‘Moon Knight’ Episode 2 Reveals Arthur Harrow and Khonshu’s Shocking History

Moon Knight spent its premiere establishing Steven Grant (Oscar Isaac) and Arthur Harrow (Ethan Hawke) as characters, and episode 2 offers more insight into both. Specifically, the second installment touches on what it means to be Khonshu’s (F. Murray Abraham) avatar. And it reveals an unexpected connection between the Egyptian god and the Disney+ show’s antagonist.

[Warning: This article contains spoilers for Moon Knight Episode 2, “Summon the Suit.”]

Marc Spector is Khonshu’s current avatar in ‘Moon Knight’

Those who watched the series premiere of Marvel’s Moon Knight know there’s a connection between Marc Spector and the Egyptian god Khonshu. That’s why Marc’s other identity, Steven Grant, keeps having run-ins with Arthur Harrow and his minions. It’s also how he keeps surviving them.

Once Steven realizes that those encounters are, in fact, happening beyond his dreams, he confronts Marc about the situation. Marc reveals he’s Khonshu’s avatar, though he doesn’t get into specifics with Steven. He simply tells him they “protect the vulnerable and deliver Khonshu’s justice to those who hurt them.”

Later in the episode, a conversation between Marc and Khonshu reveals precisely what went down to land the two in their current circumstances. The god brought Marc back when he was on the brink of death — and in return, he expects Marc to serve him.

None of this is incredibly surprising, especially for fans who know Moon Knight’s comics history or those who picked up on the hints from the series premiere. However, Moon Knight Episode 2 does contain one surprising detail about Khonshu: that Arthur Harrow was his previous avatar.

‘Moon Knight’ Episode 2 reveals a surprising history between Khonshu and Arthur Harrow

Although the history between Marc and Khonshu has been alluded to from the jump, Moon Knight Episode 2 reveals that Marc isn’t Khonshu’s first avatar. In fact, the show’s antagonist, Arthur Harrow, was once connected to the god in the same way. This is what he tells Steven during one of their conversations, and it comes as a bit of a surprise.

Arthur Harrow only appears in a single issue of the Moon Knight comics, and this development marks a deviation from the source material. It certainly raises the stakes for the characters, and it explains why Khonshu wants Arthur defeated so badly.

Unfortunately, the Marvel show doesn’t delve into how Arthur escaped Khonshu’s influence or how he came to represent Ammit instead. But it does allude to why. And his unexpected connection to the god could have implications for Steven and Marc in future episodes.

What does episode 2’s revelation mean for Steven and Marc?

So, what does Arthur Harrow’s history with Khonshu mean for Steven Grant and Marc Spector? If nothing else, it proves their connection to the Egyptian god can be broken. That’s something Marc suggests throughout the episode, but Arthur tells Steven that Khonshu always has another mission in mind.

The antagonist also repeatedly tells the show’s lead that he doesn’t need to obey all of Khonshu’s orders. Since Arthur knows so much about working with Khonshu — and leaving him behind — he could hold much-needed answers for Steven and Marc in the future. If he’s telling the truth, they’ll have a hard time fully repaying their debt.

And the tail end of the second installment suggests that Layla (May Calamawy) could be in trouble if Marc and Steven do complete their final mission. It leaves one wondering who the real villain of the show is — and whether Steven should be listening to Khonshu, Arthur, or himself.

Moon Knight Episode 2 is currently streaming on Disney+.