There was one thing that we knew for certain going into Insomniac Games’ latest title: we’d have a bunch of Marvel’s Wolverine Easter Eggs to dig our adamantium claws into. After all, this is Marvel we are talking about, folks, and with that level of history and pop cultural influence, there was no way that we wouldn’t get a bunch of references and cheeky little comic book nods.
However, I will say that even as a Marvel veteran, and having played through the entire game (read our Marvel Wolverine review next for a complete deep dive) at this point, some Easter Eggs are tricky to find here. While some are obvious, others rely on optional interactions. There are also more than a couple blink-and-you’ll-miss-it kind of moments as you fill the shoes of an amnesiac Logan. So with that in mind, we’ve rounded up all the references, subtle nods, and direct comic call-outs in a handy guide for you.
Below are all 32 Marvel’s Wolverine Easter Eggs that we have found so far, complete with a short description explaining each and where you’ll be able to find them if you want to check them out for yourself too. Warning: spoilers ahead!
1. The Daily Bugle
While the Daily Bugle is a New York publication, you’ll be able to find an Easter Egg of the front page of an issue during the mission “The One That Got Away” that takes place near Vancouver. Found in Leech’s hideout, the front page of the paper has been pinned to the wall. Said front page is about a baseball team winning, a team which seems to be called the Maelstroms. Now, granted, I don’t know Marvel’s baseball teams off by heart, but I do know about the supervillain called Maelstrom, who tries to destroy the universe, so it looks like we have two Easter Eggs in one here, folks.
2. Gambit’s card
Gambit is an X-Men staple, and considering how he doesn’t make an appearance in the game (he is probably off with Rogue somewhere, right, gang?) I couldn’t help but smile after spotting a Gambit playing card during my playthrough. You can spot this during the mission “One Last Mission” on a side table to Walter’s right while you look through records for him. If you need a quick refresher, playing cards are Gambit’s weapons of choice on most occasions as he charges them with kinetic energy and uses them as basically explosive projectiles. I would have loved to get a chance to throw some destructive aces myself, but at least the charismatic character got a nod.
3. A Dazzler poster
Dazzler may not be part of Logan’s team in the new Wolverine game, but she is at least there in the form of an Easter Egg thanks to a poster in-game. If you aren’t familiar with this absolute icon, Dazzler is a mutant who can convert sound vibrations into light and energy beams. She also made her first comic book appearance back in the ’80s in Uncanny X-Men #130. She does have a kind of on-again, off-again relationship with the X-Men, as she occasionally joins the team. But considering that she is a big-time singer as well as a hero, it does make sense why we get to see a dedicated poster here vs. another mutant. This poster can be found during “One Last Mission”, you’ll see it after going up the stairs to the bar Jean is in.
4. A Devil Dinosaur in Tokyo
Stepping through the red gates of Kabukicho in the “Get Angry” chapter doesn’t just feel like you’re playing Yakuza – this is directly based on Tokyo’s real red-light district. The huge tower in real-life contains the Hotel Gracery Shinjuku, and is famous for having a massive Godzilla head on the side. Here, the equivalent is reimagined as a T-Rex with distinctive crimson red skin, which seems like a direct reference to Devil Dinosaur from the ’70s comic, who is usually partnered with either Moon-Boy or, more recently, Moon Girl – including as a Marvel Rivals character.
5. Alchemax
What better place to reference the evil, cyberpunk megacorporation from Spider-Man 2099 and the wider Marvel 2099 universe than among the neon lights and bright posters of Tokyo? Several locations throughout Kabukicho advertise the company, hinting that they may have offices nearby. Not only is their illegal drug-testing responsible for turning Miguel O’hara – who you may know from Across the Spider-Verse – into a Spider-Man, but also for creating Degen mutants, who populate the futuristic universe.
6. Sable Security
Sable Security (also known as Sable International) makes an appearance in the game, meaning we have another Spider-Man link here. If you aren’t familiar with this already, Sable Security is a security force that is founded by Silver Sable, the princess of Symkaria. It’s a group that is meant to help out countries dealing with rising crime rates, but they have a habit of pushing boundaries and often civilians around. Several advertisements can be spotted around Shinjuku, but most prominently this appears near the start of “Bad Blood” as Logan and Jean approach Shiro’s building, where Wolverine can comment on her attempt to recruit him.
7. Roxxon
Roxxon is one of the staple villains in the Marvel Universe and is also one of the largest conglomerates in that world, so I was very pleased to see it pop up while playing Wolverine. While this company has appeared in other Marvel storylines like Spider-Man, it is famously very anti-mutant, so seeing it in an X-Men game is very fitting and also serves as a reminder that a ton of people don’t like Logan and friends. Signs for Roxxon are throughout Tokyo’s urban settings, from “Get Angry” through to “We Were Wrong”.
8. Hammer Industries
Iron Man fans may be more familiar with the name Hammer Industries, but I was very pleased to see this Easter Egg pop up on a billboard during the mission In The Shadows. It is a weapons manufacturer that surprisingly has a history with the famous group of mutants. Firstly it’s logo has been shown in Marvel Animation’s X-Men ’97 series, and in the comics, the X-Men saved one of Its weapon manufacturing firms from Magneto. It’s also a nice bit of world building to see mention of Hammer Industries in tandem with Trask Industries, and Roxxon being mentioned.
9. Jean Grey’s green dress
In Marvel’s Wolverine, we see Jean Grey wearing an outfit which is very much reminiscent of her X-Men #39 costume. The comic saw the hero wearing a green mini-dress with yellow accessories and a pointy yellow mask. As you can see from the screenshot above of the outfit sorted in the game, there is a very clear reference being made here as Jean Grey dons this classy outfit to blend into a party in “Death Comes To Death” while Logan sneaks in through the rooftops.
10. Angel, Worthington III
Angel Worthington III is a mutant and the founding member of the X-Men, and also comes from a wealthy background – which makes it appropriate to catch a glimmer of his presence in the “Roll the Dice” mission during the opening section where Logan and Jean infiltrate a classy Uptown Madripoor casino undercover. Near the dance floor which you need to approach to progress the story is a reserved spot at the bar for Warren Worthington III.
11. J Jonah Jameson’s autobiography book, ‘My Life in Words’
Marvel’s Wolverine is set in the same universe as Insomniac Games’ Spider-Man games, even if they haven’t explicitly crossed over thanks to being in different locations. J Jonah Jameson has wide market penetration, however, with multiple copies of his autobiography, My Life is Words, present in Nathaniel Essex’s mutant institute where Team X is based, complete with JJJ’s mug on the back – first able to be seen during the “Homecoming” mission. Essex, you need better reading material.
12. Henry McCoy (Beast) research
If you have a poke around Trask’s lab, you’ll see that on display is Henry McCoy (Beast) research. This is a nice little find considering that we don’t get to see Beast otherwise. It is also a fun tie-in for some comic book lore, considering that Beast’s backstory did once upon a time involve him working as a researcher for the Brand Corporation, where his research was also the target of thieves. I was personally a bit sad not to see Beast in the fold during the game, so finding at least a mention of his name and history was a nice surprise. The reference appears on one of the monitors Logan can interact with during the “Mutant Detected” mission in Madripoor, after Mystique suggests you nose around while she obtains some data.
13. The obelisk of dead names in the institute
Nathaniel Essex’s institute features a striking black obelisk in its lounge area – a reference to members of Team X and fellow mutants who have fallen, and it’s sadly not a short list. This can be observed in “Homecoming” and other missions set there. All of these names are references to mutants from the comics, spanning some classics to much more modern additions. Oddly, the obelisk’s reverse side repeats a portion of the list.
- John Wraith: Kestrel
- Kodiak Noatak: Harpoon
- Sidney Green: Onyxx
- Myles Alfred: Vivisector
- Michael Baer: Blockbuster
- William H Thornton: Potentially Harry Thornton, AKA Harry Heck, he’s in the Punisher 2004 movie, but not a mutant, so we might be missing something here
- Robbie (Prism): Prism, believe it or not
- Carl Aalston: Rain Boy
- Christoph Nord: Maverick
- Trevor Hawkins: Eye-boy
- Lazaro Kotikash: Kidogo
- Benjamin Deeds: Morph
- Sarah Vale: Network
- Roxanne Washington: Bling
14. All the other mutants’ gear in the Arsenal from former Team X members
Several of the former members of Team X memorialized on the black obelisk still have space in the arsenal for their gear. Clearly, the team isn’t recruiting new members quickly enough to have to hurry up with clearing those up. At various points, Logan can comment on the members here. They include Maverick’s mask and pistols; a water tank containing Rain Boy’s gear; Eye-Boy’s many-goggled nightvision specs; a heap of Vivesector’s books; and Onyxx’s training weights. Wolverine must walk through this room in “Homecoming”, but some of his comments about them come during later sections.
15. Young Dragons in Love book
At the institute (during “Homecoming” and some others), you can find a Young Dragons in Love book, which comic book fans may understand is a reference to the same-titled storyline in Uncanny X-Men 181. That story is set after the events of the original Secret Wars, when the X-Men have returned to Earth; however, they are followed by a kaiju-sized dragon. This is also another Easter Egg about the X-Men’s past adventures in Tokyo that we see in the game, so it’s nice to see that the game has taken the time to build up a sense of subtle history in the locations you visit here.
16. Along Came a Spider book
Also during “Homecoming” and other missions at Essex’s institute, you can spy he has a few copies of a book named Along Came A Spider, though it’s harder to get a good look at the full model. Black, with distinctive red linework across it, this is likely a reference to Venom: Along Came a Spider (1996). Though it’s not the only Spidey media to use the name, this feels like a reference to the Venom symbiote from Spider-Man 2. A Venom spin-off game has been long rumored. Could this mean anything?
17. Skull and engine motif on Sabertooth’s Barbed & Wired poster
OK, so this is an Easter Egg that may be nothing, but it did make me double take so it is worth putting it on this list. In Marvel’s Wolverine, you’ll be able to see Sabertooth’s Barbed & Wired poster as you sneak through his room as part of the main story in “Homecoming”, which does feature a skull and engine motif. Now in the Marvel universe, a skull and engine can only mean one thing: Ghost Rider. It is a bit of a reach, considering that Ghost Rider and Sabertooth don’t often cross paths, but there is a connection between the two through Wolverine, as Logan and Ghost Rider have teamed up to face Sabertooth in past comic book storylines. I may be reading too much into this, but it would be cool if my hunch is correct, especially as one of Logan’s more impressive unlockable skins, earned through surviving challenging combat gauntlets, is a Ghost Rider suit.
18. Osmium
During the mission “The One That Got Away” Wolverine discovers Trask is shipping Osmium to Madripoor. This is a fun Colossus Easter Egg, as the Russian mutant’s body is made up of an “organic steel” that is very similar to Osmium. Although we don’t know his full body composition, it’s pretty likely that Osmium is a big part of it so seeing it pop up in the game is a nice little nod to the missing X-Men member. The next mission, “Raise Some Hell”, takes place in a refinery, and the reavers have set up indestructible osmium locks that force you to find more creative ways around the refinery. This is also the mission where you find the head of a prototype Sentinel, which is presumably what all the osmium is for.
19. William Stryker’s autobiography
William Stryker is a big name in the X-Men universe as a massive anti-mutant force. In fact, most iterations of the character have him viewing his opposition to mutants as some kind of crusade, as he believes that mutants are the forces of satan trying to kill humanity…very healthy. This warped mindset comes as an Easter Egg in the game, as you can find Stryker’s autobiography (titled ‘My War’) in the Trask power station in the mission ‘Knock Knock’. Another fun fact about William Stryker getting a shout-out is that in the movie X-Men Origins: Wolverine’s version of Weapon X (which he leads), he convinces Wolverine into receiving adamantium implants and then shoots him in the head, making him suffer from long-term amnesia. A fun similarity to the game’s amnesiac hero, isn’t it?
20. Trask’s cerebro-like tracking device
Marvel Wolverine is missing a lot of familiar X-Men and other mutants. However, even though we don’t see them on screen directly, at least we do get some kind of mention of them in this particular Easter Egg. In the game, we see a Trask Cerebro-like tracking device that lists several known mutants indirectly, which Mystique accesses during the “Mutant Detected” mission. For example, there is information about an individual with absorption powers which is pretty much pointing at Rogue since Caldecott Country is also mentioned (aka where she is from). Another example is an entry mentioning very Kitty Pryde-like intangibility, while another mentions optical blasts, which points to the Summers family. I’m sure there is more here that I may have missed, so I highly recommend comic book fans pay attention to this Easter Egg to see if you can pick out any more covert mutant mentions.
21. Princess Bar
The Marvel Presents storyline from the ’80s in which Logan goes undercover in Madripoor as Patch, his eye-patch and white tuxedo-wearing alter ego, also features the Princess Bar, where Tyger Tiger works. This is almost too direct to be a true easter egg, but it’s worth noting how much Marvel’s Wolverine seems to pull from the iconic Marvel Presents ‘Save the Tiger’ run even in terms of pure aesthetics and tone. It first features in “One Last Mission” as Team X debriefs, and appears in later sections in Madripoor as well.
22. A Angar and the Screamers poster in Madripoor
There is a poster in Madripoor featuring “Angar and the Screamers,” which is a very fun little nod to the character Angar the Screamer (aka David Angar). Angar used to be a social activist; however, after he volunteered to undergo some experimental research, he developed a very unique set of vocal cords that allows his screams to have hallucinogenic effects. He is a villain in the Marvel Universe, and often pops up as a baddie for hire in the comic books. You can see this as you explore around the Princess Bar in “One Last Mission” at the nearby theater, and in later missions in the same area.
23. The Crick-Hits
This poster is an easter Egg of an actual band in the Marvel comics (not just a fun parody of a villain). They are a rock band from Earth-1611 and are a Beatles parody in-universe. Considering how Earth-1611 is a divergent of Earth-616 set in the 1960s, the Beatles reference is very fitting. Another fun fact is that this timeline is also where The Age of Sentry storyline takes place. Posters for the band are across Madripoor Lowtown, but feature most prominently alongside other references at the theater near Princess Bar, which you can see earliest during “One Last Mission”.
24. Starry
For a while I thought the Starry jewelry ads in Tokyo were just chic designer wear, but the mix of Starry with jewels feels like it could be a nod to the Starry Wisdom Cult from Journey Into Mystery #4 (the same strip that introduced Thor), itself based on the Church of Starry Wisdom from HP Lovecraft’s The Haunter of the Dark short story. In the comic, the church believes that gazing into the Shining Trapezohedron could awaken their Old One deity. Given the strangeness of the Helix Engine, it’s not off-base. Perhaps there really is more to this seemingly innocuous jewelry brand than it seems.
25. A Backwards Santa ad in Tokyo
Backwards Santa, advertised in Tokyo, and potentially a movie of some sort, could just be a wacky reference to an evil version of the Father Christmas character to fill billboard space. However, it’s worth remembering that in the comics Santa is confirmed to be a mutant who uses his powers to deliver presents to children, which is in Marvel Holiday Special 1991. If this were a poster for Backwards Cyclops I’d include this as an Easter Egg, so it’s only fair to embrace Santa in the same way.
26. Tokyo kissing toilet
The bizarre kissing toilet in the basement of the bar Wolverine and Jean burst into, which hides a collectible whiskey bottle, isn’t just a random invention. No, this is pulling from a real Japanese toilet where a similar mask will make strange kissing noises at you as you do your business. It’s just one of many interestingly extra Japanese toilets that continue to prove how advanced their bathroom technology is. Seriously, once you’ve used a good one in a hotel, you won’t be able to forget it – and no toilets back home will satisfy.
27. The Mission select screen
The mission select screen in Marvel’s Wolverine has an Easter Egg to the (at this point) iconic meme of a sad Wolverine sitting on his bed and looking at a picture frame. The moment is originally from an episode of the animated X-Men TV series called “Captive Hearts”, which had Logan acting all forlorn while looking at a picture of Jean Grey and Scott Summers. While the original source is pretty heartbreaking, the reference is hilarious and a great little addition to see in the game.
28. Archibald Corrigan
The logo for Archibald Corrigan’s freight company can be spotted on the side of a building during Way Down Low, which is a fun little reference to the Vietnam War pilot. Archie has a history with the X-Men, having worked for Tyger Tiger and with Patch (Wolverine’s alias). A lot of their interactions revolve around Madripoor, so again it is nice that the game gives us a sense of history with that place. Another fun Archibald fact is that Charles Xavier also purchased a plane from him at one point, so the X-Men lore goes deep here.
29. “Where is Baran?” Graffiti
There’s plenty of graffiti in Lowtown with the odd bit referencing something appropriately Wolverine-y – during Way Down Low, you can find several instances of ‘Bub’ sprayed artfully on a wall, referencing Logan’s catchphrase. But during I’m Still Here, you can spot a more obscure reference to Prince Baran, a previous ruler of Madripoor who is descended from a long line of pirates. As a key player in Madripoor, he therefore has links with Tyger Tiger and Wolverine in the comics, overseeing plenty of crime, and even dividing the city state’s criminal enterprises between Tyger Tiger and General Nguyen Ngoc Coy.
30. Whiskey bottles
All the Marvel’s Wolverine whiskey bottles reference something to do with Marvel and Wolverine – most of them nodding to specific Wolverine alternate names or story arcs, such as The Old Man or Patch, and even deeper cuts like Revolto (as in, The Clown, when Wolverine was in Frankenstein’s Monster’s Murder Circus). Incredible 181 is particularly notable, however, as a reference to Incredible Hulk 181, where Wolverine first made his appearance as a villain of the week hired to take down Bruce Banner as a mercenary. Later, he was retro-fitted to be a mutant, recruited to join the X-Men on an emergency mission in the legendary Giant Size X-Men 1, which introduced many of the core team we know and love today including Storm, Nightcrawler, and others.
31. Wolverine’s Costumes
Like the bottles, Marvel’s Wolverine suits contain so many nods to Marvel and X-Men lore that we’ve given them their own deep dive. Stand-outs worth mentioning include a crossover skin with Marvel Tokon, a cel-shaded Animated skin that nods to the legendary ’90s TV show, Future Fugitive, which puts a Marvel 2099 spin on Logan’s look, and the Ghost Rider-inspired Hellverine. Others spotlight fan-favorite arcs or looks, such as New Leather nodding to Grant Morrison’s New X-Men run, and the Midnight look from the original Midnight Suns comics (no, not the tactics RPG Marvel’s Midnight Suns – though, please, Insomniac Games, we’re begging for the gold all-over look to return).
32. Daredevil’s connection to Shiro
The Hand have become a recurring Wolverine threat, but they have their origins in Daredevil 174, and are frequently antagonists for Daredevil, AKA defense attorney Matthew Murdoch. Their New York presence featured in both Netflix’s Daredevil TV series, and in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. In Marvel’s Wolverine, Shiro is a collector of The Hand artefacts, and helps Logan and Jean track them down, including some crucial clues provided to him by “some lawyer in Hell’s Kitchen” just before they take the fight to their base at the end of the Japan section of the game. There’s a The Hand reference in Spider-Man 2, as well, which for a while was thought to be a nod towards Daredevil featuring in Spider-Man’s future as well. The connected universe continues to grow for Insomniac Games.
For more superhero goodness, we have a list of the best Marvel games that you should play today. Or for more stories, head on over to our list of the best Wolverine comics of all time.