THAT PLACE WHERE I POST THINGS

sakuratsukikage:

At first glance, this topic is something rather self-explanatory—the Marvel Cinematic Universe films are based on the comics, after all, there’s going to be a lot more than references in terms of similarities. But when you think about it, it’s not so straightforward. For example, Marvel has more than one parallel universe in the comics, so what in the movies comes from alternate universes like the Ultimate Universe, and what from Marvel’s main 616 continuity/universe? What in the films is similar to the way it is in the original, and what has been changed? On top of matters like that, the films are chock-full of clever references and nods to the comics, and if you’re familiar with the original source, there’s a lot more to get out of them, even if just a little bit of a chuckle or a smile!

You might ask yourself “well, who cares, the movies are a different universe, anyway,” but after all, everything in the films is indirectly, at least, based on something that came from Marvel’s original 616 universe. Even the stuff that comes from, say, Ultimates, is in a way, because Ultimates is also based on 616, in a way, and grew out of it. And one of the fun things about the Marvel films is that there’s so much material around them and about these characters that can really add to the experience of watching them—I’ve always felt that adaptations engage with a dialogue with the original, of a sort, and it’s fun to sort of be able to listen in on that conversation yourself.

Obviously, it’s impossible to catalogue every reference to the comics in the films in a single post. For one thing, I’m a lot more familiar with certain comic titles than others, and I certainly haven’t read every comic even in those, so I’m sure I’m missing a lot of references myself. I’m especially unfamiliar with the Incredible Hulk comics, so I apologize for that ahead of time. So this post will mostly just list a few of the ones I’ve noticed and think are fun or interesting.

To start out with, yes, a lot of the set-up and background of the MCU is more similar to the 1610/Ultimate universe than the main 616 continuity. However, the personalities of the characters still seem to be based largely on their 616 selves. This actually produces something of an interesting effect, and I think works well—streamlining and updating the origins and setting while keeping the characters the ones fans would recognize if they picked up any comic starring that character in Marvel’s main universe. But a lot of stuff is based on Ultimates:

The Avengers being a team put together by SHIELD and run under the auspices of some governmental agency

Nick Fury being black (and Samuel L. Jackson) and his characterization in general

Clint Barton being an agent of SHIELD; his characterization in general also seems much more similar to Clint in the Ultimate universe

Natasha’s background with Clint (though there are other huge differences in Natasha’s character), though she has been an agent of SHIELD in the 616 universe as well

Thor not having a separate mortal identity or a two souls in the same body situation

Steve Rogers being close friends with Bucky Barnes from childhood; the manner of his introduction to the present world

In some ways MCU Tony Stark is also more similar to Stark in the Ultimates, see—his continuing drinking, some aspects of his relationship with the Avengers Initiative

The Chitauri

The overall visual look of the universe

In other ways, of course, the characters are more similar to their 616 incarnations:

Natasha’s heroism

Steve Rogers’ general personality

Other aspects of Iron Man, like his backstory and reasons for superheroing, his heart trouble

The overall tone of the universe, especially in Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger (in my opinion), which feel very Gold and Silver Age of comics to me

And so on.

Some things are just different—for example, the character of Peggy Carter is very different from her 616 incarnation. Ant-Man and the Wasp have not yet appeared. The mutants and Spider-Man seem to exist in an entirely different universe due to copyright issues.

Many of the plots come straight out of the comics, of course. The plot of the Avengers itself is an interesting reworking of the original story of the first mission of the Avengers, when they came together to stop the Hulk after he had been instigated into attacking civilians by Loki—only to discover that he was the root of their problems and go after him instead. The second Iron Man movie appears to be a version of the self-destructive drinking arc in the Iron Man comics with palladium added in (and can also be seen as similar to the situation of Tony Stark in the Ultimate universe, dying of an inoperable brain tumor). The Black Widow’s appearance in this film seems to be a homage to her first appearances working against Iron Man, but for a very different employer than SHIELD. Of course, there’s also the reference to Iron Man’s long-term cover story that is rejected at the end of the film Iron Man (he’s Tony Stark’s bodyguard) and the reference to Rhodey’s code name as War Machine. The end of Captain America: The First Avenger is highly similar to the first arc involving the Red Skull and the Cosmic Cube (though in the comics this happened in the present day). These are just a few examples.

Of course, some of the most fun references are the brief moments.

For example, in Iron Man, the appearance of Roxxon Oil as the building neighboring the Stark factories:

Did you know Christine Everhart was in the comics?

The cameo appearance of Mrs. Bambi Arbogast, one of Tony’s most long-running PAs, in Iron Man 2 (you can hear Tony saying, “It’s Bambi, right?” to her as he comes into the room).

The mention of Bert Hindel in Iron Man 2 as the incompetent legal counsel Pepper is arguing with on the phone, failing at patent protection, recalling the Stark Industries lawyer who was fired in the comics for failing to legally reclaim Stark propriety technology, a turn of events that led to the infamous Armor Wars storyline:

Yinsen saying he met Tony at a lecture on integrated circuits—integrated circuits were the “miracle technology” explanation for a lot of Iron Man’s capabilities in the comics after they moved on from transistors:

Of course, the terrorists holding Tony being the Ten Rings is a reference to the long-running Iron Man supervillain the Mandarin, who uses Ten Rings that give him each a different power—and we see Raza, the leader of the group, fingering a large ring:

The appearances of Jasper Sitwell, a recurring SHIELD agent in the comics:

Thor’s attempted fake identity as Jane Foster’s ex-boyfriend Don Blake, the mortal in whose form he resides in the comics:

The appearance of the first Human Torch, an android, at the expo in Captain America:

Howard Stark’s flying car, recalling the flying cars used by SHIELD in the comics:

Bucky’s picking up Steve’s shield suggesting his tenure as Captain America:

Of course, this is a far from complete list! There are lots more—and I invite everyone to look for ones they recognize in both the movies that are already out, and those upcoming as a part of Phase 2!