How Powerful Are Moon Knight's Egyptian Gods Compared To Thor & Odin?

Warning: Contains spoilers for Moon Knight.

Moon Knight has introduced another powerful pantheon of gods to exist alongside the Norse gods like Thor and Odin: the Egyptian gods. Khonshu has already debuted with Ammit soon to follow, and it is likely more gods will appear by the end of the series. Although they haven't been around long, by looking at their MCU appearances and comics history, it can be seen how powerful Moon Knight's Egyptian gods are compared to the Norse gods.

Since Thor was released in 2011, the MCU has been populated by gods. The first to debut was the Norse gods, characters like Odin, Thor, and Loki. Now, with the release of Moon Knight, the Egyptian gods have joined. Marc Spector acts as the avatar of Khonshu, the moon god, while Moon Knight's villain Arthur Harrow works for Ammit, the Devourer of the Dead. While these two pantheons haven't crossed paths yet, there's always a chance that they might clash in the future.

Thor and the Norse gods have made appearances over the course of several movies, meaning that the limits of their powers are pretty well known. The Egyptian gods, on the other hand, have only appeared in a few episodes of Moon Knight. However, by looking at the history of these characters, the powers of the Egyptian gods can be compared and contrasted to the powers of the Norse gods.

What Powers Do Khonshu, Ammit & Moon Knight's Other Egyptian Gods Have?

Steven Grant encountering Khonshu The God Of Vengeance in the Disney+ Moon Knight series

Khonshu and the other Egyptian gods have already shown that they wield great power in their memorable but brief appearances. Khonshu has had the most screentime so far, so it's best to start with him. Khonshu works through his avatar, Marc Spector, and he has granted him some pretty incredible powers, such as increased strength, durability, and magical armor. Being the God of the Moon (and vengeance), Khonshu uses his powers to carry out his work through Moon Knight. Khonshu himself has shown that he has the powers to teleport and communicate with mortals without being seen by others. Ammit also holds great powers, although they have not yet been shown off. She grants Arthur Harrow the power to look inside a person and judge them, and can immediately take someone's life force away depending on the judgment. Ammit can also raise supernatural, undead animals, such as the jackal that attempts to kill Steven Grant. These powers are all that have been shown off in the show so far, but it is likely that many more are to come.

One massive downside to Moon Knight's Egyptian gods is that they can barely interact with the earthly plane without the help of their avatar. Arthur points out that, without the use of Marc, Khonshu cannot hurt anyone. All he is able to do on his own is blow gusts of wind and knock down a few shelves or flicker lights. This presumably is the case with every Egyptian god, explaining why they need avatars to do their bidding.

Although their powers haven't been shown off much in the MCU, they are far greater in the comics. Khonshu alone can lift 60 tons, has a healing factor, is immune to age and disease, is incredibly durable, and can teleport, resurrect humans, control moonrocks, and create earthquakes. On top of all that, Khonshu can even absorb the powers of others, having stolen abilities from characters like Doctor Strange and Thor. Besides Khonshu, other Egyptian gods have very similar powers in the comics. Ammit hasn't made many appearances, but Heliopolitans like Ra, Horus, and others have been shown to also wield these incredible strengths.

The MCU's Norse Gods: How Powerful Thor, Odin & Loki Are

Thor and Loki greet Odin in Thor Ragnarok.

Although Odin points out that the Norse gods are not technically gods in the MCU, the Asgardians have been shown to hold immense power throughout the Thor movies. Every Asgardian has some level of increased strength, speed, and durability when compared to humans. As Loki says, Odin is not only the most powerful Asgardian but one of the most powerful beings in the Nine Realms. His powers have dwindled as he has aged, but in his prime Odin could take down entire armies without breaking a sweat. In Thor, one of Odin's greatest powers comes from the manipulation of his own life force, known as the Odinforce. With the Odinforce, Odin can do almost anything, from shooting energy beams to teleporting to stripping other gods of their powers.

In comparison, the MCU's other Norse gods don't hold up as well. Thor is stronger than the average person, and with the use of Mjolnir, can fly, and on his own he can control massive amounts of lightning. Loki is the God of Mischief, which allows him to shapeshift and cast illusions. Loki shows that, with great practice, these illusions can be something as big as recreating all of Asgard, meaning that Loki has a lot of untapped potential. The Norse gods were considerably nerfed for the MCU in comparison to their comic book counterparts, but even there they pale in comparison to the likes of the Greek gods. Marvel's Norse gods like Thor and Loki can definitely hold their own in a fight, but besides outliers like Odin and his daughter Hela, most Asgardians are nowhere near the most powerful beings in the MCU.

How Moon Knight's Egyptian Gods Are Different From Thor's Gods

Although they are all deities, Moon Knight's Egyptian gods and Thor's Norse gods vary in a lot of significant ways. The biggest of these is the way in which they interact with the world. The Egyptian gods cannot directly interfere on Earth, only making their appearance known in a few minor ways. Instead, they must work through avatars, meaning that their powers are greatly limited on the earthly plane. The Norse gods, on the other hand, have no limits on how they interact with Earth. Thor is a member of the Avengers, and Loki headed the Battle of New York, meaning that their powers don't change at all between Asgard and Earth.

The second major way in which they differ is through their use of weapons. Whereas the Egyptian gods naturally are able to use their abilities, many of the Norse gods have to use weapons and tools in order to fully harness their powers. The biggest example of this is Mjolnir, Thor's hammer, which he had to use in order to fly and control lightning up until Thor: Ragnarok. This means that the Norse gods can be stripped of their powers much more easily than the Egyptian gods can. That said, it should be noted that as his magic is innate, Loki can draw on his powers with or without his weapons, which are usually in the form of double daggers.

The final difference has less to do with what their powers are and more to do with how they operate. Khonshu and the other Egyptian gods have been shown to be greedy and hotheaded, pursuing whatever they desire. This often puts them in conflict with their avatars, as was the case with Khonshu and Arthur Harrow when he was Moon Knight. The Norse gods aren't without their flaws, but they are known for being master strategists, meaning they tend to think things through more than the hedonistic Heliopolitans. Both groups are gods, but they couldn't be more different.

Are The MCU's Egyptian Gods More Powerful Than Thor & Odin?

Odin looking at his sons before his death in Thor: Ragnarok

Deciding if the Egyptian gods are more powerful than the Norse gods is complicated. On a pure power level, the Egyptian gods are stronger than the average Norse god. If they were fighting in the realm of the Heliopolis, nearly every Egyptian god could beat Norse gods like Thor and Loki. However, the fact that the Egyptian gods work through avatars puts them at a severe disadvantage. Moon Knight is less powerful compared to Thor, but in a one-on-one fight with Thor, Khonshu would win. Odin is the one major exception to this, as things like the Odinforce elevate him to the same level as the Egyptian gods. Typically, the aforementioned caveats and disadvantages the Egyptian gods have to deal with take their powers down a few notches. Overall, though, Moon Knight's Egyptian gods are technically more powerful than Thor's Norse gods in the MCU.

Next: Moon Knight Episode 2 Easter Eggs & Marvel References Explained

New episodes of Moon Knight release Wednesdays on Disney+.