Ms. Marvel Episode 2 MCU Easter Eggs & References

This article contains spoilers for Ms. Marvel episode 2.

Ms. Marvel episode 2 continues Kamala Khan's origin story, and is once again packed with Easter eggs connecting the Disney+ series to the wider MCU. Ms. Marvel episode 1 had more Easter eggs than any single episode of an MCU TV show to date, but with good reason; the titular hero was heading to the world's first AvengerCon, a celebration of Earth's Mightiest Heroes. Episode 2 moves on with the story, and as a result it has a lot less fan-service.

That doesn't mean there's a shortage of Easter eggs, of course. Kamala Khan is essentially an Avengers fangirl, meaning she and her friends communicate in Avengers references. There's everything from throwaway dialogue to superhero poses evoking memories of other Marvel movies, meaning viewers will continue to find this series a delight. There's even a rare reference to the Eternals—an Easter egg that fits perfectly in Kamala's world.

The MCU's Ms. Marvel has a different powerset and origin story, and there are still a lot more questions than answers about just how Kamala's powers work. Still, episode 2 drops a lot of clues, and potentially sets up some revelations going forward. Here are all the Easter eggs in Ms. Marvel episode 2 - some of which may be indicative.

Kamala Khan Thinks She Has Ant-Man Powers

Kamala Khan is thrilled at the idea of having superpowers and spins out ideas of abilities she hopes she possesses. Amusingly, she imagines she might just possess size-changing powers akin to Ant-Man's. There's a degree of irony to this comment; in the comics, Ms. Marvel can alter her mass, both increasing in size (aka "embiggening") and shrinking. Ms. Marvel really does have Ant-Man powers in the comics - unlike the MCU.

The "Budget Captain Marvel" Joke

Nakia, Bruno, and Kamala in school in Ms Marvel

Ms. Marvel episode 2 includes an amusing gag that Kamala Khan has become "a budget Captain Marvel." That was actually a line some critics used when Ms. Marvel was introduced, and suffice to say it hasn't aged well, given the character's enduring popularity. In narrative terms, it points to a subtle detail that the show will need to handle with care; Kamala Khan needs to find a way to step decisively out of Captain Marvel's shadow, becoming a superhero in her own right.

Kamran's Relationship With Kamala Khan

The Kamran subplot is adapted straight from Ms. Marvel #13 and #14, with major scenes from the comics adapted in a surprisingly accurate manner. Kamala has the same kind of response to Kamran, staring at him in infatuated adoration, and the two bond over Bollywood movies. More concerningly, the final scenes of Ms. Marvel episode 2 see Kamran pick Kamala up and drive off in his car, introducing her to his mother. It's very similar to Ms. Marvel #14, where Kamala's crush picked her up in his car under false pretenses and revealed he worked for a major villain. There, Kamran introduced his Nuhuman group, who became major enemies for Ms. Marvel.

Ms. Marvel's Giant Fist

Ms. Marvel episode 2 continues to pay homage to Kamala Khan's powers in the comics, with Kamala creating an energy construct in the shape of her trademark "embiggened" fist. Unfortunately, this doesn't seem to be especially useful to the MCU's Ms. Marvel, because she lacks the super-strength to lift the fist. Hopefully Kamala's expanding powerset will mean she finds a way to boost her strength and use her fists.

Ms. Marvel's Genetic Powers Are A Nod To The Comics

Bruno's scans determine that Ms. Marvel's powers do not come from the bracelet; rather, they originate from inside her, with the bracelet essentially activating something latent within her. There's a clear parallel here to the comics, where Kamala Khan was born with a latent Inhuman gene that was activated when she was exposed to the Terrigen Mists. X-Men comics have toyed with similar concepts of latent mutants whose X-genes are activated, with the most notable example being Magneto's daughter Polaris.

Kamala Khan Daydreams of Being Asgardian

Ms. Marvel seems to have never heard of Inhumans, of course, and her mind spins in a very different direction. Kamala's first thought is that she perhaps has an Asgardian gene that's been activated, and she jokingly suggests she could be related to Thor. This idea may seem fanciful, but it's important to remember Asgardian refugees now live on Earth at New Asgard, and may well be settling down with humans - meaning the press in the MCU could well be discussing human-Asgardian babies. No doubt some have pointed out that Asgardians have been interacting with humans for millennia - New Asgard is built at a site of historic importance to the Asgardians on Earth - so there really will probably be Asgardian DNA in the MCU's gene pool.

"Hard Light" Is An Amusing X-Men Nod

Kamala Khan describes her energy constructs as "hard light" in Ms. Marvel episode 2, a term that has a rich comic book history. It was used in X-Men comics in reference to their Danger Room long before Star Trek ever deployed it in reference to their Holosuites, and there it takes the form of immersive holographic environments and computer-controlled opponents allowing the X-Men to train. The X-Men's mutant pop singer Dazzler is also known for manipulating hard light. Kamala's energy is very different in appearance to either, however.

Ms. Marvel's Body Changes Mirror Kamran's In The Comics

Ms. Marvel episode 2 sees Kamala realize just how little control she has over her powers. It's unclear what exactly is happening; while it's possible Ms. Marvel's body simply shows hard light over her skin (for example, over her nose), the scenes may instead show her body actually beginning to transform into a hard light form. Visually, the effect is almost identical to Kamran's Inhuman powers in the comics, although Kamala's color is purple instead of green. The similarities surely aren't coincidental, and perhaps hint at the reason Marvel has chosen to redesign Kamala's powers, which is apparently for story purposes. The genetic connection between Kamala and Kamran may be even closer in the MCU.

A Nod To Kingo Of The Eternals

Discussion of Bollywood turns to talk of Kingo, the Eternal who's been enjoying performing in Bollywood for generations. Kingo manages to do this without attracting attention by pretending he's part of a lineage of actors; he uses make-up to simulate age, then begins to phase in a new career as "Kingo Jr." It's amusing to see Kingo's Bollywood career referenced elsewhere in the MCU - and it makes for a great nod to one of Marvel's newer franchises.

Ms. Marvel Strikes A Black Widow Pose

Believing she's saved the day, Ms. Marvel strikes a superhero pose that's lifted straight from Black Widow in Iron Man 2, although of course Kamala can't quite pull it off. Suffice to say Natasha Romanoff's "sister," Yelena Belova, would not be impressed to learn just how much Black Widow's posing has been absorbed into the MCU. Ironically, Ms. Marvel is so busy posing she loses control of her hard light constructs, meaning her moment of heroism ends in disaster.

Ms. Marvel Is Pursued By Stark Drones From Spider-Man: Far From Home

Viewers may recognize the drones that pursue Ms. Marvel as she flees from Damage Control; they're a variant of the Stark drones seen in Spider-Man: Far From Home. This is an interesting continuity nod, given Damage Control took possession of the drones after Spider-Man's secret identity was revealed to the world. Ms. Marvel episode 2 may therefore hint that Damage Control doesn't just acquire advanced technology - they also repurpose it. That's a particularly ominous possibility given the massive stockpile of advanced technology they possess, as seen in Spider-Man: Homecoming.

More: Ms. Marvel's MCU Power Change Explained

Ms. Marvel releases new episodes on Wednesdays on Disney+.

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