Pure white against the night. The crescent moon on the chest. A hero with a fragmented mental state, haunted by an Egyptian god, torn between multiple identities. Moon Knight is one of the boldest and most nuanced characters in the Marvel universe — and paradoxically one of the least known to the general public until recently.
Pure white against the night. The crescent moon on the chest. A hero with a fragmented mental state, haunted by an Egyptian god, torn between multiple identities. Moon Knight is one of the boldest and most nuanced characters in the Marvel universe, and paradoxically one of the least known to the general public until recently. The 2022 Disney+ series with Oscar Isaac as Marc Spector changed the game: millions of viewers suddenly discovered the richness of a character that comic readers have cherished since 1975. And with that discovery, Moon Knight key issues have experienced one of the most spectacular grade rises of the recent MCU era. Here are the 10 absolutely essential Moon Knight key issues to build a reference collection.
Moon Knight: Marvel's most complex character
Marc Spector is a former mercenary — a man who came close to death and returned transformed, literally resurrected by Khonshu, the Egyptian god of the moon and night travelers. But Moon Knight's originality doesn't lie in this mythological origin: it lies in the character's psychology. Marc Spector suffers from dissociative identity disorder. He's not simply "Marc Spector at night, Moon Knight in costume" — he's simultaneously Marc Spector (his original identity), Steven Grant (society millionaire), Jake Lockley (taxi driver), and Moon Knight (the vigilante). These identities coexist, dialogue, and sometimes conflict.
This psychological complexity has attracted some of Marvel's most ambitious writers: Doug Moench, Bill Sienkiewicz, Warren Ellis, Jeff Lemire, Jed MacKay. Each brought their own vision, creating a library of runs distinguished by their exceptional narrative and graphic quality. That's rare for a secondary character — and it's precisely what makes a Moon Knight collection so rewarding.
The 10 essential Moon Knight key issues
Werewolf by Night #32 (1975)
The story is delightful: Moon Knight makes his first appearance in an issue of Werewolf by Night, Jack Russell's Marvel werewolf series. He's initially presented as an enemy hired to capture the Werewolf, which adds a layer of moral ambiguity from the start. Created by Doug Moench and Don Perlin, this 1975 Moon Knight is already visually definitive: the white costume, the crescent moon, the imposing presence. This issue is undeniably the grail of any Moon Knight collection, and its importance has only grown with the Disney+ series.
CGC 9.8: $40,000–$65,000 · CGC 9.0: $3,000–$5,500 · CGC 8.0: $1,200–$2,200 · CGC 6.0: $300–$600 · CGC 4.0: $100–$200Werewolf by Night #33 (1975)
The direct sequel to the first appearance. Moon Knight continues his confrontation with the Werewolf, and this issue further develops his personality and abilities. Second appearances are often undervalued compared to firsts, but they constitute a logical and important complement. Werewolf by Night #33 has significantly appreciated in the wake of the Disney+ series and represents an excellent complement to WbN #32 in a coherent collection.
CGC 9.8: $8,000–$14,000 · CGC 9.0: $700–$1,300 · CGC 8.0: $350–$650 · CGC 6.0: $100–$200Moon Knight #1 (1980)
After several appearances in various Marvel series (Spectacular Spider-Man, Marvel Two-In-One, Defenders), Moon Knight finally got his own monthly series in November 1980. This inaugural issue, written by Doug Moench and drawn by Bill Sienkiewicz, marks the start of one of the most legendary runs in Marvel comic history. At that time, Sienkiewicz was still drawing in a very realistic style inspired by Neal Adams — his evolution toward a more experimental expressionist style would unfold progressively in subsequent issues. The #1 cover is magnificent and immediately iconic.
CGC 9.8: $5,000–$9,000 · CGC 9.4: $1,000–$2,000 · CGC 9.0: $500–$900 · CGC 8.0: $250–$450 · CGC 6.0: $80–$150Moon Knight #25 and #26 (1982)
By issue 25, Sienkiewicz's stylistic transformation is complete. His expressionist style, influenced by Francis Bacon and modern American painters, reaches a visual peak unmatched in the superhero comics of the era. These issues are works of art as much as comics, and experts recognize them as such. Moon Knight #26 concludes the Stained Glass Scarlet story — one of the run's strongest narrative arcs. These issues are must-haves for collectors interested in the artistic dimension of comics.
CGC 9.8: $500–$900 each · CGC 9.6: $250–$450 · CGC 9.4: $130–$230Marc Spector: Moon Knight #1 (1989)
After the end of the first series in 1984 (38 issues), Moon Knight temporarily disappeared from Marvel comics. He returned in 1989 with a new series titled Marc Spector: Moon Knight, which places greater emphasis on the character's multiple identity and complex psychology. This #1, with a dark and elegant cover, marks the start of a 60-issue series. It's also the series that would introduce Bushman (Marc Spector's main enemy) in his most developed form. An important transitional key issue in Moon Knight continuity.
CGC 9.8: $200–$380 · CGC 9.6: $100–$180 · CGC 9.4: $60–$110Your complete Moon Knight checklist in one click
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Moon Knight #1 (2014)
Few six-issue runs have had an impact as significant as Warren Ellis and Declan Shalvey's 2014 Moon Knight. Each issue is a complete story in itself, with a radically different visual aesthetic; each chapter explores a different facet of Marc Spector's personality. The layout, the color treatment (Jordan Bellaire), and Ellis's streamlined narration make this series one of the most visually striking of the decade. Issue #1 is a high-importance modern key issue, highly sought-after in CGC 9.8.
CGC 9.8: $200–$400 · CGC 9.6: $100–$180 · CGC 9.4: $60–$100 · Raw copy: $20–$50Moon Knight #1 (2016)
The Jeff Lemire and Greg Smallwood run (2016-2017) is a dizzying dive into Marc Spector's fragmented psyche. The story begins in a psychiatric asylum where Marc is convinced he's imagined everything — is he really Moon Knight, or is it a delusion? Lemire brilliantly plays with the codes of psychological thriller and superhero, creating a work that questions the character's reality from within. Issue #1 has massively appreciated with the Disney+ series, because Marc Spector's mental health is a central theme of the adaptation.
CGC 9.8: $200–$380 · CGC 9.6: $100–$180 · CGC 9.4: $60–$100 · Raw copy: $20–$50Moon Knight #1 (2021)
The Jed MacKay and Alessandro Cappuccio run, launched in 2021 in the wake of the Disney+ series announcement, instantly became one of the most popular Moon Knight runs. MacKay builds a rich universe with the Temple of Khonshu as base, a community of endearing supporting characters, and a deepened Egyptian mythology. This series' #1 is probably the currently most sought-after modern Moon Knight key issue, with CGC 9.8 values that exploded before and after the Disney+ series aired.
CGC 9.8: $150–$300 · CGC 9.6: $80–$150 · CGC 9.4: $50–$90 · Raw copy: $20–$50Moon Knight #1 (1980) backstory + Marc Spector: Moon Knight #1
Raul Bushman is Marc Spector's main enemy — the mercenary who nearly killed him and triggered his resurrection by Khonshu. His first appearance in the flashbacks of the original series, then his development in the 1989 series, make him a foundational antagonist in Moon Knight mythology. For collectors seeking narrative completeness, identifying and owning the issues that develop Bushman (Moon Knight v1 #1-6 and Marc Spector: Moon Knight #1) allows you to understand the character's original arc in all its depth.
Complete v1 #1-6 run in CGC 9.4+: approximately $1,500–$3,000 totalMoon Knight #200 (2018)
An anniversary issue celebrating the character's exceptional longevity, with several short stories by different authors and artists. It's also the issue that marks an important narrative turning point after Moon Knight's "resurrection" in main continuity, and a nod to the cumulative 200 episodes of the historical series. For collectors, it's a more accessible key issue, highly prized for its symbolic value.
CGC 9.8: $120–$220 · CGC 9.6: $60–$110 · Raw copy: $15–$35FAQ — Your questions about Moon Knight key issues
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