Shadow Knight (character)
{{Short description|Marvel Comics supervillain}}
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{{Infobox comics character
| character_name = Shadow Knight
| image = Shadowland-Shadow Knight.webp
| caption = Shadow Knight as he appears on the textless cover of Shadowland: Moon Knight (September 2010). Art by Francesco Mattina.
| full_name = Randall Spector
| publisher = Marvel Comics
| debut = As Hatchet-Man:
Hulk Magazine #17 (October 1979)
As Shadow Knight:
Marc Spector: Moon Knight #37 (February 1992)
| creators = {{ubl|Doug Moench|Bill Sienkiewicz}}
| species = Hellbent
| alliances = {{ubl|Committee}}
| partners =
| aliases = {{ubl|Hatchet-Man|Night Shadow|Shadowknight}}
| powers = Enhanced strength similar to Moon Knight, can emit energy blasts from eyes
| cat = super
| subcat = Marvel Comics
| villain = y
| sortkey = Knight, Shadow
}}
Shadow Knight (Randall Spector) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly as an adversary of his brother, the superhero Moon Knight.
A young Randall makes his live-action debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) television miniseries Moon Knight, played by Claudio Fabian Contreras.
Publication history
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Randall Spector was introduced in the "backup feature" of Hulk! Magazine #17 in October 1979 as a mysterious serial killer known as the Hatchet-Man who violently murders nurses around New York City. Moon Knight attempts to stop the murders and eventually deduces that the killer is his estranged brother Randall. In #18, Moon Knight confronts his brother in Central Park and a fight ensues in which Randall is killed. This was later retconned by writer Howard Mackie to be an impostor, and in Marc Spector: Moon Knight #33 and #35–38, Randall returns. During the Shadowland crossover, writer Gregg Hurwitz and artist Ron Garney wrote a three issue limited series where Moon Knight deals with his brother in a final confrontation. This is also the first time Randall is referred to as Marc's younger brother; in all previous appearances, it has been clearly stated that Randall is the older sibling such as in Marc Spector: Moon Knight #28 where Marc refers to Randal as "MY BIG BROTHER. MY HERO."
Fictional character biography
Spector was born in Chicago, Illinois, and is the son of Elias Spector, a rabbi who survived Nazi persecution. Randall and Marc are brothers, and at times both have been cast as the avatars of the Egyptian moon god Khonshu. Randall Spector grew up with his brother Marc, playing army games with him. He followed his brother into the Marine Corps, and eventually they both became mercenaries in northern Italy. It was later discovered that Randall killed Marc's then-nurse girlfriend. Marc chased his brother until there was a confrontation. Marc threw a grenade at Randall's sniper position, thinking he killed him, but then Randall returns to New York on a murder spree focused on killing nurses with a hatchet. Moon Knight uses his girlfriend Marlene as bait, but he can't stop being stabbed. He swears revenge but cannot kill his brother. Randall then jumps at Marc, but he dodges; however, Randall impales himself in a tree branch.Hulk Magazine #17-18
It is later revealed that the person killed was not Randall but an impostor with implanted memories. Randall is actually a member of the Cult of Khonshu, having been mystically enhanced with impenetrable skin and superhuman strength by Princess Nephthys.Marc Spector: Moon Knight # 37
During the Shadowland storyline, Randall mysteriously re-emerged as the Shadow Knight, convinced by The Profile that he is the next Khonshu avatar on Earth.Shadowland: Moon Knight #13 Sharing essentially all of the Moon Knight's powers, except that he can emit a radioactive blast from his eyes, the two are almost evenly matched. Randall attacks Moon Knight's pregnant girlfriend, Marlene.Shadowland: Moon Knight #2 The two eventually meet up in New Orleans following the mysterious Sapphire Crescent. Randall ends up using a hostage as a shield with a bomb, and Moon Knight is out of throwing crescents; however, Moon Knight launches the Sapphire Crescent and kills his brother.Shadowland: Moon Knight #3
The Shadow Knight made his return in Strange #4 as a revenant, under the direction of the Blasphemy Cartel, enemies of Clea Strange. His body was taken over by rebellious dead souls that reanimated it and fought Clea Strange and her mother, the warlord Umar.
Powers and abilities
Nepthys' "lunar treatments" granted him superhuman strength and external durability, although his internal organs were like those of a normal human's. Randall Spector possessed extensive training in espionage and military combat tactics. However, he was barely able to access these skills after becoming insane.
Randalls hellbent genes give him the ability to absorb other people's life force to enhance himself.
= Equipment =
As the Hatchet-Man, he used an off-the-shelf Halloween mask to hide his face.
As Shadow Knight, he wore Kevlar body armor for further protection.
= Weapons =
Wooden-handled hatchet.
In other media
A young Randall Spector appears in flashbacks in the Marvel Cinematic Universe / Disney+ miniseries Moon Knight episode "Asylum", portrayed by Claudio Fabian Contreras.{{Cite web |last=Hood |first=Cooper |date=April 27, 2022 |title=Moon Knight Cast Guide: Every Marvel Character & Who Plays Them |url=https://screenrant.com/moon-knight-cast-guide-marvel-characters/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220506055829/https://screenrant.com/moon-knight-cast-guide-marvel-characters/ |archive-date=May 6, 2022 |access-date=May 6, 2022 |website=Screen Rant}} This version died in a flooded cave that he and his older brother Marc found. As the latter survived, their embittered mother Wendy blamed him for Randall's death, which caused her to become abusive towards Marc, who consequently developed dissociative identity disorder and created Steven Grant to protect himself from her.{{Cite web |last=Paige |first=Rachel |date=April 27, 2022 |title='Moon Knight': The Creative Team on Marc and Steven's Fractured Relationship |url=https://www.marvel.com/articles/tv-shows/moon-knight-marc-steven-creative-team-relationship |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220427094513/https://www.marvel.com/articles/tv-shows/moon-knight-marc-steven-creative-team-relationship |archive-date=April 27, 2022 |access-date=August 4, 2022 |website=Marvel.com}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://marvel.wikia.com/wiki/Randall_Spector_(Earth-616) Randall Spector] at Marvel Wiki
{{Moon Knight}}
Category:Characters created by Bill Sienkiewicz
Category:Characters created by Doug Moench
Category:Comics characters introduced in 1979
Category:Fictional American Jews in comics
Category:Fictional characters from Chicago
Category:Fictional mercenaries in comics
Category:Fictional serial killers
Category:Marvel Comics characters with superhuman strength
Category:Marvel Comics male supervillains
Category:Marvel Comics military personnel