The following contains major spoilers for Moon Knight #11, available now from Marvel.
Apart from his own burning rage, much of Marc Specter’s penchant for violence is fueled by his patron god — Khonshu. Unfortunately, Khonshu’s bidding and what is best for the world at large haven’t always aligned, forcing Marc to go to drastic lengths to protect the people he loves. That’s why the hero eventually had to trap his patron in the first place.
Unfortunately, the stakes have gone dire. With Marc’s worst enemy poised to kill everyone Moon Knight has sworn to protect, desperation has set in. Specter finds himself pushed to unleash the God of Vengeance once more. Necessary though it may be, the consequences will be significant.
Marc and his allies have fought tirelessly to track down and stamp out the threat posed by the enigmatic Zodiac, only to find themselves too far to help when the villain finally shows his face again. Worse still, Zodiac has even managed to find a way to draw Marc’s closest friends out of the House of Shadows despite the supernatural protection it offers as the new Midnight Mission. So when all hope seems lost in Moon Knight #11 (by Jed MacKay, Alessandro Cappuccio, Rachelle Rosenberg, and VC’s Cory Petit), the titular antihero takes it upon himself to call out to the one being he knows can grant the passage he needs. But, of course, Khonshu’s help always comes with a price, and it’s only a matter of time before that cost is one Moon Knight can’t afford to pay.
Although Khonshu was only introduced to the Marvel Universe in 1980’s Moon Knight #1 by Doug Moench and Bill Sienkiewicz, the Moon God’s history reaches back over one million years. As a young god, Khonshu was openly offended by not being offered a place alongside the Stone Age Avengers, a grudge that stuck with him for millennia. However, through his future champion Marc, Khonshu was finally able to lash back at these ancient Avengers and their modern-day counterparts. When the threat of Mephisto loomed high overhead, Marc stole away the powers of the first Avengers, giving Khonshu the edge he needed to overcome Mephisto’s army of Variants. Khonshu claimed Manhattan as the center of his budding new empire in the aftermath.
Eventually, Marc fought back to strip Khonshu of his powers, leading to the god’s imprisonment within the dungeons of Asgard. Now that Marc is calling on Khonshu’s aid, the danger of the Moon God returning has grown exponentially. Even with Khonshu still trapped beneath Asgard, his influence clearly reaches further than its bounds. Considering how much of an impact Khonshu has had on Marc’s mind, not to mention how far the latter has come in facing his associated inner demons, the repercussions of a newly freed Moon God could be disastrous. Despite being victorious the last time they fought, that was only due to Marc wielding the Phoenix Force at the time. Assuming Khonshu isn’t over their previous encounter, Marc will likely be the first on his patron god’s list upon his return.
Marc might be at the top of Khonshu’s list, but the rest of the Avengers certainly still hold a special place in his vengeful eyes. As hard as it is to imagine that Khonshu would ever align himself with the likes of Mephisto, there is no question that he would do everything in his power to see Earth’s Mightiest Heroes suffer as he has. Should that prove the case, Marc asking for help has likely opened the door for Khonshu to make a comeback on Earth. Then again, he might set his sights on Asgard first instead, especially after they have kept him locked away at the behest of Midgard’s champions. Hopefully, it won’t be the end of the world when that day comes, let alone multiple realms.
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