Moon Knight: What Are the Masked Creatures in Episode 4?
Episode 4 of Moon Knight allowed us to see both Steven and Layla getting to the location of the tomb where the sealed Ammit is kept. However, like all movies and shows that involve tomb exploration, there are certain obstacles that keep people from looting the tombs. In Moon Knight, the obstacles come in the form of the masked creatures that killed some of Harrow’s men and were about to kill Layla. So, who are the masked creatures in episode 4 of Moon Knight?
There is no clear explanation of what those masked creatures are because they don’t seem to exist in Marvel lore. However, what we can say for sure is that they were tomb guards that were left by the Egyptian gods or the Ennead to watch over the tomb so that Ammit doesn’t get released.
The thing about Moon Knight is that it isn’t exactly true to the source material (the comics) but is actually closer to Egyptian mythology. That means that it is understandable for the series to introduce new elements that may or may not be in the comics. This includes the creatures we saw guarding the tomb of Alexander the Great in episode 4. So, with that said, let’s look at what we know about those masked creatures.
What Are The Masked Creatures In Episode 4 Of Moon Knight?
Moon Knight continues to impress us with how it tries to stay true to the concept of it being a series about Egyptian mythology instead of it being a Marvel superhero series. That is what makes it different from a lot of the other Marvel movies and series, which try to be as true to their source materials as possible. On the other hand, Moon Knight has introduced a lot of different changes and is more in line with what has been written about Egyptian mythology.
In that regard, the duo of Steven and Layla was able to get to the tomb where they believe the sealed Ammit is being kept, as they are looking to prevent Arthur Harrow from unleashing the goddess into the world. And like most other tombs that we have seen in a lot of different movies about exploration, adventure, and treasure hunting, this tomb isn’t exactly unguarded.
When Steven and Layla got to a room, they noticed that there was fresh blood and chunks of meat on a table of some sort. This means that there were people who had entered the tomb moments before they did, and this prompted the duo to try to seek another way through the tomb out of fear that whatever killed that person was still at large. And they couldn’t fight it because Steven/Marc had just lost Khonshu.
As Steven found another way on an elevated floor, they both heard gunshots and screaming from afar. This prompted Layla, who was left on the lower floor, to hide as a masked creature came dragging an injured man that it was about to execute on that very same table with fresh blood on it.
Steven used himself as a distraction so that Layla could get away from that creature. But the one thing that was clear was that this creature wasn’t human because, when Layla confronted it and chopped its arm off, it didn’t feel a thing. So, what was this masked creature in episode 4 of Moon Knight?
There was no clear answer as to what this masked creature in episode 4 of Moon Knight is because Marvel Studios is yet to release any details regarding it. However, what we can say for sure is that this creature is some sort of a tomb guardian that is quite common in Egyptian mythology, wherein tombs are described to be guarded by supernatural beings like Anubis-like beasts.
Then again, considering that the series has already used Anubis-like creatures in the jackals that Arthur Harrow summons with his staff, Marvel Studios must have resorted to using a masked undead-like creature that serves as the guardian for the tomb where Ammit was kept. And mind you that this tomb actually belonged to Alexander the Great, who fancied himself an Egyptian despite his Macedonian roots.
In a sense, this undead creature must have been simply a tomb guardian that was put in place there by the Egyptian gods or the Ennead that were responsible for sealing away Ammit many years ago. Of course, the purpose of those guards was to keep anyone from trying to get close enough to Ammit, as seen from the fact that it attacked both Harrow’s group and the duo of Steven and Layla.
Are Those Masked Creatures Found In The Comics?
As mentioned, Moon Knight seems to be following Egyptian mythology more than it does the comics. This is something new to the MCU because most of the Marvel movies and series have been quite faithful to their source material, despite introducing a few changes here and there. But Moon Knight seems to be going in a direction that is far from what the comics show, given the fact that it introduced new characters and changed some of the central figures.
That said, there is no indication that these creatures are found in the comics because the Moon Knight story in the comics is more in line with the character being a vigilante than a tomb explorer seeking to prevent a religious cult leader from unleashing a goddess into the world.
In that regard, what we can say here is that there is a good chance that those currently unnamed masked creatures are some of the new additions that Marvel Studios introduced to the Moon Knight series, which is more of an Indiana Jones-like series than it is a superhero TV show.
Then again, considering that episode 4 does end on a somewhat confusing note, it becomes quite understandable why the flow of the first four episodes of Moon Knight is more in line with it being an exploration series than it is a crime-fighting one. And we might get more answers in episode 5 when more light is shed on what the Moon Knight series really is about.
