Marvel Spotlight (1971) 2

Welcome to another National Moon Day.

For a third year we recognize the non-holiday spearheaded by former President Richard M. Nixon in 1971. To date, we have used Marc (Moon Knight) Spector and John (Man Wolf) Jameson as our emcees for the day. This year we call on Jack Russel (I’m sure the pun is intended), aka Werewolf by Night.

The Russel curse was unveiled in Marvel Spotlight issue two. Young Jack learned he was the latest in a long line of lycanthropes. The earliest recorded transformation was in 1795 when the surname was still Russoff.

Marvel Spotlight (1971) 2

Through a convoluted back story, the curse went into remission until ancestor Gregor Russoff opened the Darkhold book and released the family demon once again.

Following the Werewolf’s debut, two more stories were released in Spotlight before he received his own title. Werewolf by Night ran 43 issues.

Most notable of the run is issue 32 marking the first appearance of Moon Knight.

WWBN would play host to a second notable first-appearance with Giant-Size Creatures by Night (1974) issue one. Greer Grant Nelson would make her transformation from Cat to the furry Tigra.

Giant-Size Creatures by Night would be renamed Giant-Size Werewolf by Night for issues two through five.

Following the cancellation of his series, Russell made various guest appearances throughout the MCU. Moon Knight would return the favor with a periodic guest spot. Spider-Woman was another stopover, mainly because the two existed on the west coast together.

He would also appear in West Coast Avengers and Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme and became a supporting character in Morbius: The Living Vampire.

Russell was given his own mini in 1998 that ran six issues. In 2007, Russell earned a one-shot, Legion of Monsters, Werewolf by Night and a four-issue mini-series in 2009, Dead of Night Featuring Werewolf by Night under the Max imprint.

On the small screen Russell has appeared in The Super Hero Squad Show, This Man-Thing, This Monster; Ultimate Spider-Man episodes Blade and The Howling Commandos and Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. Hulking Commandos.

To celebrate today, read any of the above-mentioned issues, watch any of the above-mentioned animated features and/or really delve into some history of the Apollo 11 mission to the moon.

Your choice, but all good ones in our opinion.