Judaism (and punching Nazis) is woven into the fabric of superheroes, something that Moon Knight’s creators Doug Moench and Don Perlin were able to highlight.įor Perlin, visibility of Judaism and its history is important in his comic works. Golden Age heroes were often seen representing American patriotism, which meant fighting Nazis (Captain America even punched Hitler). The Golden Age of Comics came around 1938, around the second world war, after the inception of Superman by Jewish creators, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. It’s not a coincidence that many superheroes have Jewish origins, either outwardly or implied. Judaism doesn’t always inform the cadence of each of these characters, but it’s hard not to associate Spector with his connection to the Talmud (the central text in Rabbincal Judaism).

Moon Knight might not be the most famous Jewish character (beaten out by The Thing, Harley Quinn, Batwoman, Magneto, and Scarlet Witch), but he is always viable for top of mind when reflecting on Jewish fictional heroes. With his first foray in live action coming to the small screen for Disney+ this year, there’s reason to hope the character’s background remains a big part of him. His Judaism is a reflection of his creators and the context they wove into his expanding mythology. Spector’s Jewishness is an important part of his character, not only informing casual personality traits, but adding depth and richness to his stories. His prime alter-ego, Marc Spector, is the son of a rabbi who fled Czechoslovakia for Chicago. Though the character has more than one alias (or more than one personality, depending on the canon), his core self has a specific origin, one that adds meat to his story. His costume is cool, his origin is fantastic, and his persona is complex. Sometimes referred to as Marvel’s Batman, Moon Knight is a cowl clad vigilante partial to darkness.

Moon Knight's MCU debut is a thrill for fans of the underappreciated Marvel character, and great reason for newcomers to meet the moonlit hero.

More Than Human by Doug Moench