MOON KNIGHT versus BLACK KNIGHT
Death & Texas! Chapter 9: Moon Knight vs Black Knight (Marvel)
Where: West Coast Avengers Annual #2 When: 1987 Why: Steve Englehart, Mark Gruenwald & Tom DeFalco How: Al Milgrom
The Story So Far...
A day of baseball under the Houston Astrodome becomes a game of life & death when the second contest between coasts ends with The Silver Surfer smashing through the ceiling -- and the sudden deaths of the East Coast Avengers!
Where: West Coast Avengers Annual #2 When: 1987 Why: Steve Englehart, Mark Gruenwald & Tom DeFalco How: Al Milgrom
The Story So Far...
A day of baseball under the Houston Astrodome becomes a game of life & death when the second contest between coasts ends with The Silver Surfer smashing through the ceiling -- and the sudden deaths of the East Coast Avengers!
A cosmic bolt sent by The Grandmaster appears responsible, but in the realm of the dead, the deceased Elder apologetically informs them it was only as a means of summoning them to thwart The Collector's mad scheme for immortality.
The Avengers could yet be returned to life, but first they must subdue their West Coast counterparts, who, under the guidance of The Collector, have joined them in the afterlife by taking a poison elixir. It's a seven-a-side contest between two teams of Avengers, but what are the true stakes of their clash?
Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Moon Knight 3 (Athlete)
Intelligence: Black Knight 3 (Straight A)
Speed: Moon Knight 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Moon Knight 5 (Marathoner)
Agility: Moon Knight 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting: Moon Knight 5 (Martial Artist)
Energy: Draw 2 (Projectile)
Total: Moon Knight 24 (Champion)
The Avengers could yet be returned to life, but first they must subdue their West Coast counterparts, who, under the guidance of The Collector, have joined them in the afterlife by taking a poison elixir. It's a seven-a-side contest between two teams of Avengers, but what are the true stakes of their clash?
Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Moon Knight 3 (Athlete)Intelligence: Black Knight 3 (Straight A)
Speed: Moon Knight 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Moon Knight 5 (Marathoner)
Agility: Moon Knight 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting: Moon Knight 5 (Martial Artist)
Energy: Draw 2 (Projectile)
Total: Moon Knight 24 (Champion)
Why does this feel familiar? Under the gaze of The Grandmaster we have two teams of Avengers facing off! Perfectly matched with seven on each side, they split up into one-on-one contests between West Coast and East Coast rivals.
Here we observe a study in contrast! Moon Knight shines bright in Khonshu's lunar light for the West Coast, while Black Knight stands darkly under the curse of the Ebony Blade from the East. They're hard fighting heroes with superficial similarities, but the differences run much deeper than cosmetics!
Marc Spector was a freelance mercenary before he was left for dead in the Egyptian desert and became the "Fist of Khonshu". He's highly skilled in hand-to-hand combat, wielding a small array of handheld and throwing weapons, some even designed by his fellow West Coast Avenger of the time: Hawkeye.
Dane Whitman was a physicist when he inherited his uncle's castle, and discovered his true identity as the villainous Black Knight. Taking up the Ebony Blade, Dane chose to use its cursed legacy to infiltrate the Masters of Evil and work to defeat them from within.
Black Knight quickly became something of a master swordsman, able to use his cursed blade with considerable skill and precision -- but a magic sword won't intimidate Moon Knight!
Moon Knight's comics debut was stalking The Werewolf, and his adventures have continued to feature supernatural enemies such as Demogoblin, who blurred the lines of his life as a mercenary and occultist in Marc Spector: Moon Knight #32.
MK also tidily handled the villain Taskmaster by using extreme shock & awe tactics in Moon Knight (Vol.5) #6. Taskmaster wields a variety of weapons & styles mimicking The Avengers, including Black Knight's sword style -- but it proved a non-factor in his unusual exchange with Moon Knight.
Today's fight could really go either way. Moon Knight is a faster, more agile and proficient fighter, outfitted with useful projectile weaponry. Black Knight is a savvy swordsman with strong defense and close-quarters preference. Each believes they're fighting to save the others' life. Let's see what that brings out in them...
The Tape: Moon Knight Ranking: Moon Knight (#351)
What Went Down...
Here we observe a study in contrast! Moon Knight shines bright in Khonshu's lunar light for the West Coast, while Black Knight stands darkly under the curse of the Ebony Blade from the East. They're hard fighting heroes with superficial similarities, but the differences run much deeper than cosmetics!
Marc Spector was a freelance mercenary before he was left for dead in the Egyptian desert and became the "Fist of Khonshu". He's highly skilled in hand-to-hand combat, wielding a small array of handheld and throwing weapons, some even designed by his fellow West Coast Avenger of the time: Hawkeye.
Dane Whitman was a physicist when he inherited his uncle's castle, and discovered his true identity as the villainous Black Knight. Taking up the Ebony Blade, Dane chose to use its cursed legacy to infiltrate the Masters of Evil and work to defeat them from within.
Black Knight quickly became something of a master swordsman, able to use his cursed blade with considerable skill and precision -- but a magic sword won't intimidate Moon Knight!
Moon Knight's comics debut was stalking The Werewolf, and his adventures have continued to feature supernatural enemies such as Demogoblin, who blurred the lines of his life as a mercenary and occultist in Marc Spector: Moon Knight #32.
MK also tidily handled the villain Taskmaster by using extreme shock & awe tactics in Moon Knight (Vol.5) #6. Taskmaster wields a variety of weapons & styles mimicking The Avengers, including Black Knight's sword style -- but it proved a non-factor in his unusual exchange with Moon Knight.
Today's fight could really go either way. Moon Knight is a faster, more agile and proficient fighter, outfitted with useful projectile weaponry. Black Knight is a savvy swordsman with strong defense and close-quarters preference. Each believes they're fighting to save the others' life. Let's see what that brings out in them...
The Tape: Moon Knight Ranking: Moon Knight (#351)
What Went Down...
Black Knight confronts his opponents with intense determination. He doesn't know why Moon Knight is there. He isn't privy to impending membership with the West Coast team. He only knows he must win their battle to defend everyone's lives.
Brandishing the Ebony Blade wielded by his ancestors; Black Knight demonstrates the risk of its bloodthirsty curse by effortlessly slicing through nearby rock.
Moon Knight jokes that his opponent's elaborate explanations will 'talk him to death' before the sword strikes. A taunt that prompts Black Knight to action!
Again the dark metal makes light work of rock as Black Knight's weapon chases its target across the battlefield. Moon Knight keeps a step ahead of the mighty swing, vaulting over an arching protrusion that rises out of the barren landscape.
Even in evasion the "Fist of Khonshu" recognises a kindred spirit with the swordsman, and the risk of his sword's accursed ties with "the nightside".
Though sympathetic, Moon Knight seeks a quick end, making a nimble landing while reaching for a pouch at his back filled with throwing spikes!
His aim with the Hawkeye-designed projectiles is true -- but Black Knight blocks their path with a deft swing of his sword.
Moon Knight keeps up the offensive -- looking to test Black Knight with the fast follow-up of an expertly thrown boomerang.
Once again Black Knight counters with his enchanted sword -- cutting the boomerang out of the air!
Concerned Khonshu has failed to enchant his own weapons - and fearing the "crazed" advantage of the Ebony Blade; Moon Knight digs deep into his bag of tricks and unleashes all of them in a single all-out offensive!
Winged darts are met with the black steel of the Ebony Blade, but a snaring bolo passes beneath the zigzagging sword and wraps tightly around Black Knight's knees. He falls!
Moon Knight seizes his opportunity -- brandishing an ornate axe as he launches himself at the grounded knight!
The cursed sword is once again there to defend the Black Knight, blocking the golden axe with room to spare. He boasts about the weapon's supremacy, but Moon Knight vows to persevere: "I won't quit trying--!"
Black Knight uses his opponent's determination against him, releasing the block and swinging his legs up so the falling axe cuts through the binding bolo cord.
Free to move -- Black Knight quickly returns to his feet and cuts the head from the Egyptian axe while knocking it out of his opponent's hands!
Moon Knight dashes backward, retreating deep into the enveloping folds of his white cape as he farewells his final weapon -- but refuses to yield!
Tempting the curse of the Ebony Blade -- Moon Knight lunges toward his opponent with sword drawn!
The black steel pierces through Moon Knight's cape as the hero's words suddenly choke in his throat. The deed appears done, but all is not as it seems...
Beneath the veil of his flowing cloak -- Moon Knight positioned his body askew to avoid impalement and trap the sword firmly under arm.
Locking the stunned swordsman at close quarters, Moon Knight swings a golden ankh from beneath his cape -- and delivers a knock out blow!
The Hammer...
The battle of the knights produced some dangerous gambits, but in the end it was Moon Knight whose daring won the day! His victory levels the scores for the West Coast Avengers at 3 all, but the final result doesn't really matter yet...
The only purpose served by this rumble between Avengers is to demand the attention of Death herself, so The Grandmaster can steal her power -- and use it to start a new game by completely rebooting the universe with his own rules!
The only purpose served by this rumble between Avengers is to demand the attention of Death herself, so The Grandmaster can steal her power -- and use it to start a new game by completely rebooting the universe with his own rules!
It was a feat achieved by Grandmaster's willful submission at the end of The Contest of Champions, which earned the resurrection of his co-conspirator, The Collector, and ultimately allowed him to personally observe Death within her natural environment, gaining the privileged knowledge to ensnare and defeat her.
West Coast Avengers Annual #2 therefore becomes one long con: a prelude to the real sport of Avengers Annual #16, and a formal contest that will pit The Avengers against Grandmaster's "Legion of Unliving" for the fate of the universe.
That high-stakes battle sees Avengers face an all-star line-up of heroes & villains who were considered dead in 1987. An all together delicious scenario that pits Black Knight against his predecessor, and Moon Knight against Green Goblin -- who hadn't yet been deemed living in a retcon to his famous glider impalement!
Those will all be fantastic battles to spotlight sometime in the future, and once they are, you'll be able to find them in the Secret Archive. For now we must dwell further upon today's featured fighters and their apparent extremes.
Were these characters really ready to kill each other? As committed as they might be to their respective efforts to save the Avengers' lives -- I don't think so.
Although Black Knight speaks of his Ebony Blade's curse as though he were ready to take a life: he expresses stunned disbelief when the apparent killing blow is finally rendered -- without his deliberate involvement.
He also seems to have forgotten that they're both already dead. A fact Moon Knight is far more prescient of, having experienced his own dance between life & death in the desert, when he was claimed by the Egyptian lunar deity Khonshu.
Although this might inspire Moon Knight to cavalier efforts with his axe -- even he manages to conclude the battle without a lethal strike.
West Coast Avengers Annual #2 therefore becomes one long con: a prelude to the real sport of Avengers Annual #16, and a formal contest that will pit The Avengers against Grandmaster's "Legion of Unliving" for the fate of the universe.
That high-stakes battle sees Avengers face an all-star line-up of heroes & villains who were considered dead in 1987. An all together delicious scenario that pits Black Knight against his predecessor, and Moon Knight against Green Goblin -- who hadn't yet been deemed living in a retcon to his famous glider impalement!
Those will all be fantastic battles to spotlight sometime in the future, and once they are, you'll be able to find them in the Secret Archive. For now we must dwell further upon today's featured fighters and their apparent extremes.
Were these characters really ready to kill each other? As committed as they might be to their respective efforts to save the Avengers' lives -- I don't think so.
Although Black Knight speaks of his Ebony Blade's curse as though he were ready to take a life: he expresses stunned disbelief when the apparent killing blow is finally rendered -- without his deliberate involvement.
He also seems to have forgotten that they're both already dead. A fact Moon Knight is far more prescient of, having experienced his own dance between life & death in the desert, when he was claimed by the Egyptian lunar deity Khonshu.
Although this might inspire Moon Knight to cavalier efforts with his axe -- even he manages to conclude the battle without a lethal strike.
Moon Knight wields his weapons with respect and recognition for Black Knight's obvious fighting prowess, using them tactically to apply pressure without genuine murderous intent. These men remain heroes, after all, and their reluctance to kill -- even an opponent who is already dead -- seems self-evident.
Moon Knight is leveraging his relative obscurity as a recent submission to the West Coast Avengers, leaving Black Knight to interpret his measures as genuine hostility. He believes him a "madman": an interpretation that might ring true to modern readers, but is coming long before writers had fixated on characterizing Marc Spector as a man prone to mental instability.
Although this Moon Knight is a far cry from later interpretations, there is an interesting consistency between his tactics here, and the extreme measures used in later iterations. Risking laceration in the afterlife is a little less wanton than crashing a plane and taking arrows to the body, but such were the mid-2000s.
We really have the "Event" comics of that era, such as Civil War, to "thank" for the now ubiquitous circus of death that befouls most modern comics.
Today's feature reminds us that death has been a part of superhero comics for a very long time, but it also clarifies that the notion of heroes haphazardly killing each other with any impression of permanence is a much more recent cliché. One that seems long overdue retirement as a flimsy, self-defeating cry for attention.
Of course, this is not the forum that's going to completely deny the innate appeal of seeing which hero comes out on top from a good battle. A premise that the team of writers behind these twin '87 Annuals exploit to fast and furious appeal in their unofficial sequel(s) to the less star studded Contest of Champions.
Moon Knight is leveraging his relative obscurity as a recent submission to the West Coast Avengers, leaving Black Knight to interpret his measures as genuine hostility. He believes him a "madman": an interpretation that might ring true to modern readers, but is coming long before writers had fixated on characterizing Marc Spector as a man prone to mental instability.
Although this Moon Knight is a far cry from later interpretations, there is an interesting consistency between his tactics here, and the extreme measures used in later iterations. Risking laceration in the afterlife is a little less wanton than crashing a plane and taking arrows to the body, but such were the mid-2000s.
We really have the "Event" comics of that era, such as Civil War, to "thank" for the now ubiquitous circus of death that befouls most modern comics.
Today's feature reminds us that death has been a part of superhero comics for a very long time, but it also clarifies that the notion of heroes haphazardly killing each other with any impression of permanence is a much more recent cliché. One that seems long overdue retirement as a flimsy, self-defeating cry for attention.
Of course, this is not the forum that's going to completely deny the innate appeal of seeing which hero comes out on top from a good battle. A premise that the team of writers behind these twin '87 Annuals exploit to fast and furious appeal in their unofficial sequel(s) to the less star studded Contest of Champions.
I notice I've been on a bit of an Al Milgrom kick lately, and dare I say it -- today's fight is actually one of his weaker efforts in the West Coast book. His layouts are a little repetitive here, owing in part to the detailed minutiae driving the battle between Knights. It's good and clear, but I look forward to exploring some of the other Avengers in-fighting that produces more varied results.
To see more of that type of thing you can follow links throughout this post, or explore more than 650 featured fights, ranking over 1,000 characters, in the previously mentioned Secret Archive.
You can also check out the issue in its entirety in Avengers West Coast Epic Collection: Tales to Astonish or Marvel Super Hero Contest of Champions. Use the Amazon purchase links provided to do any of your shopping and you'll not only score a good deal -- you'll help support the site!
To see more of that type of thing you can follow links throughout this post, or explore more than 650 featured fights, ranking over 1,000 characters, in the previously mentioned Secret Archive.
You can also check out the issue in its entirety in Avengers West Coast Epic Collection: Tales to Astonish or Marvel Super Hero Contest of Champions. Use the Amazon purchase links provided to do any of your shopping and you'll not only score a good deal -- you'll help support the site!
If you'd like to help me create more entries consider contributing to the Patreon. As a thank you you'll unlock options for sponsored content and additional updates such as Secret Wars on Infinite Earths Series 1 Trading Cards!
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Winner: Moon Knight
#122 (+229) Moon Knight
#968 (new) Black Knight
#122 (+229) Moon Knight
#968 (new) Black Knight
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