‘Moon Knight’: Who Is the Third Secret Alter?

A new contender enters the ring.

Disney+’s Moon Knight gave fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe a lot to unpack in its first three episodes. There’s Ethan Hawke’s Arthur Harrow trying to revive a heart-eating crocodile god, Egyptian divinities, magic, and sacred relics. All of this in a superhero universe already packed with fantastic elements. And at the center of it all, there’s Oscar Isaac playing two alters of a man suffering from Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID): Marc Specter and Steven Grant. Since the series premiere, Moon Knight has been carefully exploring the pains of sharing a body with multiple alters. Even so, Episode 3, “The Friendly Type,” blew fans’ mind’s by teasing that a third secret alter exists, hidden from both Marc and Steven.

However, while Episode 3 throws the existence of a third alter right into our collective faces, the show has been leaving breadcrumbs behind ever since its first episode. But who could be this third alter? And how could the third alter shift Moon Knight’s dynamics? The clues left by the show and the antihero’s comic book history might help us know what’s coming.

How Long Has the Third Alter Been Around?

The first episode of Moon Knight follows Steven Grant, a man passionate about Ancient Egypt who works in the gift store of a London museum. Steven’s life is in shambles as he tries to control a severe case of sleepwalking that makes him wake up in the strangest of places. As the episode develops, Steven and the audience find out that another man is inhabiting Steven’s body, a mercenary named Marc Spector. It turns out that Steven suffers from DID, and two alters struggle for the control of his body. The first episode focuses on the dynamic between Steven, who just want to live a normal life, and Marc, a warrior chosen by the Egyptian Moon God Khonshu. However, paying closer attention to the first episode allows us to realize there might be a third alter hiding inside Steven’s/Marc’s body.

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For starters, the security guard of the museum where Steven works keeps calling him “Scotty.” While the security guard could just be teasing Steven, the repetition of the mistake could also indicate that a different alter was using the name “Scotty.” Also, we need to consider that Steven was not aware of the date he set with a coworker in the first episode. That means a different alter was using his body at the time. And as we now know, Marc only took over the body to carry out his missions for Khonshu. In fact, Marc is still married to Layla (May Calamawy) and doesn’t seem to have overcome the separation from her. So, Marc would have no incentive to ask one of Steven’s coworkers out for dinner. It’s fair to assume that the “Scotty” alter was in control of the body at the time.

Another interesting detail comes from Moon Knight’s credit montage. At a specific moment, we get to see a picture of Isaac with three faces coming out of his head. This is a clear nod to the antihero’s DID, but could also indicate that there are actually three alters, instead of two, fighting for the body’s control. But who could be the “Scotty” alter? And what are his intentions? A look at Moon Knight’s comic books might answer that.

Is Moon Knight’s Third Alter Jack Lockey?

Ever since Moon Knight first showed up in Marvel Comics, in 1975’s Werewolf by Night #32, three main alters have been inhabiting the body of a man with DID. Marc Spector is a mercenary who dies in the sands of Egypt, only to be resurrected by Khonshu and turned into Moon Knight. Steven Grant is a millionaire who funds the antihero’s operations. Lastly, there’s Jack Lockey, a cab driver with deep ties to criminal networks, who serves as an informant for the antihero. Each alter lives his life somewhat unaware of the others. Further iterations of the character have also used Moon Knight as a fourth different alter, and more recently, Mr. Knight has surged as a fifth alter.

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Jack Lockey comic

The Moon Knight series takes many liberties with the original material, making the antihero’s MCU version unique. For starters, Steven Grant is not a millionaire, but an everyday man and store clerk. The series also takes the character away from New York City and puts him in London. Finally, the series gives Moon Knight superpowers. While in the comic books, the antihero only uses equipment that Steven’s money can buy; in the series, Marc can summon a super-suit that turns him into Moon Knight. So, instead of different alters, Moon Knight and Mr. Knight become the superpowered versions of Marc and Steven, respectively. That means the only classic comic book alter that’s not yet accounted for in the show is the taxi driver Jack Lockey. Could Jack be “Scotty” in the show?

In Episode 3, when Marc wakes up after being kicked out of the body, he’s in the back seat of a cab. That seems like a clear nod that Jack was in control at the time, especially since Steven also doesn’t know what happened while Marc blacked out. Episode 3 also teases that the third secret alter is a bloody man who doesn’t mind killing others. While this is not on par with Jack’s comic book personality, the show completely revamps Steven, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if Moon Knight also changes Jack’s motivations. Turning Jack into a bloodthirsty killer might even allow the series to keep Marc on the good side of the vigilante specter. While Marc is a brutal mercenary in the comic books, the show is making an effort to turn him into a sympathetic character who can be redeemed. So, by presenting a third alter who’s more bad than good, the show can allow Steven and Marc to work together to contain the evil part of their collective mind.

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It could also be that, instead of Jack Lockey, the series is creating a whole new alter for the antihero. That would explain the name “Scotty,” which doesn’t have a comic book counterpart. That would also allow Moon Knight’s creative team more freedom to deal with an alter that turns out to be the show’s true villain and must be suppressed at all costs. That could also lead to the debut of a new super-suit since this third evil alter could have his own version of Khonshu’s armor. Episode 4 of Moon Knight should give us more answers concerning the secret alter. The final duel between Khonshu’s fist and Ammit’s followers seems to be reaching its natural conclusion, so the remaining episodes should bring the focus back to the struggle happening inside the antihero’s mind.

The first three episodes of Moon Knight are streaming now on Disney+.

Source: hipmodesreview