Few superheroes have as complicated a relationship with their identity as Moon Knight. Moon Knight doesn't just have a secret identity; he has three. Between Marc Spector, Jake Lockley, and Steven Grant, most fans could be forgiven for thinking these are all the identities Moon Knight used, but he had a short-lived fourth alter ego.
The surprising fourth identity was revealed in Moon Knight #22 by Jed McKay and Alessandro Cappuccio. In this run, Steven Grant's wealth, which is how Moon Knight is able to operate, has been completely drained by the new villain known as Zodiac. With all of his wealth stolen, it is unclear exactly how Moon Knight continued to operate the Midnight Mission and maintain all of its equipment.
Interestingly, at the same time that Moon Knight's financial problems begin, one of his oldest enemies, the Midnight Man, returns and begins specifically robbing the corrupt and criminals. While Moon Knight's allies, like Tigra, seem worried about this ancient enemy's return, Moon Knight is surprisingly relaxed. Since Tigra hunts When the Midnight Man reaches down and removes the mask, she is shocked to realize that it is Marc Spector's new identity.
Moon Knight stole Midnight Man's identity as a Brief Fourth Amendment
Moon Knight #22 by Jed McKay, Alessandro Cappuccio, Rachelle Rosenberg and Cory Petit
THE Midnight Man's original identity was Anton Mogartan incredibly talented thief who committed all of his crimes at midnight, which earned him his name. He was a minor Moon Knight villain who was continually defeated by running water. In his first encounter with Moon Knight, he was beaten and fell into a river. Although he survived this fate, his face was horribly disfigured due to the sewage he was exposed to. He later teamed up with Bushman and tried to kill Moon Knight, only to be washed away by a river again. He wasn't the most threatening villain.
After Moon Knight's wealth was stolen by the Zodiac, he needed a new way to make money. Without many choices, Marc decided to revive the Midnight Man identity. As Marc explains, Moon Knight couldn't be seen breaking into criminals' homes and robbing them, even if they deserved it. If Moon Knight did this, people would be able to easily track him to the Midnight Mission. Not wanting this, Moon Knight simply assumed the identity of a known thief. Considering that there have been two Midnight Men in the past, Anton and his son, it wasn't too strange to see a third version emerge.
Moon Knight stole the identity of a former villain to serve his own purposes
Could the Midnight Man return to Moon Knight's repertoire?
Moon Knight's entire story revolves around his identity. He is Marc Spector, Jake Lockley and Steven Grant. Each personality is just another part of him. What makes Moon Knight such a fascinating character is that he has many different identities and personalities. That's why, when cornered, it's no surprise that Moon Knight simply stole someone else's identity to use it to do what no other identity he possesses could: become a thief like Robin Hood.
Moon Knight #22 is now available from Marvel Comics!