What If…?: What’s hidden in plain sight in episode 5
By Mike McNulty
Zombie Hunters and their accessories
Spidey isn’t the only one who gets a piece of clothing or apparel that is, in and of itself, a Marvel related Easter Egg. Take Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) after he returns to Earth (as seen in Avengers: Infinity War) and needs a fresh change of clothes. He puts on what look like the robes from a Kamar Taj disciple which are also purple in color. This harkens back the Hulk wearing purple pants in the comics. In fact, once Bruce finally transforms into the Hulk towards the end, he looks like how the Hulk traditionally appeared in the comics.
Then there’s Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau), wearing a repulsor glove – the same one Tony Stark put on during Bucky’s escape during Captain America: Civil War. Also, in Peter’s homemade “How to survive a zombie apocalypse” training video, his “skills” include “Driver” and “Boxer.” The first, of course, refers to his being Tony Stark’s chauffeur, and Boxer is a nod towards the fact that, in the comics, Happy used to be a boxer before working for Stark Industries.
Bucky, of course, has the vibranium mechanical arm given to him by the Wakandians. His bio lists his skills as “Murder,” “Killer Arm,” and “Heavy Sleeper,” all of which are cute nods towards him being the Winter Soldier and once kept in cryogenic freeze. The real oddball, however, is Kurt (David Dastmalchian), one of the “Three Wombats” from Ant-Man (2015) and Ant-Man and the Wasp. Not only is he wearing his X-Con Securities work suit, but his skills include “Slavic Folklore” and “Crime,” the first being a nod towards his ancestry (and superstitions over how the Ant-Man suit worked) and him being a former thief.
Camp Lehigh
The name of the abandoned army base where the survivors head towards should also be a name quite familiar to MCU watchers. For starters, Camp Lehigh is the place where Steve Rogers went through basic training during Captain America: The First Avenger (2011). Hence why the sign on the base, as seen in Avengers: Endgame (2019) reads “The birthplace of Captain America.”
Speaking of Endgame, that’s also where Steve and Tony time travel towards to get spare Pym particles in the 1970s. It’s also where Steve and Natasha find AI version of Armin Zola – and also learn that S.H.I.E.L.D. has been compromised by Hydra – during Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014). And, of course, the name “Lehigh” is a direct nod towards the father of Marvel Universe, Stan Lee.