# Marlene Alraune

Marlene Alraune is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Doug Moench and artist Don Perlin, the character first appeared in Marvel Spotlight #28 (June 1976). She is the daughter of archaeologist Dr. Peter Alraune. During an expedition to uncover the lost tomb of Khonshu, her father was killed by mercenaries attempting to loot the site. During the expedition, she met Marc Spector after he was mortally wounded and left for dead near a statue of Khonshu.
Alraune was the first to encounter Spector after his transformation into the Fist of Khonshu. Following her father's death, she traveled with Spector to the United States and became his long-term romantic partner while he operated as Moon Knight. She assisted him in his vigilante activities, including working undercover to help apprehend criminals.

## Publication history

Marlene Alraune debuted in Marvel Spotlight #28 (June 1976), created by Doug Moench and Don Perlin. She later appeared in the 1980 Moon Knight series, the 2021 Moon Knight series, and the 2022 Moon Knight Annual one-shot.

## Fictional character biography

Marlene is the daughter of archaeologist Dr. Peter Alraune Sr. and the brother of Dr. Peter Alraune Jr. She is first seen in the Sudan with her father when he is killed by the mercenary Raoul Bushman. Another mercenary named Marc Spector saves Marlene's life, but Bushman ends up leaving Spector to die in the desert. Dr. Alraune's workers bring Spector's inert body to the tomb of Pharaoh Seti III. Spector miraculously revives and he and Marlene return to the United States where he became the crimefighter Moon Knight. Marlene began to fall in love with Marc Spector who used the alias of financier Steven Grant and cab driver Jake Lockley.
As Moon Knight does his crimefighting, Marlene assists him by doing undercover work. In addition, she did like Spector's Steve Grant alias out of the other aliases he used due to Moon Knight's schizophrenia.
When Moon Knight is being called back to Sudan due to a vision of Khonshu, Marlene stated that she would leave Marc if he left. As a result, Marlene moves out of their Long Island apartment.
Enrolling in a university to study work, Marlene moved in with her husband Eric Fontaine who is now in a wheelchair. She graduated from the university and became a researcher at Seaview Research Hospital.
After she and Eric went their separate ways, Marlene returned to Marc Spector who is now operating as Moon Knight out of his mansion on Long Island.
After a while, both of them went their separate ways as Marc Spector's lifestyle was starting to endanger Marlene. Sometime later, Moon Knight appeared to Marlene under the alias of Jake Lockley where the two of them became romantically involved that resulted in them having a pink-haired child named Diatrice Alraune. Moon Knight's other personalities are unaware of this until Bushman and Sun King attacked Marlene's house where the truth was revealed to them. Marc Spector became Moon Knight to get to Marlene where the existence of Diatrice Alraine was revealed. She also had a drawing of herself as Moon Knight alongside older versions of her father and mother.
When Sun King was defeated, Marlene tended to Moon Knight's injuries.

## Powers and abilities

Marlene has the strength and agility of a normal woman: she is a skilled markswoman, gymnast, and hand-to-hand combatant and a resourceful crimefighter. On certain occasions, Marlene sometimes carried a .44 magnum pistol.

## Other versions

An alternate version of Marlene Alraune is mentioned in Ultimate Spider-Man. She is a girlfriend of Marc Spector and is aware of his Moon Knight identity.

## In other media

In the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) miniseries Moon Knight, the character Layla El-Faouly was inspired by Marlene Alraune from the comics. Both characters are the daughters of archaeologists whose fathers are killed by Raoul Bushman, an event that influences Marc Spector's transformation into Moon Knight. El-Faouly's role as Spector's wife parallels Alraune's relationship with him in the comics; however, unlike Alraune, El-Faouly takes on the superhero identity of Scarlet Scarab. Director Mohamed Diab initially suggested that the character was originally conceived as a white woman. However, series creator and executive producer Jeremy Slater later clarified that Alraune was never part of the show and that El-Faouly was created during the writers' room's first week, initially named "Zayna Faoul."