Here are five comic book Easter Eggs and References from Moon Knight Episode 3
Moon Knight released its third episode this past week on Disney Plus and with its third installment now in the books there are more and more references to the comic book source material, the broader MCU, and the Egyptian mythology both the comics and the series are exploring. From a rooftop fight in the desert to some of the Egyptian gods themselves appearing “The Friendly Type” didn’t hold back on the excitement. We even got to see new sides of Marc and Khonshu. Africa can be fun when you’re the avatar of an ancient Egyptian deity. Here are five easter eggs and references from Moon Knight Episode 3 – The Friendly Type.
5. Layla El-Faouly/Marlene Alraune?
The episode opens with Layla having a fake passport created by a friend so she can enter Africa without trouble. They briefly discuss how Layla’s father was killed at a dig site and how dangerous archaeology can be (which we later see when Layla and Marc encounter various goons on their Egyptian trek). Now I know why star Oscar Isaac compared the series to Fight Club meets Indiana Jones. ‘Moon Knight’ seems to be pulling from the comics character of Marlene Alraune in order to create the new character of Layla El-Faouly as both a love interest and fellow adventurer to our titular hero.
At the beginning of his journey to becoming Moon Knight Marc, his friend and pilot Eric “Frenchie” Fontaine, Fontaine’s then-wife Marlene, and Marlene’s father Peter excavate the tomb of a long-dead Pharoah. The terrorist Bushman soon finds out about the discovery of the tomb and attacks Peter and his crew, then steals whatever treasures the tomb held.
After this attack, most of the members of Peter’s team are killed (including Marc Spector, until Khonshu resurrects him as his avatar); with Marc in tow, Marlene and Frenchie soon flee Sudan. With Marc Spector adopting the persona of Moon Knight, Marlene and Frenchie join their mercenary friend in fighting injustice in the name of Khonshu. Marlene also soon becomes the lover and secretary of Marc Spector later in his story.
4. Madripoor First Seen In The Falcon and The Winter Soldier
After a failed attempt to convince some of The Ennead (The Egyptian Gods) of Harrow’s plan to find Ammit’s tomb the avatar of the sky deity Hathor quietly informs Marc of a sarcophagus that may hold a clue to the location of the aforementioned goddess of divine judgment. After the godly meeting, Marc runs into Layla on the streets of the nearby town. Layla tells Marc of an acquaintance of hers that possesses the sarcophagus and the pair then quickly make their way to meet up with her friend. Once she and Marc arrive at her associate’s property one of her acquaintance’s men greets Layla and mentions their previous encounter in Madripoor.
While not a real country outside of Marvel Comics, Madripoor has often been visited by heroes and villains alike for various reasons. The crime-ridden country was also seen being visited by Sam Wilson, Bucky Barnes, and Baron Zemo in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier episode “The Power Broker”. As it usually goes with these shows their trip doesn’t exactly go as planned and the trio (along with a surprise visit from Sharon Carter) soon gets into a kerfuffle with some locals and we get to see some much-desired action from both Sharon and Zemo.
With all of the shady business that goes down in this Southeast Asian country, there’s a possibility that Layla could have worked a job in Madripoor (or even briefly became a lackey to the episode’s titular Power Broker). Our female protagonist isn’t short on both armed combat skills and worldly connections, so it would come as no surprise if she once worked for Madripoor’s head honcho. Maybe we’ll get lucky and Layla will get mentioned, or even appear, in the upcoming Captain America movie as a former member of Sharon’s crew.
3. A New Alter? More Teases to Jake Lockley?
While in Egypt Marc Spector exchanges fisticuffs with some of Harrow’s men and with a quick flash of lost memory Marc awakens to find a gravely injured man that appears to have been injured at Marc’s hand. Thinking that Steven Grant stabbed the man, Marc asks his alter why he did it, but Steven says that he had no part in it.
Is Steven lying, or is there another alter that briefly made an appearance? In the comics “Marc Spector” and “Steven Grant” aren’t the only alters of the white-clad antihero, another personality named “Jake Lockley” sometimes shows his face. The street-wise cab driver of the trio, Jake Lockley is often the alter that takes over when our protagonist needs to discreetly learn some info about their case. Being savvy in the ways of both people and urban life, Jake Lockley definitely knows how to handle himself when tensions rise, especially in a physical manner.
The New York City cabbie could have been watching Marc throw fists with Harrow’s men and wanted to get in on the action, but as Marc seems to be the strongest personality he could have subconsciously overpowered Jake’s desire to escape his mind prison for a bit and forced him back in. With only three episodes left of the season here’s to hoping that we’ll get to see Jake show up.
2. The Midnight Man
Once Layla arrived in Egypt she ran into Marc Spector and informed him about an acquaintance of hers that owns a sarcophagus that may hold a clue to the location of Ammit’s tomb. After a somewhat romantic boat ride under the stars, Marc and Layla meet up with her contact, Anton Mogart (played by the late Gaspard Ulliel). Mogart is having a grand ol’ time doing what appears to be some modern-day jousting with a few buds. He then notices Layla while putting on a shirt to cover up his exposed, and very muscular, torso (come on, Anton, we all know that you wanted Layla to see those pecs up close).
After a few minutes of Layla and Marc (and eventually Steven) examining the sarcophagus and its belongings, Mogart and his men catch on to what’s really going on and Harrow arrives also wanting the sarcophagus and its secrets. A fight ensues, Marc summons the suit, then he gives over control to Steven (with Steven failing to do much to help, I might add), and Team Moon Knight flees into the desert.
First appearing in Moon Knight #3 in 1981, Anton Mogart was a somewhat small-time cat burglar who stole priceless pieces of art, jewels, and various other treasures, but only at midnight, thus earning the moniker ‘Midnight Man’. After almost a month through his theft spree, Mogart was eventually caught by Moon Knight, then fell into a river which led into a sewage drain. Being caught up in the sewage waste Mogart’s face became deformed (because, comics) and he hid underground for a few days.
Finally, Anton returned to the surface to find that the police had seized all of his stolen goods which led Mogart into a rage and eventually insanity. Returning to the sewers Midnight Man vowed vengeance on the alabaster-clad hero but failed to fulfill his promise due to Moon Knight always being one step ahead of the incompetent villain. He was later diagnosed with cancer due to his subterranean living situation, then died from overexerting himself in a fight with Moon Knight.
Gaspard Ulliel was a great actor and died too young. In this writer’s opinion, I’m glad that Marvel decided to change up the character of Mogart to a man of strength and power instead of a lowly and pathetic, one-off villain. We will all miss you, Gaspard.
1. The Ennead and The Celestial Heliopolis
In a desperate attempt to stop Harrow and his cult of followers from bringing Ammit to our dimension, Marc and Khonshu plead with The Ennead (the Egyptian Gods) and their avatars to stop this disaster waiting to happen. With a unanimous, and not at all surprising, vote the gods choose to not believe Marc and Khonshu that Harrow is a threat to the Earth. During his plea for help, Khonshu asks the other gods to “return from the opulence of the Overvoid before you lose this realm.”
As we see not soon after the moon god’s convincing speech wasn’t convincing enough for his fellow deities and they deny his help. But what the heck is The Overvoid? In Marvel Comics there is a place alluded to by Khonshu called “Overvoid”, but it’s a barren dimension that houses the imprisoned Egyptian gods. In the Disney Plus series, Khonshu doesn’t exactly paint that dreary of a picture of the homeworld to the stubborn gods, but more of a paradise.
In Marvel Comics The Ennead reside in a realm called The Celestial Heliopolis, and this seems to be what the Marvel Cinematic Universe is calling The Overvoid. Just like the Norse gods in Marvel Comics have Asgard and their fellow Greek deities have Mount Olympus, The Ennead have The Celestial Heliopolis. As previously mentioned, The Ennead comic book counterparts don’t exactly live in opulence, but as it appears in “Moon Knight” these versions of the gods lead grand and lavish lives, which causes them to view themselves as above Earth and its problems.
With three episodes remaining anything could happen in this fantastical series. I know that I and many other viewers (both casual and hardcore alike) would love to see the amazing realm that the Gods come from and how this pantheon could potentially upset the grander power struggle of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s other deities.
‘Moon Knight’ is streaming now exclusively on Disney Plus.
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