Crystal Dynamics recently gave fans a closer look at its upcoming superhero team-up game, Marvel's Avengers. The War Table showed off new gameplay footage and announced more details about the game's comic-inspired plot. We got to see extensive single-player gameplay footage of Thor and learn details about the game's extensive customization.
Alongside the major reveals, a number of more subtle pieces of content were shown off. These various easter eggs serve as love letters to comic book fans, as these details are callbacks to the characters' comic history. Here are some of the winks and nods Crystal Dynamics has thrown to the Avengers' most diehard fans.
Carol Danvers
One big easter egg may hint at a future addition to the game's roster. Kamala Khan, who begins the game as a massive Avengers fangirl before becoming the heroic Ms. Marvel, has her room decorated with superhero paraphernalia. A lot of these decorations depict the in-game Avengers, such as Captain America.
However, Kamala's namesake is also featured in a big way. Carol Danvers, better known as Captain Marvel, is prominently featured in two of the posters adorning Kamala's bedroom wall. One of these images appears to be artwork, but another poster looks like it may be an in-game model of Danvers. Given the fact that Marvel's Avengers will receive post-launch support, including additional playable characters, it is possible that Captain Marvel will eventually show up as a playable Avenger.
Donald Blake
Thor was featured prominently in the War Table, with gameplay showcasing the story mission "Once An Avenger." However, for this mission Thor foregoes his familiar Asgardian armor, appearing instead in a simple t-shirt and jeans. This casual attire, with the word "VOLUNTEER" adorning the back, suggests that Thor has been retired from superheroics, probably as a result of the game's disastrous opening mission.
This Thor skin functions as a two-fold easter egg, referencing both the comics and Thor's first film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. A name tag on Thor's shirt reads "D. Blake," a reference to the comic book character Donald Blake. Blake was used as a host for Thor in his early appearances and has popped up in the pages of Marvel in years since. The first Thor film makes a similar reference, with Dr. Erik Selvig claiming that Thor is in fact his colleague Donald Blake in order to have him released from S.H.I.E.L.D. custody. The casual outfit is also reminiscent of the clothes that Thor wears on Earth for a majority of that film.
Phil Sheldon
There's yet another reference at the beginning of the "Once An Avenger" segment. The mission begins with a cutscene wherein a journalist is reporting on the battle occurring at AIM's base in Manhattan. The reporter is nearly crushed by falling debris before Thor manages to save him using Mjolnir.
The reporter has a distinct appearance, sporting a white mustache and an eyepatch over his left eye. This design perfectly matches the appearance of Phil Sheldon, the everyman main character from Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross' 1994 series Marvels. The four-issue limited series follows Sheldon, a photographic reporter, as he experiences the rise of superheroes in the Marvel's version of Manhattan. While Sheldon is never mentioned by name in the War Table gameplay, the resemblance is surely no coincidence.
Graviton
The War Table features a quick and small reference to a long-time Avengers villain: Gravition. While showcasing the variety of gear available to players, an item called the Nimble Graviton Explosion Vest is briefly shown being sold by the robotic vendor Roy. The gear's perk is a chance to trigger a Graviton explosion, which is said to cause enemies to float in the air.
Graviton, real name Franklin Hall, is a long-time Avengers villain who was first introduced in Avengers #158, printed in April 1977. Hall is a scientist who gains the power to control gravity, which he uses to face off against even the strongest of Marvel's heroes. Graviton has remained a recurring Avengers foe, and in recent years has even joined A.I.M., the main antagonists of Marvel's Avengers. The villain also appeared in several episodes of the cartoon The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, as well as showing up as a major villain in season five of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Skins
Just like Insomniac's Spider-Man, Crystal Dynamics is including a huge number of character skins in Marvel's Avengers. Many of these pay homage to the characters' long comics history, decking them out in some classic outfits. Notable examples include Ms. Marvel's appearance from 2017's Teenage Wasteland arc, where Kamala wore a blue and white jacket, and Hulk's iconic Joe Fixit form, which gives him grey skin and a lovely business suit. Two comic-inspired Iron Man skins were shown off, one based on the character's advanced Bleeding Edge armor and the other based on his black and gold armor used during the 2014 Original Sin crossover event.
Crystal Dynamic's Marvel's Avengers looks to be catering to fans of Marvel comic history. With a large amount of easter eggs packed into a rather limited amount of footage, it seems likely that the full game will be bursting with Marvel references. Fans should keep their eye out for more easter eggs once the game is finally released.
Developed by Crystal Dynamics and Eidos-Montréal and published by Square Enix, Marvel's Avengers arrives on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Google Stadia and PC on Sept. 4.