NEPTHYS
Real Name: Sandahl Swarn
Identity/Class: Human
Occupation: High Priestess; former intelligence agent
Group Membership: Cult of Khonshu (including the Knights of the Moon); formerly CIA (especially Operation: Cobra)
Affiliations: A.I.M. (Packard, others), Hatchet-Man (Randall Spector imposter), Shadowknight (Randall Spector), Mr. Stenner
Enemies: Moon Knight (Marc Spector), Punisher (Frank Castle)
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: Princess Nepthys
Base of Operations: A secret lab in Central Park's water reservoir, New York City;
formerly a brownstone building on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, New York City
First Appearance: (Behind the scenes) HULK!#17/2 (October, 1979); (actual appearance) Marc Spector: Moon Knight#35 (February, 1992); (real name) Marc Spector: Moon Knight#36 (March, 1992)
Powers/Abilities: Nepthys was a trained CIA agent with natural leadership skills. She was well versed in the brainwashing techniques used by Operation: Cobra. She was highly intelligent and could not only translate hieroglyphics, but also use modern technology to recreate ancient rituals. She had no qualms about sacrificing human lives as long as it served her own plans.
Height: 5'9" (by approximation)
Weight: 135 lbs. (by approximation)
Eyes: Gray
Hair: Black
History:
(Marc Spector: Moon Knight#36 (fb) - BTS) - Sandahl Swarn worked for the CIA and became Randall Spector's lover. At some point she joined of the rogue CIA's branch Operation: Cobra. (see comments)
When Randall returned from a mercenary mission in the Middle East with papyrus documents known as the Will of Khonshu he gave it to Sandahl.
(Marc Spector: Moon Knight#37 (fb) - BTS) - Sandahl translated the papyrus documents and she and Randall learned that there were once two Khonshus and that one of them gained the power of the other by slaying him under a specific stars configuration.
(Marc Spector: Moon Knight#36 (fb) - BTS) - She realized that they were destined for something greater and quit Operation: Cobra. She took some of their hardware with her to build the Lunar Absorber and the technology needed to fake Randall's death.
(Marc Spector: Moon Knight#37 (fb) - BTS) - Nepthys designed lunar treatments for Randall from the Will of Khonshu.
(Marc Spector: Moon Knight#36 (fb) - BTS) - She then joined the Cult of Khonshu and went underground.
(Marc Spector: Moon Knight#37 (fb) - BTS) - Nepthys waited for a chance to seize power over the cult and turn them into a terrorist force-for-hire.
(Marc Spector: Moon Knight#35 (fb) - BTS) - Swarn used extensive plastic surgery, experimental drugs and implanted memories taken from Randall Spector to manipulate a man into believing he was the true Randall Spector.
(HULK!#17/2-18/2 - BTS) - The man became the insane serial killer known as the Hatchet-Man, who nearly claimed the life of Marlene Alraune. He ultimately died in battle with his supposed brother Marc Spector aka. Moon Knight, who had already suspected the killer to be his brother.
(Marc Spector: Moon Knight#36 (fb) - BTS) - Nepthys became the new leader of the Cult of Khonshu after the apparent death of Plasma (Leila O'Toole).
(Marc Spector: Moon Knight#37 (fb) - BTS) - She considered Randall as nothing more than a pawn to further her cause to turn the Knights of the Moon into a terrorist force-for-hire loyal to her.
(Marc Spector: Moon Knight#33 - BTS) - Nepthys sent Randall after Moon Knight.
(Marc Spector: Moon Knight#35 (fb) - BTS) - The Cult of Khonshu bought a munitions shipment from A.I.M. through Mr. Stenner.
(Marc Spector: Moon Knight#35) - The Knights of the Moon informed Princess Nepthys of Randall Spector's return. She assured the Knights that they would soon begin the trials of Khonshu. Randall was impatient as ever and Nepthys asked the Knights not to keep the rightful avatar of Khonshu waiting. Nepthys and the Knights greeted Randall at the entrance and Nepthys was slightly surprised that he was not wearing his mask. He revealed that he had left it behind because it would inspire the necessary response from Moon Knight after he had taken everything away from him (he nearly killed Marlene, Frenchie and blew up his mansion). Nepthys hugged Randall in response.
Moon Knight soon found his car parked in front of an Upper East Side building and encountered the Knights of the Moon inside. Overpowered by them he was confronted by Nepthys, who revealed that the Hatchet-Man that died years ago in battle with Moon Knight was not Randall Spector, but an imposter. The real Randall Spector than showed his face to his brother and the head of the Khonshu statue stolen from Moon Knight's mansion. Moments later the Punisher crashed through the wall on a motorbike to go after the terrorist Cult of Khonshu, which he had learned from A.I.M.'s Packard after a brutal interrogation.
(Marc Spector: Moon Knight#36) - Randall shielded Nepthys from the Punisher's bullets even though she insisted he protect himself first. Moon Knight interrupted Punisher's attack to prevent any further deaths. Randall confirmed Moon Knight's suspicion that he was not the serial killer years ago, but before he could reveal anything else Nepthys stopped him. While Moon Knight and the Punisher fought Randall helped Nepthys escape through a window.
Moon Knight and the Punisher tracked Nepthys and the Knights of the Moon down to a secret lab in the water reservoir of Central Park. Nepthys operated mechanisms and told Randall, who was inside a tank, that if all went according to plan this would be the last pain he ever felt. Nepthys had planned for Moon Knight and the Punisher to arrive and they fell right into her trap. She ordered the Knights of the Moon to kill the Punisher, but spare Moon Knight's life because he was still needed for the trials. Nepthys released Randall from the tank while the Punisher took down the Knights of the Moon. She then revealed to Moon Knight that the ritual to turn Randall into the avatar of Khonshu was not yet complete, but that the celestial configurations were aligned that night for the Lunar Absorber's use. Before she could go into any further details the Punisher aimed at her head, but Moon Knight saved her while Randall, now calling himself the Shadowknight, attacked the Punisher only to be shot with an energy blast by him.
(Marc Spector: Moon Knight#37) - Nepthys was shocked when Shadowknight went down, but he quickly recovered proving to Nepthys that the lunar treatments had worked. Nepthys watched as the Punisher futilely continued to blast Shadowknight with A.I.M.'s energy weapon, but when Shadowknight forced the Punisher to shoot the ceiling, causing the reservoir to be flooded.
(Marc Spector: Moon Knight#37 - BTS) - Shadowknight protected Nepthys with his own body from the cave-in.
(Marc Spector: Moon Knight#37) - Nepthys and a few Knights of the Moon surrounded the reservoir and shot at the Punisher when he rose from the water. Nepthys couldn't wait to turn the Knights of the Moon into a viable terrorist force-for-hire and ordered them to follow her to witness the ascension of Randall Spector foretold in the Will of Khonshu. The Punisher had survived the Knights' attack and tossed a gas grenade at them before hitting them with a barrage of bullets. Nepthys barely escaped a grenade blast with a few Knights of the Moon. She ran toward the battle between Moon Knight and Shadowknight and asked Shadowknight to kill Moon Knight, which distracted Shadowknight long enough for Moon Knight to overpower him. Nepthys launched herself at Moon Knight with a dagger, but was shot with the A.I.M. energy rifle by the Punisher before she could stab him. Moon Knight took the Will of Khonshu from her and learned about the battle between the brothers Khonshu and that Khonshu was a god of justice.
Comments: Created by Terry Kavanagh, Ron Garney & Tom Palmer.
It was clearly Operation: Cobra from Marvel Preview#21 (Spring 1980) Nepthys was working for because Moon Knight hinted at them while talking to the Punisher.
Sandahl named herself after the Ennead goddess Nepthys.
I assume Asp (Cleo Nefertiti) wore stuff like Nepthys' garb in her former job.
--Markus Raymond
In Moon Knight VII#17 (September, 2015) an unidentified woman with a similar taste in clothes and jewels appeared as leader of followers of Khonshu. There is no known connection to Nepthys.
Profile by Markus Raymond.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Nepthys should not be confused with:
images (without ads)
Marc Spector: Moon Knight#35, p11, pan4 (main)
Marc Spector: Moon Knight#36, p17, pan2 (with jacket)
Marc Spector: Moon Knight#37, p21, pan2 (BZOW)
Appearances:
HULK!#17/2 (October, 1979) - Doug Moench (writer), Bill Sienkiewicz (pencils), Klaus Janson (inks), Rick Marschall (editor)
HULK!#18/2 (December, 1979) - Doug Moench (writer), Bill Sienkiewicz (pencils), Klaus Janson (inks), Rick Marschall (editor)
Marc Spector: Moon Knight#33 (December, 1991) - Howard Mackie (writer), Ron Garney (pencils), Tom Palmer (inks), Danny Fingeroth (editor)
Marc Spector: Moon Knight#35-37 (February-April, 1992) - Terry Kavanagh (writer), Ron Garney (pencils), Tom Palmer (inks), Joey Cavalieri (editor)
First Posted: 03/30/2021
Last updated: 03/10/2024
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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