The all-new character from the recent Marvel miniseries, Moon Knight, is the buzz among its fans, ever since it was released on 30th March 2022. It has already streamed its two episodes online on Disney+. Its followers are getting crazy over Oscar Isaac, who is the titular lead of the show. He can be seen fighting both his villains and his sleeping disorders simultaneously. Though, Moon Knight is the new character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he was already existing in the pages of the comics for the last fifty years. He has also served as an Avenger fighting different types of supervillains.
The Moon Knight is the alter ego of Marc Spector, who was revived from the death bed by the Egyptian god Khonsu who made him moon knight for his causes. The mercenary turned superhero has been in several encounters with multiple supervillains, even before becoming the Moon Knight, including his relative. Hence in this article, we will not only explore the supervillains and characters that moon knight has faced but also the characters Moon Knight defeats in the world of comics. So let’s begin!
Midnight Man
Anton Mogart, also known as Midnight Man, appeared in the third edition of comics Moon Knight’ in 1981. He is one of the earlier opponents of Moon Knight. Unlike some other villains with special powers, Midnight Man is a common thief who steals valuables, jewelry pieces, and rare artworks from renowned museums in the middle of the night and thus gets his name. He is also a master in hand-to-hand combats and gymnastics and gives a tough competition to Moon Knight when he meets him. During one of his burglaries, he ends up encountering Moon Knight.
While fighting, Midnight Man falls into a river and is assumed to be dead. But in actuality, he was washed away by the river currents into a sewer where his face got scarred badly with the toxic waste materials. He swears for vengeance from Moon Knight, holding him responsible for his condition, and takes refuge in the sewage itself for the preparations.
Midnight
Jeff Wilde, also known as Midnight, is the son of Midnight Man. After the defeat of his father, Jeff starts working as a sidekick for Moon Knight. He was later abducted and almost killed by the Secret Empire group. This group upgrades him into a semi-human Cyborg leading him to gain some powers. He now has rocket-powered feet, super-strength, extendable arms, and can fire laser beams from his body.
Jeff returns as Midnight to revenge for his father’s death in the issue-353 of Amazing Spider-Man from Moon Knight along with Punisher and Spider-Man. He also faces Moon Knight in issue-10 of Moon Knight Volume-5. Midnight gives a tuff fight to the protagonist as he was trained by Marc Spector aka Moon Knight himself. He knows his strengths as well as weakness. But Moon Knight defeats him in the two issues released later.
Werewolf By Night
Moon Knight, the hero in Disney’s latest mini-series, had once started his career as a mercenary. He first appeared in issue-32 of the comics, Werewolf by Night, 1975. Jack Russell, also known as Werewolf By Night, is technically the first villain of Moon Knight. He inherited the genes of a werewolf from his grandfather, Gregor Russoff, and can turn himself into a werewolf as per his wish.
He displays superhuman abilities such as superhuman strength, speed, stamina, durability, agility, and reflexes. Werewolf has an enhanced sense of smell and is immune to injury or kill. But Moon knight knows his vulnerability to silver weapons. During one of the fights, he attacks Werewolf with his silver daggers until he starts howling in pain. He later carries him in his moon-copter. Their rivalry continued till the 1980s, after which they became allies.
Morpheus
Robert Markham, also known as Morpheus, is a supervillain of Moon Knight who debuted in issue-12 of Moon Knight. He is one of the worst enemies of Moon Knight, who is suffering from a lack of sleep disorder that was caused by the side effect of a drug he was treated with. Robert was suffering from a viral infection that caused an inhibition in his DNA. To treat it, he was administered an untested drug by the doctor.
Instead of curing the disease, the drug causes a loss of sleep. This converts Morpheus into a mentally unstable monster. He first attacks the doctor who gave him the medicine and later wants to defeat the moon knight. But Moon knight finds out that he can be tracked down by the electricity, the only method to calm him down.
ALSO READ: Top 10 Facts About Marvel’s Moon Knight That You May Not Know
Black Spectre
One of the earlier appearing villains of Moon Knight also includes Black Spectre, who is otherwise known as Carson Knowles. He debuted in issue 25 of Moon Knight in 1982. He is a war veteran who returns home after a war with Vietnam only to find out about his dead son and the wife who leaves him alone.
He turns into a villain who wants control and power through the polity. He contests elections for the post of Mayor, but his criminal background gets exposed to the public through one of his fights with the Moon Knight. Black Spectre is a common man turned criminal. He lacks meta-human abilities. But he is a great planner and strategic thinker who wants to remove moon knight from the city of New York to rule it.
Taskmaster
Tony Master, also known as Taskmaster, debuted in issue-195 of Avengers. He has combated almost all the street-level heroes in the Marvel comics. He can imitate the fighting style of his opponents to retaliate quickly, which sometimes proves difficult for the heroes to beat him. This ability is the result of a drug that enhanced his procedural memory.
Taskmaster engages in a short yet harsh, hand-to-hand battle with Moon Knight in issues 5 and 6 of Moon Knight volume-5. Moon Knight defeats him by scaring him or shocking him to death. Not many of us know that Taskmaster has already debuted in Marvel Cinematic Universe as an alter ego of Antonia Dreykov in Black Widow.
The Zodiac
The Zodiacs is not a single villain but a group of twelve super villains with a bouquet of powers based on astrological signs. They are tougher when fighting solo, but their combined might is unbeatable when they fight in a group posing difficulty to even the teams of Avengers and the Defenders. There are many versions of zodiacs, but the most furious ones are the androids created by Jacob fury. They are more advanced in intelligence and powers than their living counterparts.
They even fought the east and west coast avengers in issue-47 of the Defenders in 1977. Moon Knight also got a chance to fight with its members when he himself was a member of the Defenders. He faced Taurus bearing deadly horns, Virgo draining energies off its enemies, and Libra that can become intangible and fly. Taurus dies in a plane crash during his fight with the Moon Knight while Virgo and Libra manage to escape.
Bullseye
Bullseye is a well-known antagonist of Daredevil. We know him from the Daredevil series on Netflix. He is an assassin, who debuted in the issue-131 of daredevil comics. He is introduced in the opening scenes through various reports published by the New York-based Daily Bugle on the extortions and murders conducted by him.
He was violent since his childhood. He once set his house on fire to kill his own father and attempted his murder again when he survived. Bullseye enters into a short yet furious fight with Moon Knight in issue 25 of Moon Knight Volume-5. This fight helps Moon Knight uncover his tactical abilities. Moon Knight ends up pummeling the eyes of bull’s-eye.
Shadow Knight
Shadow Knight is none other than the younger brother of Marc Spector, also known as Randall Spector. He grew hateful with time toward his own successful brother because of his jealousy. He kills a nurse Lisa, Marc’s girlfriend. In return, Marc almost kills him with a grenade. Years later, Randall becomes a mercenary who is approached by Marc and Bushman. The two groups end up fighting with guns and bullets.
Randall survives the attack. Thinking that his brother left him to die in the deserts, he swears vengeance against his brother and Bushman. Randall witnesses Marc’s transformation into the Moon Knight by Khonsu. But, he is ignored for the same, when his turn comes. He grows furious and to gain powers treats himself with chemicals with the help of princess Nephthys and becomes Shadow knight. Randall gets enhanced strength and agility and can fire energy balls from his eyes. The two siblings meet again in New Orleans, where Moon Knight kills Randall using his sapphire crescent attack.
Raul Bushman
Raul Bushman, or simply Bushman, is the mercenary who is the ultimate cause of Marc Spector becoming Moon Knight and thus his greatest enemy in Marvel. He debuted with Marc in issue 1 of Moon Knight 1980. Bushman, together with Marc, worked as a mercenary and an international terrorist-for-hire to fight a guerilla war in Sudan against the European colonists who drove him and his family into poverty. He is a martial artist and an efficient soldier.
He later betrays Marc and his colleague Frenchie. For the treasure in Egypt, he injures them and leaves them to die in the desert. But, Khonsu the Egyptian god revives Marc as Moon Knight. They both engage in some bloody fights in the second issue of Moon Knight Volume 5, which ends with Moon Knight using his crescent dart to slice the skin off Bushman’s face. In issue six of Vengeance of Moon Knight, Moon Knight defeats this character and cuts off his fingers with crescent darts.
So these were some strongest Marvel characters that Moon Knight defeats in his comic world.
ALSO READ: Top 10 Quotes From Moon Knight That May Fascinate You
