The Midnight Sons aren't as consistently prominent as other famous Marvel teams, so it comes as a surprise when they assemble as an official superhero squad.
Clea Announces A New Midnight Sons Team
Moon Knight #5; Written By Jed MacKay; Art By Devmalya Pravanik And Rachelle Rosenberg
Marc Spector has run into a dead end while fighting the Mansion Ravenous, a conscious haunted house that swallowed Moon Knight and his allies. Moon Knight is also betrayed by the dragon sword Ginnarr, and the Mansion toys with Marc by possessing Achilles Fairchild. Desperate, Moon Knight seeks the help of Clea at the Sancum Sanctorum, where the sorceress admits that this trial requires a greater power. At the end of Moon Knight #5, Clea reveals it's time to gather "the Moon, the Empress, the Devil, the Chariot, and the Hermit:" the Midnight Sons.
The cryptographic nature of Clea’s tarot-themed recruitment leaves the door wide open for speculation. The Moon naturally points to the lunar-themed anti-heroism of Moon Knight himself, and the Empress is a logical designation for Clea. Meanwhile, the Devil brings to mind Daredevil, a literal lord of Hell like Daimon Hellstrom, or the Spirit of Vengeance tethered to the Ghost Riders, while the Chariot specifically aligns with the vehicular fury of Robbie Reyes or Blade's vanguard tactics. Finally, The Hermit suggests a solitary hero like Man-Thing or Morbius.
In Doctor Strange: Damnation, Mephisto's Midnight Sons line-up is composed of the Hunter, the Knight, the Slayer, the Order, the Fist, and the Rider: Blade, Moon Knight, Elsa Bloodstone, Brother Voodoo and Man-Thing, Iron Fist, and Ghost Rider.
However, the simpler and perhaps more compelling answer lies much closer to home. Instead of scouring the cosmos for scattered gods and demons, Clea might be pointing to the Midnight Mission, the tightly-knit syndicate of dark, street-level supernatural heroes who have already shown their loyalty to Moon Knight before being swallowed by the Mansion Ravenous. Tigra carries the predatory grace of the Empress, Reese or 8-Ball can easily step into the role of the Devil, Hunter's Moon or the enigmatic Soldier carry the burdened duty of the Hermit, and the House of Shadows could be the Chariot.
It Has Taken Moon Knight A Long Time To Be A Proper Midnight Son
The Midnight Sons' History Doesn't Match Their Popularity
Despite debuting in the pages of Werewolf by Night, Moon Knight has rarely been associated with the Midnight Sons, having missed the entire 1990s era of the squad. When he finally received the call to join their ranks in Doctor Strange: Damnation, Moon Knight didn't even participate under his primary mantle, as he was drafted under his Mr. Knight persona. He also didn't appear in Marvel’s Midnight Suns video game, which instead prioritized Avengers like Iron Man and Spider-Man. For the avatar of a resurrected Egyptian god, Moon Knight's path to becoming an official member of Marvel's main supernatural team has been agonizingly slow.
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Mephisto has finally made his MCU debut, though the timing does feel a little odd now that Phase 5 has come to a close after Ironheart.
While the Midnight Sons possess a cult-classic reputation that rivals Marvel’s top-tier teams, they have historically been treated as an afterthought. Unlike the X-Men or the Avengers, the Midnight Sons have spent decades as a loose banner reserved for occasional crossover events. They're rarely a cohesive superhero group with a fixed roster, and they often dissolve into separate publishing lines or are simply abandoned for years at a time. Less popular squads often receive far more sustained development than Marvel's main supernatural defense force. Starting this year, Clea and Moon Knight might establish the definitive version of the team.
Which Marvel characters do you want to see in the Midnight Sons?
Moon Knight #5 is now available from Marvel Comics
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