A Character of Many Cowls 
I've tried to explain Moon Knight to my non-comic book reading friends and it hasn't been easy. He's a mercenary that was murdered and subsequently raised from the dead by a moon god named Khonshu. One minute, he is a degenerate cab driver named Jake Lockley and the next a millionaire playboy named Steven Grant, but his real name is Marc Spector. He has identity dissociative disorder and has been institutionalized on occasion. He goes from being without superpowers to having abilities coinciding with the phases of the moon. In addition, he maims lowly muggers, fistfights werewolves, or can knock Thor into space with his own hammer, depending on who is writing him. He doesn't even have a consistent costume. The only constant with Moon Knight is that he is hilariously and menacingly crazy.
Not All Villains are Created Equal
Now that I've gotten some background info out of the way, I'll be perfectly frank; I hate these villains and their first appearances as investments. Both of these characters are extremely minor antagonists in the overall Moon Knight mythos. They will undoubtedly be used as introductory cannon fodder to demonstrate Moon Knight's abilities. They have little to zero value as long-term holds as they were dollar bin books until very recently. Also, the ship has already sailed with these. If you have ever read my blogs before, you know how much I hate FOMO and quick flips. So what Moon Knight villain do I think is worth investing in? Read on.
Bushman Cometh
I am definitely not the first person to say Moon Knight #1 is a great buy. This book has a lot going for it. It is the first ongoing Moon Knight series, it is the first appearance of his main antagonist Bushman, the first appearance of Khonshu, it has a now-iconic cover and has beautiful interior artwork by industry legend Bill Sienkiewicz. It has tripled in value since the start of the pandemic and has a current fair market value of $950 in 9.8 with good reason, unlike most comics that experienced irrational increases in FMV during this period. While many comic books have dropped anywhere from 50 to 75% in FMV in the last 6 months, major Moon Knight keys have continued to weather the storm as expected. They will continue to do so in the years to come if all goes well with the character's debut.
Newsstand vs Direct
There is one aspect regarding this key issue that I rarely see mentioned that is important and worth a discussion: the newsstand to direct ratio. A common misconception, that all newsstand copies are rare, has taken hold in recent years and been promoted by questionable outlets. This could not be further from the truth as comic book shops were still relatively new in 1980. At that time, newsstand copies made up a whopping 90% of the comic book market. Until recently, early direct market comics actually demanded a premium. Other comics that come to mind with a small amount of direct copies are Savage She-Hulk #1, Thor #337, and Captain America #241. Don't fall for this hype trap; grab yourself a direct copy, especially right now while everyone is mistakenly chasing down the much more common newsstands editions of this issue.
Honorable Mention
If I had to choose a similarly iconic, defining moment for Moon Knight, it would be when he murders Bushman by peeling off his face with one of his crescent darts. It is arguably the most shocking and out-of-character moment for Marvel Comics. Time will tell if this panel will make it to the big screen. Still, with raw copies readily available for $5 dollars, why not roll the dice and grab a couple? If you prefer graded copies, 9.8s are going for $70. With David Finch cover art and a population of 48, you really can't go wrong. This issue also has the added bonus of the first appearance of Profile, a mob-related antagonist to Moon Knight who would make a great on-screen addition.
Penny For Your Thoughts
So what Moon Knight villains does everyone think are worth the cash? Will we likely see Bushman? Do you disagree with my Sun King and Midnight Man assessment? Feel free to try and convince me to buy a raw Moon Knight #3 for $100 dollars below. Good luck and thanks for reading!
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