Ms. Marvel is probably the biggest Avengers fan in the entire multiverse. It stands to reason, then, that Kamala Khan’s standalone series on Disney Plus would be home to several winks, nods, and Easter eggs from MCU history.
From a convention centre’s worth of references to a welcome shoutout to the comic book creator who helped reinvent Ms. Marvel, the opening episode is chockfull of callbacks that you might have missed.
In case they passed you by amid the flurry of color and chaos at AvengersCon, here’s our roundup of all the Ms. Marvel episode 1 Easter eggs. They just might embiggen your enjoyment of the premiere.
Captain Marvel’s classic costume
Kamala Khan’s YouTube montage was crammed with artsy shots of Avengers. Sloth Baby Productions also features a look at Captain Marvel’s original costume from 1977, complete with facemask and thigh-high boots. In a full-circle-sort-of-way, Carol Danvers was then called Ms. Marvel. The more you know.
G. Willow Wilson (and other creators)
Over at Kamala’s Coles Academic High School, several names are adorned in bronze on the building. Chief among them is G. Willow Wilson, the writer of the relaunch of the Ms. Marvel comic – which first introduced the world to Kamala Khan back in 2016. There’s also editor Stephen Wacker and artists Adrian Alphona and Jamie McKelvie, who were also instrumental in the character’s debut.
In the second column, the names of colorist Ian Herring, penciler Nico Leon, artist Takeshi Miyazawa and letterer Joe Caramagna are all present.
Ant-Man’s podcast
How does the world know about the Battle of Earth from Avengers: Endgame? Simple: a big-mouthed, pint-sized hero told everyone. During the episode’s opening, Kamala reveals that Scott Lang – AKA Ant-Man – is hosting his own podcast series, titled Big Me Little Me.
Marvel Zombies
When spitballing ideas for her AvengersCon costume to friend Bruno, Kamala brings up the idea of an undead Captain Marvel. That’s likely a pointed reference to Marvel Zombies, the 2005-2006 series by The Walking Dead’s Robert Kirkman.
Unbeknownst to Kamala, there is a universe taken over by undead Marvel heroes – as first glimpsed in Disney Plus’ What…If? series.
A tribute to Black Widow and Iron Man
AvengersCon is overflowing with merch for Earth’s Mightiest Heroes – but also a reminder to those they’ve lost.
One mural at the heart of the convention centre features a drawing of Black Widow and Iron Man with the message ‘Thank you for your sacrifice.’ It also appears to be a place for those who lost loved ones to leave notes, which is a nice touch.
America’s Ass
I’m sure some were peachy keen – emphasis on the peachy – for another glimpse of Captain America’s derriere. AvengersCon answered the call, presenting a piece of merch with a caricature of Cap and his backside sticking out.
That is, of course, a reference to Avengers: Endgame’s Cap-on-Cap showdown, where Steve Rogers finally gets a good look at himself and quips, "That is America’s Ass."
The convention also includes other references to Cap, including his famous "I can do this all day" catchphrase, which was spoofed in Rogers: The Musical. The poor guy can’t catch a break.
Asgardian Pride
One convention-goer holds up a t-shirt that says Asgardian Pride. The rainbow colors are a nice flourish, and could well be a reference to Tessa Thompson’s Valkyrie – who is canonically LGTBQ+ and could very well be looking for a queen to rule alongside as ruler of New Asgard in Thor: Love and Thunder.
Ms. Marvel’s embiggen powers
There’s been some debate – rightly or wrongly – over the decision to remove Ms. Marvel’s stretchy ‘embiggen’ powers. Instead, Kamala now wears a bangle that grants her the ability to manipulate energy blasts. She even uses them in one scene to create a longer, stretchy arm for herself to save Zoe. Unfortunately for diehards, that’s probably as close as we’ll get to seeing Ms. Marvel’s traditional powers.
Damage Control
Damage Control has been seen a few times in the MCU, most notably to clean up Peter Parker’s secret identity mess at the onset of Spider-Man: No Way Home. One of their most prominent agents, Agent Cleary, is seen in the Ms. Marvel post-credits scene. Kamala Khan has been brought to his attention – and it looks like she’s set to come in for questioning. Gulp.
Discover what else is coming to the MCU with our guide to Marvel Phase 4. Waiting around for more Ms. Marvel? Here's when episode 2 drops, courtesy of our Ms. Marvel release schedule.
