Saturday, February 12, 2022

Saturday Showcase: Midnight


 As promised last week,  this week's Saturday Showcase will focus on Moon Knight's sidekick turned homicidal maniac, Midnight.  Just so you know, my showcases will follow characters from the world of Moon Knight in preparation of the hit series debuting on Disney+ at the end of March.  With that said, let's learn more about Jeffrey Wilde aka Midnight.


Jeff Wilde is the son of Anton Mogart, the Midnight Man and an old foe of Moon Knight. Jeff wanted to follow his father's path but found his destiny in teaming with Moon Knight.  I think deep down he teamed with Moon Knight to get a better sense at what makes him tick and to learn his fighting styles.

Anyway, while working with Moon Knight, Jeff wore a duplicate of Spector's costume. His impulsive nature got Jeff in over his head dealing with the Secret Empire, leading Moon Knight, Spider-Man, and Punisher into the conflict to bail him out. During the struggle, Number Seven of the Secret Empire shot Midnight, seemingly killing him in front of Moon Knight. Spector believed his sidekick was dead, but in fact, the Secret Empire took Midnight away to be rebuilt as a cyborg.

Jeff was controlled by the Secret Empire using a pain-inducing device in his head. *(I think they stole the idea from Suicide Squad, what do you think Jay?)* The control mechanism, combined with his own bitterness towards Moon Knight for "leaving him to die", led Midnight to begin willingly working with the Empire. While under the Empire's control, he aided them in breaking Thunderball out of prison and capturing the New Warrior Nova. 

Midnight assumed control of the Empire from the Council of Ten and teamed up with his nurse Lynn Church, who revealed herself to be a cyborg and the secret project of the deceased Number One. Moon Knight hearing about Jeff's survival and his involvement with the Secret Empire led him to build a team of heroes to put an end to the terror.    The team consisted of Moon Knight, Spider-Man, Darkhawk, Punisher, Nova, and Night Thrasher. After the final battle between the heroes and the Secret Empire, Church and Jeff were believed to be destroyed in a battle. 

A few years later, a man began to kill innocent people and use their blood to form a clock pointing to midnight. Though Moon Knight at first believed it to somehow be Mogart, the villain turned out to be Jeff, stronger than before and out for revenge on Marc. Jeff attacked Marc at home and boasted about how he wanted to take the whole Moon Knight experience and tarnish everything that Moon Knight stood for.  The two fought a lengthy battle but it ended with Moon Knight giving the death blow to his former sidekick turned nemesis.  

Powers:

  • Cyborg Body
  • Rocket Powered Feet 
  • Super-Extendable Arms
  • Super-Strength
  • Laser Beams

Name: Jeffrey Wilde
Current Alias: Midnight
Impersonations: Midnight Man & Moon Knight
Created by Chuck Dixon & Russ Heath
First Appearance: Marc Spector: Moon Knight #4 (May, 1989)
Last Appearance: Moon Knight (Vol. 5) #12 (September, 2007)


Until next time, get your READ on!

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