During the latest PlayStation Showcase, Insomniac Games surprised fans by revealing previously-unannounced game starring everyone's favorite ol' canucklehead mutant: Marvel's Wolverine. The announcement came with a brief teaser that shows Logan in a dive bar, the only patron left standing after what appears to be a brutal fight. The title character is sitting at the counter, enjoying a drink, his knuckles bloodied, when finally one of the men he previously knocked out gets up and arms himself with a knife. That's the moment when Wolverine unleashes his trademark, razor-sharp claws.
The teaser left fans counting down the days to the release of Marvel's Wolverine as they are left to wonder what, exactly, this promising game from the makers of the beloved Marvel's Spider-Man games has in store for players. However, despite being barely a minute long, the teaser may have hinted at another character who will appear in the game: the Avengers' resident Green Goliath, the Incredible Hulk.
While the teaser for Marvel's Wolverine only showcases the title character, it also features a major Easter egg. While Logan is sitting at the bar, fans can notice, to the right, on the wall behind the counter, a license plate whose number reads "HLK 181."
Longtime Marvel fans will instantly catch that this is a reference to a classic comic book issue: The Incredible Hulk #181, first published in 1974, written by Len Wein and illustrated by Herb Trimpe. This particular issue is famous for two reasons: first and foremost, it marks the first full appearance of Wolverine in the Marvel Universe after his cameo in the series' previous issue, The Incredible Hulk #180. Second, it features what would become a classic matchup: the Hulk vs. Wolverine.
In the issue, Wolverine is dispatched to fight both Hulk and the Wendigo. The mutant and the Green Goliath briefly team-up to fight the Wendigo, before they end up fighting one another until they are both eventually knocked out. The Incredible Hulk #181 is an important chapter in Marvel comics history, and it's a highly sought-after issue for collectors.
What's more, the license plate in the Wolverine teaser hides a second Hulk Easter egg: the license plate itself is a standard-issue from the Canadian province of Quebec, which is where the action of The Incredible Hulk #181 takes place. Therefore, it's clear that Insomniac is teasing the Hulk here. But is this simply a nod to Wolverine's comic book introduction and place in Marvel history or a hint at something more?
Such an important Easter egg is bound to be noticed by fans, and Insomniac surely knows this will get people talking. With a nod to Wolverine's first comic book fight with the Green Goliath in the game's first teaser, it's possible the developer is hinting towards a Hulk appearance in Marvel's Wolverine. With so little known about the game -- including who its main villain will be -- anything is possible. Still, the prospect of fighting the Avengers' own Jade Giant, bringing to life the classic rivalry between the two superheroes, would surely make fans all the more eager to play Marvel's Wolverine.