Marvel's Avengers: Infinity War packed a lot of characters and a lot of plot into its nearly
three hour runtime.
With all the character names, subplots, and relationships that fans had to keep straight,
it's no surprise that there were some Easter eggs that flew over audiences' heads.
Here are a few small details you might have missed in Avengers: Infinity War.
"Nothing goes over my head.
My reflexes are too fast.
I would catch it."
Nebula disassembled
Nebula's torture at the hands of Thanos is both one of the more gruesome parts of the
movie, and a reference to the Infinity Gauntlet comic arc that provides the inspiration for
much of the film.
While the movie showcases Nebula strung up like a Damien Hirst exhibit, the comic series
features Thanos reducing her to a brain-dead zombie-like form, but still pretty much keeping
her on display for company.
Her eventual counter-attack leads to her possessing the Infinity Gauntlet, which she uses to restore
the lives that Thanos ended.
Don't be surprised if she has a big role in restoring the lives of Earth's Mightiest Heroes
next year.
Ultimate Thor
When Thor returns to Earth with his new hammer, Stormbreaker, it's a thrilling moment for
comic fans and audience members alike.
What some fans might not have noticed is that the visuals of Thor's return are straight
out of The Ultimates comic series.
Both the glowing bulbs of his vest and his axe-like hammer are pulled directly from the
Ultimate Universe of Marvel Comics.
Here's hoping that the new weapon fares a bit better than Thor's old hammer.
Cap v Thanos: Dawn of Just Us
There's plenty of moments in the Infinity Gauntlet comics that aren't adapted for Infinity
War, but there's one moment in the comic series that absolutely had to be adapted: Captain
America facing down Thanos after watching him beat down the strongest heroes in the
Marvel universe without breaking a sweat.
It's a character-defining moment for Steve Rogers as the last Avenger standing, and the
spirit of that moment makes it into Infinity War beautifully.
Colorblind Vision
In Infinity War, when Thanos finally rips the Mind Stone out of Vision's head, his body
immediately loses coloring.
Vision's newly colorless body is pulled straight from the comics; specifically, West Coast
Avengers.
After getting his programming wiped, Vision returned to functionality as a fully colorless,
much less emotional hero than he had been.
Infinity War's reference to Vision losing color after getting his mind destroyed is
likely an indication that even if Vision gets resurrected with some of his teammates, he
probably won't be the same robot that fans know and love.
"I am not JARVIS."
I am."
17A protocol
When Tony Stark orders the 17A protocol, it gives Peter Parker the high-tech Iron Spider
outfit that Spidey uses to great effect.
It's a crowd-pleasing moment, but the quick reference to Spider-Man and the number "17"
might have left well-read comic fans a bit nervous.
In Spider-Man #17, Peter Parker gets killed while trying to save a woman and her daughter
from a vat of exploding Freon.
In the afterlife, Spidey meets Thanos and his beloved Lady Death.
After a struggle, Death takes pity on Spider-Man and the young girl he failed to save, allowing
them to come back to life.
Like in the comic, Spidey doesn't survive through infinity War; but it's likely that
he'll come back in the sequel, since comic books rarely keep anyone off the pages for
long.
That's a lot packed into a blink-and-you'll-miss-it reference!
The Doctor is in trouble
Early in the film, Dr. Strange is captured by Ebony Maw, who tortures Dr. Strange with
energy daggers.
It's a haunting interaction, and you might have guessed, it's another one that's inspired
by the comics.
In this case, the very personal relationship was featured in Infinity, a modern-day sequel
to Infinity Gauntlet that likewise served as a major inspiration for Infinity War.
Hulk in a Strange land
One of the movie's most striking visuals is Hulk getting teleported to Earth to warn Dr.
Strange and the rest of the MCU heroes that Thanos is coming.
While it's a great way to showcase Thanos' indomitable power early in the film, it's
also taken right from the original Infinity Gauntlet comics.
In the comics, though, it's the Silver Surfer who gets launched into Dr. Strange's Sanctum.
There's a deeper reason behind that swap of characters than just rights issues and Hulk
being the strongest one there is.
Hulk, Dr. Strange, and Silver Surfer are often contemporaries in the comics as a part of
a super team, the Defenders, so it's not a stretch to substitute one for the other.
White Wolf
If you missed the reference at the end of Black Panther, then Avengers: Infinity War
wants to make sure that you heard right: Bucky gets referred to as the White Wolf by T'Challa
when they're preparing to fight Thanos.
In the comics, Hunter, the White Wolf, is Wakanda's spymaster, as well as T'Challa's
caucasian adopted brother.
With Infinity War doubling down on the reference, it looks likely that they're establishing
that Bucky will have a place in Wakanda as a spy following the conclusion of the battle
against Thanos... if he survives, that is.
Ambiguous ending
Avengers: Infinity War ends with Thanos wiping out half the universe, smiling contentedly
after accomplishing his goals.
Interestingly enough, that ending is a direct mirror to the original ending of Infinity
Gauntlet... although the comics ending comes after Thanos' defeat at the hands of Adam
Warlock and most the Marvel universe.
It's a surprisingly sympathetic ending, showing the Mad Titan at peace with himself, having
had and lost ultimate power, and choosing instead to live as a humble farmer with no
higher aspirations… for now.
While the movie implies that the scene of Thanos' contentment comes immediately after
he wipes out half of all life, that's not necessarily true.
Could the scene actually be a sneak-preview of the ending of next year's Avengers movie,
giving fans an early look at Thanos' retirement?
Only a year to find out.
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