Moon Knight Episode 5: Quotes and References in Asylum
Moon Knight Episode 5
With Asylum, Moon Knight, the Disney + series dedicated to the Marvelian hero, is approaching its conclusion, delving deeply into Marc Spector's tormented psyche. After the events of the previous episode and the apparent death of our unusual hero, Asylum is central to exploring the inner mind and personality of Moon Knight. Perfect opportunity to include a series of quotes from both the editorial history of Moon Knight, but also some references to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Reason that prompted us to look for references and quotes in Moon Knight Episode 5.Subscribe now to Disney + at € 8.99 per month or € 89.90 per year Obviously, continuing to read could be a source of spoiler if you haven't seen Asylum yet, which is why it would be preferable to read this easter egg hunt after watching Moon Knight Episode 5. The new installment of the series dedicated to Khonshu's Fist not only represents an important turning point for the plot by Moon Knight, but it is also the first episode in which we see more marked references to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Recover Moon Knight Episode 1: Quotes and References in The Single-finned Fish; A cumbersome presence; Amnesie Recuperate Moon Knight Episode 2: Quotes and References in Summon Costume Recover Moon Knight Episode 3: Quotes and References in A Friendly Guy Recover Moon Knight Episode 4: Quotes and References in The Tomb
Moon Knight Episode 5: Quotes and References
Is the mind a prison or the other world?
As revealed in the first minutes of the episode, the psychiatric hospital in which Marc Spector is locked up is a mental projection of his unconscious, which tries to process his transition to the realm of the dead. However, in his reconstruction, Dr. Harrow (Ethan Hawke) tries to convince Marc that he is in a real asylum, the Putnam Medical Facility. Name that recalls Putnam Psychiatric Hospital, mental care clinic where we found Marc Spector in the Jeff Lemire run.The origins by Steven Grant and Moon Knight… and more
During the painful journey into the memories of his past, Marc Spector unwittingly guides us to discover the origins of Steven Grant and his superhero alter ego, Moon Knight.We thus discover that Marc had a brother, Randall, who dies of an accident during his childhood, causing in the mother a hatred towards his son, which is vented with an oppressive attitude. A situation in which, in order to survive this injury, Marc creates an alter ego, Steven Grant, inspired by a heroic figure from his favorite adventure film, Tomb Busters, the adventurous archaeologist Steven Grant. Character created by Doug Perlin, name born from the merger of those of Doug Mech and Don Perlin, the two creators of Moon Knight.
This parenthesis of the episode allows us to show Marc's room, in which there are some references to the comic version shown during the aforementioned run of Lemire, such as references to Star Wars. Steven's origins are different from the paper original, considered as in the comics Steven is Marc's escape route when he discovers that one of the family friends is actually a Nazi war criminal and serial killer. Randall Spector's presence is again in reference to comics, although in the Moon Knight comics he does not die, but traumatized as his brother chooses to become a mercenary, becoming what will later be known as the criminal Shadowknigh t.
We are also witnessing the moment when Marc Spector takes on the role of Moon Knight. After hearing about his investiture in the spirit of Khonshu's revenge in previous episodes, we finally see the moment when Khonshu offers a second chance to Marc Spector, dying after the betrayal of his former commander during his years of service as military, eventually becoming a mercenary who hires Marc once he is disbarred from the army. And finally also in Moon Knight Bushman is mentioned, who gets a military background close to the American armed forces absent in the comic. The scenography in which Marc and Steven move in this reconstruction is taken from the representation made by Jed MacKay in Moon Knight # 1 of 2021. Side note: when we are about to witness the death of Randall Spector, just before entering the cave Marc tramples the skeleton of a bird that seems to look a lot like Khonshu, as if to indicate that Marc's path to his role as an instrument of the Egyptian god has long been written.
In Asylum, we may have heard yet another reference to one of the Moon Knight personalities. In the scene set in the room where the corpses of those who Moon Knight killed are present, Marc points to each corpse recalling the places where they were killed, also citing New York. It is difficult not to see in this reference a reference to Jake Lockley, personality of the character who had a certain affinity with the Big Apple.
Equally important could be the presence, in little Marc's bedroom, of a puppet of a space man, a clue that could be linked to a fourth personality of Moon Knight, present in the series by Jeff Lemire and never explored.
Moon Knight: Asylum
After the traditional search for quotes and references in Moon Knight 5, we cannot help but recognize in this episode the high point of the Disney + series. The definition of a complex character like Marc Spector required, after the sometimes light and fun approach offered by Steven, of an inner origin story that would give full coherence to this complex mental puzzle. Asylum manages to touch the emotional chords of the spectators, shows us all of Marc's painful experience with a selection of episodes. Oscar Isaac is simply sumptuous in portraying Marc's personal drama, with compelling 'double' acting upon which the entire episode is based.The superhero element is marginal in this episode, which focuses entirely on the emotional construction of the human side of Khonshu's Fist. The use of a fantastic medium such as the Egyptian afterlife is functional not only to reaffirm the link with Khonshu and the Egyptian pantheon, but also proves to be a sharp narrative tool with which to portray a tormented soul. An intimate and introspective chapter of Moon Knight, which leaves us with great curiosity to find out how the series dedicated to the Fist of Khonshu will end.
