This article contains spoilers for Ms. Marvel episode 6.
Ms. Marvel episode 6 is absolutely packed with Easter eggs and MCU references - including explicit setup for the X-Men and The Marvels. Jersey City has its own superhero in the MCU now, with Kamala Khan finally claiming the identity of "Ms. Marvel." The Disney+ TV series has essentially been focused on the theme of identity, symbolized by the gradual teasing of her costume.
There's a sense in which Ms. Marvel episode 6 is Kamala Khan's first real outing as a superhero, simply because she's now fully in-costume and embraced by the people of her city. Every superhero needs villains and complications in their lives, and for Kamala her first real villains are Damage Control - introduced back in Ms. Marvel episode 1's post-credits, and apparently the enforcers of the Sokovia Accords in the post-Avengers: Endgame era. Fortunately Jersey's new superhero has friends now, and she's able to keep Damage Control away from Kamran, using her ties to the Red Daggers to get him out of the country.
But Ms. Marvel episode 6 doesn't just serve to wrap up the Disney+ TV show's plot; it's also essential setup. The MCU's Ms. Marvel has been redesigned, apparently to ensure she fits in well with the shared universe's overarching narrative, and episode 6 finally reveals why that's the case. The Ms. Marvel finale transforms the show into essential viewing, with Kamala Khan and the themes explored in this show positioned as central to the introduction of mutants. Here are all of Ms. Marvel episode 6's Easter eggs.
Mutants Become Part Of The MCU In Ms. Marvel
Yes, mutants are now officially part of the MCU. In the biggest of Ms. Marvel's Easter eggs, Bruno checks Kamala's DNA to see if it's possible other members of her family have superpowers, and he discovers something unique about her genes. He's not sure what it is, but describes it as being "like a mutation." This is followed by a beautiful riff on the classic X-Men: The Animated Series theme-tune, reinforcing the fact Kamala Khan is in fact a mutant. Marvel regained the film rights to mutants after Disney acquired the bulk of Fox's film and TV empire, and viewers have eagerly awaited their introduction in the MCU. Amusingly, Kamala rolls her eyes and observes her genetic anomaly will just mean she gets another label - and she's certainly right for viewers.
Ms. Marvel episode 6 may offer a lot of important clues to the nature of mutants in the MCU. The Marvel Studios Visual Dictionary hinted characters like Scarlet Witch and Captain Marvel could be mutants, people with unique genetic markers that respond to external sources of power. It's perhaps significant that Kamala Khan will return in The Marvels, alongside both Captain Marvel and Monica Rambeau, the latter empowered after she was exposed to Scarlet Witch's Hex. The three women could all be mutants, and it's even possible mutants will be called "Marvels" in the MCU, adding much more depth to the film's title.
Damage Control Is Positioned As An X-Men-Style Enemy
Attentive viewers will have actually noticed an X-Men-style plot already weaving its way through Ms. Marvel - the idea empowered people are hated and feared, and indeed should be regulated, with Damage Control apparently responsible for policing the Sokovia Accords in the MCU's Phase 4 - and responding badly to the emergence of new superhumans. Indeed, one early scene in Ms. Marvel episode 6 sees Damage Control agent Sadie Deever complain the destruction of the Circle Q is what happens when the wrong people get powers - "kids." In the comics, mutants are associated with the X-gene, which triggers at puberty, meaning it is indeed common for teenagers to gain superpowers. Damage Control's attitude positions them as antagonists when mutants become mainstream.
The Red Daggers' Map Has Moved
Ms. Marvel episode 6 sees Kamala ask for help getting Kamran out of the country. She turns to the Red Daggers for help, and there's a brief shot of Kareem in their headquarters in Karachi. The camera deliberately focuses on one detail - the fact they've changed their area of focus on the map the Red Daggers use to track Noor across the world. It's an intriguing detail and more than just an Easter egg, suggesting there's another story going on in Asia - perhaps even another mutant-related plot.
Ms. Marvel Riffs On The A-Team
Ms. Marvel loves it when a plan comes together. Getting Kamran out of Jersey will require careful planning on the heroes' part, and Kamala puts together one of her customary chalkboard plans to do so. It's a fun Ms. Marvel Easter egg as it feels like The A-Team, as the kids take advantage of anything they have to hand to create elaborate non-lethal traps for the Damage Control agents.
Ms. Marvel's Powered-Up Look Is A Nod To An X-Men Character
The plan goes wrong when Kamran learns his mother is dead and goes off on his own. Kamala leaps to his defense, in a scene where the Noor energy forms into a full-body exoskeleton around her. Ms. Marvel's powers have been massively changed for the MCU, and the full-body armor is visually reminiscent of some artists' renditions of a lesser-known X-Men character, Armor, even if she does strike some more traditional Ms. Marvel poses. In the comics, Armor possesses the power to summon just this kind of energy-based exoskeleton around herself, although hers seems to be more durable than Kamala's in the MCU.
Damage Control Use Sonic Weapons From The Incredible Hulk
Damage Control deploy sonic weapons to deal with the superhumans. This isn't the first time viewers have seen sonic weapons used in this kind of way; General Ross used more powerful versions against the Hulk in The Incredible Hulk. It's more than a little concerning to see Damage Control deploy technology developed for use on the Hulk against kids, even if these sonic blasts are nowhere near as devastating.
Ms. Marvel Gets Her Spider-Man Scene
Ms. Marvel was created after the pattern of Spider-Man, an "everyman hero" who was just an ordinary kid when she took off her mask. It's particularly appropriate, therefore, that Ms. Marvel episode 6 features a riff on an idea from the Tobey Maguire Spider-Man films - of the superhero being defended by the people of their city, a demonstration of inspired solidarity. This was woven into the first Sam Raimi Spider-Man movie as a result of the Twin Towers, and it became a recurring theme. Now Ms. Marvel season 1 has followed the same pattern.
Ms. Marvel's Social Media Posts Include An Amusing Multiversal Easter Egg
Some of the New Jersey locals take to social media to celebrate their defense of Ms. Marvel. One of them is called "MasterPaul616," an amusing nod to Marve's multiverse. In the comics, "616" is the numeric designation of the main Marvel timeline. The MCU has co-opted Earth-616 to refer to the film universe. This particular Easter egg will no doubt be controversial with Ms. Marvel star Iman Vellani, who insists the MCU can't be Earth-616 - she loves the comics too much, and wants the MCU and the comics to be part of the same multiverse. Amusingly, one of the superhero hashtags in the MCU is apparently #KAPOW.
Ms. Marvel Episode 6 Recreates The Famous Lamppost Scene
The Ms. Marvel finale features a recreation of a classic comic book panel in which Kamala Khan sits on a lamppost - one of her most celebrated images. "The lamppost moment is just one of my favorites," Sana Amanat - Kamala's co-creator and a writer on Ms. Marvel - observed in an interview. "Being on set and watching that be filmed was just so crazy and amazing and emotional." It's a delight to see Ms. Marvel's iconic lamppost scene brought to life.
Ms. Marvel's Post-Credit Scene Features Captain Marvel
Ms. Marvel's post-credits scene sees Kamala Khan's bangle flare, and she's apparently body-swapped with her icon - Carol Danvers. The scene feels like a loose homage to 2014's Ms. Marvel #1, the issue in which Kamala gained her powers in the comics, where she initially took on the form of her favorite hero. Interestingly, the flare of purple energy released when Kamala switches place with Carol Danvers is reminiscent of the purple power-flares associated with the Kree Nega-Bands; one plot involving the Nega-Bands saw Rick Jones and the Kree Captain Marvel switch bodies in the same way. There's been speculation the bangle is the MCU's version of a Kree Nega-band, and Ms. Marvel's setup for The Marvels seems to hint that could be the case.