Before the television series began airing, not many people all across the world were familiar with the character of Moon Knight. His name did not appear on anyone’s list of well-known superheroes. People who had actually read the comics were the only ones who were aware that the character even existed. Despite the fact that he carries the spirit of the ancient Egyptian god Khonshu on his shoulder, the main character Steven Grant has earned a reputation as a deadly street-level scrapper who possesses otherworldly superpowers. However, he does not require any of his superpowers in order to command the respect and fear of the criminal underworld. Because he wears nothing but white, his adversaries are able to spot him from a great distance.

Because of Moon Knight’s mental state, his adversaries may find it simple to disregard him as a threat; yet, he is the super schizophrenic as well as the lunatic in white. Moon Knight has been involved in a number of recent adventures, some of which have required him to use talents comparable to those of a deity. However, concealed beneath that brilliant white hood is a vast array of formidable abilities. When you combine that with Marc Spector’s history as a hardened soldier turned mercenary, it’s not hard to see why so many people would want to stay out of the path of Khonshu’s warrior.

Enhanced brain function

After a botched operation nearly took Marc Spector’s life and left him for dead in the African desert, he later in life crossed paths with Khonshu. Spector’s ghost meets Khonshu when he dies away at the feet of the statue of the moon god just as he is about to enter a mystical tomb in Egypt. Spector had just made it there in the nick of time. Spector’s life is spared by an old deity, and in return, the mercenary agrees to become the deity’s knight (as Spector himself relates in “Moon Knight” Volume 9 Issue 1; see also Moon Knight). Not only does Spector’s life, but also his mind, undergo profound transformations as a direct result of this event, which gives rise to the superhero known as Moon Knight.

It is believed that Khonshu’s interactions with Spector, some of which took place a very long time before the two of them met in the desert, contributed to the schizophrenic state that Spector was in. The nature of Khonshu’s powers as a multifaceted, extradimensional entity makes it possible for this to happen. In point of fact, it has been explained on more than one occasion that Spector’s dissociative identity disorder may have been a direct result of his mind attempting to match the complex nature of the god’s own persona. This theory is supported by the fact that Spector attempted to match the complex nature of the god’s own persona with his own persona.

In addition, Spector is able to freely switch between his various personalities, including that of Moon Knight, who is not merely a cover identity but rather a distinct personality in his own right. The already powerful qualities that Spector possesses as a result of his time spent in the military are bolstered even further by the abilities of whichever persona is in control at any given moment.

Enhanced strength

Moon Knight was able to temporarily channel the forces of Khonshu in the form of enhanced physical prowess for a period of time. In the “Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Marvel Knights 2005,” it is written that the Fist of Khonshu’s physical strength grows when exposed to the light of the moon, reaching its highest point on evenings when the moon is in its full phase.

It’s interesting to note that the strength, speed, and agility of the Moon Knight change depending on the phase of the moon, whether it full moon, half moon, waning or waxing crescent, new moon, or none of these. It is stated that Spector has direct ties not just to the moon but also to the Egyptian god, and that this is the reason why the power levels are constantly shifting. Other reference works, such as issue number nine of the “Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition,” establish that Spector’s normal bench-pressing capacity is 450 pounds, but that he is capable of lifting approximately 4,000 pounds when he is working under the influence of a full moon.

In recent years, however, Moon Knight has been forced to contend with the loss of this helpful talent. As a result, in order for him to continue his superhero activities, he has been forced to push himself to the limits of his physical capabilities. After Spector disobeyed Khonshu and went against the god’s rules, his super-strength was taken away from him by an angry version of the deity, as stated by Spector himself in “Moon Knight” Volume 5 Issue #9.

Functional immortality

As Moon Knight can probably attest, one of the advantages of having a god on your side is that for as long as they have a reason to keep you around, death will be less of a final destination for you and more of a revolving door for you. This is a cool thing to have because it means that you will be around for a longer period of time. Even if a person dies in the Marvel universe, it doesn’t necessarily mean they are gone for good. In the context of Moon Knight, this implies that Spector is functionally immortal unless Khonshu chooses to locate a new servant for him at some point in the future.

In the first issue of the newest volume of “Moon Knight,” Spector has the unsettling conversation with the psychiatrist that the Avengers have selected for him, Dr. Andrea Sterman. The topic at hand is whether or not he is able to pass away with some degree of ambiguity. He even claims that Khonshu has revived him not once, not twice, but at least three times, including when they met in the Egyptian tomb. He says that Khonshu has brought him back from the dead not once, not twice, but at least three times. As a consequence of this, Moon Knight has, on multiple occasions, found himself in precarious circumstances in which he ought to have perished but did not.

Having said that, Khonshu doesn’t appear to have any issues in reminding Spector that he is expendable, which is interesting. During a vision in which he took the shape of Moon Knight’s severely disfigured adversary Bushman, he took Spector’s life (and promptly restored him back) only to illustrate a point in “Moon Knight” Volume 5 Issue #6.

High pain tolerance

In spite of the fact that Moon Knight is essentially immortal, this does not mean that his body is immune to damage in the same way that Luke Cage’s is. In point of fact, Moon Knight’s bouts have a propensity to be exceptionally harsh, bloody, and violent, and they nearly always come to an end with both him and his opponents suffering broken bones, crushed limbs, enormous bleeding, and various other sorts of physical harm. It is rather remarkable that Spector is able to endure the excruciating pain that results from his injuries. He demonstrates a level of endurance that is close to that of a superhuman, even in the face of torture at the hands of his most heinous adversaries.

It has been hypothesized that Moon Knight’s great pain tolerance is the result of a variety of factors, including his mental state, the empowerment he received from Khonshu, and the sheer quantity of physical punishment he endured while serving in the military. Because of this, Spector has had to go through pain unlike that experienced by any other street-level superhero.

For instance, in issue #6 of volume 5 of “Moon Knight,” it is shown that Spector is essentially untouched by direct crossbow blasts from Taskmaster. Despite the severity of his injuries, Spector is still able to soundly defeat his adversary. Six issues later, his deranged former comrade Midnight puts Spector through an unfathomable amount of torture by putting his limbs on a massive clock while digging into his back to extract Spector’s spine one bone at a time. This goes on for six issues. Moon Knight is able to withstand this agony for a sufficient amount of time to break free from his bindings before Midnight is successful in his plan. Moon Knight then defeats Midnight by pulling off one of the clock’s hands and stabbing him fatally with it.

Moon material manipulation

Moon Knight is shown in “Avengers” Vol. 8 #33 going through one of the most powerful phases of his evolution. Khonshu, the deity who rules hell, comes to the conclusion that it is time for his earthly avatar to usher in the Age of Khonshu in order to foil the schemes being hatched by Mephisto, the king of hell. He gives Spector a whole array of talents that the superhero has never had before, yet these abilities are only a small part of what Khonshu is capable of doing. Spector gains the ability to literally manipulate moons and anything that was built from moon-based materials as part of the powers that he acquires from the moon god, even though these powers are only temporary. This led to the conclusion that Moon Knight might also control a large number of other celestial bodies, given the majority of these bodies are composed of components that originated from the same type of cosmic source.

Even though this power on its own is already powerful, it also offered Spector a scary new ability: He was able to manipulate one of the Marvel universe’s most iconic and fearsome weapons, a tool that was previously controlled by another god. It is said that the metal ore known as Uru, which is used to craft Thor’s hammer Mjolnir, is as old as the universe itself. Because Uru metal is created in the core of a dying star from material that originates from a primordial moon, Moon Knight’s newly discovered lunakinesis grants him the ability to control Thor’s weapon, regardless of whether or not he is worthy of doing so. This is demonstrated by Spector when he easily dispatches the Thunder God by thrashing him around with his own hammer and making short work of him.

Multiple personalities

Marc Spector’s mind is shared by at least four other main personas, each with their own distinctive set of skills and abilities that are a reflection of Khonshu’s many facets. Spector makes the most of the capabilities that each of his identities brings to the table by combining them with the fighting skills and deductive reasoning that are inherent to his main persona.

There is, of course, the Moon Knight persona, which is believed to represent Khonshu’s side as the “Watcher of Overnight Travelers” (as depicted in “Moon Knight” Volume 9 Issue 1; see also “Watcher of Overnight Travelers”) Then there’s Mr. Knight, a slick consultant who always looks put together and is the one who usually does the talking. There are also two alter-egos that were established in Spector’s psyche when he was younger. Their names are Steven Grant and Jake Lockley. The character of Grant is that of a wealthy public personality, and it is this persona that is responsible for funding Moon Knight’s endeavors. It is because of Spector’s affluence that he is able to carry out his duties as a vigilante while wearing a costume. Lockley, on the other hand, works as a cab driver in New York City and uses his free time to acquire information from people who live on the street.

In addition, during the course of his career, Spector had the ability to temporarily access the skills of three of the most well-known Avengers. Spector invented the identities of the tactical Captain America, the wisecracking Spider-Man, and the ultra-violent Wolverine, as portrayed in the first issue of Volume 6 of “Moon Knight.” He would even occasionally have “meetings” with these fictional characters. When each of the personas takes control, Spector outfits himself with the necessary gear to imitate their signature move sets. This happens whenever the personas take control.

Necromancy

It would be accurate to state that Marc Spector’s connection with death is somewhat unique in comparison to that of other superheroes. After all, he has passed away and been revived quite a few times owing to his all-powerful benefactor (although, in terms of deaths and resurrections, he still can’t hold a candle to good old Ben Reilly, Spider-clone; Man’s that guy has him beat by at least 24 times). Therefore, it should not come as a surprise that “raising an entire army of the dead” was included on the list of abilities that Marc was given the capacity to further tap into Khonshu’s enormous array of powers to access.

During the course of his mission to usher in the Age of Khonshu, Moon Knight (using the Mr. Knight persona) pays a visit to the man who is known as the Master of the Mystic Arts, Doctor Strange, in “Avengers” Vol. 8 #33 right after stealing the power of the Iron Fist from Danny Rand. This takes place immediately after Moon Knight has taken the power of the Iron Fist from Danny Rand. The Fist of Khonshu was able to completely overpower the Sorcerer Supreme while he was in his own Sanctum Sanctorum thanks to the assistance of a horde of mummies.

Power absorption

In issue #33 of the eighth volume of “Avengers,” Moon Knight exhibited yet another example of a power that was only temporary yet magnificent in nature. Moon Knight attained the capability to absorb the energies of his adversaries through the use of mystical artifacts after he was granted access to the immense stores of Khonshu’s might and allowed to draw upon those reserves. However, despite his remarkable talents, there was a cap on how much he could absorb.

In the mysterious and hidden city of K’un-Lun, the first time this talent is put to the test is during a confrontation between Moon Knight and Danny Rand, also known as the Iron Fist. After Spector has finished off Iron Fist with a flurry of Khonshu-powered blows, he pulls out a divine ankh and uses it to siphon the strength of the immortal dragon that resides within Rand. Moon Knight effortlessly dispatches Doctor Strange with the aid of the ankhs and some necromancy, and then arrogantly assumes command of Ghost Rider Robbie Reyes’ Spirit of Vengeance. In addition, the power boosts that Moon Knight received allowed him to become the sole wielder of Mjolnir. It is thought that the ankhs are so powerful that they might even contain a supernatural being like the Phoenix.

However, when Moon Knight faced out against King T’Challa of Wakanda, the ankhs proved to be of little to no use to him, which highlighted the limitations of the artifacts. Moon Knight was unable to use the ankhs to take Black Panther’s powers because those energies were already pulsating through Black Panther’s own veins, which were enhanced by the heart-shaped plant.

Prophetic visions

The ability to occasionally have prophetic visions is one of Moon Knight’s special skills, as stated in the “Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Marvel Knights 2005.” This is one of Moon Knight’s distinctive abilities. When other people become aware of Moon Knight’s visions, it is easy to see why they might be quick to write them off as nothing more than manifestations of Spector’s rapidly worsening mental state. At one point, there was a theory floating around that the former mercenary was merely susceptible to the effects of self-hypnotic suggestions. However, in actuality, the visions that Moon Knight has come from a legitimately supernatural source – more particularly, from Khonshu himself.

Having saying that, the visions that the Moon Knight has aren’t always of a constructive nature. They can, on occasion, originate from a point of godlike petty concerns. Khonshu makes an appearance in front of Spector in the form of Bushman, his deceased arch-enemy, whose face Khonshu had cut off with his crescent-shaped weapon in issue #6 of the fifth volume of “Moon Knight.” Khonshu wanted to push Spector into working at optimum efficiency as Moon Knight once more, and when he didn’t get the answer he desired, he killed the former mercenary and revived him nearly instantaneously, only to remind Spector that his life is in the hands of the god for all of eternity.

Durable armor and dangerous weapons

Even though Moon Knight has changed his appearance quite a bit throughout the course of his costumed career, the all-white hooded outfit he wears is still widely considered to be his most recognizable getup. Even though Spector’s many clothes might not give the impression that they provide much in the way of defense, they are in fact constructed to be just as resistant and long-lasting as the person who is wearing them. As a matter of fact, they are all white as well, for the simple reason that when it comes to subduing criminals, Moon Knight places a higher priority on shock value and intimidation than the element of surprise.

Early iterations of Spector’s armor featured not only Kevlar vests but also a plethora of offensive and defensive additions. In later years, Moon Knight would modify his outfit so that it offered an even higher level of protection by including carbonadium into the design. Carbonadium is a flexible substance that is characterized as being comparable to Adamantium in terms of quality and endurance in the Marvel universe (it is the same material that makes up the tentacles of the X-Men villain Omega Red). Carbonadium is also mentioned as having a high melting point. In addition to the metal bracers that he wears on his arms, Moon Knight equips himself with a long cloak that acts as a sail, allowing him to ride updrafts and glide over short distances. The crescent moon-shaped throwing blades and the adamantium-laced bo staff that Moon Knight wields are two of the most iconic of his arsenal of weapons.

Resistance to psychic assaults

Surprisingly, the one aspect of Moon Knight that many people may consider to be a drawback has actually proven to be the superhero’s most effective defense mechanism when pitted against some of the most intelligent beings in the Marvel universe.

As a result of the Khonshu’s influence on Spector’s mental state and the presence of numerous personalities within his head, the man in white who fights crime has built up a formidable defense against a wide variety of psychic assaults and efforts to exert mind control over him. Because of his mental toughness, it is extremely challenging for psychic persons to read his mind. As a result, these individuals are effectively dissuaded from attempting to anticipate his next move or determine what his genuine goals are.

Moon Knight doesn’t take too lightly to mind invaders. In point of fact, as the second issue of “Moon Knight” volume 9 demonstrates, his mind can be a very unfriendly place for people who are not wanted there. Moon Knight was able to acquire the upper hand in his fight against a criminal telepath named Hawley practically as soon as he invaded the arena. Spector asserts that his intimate dealings with Khonshu have caused his mind to become “poisoned ground” as a result of their encounters. After their confrontation, the enemy was left in a catatonic state as a result of Moon Knight’s superior mental fortitude, which rendered him completely helpless.

Phase transformation and self-sustenance

Moon Knight formerly possessed the capacity to exercise unrestricted command over his physical form; however, this power has since been removed from his arsenal. This featured the ability to go right through obstacles that would normally prevent passage, as well as the capacity to exist for extended periods of time in environments that lacked an atmosphere similar to that of Earth, such as the emptiness of space.

Moon Knight experiences a momentary loss of his place in time in issue number four of “Conan: Serpent War.” When Spector returns to the present day, he learns that he is able to travel through the glass pane of his home and emerge from the other side as his costumed alter ego. When he does this, he is able to escape his home. This power boost, which was bestowed by Khonshu to his servant in order to enable the latter to complete a series of difficult tasks, is also seen in its entirety in “Avengers” volume 8 issue 33. Moon Knight is the one who makes the observation that he is able to fight Thor in space and ride in Ghost Rider’s fiery 1969 Dodge Charger without passing out.