Warning: Spoilers for Moon Knight #4!Out of Marvel’s considerable roster of heroes, Moon Knight The legacy is thornier than most, as the character falls into the unfortunately very broad category of a white man who is given power by an “exotic” foreign culture. Now, however, the Moon Knight Phases The anthology features a former Moon Knight who is not only a native Egyptian, but also a staunch defender of the values and rights of his homeland.
The first story in Moon Knight Phases #4, “For Now,” by Fabian Nicieza, Moisés Hidalgo, Fernando Sifuentes, and Cory Petit, introduces readers to Nakia, the Moon Knight of the late 19th century. The story is set during the British occupation of Egypt in 1880, and Nakia faces difficulties protecting both the Egyptian civilians of Alexandria and the occupying British forces from the supernatural evils that their conflict has awakened.
Nakia is an important step in Moon Knight’s history, as his tenure with the title marks one of the few times that the mantle of one of Marvel’s African heroes is actually held by an African character from a real African nation.
New Moon Knight is an Egyptian hero in Egyptian history
Nakia is a much-needed step forward for African representation
The time period of “For Now” is important and deliberately chosen. The 19th century saw a surge of interest in Ancient Egypt from Western nations, fueled by British archaeological expeditions that resulted in the export of much of Egypt’s buried history abroad for display in foreign museums. Nakia emerges as Moon Knight during a time when her country’s history is literally being sold.making her presence as an Egyptian heroine for the Egyptian people even more symbolic.
Nakia marks one of the few occasions where one of Marvel’s African heroes is actually of African origin and heritage.
Then there’s the fact that Nakia herself is Egyptian. The superhero genre has long-standing problems with European or American characters gaining mystical powers from appropriate cultures. Africa, as a continent, has suffered particularly poor representation: although Black Panther is a prominent African hero, the character comes from an entirely fictional nation and his tradition is steeped in the culture of the American Civil Rights Movement. Nakia Brands one of the few occasions where one of Marvel’s African heroes is actually of African origin and heritage.
Marvel Comics has a history of struggling with African characters
New Moon Knight Nakia Hits the Target Others Miss
Nakia’s debut is a big step for Moon Knight, a character whose origins were literally that of a foreign military agent in Egypt, “chosen” by the Egyptian gods. Although the Moon Knight franchise offers readers the character Hunter’s Moon, an Egyptian doctor who becomes another servant of Khonshu, still, Hunter’s Moon is a secondary character, while the American Marc Spector remains the defining figure. In contrast, Nakia is not a secondary character: She is the Moon Knight of her generation.
Nakia’s existence is an important step for franchises like Moon Knight, who owe their existence to foreign cultures that Marvel hasn’t always respected. ‘For Now’ pays homage to Moon Knight’s Egyptian roots with a story about real-life Egyptian history featuring Egyptian characters, and is refreshing in its desire to break away from stale tropes. Nakia’s debut as Moon Knight may be decades overdue, but she’s a more than welcome addition to Marvel’s superhero repertoire.
Moon Knight Phases #4 is now available from Marvel Comics.