12 Marvel Easter Eggs in Jessica Jones That You Might've Missed

The opening sequence of the TV show is pretty much a shot-for-shot re-creation of the opening in the Alias comic book series the Netflix series is based on. In the scene, a dissatisfied client tries to attack Jessica, but the PI quickly sends him flying headfirst through her glass door.

Sometimes it's hard to believe that the gritty, realistic world that Jessica Jones lives in is the same as the bright, fantastical place we visited in The Avengers. While the group of superheroes aren't referred to directly in the show, there are mentions of "the flag waver" (Captain America) and "the big green guy" (the Hulk). Perhaps the biggest mention of them comes in episode "AKA 99 Friends," when Jessica takes on a seemingly innocuous client who, she discovers, is actually seeking revenge for her parents who were killed during the Battle of New York (or, as it's referred to in the show, "The Incident") in the first Avengers movie.

Incredible feminist hero and masterfully written villain aside, one of the best accomplishments of the show is how the writers have Luke Cage's character utter his Heroes For Hire comic book catchphrase "Sweet Christmas!" without coming off as a total cheeseball. Fortunately (or maybe in this case, unfortunately?), Mike Colter's version of the hero doesn't take it a step further by wearing the unbuttoned yellow shirt and blue tights the comic book character is known for.

Speaking of funny costumes, there's a flashback scene that shows Jessica's best friend Trish urging her to don a costume and become a superhero for real. Jessica reacts with distaste, but the costume and the name Trish suggests — Jewel — are exactly what Jessica uses in the comics during her short stint as a superhero to conceal her identity.

In the episode “AKA You’re a Winner," Luke convinces Jessica to help him track down a missing guy named Antoine, and she finally finds him working in a marijuana warehouse. If that warehouse looks familiar to you, you're not alone — it's the same factory Madame Gao runs her heroin trafficking operation out of in Daredevil.

The character of Trish (Rachael Taylor), aka Patricia "Patsy" Walker, has a LOT of interesting Easter eggs attributed to her in the first season. To start with, in the comics, Patsy starred in a few of her own series: Patsy Walker, Patsy and Her Pals, and Patsy and Hedy. These weren't originally a part of the Marvel Universe, but were later added in 1965 after they attributed the author of the comics to be Patsy's mom, who was trying to make some money and find fame. Marvel then turned the Patsy character into the superhero Hellcat.

In the show, it's noted that Trish had been a child star growing up, with an abusive mom who constantly pushed for her to be more famous. Although she's highly skilled in martial arts and self-defense, there aren't any official declarations of Trish becoming the comic book superhero yet. That being said, a few eagle-eyed viewers spotted a tattoo on the inside of her wrist that many think says "Hellcat." We'll have to wait and see!

The unhinged supersoldier villain Nuke debuts in the comic Daredevil: Born Again and goes by the name Frank Simpson. His trademark? An American flag tattooed on his forehead, and the red, white, and blue pills he popped to gain superhuman strength and durability. In the show, he's become Will Simpson (played by Wil Traval). While he starts off as a seemingly innocent cop and brief Kilgrave victim, the appearance of the patriotically colored pills toward the end of the season confirmed the direction his character is headed.

The stolen yacht Kilgrave plans to escape on in the season finale is named "Goldfish," which is the same name of another comic written by Jessica Jones co-creator Brian Michael Bendis.

If you didn't watch Daredevil, you might not have picked up on the significance of Rosario Dawson's character, nurse Claire Temple. She originally appears in the vigilante series as Matt Murdock's confidante, love interest, and part-time wound repairer, and shows up as a literal life saver in the finale of Jessica Jones, "AKA Smile." When Luke Cage is badly injured during the episode, Jessica luckily gets some help from Claire, who's had a lot of experience dealing with "gifted" people of Hell's Kitchen. Keep an eye out for Claire's character in Daredevil's second season, and for when she's a romantic interest of Luke's in the first season of his eponymous Netflix series in 2016.

In the comics, Kilgrave is known explicitly as Purple Man, thanks to the lilac shade of his skin following an accidental chemical spill. On TV, David Tennant's portrayal of the character is much more normal-looking, deciding to show his predilection for the color purple in all the clothes he wears instead of the color of his skin. In one of the final episodes of the show, however, fans get a glimpse of Purple Man when Kilgrave injects himself with drugs to enhance his powers, which briefly turn his face purple.

In “AKA Top Shelf Perverts," an allusion to the romantic future between Jessica and Luke comes courtesy of Roy, the bartender who works at Luke's bar. He says to Jessica, "You just wanted to tell him you love him, you want him back, you're gonna have his baby," which, in the comics, does happen. Bring on Baby Jones-Cage!

As the creative force behind some of the most well-known Marvel Comics superheroes, Stan Lee always makes a point of getting a quality onscreen cameo in every Marvel movie. In a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment during the tense standoff at the police station, Lee appeared in the same way as he did in Daredevil: in a photo on a small police plaque on the wall. Look hard and you'll find it!