Comic Browser:

#41
#42
#43
#57
Selector

Marc Spector, Moon Knight #42

Sep 1992
Terry Kavanagh, Unknown

Marc Spector, Moon Knight #42 cover

Story Name:

Multiverse madness


Synopsis

Marc Spector, Moon Knight #42 synopsis by Rob Johnson
Rating: 4 stars
Last issue Moon Knight joined loads of other superheroes at Fantastic Four's Four Freedoms Plaza HQ where they were attacked by their evil Doppelgangers (sent by Magus as part of his general Infinity War plot). MK followed his Dop and that of Franklin Richards to where the FR-Dop used a Psi-Phon to drain sleeping Franklin of much of his life essence and superpower, intending to use it to challenge Magus. But then the MK-Dop double-crossed his partner and absorbed all the FR-Dop's own power as well as that which he had stolen. With that combination he was able to absorb the power of most of the Moon Knight variants across the multiverse, leaving only our MK and a few others who were strong enough to resist. Now the self-styled Moon Shade will seek the few out.

Moon Shade attacks Moon Knight and they crash through a window to find themselves in an alternate reality. A handy TV news report tells us this is Skyline City, the Bad Apple, and they've just exited the Four Freedoms Retirement Home For Crime-Fighters which is undergoing its own raging battle. As they fall MK reminds us that his foe doesn't like his adamantium weapons. The TV report continues to describe their fight in a style reminiscent of The Dark Knight Returns which prepares us for the intervention of the bat-caped Lunar Avenger Darkmoon, this reality's Moon Knight. But MS uses the Psi-Phon to absorb Darkmoon. MK grabs the device and smashes it but MS says he no longer needs it ...

... and they're instantly transported to a different reality where the local MK is the vampire Moonfang. But MK uses his silver crescent darts (so not *all* his weapons have been converted to adamantium) to help MS take the monster down, with of course the unfortunate side-effect that the villain adds another variant to his belt.

The next reality features a religious conflict for the Manhatican between the forces of the female Crescent Moon and those of the Man-Bat-ish Greywing. MS attacks both leaders, but CM is the 1 he needs so he drops GW from a great height. MK saves the falling GW but is unable to prevent the absorption of CM.

We're then taken through cameos of 3 more Moon Knights (Mr Spector & Ivory, Moon Ghost & his 2 young pals & monkey, and a Wild West dinosaur MK calls Dino-Knight) before winding up in an underwater New York protected by the mermaid Moon-Maid.

Then there's only 1 Moon Knight variant left (apart from MK himself). Cosmopolis is protected by Moonman and Moonboy who don't fare too well against MS. MK explains what's going on but can't stop MS draining Moonman's essence. However MK destroys the foe by expanding his adamantium truncheon into a bo-stick inside him and then triggering an electric shock. Moonman (and Moonboy) is still alive but powerless, leaving our MK the only Moon Knight in the multiverse.

And then he slips back into his own reality.


 

Review / Commentaries


Marc Spector, Moon Knight #42 Review by (November 26, 2021)
This is a tie-in to the Infinity War mini-series connecting to IW#4.

This issue has multiple art pencil/ink teams on different sections. After consulting various sites I've assembled a breakdown.

The regular team Gary Kawpisz/Tom Palmer bookend it with the opening 3 pages and the final page.
Klaus Janson (who inked Dark Knight Returns) did the art on the Dark Moon part.
Kelley Jones (who pencilled the Batman & Dracula trilogy) pencilled Moonfang with John Beatty on inks (he inked 2 of the trilogy).
Norm Breyfogle (who pencilled/inked Batman: Holy Terror) did the Crescent Moon/Greywing part.
James Fry & Karl Kessel did the Mr Spector/Moon Ghost/Dino-Knight cameos and the Moon-Maid page.
Fry & Ty Templeton did Moonman & Moonboy.

Dark Moon is of course the Dark Knight Batman, and Moonfang is supposed to resonate with the vampire Batman trilogy.

Although the Crescent Moon bit is linked to Batman's war against the theocratic government of an alternate USA in Batman: Holy Terror, I was initially reminded of elements taken from different stages of the Grendel mythos:- Hunter Rose's werewolf foe Silverback, and Orion Assante's battle against a Catholic theocracy.

Mr Spector & Ivory are of course based on the Spirit & Ebony, and Moon Ghost on Space Ghost. Dino-Knight and Moon-Maid are anybody's guess.

Moonman & Moonboy are the Batman & Robin of the 1950's-60's.

This issue plays around with the often-suggested connection between Moon Knight and Batman.



> Marc Spector, Moon Knight comic book info and issue index

Elektra

Excelsioring your collection:
Marvel Comic Moon Knight 1:7 Scale Bust
Holy smokes, Batman!
(The Boy Wonder)

Main/1st Story Full Credits

Unknown
Unknown
Christie Scheele
Gary Kwapisz (Cover Penciler)
Tom Palmer (Cover Inker)
Unknown (Cover Colorist)
Additional Credits
Letterer: Ken Lopez.
Editor: Joey Cavalieri. Editor-in-chief: Tom DeFalco.

Characters

All stories. Listed in alphabetical order.

Moon Knight
Moon Knight

(Marc Spector)


The Marvel Heroes Library is a fan Marvel Comics site
Version 14.8.25 (Nov 22, 2024. VS22)

Copyright © 1997-2024 Julio Molina-Muscara (creator, webmaster)
Site content is a collective effort by the MHL team and Marvel aficionados

Characters are copyright © Marvel or their respective owners. All portions of this Marvel fansite that are subject to copyright are licensed under a creative commons attribution 3.0 unported license All rights reserved