"Ms. Marvel" stars the eponymous, embiggening teenaged comic book hero, but with some pretty significant tweaks to her origin story and powers. In the source material, superhero fanatic Kamala Khan discovers her polymorphic powers (and her Inhuman heritage) after being exposed to the DNA-altering Terrigen Mists. The show takes an alternative route by tying the powers and origin of Kamala (portrayed by Iman Vellani) to a mysterious family heirloom.
While some fans balked at the changes to the backstory — a decision that was intended to streamline Kamala's origin for the purposes of efficient storytelling, as explained to Decider by head writer Bisha K. Ali — this hasn't stopped "Ms. Marvel" from soaring to success. The Disney+ show dropped to rave reviews, with Variety calling the lead character a "charming, refreshing new heroine," praising Vellani's "infectious charm" and the show's creative use of animation sequences to portray the protagonist as a "starry-eyed teenager."
Of course, like any other MCU production, "Ms. Marvel" is filled to the brim with Easter eggs and references that Kamala herself would have a blast trying to find. Here are some Easter eggs you may have overlooked in "Ms. Marvel." Spoilers ahead.
OG comics costume
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The opening sequence of Episode 1 gives viewers a vivid glimpse of Kamala's obsession with the MCU's heroes, as we hear her narrating her take on the events of the final battle in "Avengers: Endgame" for a social media video. Based on the limited information that Kamala was able to gather regarding the last stand of Earth's heroes against the forces of Thanos, she assumes that Carol Danvers' timely arrival was what gave the Avengers a decisive victory against the Mad Titan. While Kamala correctly mentions that Carol destroyed Thanos' warship by flying through it, she mistakenly concludes that Captain Marvel punched out Thanos, ending the would-be cosmic despot's invasion. Then again, this is presented as largely a product of her hero worship of Captain Marvel, as evidenced by the decorations hanging all over her room — including a curious illustration that references Carol's early days as a superhero in the comics.
One of the images posted on Kamala's wall features Carol soaring through the city skyline, dressed in the same suit she wore in her debut as a super-powered crimefighter in 1977's "Ms. Marvel" Vol. 1 #1. What makes this drawing extra peculiar is the fact that, as far as the MCU's continuity is concerned, Carol never wore this particular costume. When she first appeared as Captain Marvel, she was already wearing the recolored version of her Kree uniform. Still, this is undeniably a neat nod to the source material.
From fanfic writer to video creator
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Just like many other superhero fanatics in the real world, Kamala's obsession with the superpowered set led her to become one of the MCU's avid superhero-related content creators. She has a channel called Sloth Baby Productions, with a handful of uploads and a whopping two subscribers — presumably her best buds Bruno Carrelli (Matt Lintz) and Nakia Bahadir (Yasmeen Fletcher). Her channel features videos speculating about the source of Captain Marvel's powers and talking about Ant-Man and the Wasp's "romantic vacation in Paris." She even plans to upload a two-parter on her suspicions about Thor being an active online gamer (a nice callback to the Asgardian god and Korg playing Fortnite in "Avengers: Endgame"). While the origin of her peculiar channel name isn't really explained here, we do get to see her older brother Aamir (Saagar Shaikh) hold a stuffed toy of a winged sloth as he talks to Kamala in her room.
In the comics, "SlothBaby" is Kamala's username as a prolific fan fiction writer. When she's not out on the streets fighting supervillains, she takes particular joy in writing about such scenarios as an evil Cyclops fighting a "good" version of Ultron, and Wolverine and Storm fighting a space blob that "farts wormholes." Interestingly, Kamala's video about Ant-Man and the Wasp is another comics reference: A fan fiction story about Cyclops and Emma Frost's "romantic vacation in Paris" outranked Kamala's Wolverine-Storm story on the platform where she uploads her work.
Surprising Spider-Man connections and parallels
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Admittedly, it's hard not to see parallels between Kamala Khan and Peter Parker, whether in the comics or in the MCU. Both started out young in their superhero careers, growing into their roles as they balance their responsibilities in their dual lives. They both face off against powerful villains, and they both work alongside the adult heroes of their time. Thus, it's not surprising to see references and connections between these two MCU franchises scattered across "Ms. Marvel."
In the opening episode, one of the videos uploaded on Kamala's channel features a thumbnail image with the text "BITTEN By a RADIOACTIVE FEMINIST?!" — a nice little nod to how Spider-Man got his powers from an irradiated spider's bite. After the episode ends, we get a post-credits scene revealing that Kamala's display of her powers at AvengerCon put her on the radar of the Department of Damage Control (DODC). Agent Cleary (Arian Moayed) — the same agent who interrogated Peter Parker in "Spider-Man: No Way Home" — and his team begin investigating the incident, attempting to bring Kamala in for interrogation.
Additionally, the end of Episode 5 calls back to a scene in "Spider-Man: Homecoming." When the newly super-powered Kamran (Rish Shah) visits Bruno at his apartment to ask for his help, it ends badly after the former spots DODC drones hovering outside. Long story short, the nearby Circle Q convenience store gets destroyed — just like Delmar's Deli-Grocery did in "Homecoming."
Who's who at Coles Academic High School?
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The opening episode of "Ms. Marvel" firmly establishes most of the significant players and places in Kamala's world, including the school she attends. Just like in the source material, the superhero-fan-turned-superhero and her friends go to Coles Academic High School in New Jersey. When we first see the school, a closeup shot focuses on the plaque right beside the institution's entrance for a few seconds — and for longtime comic book readers, the eight names listed on the plaque should be very familiar.
The four names in the first column — G. Willow Wilson, Stephen Wacker, Adrian Alphona, and Jamie McKelvie — belong to four of the five co-creators of Kamala Khan (the fifth being comic book editor Sana Amanat, whom Kamala's grandmother in the series is named after). Wilson and Alphona worked together on the 2014 volume of "Ms. Marvel," where Kamala officially started her run as a costumed hero. Alongside Amanat and Devin Lewis, Wacker was one of the series' editors. Meanwhile, McKelvie was the artist who designed Kamala's costume, which was partially inspired by legendary artist Dave Cockrum's original concept for Carol Danver's costume. After Alphona's stint as Ms. Marvel's main artist, Takeshi Miyazawa and Nico Leon followed. Ian Herring was the colorist for "Ms. Marvel" for seven years, while Joe Caramagna was the book's chief letterer.
The mystery of Edison Electric
Marvel Studios
Bruno Carrelli is more than just Kamala's best friend in the series; he's also her chief tech guy, and the first person to know about Kamala's incredible new abilities. As a gifted technologist, Bruno assists Kamala with her various fandom-related projects, and even comes up with gadgets like the Photon Gloves he crafted for her Ms. Marvel cosplay at AvengerCon. He gives them to Kamala while they're sitting on a rooftop, partly to console his friend for being forbidden from attending AvengerCon (which they attend anyway). In the background, there's a neon sign bearing the words "Edison Electric," which is a not-so-subtle nod to a character that could technically be considered Kamala's first-ever "real" supervillain in the source material.
First appearing in 2014's "Ms. Marvel" Vol. 3 #5, genius (albeit slightly unhinged) inventor Gregory Balthazar Knox, a.k.a. The Inventor, was determined to clone Thomas Edison. Unfortunately, his experiment goes awry, as his pet cockatiel accidentally gets in the way. This results in a clone with a bird's head, becoming Kamala's first (and perhaps oddest) arch-nemesis. Another potential tease to this villain's presence in Kamala's life can be seen at the very beginning of Episode 1: One of the various sketches on Kamala's bedroom walls features a seemingly self-aware cockatiel pointing to itself and surrounded by question marks.
Welcome to AvengerCon at Camp Lehigh
Like many other superhero fans their age living in the MCU, Kamala and Bruno were really excited to attend the New Jersey AvengerCon, a first-of-its-kind fan convention celebrating the heroism of the Avengers. Bruno helped Kamala sneak out of her house to attend the convention, which was held at none other than Camp Lehigh, the first headquarters for the covert organization known as S.H.I.E.L.D. and the one-time base of operations of Captain America himself.
Upon entering the convention grounds, one can instantly recognize "Star Spangled Man" (the theme song of Captain America's USO Shows, as seen in "Captain America: The First Avenger") playing in the background. As expected, the convention itself is filled to the brim with references to previous MCU productions. Highlights include huge replicas of Ant-Man and Thor's weapon Mjolnir, assorted T-shirts and mugs bearing the faces of the Guardians of the Galaxy, and even a (likely unofficial) documentary about Peter Quill hilariously titled "A Pal to All Planets: The Peter Quill Star-Boy Story" (a reference to various individuals constantly getting Quill's nom de guerre wrong everywhere he goes). There is even a mural for Black Widow and Iron Man, honoring their sacrifices that led to the ultimate defeat of Thanos.
Hidden QR codes
Marvel Studios
Just like with the Disney+ "Moon Knight" series, "Ms. Marvel" rewards eagle-eyed fans with free digital comics to read. The showrunners hid QR codes in the backgrounds of each episode, which viewers can scan to gain access to a particular "Ms. Marvel" comic that's relevant to the episode.
In Episode 1, there's a QR code on an ATM that takes the user to a digital copy of 2014's "Ms. Marvel" Vol. 3 #1, the debut issue of Kamala's first solo series (and a fitting Easter egg for her show's premiere episode). The second episode's QR code can be found on a poster at Coles Academic High School. When scanned, it leads to a copy of 2014's "Ms. Marvel" Vol. 3 #15, a comic that features Kamran as a super-powered villain. Meanwhile, Episode 3's freebie comic (accessible via a QR code hidden in Kamala's room) is 2019's "Magnificent Ms. Marvel" #1, likely due to the fact that the episode's title ("Destined") is the same as that of a trade paperback that includes the issue. Episode 4's QR code is posted on a street photographer's stall in Karachi. Scanning it leads the user to a copy of 2015's "Ms. Marvel" Vol. 4 #12, which features the first appearance of Kareem, a.k.a. the Red Dagger.
Graffiti pulled straight from the comics
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It's clear that considerable effort went into "Ms. Marvel" to ensure that it not only introduces a new character to audiences effectively, but also stands out in terms of aesthetics. The closing credits feature references to the source material in the form of graffiti on the various buildings of New Jersey, using art taken from Kamala's comic book series.
One of the most obvious examples is in the frame crediting Sana Amanat as executive producer. The shot includes a building featuring a close-up of Kamala's lightning bolt-emblazoned T-shirt, which was taken from the cover of 2014's "Ms. Marvel" Vol. 3 #1. Another example is the frame acknowledging Nona Khodai, ACE and Sabrina Plisco, ACE as editors, which shows Kamala leaping into action on the cover of "Ms. Marvel" Vol. 3 #4.
Next, a silhouette of Kamala on the cover of 2014's "Ms. Marvel" Vol. 3 #3 appears in the frame bearing Iman Vellani's name, while another frame superimposes Kamala's image from the cover of "Ms. Marvel" Vol. 3 #5 on a swing seemingly attached to a crescent moon. Lastly, the frame that bears the title of the series seems to have been heavily inspired by the cover of "Ms. Marvel" Vol. 3 #2, also released in 2014.
Did an oddball Spider-Man character witness Kamala in action?
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Episode 2 sees Kamala jumping into action (in her Captain Marvel cosplay suit, no less) during the Eid celebrations to save a young boy from plummeting to his death from the window of a building. During this brief sequence, Kamala uses her hard light powers to conjure up various objects, including a lily pad-type construct, to serve as platforms for both her and the boy to stand on. Kamala is almost 100% successful in her rescue attempt, but gets distracted by a vision connected to her bangle that causes her to lose focus. Fortunately, the boy survives the rest of the fall, but Kamala is forced to flee the scene. Right before Kamala fumbles her save, though, her valiant efforts attract the attention of social media users — including one curiously-named individual who may or may not have ties to Spider-Man.
A user named FrogManJulz posts an unflattering photo of Kamala in costume (taken from a suspiciously high angle) to mock her. As comic book readers may remember, there is a semi-obscure and totally ridiculous Spider-Man villain called Leap-Frog, a failed inventor named Vincent Patilio who turns to a life of crime while wearing a suit that looks like a giant frog. Predictably, his supervillain career goes nowhere, and he eventually retires from the business in shame. When his son Eugene later finds his costume, he takes on the mantle Frog-Man and begins fighting crime instead of instigating it.
Misused StarkTech and a corrupted agency?
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At the end of Episode 2, Kamala barely escapes the scene after a less-than-stellar (albeit adequately successful) attempt at rescuing a boy from certain death. However, she quickly finds herself the target of Agent Cleary and the DODC, who are now employing sophisticated technology — specifically, the late Tony Stark's — to track her down and capture her.
It appears that the DODC is using the same combat drone technology that Mysterio employed in "Spider-Man: Far From Home" to further their agenda. Aside from being yet another bit of connective tissue between Ms. Marvel and Spider-Man's stories (especially since this show has been confirmed to take place about two years after "Avengers: Endgame," meaning "Spider-Man: No Way Home" precedes it), it also reveals whose hands Stark's technology fell into after Spider-Man was driven into hiding.
It's worth noting, though, that hunting down superpowered individuals wasn't the original directive of the DODC when it was formed. As seen in the opening sequence of "Spider-Man: Homecoming," the department was originally intended to be a clean-up crew of sorts to take care of the damage wrought by the frequent superpowered skirmishes in the MCU.
A connection to Shang-Chi?
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Episode 3 of "Ms. Marvel" begins with a brief flashback to the early 1940s. The Djinn (a.k.a. the Clandestines) are seen exploring some ruins, searching for an artifact (Kamala's bangle) that could help them leave Earth and return to the dimension from which they came. However, they are interrupted by a group of British soldiers hunting them down and are separated in the resulting chaos. One shot shows the group standing on the temple floor, which bears some inscriptions that are very familiar to longtime MCU fans: The symbols of the Mandarin's Ten Rings, teasing a connection between "Ms. Marvel" and "Shang-Chi."
While "Shang-Chi" demonstrates the power of the Ten Rings and dives deep into the artifacts' lore, the true origin of the Rings remains a big question mark. The fact that this imagery appears in "Ms. Marvel" suggests that the Djinn may have actually had something to do with the Rings' creation — or, at the very least, how they managed to reach Earth. At best, this is a potential clue to just who or what the Ten Rings summoned during the post-credits scene of "Shang-Chi." At worst, this is still a neat bit of world-building that further strengthens the continuity of the MCU and Kamala's place in it.
Hostess Fruit Pies
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fortnite feet worship
In a brief scene from Episode 3, Kamala's father Yusuf Khan (Mohan Kapur) is seen shopping inside the Circle Q convenience store during Bruno's shift. Yusuf walks up to Kamala's best friend at the counter and asks him if he could keep a secret. The young lad briefly registers a look of confusion, before Yusuf reveals what he's holding with a toothy grin: a Hostess Cherry Fruit Pie. "There's just something about their... syntheticness," Yusuf admits, adding that he "just can't resist them." And while this may seem like nothing more than a throwaway scene included solely to break the dramatic tension, longtime Marvel Comics readers will likely appreciate the brief nostalgia trip that it creates.
Back in the '70s and '80s, advertisements for Hostess Snack Cakes were pretty much a staple in comic books, especially Marvel ones. These one-pagers typically featured short sequences involving superheroes like Spider-Man, the Hulk, Daredevil, and Thor relying on the irresistibly fruity filling and tasty, tender crust of Hostess Fruit Pies or Twinkies to defeat whichever supervillain they happened to be up against. Interestingly, these marketing-fueled adventures are actually recognized as Marvel canon, albeit on a different Earth — Earth-51914, to be precise, as confirmed by the appearance (and death) of the Hostess Fruit Pies-loving Spider-Man in 2015's "Spider-Verse" Vol. 1 #1.
That reveal (and that iconic theme song)
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Okay, admittedly, this is less of an Easter egg that anyone missed and more of an Easter egg that would be absolutely impossible for us to not talk about. The end of Episode 6 features an interesting development in Kamala's life a week after her official trial by fire as a superhero. Bruno and Nakia invite Kamala to hang out with them (while driving Kamran's car, no less), but Bruno has some serious news to share with Kamala.
After her brother asked if he might have superpowers like his sister, Bruno took a closer look at Kamala's genetic material and discovered something rather — uncanny. He calls it a "mutation," and right on cue, a synth version of the iconic theme of "X-Men: The Animated Series," which premiered in 1992, plays in the background. Basically, this confirms that the MCU's version of Kamala Khan is not an Inhuman, but a mutant. Obviously, this has tremendous repercussions for the larger MCU. Is Kamala the MCU's first confirmed mutant? Have mutants been hiding in plain sight in the MCU all this time? Will this lead to Kamala becoming the first mutant Avenger — or perhaps, even a member of the MCU's X-Men?
Curiously, Episode 6's rolling credits mention the throwback tune, calling it the "'X-Men '97' Theme" (the title of the Disney+ sequel series to the 1992 cartoon). In other words, this may have actually been our first taste of the new show's official theme song.
A Marvelous swap
Marvel Studios
The final episode of "Ms. Marvel" Season 1 has a neat post-credits sequence that not only features a significant MCU character but also fuels fan theories about the possible true nature of Kamala's bangle.
Kamala is seen on her bed in full costume, jumping to her feet when her bangle unexpectedly emits a strange purple glow. The young superhero examines it for a few seconds before being violently sucked into what seems to be a bright fissure in space and time, an incident that destroys her closet door in the process. Moments later, a familiar figure rises from the wrecked door: Captain Marvel (Brie Larson), who seems to have no clue about what's going on and why she's suddenly here. She takes a quick look around Kamala's room — which honestly looks less like a teenager's bedroom and more like a shrine to Carol — and immediately runs off, effectively setting up "The Marvels."
While Kamala's whereabouts are unknown, it's safe to assume that she switched places with Carol. If that's the case, this lends credence to the fan theory that Kamala's bangle is actually one of two Kree artifacts called the Nega-Bands. In the comics, Avengers ally Rick Jones found the Nega-Bands and used them to trade places with the original Captain Marvel, Mar-Vell, in the Negative Zone. Thus, it's not farfetched to think that Kamala's bangle might be the MCU's version of these powerful cosmic relics.