Moon Knight: Who Is Layla's Egyptian Superhero - Powers & Comics Origin (2024)

Caution: spoilers ahead forMoon Knight episode 6

What do we know about Layla's Egyptian superhero inMoon Knight, and how do her powers and origin story compare to the Marvel comics? May Calamawy's Layla El-Faouly began her MCU journey as little more than a disgruntled voice on the other end of Marc Spector's cellphone. Eventually,Moon Knight revealed Marc had been involved in the murder of Abdallah El-Faouly and sought outthe archaeologist'sdaughter with hopes of making amends, but ended up marrying her instead. Easy mistake to make.

Renowned for herhistorical knowledge and ability to acquire rare (and valuable!) Egyptian artifacts, Layla has already proven herself a capable fighter inMoon Knight.Despite lacking her husband's god-given abilities, Layla has fought supernaturalpriests, dodged crazy cultists, and played a vital role in saving the world from Ethan Hawke's Arthur Harrow even before episode 6. For many, Layla El-Faouly was already a superhero... butnowher Marvel status is official.

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Moon Knight season 1's finale debuts Layla as Scarlet Scarab - a transformation heavily foreshadowedby previous episodes. Layla was nicknamed "Little Scarab" by her father, who wore a red scarf embroidered with a scarab motif, and inMoon Knight episode 4's trippy hospital sequence, Laylawore a finger bandage adorned with a red scarab beetle. Now those hints have been paid off, how does Layla's origin story compare to the Marvel comics? What powers does she possess? And what does her MCU future hold?

Layla Is Scarlet Scarab - Comics Origin Explained

Moon Knight's Layla El-Faouly is not an established Marvel creation, but her backstory and characterizationclosely mirror a comic character called Marlene Alraune. Just like Layla, Marlene became an archaeologist (and Marc Spector's lover) after her father was killed by mercenaries at an Egyptian dig site. Until now,Moon Knight's Layla has been largely indistinguishable from Marlene, but episode 6's Scarlet Scarab transformation marks a major detour,since Marlenenever makes the leap into superheroism. Nevertheless,Moon Knightremains true to its source material... sort of.

Marvel's Scarlet Scarab title was firstheld byAbdul Faoul (notice the similarity toMoon Knight's Abdallah El-Faouly) before passing to his son, Mehemet. In his debut comic appearance, Dr. Faoul secretly led the Sons of the Scarab - a group of patriotic Egyptians who opposed British control of their country. For context, Egypt gained independence from Britain in 1922, but a colonial presence remained through until World War II, when the Allies used Egypt as a base.After tricking Human Torch and Namor into locating the legendary Ruby Scarab, Faoul seized the mystical relic for himself and transformed into Scarlet Scarab for the first time. Although he initially opposed the Invaders (WWII superheroes led by Steve Rogers), Scarlet Scarab reluctantly switched sides upon realizing the Nazis were considerably worse. Imbued with supernatural gifts, Faoul then protected Egypt before passing the Ruby Scarab down to his son.

Needless to say, Layla's superhero origin is completely altered without the comics' World War II setting. Rather than seeking power to fight the British (which might get a little awkward every time Steven Grant pops out), Layla reluctantlyreceives her new abilities as a means of bringing down Arthur Harrow and Ammit. Andinstead of Abdul Faoul'sRuby Scarab gem, the source of Layla's power is very similar to Marc Spector's, only with Taweret in place of Khonshu. Despite these changes,Moon Knight does create a small thread of continuity between Layla and her father, which echoes the bond between Abdul and Mehemet Faoul in the Marvel comics. Though Abdallah El-Faouly was never Scarlet Scarab, Taweret did encounter him in the afterlife, and tells Layla he'd be extremely proud of her becoming a superhero. The MCU's Scarlet Scarab also shares the comic version's mission to protect Egypt, as when a young bystander asks Layla whether she's an Egyptian superhero, the Scarab boldly answers, "I am."

Related:Moon Knight's Black Panther Tease Sets Up A Future Avengers Villain

Moon Knight doesn't directly refer to Layla's superheroguise as "Scarlet Scarab," but from the contextual clues provided and the scarab motif of her armor, it's a pretty safe bet.

Scarlet Scarab's Powers Explained

Drawing her power from Taweret, Layla's Scarlet Scarab abilities are more or less identical to Moon Knight's.The Egyptian hippo god grants her avatar a divine armor that can deflect bullets and magic with ease. Whereas Marc Spector gets a moon-shaped blade and Steven Grant uses nightsticks, Layla's Scarlet Scarab costume comes bestowed with a pair of twin swords. Like her husband, Laylawas alreadyprettyhandy in a fight, but accepting Taweret as an avatar grants her superhuman strength, endurance and agility - performing ridiculous feats of gymnastics, absorbing magical blasts from Arthur Harrow's cane, and ripping off a car door without breaking a sweat. Using her costume's wings, Layla alsoreceives some degree of flying ability. Although she doesn't take enough damage inMoon Knight episode 6 to say for certain, it'sprobablysafe to assume Taweret's presence affords Layla the same regenerative capacity Marc and Steven get from Khonshu.

The MCU's Scarlet Scarab powers aresomewhat similar to the original comic character. Like Layla, Abdul Faoul and his son were granted boosts in strength, agility and endurance, elevating their fighting abilities beyondhuman levels. The comic Scarabs were also capable of flight, albeit without wings built into their armor. Layla gets slightly short-changed, as Marvel's original Scarlet Scarabs could use the Ruby Scarab to fire energy blasts and drain enemies. Taweret doesn't offer that perk, but unlike her comic counterparts, Layla doesn't need to be holding a gemstone to access her superhero form.

Scarlet Scarab's MCU Future - What Happens Next?

Moon Knightepisode 6 ends ambiguously on multiple counts - including Layla's Scarlet Scarab future. When she first accepts Taweret as a divine passenger, Layla stresses their arrangement is only temporary, which could mean she reverts back to her regular self once the battle against Arthur Harrow is won. Unlike Khonshu "leaving" Marc, however,nothingtranspires onscreen, implying Layla lets her inner hippo hitch a ride a little longer. Layla staying on as the MCU's Scarlet Scarab would make sense, since Taweret is a far more chilled Egyptian god compared to Khonshu. Whereas Marc Spector bargained with an entity who wanted to enslave and manipulateits host, the happy-go-lucky Taweret comes acrossgentle and accommodatingtoward her human. Unlike Marc and Khonshu, it's easy to imagine Layla and Taweret coexisting peacefully and respectfully.

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Moon Knight subtly hintsthatScarlet Scarab's MCUjourney is only just beginning. As mentioned above, a wide-eyed young civilian asks whetherLayla is an "Egyptian superhero" during the final battle, and she accepts thishonor with a proud smile. Theacknowledgementsuggests Layla hasdeveloped afondnessfor her Scarlet Scarab persona, and changed her mind about kicking Taweret outimmediately after the battle is over. With this line, Marvel affirms its commitment to diverse representation by introducing an explicitly Egyptian MCU superhero. That alone should cement Layla's future in the franchise.

The big question is precisely where she'll feature next.Moon Knight season 2 isthe obvious pick, but a second Disney+run for Oscar Isaac and co.remains unconfirmed at the time of writing. Given how Marvel's gods are all connected, Scarlet Scarab could feasiblymake a cameo inBlack Panther: Wakanda Forever, butwould represent an equally naturaladditionto the MCU's rumoredA-Force movie. Layla doesn't seem morally ambiguous enough forthe Thunderbolts, norgreen enough to join the Young Avengers, soThe Avengers 5maybecome her ultimate destination afterMoon Knight.

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