Carson Knowles (Earth-616)

Carson Knowles was a veteran who returned home without applause. His job had been passed on, and his wife left him with their son. He barely got by as a deliveryman and found out his son was killed by phone. After his car was stripped for parts and a mugger accosted him, Knowles snapped and beat the man nearly to death.

Seeking to destroy the city that treated him so badly, Carson Knowles ran as a dark horse candidate for mayor on his father's name and political connections. He also created a second identity as Black Spectre, beating and blackmailing the local precinct boss to support Knowles. In a fight with Moon Knight, his mask slipped, but Moon Knight was unable to convince anyone that Mayoral Candidate Knowles and Black Spectre were one and the same. Eventually, Moon Knight defeated Black Spectre in public and his assistant Marlene Alraune uncovered Knowles corrupt plans for the city in his political office.^[1]

He was released from prison years later but was constantly challenged by his co-workers and a corrupt probation officer.^[2] He succumbed to the trappings of his former life as the Black Spectre and decided to get his revenge on Moon Knight by killing his victims and carving a crescent shape into their forehead, thus implicating Moon Knight. He then revealed himself to Moon Knight and after beating him stole Stark nanotechnology and infected a group of citizens celebrating the 50-State Initiative. He then brutally beat Mark to near death and revealed that using the nanites, he would command the entire crowd to commit suicide as all he wanted was the world to burn for his son's death and mistreating him. Moon Knight, unable to walk and with no time to stop him from doing so, pulled his leg and caused him to fall off the rooftop of the building above the crowd. He appeared to die on impact.^[3]

Black Spectre and other villains were later recruited by Jackal Knight to become his version of the Legion of the Unliving in a plot to kill Moon Knight as he was trying to return the soul of Khalil Nasser, mortal host of the god Osiris, to his body. Jackal Knight's scheme was thwarted when Nasser sacrificed himself to free Osiris.^[4]

• Martial Arts: He was an exceptional hand-to-hand combatant trained in judo and karate.^[5]
• Master Strategist^[5]
• Charisma: He was a charismatic speaker.^[5]
• Weapons Master: He was capable of wielding multiple weapons.^[5]

Bulletproof and spiked helmet and armor.^[5]

Swords, a mace, an ax, a three-headed flail and multiple throwing spikes.^[5]