Marvel's Avengers features plenty of familiar
faces from the comics and fun nods to the
wider Marvel Universe. However, there are
more than a few aspects of the title that
may slip past even the biggest fans of Earth's
Mightiest Heroes.
Much like the other Avengers, Thor retreats
from the public eye after A-Day. However,
unlike Iron Man and the Hulk, Thor Odinson
seemingly didn't devote his time to moping
over his failures. Instead, it appears Thor
took a human alias to continue helping normal
human beings.
When he appears again after A-Day, Thor is
wearing a shirt that indicates he has been
volunteering at a nearby hospital. He even
has a sticker on the shirt identifying him
as "D. Blake." Fans of the comics may recognize
this as a reference to Donald Blake, the name
of Thor's original human host.
While hunting for the backup drive that contains
J.A.R.V.I.S., Kamala Khan finds an old photo
of the Avengers in their civilian identities.
While the majority of the group is recognizable
as the lineup featured in the video game,
there's one extra member in the photo. Situated
on the ground in front of the rest of the
team is a man wearing a baseball cap and a
t-shirt with a bullseye on it.
Fans may recognize this mysterious man as
Clint Barton, a.k.a. Hawkeye, the team's archer.
Hawkeye stars in his own DLC missions for
Marvel's Avengers, as does his protege, Kate
Bishop. It's worth noting that neither of
the Hawkeyes are directly mentioned in the
events of the campaign. Instead, it appears
as though the only reference to Hawkeye is
this blink-and-you'll-miss it tease.
When Black Widow finally rejoins the rest
of the team on the Chimera, there are a few
objects in her private room that players can
interact with. One of these is a small red
music box with a ballerina figurine inside.
Not only does this music box clear up how
Widow ended up choosing the codename "Tiny
Dancer," but it also acts as a reference to
her dark backstory.
In the Marvel Cinematic Universe and some
versions of her comic book origins, Natasha
was trained from a young age to be an assassin.
The place where she received this training
was called The Red Room. During her time there,
Natasha was implanted with false memories
of being a ballet dancer at a prestigious
school. Since joining the Avengers as Black
Widow, she has struggled to leave that part
of her life behind. It seems the game's version
of Natasha may have finally come to terms
with her violent past.
While A.I.M. is the predominant threat to
the world in Marvel's Avengers, it appears
another corrupt organization from the comics
may be lurking in the shadows. During Kamala's
first big brawl with A.I.M.'s robots, eagle-eyed
players can spot posters and a banner in the
background for "Roxxon." Comic book fans may
recognize this as an advertisement for the
Roxxon Energy Corporation, a company that
has run afoul of just about every hero in
the Marvel Universe.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has also heavily
referenced or featured Roxxon. In fact, a
Roxxon oil tanker served as the stage for
the final battle sequence in Iron Man 3.
Prior to the A-Day opening ceremony, Kamala
runs into some bullies who question her love
for the Avengers. They insinuate she's not
a real fan and tell her to "get out of here."
To that, Kamala responds,
"When the mob and the press and the whole
world tell you to move ... You plant yourself
like a tree beside the river of truth, and
you say, 'No, you move.'"
These words were originally spoken by Captain
America in Amazing Spider-Man #537. These
were Captain Rogers' words of wisdom for Spider-Man
when he was at his lowest point.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe spun this speech
in a new direction, giving it more sentimental
value. In the movie Captain America: Civil
War, a version of this quote was attributed
to the late Peggy Carter.
"Even if the whole world is telling you to
move, it is your duty to plant yourself like
a tree, look them in the eye, and say no."
When Kamala and the Hulk break into A.I.M.'s
Inhuman testing facility, you can spot a sign
behind Kamala that reads, "Subject 2: Naja".
While this label might seem random, it actually
points to the existence of another character
from the comics. Naja was the name of an Inhuman
who gained her powers from an event similar
to A-Day. After the release of the Terrigen
Mists, Naja developed several new abilities,
including invisibility and flight. She also
found that her body changed shape, taking
on a more reptilian appearance.
In the comics, Naja teamed up with several
other Inhumans, including Dante. A version
of Dante notably appears in Marvel's Avengers,
where he is depicted as a member of the Inhuman
resistance. If Naja exists in this universe,
then perhaps the two of them will join forces
in a future story.
The opening mission of Marvel's Avengers sees
the team facing off against Taskmaster and
his gang of mercenaries. At one point, the
Incredible Hulk catches a bus before it can
go tumbling into the water below. The bus
is only on the screen for a few moments, but
If you look closely, you can spot a license
plate bearing a rather historic number.
The license plate on the vehicle reads "AV10963,"
which could reference the fact that the very
first issue of The Avengers was released in
1963. However, it could also allude to Issue
#10 of The Avengers, which came out that same
year. The cover of that issue dramatically
declared the Avengers would break up in that
month's story. In the Marvel's Avengers mission,
that is exactly what came to pass, which makes
this the more likely reference.
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