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Moon Knight's behind bars in reveal of Marvel's latest Devil's Reign crossover: 'People still need help'
Devil's Reign won't be an easy event for anyone, including Marvel's Moon Knight, Marc Spector.
Next month, Devil's Reign will begin as Wilson Fisk tightens his grip on New York City and the superheroes who call it home. Announced back in September, the six-part Marvel Comics event from writer Chip Zdarsky and artist Marco Checchetto will build upon everything they've set out in their epic Daredevil run, but this is no longer a conflict that can be contained to one series. The epic crossover event will ultimately touch every New York-based hero in the Marvel Universe, including the street-level vigilante imbued with the powers of Khonshu, Moon Knight.
In February, as the events of Devil's Reign rage across the city, Marc Spector and his Midnight Mission will clash with Mayor Fisk's quest to rid New York of all superheroes, putting everything Moon Knight and his allies have worked for in jeopardy. SYFY WIRE can exclusively reveal that Moon Knight #8, from writer Jed MacKay and artist Alessandro Cappuccio, will tie-in directly to the events of Devil's Reign, as Fisk's personal array of Thunderbolts prepare to hunt Spector down.
"When it comes down to it, Moon Knight is a street-level hero, and there's nothing Fisk hates more than street-level heroes," MacKay told SYFY WIRE. "Fisk's crews are out sweeping the streets for costumed heroes and, well, Moon Knight isn't one for hiding –– that's why he wears white. He's got an address. So when the Thunderbolts hit the streets, they know where to find him."
In this year's Moon Knight #1, MacKay established Spector's Midnight Mission as a place of protection for all who travel New York City at night, with Moon Knight at its head as both guardian and enforcer, doling out brutal punishments to anyone who dares cross him. When the Thunderbolts come calling, Moon Knight's personal mission might be put on hold, but that doesn't mean the Midnight Mission as an entity is done, something we'll definitely see more of in Moon Knight #8.
"Moon Knight may be off the streets, but the streets still need protecting, and the Mission doesn't end just because of a little light incarceration," MacKay noted. "The Mission isn't just Marc Spector anymore –– and the work still needs to go on."
But that's not all, In March of next year, the tie-ins will continue with an all-new one-shot –– Devil's Reign: Moon Knight –– also written by MacKay with art by Federico Sabbatini. While the Midnight Mission will retain some focus in the main Moon Knight series, we can expect the one-shot tie-in issue to focus more on how exactly Moon Knight manages his time in Fisk's jail. Together, the two issues paint a bigger picture of the kind of impact Marc Spector has on New York City as a whole, and what the city stands to lose if he goes down battling Fisk.
"In Devil's Reign: Moon Knight, we follow Marc Spector's time spent down by law in the wake of his clash with Thunderbolt agents," MacKay said. "In Moon Knight #8, we see that the streets aren't sleeping just because Moon Knight is off the table –– there are still things out there that need to be dealt with, people still need help, and the Midnight Mission is still where people go for that help. And there's more than just crescent-moon tags on the alley walls now –– Stained Glass Scarlet's symbol has been cropping up all over the city..."
It's not lost on MacKay that he's the writer in charge of Moon Knight's direction at arguably the most exciting time in the character's history. While big developments happen in his comic book adventures, he's also set to launch a Disney+ streaming series –– starring Oscar Isaac as Marc Spector –– very soon. That means more eyes are on the character than ever before, including both newcomers and longtime fans.
"It's a great moment for Moon Knight –– it's always exciting to see a character get their time in the spotlight, and it's been fun to be working on what has been a lot of peoples' first Moon Knight book," MacKay said. "That said, we're also here for the people who've been Moon Knight fans from way back, in whatever iteration they first encountered the Lunar Legionary."
Moon Knight #8 arrives Feb. 9, 2022. Devil's Reign: Moon Knight #1 arrives March 2, 2022. The Devil's Reign event itself begins with Devil's Reign #1 on Dec. 1.
