Moon Knight: Divided We Fall
Moon Knight: Divided We Fall is a 1992 American one-shot comic written by Bruce Jones, with artwork by Denys Cowan, Tom Palmer, and Mike Manley. It features the Marvel Comics superhero Moon Knight, AKA Mark Spektor, a former mercenary who gained superpowers after agreeing to become the living avatar of the Egyptian moon god Khonshu.
Plot[edit | edit source]
A group of hard-core Communists hire Moon Knight's nemesis Raoul Bushman to assassinate Soviet premier Mikhail Gorbachev during an upcoming peace conference. Bushman accepts the contract and adds his own cruel twist- not only will Moon Knight be there in person to witness the murder, but the killers will turn out to be two of his closest associates.
To that end, Soviet agent "Dick Blaine" drugs, hypnotizes, and brainwashes Moon Knight's girlfriend Marlene, as well as his best friend Frenchie DuChamp. To ensure that the superhero will also be at the peace conference, Blaine hires Moon Knight to prove "extra security" during the event.
Moon Knight initially chalks up the strange behavior he sees in Marlene and Frenchie to lingering feelings stemming from recent arguments. He briefly attempts to spy on Marlene using a hidden audio bug but, feeling guilty, quickly shuts it off (missing an important conversation between Blaine and Bushman). It's only after he arrives at the peace conference and sees Marlene sitting in the audience that he begins to put things together.
The trigger for the assassins is a peace banner that is unveiled behind the Soviet leader during his speech. Marlene and Frenchie draw their guns, but Moon Knight is able to swoop down from the rafters and disarm them (stopping Frenchie, who is hiding above the stage with a sniper rifle, is mostly due to dumb luck).
Moon Knight is tricked into handing over Frenchie and Marlene to some of Bushman's hired goons, who slap them into a van and drive off. Luckily, Frenchie has shaken off the brainwashing and is able to covertly guide Moon Knight to his location. The superhero defeats the bad guys while Frenchie saves Marlene from drowning in a lake.
The story then jumps ahead to Blaine and Bushman arrested, and confessing their crimes, clearing Marlene and Frenchie of wrongdoing.
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Marlene's spa has a new masseuse... with a new (drugged) drink
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He soon lulls her into a hypnotic trance
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Then heads over to the gym to befriend Frenchie...
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...before drugging and hypnotizing him as well
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Marlene tells Mark that she's moving into her own place for a while
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When she arrives home, Blaine is there to hypnotize her again
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Blaine hires Moon Knight to provide security for the peace conference.
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Later, a brainwashed Frenchie practices for the assassination
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Mndlessly repeating his programmed orders
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Meanwhile, Blaine gives Marlene a different kind of training
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Bushman only cares that his newest minions can (and will) commit murder
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He explains why he chose Moon Knights friends for the brainwashing
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To destroy him by destroying everything he loves