Why Moon Knight Is So Much More Than Just Marvel’s Version Of Batman

Moon Knight is a superhero vigilante who operates at night. He uses his wealth and high-tech equipment to fight crime on the streets, which is why he’s often referred to as Marvel’s version of Batman. Although they have many similarities, Moon Knight is no Batman – he’s so much more. So, how is Moon Knight different than Batman?

Both Batman and Moon Knight use their wealth and technology to fight crime. However, Bruce Wayne is always only human, while Marc Spector has mystical powers after merging with the Fist of Khonshu. Their mental state is completely different, as well as their motives.

That’s not all. Moon Knight operates completely differently from Batman – emerging from the shadows instead of hiding in them. Many things about Marc Spector make the character much more relatable, but at the same time, much more brutal. Let’s compare their similarities and differences to see why Moon Knight is so much more than just Marvel’s version of Batman.

Moon Knight & Batman Similarities

Let’s start with the obvious – the main reasons why people tend to draw parallels between Moon Knight and Batman.

First of all, both Moon Knight and Batman are vigilantes who work at night, cleaning the streets of their cities from crime: drugs, murder, thievery, gangs, etc. Their line of work garnered numerous fans and followers, but others consider them villains who do more harm than good.

That’s why they are usually known as vigilantes instead of superheroes – they fight crime but don’t operate under the law themselves. Also, both have incredible detective skills, finding clues that lead them to solve mysteries.

Another glaring similarity is their wealth. Moon Knight has numerous personalities (suffering from dissociative identity disorder). One of those personalities is Steven Grant – a multi-millionaire who uses his wealth to develop incredible technology, including weapons, gadgets, vehicles, and other equipment to use in battle.

The same goes for Batman; only he doesn’t have multiple personalities. Bruce Wayne’s parents were murdered by a street thug when he was a child, leaving behind enormous wealth and an orphaned boy. That prompted him to train his entire life and use his wealth to develop equipment to become Batman.

Another thing that Moon Knight and Batman have in common is keeping their identities a secret. Nobody knows who Batman is, and those who figure it out (like Bane) tend to try and use it against him.

On the other hand, Moon Knight has several personalities and numerous identities like Marc Spector, Steven Grant, and Jake Lockley. That gives him another layer of protecting his identity.

Finally, there were several times when Moon Knight abandoned the Fist of Khonshu, which made him completely human with no superpowers. He relied solely on his technology in those situations, just like Batman.

With all that being said, it’s clear why many fans consider Moon Knight to be Marvel’s Batman. But there’s so much more to the character than that.

Moon Knight & Batman Differences

Although both Marc Spector and Bruce Wayne are vigilantes who fight crime on the streets at night, their motifs are completely different. While Bruce started training and became Batman because of his childhood trauma, where he lost his parents, Marc Spector had a very different path.

He was a former boxer, CIA agent, and then a mercenary – not that good of a guy, one might say. Then, after one job went wrong and Spector nearly died, the Ancient Egyptian god, Khonshu, saved his life and gave Marc superpowers. 

That prompted him to go back to the US and fight crime – Khonshu was a lunar god but also the God of Vengeance. That’s why Marc felt the need to fight crime and cast vengeance upon those who deserved it.

The biggest differences between the characters stem from Khonshu. The motifs are first, and the superpowers are second. Batman has no superpowers, except for his brilliant intellect and high-tech equipment. 

On the other hand, Moon Knight has superpowers such as super strength, agility, durability, stamina, and reflexes, depending on the lunar cycle – the closer to the full moon we are, the stronger Spector gets. In some storylines, he even has magical ankhs, allowing him to absorb the powers of other superheroes.

Another difference stemming from Khonshu is Marc Spector’s mental health. He developed a dissociative identity disorder, which prompted the birth of at least ten different personalities within himself. 

Spector is often battling his insanity in the same way he fights his enemies. All that causes Moon Knight to operate completely differently from Batman.

Batman wears a dark, black suit that allows him to stay in the shadows, stealthily attacking his unsuspecting enemies. He’s trained extensively to deal damage without taking damage, avoiding open confrontation if it’s possible.

However, Moon Knight does the opposite. His mental disorder made Marc Spector somewhat more violent. The guy wears an all-white suit so that his enemies would see him coming. Moon Knight wants them to know he’s here and know that vengeance is coming – unlike Batman, who works from the shadows.

Also, Moon Knight’s fighting style is quite… unique. He deliberately takes damage to open opportunities for himself to counter. He got shot on purpose just to get an edge over his opponents.

Why Moon Knight Is More Than Just Marvel’s Batman

Batman and Moon Knight have many similarities, but their differences make Moon Knight a much more layered character. Bruce Wayne is a highly trained combatant with tons of wealth and a brilliant mind. 

Sure, he sometimes makes mistakes and lets rage take over, which might make Batman more “human,” but Wayne isn’t a relatable character apart from having no superpowers. He’s just too “perfect” of a human being – incredibly smart, incredibly strong, incredibly emphatic, and morally pure.

Moon Knight is flawed. Imperfect. Mysterious. Sometimes even terrifying. It’s incredible that, despite his disorder, Moon Knight still tries to do good and be a superhero. The layered nature of Marc Spector makes Moon Knight more relatable, showing that you don’t have to be perfect to be a hero – it’s a choice, not a destiny.

Sure, Moon Knight also has superpowers, whereas Batman doesn’t, so it also takes Spector to another superhero level. Still, even without the superpowers, Moon Knight is so much more than just Marvel’s take on Batman.

His flaws – anger, mental issues, and violent approach to fighting – are what makes Moon Knight such an interesting superhero. He’s mysterious, unpredictable, and imperfect – and that makes him perfect.

Moon Knight isn’t Marvel’s version of Batman. Despite all their similarities, Moon Knight is so much more than a wealthy martial artist using his resources to fight crime.