Editor's Note: This article contains spoilers for Episode 6 of Moon Knight on Disney+ The sixth and final episode of Marvel Studios' Moon Knight, "Gods and Monsters", didn't disappoint, bringing an end to Arthur Harrow's (Ethan Hawke) plan to free the goddess Ammit in a fast-paced finale that ran all of 35 minutes. There's much to take in - the resurrection of Marc and Steven (Oscar Isaac), a brawl between Ammit (Saba Mubarak) and Khonshu (F. Murray Abraham), and the reveal of a third personality, Jake Lockley. Perhaps the most unexpected, and arguably the best part of the episode, is Layla El-Faouly (May Calamawy) becoming Scarlet Scarab.
Who Is the Scarlet Scarab?
Fret not, you would be hard-pressed to find anyone that knew of Scarlet Scarab heading into the show, especially as Layla is a new character created for the Moon Knight series. Scarlet Scarab does not have a rich, storied history, as most of the MCU's characters do, but still an interesting one nonetheless.
The Scarlet Scarab character originated in the pages of Marvel Comics, specifically in Invaders #23, 1977. During World War II, an Egyptian warrior named Abdul Faoul is granted superhuman powers from an ancient artifact called the Ruby Scarab, becoming the first Scarlet Scarab, protector of Egypt. In the story, Scarlet Scarab has aligned himself with the Axis Powers, unwilling to side with England. An encounter with The Invaders helps him to see how evil the Nazis truly are, so he joins the superhero team in combating the Axis forces, but turns down an offer to join the team. Scarlet Scarab has an impressive skill set thanks to the Ruby Scarab: superhuman strength, mystical energy bolts and shield, the ability to drain another's power by physical contact and the ability to fly.
Scarlet Scarab would then disappear until 1982, in The Mighty Thor issue #326. Abdul, now aged and on his deathbed, passes the Ruby Scarab to his son, Mehemet. Mehemet is granted the same set of powers as his father, becoming the second Scarlet Scarab. As guardian of Egypt, this Scarlet Scarab attacks a museum where Egyptian artifacts that have been stolen are being kept. This draws Thor's attention, leading to a brawl between the bastions of Norse and Egyptian mythologies. Finally, the two come to an agreement. Thor will stop his attack on Scarlet Scarab, and Mehemet will take only the Eye of Horus, a mystical artifact, back to Egypt. They then part ways, and Mehemet's Scarlet Scarab has not been seen since.
The character would appear again only once, in the pages of 2014's All-New Invaders #4. Technically not a new appearance, though. Scarlet Scarab shows up in a flashback, as the Abdul Faoul version of the character, the one still aligned with the Nazi's 'Super-Axis' team. That would be the last sight of the 'Egyptian Captain America' in the comics, and seemingly the last sight, period.
Which brings us to Moon Knight, Episode 6, which takes a few liberties with Scarlet Scarab's comic book origins. The painfully obvious is that this new Scarlet Scarab is a woman, Layla, and a new character altogether, unrelated to Abdul and Mehemet. She doesn't gain her powers from the Ruby Scarab, either. In fact, the root of the character's introduction to the MCU stems from the final scene of Episode 4, "The Tomb", and the introduction of the Egyptian Goddess of Women and Children, the hippo Taweret (Antonia Salib). Bright, bubbly, and friendly, Taweret is the one who welcomes Marc and Steven to the afterlife, and aids in their resurrection.
Back to Episode 6. Layla has sworn revenge against Harrow, following him to Giza. Along the way, Taweret offers Layla the chance to be Taweret's avatar, speaking directly to her through dead people. Dead people apparently have better coverage than cell phones in Egypt. Arriving in Giza, Harrow unleashes Ammit, pledging his allegiance to her. At the same time, Layla frees Khonshu, who heals the wounds of Marc/Steven, in turn bringing back Moon Knight, who go after Harrow and his men. Prior to Khonshu seeking Marc/Steven, he tells Layla that in order to bind Ammit, two avatars are needed. Enter our hippo friend Taweret. Layla agrees to become Taweret's avatar, but only on a temporary basis. Once she becomes Scarlet Scarab, the avatar, Layla is bedecked in a scarlet and gold suit with metal wings, like Isis meets Wonder Woman's Golden Eagle armor. It's a significant upgrade from the garb worn by the character in the comics. Abdul Faoul's Scarlet Scarab has what can only be described as hideous at best: shirtless, with scarlet frills on a neckpiece, scarlet frills again on a skirt-like wrap, a blue cumberbund with a scarlet scarab on it, and a helmet with big red eyepieces with a protrusion from the middle that resembles an asp. Mehemet Gaoul's Scarlet Scarab isn't quite so ghastly — a scarlet pharaoh headpiece, with metallic neck, bicep and wrist guards with what looks like a scarlet skort — but it evokes a vibe not unlike Super Samurai's wear in Super Friends, a misguided attempt at culture representation.
Now decked out in her new suit, the new Scarlet Scarab joins the battle. While there isn't quite enough time to see all of the powers at Scarlet Scarab's disposal, we do know that she can fly, deflect both bullets and magic, produces two short swords when needed, and like her cousins from the comic book pages, superhuman strength, endurance and agility. In one character defining moment, Scarlet Scarab stops a van from hitting a girl, and when the girl asks if she's an Egyptian superhero, Layla answers proudly, "I am."
Having rapidly endearing Scarlet Scarab to the MCU faithful, the pairing of Layla and Taweret is a far more peaceful, accommodating, and respectful partnership than what we've seen from Marc/Steven with Khonshu. Despite what started as a temporary role, by the end of the episode the two still co-exist, with Layla having warmed up to the idea of being an Egyptian superhero. Although not confirmed, it's highly likely we have not seen the last of Scarlet Scarab. Whether that means an appearance in a Season 2 of Moon Knight, should it happen, or as part of a future MCU film, Scarlet Scarab would be a very positive addition.