The MCU's Moon Knight revealed its first trailer for the Disney+ streaming series, and the trailer reflected elements of the horror genre the character has been connected to from his first appearance in Werewolf By Night #32 from 1975. Many of his best comic book issues of the '70s and '80s tie Moon Knight closely to the world of mysticism and horror that is slowly starting to emerge in the MCU.
Moon Knight's MCU future may also be foretold in his best issues from this period. Marc Spector would become part of the West Coast Avengers, a team that has seen most of its major like the White Vision and U.S. Agent the MCU. He would also have major stories with another team of Marvel superheroes, the Defenders, who could also be coming to the MCU very soon.
Moon Knight #1 (1980)
The very first issue of Moon Knight's very first solo title is one of the best for truly establishing the character as a superhero. Before then, he had been introduced as a villain in the pages of Werewolf By Night, one of the best horror comics by Marvel ever.
This 1980 debut issue is essential in the lore of Moon Knight as it establishes that Marc Spector was resurrected by the Egyptian god Khonshu, who gave him his powers. It also introduces Bushman, one of Moon Knight's evilest villains who could possibly play some role in the MCU series.
West Coast Avengers #21
In 1985, Moon Knight ed the West Coast Avengers in issue #21 of their book. This issue is key for bringing the mostly solo Moon Knight into the fold of the group, beginning an association that continues to the present day. Moon Knight is essential in saving the Avengers after they've been sent back in time to ancient Egypt by Rama-Tut, a variant of Kang The Conqueror.
Moon Knight is easily an MCU character who could a live-action version of the team, especially as numerous are in the MCU like U.S. Agent, the White Vision, Hawkeye, and potentially Mockingbird in the form of Laura Barton.
Marc Spector: Moon Knight #1
Moon Knight would weave in and out of the West Coast Avengers and his own solo titles off and on over the years. Marc Spector: Moon Knight #1 launches the third volume of his solo series in 1989 and it's great for establishing a new status quo for the character that could have bearing on the MCU.
Marc Spector is now running Spector Enterprises and flying around in the Moon Copter taking on crime. It mirrors the circumstances of Batman in DC Comics a lot but mixes it with the complexity of Spector's uncertain mental state.
Moon Knight #3
The third issue of the first volume of the series has Moon Knight face off against one of his best villains, Midnight Man. It's a great story that creates a dark double of Moon Knight in Midnight Man, a thief who eventually loses his life for his greed.
Midnight Man could potentially be a villain in the MCU series, especially since he could be trying to steal ancient artifacts from the museum that Marc Spector appears to work at in the trailer. He could be in league with Ethan Hawke's character, or perhaps the villain behind it all.
Moon Knight #1 (1985)
Moon Knight got a solo mini-series in 1985 that continued to explore and in some ways revise his origin. The first issue of "The Fist of Khonshu" is one of the best of this period for clarifying his origin and also tying him much more closely to the Egyptian mythology of Khonshu.
Moon Knight receives an array of new Egyptian-themed weapons and armaments and begins wearing an ankh symbol which would remain part of his identity into the '90s. He also receives his first real superpowers in strength and speed from Khonshu in this issue.
The Defenders #50
Moon Knight would eventually become one of the most powerful of the Defenders, and in issue #50 of the original series, he s them in a major battle against the Zodiac cartel. It's a huge battle with dynamic art by Keith Giffen, who would go on to draw some of the best Justice League comics.
Moon Knight fights alongside the Hulk and Valkyrie, characters who have already fought side by side in the MCU. It's possible that the Defenders come together in the MCU, possibly through the efforts of Doctor Strange, who founded the team in the comics.
Spectacular Spider-Man #22
Moon Knight had a number of encounters with major Marvel characters early in his comics career and one of the best was with Spider-Man. In fact, Spectacular Spider-Man #22 is one of the best early Moon Knight stories for helping to define the character.
This issue pivots Moon Knight away from the seeming villain he was in his first appearance to a superhero who is misunderstood. He tracks elements of the criminal underworld in a way that could very easily lead him to cross paths with Spider-Man in the MCU.
West Coast Avengers #29
Moon Knight became an integral member of the West Coast Avengers during his time on the team and issue #29 is one of the best featuring him. In this issue, Khonshu abandons Marc Spector during a major battle with Taurus, a member of the Zodiac.
It leads to a major conflict with the other West Coast Avengers since Taurus ends up dead at the end of the issue. The conflict in Spector's mind and the conflicts that create with others generate a lot of possibilities for the character in the MCU.
Marvel Spotlight #28
The journey to reestablish Moon Knight as a superhero begins in Marvel Spotlight #28. The first solo story to feature the character, crafted by his co-creators Doug Moench and Don Perlin, is key for steering the character away from the supervillain his first appearance framed him as.
This story, which continued in issue #29, recast Moon Knight as more of a vigilante with uncertain motives. It's perhaps not the best story of the period but essential in that it establishes the evolutionary aspect of the character, which continues into the present. Depending on how the character is developed in live-action, he could become one of the best anti-heroes in the MCU.
Werewolf By Night #32
One of Moon Knight's best stories is the very first. He originally appears in Werewolf By Night #32, hunting down the hero of that title, Jack Russell. Despite the fact Moon Knight evolved beyond this story, it's still important for a number of reasons.
It establishes his link to the Committee, a secretive international conspiracy of powerful people that could potentially be at play in the MCU through characters like The Contessa and the Power Broker. It also links him to Werewolf By Night, a character who is rumored to be coming to the MCU as well, in a Halloween Special on Disney+ in the near future.
