Khonshu (Marvel Comics)

the Marvel Comics character

Khonshu is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Moon Knight #1 (Nov. 1980), created by Doug Moench and Bill Sienkiewicz, and is based on the Egyptian lunar god Khonsu. He is a member of the Heliopolitan pantheon and the patron of the superhero Moon Knight. Khonshu appears in the live action Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) miniseries Moon Knight, performed by Karim El Hakim and voiced by F. Murray Abraham. Another account stated that Khonshu was the adopted son of Amon Ra. He was the brother of Montu, and possibly Bes and Ptah, and was brother or half brother to Bast and Sekhmet. Around the year 1,000,000 BC, Khonshu was offended by not having been offered membership of the Stone Age Avengers and chose a mortal avatar the first known Moon Knight to enforce his will on Earth and antagonize the Avengers on his behalf, eventually leading to the establishment of the Cult of Khonshu and a succession of Moon Knights. Khonshu and Ra have been warring against each other for millennia, having been reborn again and again through earthly avatars, with Khonshu beating Ra in every instance. It was later revealed that Khonshu is the God of Time as well as Vengeance. In Ancient Egypt, Khonshu posed as a human pharaoh at the Egyptian city of Thebes, the seat of worship of Ammon Ra, at the same time Osiris posed as a mortal ruler in the Egyptian city of Heliopolis. When Spector and Marlene travelled to Egypt, she was kidnapped by Jellim Yussaf, who hoped to find the treasure hidden in the Tomb of Seti II. Moon Knight tracked them down and during the fight he found the lost chamber, falling into the arms of a statue of Khonshu. The deity sent a gust of wind, allowing Moon Knight to glide down to knock out Yussaf. Spector decided to retire as a vigilante and sold his statue of Khonshu which was bought by Anubis the Jackal, a former enemy of the Moon Deity. Khonshu visited Spector in his dreams, hoping to bring him back as his champion on Earth. Spector gave in and travelled to Egypt. There he met the Priests of Khonshu, who gave him weapons and a suit designed by the time travelling Hawkeye thousands of years earlier. They informed him that his powers were affected by the phases of the moon and would be strongest at the moon's fullest. Using his newfound power, Spector defeated Anubis and took back the statue of Khonshu, which protected him when the temple collapsed.

Khonshu has the conventional powers of the Ennead (the Heliopolitan gods), such as superhuman strength (Khonshu can bench press 60 tons), superhuman durability (he can withstand unspecified levels of injury), regenerative healing factor (Khonshu can be injured, but heals much faster and better than the healthiest human), immortality (he is immune to disease and aging), magic manipulation (Khonshu can manipulate mystic energies for supernatural effects such as interdimensional teleportation, telepathy, healing, resurrection, causing earthquakes and granting superhuman powers to mortal beings such as the Moon Knight), lunakinesis (manipulating objects made out of moonrocks, including Uru), and power absorption (Khonshu stole the powers of various heroes and stored them inside some Ankhs).

In the pages of "Ultimate Invasion", Maker visits Earth 6160 and remakes it into his own image. Lord Khonshu and Lord Ra rule the Upper and Lower Kingdoms. According to Emmanuel da Costa in his talk with Howard Stark during Maker's gathering with the other leaders sometime after Obadiah Stane's death, Lord Khonshu only speaks when the Moon is out. At the time when Maker and Howard Stark were trapped in the City, Lord Khonshu was later seen with the other leaders when Henri Duggary told them about Iron Lad leading an infiltration on Latveria. Lord Khonshu and Lord Ra go together as the Moon Knight. They work on having the rest of Africa annexed as they end up facing opposition from Wakanda after a female suicide bomber sent by them tried to target T'Challa only for T'Chaka to push his son out of the way and take the blast. After Black Panther and the Dora Milaje thwart the Moon Knight's forces, Lord Khonshu and Lord Ra are informed about it by an as yet unidentified inside person who was responsible for sneaking the female suicide bomber in. Lord Khonshu states that they have been holding the African continent in the vacuum of Maker as Lord Ra states that they need the information and weaknesses of Wakanda. With the anonymous inside person states to Lord Khonshu and Lord Ra to keep the war going so that they will be Moon Knight's eyes, Lord Khonshu instructs the anonymous inside person to look for a path to victory soon. After the anonymous person sends the information and plan to them, Lord Khonshu is asked by Lord Ra if they trust their spy. Lord Khonshu states that he'll trust that the anonymous person will want Wakanda to fall.

In the Universe X saga it is suggested that Uatu the Watcher who lives on the moon was the original inspiration for the Egyptian moon god Khonshu.

The Khonshu possessed Marc Spector appears as an alternate skin for Moon Knight in the video game Marvel: Ultimate Alliance. Khonshu appears in the live action Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) television series Moon Knight, motion captured by Karim El Hakim and voiced by F. Murray Abraham. adding he was more interested in a version of the character that had "his own moral failings and weaknesses" rather than one who was "always right and impervious to mistakes". Abraham called Khonshu "outrageous" and "capable of doing anything and charming his way out of it". As well, Abraham believed Khonshu was unselfish and willing to sacrifice himself the same way he demands sacrifice from others.