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Moon Knight Reading Order

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Created by Doug Moench and Don Perlin in 1975, Marc Spector (alias Moon Knight) was born in Chicago, Illinois, the Jewish-American son of a rabbi. But Marc refused to follow in his father’s footsteps. Instead, he became a boxer before joining the Marines. Later, he worked for the CIA and as a mercenary.

It’s during a mission gone wrong in Egypt that Spector is left for dead at the feet of an idol to the Egyptian god Konshu, moon god and protector of travelers at night. Konshu resurrected Marc, giving him for the occasion enhanced physical abilities, making him the moon’s “knight of vengeance,” the “fist of Khonshu.”

Back in the United States, Spector becomes the crime fighter Moon Knight and creates other identities to help him gain information and navigate between different social circles to fulfill his missions. He uses four other identities: billionaire businessman Steven Grant, taxicab driver Jake Lockley, red-haired little girl Inner Child, and suited consultant Mr. Knight. It is later revealed Marc Spector has dissociative identity disorder, due to childhood trauma or the result of “brain damage”, depending on the story.

To know more about Moon Knight, his crime-fighting activities, and other personalities, follow the guide…

Where to start reading Moon Knight?

  • Moon Knight by Doug Moench – You can start from the beginning with Doug Moench’s run from the 70s, still one of the most emblematic runs for the character, available in omnibus or in Epic Collection.
  • Moon Knight by Charles Huston – Want a more violent and dangerous Moon Knight? Charles Huston is your guy. A lot of readers discovered the character with this run at the time of his publication, so the first volume is a good entry point.
  • Moon Knight by Warren Ellis – A collection of short stories exploring the mind of Marc Spector, changing the tone and the genre each issue offering a different approach to the character well worth reading.
  • Moon Knight by Jeff Lemire – Spector’s mental health took center stage in Lemire’s trippy adventure run. There are several callbacks to past stories and characters, but you don’t have to know everything to understand the story. And it will give you a good reason to re-read the run later!

Moon Knight Reading Order

I. Becoming Moon Knight and being a West Coast Avenger (1975 – 1989)

Moon Knight made his first appearance in Werewolf by Night #32 (August 1975) as an antagonist to the werewolf hero, then being recast as a more heroic figure with a new look in the course of several issues of different titles (backup stories in Hulk! Magazine.).

Finally, Marc Spector was ready to be the star of his first ongoing series, with Doug Moench and Bill Sienkiewicz as its main creative team. Published between August 1948 and April 1938, the title will last 38 issues before being rebooted as Moon Knight: Fist of Khonshu. It will last 6-issues.

You can find all those issues in the Moon Knight Omnibus Collection:

  • Moon Knight Omnibus Vol. 1
    Collects Werewolf by Night (1972) #32-33; Marvel Spotlight (1971) #28-29; Defenders (11972) #47-50; Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man (1976) #22-23; Marvel Two-in-One (1974) #52; Moon Knight (1980) #1-20; Marvel Team-Up Annual (1976) #4; Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #220; material from Defenders (1972) #51; Hulk Magazine (1978) #11-15, #17-18, #20; Marvel Preview (1975) #21
  • Moon Knight Omnibus Vol. 2
    Collects Moon Knight (1980) #21-38, Iron Man (1968) #161, Power Man and Iron Fist (1978) #87, Marvel Team-Up (1972) #144, Moon Knight: Fist of Khonshu (1985) #1-6, Marvel Fanfare (1982) #30; material from Solo Avengers (1987) #3, Marvel Fanfare (1982) #38-39, Marvel Super-Heroes (1990) #1.

Before the Omnibus edition, you could also find most of this Moon Knight’s period collected in Epic Collection:

After the end of his second volume and an appearance in Marvel Fanfare #38, Moon Knight joined the West Coast Avengers in 1987, with issue #21. It’s a brief membership, as he left the team in #41 in 1989, but one that has a connection with Khonshu. And you can find all those issues in omnibus:

  • West Coast Avengers Omnibus, Vol. 2
    Collects West Coast Avengers (1985) #17-41, West Coast Avengers Annual 2-3, Avengers Annual (1967) #16, Fantastic Four (1961) #19, and Dr. Strange (1974) #53.

II. Marc Spector: Moon Knight through the 90s

After leaving the West Coast Avengers, Moon Knight was, once again, the star of his own ongoing series. With 60-issues published between 1989 and 1994, it is the longest-running series for the characters. Chuck Dixon, J. M. DeMatteis, and Terry Kavanagh wrote on the title, with artists Sal Velluto, Ron Garney, Gary Kwapisz, James Fry, and Stephen Platt.

For a long time, it was mostly an uncollected series. But now, Marvel is collecting this period in Omnibus (and Epic Collection:

Moon Knight also teamed up with Spider-Man, the Punisher, Nova, and Night Thrasher in the Round Robin storyline at the end of 1991.

Marc Spector: Moon Knight concluded with the second Death of Moon Knight. His co-creator Doug Moench was behind Marc Spector’s return from the dead, titled The Resurrection War, published at the beginning of 1998, and not collected at this time.

But, after that, Moon Knight joins, for a short stint, the Marvel Knights in Marvel Knights #4 in 2000 (he leaves the team in issue #14).

III. Moon Knight by Charlie Huston and Mike Benson (2006 – 2009)

After more than a decade without a series, Moon Knight is back… with a vengeance. Huston’s portrayal of Moon Knight is not a sympathetic one, to say the least, with the character acting with greater violence and brutality. With that in mind, it’s still a run that helps put Moon Knight on the map for some readers after a long absence.

Civil War Event! So mostly unconcerned by the first Civil War between superheroes (check out the full reading order), Moon Knight is a little bit affected by the Superhuman Registration Act. Issues #7–10 are tie-ins in this Marvel event.

IV. Vengeance of the Moon Knight (2009 – 2010)

Moon Knight is back in New York, this time written by Gregg Hurwitz. He’s trying to be a hero and making amends for his past actions during the Dark Reign era (see the Dark Reign Reading Order for more information).

Shadowland Event! Moon Knights and other superheroes like Spider-Man, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist are in conflict with Daredevil following his change in attitude and his more extreme method during the Shadowland event (check out the reading order).

Marvel collected Huston, Benson & Hurwitz’ work on Moon Knight in one omnibus:

Moon Knight officially joins the Secret Avengers in 2010’s Vengeance of the Moon Knight #10 and leaves the group in issue #21. As a member of this team, he will be part of two Marvel events: Fear Itself and Onslaught Unleashed. During that time, the character will also become a member of the Heroes of Hire during 12 issues.

Brubaker’s run on Secret Avengers is collected in Secret Avengers by Ed Brubaker: The Complete Collection.

V. Moon Knight by Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev (2011 – 2012)

Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev made their name at Marvel by creating a character-defining run on Daredevil. Less known is their run on Moon Knight in which Marc Spector decides to move to Los Angeles to become… a film producer! In a very Bendis move, Moon Knight’s split personalities were suddenly imitations of Spider-Man, Captain America, and Wolverine. Also, Marc Spector meets Daken and appears in Original Sin.

The whole run is also collected in Moon Knight By Bendis & Maleev: The Complete Collection.

VI. Moon Knight by Warren Ellis, Brian Wood and Cullen Bunn (2014 – 2015)

Part of the Marvel NOW! era, Moon Knight is relaunched, with Warren Ellis at the helm for a now 6-issues classic run in which the writer takes Marc Spector back to New York City where he uses two personas, Moon Knight and Mr. Knight. He is followed by Brian Wood and Cullen Bunn.

VII. All-New, All-Different Moon Knight by Jeff Lemire and Greg Smallwood (2016 – 2017)

Another relaunch at Marvel with All-New, All-Different, sees Marc Spector waking up in an insane asylum with no powers and a lifetime’s worth of medical records. What’s false, and what’s real? This is Jeff Lemire and Greg Smallwood’s surreal take on the character, taking us on a trip forcing Spector to question everything he thought he knew and mostly finding a way to kill the past, his demons, his gods.

The whole run is also collected in Moon Knight by Lemire & Smallwood: The Complete Collection.

VIII. Moon Knight: Legacy by Max Bemis and Jacen Burrows (2017 – 2018)

After a few relaunches made to favor the younger and newer heroes, Marvel decided to return to its roots with a new relaunch, aptly named Legacy. A new Moon Knight series written by Max Bemis and Jacen Burrows with the old numeration loosely follows the events of the previous series, but also quickly reinstates the classic status-quo with Marc Spector resuming his bond with Khonshu, his normal lives, and his vigilante activities. Moon Knight was also featured in the Damnation storyline during this period.

Also collected in Moon Knight: Legacy – The Complete Collection.

IX. Marvel Fresh Start (2018 – 2021)

Marvel Fresh Start is the latest relaunch to date, marked by the return of Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, Logan, Odinson, and Bruce Banner. Until recently, Moon Knight didn’t have a series but it doesn’t mean the character disappeared. Instead, he worked with Frank Castle, battled Kang the Conqueror, helped the heroes of New York City, and more.

  • The Punisher Vol. 3: Street by Street, Block by Block
    Collects Punisher (2018) #12-16. The Punisher is at war with Baron Zemo and Moon Knight is part of his team to fight Zemo’s new Thunderbolts.
  • Acts of Evil
    Collects Deadpool Annual (2019) #1, Ghost-Spider Annual (2019) #1, Moon Knight Annual (2019) #1, Ms. Marvel Annual (2019) #1, Punisher Annual (2019) #1, She-Hulk Annual (2019) #1, Venom Annual (2019) #1, Wolverine Annual (2019) #1. This is Moon Knight vs. Kang the Conqueror in order to save the timestream.
  • Contagion
    Collects Contagion #1-5. A strange substance is taking over heroes and citizens alike and Moon Knight assists the heroes of NYC to stop the contagion.
  • Conan: Serpent War
    Collects Conan: Serpent War (2019) #1-4, Supernatural Thrillers (1972) #3. The serpent god Set plans to usher in an eternity of darkness, and only the chosen warriors across time and space have a hope of stopping him: Conan the Barbarian, Solomon Kane, Dark Agnes…and the man known as Moon Knight!
  • Avengers by Jason Aaron Vol. 7: The Age of Khonshu
    Collects Avengers (2018) #31-37.

XI. Moon Knight by Jed MacKay (2021)

After a few years of guest appearances, Moon Knight returned to the spotlight, headlining his own miniseries (with Oscar Isaac portraying him) on Disney+ and starring in an ongoing title written by Jed MacKay.

This run is available in Omnibus:

  • Moon Knight by Jed MacKay Omnibus [New]
    Collects Moon Knight (2021) #1-30, Devil’s Reign: Moon Knight, Moon Knight Annual (2022) #1, and material from Moon Knight Annual (2023) #1 and Avengers (2018) #45.

Previously collected in several classic trades:

Coming from writer Jed MacKay and artist Pepe Larraz, the Blood Hunt event starts as the skies have gone dark, the sun hiding its face from the carnage to come. The children of the night, the vampires, have risen from the dark and hidden places of the world as one to drown the Marvel Universe in blood. It’s a key event for the Moon Knight mythology, even if the story is mainly about Blade and the vampires.

  • Blood Hunt [New]
    Collects Blood Hunt (2024) #1-5.
  • Vengeance Of The Moon Knight Vol. 2 [Coming Soon]

Take a little detour for a Moon Knight anthology or two! First, with the Moon Knight: Black, White, & Blood miniseries written by Jonathan Hickman, Benjamin Percy, Erica Schultz, Christopher Cantwell, and Alex Lins. , explore the dark side of the Fist of Khonshu, as well as his potential replacement.

Then, with Phases of the Moon Knight by Yuji Kaku, Benjamin Percy, Declan Shalvey, Erica Schultz, Fabian Nicieza, Jed MacKay, Justina Ireland, and Tom Waltz, dive into lost lunar lore from Moon Knight’s past, present, and future.

A new chapter in Jed MacKay’s Moon Knight saga begins.

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