Small Details You Missed In The Avengers Video Game

Marvel's Avengers features an impressive story campaign that chronicles the fall and eventual return of the titular heroes. After the destructive events of A-Day, which claimed many lives and mutated countless civilians, the Avengers went into hiding. Five years later, a young Inhuman named Kamala Khan (also known as Ms. Marvel) sets out to reassemble the team to defeat the forces of A.I.M., an organization led by mad scientists George Tarleton/M.O.D.O.K. and Monica Rappaccini.

Heavy hitters in the comic book world like Christos Gage and G. Willow Wilson contributed to the Marvel's Avengers story. Given this, the game 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. Some of the coolest Easter eggs are actually hidden in plain sight. Here are some small details that might have escaped your notice in Marvel's Avengers.

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 the Avengers make their public return about midway through the campaign, Thor arrives on the scene to help his reunited teammates. 

Instead of his famous armor and red cape, you see Thor 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. That version of Blake was a medical student who helped Thor learn the value of humility. Blake eventually became a doctor, continuing his work of helping people. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Jane Foster mentions Donald Blake was the name of a former boyfriend of hers.

While hunting for the backup drive that contains J.A.R.V.I.S., Kamala 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. 

At first glance, it almost looks like Earth's Mightiest Heroes let one of their excited followers hop in the photo with them. However, 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 is as an advertisement for the Roxxon Energy Corporation, a company that has run afoul of just about every hero in the Marvel Universe. 

In the comic books, Roxxon will stop at nothing to turn a profit, even resorting to illegal measures to beat out the competition. These underhanded activities have even led to Roxxon hiring super-villains like Tarantula and the Serpent Squad to do its dirty work. In other words, it's exactly the kind of company one would expect to flourish alongside A.I.M. 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.

At the beginning, Marvel's Avengers establishes that the A-Day celebration is being held at the Avenger's "West Coast headquarters." While the game's opening occurs in San Francisco (hence the "West Coast" designation), this choice of words also brings to mind another team of Avengers. 

In the comic books, the Avengers West Coast formed when the original team was briefly out of commission. Avengers West Coast mostly operate out of a headquarters in California and features a rotating roster of heroes. Previous members of the group have included Moon Knight and Ant-Man. That version of the team even faced off against a hunky take on Marvel's Avengers lead villain, M.O.D.O.K. Yes, you read that correctly, and yes, he's still super gross.

Over the years, both Hawkeyes have also proudly served as members of the West Coast team. Considering both Clint Barton and Kate Bishop exist in the Marvel's Avengers universe, the existence of this secondary headquarters could mean the West Coast Avengers may also be out there somewhere.

Marvel's Avengers allows players to power up their characters with various types of Gear found throughout the game. One of the Gear types bears the name "Graviton." If that wasn't enough of a hint for you, the Perks that come with this gear will make it extra clear what kind of wacky comic book science these things are made from. Graviton Gear has anti-gravity effects that can suspend enemies in mid-air, making it next to impossible for them to press the attack.

However, the name for this Gear type likely wasn't chosen at random. Graviton is actually the codename for a super villain who can manipulate gravity. Though he's not one of the most famous villains in the Marvel Universe, Graviton has grappled with everyone from the Avengers to the X-Men. He also briefly worked for A.I.M. in the comics, making his connection to the events of this game even more prominent. It seems Stark Industries has found a way of using Graviton's experiments for the cause of justice.

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.'"

Kamala asks the bullies if they know who said that. They are unable to answer, but the truth is that these words were originally spoken by Captain America in Amazing Spider-Man #537. These were Captain Rogers' words of wisdom for Spider-Man/Peter Parker 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 love of Captain America's life, the late Peggy Carter. No matter who says it, it's an inspiring speech and a great deep cut reference for the fans.

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 "Inferno" Pertuz. 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 someday. Unfortunately for Naja, her status as one of Monica Rappaccini's test subjects doesn't bode well for the character's chances of survival.

The opening mission of Marvel's Avengers sees the team facing off against Taskmaster and his gang of mercenaries. The Golden Gate Bridge sustains heavy damage as the fight rages on, which turns the battle into a bit of a rescue mission. 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 might reference a couple different events. It 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.

In the five years since A-Day, A.I.M. managed to become a massively powerful corporation. As such, the company now has bases across the United States, with the most prominent being A.I.M.'s giant tower in New York. While you can see the updated tower a few times during Marvel's Avengers, a few brief shots during the opening credits sequence confirm this villainous stronghold used to be the home base of the Avengers. Following the court proceedings where the Avengers are outlawed, you can spot the "A" being taken down from Avengers Tower and replaced with A.I.M.'s sickly yellow logo.

The fact that the heroes' former home has been remodeled into a symbol of A.I.M.'s victory is easily missed, but it goes a long way towards showing just how much things have changed since A-Day. Hopefully, the Avengers can find a way to reclaim their former headquarters in the battles to come.