Who is Khonshu? A new hero has arisen in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the miraculous Moon Knight. This violent vigilante isn’t like Captain America or Iron Man; he’s a lot more dangerous – taking out his enemies with a fierceness and brutality we haven’t seen in a Disney Plus MCU TV series.
Under his alabaster hood, Moon Knight is Marc Spector (Oscar Isaac), a deadly mercenary, or at least he is sometimes. Sometimes he’s a museum gift shop worker Steven Grant. Confused? Well, Marc suffers from dissociative identity disorder, colloquially known as multiple personality syndrome, and he has to battle Steven for control of his body.
Steven isn’t the only voice in Marc’s head either. He also hears the disembodied voice (and occasionally sees) a being known as Khonshu. Appearing to Marc as a man with a skeletal bird’s head Khonshu is Marc’s patron and in the MCU gave him his incredible powers. But who is Khonshu in the comic books? Who voices him? And is he a real god?
Who is Khonshu?
Khonshu is the ancient Egyptian god of the Moon. In the Marvel Universe, he, and the other gods, cannot directly interfere in the affairs of mortals. As such, they use avatars – humans chosen by the gods to be their champions – as intermediaries on Earth. Khonshu’s avatar is Moon Knight, and, in the TV series at least, the god bestows superpower on Marc and guides him on his quest for justice.
In the comics, the relationship between Marc and Khonshu is a little different. While Marc is still the Khonshu’s avatar, their relationship is a little more fractious. In the beginning, he served essentially the same role he does in the TV series; however, the Moon-god became more antagonistic over time.
In the past, he’s attempted to erode away the remnants of Marc’s sanity and steal his body -effectively bypassing the no direct interference rule the gods have. Most recently, Khonshu has Marc steal the powers of his fellow Avengers in an attempt to take over the world, but he was defeated by his own avatar and locked in an Asgardian dungeon.
Who voices Khonshu in Moon Knight?
Oscar-winning actor F. Murray Abraham voices Khonshu. Abraham’s probably best known for playing Salieri in Amadeus, but he also starred in Scarface, All The President’s Men, and most recently, The Grand Budapest Hotel.
Is Khonshu a real Egyptian god?
Yes, Khonshu was really worshipped in ancient Egypt, and he was really the god of the Moon. In real life mythology, Khonshu was thought to watch after nighttime travellers protecting them with his light which kept away wild animals, healed the sick, and helped with fertility.
Unlike Moon Knight’s version of the god, he didn’t always have a bird head either. While Khonshu was sometimes portrayed as having a falcon’s head, like his fellow god Horus, he also has a more human-looking form and was typically depicted as a mummy.
Moon Knight episode 1 is streaming now on Disney Plus, with new episodes dropping every Wednesday. To learn more about this Marvel-lous show, check out our guide to the Moon Knight cast.