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Who Is Moon Knight's Biggest Enemy Of All Time?

Like any other superhero who has been around the block long enough, Moon Knight has built up quite a gallery of rogues over the course of his comic book career. The new Disney+ series, of course, introduces us to Arthur Harrow — portrayed here as the previous avatar of Khonshu, now leading a cult in service to the goddess Ammit — but historically speaking, Harrow was never a prominent Moon Knight foe until now, and the Disney+ version has little in common with his comics counterpart, who only made a single appearance in the 1980s.  

Simply put, there are plenty of other villains that have longer, much more bitter rivalries with Moon Knight, and since this is only the beginning of the character's tenure in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, we're likely to see at least a handful of these bad guys show up, sooner or later.

Still, no hero is really complete without at least one archnemesis — or in the case of Marc Spector, a few of them. Just like the tiutle of Spider-Man's greatest enemy varies between the Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus, and Venom (depending on who you ask), while Batman fans might argue about whether Joker or Ra's al Ghul gets the top spot, Moon Knight has at least three enemies who make very strong candidates for being the opponent that could most accurately be described as this ex-mercenary's greatest foe.

Raoul Bushman is Marc Spector's favorite person to hate

When it comes to villains that have a history with Marc Spector, none can compare to Raoul Bushman. He's been around since the very first issue of "Moon Knight," and had a major part to play in Spector's transformation from mercenary to supernatural vigilante. 

A fellow mercenary, Bushman is defined by his unrelenting ruthlessness, and it's exactly this quality that put he and Marc Spector at odds when they worked together. His teeth are fitted with razor sharp steel. His face is tattooed with the image of a skull. And, unlike his former merc coworker Marc, Bushman has never been shy about killing civilians. In fact, it was when Marc tried to intervene in Bushman's murderous behavior that Bushman killed Marc, and thereby instigated his transformation into Moon Knight. 

Since then, the two have fought repeatedly over the years, with their vendetta growing increasingly personal, and their animosity reaching violent extremes. This is made clear during a brutal fight between the two in Charlie Huston's "Moon Knight (2006) #2," where Marc's inner-monologue reveals just how deeply he despises the murderous merc. In fact, while a previous battle between Moon Knight and Bushman in "Moon Knight" (1980) #1 saw Marc go out of his way to spare Bushman to prove that he wasn't as ruthless as his enemy, their later fight ends only when Marc actually cuts off Bushman's face and holds it up to the moon as a sacrifice to Khonshu. Afterwards, Marc is haunted by visions of Khonshu in Bushman's form, reminding him of the horrifying brutality that he is capable of. On the upside, Marc eventually redeems himself for this dark moment. Not so great? Bushman gets resurrected, and he has continued plaguing Marc ever since.

Sun King is the eternal rival of Khonshu's avatar

Bushman may be Marc Spector's most hated enemy, but the legacy of Moon Knight runs deeper than one man. Khonshu, the Egyptian moon god who resurrected Marc after Bushman left him to die in the desert, has spent millennia in conflict with the sun god, Amon Ra. The two deities have been duking it out through various mortals for generations, and Marc Spector is just the latest in a long line of Khonshu's cronies. So, it was only a matter of time before Amon Ra would choose his own modern avatar in turn.

Enter Patient 86, an unnamed man with pyrokinetic superpowers. He becomes the most recent avatar of Amon Ra after Marc's former psychiatrist, Dr. Emmet, introduces 86 to Egyptian mythology in an effort to treat his bipolar disorder. 86, now called Sun King, then embarks on a quest to finish Amon Ra and Khonshu's rivalry for good. He almost succeeds, as well — nearly defeating and completely demoralizing Spector until the hero finds new purpose in fighting for his daughter, Diatrice. Moon Knight eventually defeats Sun King, and since then the two have actually become allies. In "Moon Knight #200," Sun King even checks back into a mental health facility, looking to make a positive change in his life. Still, that doesn't change the fact that at one point, Sun King stood against Moon Knight as his destined opponent in a war between gods.

That said, while Sun King is Moon Knight's counterpart, and Bushman his most personally hated foe, the truth is — in the end — there's only one overarching figure who has manipulated every part of Marc Spector's life in a way that few opponents would ever dare.

Khonshu is Marc's savior, his tormentor, and his greatest foe

On the surface level, Khonshu would seem like something of a good guy. As the Egyptian moon god, he is a symbol of many positive things, and is known for protecting those who "travel at night." In the original Moon Knight narrative, as well, he appears to be the figure who saved Marc Spector's life, and finally gave him purpose.

However, peel back the layers, and it becomes clear that Khonshu is really all about Khonshu. His seeming generosity belies the uncaring person underneath, who is fully comfortable manipulating mortals to suit his own ends. Sure, joining the legacy of Khonshu's Moon Knights throughout history sounds really cool, but really, it means becoming a pawn in the moon god's game — one he's fully comfortable throwing away. 

Khonshu frequently mocks and belittles Marc Spector, using the fact that he saved the mercenary's life to guilt him into following his bidding, but in fact, their connection runs much deeper — and darker. In the Jeff Lemire run of "Moon Knight," it is revealed that Khonshu actually first appeared to Marc when he was just a child, singling him out as his future avatar from an early age — and specifically choosing him, he says, so that he can use Marc's mental health struggles to manipulate him. Since then, Khonshu has basically forced Marc, throughout his entire life, into becoming a puppet of the moon god's vengeance.

Furthermore, anytime Moon Knight has been pushed too far into violent actions, it's been through the manipulations of Khonshu. Vengeance, in Khonshu's eyes, should be unforgiving and brutal. In the end, Khonshu may have resurrected Marc, but he also made the man his personal plaything, and there is nobody else who has tormented the hero on such a horrifying level.