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Breaking down the comics: Learning to Crawl (issue 35)

Moon Knight, Issue # 35: Second Wind

Written by Tony Isabella and drawn by Carl Potts

Hey look! The X-men are in this one! And the Fantastic Four! That’s a lot of cross-over. As I’ve stated before, a lot of times when you have a ‘features’ on the cover, it means the characters show up briefly to do a one liner, then leave. A ploy to try to draw in more readers and sell more issues. Let’s see how much they all feature in this!

And the plot summary? “Following last issue’s devastation, Moon Knight is at a crossroads on whether or not to continue his vigilante career. Guest-starring the X-Men and FF!”

Now, keep in mind that this is a new writer (One that was acclaimed and recently retired that came out of retirement to guest appear) right after Moench left Marvel. So we're getting the character intro that feels more geared towards the writer than the audience. ALSO this is a cross over ultra long issue so they are hoping to have NEW readers that are here for the X-men and that will get interested in Moon Knight and then start reading regularly.

So we're not only going to get over intros of the characters, but we're also going to get a heavily watered down edition of the characters because the new readers aren't here for lore, they're here for X-men.

We open at midnight in Manhattan.

"It's Midnight when the man born Marc Spector (but who has long since glided into other identities as easily as he now glides over the city) spots the quarry that has brought him out into the darkness.

Thus Marc Spector begins this in his identity as the costumed adventurer Moon Knight. When it ends he will know who he truly is...and why."

His prey is "The Fly", who focuses on robbing rich vacation homes while the owners are away.

After noting that The Fly recently went up against Spider-Man and lost, Moon Knight sneaks up on The Fly and immediately gets his ass kicked. He spends a lot of time on the ground.

He’s doing well.

OH. OH NO. I know this comic! (it may come as a surprise to some of you that I do not read the comics then write these analysis. I do a life reaction.) I knew this was coming but it had completely escaped me that THIS was how it happened. Oh. My. Khonshu. This is embarrassing.

As always, Frenchie is up above keeping an eye on things. When he spots "The Fly" getting away, he radios down to Moon Knight.

Worried for his friend, he climbs down from the chopper and finds Marc laid out on the roof, unable to move and barely able to speak.

I must say, the art and colors on this issue are spectacular.

Frenchie gets Marc to his chopper.

"Moon Knight glides from pain to oblivion to delirium in no discernible pattern. Once he curses himself through agonized tears for being so sloppy this time.

Once he wakes in madness to quote Keats. 'There is not a fiercer hell than the failure in a great object.'"

Side note: We've seen Marc, specifically Marc, quote classical literature before. Marc is shockingly well read and it makes me wonder why he hides how smart he is. In later issues he talks about his struggles in school, but Marc Spector really is very smart. (An idiot but smart).

John Keats is an English romantic poet. He is famously known for "Beauty in truth, truth in beauty".

Jean-Paul takes Marc to a private hospital that 'doesn't ask questions'.

He undergoes surgery, but his spinal damage is great. They tell Marlene that they've done what they can and the rest lays in subsequent therapy. "I'm afraid it's entirely possible that Steven Grant may never walk again."

We move to Paris where a young up and coming dancer is running for her life from some unseen danger.

Her assailant is a woman who accuses her of abandoning Russia and taking all her gifts with her. The attacker uses the wind as her power and sends the girl off into the sky to meet a terrible fate.

Back in Grant Mansion, we see one of the Moon Boys working on parallel bars to learn to walk again. The whole time, he curses himself for letting The Fly get away.

Now, for the past couple of issues, Moon Knight has been facing another internal conflict of if he is doing any good. The people he was supposed to help turned out to be th villains and the villains turned out to be guided by circumstances and then paid a terrible price.

"I'm not sure I should ever think about Moon Knight again... I mean, what if it's somebody else's life on the line next time I screw up?"

Marlene calls an end to today's therapy session and helps 'Steven' back to his wheelchair.

Samules, the butler, announces a guest and Gena busts in at full speed.

"Guests, Sammy? We're family. Right Lockley?"

"How's the kids, Gena?" (Jake is always such a sweetie).

She gives him a hug and I may tear up. I love Gena so much.

Crawley bursts in next.

Jake's friends have always been his support and his heart.

Jake is worried about the boys.

Gena is too. "This sure isn't the easiest city in the world to grow up in...Even for good kids."

They reflect on the gangs always recruiting new members.

They talk about how Lenny, from the Music box issue, is serving time despite being a good kid. They reflect on the gang that was poisoned and attacked Gena in her diner.

"Those are the reasons I'm thinking of leaving. My brother has a place in Houston. He needs a manager. Hard decision to make." Gena admits.

"Do what's best for you and the kids. But... If you can --stay. You've got family here too."

It's hard to let go of friends. Especially someone as important to their way of life and joy like Gena. Jake relies so heavily on his routine. He visits the diner for breakfast frequently and he goes there when things are stressful or he wants to get away from Steven's life and people.

Gena heads out, back to the diner. Crawley lingers to have a word.

Moon Knight used to pay Crawley for information. Crawley has always had a gambling problem and he admits that he's been in it again and is out of cash and overdue on the rent again.

"I...I was wondering if Moon Knight would be requiring my services soon."

I'm not sure who is fronting at this junction, but he's giving Steven vibes so I'll say Steven.

Steven admits that he doesn't know when he'll be up and able to walk again, much less Moon Knighting...

"I'm not sure Moon Knight will be back."

Marlene offers to put Crawley on a retainer and holds out some cash.

"Oh, no. I'm afraid I've gotten to enjoy working for a living again. Not to worry, my dear, I'll be fine."

Crawley refuses help and asks to be notified if his services are needed. He heads back to the diner.

Steven is angry. "He's my friend, Marlene, and for the first time I'm wondering if it hasn't been my needs as Moon Knight that have kept him down in the gutters--While I come home to THIS every morning.

Maybe it is time to retire as Moon Knight."

He heads into the room that houses his Khonshu statue.

"What do you say, Khonshu, Old boy? Is the wheelchair and the legs that won't work some sort of sign that my tour of duty as Moon Knight is over? Have I paid for the crimes of my past?

All the men I am... Can I put Mercenary Spector to rest? Can I stop driving Lockley's cab?

Can I finally be the man I want to be? I WANT to be Steven Grant, Marlene. He's a good man...The kind of man who could make you happy."

"That would be nice. Let's talk about it...Sometime."

"Right. Well, wheelchair or not, I've still got a life to lead. Let's get on with it."

Narration: And if Khonshu has any thoughts of his own to add...He keeps his own counsel.

So we are dealing with Steven primarily in the chair. It’s interesting that Steven is the one dealing with the PT and learning how to cope. We get glimpses of Jake, but mostly it’s Steven wondering what sort of life he is supposed to follow. The desire to just be Steven. To be a good man. To make Marlene happy.

Next we see Marlene and Steven going to a Ballet. Steven has sponsored the local ballet in an effort to be "just a good citizen doing what he can."

Steven goes to meet the star, Sergey Valberg. He's brought along the media to help promote the company and get more people to the Ballet.

As the media sets up, we catch a glimpse of the angry woman from before that sent the other dancer to space.

Sergey has agreed to let the media record his rehearsal. They watch in amazement as he dances when suddenly...

A gust of wind knocks all the security around and the woman enters the room. "Sergey... Your dance is over."

"Marlene... I think she's here to kill him! Try to cover me while I...I... Sit here like a helpless cripple." Steven is realizing he can't do anything.

Wind lady blows the chair over for his trouble.

Sergey recognizes her. He calls her Bora.

"I have heard...of a woman whose heart is as cold as the frigid winds she commands. I had hoped I heard wrong."

She had once rehearsed under Sergey, dreaming of being a great ballerina. Then she found out that she was a Mutant as she not only gained wind powers, but she also grew to over seven feet tall!

When she went to him for help, she found out that he had fled Russia to America.

Her dreams of being a ballerina were over.

"I awoke to find my long cherished goals thrust eternally beyond my reach, for what choreographer had ever conceived a ballet for a seven foot tall artist?!"

So naturally she decided to punish all those who defected from Russia.

She drops the temperature to below freezing as the winds swirl around them.... And Sergey starts to dance.

"If I die, It will be as I have lived--Honoring life through my dance!"

Steven is helpless to watch from outside of the rehearsal room as the temperature drops and the winds blow.

"The Bora is a cold, dry wind. It can reach speeds of 125 miles per hour and has been known to overturn trucks. He lets the gusts catch him in mid leap.

His dance has become a language now... His movements its alphabet. The opposition of arms and legs create words. His dance speaks to Steven Grant. It speaks of courage unconquerable."

Steven crawls to the glass and struggles to get to his feet.

"The temperature in the enclosed studio is now sixty degrees below zero. The sentences form more slowly. Indeed, there is only breath left...for one... final... statement."

Sergey takes a final leap.

"The dancer is dead... But not his dance."

The wind woman departs and Steven is left helpless.

He has realized a truth. He asks Marlene to take him home.

Love the imagery of Khonshu’s statue behind Marlene. “Inside the mansion there is a cold silence. It reminds Marlene of a tomb…in Egypt.”

"Because I have to be here. Because I'm needed." Steven sits in the wheelchair clutching at the Moon Knight cowl. "You know what's out there. It's a world in which the savages all too often rule our cities, our streets, our souls.

The Good citizens... The Grants, the Lockley's...They fight that tyranny as best they can. They aren't always enough."

Steven is starting to understand that as much as he wants to be the good person and the only person, he can't.

"Moon Knight is more than a good man. He's a force that transcends the brutality and the fear that are the savages' main weapons--Because he can use those weapons himself.

He's a savage on the side of the angels. A protector of innocents... A symbol of vengeance and hope. And, God willing, If he does his job well enough... He'll be the last savage."

It's an interesting understanding by Steven. Viewing Moon Knight a a necessary violence force. But does he see Moon Knight as his own person, as Marc Spector, or as all of them working together?

I know how Moench would portray Moon Knight, but with him out of the picture, how is Marvel going to let the character of Moon Knight advance?

Steven attempts to stand.

He fights through the pain.

For once, he’s not looking to Khonshu for support. Or a miracle.

"This is the truth learned. That being Moon Knight is not a curse... Nor a state of penance. It is simply who and what he was always meant to be."

So what is Moon Knight's first course of action?

He goes to see Professor Charles Xavier's school for gifted youngsters.

Alright. We are a little over halfway through the comic and we are finally bringing in the X-men.

He speaks with the Professor himself.

"The Russians have been unusually co-operative with the bare facts. She's fourteen, off her nut, and operating without their sanction. Not enough. I need to know how her powers work!"

Moon Knight notes that there are four more defectors in the ballet company and he bets she'll strike again on opening night.

Professor tells him how he thinks Bora's power works then asks if Moon Knight thinks one man can stop her.

"I don't know. I don't see where I have any choice but to try. Thank you for your help, professor."

Leaving, Professor X watches him go.

"He has doubts. His injury--His recent failure....The pain that yet wracks his body. They all work against him. And still he strives to overcome. The man's determination is both inspiring and frightening."

He calls in Colossus and Nightcrawler.

Mostly because you can’t have a comic that boasts about an X-man crossover without the x-men. And any time there’s a one off X-men crossover, they tend to just kinda throw Colossus and Nightcrawler at the situation back in the day. (Current day it’s more like wolverine or some random side characters that Marvel wants to promote at the time for a smaller comic).

Nightcrawler makes the argument that Mutants should deal with Mutants.

"I would agree...Normally... But Moon Knight is at a crossroad in his life. He must be given the chance to prove himself to himself. He is a powerful force for good.

Perhaps more powerful, in his own way, than we X-men. We will not interfere unless necessary."

Yet... They do all agree that a night at the Ballet might be nice.

Outside the school we find Frenchie chatting up Storm.

Opening night, the theater is packed! And what's this? The Thing!

He says his hello to Nightcrawler.

Nightcrawler admits that he's there as 'unofficial back-up'.

Ben laughs. "I guess that makes yours truly and pals the "Official Back-ups, then."

It would seem that Moon Knight knew he wasn't fully up to full strength so he called in a little extra help.

"The Fantastic four!" Kirk turns to his row and admits "I, too, came with 'Pals'!"

And there we see more of the X-men! I'm not a big X-men reader, so I only recognize two, maybe three of the ones there.

It's also interesting that Moon Knight would specifically ask for help from the fantastic four. He's only had run-ins with DareDevil, Ben, and the Hulk up to this point. Inviting Dare Devil to the ballet would be... a bit off. And the Hulk wouldn't exactly be good backup.

It's also hilarious that to this day, Ben still considers Moon Knight a friend and every single year will send him Hanukkah cards. In later issues, Moon Knight admits that there aren't a lot of Jewish heroes and that Ben needs to meet others besides himself, since he isn't exactly the most observant. But it's still touching how Ben said "This is my friend." and clung to him for so long.

We see Moon Knight himself up in a box seat overlooking the stage. (And this image really tickled me for POTO reasons. If you know, you know.)

"But if Kurt Wagner has gained new respect for the Moon's Knight of Vengeance, the object of that praise is himself still wrestling with doubts.

Bora has the power to level this theater. He was crippled by a glorified burglar. Memories of past failure assail him. The waiting is a battle in itself. And that he does not surrender to his doubts in those seemingly interminable minutes is a victory as great as any he has known."

Okay okay okay. Let's take a moment to appreciate the actual Ballet!

"Laurencia" - A story of love and tyranny.

A ballet by Chabukiani. As wiki informs me, "Created at a time when 'choreodrama' was considered in the Soviet Union the only acceptable form of contemporary ballet.'

Basically it stresses that dance was an ultimate form of expression and all movement should serve as a purpose.

So ballet at the time seemed to focus heavily on drama based plays.

The story the ballet is based on is one of a peasant revolution. Which, if you know the most basic of Russian history, this was a big deal for the Soviet Union.

Now, Chabukiani created his own form of choreographic language in Ballet where he focused heavily on the Male Dancer and created 'the heroic male dance'.

The play is pretty simple. Village awaits the return of some grand Commander with his army. Meanwhile a girl and her admirer are flirting. The commander returns and immediately desires the beautiful girl. She rejects him so he leaves with his army. The admirer asks the girl to marry him but she isn't sure and doesn't answer. The Commander returns and tries to have the girl. She rejects him again and this time he leaves promising revenge. The girl marries her admirer but the commander interrupts the wedding and arrests her groom. Pretty pissed off, she rallies the village and they storm the castle. They kill the commander and free the groom.

The original story was written in the 1600s and was based on a real story.

Back to the comic!

Bora interrupts just as the revolt against the evil Commander is taking place.

Winds batter around the ballerinas as Bora steps on stage.

"The winds of retribution have pursued you from the homeland you hae betrayed! They have decreed your punishment! And they have named Me Your executioner!"

The X-men and the Fantastic Four hold off, wanting to let Moon Knight take his chance to redeem himself to himself.

(It's also funny to watch a woman command the winds and have Storm be there like, "Oh she is not going to get away with this".)

Moon Knight leaps down onto the stage.

She immediately blasts him with wind. This gives the dancers time to make their escape as he fights against the wind storm.

Professor X had guessed that Bora's powers were psionic in nature. She was not generating the wind herself like Storm does, but she was opening a sort of portal to harness the winds from their original location.

Off stage, Marlene and Frenchie flip on the lights and buzzers, giving Bora a massive headache and thus she loses control of her wind.

The notion that Steven goes around building things ‘just in case Moon Knight needs them’ is hilarious.

The Fantastic Four do their thing and ensure that the audience and fleeing Ballerina are not injured in the wild winds.

You gotta love cross-over comics. The X-men could have ended this immediately. Much less the Fantastic. Both in the same building? Come on. But this isn’t their comic. They are guests in this comic so they gotta watch Moon Knight, a man without a single ounce of power who just finished recovering from massive spinal injury crawl across the stage. Look at him go. He’s used to being on the ground anyways.

We get to see the Various X-men like Kitty Pride and storm and Colossus do their thing to help people. We also see the Fantastic Four do their own thing.

Pretty pissed off, Bora now focuses fully on Moon Knight and he's getting blown around a bit.

"The temperature drops rapidly, a full degree per second. He cannot feel what he clutches in his hand. He does not stop. Ice daggers cut deep into his flesh. And still he does not stop."

Nightcrawler pops in just behind her, giving her a start. The momentary distraction is enough for Moon Knight to get to her and...

DID HE JUST CHLOROFORM HER?!

Yep. Sure did…

Well... It worked. She passes out.

Later, back at Grant Mansion Marlene and Steven talk.

"You're tired." "I am exhausted--and in excruciating pain--and feeling completely, totally wonderful!"

"No more doubts?"

"Lots. But I won't quit again. What we do is important."

"I can live with that."

And we end on Khonshu's statue gazing at Marlene and Steven embracing.

OKAY. Coming from the future and gazing upon the past, we know what is to come in the comics much much distance from when this one was written.

He does in fact quit again. He also ends up in a wheelchair again. What’s the difference? This time, it is Steven that handles it. In the future issue, it’s MARC that handles it. Another huge difference? In the future issue with Marc being left crippled, his friends have all left him and he suffers alone, angry, and in despair. This time, we see their friends rally around him. Steven is practical in how he confronts the problem, and Steven takes them through the rehab PT, he puts in the work, and he understands what it means to not be able to recover. He accepts potential failure and he makes peace with it.

Marc does not. In that future episode, Marc pushes himself over and over again and suffers in miserable agony as he fails and fails and fails. Steven accepts that he is a good man and he can live with himself if he can’t be Moon Knight. Marc cannot.

We also see the general use of ‘What WE do is important.’. He won’t quit again. He, being Steven Grant, acknowledges that he gave up too soon. He settled too soon and didn’t leave the others any say in the matter. He wrote off Jake and Marc and Moon Knight. Now he sees that he can’t do that. Moon Knight needs his place.

What I also love is that this was again another show of a battle against oneself. We see him struggling again with his own failures and dip into self depredation. They suffer with imposter syndrome and doubt and depression. He acknowledges that the doubt is still there. That they are still struggling, but that they now know that they need to keep pushing on and forward.

What I didn’t like about this issue? What happens to the girl? What happened to Bora after she is defeated? 14 years old and her dreams of ballet are gone and she is obviously not taking anything well. Do they just hand her over to the X-men to deal with? Also the main ballet dancer was killed! And the ballet just goes on? He was a pretty important figure it seems like! And the girl from earlier that was killed! I hate loose ends.

Overall, I really did enjoy this issue, even if it was a cross-over with loose ends. This is the last we see of special guest writer Tony Isabella. In the next issue, we get our first full one from Zelenetz!

#Moon Knight #Moon Knight comics #Analyzing the comics #Marc Spector #Steven Grant #Jake Lockley #marlene alraune #I enjoyed this one #Moon Knight is a drama king if I ever saw one though #Box 5 - you know if you know

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