Warning: The following contains spoilers for Ms. Marvel Episode 2, “Crushed.”In the second episode of Ms. Marvel, new characters and potentially new conflict is brought to the forefront for Kamala and her friends. Not only does the audience get to know Kamala’s best friends a little better and get a glimpse into their lives as they celebrate Eid Mubarak, but a new senior at school steals Kamala’s attention while Damage Control zeroes in on her. Kamala also tries to learn a bit more about her family history.
Amidst all of the conflict and slow-burning storylines, Ms. Marvel also manages to sneak in a few Easter eggs and include plenty of references to the wider Marvel Cinematic Universe. There are even some interesting nods to Marvel comics.
Ant-Man’s Powers
When Kamala details that she attempted to grow, shrink, and talk to ants, her testing of Ant-Man’s powers as her own is more than just a fun nod to Scott Lang. It’s clear that Kamala is a fan (and she makes reference to Paul Rudd seemingly never aging), but it’s more than that too.
Kamala’s powers in the comics are actually similar to Scott’s ability to grow and shrink. Kamala’s “embiggening” ability in the comics is a lot like his ability to grow, but she’s able to focus and grow even just a single limb. That is also referenced later in the episode when Kamala tries to use her “hard light” as a super-sized hand.
Hard Light
The term used to describe the light that manifests from Kamala’s powers is one that has been used in Marvel comics. It’s not, however, used in reference to her. Instead, it’s got a connection to the X-Men.
The term is used to describe the constructs in the Danger Room, the room used for the X-Men to train. There, holographic projections take on physical form, or “hard light.” Dazzler, an X-Men member who can transform the energy of sound waves into forms of light, is also said to manipulate hard light.
A Budget Captain Marvel
Kamala gets a couple of different superhero nicknames in the episode. Zoe dubs her Night Light. Others, however, call her a “budget Captain Marvel.”
That term isn’t one invented for the series, but is what some critics and unhappy comic book fans called Kamala when she debuted as the new Ms. Marvel in the comics.
Kamala’s Powers Are Innate
It’s no secret that Kamala’s power set has been changed for the show compared to the comics. Some speculated that her powers came from the bangle Kamala wears, but Episode 2 reveals that it simply unlocks innate abilities. That’s not unlike Wanda Maximoff’s power being unlocked by her exposure to an Infinity Stone. It’s also not unlike Kamala’s exposure to another substance unlocking her powers in the comics.
In the comics, however, it’s the Terrigen Mist of the Inhumans that unlocks her power. In the comics, Kamala discovers she’s a NuHuman - a human who has Inhuman DNA in her lineage - after she’s exposed to a cloud of the mist. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Inhumans haven’t been a part of the main continuity, but alternate universes, but Inhumans are the result of Kree experimentation, which would further connect Kamala and Carol Danvers.
Black Widow Connections
When Kamala is at school, fans might spot a familiar image on her tee shirt. It’s one of the comic book designs for Black Widow aka Natasha Romanoff. There’s another Black Widow connection later in the episode too.
Kamala also drops into the same pose that Natasha uses when fighting in Iron Man 2, something Yelena Belova made fun of her for in the Black Widow movie. That same pose happens right before Kamala loses her grip on her abilities and the boy she’s trying to save.
An Eternal Name Drop
When Kamran and Kamala discuss their love for Bollywood movies, they namedrop a few real world actors, but they also talk about one exclusive to the MCU - Kingo.
They discuss liking Kingo or Kingo Senior being a “generational thing.” Fans who have seen the Eternals movie will know those are actually the same person. The Eternal Kingo simply reinvents himself as the son of his Bollywood actor persona when he realizes people will get suspicious about him not aging.
The FBI Has New Jersey Mosques Under Surveillance
An off-hand comment made by Damage Control during Zoe’s interrogation could act as an Easter egg - or it could be a reference to the state of the real world.
If it’s an Easter egg, fans will remember that Jimmy Woo, who has appeared in the Ant-Man movies and the WandaVision series is an FBI agent assigned to dealing with enhanced individuals.
Damage Control’s Drones
When Damage Control is tracking Kamala after she saves a boy at an Eid gathering (which dates the show as occurring in late March or April, depending on the year), they use drones to follow her so they have her exact location. Those drones might look familiar: they were confiscated in Spider-Man: No Way Home as some of Tony Stark’s technology.
Kamran Picks Up Kamala
Kamran picking up Kamala while Damage Control is pursuing her isn’t just revealing that he knows she has powers. It’s also a nod to the comics.
In the comics, when Kamran picked up Kamala to give her a ride, however, he kidnapped her. Secretly working for the Inhuman criminal Lineage, Kamran frequently transported NuHumans to him, and Kamala was on the list.
Ms. Marvel is currently streaming on Disney Plus.