Similar, But Different: An Explanation of Moon Knight’s Parallels to Other Fictional Characters

It’s a staple in superhero fandom to say, “this character is a rip-off of that character!” It’s true: between the superhero tent poles of Marvel and DC, there are pairs of characters that seem like one was influenced by the other. Whether it’s between Deadpool and Deathstroke, Namor and Aquaman, or Nova and Green Lantern, there are character traits shared among these pairs that fans argue over as “ripped off.”

Then there are fans like me who step in to defend our favorite contested character with complex and sometimes convoluted reasoning. The truth of the matter is that most if not every superhero was inspired by either another fictional or real-life character including the first and most famous examples. So in a sense, every superhero ripped off someone else. Get over it.

Now, as a fan of Marvel’s lunar crusader, Moon Knight, I often feel the same cringe-inducing discomfort other fans feel when someone says, “Moon Knight is a Batman rip-off” or “Moon Knight is Marvel’s Batman.” I get that people use this analogy to instantly familiarize other uninitiated people to the basics of what kind of character he is: he is like Batman.

You know what? Yeah, okay, he does borrow some character elements from the Dark Knight:

Moon Knight throws around his Crescent Darts, which are moon-shaped Batarangs, in essence.

Moon Knight uses themed transportation, including a Moon Copter that is his analog to the Batplane.

Moon Knight’s secret identity is rich and personally funds his vigilantism like Bruce Wayne does as Batman. (There is a big BUT to this point that I’ll get around to.)

to this point that I’ll get around to.) Moon Knight wears a cape that he glides around on like Batman. (Oh come on! That’s so generic by now!)

Moon Knight has a butler named Samuels just like Batman has a butler named Alfred.

Moon Knight owns a mansion with a secret hidden base just like Batman’s Wayne Manor and Batcave.

That’s where their similarities end. Now, I don’t take issue to the fact that people are at least partially right about Moon Knight “ripping off” Batman for the above similarities. What I take issue with is people’s conviction in labeling Moon Knight as guilty of something that Batman allegedly isn’t, which is completely false: Batman is not innocent of being inspired by other characters.

It’s general comic book lore that Batman’s creation was inspired by pre-superhero, fictional vigilantes, including Zorro—which was even alluded to in Batman’s classic origin story with Bruce and his parents seeing The Mask of Zorro on the night his parents were killed—the Scarlet Pimpernel, The Shadow, Doc Savage, Dick Tracy, and Sherlock Holmes. Bob Kane and Bill Finger, Batman’s creators, drew inspiration from each of these classic characters, including character traits like being an aristocrat with a heroic double identity and being a master sleuth.

Therefore, Batman cannot be effectively used as a shining example of an original character in comparison to Moon Knight. Batman is just as inspired by other characters as Moon Knight is inspired by Batman. However, Batman is not Moon Knight’s only inspiration—nor, as I shall argue, is he Moon Knight’s chiefest inspiration.

Let’s first go over Moon Knight’s character and story. He was created in 1975 by Doug Moench and Don Perlin as an adversary-turned-ally to Jack Russell, the protagonist of Marvel’s Werewolf By Night. When he was first created, Moon Knight was little else than an opponent for the Werewolf hired by the Committee to hunt and capture the creature alive.

Moon Knight became popular enough with readers to warrant several cameo appearances in other Marvel books until he was given a proper ongoing solo series in 1980 helmed by Moench and Bill Sienkiewicz. It was by 1976’s Marvel Spotlight #28, the character’s first appearance since Werewolf By Night, that Moench and Perlin began to give the character addition definition. Moon Knight’s supporting cast and alter egos also first appeared in that issue. Here is a summary of all three of his alter egos:

Marc Spector — Moon Knight’s first and truest secret identity. Ex-mercenary, Ex-military, Ex-prize-fighting boxer; an all-around gruff brute with a repertoire of sins and regrets that, as Moon Knight, he fights to atone for. As Marc, Moon Knight has access to Marc’s wealth of combat and tactical expertise and his illicit black market connections.

Steven Grant — One of Marc’s first invented identities. Millionaire, philanthropist, art collector, high-society fop; Marc’s preferred identity and Marlene Alraune’s lover (one of Moon Knight’s oldest agents). Steven is the man Marc wants to be because he is far more respectable. Steven’s fortunes are derived from the spoils of Marc’s mercenary past and (plausibly) mindful investments. He uses his status and finances to gain intel from richer circles.

Jake Lockley — Another of Marc’s first invented identities. Street-wise, rough-around-the-edges New York City cabbie. For the most part, Jake is a humble character and perhaps represents another ideal Marc strives to achieve in his quest for redemption. Jake’s true talents lie in his street-level connections which he uses to collect information.

Moon Knight’s supporting cast also defines him as much as his multiple personalities and origin story. His core supporting cast include:

Marlene Alraune — Steven’s lover and Moon Knight’s agent. Marlene’s father, Peter, was killed by Raoul Bushman (Moon Knight’s oldest and primary archnemesis and one-time ally to Marc) during a treasure raid by Marc’s mercenary group at a Northern Sudan archaeological dig. (Marc blames himself for Peter’s death, which Marlene was witness to, because he failed to act on his conscience.) Marlene isn’t merely eye candy; she’s a strong and capable agent who has frequently fought alongside with Moon Knight.

Jean-Paul “Frenchie” DuChamp — Marc’s former mercenary partner-turned-agent of Moon Knight and his best friend. Ex-French Legionnaire. Frenchie is primarily the Moon Copter’s pilot, engineer, and mechanic. Like Marc, Frenchie regrets the sins of his mercenary past and seeks atonement by aiding Moon Knight.

Bertrand Crawley — Jake’s back-alleys informant. A down-on-his-luck vagabond with an eloquent vocabulary, Crawley frequents Gena’s Diner for a hot cup of water to soak his moldy teabag in and to provide Jake with the word on the streets. He, too, seeks atonement for his troubled past.

Gena Landers and her sons, Ray and Ricky — Owner and operator of Gena’s Diner located in Brooklyn. Gena and her sons are not so much informants as they are spies for Moon Knight. They’re largely involved in Moon Knight’s mission as non-combatants.

Detective Flint — Not an agent of Moon Knight. Detective Flint is more or less Moon Knight’s police liaison and informant. Also, Detective Flint is less of Moon Knight’s equivalent to Commissioner Gordon in Batman lore due to his diminished impact on Moon Knight or his story.

Moon Knight associates each of his multiple personalities with his supporting cast: Marlene and Frenchie relate to Marc Spector; Marlene is in love with Steven Grant; Crawley and Gena and her sons relate to Jake Lockley; and Detective Flint and the rest of Moon Knight’s supporting cast serve the heroic identity, Moon Knight.

As you can already tell, Moon Knight has some key differences from Batman:

Marc Spector wasn’t born into his wealth like Bruce Wayne was. Instead, Marc gained his fortune from his mercenary career. Also, Marc wasn’t born into a rich family like Bruce was; Marc was born into a mid-to-lower class family living in Chicago and his father was a pacifist, an orthodox Rabbi, and a Holocaust survivor. Also, Marc didn’t aspire to his father as Bruce did to his; Marc despised his father’s pacifism and their familial relationship was strained and dysfunctional to his father’s deathbed.

Moon Knight and Batman may share mental health issues (as some would suggest that Batman is psychotic, among other things), but Moon Knight is explicitly more unstable. His multiple personality disorder is both his greatest advantage and greatest foil.

share mental health issues (as some would suggest that Batman is psychotic, among other things), but Moon Knight is explicitly more unstable. His multiple personality disorder is both his greatest advantage and greatest foil. Where Batman fights for vengeance and justice by his own determination, Moon Knight fights for vengeance as homage to the Egyptian god of the moon and vengeance, Khonshu. Moon Knight is both an enigma and a quagmire: his mental instability makes him an unreliable protagonist because there is no definite answer to whether Khonshu is real or if he is part of Moon Knight’s madness. Regardless, Moon Knight believes he is Khonshu’s avatar and his belief—combined with his desire for redemption—is what drives him to be a hero whereas Batman is primarily driven by the death of his parents. Religion is as much the core of Moon Knight as is his madness. (This is also biblically and dramatically ironic because Marc rejected his father’s faith and he is a Jew serving an Egyptian deity.)

Now unlike Batman, Moon Knight’s inspiration is far vaguer in comics history. There is virtually no source material that explores how Moench and Perlin created the character and most analyses into his inspirations are largely parallelisms drawn by fans. Despite the dominant trend of drawing parallels between Moon Knight and Batman, there are other less circulated parallels that have been drawn that better shape Moon Knight’s true inspiration.

The most common of the uncommon parallels drawn—and that which I agree with most profoundly from my own research and experience—is between Moon Knight and the classic pulp hero, The Shadow. There are a wide variety of reasons why The Shadow is a better candidate over Batman as Moon Knight’s primary inspiration.

First, who is The Shadow? The Shadow was originally created in 1930 by David Chrisman, William Sweets, and Harry Engman Charlot as a means for Street and Smith Publications to boost sales of its Detective Story Magazine. The Shadow was first the narrating persona of the Detective Story Hour radio show until he became popular enough with listeners to warrant the creation of his own monthly novels written by Walter B. Gibson under the penname Maxwell Grant. (Gibson is credited as The Shadow’s true original creator because he gave life to a previously ethereal, bodiless voice on the radio.)

The Shadow eventually earned his own radio show which adapted Gibson’s novels and added to it one of The Shadow’s oldest and most popular agents, Margo Lane. To best explain The Shadow’s story, here is a quote directly from the radio shows’ introduction:

The Shadow, mysterious character who aids the forces of law and order, is in reality Lamont Cranston, wealthy young man-about-town. Several years ago in the Orient, Cranston learned a strange and mysterious secret…the hypnotic power to cloud men’s minds so they cannot see him. Cranston’s friend and companion, the lovely Margo Lane, is the only person who knows to whom the voice of the invisible Shadow belongs.

There were some significant changes made to The Shadow and his story between Gibson’s novels and the radio show. Later adaptations and stories amalgamated the different elements between the two versions to varying degrees. Modern interpretations of the character and his stories include these elements:

The Shadow’s true identity is actually Kent Allard, a famed aviator from World War II who one day went missing. In that time, Kent became a savage warlord until Eastern monks intervened and trained him in their mystic ways to become a force for vengeance and justice. (Other interpretations replace the Eastern monks with South American native tribesmen.)

Lamont Cranston is actually an entirely different person who Kent once saved. He now serves The Shadow by allowing Kent to assume Lamont’s identity while the real Lamont is sent out-of-country.

The Shadow’s power to “cloud men’s minds” and become invisible is limited in that the only thing he cannot hide is his own shadow. This is thematic to Kent’s own dark heart which is so stained with the sins of his past that he cannot hide it. (Thus his shadow is a physical manifestation of his sins.)

The Shadow can also peer into the hearts of men and women, allowing him to see the good and evil in them.

The Shadow is often violent in his vengeance and is more of a feared vigilante than a hero.

The Shadow has many agents besides Margo including Harry Vincent, one of his oldest agents and friends and a man-about-town himself; Moe “Shrevvy” Shrevnitz, a gruff-yet-humble New York City cabbie; and Burbank, The Shadow’s trusted and secretive communications master stationed in The Shadow’s Sanctum. Margo is also not the only agent who possibly knows The Shadow’s secret identity. The Shadow largely relies on his agents in his mission.

Margo is both a romantic interest to Kent and a capable agent who fights alongside The Shadow.

As you can see, Moon Knight shares many more similarities with The Shadow than he does with Batman. To compare:

Both Marc and Kent had sinful pasts that they’re driven to atone for as their heroic alter egos.

Both use and rely on a network of agents, some of whom know their secret identities and whom are also close friends to the heroes.

Both share a romantic interest with a beautiful female agent who’s also a capable fighter in her own rights. Both Margo and Marlene also live a lavish life of luxury which they use for the high-society connections.

Both Moon Knight and The Shadow are violent vigilantes, though different interpretations of each also make them less violent and more heroic.

Both possess seemingly mystical qualities that can likely be explained by science, specifically psychology. (The Shadow’s powers are often related to hypnosis.)

Both employ multiple identities that serve different functions in their missions.

Both operate out of New York City.

Both have helicopter-based flying machines: Moon Knight has his Moon Copter and The Shadow has his gyrocopter.

An interesting twist to Moon Knight when compared with The Shadow is that where Lamont Cranston, Kent Allard, and Shrevvy are different characters separate from each other, Moon Knight’s equivalents—Steven Grant, Marc Spector, and Jake Lockley, respectively—are actually different personalities of the same character.

From these comparisons, you can see that the common Moon Knight-to-Batman parallels are largely drawn from aesthetic qualities whereas the uncommon Moon Knight-to-The Shadow parallels are drawn from characteristics beyond the aesthetic. Therefore, the next time someone tells you, “Moon Knight is a Batman rip-off” or some variation thereof, you can respond, “You’re partially correct but Moon Knight is inspired more by The Shadow, who is also one of many inspirations for Batman.”

The conversations based on who inspired what should also no longer veer toward the negative connotation that “X is a copy of Y” unless the X character is a blatant carbon copy of the Y character with only a (very) small handful of aesthetic changes. These conversations are rarely if ever constructive and only serve to demean a property that most likely deserves more praise for the qualities that differentiates it from its inspiration. The goal is not to drive away potential fans from a similar property; the goal should be to broaden a fan’s horizon with properties that feel familiar but are different. The comics industry and its fans suffer from an “us versus them” mentality, so don’t contribute to it. Strive to be inclusive of potential fans to similar properties because new fans help the industry and fandom thrive.