Moon Knight’s Khonshu: F. Murray Abraham’s Character Explained

Moon Knight is going to be the latest Marvel series to hit Disney+, as Oscar Isaac’s character is set to introduce an entirely different type of hero in the MCU. That said, it has been reported that F. Murray Abraham will be voicing Khonshu, a character that will have a major role in the series. But who is Khonshu in Moon Knight?

Khonshu is based on Khonsu, the Egyptian god of the moon. In the comics, Khonshu was the one who brought Marc Spector to life to become the Moon Knight. However, Marc, who often sees Khonshu, constantly wonders if this being is real or is a figment of his imagination due to his mental illness.

It would be interesting to see how Marvel will approach Khonshu’s character in the series in relation to Moon Knight’s known mental condition. This should be a huge step for television shows, considering that not a lot of shows portray the effects of mental illnesses. Of course, Khonshu should have a huge role to play in Moon Knight’s story, as we get to know more about this god.

Who Is Khonshu?

The release date of Moon Knight draws close and closer as we get to know more about the different characters that will be appearing in the Disney+ series. Of course, while the series will revolve around Marc Spector, who is going to become Moon Knight in the series, we also confirmed that Khonshu would be appearing as one of the central characters. But who is Khonshu?

In the comics, Khonshu is described as the god of the moon and the god of vengeance. He is basically based on the Egyptian god of the moon called Khonsu, as they both represent the moon, which is a universal symbol for a lot of different things such as power. Khonshu also serves as the protector of travelers at night, as travelers use the moon to guide them.

He is also one of the Heliopolitan gods and lives in an entirely different dimension. And because he cannot enter Earth, he could only appear as a vision and will choose a champion that would represent him as the Moon Knight.

In the trailer for Moon Knight, we were able to see Khonshu for a brief moment, as he was seen as a creature with his iconic bird skull head and the crescent moon scepter he wields in the comics. This means that he will indeed appear in the series, as he plays a pivotal role in the life of Marc Spector, who will become the titular character.

Marc Spector’s life as the Moon Knight began when he was left dying in the sands of a desert. Meanwhile, Khonshu resurrects him and gives the mercenary the power to protect those who walk under the light of the moon. But while that may seem like a pretty simple storyline to follow, it becomes complicated because Marc suffers from a mental condition called Dissociative Identity Disorder.

Basically, Spector’s mental disorder allows him to assume different personalities, depending on the situation. As such, his story becomes quite complicated because he doesn’t know whether or not his visions of Khonshu are real or if they are just crafted by his imagination.

There was a point in time when the comics played with the reader’s minds because they too were second-guessing whether or not Khonshu was indeed real or was simply the work of Moon Knight’s mental disorder. And this was due to the fact that, at first, Moon Knight was just a simple vigilante with no powers.

However, Marvel finally gave in and made Khonshu an actual entity in the comics, as he is portrayed as a god. It was never explained whether or not he is an Egyptian god because saying that he is an Egyptian god will make the other Egyptian gods real in the Marvel universe. As such, Khonshu is often called an Elder or Heliopolitan god that chooses a champion on Earth so that he can enforce his will on the Earthly realm.

Khonshu’s Powers and Abilities

As a Heliopolitan god, Khonshu’s powers are beyond what normal humans can achieve, as he is often portrayed to have transcendent powers that include super-strength, regenerative healing power, immortality (as to aging), superhuman durability, and other superhuman physical traits.

On top of his physical capabilities, he is also a master magic manipulator, as he can use mystic energies to create all sorts of supernatural effects that allow him to teleport, heal and resurrect people, and grant powers to people (as in the case of Moon Knight).

Khonshu also has the ability to wield all sorts of different weapons. At one point in the comics, he was actually the wielder of Mjolnir, as he was deemed worthy.

There were also instances in the comics where he used Ankhs to store the different powers that he stole from other people.

How Will Khonshu Connect to the MCU?

As of the moment, it isn’t clear how Khonshu’s role will play into the entire narrative of the Moon Knight series or even the MCU. But, of course, his role in Marc Spector’s story is definitely going to be how he connects to the entire MCU.

We mentioned that Marvel Comics initially made people wonder whether or not Khonshu is a real character so that the readers could connect with Marc Spector’s psyche and his mental disorder. That could be a route that the series could take, as people are going to be left wondering whether or not Khonshu exists or if he is just the creation of Spector’s imagination due to his mental illness.

However, it could also be possible that, after a few episodes, Khonshu is going to be revealed as a real character that actually had a role to play in Marc’s mental disorder. In the comics, there were several versions wherein he was the one that caused the mental disorder so that he could easily control Moon Knight. 

Meanwhile, some comics show that Marc already had this disorder from the beginning before Khonshu even chose him. After that, Khonshu helped him overcome his mental disorder so that he could be a better protector of those who lived under the moonlight.

Both possibilities could be routes that Marvel could take, as the writers may try to make Khonshu the bad guy or the good guy, depending on what the showrunners see fit. And the most likely case is that the series will explore Khonshu as a real entity, given the fact that the trailer shows something that resembles an Anubis-like creature.

This could mean that the show may also introduce the other Egyptian gods in the narrative, as the plot might be related to how Khonshu chose Spector to the Moon Knight so that he could stop whatever the other Egyptian gods are doing on the planet.

Meanwhile, as to the MCU, there was a point in the comics wherein Khonshu became an enemy of the Avengers because of how his overall approach when it comes to imposing his will on Earth through Moon Knight. We don’t know for sure how his role will affect the MCU as a whole, considering that the entire MCU narrative is already quite crowded with different theories regarding the multiverse.

Then again, if Moon Knight will eventually become one of the central characters in the MCU, it would be interesting to see how Khonshu will affect the trajectory of the greater narrative. He might become one of the threats that the combined efforts of all the heroes need to stop, or he might end up contributing to the efforts of stopping an even bigger threat.