History ShoutOut / Marathon

** "Babylon X" - the TV series ''Series/BabylonV'' combined with XMakesAnythingCool

** "The Ensurance Trap" - reference to ''Film/DonnieDarko''

** plus all the levels named after lines from the trilogy

** "This Message Will Self-Destruct" - recurring line from the ''Mission: Impossible'' [[Series/MissionImpossible TV series]] and [[Film/MissionImpossible films]]

** "This Message Will Self-Destruct" - recurring line from the ''Franchise/MissionImpossible'' franchise

** "Epicus Doomicus Metallicus" - named after what's probably Music/{{Candlemass}}' most famous and influential album

** "Music/HouseOfPain"
*** It's possible this is actually a reference to the film "Film/IslandOfLostSouls" (itself inspired by Creator/HGWells' ''Literature/TheIslandOfDoctorMoreau'') instead, or to Music/OingoBoingo's "No Spill Blood", which is directly inspired by the film. Another possibility, though unlikely, is Music/VanHalen's song "House of Pain" from their album ''1984''.
** "[[Music/ThePolice King of Pain]]"

** The sequel ''Tempus Irae II: The Lost Levels'' itself is a reference to ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBrosTheLostLevels'', one of the most infamous cases of NoExportForYou, MissionPackSequel, and SequelDifficultySpike - fitting in the latter two cases as it includes the same textures and is quite a bit harder than the original ''Tempus Irae'', though not to the point of PlatformHell as the ''Mario'' game was (except maybe on the highest difficulties).[[note]]The ''Mario'' game was originally released in Japan as ''Super Mario Bros. 2'', but not released in other territories until much later. ''Every'' re-release, including the exports, has had its difficulty nerfed in some way. The game known as ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros2'' literally everywhere else is a completely different game, originally released in Japan as ''Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic'' (Japanese script: 夢工場 ドキドキパニック, figuratively meaning ''Dream Factory: Heart-Pounding Panic''; ''doki doki'' is a Japanese onomatopoeia for a heartbeat); it was released with a few gameplay changes as a DolledUpInstallment of the Mario series everywhere else, and became so popular in this form that it was ultimately re-released as ''Super Mario USA'' in Japan.[[/note]]

** The sequel ''Tempus Irae II: The Lost Levels'' itself is a reference to ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBrosTheLostLevels'', one of the most infamous cases of NoExportForYou and SequelDifficultySpike.[[note]]The game was originally released in Japan as ''Super Mario Bros. 2'', but not released in other territories until much later. Every re-release, including the exports, has had its difficulty nerfed. The game known as ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros2'' literally everywhere else is a completely different game, originally released in Japan as ''Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic'' (Japanese script: 夢工場 ドキドキパニック, figuratively meaning ''Dream Factory: Heart-Pounding Panic''; ''doki doki'' is a Japanese onomatopoeia for a heartbeat); it was released with a few gameplay changes as a DolledUpInstallment of the Mario series everywhere else, and became so popular in this form that it was ultimately re-released as ''Super Mario USA'' in Japan.[[/note]]

** The sequel ''Tempus Irae II: The Lost Levels'' itself is a reference to ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBrosTheLostLevels'', one of the most infamous cases of NoExportForYou and SequelDifficultySpike.[[note]]The game was originally released in Japan as ''Super Mario Bros. 2'', but not released in other territories until much later. Every re-release, including the exports, has had its difficulty nerfed. The game known as ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros2'' literally everywhere else is a completely different game, originally released in Japan as ''Doki Doki Panic''; it was released with a few gameplay changes as a DolledUpInstallment of the Mario series everywhere else, and became so popular in this form that it was ultimately re-released as ''Super Mario USA'' in Japan.[[/note]]

** The sequel ''Tempus Irae II: The Lost Levels'' itself is a reference to ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBrosTheLostLevels'', one of the most infamous cases of NoExportForYou and SequelDifficultySpike. (The game was originally released in Japan as ''Super Mario Bros. 2'', but not released in other territories until much later. Every re-release, including the exports, has had its difficulty nerfed.)

** "For Your Eyes Only" - named after the Franchise/JamesBond [[Film/ForYourEyesOnly film]]

** "[[Film/MadMax Thunderdome]]"

** "[[Film/MadMax Beyond Thunderdome]]"

* The "I am a hero" terminal is generally regarded to be a ShoutOut to Creator/MichaelMoorcock's Eternal Champion.

* ''Marathon'' level names are loaded with shout-outs... and bad Pfhor puns. Sometimes both at once.

** "Film/WhatAboutBob?"

*** It's possible this is actually a reference to the film "Film/IslandOfLostSouls" (itself inspired by Creator/HGWells' ''Literature/TheIslandOfDoctorMoreau'') instead, or to Music/OingoBoingo's "No Spill Blood", which samples it. Another possibility, though unlikely, is Music/VanHalen's song "House of Pain"

** "WhatAboutBob?"

* ''Marathon'' has several levels named after quotes from ''WesternAnimation/BeavisAndButthead'', such as the first level with lava being called "FIRE! FIRE! FIRE! FIRE! FIRE!," or the level with the first hidden flamethrower called "Smells like Napalm, tastes like Chicken!"

** "[[{{Theatre/Hamlet}} Slings and Arrows of Outrageous Fortune]]"

** "[[Franchise/StarWars No Disintegrations]]"

** "[[Music/TheFugees 'Fugee Camp]]"

** "If I Had a Rocket Launcher, I'd Make Someone Pay" (Bruce Cockburn, ''[[ProtestSong If I Had a Rocket Launcher]]'')

* ''Marathon'' has several levels named after quotes from BeavisAndButthead, such as the first level with lava being called "FIRE! FIRE! FIRE! FIRE! FIRE!," or the level with the first hidden flamethrower called "Smells like Napalm, tastes like Chicken!"

** "[[StarWars You Don't Need to See My ID]]"
** "[[{{Hamlet}} Slings and Arrows of Outrageous Fortune]]"

** "[[MadMax Thunderdome]]"
** "[[StarWars No Disintegrations]]"
** "[[PulpFiction OK, Honeybunny]]"
** "[[{{Hamlet}} Poor Yorick]]"
** "[[DoAndroidsDreamOfElectricSheep Electric Sheep One]]"

** "[[CthulhuMythos Strange Aeons]]"
** "[[MadMax Beyond Thunderdome]]"
** "HouseOfPain"

** "[[ApocalypseNow Smells Like Napalm]], Tastes Like Chicken"

** "[[BladeRunner Electric Sheep Two]]"

** "[[AliceInWonderland Curiouser and Curiouser]]"

* Marathon level names are loaded with shout-outs... and bad Pfhor puns. Sometimes both at once.

* ''{{Marathon}}'' has several levels named after quotes from BeavisAndButthead, such as the first level with lava being called "FIRE! FIRE! FIRE! FIRE! FIRE!," or the level with the first hidden flamethrower called "Smells like Napalm, tastes like Chicken!"