WARNING: The following contains major spoilers for Fantastic Four #40, available now from Marvel.
Marc Spector’s return to action as Moon Knight hasn’t been easy, but it has helped to establish just what he is hoping to accomplish under the banner of the Midnight Mission. Even though he has stepped out of his patron god’s shadow, Marc is still a Fist of Khonshu, and Marvel’s Reckoning War has provided a painful reminder of that fact.
Countless heroes have banded together to face the invading Badoon forces as they attack Earth. Unfortunately, the damage done in the cosmos takes an unforeseen toll on one hero in particular. In Fantastic Four #40 (by Dan Slott, Rachael Stott, Jesus Aburtov, and VC’s Joe Caramagna) Moon Knight has devolved into a crippling state of powerlessness following the destruction of the moon. Khonshu, the ancient Egyptian moon god from whom Marc Spector draws his power, has seemingly fallen along with the celestial body that he represents. However, the moon isn’t the only thing that Khonshu represents, as an omniscient Reed Richards reminds the devastated hero.
First introduced in 1980’s Moon Knight #1 (by Doug Moench and Bill Sienkiewicz), the god Khonshu took pity on Marc Spector when he was left for dead in the Egyptian desert. By taking him on as his newly appointed champion, the Egyptian god gave Marc a new life. Recently, their missions have run counter to each other, with the Fist of Khonshu going so far as to effectively exile his own patron god after Khonshu nearly took control of the entire world. In spite of this, the god of the Moon still serves as the source of Marc’s power as the Moon Knight.
Although the moon is gone, it was never the source of Khonshu’s blessing to Marc Spector. The Egyptian figure remains the god of vengeance and sworn protector of those who travel at night. Considering the current state of affairs on Earth, there is a great need for vengeance and protection, a fact that Reed Richards is able to use to spur Moon Knight into deliberate and decisive action. In that moment, the destruction of the moon no longer matters as Marc grasps hold of an even greater power.
With a reinvigorated Moon Knight back in the fight, the heroes of Earth just gained a valuable asset in their fight against the Badoon and the overall Reckoning War.
Even Reed Richards in his near-omnipotent glory can see the renewed vigor flowing through the reawakened Fist of Khonshu and realizes that Moon Knight is a much needed wild card that could effectively turn the tide of the war to come.
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