Disney and Marvel finally released the first two episodes of their Marvel sitcom, WandaVision, with the wife and myself eager to see what was in store. We’re both fans of most of the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, and I’ve been reading Marvel Comics ever since I was a youngling. Now that we’ve watched the available episodes, I’ve noticed several Easter Eggs scattered throughout the first two episodes, and we’ll be talking about them and their significance to the series and the MCU.
These will be spoilers, so if you haven’t watched the first two episodes, please turn back. Otherwise, keep on reading.
Vision’s Indestructible Head
Right as the first episode begins, we get a segment where Wanda’s in the kitchen and using her magic to assist her with some cleaning. Vision wanders in, oblivious to what is taking place, and gets smacked in the head by a flying plate. The two exchange some witty banter, with Wanda saying, “My husband with his indestructible head.” This refers to Marvel’s Avengers: Infinity War, where we find out that Vision’s head is most definitely not indestructible. Then, Thanos easily claims the Mind Stone from Visions head, killing him in the process.
The Stark Industries Toast Mate
This reference was quite interesting and took me a bit to understand. The Stark Industries Toast Mate, when the dial is used to select how the darkness of the toast, makes the sound of Iron Man’s repulsors powering up. When used to make toast, the female assistance notices that the toaster takes a long time to finish toasting the bread. The toaster takes quite some time and is a throwback to the line referenced to Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron, where Wanda and her brother waited for days for the bomb by Stark Industries would go off and kill them. Only it didn’t, and that is what drove the brother and sister to join Hydra and where they got their powers from.
S.W.O.R.D. Makes Its Appearance
An icon/logo that features a sword has been seen several times throughout WandaVision episodes 1 and 2, prompting many to ask what it means. We’ve seen it pop up during the end of the first episode, both being displayed on a monitor and a notebook.
Later in episode two, we see it pictured on the technicolored helicopter toy that Wanda discovers outside her home. Isn’t it odd that the colors are similar to Iron Man’s suits?
Finally, towards the end of episode two, we see the logo appear on the man who appeared climbing out of a maintenance hole.
While just about everyone knows of S.H.I.E.L.D and its mission to protect the Earth from various events, another organization has the same mission statement but does so in a broader fashion. S.W.O.R.D or Sentient World Observation and Response Department / Sentient World Observation and Response Department was once a division of S.H.I.E.L.D but has since gone on its own. While S.W.O.R.D hasn’t made an appearance in the MCU movies, the organization is widely known in the comics and has recently kicked off a new comic (S.W.O.R.D 2020 #1). Its appearance is puzzling because it is typically known for being one of the good guys. What role are they playing in WandaVision?
The Grim Reaper’s Helmet
During the opening of the second episode, one that resembles that of the opening from Bewitched, right as Vision is phasing through the floor we see a helmet of an ironic Marvel villain; The Grim Reaper.
The Grim Reaper again appears, this time alongside some children, on Agnes’ broach. This is a reference to Wanda and Visions’s children from the comics, more on that in a bit. This time we can see him with his scythe.
These Easter Eggs have a lot of meaning, and if you haven’t read the older Marvel comics, you likely won’t get this one. The Grim Reaper is Wonder Man’s brother, with who Wanda was romantically involved before Vision was created. In fact, Wonder Man had died during an attempt to save the Avengers (The Avengers #9 Oct 1964). The hero is brought back to life another of times. However, during one particular arch, it was mentioned that Wonder Man’s brainwaves were recorded by The Avengers before his death and were used by Ultron to created Vision. Yes, Wanda has technically been involved with two people in the Marvel Universe, but they are actually the same. Getting back to the Grim Reaper, he swore to avenge his brother’s death. He got close several times, but eventually, he was killed. Only to also be revived from the dead, just like his brother.
This poses a question: Will, the Grim Reaper, makes an appearance in WandaVision, and if so, in what capacity? Does he know about Vision? Will this spin the comics’ events into the show, allowing Simon and Vision to appear side by side? Is this how Vision comes back to life? It’s all so very confusing, yet I can’t wait to see how this plays out.
What’s Monica Rambeau Doing There?
While we already knew that Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) would be making an appearance in WandaVision, thanks to the teasing of Kevin Feige. We didn’t know what role she’d play, and apparently, neither does the in-show character. In fact, she’s not even called Monica and is referred to as Geraldine. When Wanda speaks to her, she not only states she doesn’t even know why she’s where she’s at, but she hesitates when she gives her name. It’s almost like she either doesn’t know it or makes one up on the spot. And just like Wanda and Vision, she’s new to the town of Westview. We don’t know much about her, but I’m wondering if she’s part of S.W.O.R.D, tasked with keeping an eye on the pair.
Is Agnes actually Agatha Harkness?
That noisy yet friend neighbor of Wanda and Vision, Agnes, just might be another familiar name from the comics. Agnes could quite possibly be Agatha Harkness, the teacher who tutored Wanda/ The Scarlet Witch in the comics. This could very well be why Agnes has been friendly and teaching Wanda the ways of Westview. She’s also one of Marvel’s oldest characters and she’s quite powerful. Or at least she was before Wanda went crazy and killed her after the Wasp mentioned Wanda’s lost children. Wanda didn’t even know what happened before it was all over. Just think about that, Wanda killed one of Marvel’s most powerful characters without realizing it.
What’s also interesting is that her pet bunny is called Mister Scratchy. Why is that odd? Well, in the comics, Agatha Harkness has a son called Nicholas Scratch, who became a recurring enemy of the Fantastic Four. Eventually, he ended up being banished to Hell, where he and Mephisto (there’s that name again) forced an alliance.
The Strucker Watch
Similar to the first commercial, we see a watch make an appearance. Upon closer reveal, the watch is actually called the Strucker watch, and the name carries a hefty amount of history. However, there’s a couple of appearances of this character, Baron Wolfgang von Strucker, in the Marvel universe.
First, we have the version that stole control of the Hydra organization from the Red Skull and turned it into a Neo-Nazi organization. Then we have the same character featured in the final season of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, where the team traveled into the past and could have prevented Hydra from ever existing by killing Baron Wolfgang von Strucker. Then we have the version that most people know from the MCU’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Avengers: Age of Ultron. As to which version these commercial is referring to is anyone’s guess. However, Baron Wolfgang von Strucker is responsible for Wanda and her brother, Pietro, aka Quicksilver, for receiving their powers.
Wanda’s Pregnant
Towards the end of episode 2, we see that Wanda has somehow become pregnant. If you’re going to ask how an android and a human can have children together, you must not read many comics, and I’ll leave it at that. However, this reference is huge as it signifies a few things from the Marvel comics. Once upon a time ago, Wanda and Vision were the parents of two children, Billy and Tommy. Those children were actually fragments of the Marvel universe’s major villain, Mephisto, who eventually reclaimed those fragments and essentially killed off the two children.
This causes Wanda to have a mental break down, leading us to the House of M arc, where Wanda created a new reality in which she tried to give everyone the happiness they were looking for. It didn’t take long for the Avengers and X-Men to figure out it was a lie and wanted Wanda to reverse her actions. Eventually, it was decided to try and kill Wanda, and a stand-off occurred, leading Wanda to utter those three words that no Marvel comic fan will forget: “No More Mutants.”
Now, I’m not saying this will lead to a House of M event in WandaVision or even the MCU, but it could mean that this is the X-Men entrance into the MCU?. Ever since Disney purchased 20th Century Fox in 2019, we’ve been waiting for the X-Men to make an appearance in the MCU. And this could be the way that it starts.
That’s it for now, but I’m sure I’ve missed a few references. If you happen to know of any we missed, kindly let us know in the comments. We can’t for WandaVision Episode 3 so we can break down that episode for hidden easter eggs as well. Until next time!
