10 Easter Eggs And References You Probably Missed In Luke Cage

It’s not all that we want from our superhero movies and TV series – great characters, action and storytelling wouldn’t go amiss – but comic book fans do love to pick out brief lines or visuals that harken back to the source material. It’s a fun game played between the makers and the viewers that can sometimes go on long after release (e.g. Batman V Superman). In particular, Marvel’s Netflix shows are great for this. Though they star grittier versions of the heroes from the comics, they still feature many a nod to the stuff on the page. Or, indeed, the movies that they share a universe with. While it isn’t as jam-packed with call-backs and obscure nods as other shows, Luke Cage still features a number of fun easter eggs and easily-missed references to the comic books and other MCU works. Here, you'll find the 10 most interesting that we spotted. If you have another, be sure to let us know in the comments. section 10) Stan Lee's Obligatory Cameo Stan Lee hasn’t actually appeared in the flesh in any of the Netflix shows, but as Marvel properties, it’s the law that he has to turn up in some form. Daredevil solved this problem by featuring a photo of Stan in police uniform in Hell Kitchen’s police department, something also seen in Jessica Jones. Luke Cage, likewise, continues the running joke/easter egg, but gives it a fresh twist as well. As seen in the show’s final trailer, Lee’s cop photo can be seen adorning a Harlem store window. It’s on a poster that reads: “See a Crime? Report it!” It seems that this version of Lee is not only a well-respected member of the force amongst his fellow officers, but he's something of a local celebrity, too. 9) The Return of Seagate Prison By and large, Luke Cage’s origin story – shown in flashbacks in episode four – is pretty much directly lifted from the page. One element of it, though, has actually previously appeared in the MCU. We see Luke incarcerated in Seagate Prison. Eagle-eyed viewers may remember the facility also appearing in the Iron Man 3 tie-in All Hail The King, in what is a very rare easter egg linking the movies with the Netflix shows. Though it isn’t stated, the name can be spotted on prison uniforms and signs. Furthermore, in addition to Cage, it's also apparently home to both Trevor Slattery and Justin Hammer – it was also infiltrated by the real Mandarin. No wonder Cage had such a lousy time there. 8) Hammer Industries Speaking of Justin Hammer, despite his threat to Tony at the end of Iron Man 2, Sam Rockwell’s flamboyant villain has not returned to get his revenge on the shellhead. However, it seems his company is still up to no good in the MCU, as Luke Cage proves. In the first episode of the show, Cottonmouth is revealed to be dealing in some experimental weapons made by Hammer Industries. When this venture goes wrong, as some of his own employees go turncoat and make off with the guns, it starts the downfall of his regime – as he's no longer able to repay even bigger mob boss Diamondback. Hammer Industries is also said to be responsible for the Judas bullet that's able to break through Luke’s seemingly unbreakable skin. 7) The Incident The aforementioned weapon is also explained to be derived from a special metal recovered from the Chitauri invasion of New York, otherwise known (at least in the Netflix shows) as the Incident. The corrupt New York of Marvel’s Netflix shows is still reeling from the events of The Avengers, and so multiple references to it pop up in Luke Cage. A recurring one is a DVD bootlegger who flogs footage of the Incident from a Harlem street corner. Interestingly enough, however, there is no reference to the events of Age of Ultron or Civil War in the show, so it's entirely possible that all of the Netflix series so far take place after The Avengers but before Phase Two. 6) Harlem’s Own Captain America Another tradition of the Netflix shows is to namedrop an Avenger or two, just to remind us that they take place in the same universe as the movies. For instance, it seems to be a running joke that characters will mention Thor’s “magic hammer.” Characters in both Daredevil and Luke Cage have said that they should be thankful their opponents don’t own such a powerful weapon, while Mjolnir is also mentioned by Claire Temple’s mother as an example of how crazy the world has become. In Luke Cage, Cottonmouth mocks Cage’s heroism by calling him “Harlem’s own Captain America.” This is particularly amusing to hear as in the comics, Cage has replaced Cap as the leader of the Avengers on occasion, so this might be a nod to that. 5) Night Nurse The one character who ties all of the pre-Defenders shows together is Rosario Dawson’s Claire Temple, who completes the trio so far and appears frequently in Luke Cage. Soon after meeting him, Claire makes it clear that she doesn't want to sleep with Luke, after he asks her out. This is amusing, considering that she dated Luke – and not Daredevil – in the comics. Once Claire quit her job as a nurse in Daredevil season 2, it looked likely that she would become Night Nurse, a comics character who treats superheroes. This is heavily set-up here, as she realizes that her experience with heroes like Matt Murdock and Jessica Jones (though she doesn't refer to them by name) has made her want to treat people with abilities. In episode 11, Diamondback's thug Sugar knocks the nail right on the head by nicknaming her "the night nurse." 4) Trish Talk Despite their romantic connection, Jessica Jones does not show up in Luke Cage. Her adopted sister does, though, in a welcome cameo. Albeit in audio form only. As seen in Jessica Jones, Trish Walker is the host of a radio show – which is heard at the beginning of episode six. Despite callers ringing in to label Luke as just as bad as the criminals he's stopping, naturally, Trish makes clear her support of Luke and people like him who risk their lives to keep others safe. In the comics, Trish herself becomes of those people when she gains powers and adopts the identity of Hellcat, something many fans want to see in Jessica Jones season 2. 3) Episode Titles Hip-hop music obviously plays a huge role in setting the tone and ambiance of Luke Cage, with multiple tracks playing each episode – generally through the singers at Cottonmouth’s club, Harlem’s Paradise. In fact, music is such a core part of the show that each episode title is taken from a track by Gang Starr. Here’s the full list of titles: “Moment of Truth” “Code of the Streets” “Who’s Gonna Take the Weight?” “Step in the Arena” “Just to Get a Rep” “Suckas Need Bodyguards” “Manifest” “Blowin’ Up the Spot” “DWYCK” “Take it Personal” “Now You’re Mine” “Soliloquy of Chaos” “You Know My Steez” "I wanted the 13 episodes to feel like an album,” said creator and showrunner Cheo Hodari Coker, about the motif. “Like when Prince put out an album, you would shut things out and listen to the whole thing. But now, with TV, you binge watch.” 2) “You Look Like A Damn Fool” It came as no surprise that Mike Colter’s wardrobe for Luke Cage is more inspired by the casual wear of the modern incarnation of the character – T-shirts and jeans – than the rather dated bright yellow shirt and metal tiara he traditionally wears. It's a pleasant surprise, then, that this outfit is alluded to in the show at one point. When Cage escapes from Seagate, he steals some clothes to change into – which happen to be something closely matching the 1970s version of the character, especially with the metal headband he's wearing from the experiment. This version Luke isn’t a fan of the ensemble, however, and comments that he looks like a “damn fool.” He also jokes about the outfit to Claire in a later episode. 1) Power Man As you may know, Luke Cage operates under the name Power Man in the comics. For the show, however, they decided he was too grounded a character to have a superhero moniker. That said, they couldn’t resist a couple of allusions to the title. Pops, Cage’s kindly father figure, begins the series by telling Luke he should use his abilities for good. He then gives him some superhero nicknames, his favourite being ‘Power Man.’ It’s not something that Cage himself picks up, but it is a welcome reference all the same. Likewise, they couldn’t do a Luke Cage show and never have him say his comics catchphrase, “Sweet Christmas!” Though it is used fairly sparingly, Luke still utters the phrase a handful of times across the series, raising a smile on comic book fans’ faces each and every time.