There’s a new caped crusader in town and he’s belongs to the Marvel camp. The studio’s new project Moon Knight is set to arrive on Disney+ Hotstar next week, on March 30th, to be precise. Ahead of the season premiere, fans are already drawing parallels between him and our other favourite crusader of justice, Batman.
That said, while both the characters may share the same fondness for nocturnal creatures, and sport a somewhat similar costume, they couldn’t be more different from each other. Here are five key differences between the two. And it goes without saying, spoiler alert!
The Origins
Credits- DC Comics
Every superhero has to have a strong, albeit tragic origin story. For Batman, it was when he saw his parents Martha and Thomas Wayne being murdered in an alleyway, after attending a “Mask of Zorro” play.
Moon Knight, on the other hand, couldn’t be any more different than the Dark Knight. Before donning the mantle of Moon Knight, Marc Spector was a marine who has dishonourably discharged due to his mental health issues. This led to him becoming a mercenary working alongside his partner Raul Bushman. During one of their assignments in Egypt, Bushman betrays Marc and leaves him to die in the desert.
Credits – Marvel Comics
But while he’s dying, Moon God Khonshu appears as a vision to Marc and offers him to restore his health back. The only catch here is, March will have to become an avatar of the deity. Marc then travels back to the United States and formally becomes the Moon Knight.
Superpowers
Credits – Warner Bros
In theory, anyone can become Batman, as long as you have the correct tactical training and billions of dollars to spend. While Bruce Wayne may not be a commoner like us, he is more grounded compared to other Justice League members. He’s often shown relying on his detective skills and gadgets to overcome the odds against his foes.
Credits – Marvel
On the other hand, Moon Knight does have some special abilities. As an avatar to Khonshu, Marc has the ability of increased strength. Although, it is entirely dependent on the phases of the moon. Additionally, he also receives the dreams of the possible future through the deity. In a way, both the characters have a unique set of skills, suitable to their characters.
Alter egos
Credits – Warner Bros
Some say it is really the Batman who’s been donning the mask of Bruce Wayne on the outside. The existential debate about the caped crusader’s real identity has been a subject of many famous comic book runs (“Ego: A Psychotic Slide into the Heart of Darkness”). But it is nothing compared to what Marc suffers with on a daily basis.
Marc had developed a dissociative identity disorder from a very early age. Sometimes it is hinted that Marc’s traumatic childhood is linked with his disorder, sometimes it is said that the influence of Khonshu is what’s triggering his multiple personalities. Speaking of which, Marc has a total of four personalities. One of himself, one as the Moon Knight, and the other two being Steven Grant, a self-made millionaire and Jake Lockley, a cab driver. This inner conflict often leads to Marc suffering from a breakdown, causing him to forget any of his identities for some time.
Costumes and combat styles
Credits – Warner Bros
Batman likes to work in the shadow, and that’s evident from his choice of attire. The Dark Knight is also a meticulous planner, always two steps ahead of everyone else in a fight. Not to mention, he makes use of his wide variety of weapons and vehicles, which includes the Batmobile and the Batplane.
Credits – Marvel
You may have noticed, Moon Knight’s costume is a bit lighter and has an almost grey-ish colour. This is on purpose. While Batman likes to take down the enemies in the dark, Moon Knight wants them to see him coming. He too likes to instil fear in the minds of his rogues but in a direct way. While he can use anything in a fight, Moon Knight does have a signature weapon — crescent moon-shaped throwing knives, which leave a mark on the scene.
Morals and Principles
Credits – Marvel Comics
The most defining principle of Batman is his refusal to kill anyone, or use guns. More often than not, the Dark Knight goes out of his ways to save his enemies, from potential harm caused by one of his teammates. While there are alternate reality versions of Batman who do kill (Flashpoint), for the most part, Batman has been a non-lethal superhero.
Moon Knight though has no such qualms. As an avatar of Khonshu, Moon Knight’s only responsibility is to strike down evil with whatever means possible. This makes him a more brutal fighter than Batman, who often pulls his punches. In a way, it can be said that Moon Knight is arguably a darker take on Batman himself.
