All Of Moon Knight's Powers Explained

When it comes to superheroes who are extremely powerful, Moon Knight's name doesn't often get brought up. Despite his chief benefactor being the ancient Egyptian god Khonshu, Moon Knight has developed more of a reputation as a dangerous street-level scrapper like Daredevil than someone with an assortment of otherworldly superpowers. Not that he needs to flex any of his abilities to gain the fear and respect of the criminal underworld, of course. After all, you've got to respect someone who deliberately wears an all-white outfit to make sure his enemies see him coming.

That said, it's easy for some of Moon Knight's foes (and even his friends) to write him off, on account of his mental state. As Moon Knight himself acknowledged during his battle with Iron Fist in 2020's "Avengers" Vol. 8 #33, people tend to think of him (and sometimes dismiss him) as just "the maniac in white" or "the super schizophrenic." However, under that bright white hood hides a host of impressive abilities that, in Moon Knight's recent adventures, have included powers on the level of a deity. Add that to Marc Spector's background as a tough-as-nails soldier-turned-mercenary, and it's not hard to see why many would rather stay out of the way of Khonshu's warrior.

Here are the various abilities that the Fist of Khonshu has demonstrated — some of which he no longer possesses — since he first appeared in 1975's "Werewolf by Night" #32.

For a time, Moon Knight was able to harness Khonshu's powers in the form of superhuman strength. According to the "Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Marvel Knights 2005," the Fist of Khonshu's physical strength increases under the light of the moon, peaking during nights with a full moon. 

Interestingly, Moon Knight's strength, speed, and agility are all affected by the phase of the moon — full moon, half-moon, waning or waxing crescent, or new moon. These fluctuating power levels are said to be in place because of Spector's direct ties to both the moon and the Egyptian god. Other guides, such as the "Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition" #9, establish that Spector is typically capable of bench-pressing 450 pounds, but can lift approximately 4,000 pounds when he is operating under a full moon.

In recent years, however, Moon Knight has had to deal with the loss of this useful ability, forcing him to push himself to his physical limits in order to continue his superhero activities. As Spector himself explained in "Moon Knight" Vol. 5 #9, his super-strength was stripped away from him by a wrathful Khonshu after he went against the god's orders.

While Moon Knight may be functionally immortal, that doesn't mean that his body is impervious to injury like Luke Cage. In fact, Moon Knight's battles tend to be extremely brutal, bloody, and violent, almost always ending with both him and his opponents sustaining broken bones, smashed limbs, massive bleeding, and other types of physical trauma. Rather impressively, Spector is able to bear the extreme pain that comes from his injuries, showing a near-superhuman level of endurance even in the face of torture from his most sadistic enemies. 

Moon Knight's high pain tolerance has been said to be a combination of his mental state, Khonshu's empowerment, and the sheer amount of physical abuse he experienced during his time in the military. This has led to Spector enduring pain unlike that of any other street-level superhero. For instance, in "Moon Knight" Vol. 5 #6, Spector is shown to be basically unaffected by direct crossbow shots from Taskmaster and is able to soundly beat his foe despite the severity of his injuries. Six issues later, his crazed former partner Midnight subjects Spector to an inhuman level of torture, pinning his limbs against a giant clock while digging into his back to systematically remove Spector's vertebra one bone at a time. Moon Knight endures this pain long enough to break free from his restraints before Midnight succeeds, and defeats his enemy by ripping off one of the clock's hands and stabbing him fatally.

Marc Spector shares his mind-space with at least four other main personalities, each with their own unique skill sets and talents reflective of Khonshu's multiple aspects. Combined with his main persona's own fighting skills and deductive reasoning, Spector maximizes the talents that each of his personas brings to the table.

There is, of course, the Moon Knight persona, which is said to represent Khonshu's side as the "Watcher of Overnight Travelers" (as shown in "Moon Knight" Vol. 9 #1). Then, there's Mr. Knight, a suave, sharp-dressed consultant who typically does the talking. There are also two alter-egos that Spector's psyche developed in his youth: Steven Grant and Jake Lockley. Grant is depicted as a wealthy public figure and is the persona that finances Moon Knight's activities. He utilizes and grows Spector's wealth to allow him to operate as a costumed vigilante. Lockley, on the other hand, is a taxi driver who wanders around New York and gathers intel from street-level sources. 

For a brief time in his career, Spector was also able to tap into the abilities of three iconic Avengers. As shown in "Moon Knight" Vol. 6 #1, Spector developed the personas of the tactical Captain America, the wise-cracking Spider-Man, and the uber-violent Wolverine, and would even occasionally have "meetings" with them. Whenever each of the personas takes control, Spector even equips himself with the appropriate gear to mimic their iconic move sets.

Yet another example of a short-lived but spectacular power in Moon Knight's arsenal was shown in "Avengers" Vol. 8 #33. After being allowed to tap into the vast reserves of Khonshu's might, Moon Knight gained the ability to absorb the powers of his opponents via mystical artifacts. However, his impressive absorption abilities also had their limits.

Moon Knight first puts this ability to the test in a confrontation with the Iron Fist, Danny Rand, in the mystical hidden city of K'un-Lun. After subduing Iron Fist with a barrage of Khonshu-powered attacks, Spector whips out a divine ankh, which he uses to steal the power of the immortal dragon residing within Rand. Using the ankhs (and a bit of necromancy), Moon Knight easily defeats Doctor Strange as well, and brazenly takes control of Ghost Rider Robbie Reyes' Spirit of Vengeance. Moon Knight's power enhancements also helped him become the only wielder of Mjolnir. The ankhs are even said to be powerful enough to hold a cosmic entity such as the Phoenix. 

However, the ankhs were of virtually no help to Moon Knight when he went up against Wakanda's King T'Challa, revealing their limitations. As Black Panther's powers granted by the heart-shaped herb were coursing through his own veins, Moon Knight could not use the ankhs to steal them.

While Moon Knight has sported quite a few different looks over the course of his costumed career, his most iconic ensemble remains his all-white hooded suit. And while they may not look like they offer much in the way of protection, Spector's assorted outfits are actually designed to be as resistant and durable as their wearer. They're also all white, of course, as Moon Knight prioritizes shock value and intimidation over the element of surprise when it comes to subduing perps.

Spector's early suits included Kevlar vests, as well as a host of defensive and offensive features. Later on, Moon Knight would tweak his getup to offer even more protection, infusing the design with Carbonadium. In the Marvel universe, Carbonadium is described as a flexible material comparable to Adamantium in terms of quality and durability (it's the same material that makes up X-Men villain Omega Red's tentacles). Moon Knight also wears a long cape that enables him to catch updrafts and glide across limited distances, as well as metal bracers on his arms. Some of Moon Knight's most recognizable weapons include his crescent moon-shaped throwing blades and his adamantium-laced bo staff.

While he no longer has access to this ability, Moon Knight was once able to wield complete control over his physical form. This included the ability to pass right through otherwise impassable objects, as well as being able to survive in places without an Earth-like atmosphere (like the vastness of space) for extended periods of time.

In "Conan: Serpent War" #4, Moon Knight finds himself temporarily time-displaced. Upon his return to the present day, Spector discovers that he is able to pass through the glass pane of his residence, transforming into his costumed alter upon stepping out. This power boost, which was granted by Khonshu to enable his servant to complete a series of complicated tasks, is also seen on full display in "Avengers" Vol. 8 #33. As Moon Knight himself observes, he is able to ride Ghost Rider's flaming 1969 Dodge Charger and even battle Thor in outer space without dying.