Mythology Gag / LEGO Marvel Super Heroes

• The cover◊ resembles the iconic cover of the first issue of the original Secret Wars. The Vita port of the game gives a trophy referencing this; "Not So Secret Wars".
• Iron Man, Spider-Man, and the Hulk working together in the first level could be seen as one, since the three of them were a rather popular Power Trio around 2008.
• One of the billboards early in the game is an homage to the cover of the first issue of Superior Spider-Man.
• The stage you fight Doc Ock on is the same location that Spidey would fight Electro in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, which wasn't released yet.
• The TARDIS briefly appears early in "Bifrosty Reception" when the characters are travelling to Bifrost. Its owner, The Doctor, was a Marvel Comics character between 1979 and 1999.
• The Hulk's grab in the game is the one he used when smashing Loki around in The Avengers. Like the Bane example, he can use it on the one he used it on in canon (in this case, Loki). Actually doing it nets you an achievement, just like with the Bane example.
• One of the "Stan Lee in Peril" sidequests involves him drinking toxic soda and turning into the Hulk.
• In another Stan-quest, he's not able to get into Marvel HQ, complaining 'But I'm Stan Lee!'
• Dig up one of the minikits in "Times Square Off" and you'll find HERBIE, who states he's "been cooped up in there since 1978", the year of the DePatie-Freleng Fantastic Four cartoon wherein he replaced Human Torch (due to someone else having the rights to him at the time).
• Magneto flies on a metal disc and uses small metal balls as weapons, much like his prison escape in X2: X-Men United.
• There is an achievement where you play as Magneto, and use the Magneto Mobile to go to the Baxter Building. It is titled "Menace of Magneto".
• Coulson claims that the Helicarrier lab can create any hero they can imagine except for Spider-Man clones.
• One of Spider-Man's in-game quotes: "Shall we, my amazing friends?"
• Iron Man briefly offers to make Spidey a rocket-propelled iron suit (the Iron Spider), but Spidey declines because it "sounds heavy".
• Nick Fury decides to order lunch from a shawarma joint that Tony Stark found, as in the end of The Avengers.
• Agent Coulson, as an unlockable character, is notable for the huge gun he wields- it's the same one he used on Loki in The Avengers. Every so often, while blowing stuff up with it, he will also remark "Ha. So that's what it does."
• In the cutscene after the prologue mission against Sandman, Spidey turns down Coulson's offer to the Helicarrier for a number of reasons, including "I've got to get my Aunt May half a dozen eggs."
• In one side mission, the X-Men encounter the Blob on a recruitment mission. They do the same in the comics.
• Jean Grey and Cyclops are partnered in Mission 8. They are known for their relationship. A few characters also are unlocked when using a related character. For example, Magneto's daughter Polaris is unlocked after completing a bonus mission in which Magneto is heavily used. The Leader, an archenemy of the Hulk appears in the same level as Hulk and is unlocked upon its completion, and so on.
• Wolverine says he has visited the Statue of Liberty before.
• A more subtle one in the Stark Tower lever: Tony's security pass-code is "Tango Oscar Sierra 3963". Iron Man debuted in "Tales of Suspense" #39, 1963.
• Movie-style Aldrich Killian teaming up with comic style Mandarin for a level.
• The Manhattan Mission "Feeling Fisky" sees Spider-Man, Captain America, and Daredevil confront the Kingpin. These were the first three Marvel Heroes to each confront the crime boss in the comics.
• In a post-credits cutscene, Nick Fury encounters a mysterious silhouetted figure with the same profile as Lego Batman. It's actually Black Panther.
• Purple studs are the most valuable studs. Purple LEGO pieces are commonly prized among LEGO fans due to their initial rarity.
• One of the two still animations for Mastermind has him glitching and reveals him in his true form, which is a smaller and uglier version of him, before waving his hand to appear normal again. This is a nod to "The Dark Phoenix Saga" and the comics in general, in which Mastermind used his power to disguise himself as a more handsome man (see here at 4:36, and here at 4:31).
• Level 12 has Captain America and the Thing fight who they think is Magneto. Alas, it turns out to be Mystique, not Magneto. The latter is in another place.
• The second half of the credits has the old "Merry Marvel Marching Society" song playing over them.

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