Bushman is revealed to be Marc’s commanding officer during his mercenary days. After he wandered off in a fugue, dissociative state during his stint in the military and found himself discharged, Marc became a gun-for-hire under Bushman’s command. In the comics, Bushman is a noted terrorist mercenary, armed with the reputation of also being a notorious drug dealer and a brutal killer. Due to the trauma he underwent as a child, Bushman turned to violence pretty quickly, going to great lengths to make himself appear menacing (he brands himself with a human skull tattoo on his forehead and wears steel teeth). Bushman has also worked alongside Jean-Paul DuChamp, who was briefly referenced in episode one as a contact on Marc’s burner phone.
“Moon Knight” goes into the depths of Marc’s transformation into Khonshu’s avatar. Marc and Steven witness the memory of the fateful night, and Marc mentions how Bushman changed his plans to simply raid the site, deciding midway through the mission to execute all survivors. When Marc resists, Bushman (who is never seen on screen) shoots him and leaves him for dead. Just when Marc is about to end his own life, Khonshu takes advantage of his traumatized, fractured psyche and manipulates him into being his avatar.
The comics follow a similar storyline (excluding the inclusion of Layla and Abdulah’s characters, who are Dr. Peter Alraune and Marlene on the page). After Marc assumes Khonshu’s armor, Bushman becomes one of Moon Knight’s regular foes. The comics see Bushman attempt to go after Marc several times, as he believes that he is somehow deserving of the status Khonshu enjoys, and he attempts to prove this (rather pathetic) point by targeting Marc’s love interest in the comics, Marlene.
