was in some way altered to believe these things.
This doesn’t negate the magical presence and power of a mystical being like Khonshu, but instead bolsters his power. This gives a scientific, physiological and biological explanation for why Moon Knight is the way he is. The same can be said for other characters like Thor, who wield both magical might and greatly enhanced physical dexterity. How this revelation will play into his powers or the potential abilities of other followers of Khonshu is a mystery that will no doubt be revisited as the new series continues.
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