Before Marc Spector became the infamous Moon KnightThe powerful Moon deity Khonshu has had countless other avatars throughout history, all acting as the vengeful Fists of Khonshu. The limited series Moon Knight Phases has been exploring these mysterious former Fists, and the latest issue features "Lunatic Angel," an instantly iconic variant of Moon Knight inspired by the manga.
Readers have already met several predecessors of the current Fist of Khonshu, such as the deadly 1970s Moon Knight named Denise, or Sol, the futuristic Moon Knight of 2846, both give Marc Spector's Moon Knight a run for his money in terms of violence and revenge.
Lunatic Angel, a new Japanese Moon Knight with a violent past who comes from a “magical future”, will debut in Moon Knight Phases #3, in the story "Moon Knight-Chan", written and illustrated by acclaimed manga artist Yuji Kaku. The talented creator is best known for the Shonen Jump manga Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku and is guaranteed to do justice to Marvel's first manga, Moon Knight.
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Phases of Moon Knight #3 (2024) |
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Release date: |
October 30, 2024 |
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Writers: |
Justina Ireland and Yuji Kaku |
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Artists: |
Daniel Bayliss, Dee Cunniffe, Yuji Kaku |
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Cover artist: |
Matthew Manhanini |
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Variant covers: |
Ivan Tao, Yuji Kaku |
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Enter the next PHASES OF MOON KNIGHT alongside New York Times bestselling author JUSTINA IRELAND as she weaves the story of a NEW avatar of Khonshu that may eclipse all other Fists of Khonshu that have come before! More! Don't miss manga star YUJI KAKU's (HELL'S PARADISE) Marvel debut as he introduces a new Moon Knight with a violent past from a magical future! |
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Moon Knight is FINALLY becoming a magical girl
Lunatic Angel will clearly make a great first impression
Over the centuries, Khonshu has always had - and apparently always will have - an avatar representing his interests on the Earth plane, primarily protecting the innocent from the dangers of the night, but until now his former avatars were largely unknown. In a preview of the edition, Lunatic Angel is seen publicly beheading a client who was interacting with a sex workerdeclaring that he came to save everyone with “the power of love and justice”, much to everyone’s shock. Moon Knight, in basically every iteration, has been a violent antihero, dedicated to justice at any cost... no matter how much blood is spilled, and Lunatic Angel is taking that seriously!
Lunatic Angel appears as the quintessential "magical girl" trope of popular manga, looking like a young Japanese woman with blue hair, bunny ears, and a large katana blade. However, unlike many of the media's beloved magical girls, This magical Moon Knight isn't afraid to killremoving the man's head with a swing of his blade. The solicitation for the issue says that Lunatic comes from a magical future, but it's unclear whether the story will take place in that future or if she has traveled back in time. Regardless, it seems likely that the girls Lunatic “saved” by decapitating their client will not be pleased with their heroism, as it means they just lost a paying customer.
Could Lunatic Angel be part of a Moon Knight team?
Kaku's variant cover depicts several heroes alongside Lunatic
Yuji Kaku variant cover for Moon Knight Phases #3, as well as its design page for the story, depicts two other heroes alongside Lunatic Angel - both with unique designs - suggesting that Lunatic is not the only Fist of Khonshu operating at this time. Marvel's main Moon Knight stories recently debuted Hunter's Moon, another Fist of Khonshu, so this wouldn't be unprecedented. It would also be fascinating if Kaku made Lunatic Angel have multiple identities, like Moon Knight's Marc Spector and Steven Grant!
Lunatic Angel is sure to make a bloody splash when it premieres, giving Marc Spector a run for his money as the bloodiest and most violent Moon Knight. Hopefully this is just the first, and not the last, time we see Lunatic Angel, because she's a fascinating take on the iconic Fist of Khonshu.
Moon Knight Phases #3 from Marvel Comics debuts on October 30, 2024.