Warning: SPOILERS for Moon Knight episode 2
The Egyptian gods in Moon Knight banished Khonshu in the past, and episode 2 provides a tease of why this happened. The Marvel Cinematic Universe has previously used super soldier serum, advanced technology, magic, and more to provide its heroes with powers. Moon Knight opens up the supernatural side of the MCU a bit more by having the Egyptian moon god Khonshu be the source of Marc Spector’s abilities. Khonshu selected Marc to be his Avatar many years before the Disney+ show takes place, and it seems that the god’s previous actions also got him in trouble with the other Egyptian deities.
Moon Knight is exploring the vast Egyptian mythology and their gods, which includes referencing The Ennead, a powerful group of nine gods who oversee the rest. After only delivering a few teases of this mythology in the debut episode, Moon Knight episode 2 dives deeper into the relationship Marc has with Khonshu, as well as how the moon god is tied to other Egyptian gods. It is through this story that the MCU Disney+ series reveals that Khonshu was banished by the other Egyptian gods in the past.
The reason that the Egyptian gods banished Khonshu from their realm appears to be his involvement with human events. The Egyptian gods are not meant to interfere heavily in humanity’s challenges, but Khonshu isn’t as interested in that separation. He has a desire to deliver his own form of justice through his Avatars and bring vengeance upon those he thinks are deserving of it. This is what Khonshu wants Marc Spector to do in Moon Knight. Khonshu’s current actions indicate that he crossed a line at some point in the past that left the other Egyptian gods with no choice but to banish him.
It is unclear when Khonshu’s banishment actually happened in relation to Moon Knight and the MCU timeline. There is also no indication of whether the moon god had Avatars prior to his banishment or if this is a limit of his powers post-banishment. If Khonshu did have Avatars before he was banished, it is possible that it is a recent development for the deity. Moon Knight episode 2 confirms that Arthur Harrow was Khonshu’s Avatar before Marc Spector. Based on the twisted mindset Arthur has, it is possible that the justice and vengeance Arthur and Khonshu delivered together is what led to the Egyptian gods banishing him.
The rest of Moon Knight‘s story could provide a better understanding of why the Egyptian gods banished Khonshu. If it is the result of his idea of delivering justice through his Avatars, it certainly puts Marc’s actions in a new perspective. It also raises other questions about why The Ennead would banish Khonshu but still allow him to have some power over Earth and humanity’s affairs. The consequences of these actions could be explored in future Moon Knight episodes, but perhaps Khonshu isn’t as friendly of a force to humanity as he tries to seem.
Moon Knight releases new episodes every Wednesday on Disney+.
Key Release Dates
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- Black Panther: Wakanda Forever/Black Panther 2 (2022)Release date: Nov 11, 2022
- The Marvels/Captain Marvel 2 (2023)Release date: Feb 17, 2023
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)Release date: May 05, 2023
- Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)Release date: Jul 28, 2023
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