Kicking off on February 21, the second half of Marvel Rivals’ first season introduced gamers to two iconic figures from the Fantastic Four: the Human Torch and the Thing. Additionally, players are treated to a new map of New York City, which cleverly incorporates a popular Moon Knight meme into the shooter’s official lore.
When navigating the Convergence map, Empire of Eternal Night: Central Park, as Moon Knight, players might catch him ranting about Dracula—a notable villain from season one of Marvel Rivals and a significant element of the stage itself. Moon Knight doesn’t hold back, labeling Dracula as a “bloodsuckin’ nerd” who owes him “big time.” During the game, he might even hurl phrases like “Time for Dracula to pay up!” or “I know you’re here, Dracula!” Although these might sound like nods to an old comic book rivalry, the roots of Moon Knight’s animosity towards Dracula actually spring from internet culture.
As noted by Susana Polo, a senior entertainment writer at Polygon, Moon Knight’s grudge against Dracula doesn’t have any grounding in the comics. It all started when a fan decided to have some fun with a panel from a 1988 issue of Solo Avengers, altering it to show Moon Knight calling Dracula a “big fucking nerd” and demanding “my goddamn money.” This edited image surfaced in a Facebook group in 2018 and quickly went viral. Despite Moon Knight’s relative obscurity in mainstream comics, this humorous meme took off, cementing itself as the go-to depiction of his character online.
The developers at NetEase, the minds behind Marvel Rivals, have a unique opportunity to craft their own storyline for the game. While they do sometimes focus on intricate world-building, the inclusion of the Moon Knight meme shows that they’re also embracing the chance to weave in some light-hearted nods to internet culture.
