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Ingame References

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Overview

Much like Easter Eggs, the "City of" franchise is filled with slang and references to outside material. Some times these take the name of a zone, or an issue update. Other times a contact will be a wink towards one of the Developers favorite shows or games. While these may seem similar to Easter Eggs, they're usually not hidden, just requiring knowledge of the outside material.

Issues

It has long been believed that City of Heroes Issues are traditionally named after chapters in various books. However, Matt "Positron" Miller corrected this misconception in an City Scoop interview on September 21, 2007. He said, "The names of Issues are NOT chapters of novels. Never have been, never will be. The fact that the users have found novel chapter titles that match, or are similar to, our Issue names is a testament to the tenacity of our users. I won't say we haven't been amused by this, because we have, but we don't go out of our way to find a chapter title that matches our issue in theme and content. We name the issue something cool, that's it."

The belief that issue names were taken from book chapter titles was based on such coincidences as:

Badges

  • The exploration badge, Around the Bendis, is likely named after Brian Michael Bendis, a comic book writer best known for the cop/superhero series, Powers, and work on various Marvel titles.
  • The exploration badge, Doc Whedon, is likely a reference to Joss Whedon, a writer best known for the Buffy the Vampire Slayer franchise. Whedon has also been a comic book writer, working most recently on Astonishing X-Men for Marvel comics. The "Doc" portion is reference to Doc, a another character in Whedon's Buffy series.
  • The achievement badge, Malleus, seems to refer to the Malleus Maleficarum.
  • The exploration badge, Ace, mentions that the hero is named Mustang. The text has been changed at some point from the hero being named Corsair, possibly due to a naming conflict with the Marvel Comics character Corsair. Both names come from American fighters which saw considerable action during WWII in the Pacific theater the P-51 Mustang and the Vought Corsair.
  • The exploration badge, Newsman, text reads "The Theodore Knight building was home to many Super Groups in the years before the Rikti War." Theodore "Ted" Knight was the actor who played anchorman Ted Baxter on the "Mary Tyler Moore" show, as well as the narrator for the "Superfriends" TV show. The Baxter Building was the original home of the Fantastic Four. Ted Knight is also the name of DC Comics superhero Starman.
  • The PvP badge, Back from the Future, is a reference to the movie Back to the Future.
  • The event badge, Evil's Resident, is a reference to the popular zombie genre video game/movie franchise, Resident Evil.

Story Arcs and Missions

Checkout the Cargo Ship

During the Checkout the Cargo Ship mission from The Magic Man story arc from Mercedes Sheldon, one of the Tsoo comments "You move like a pregnant yak!". This is a quote from Chiun, a character from Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins.

The Clockwork Captive

In The Clockwork Captive story arc, during the Rescue the kidnapping victim before the Clockwork can move him mission, a note can be found with 'CVX-1701 junction RVB-0070' written on it. The registry number for the starship Enterprise from the Star Trek TV and movies series is NCC-1701.

Acquire Blood of Mu

In the Forging the Blackwand story arc, Archmage Tarixus states "The blood, you see, is compulsory." in the briefing of the Acquire Blood of Mu. This is a reference to a quote by The Player in the play/film Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead.

Gather [Color] Kora Fruit and Defeat the Guardians in a [Size] Cave

Kora fruit are a reference to Soma, the recreational drug from author Aldous Huxley's fictional masterpiece, Brave New World.

NPC Dr. Ada Huxley states, "Kora fruit [..] They act just like the most powerful kinds of inspirations", emphasising their drug-like effects.

Soma is also a leafless East Indian vine; its sour milky juice used to make an intoxicating and sacred drink which is used in rituals. This might explain the reason why the Soldiers of Rularuu guard Kora fruit as they do, yet do not consume it - perhaps it is sacred to them.

Steal a Goldbrickers Rocket pack

In Steal a Goldbrickers Rocket pack story arc, the leader of the Goldbrickers is "The Torch". Furthermore, you deliver the rocket pack to "Dr. Flammond". Both of these are references to the movie Top Secret!.

Project: World Wide Red

In the Project: World Wide Red story arc, you encounter a Dr. Hedia Lamarr, a reference to Hedy Lamarr, famed actress and inventor. A better known modern reference to the name is "Hedley Lamarr" from the movie Blazing Saddles.

Break Out

In the City of Villains Tutorial, you must rescue the Arachnos Operative Jenkins. This is often believed to be a reference to the infamous World of Warcraft character Leeroy Jenkins. This might also be a reference to Jeff Jenkins, one of the Developers who has been similarly had his named used in-game for other NPCs.

Join Ouroboros

In the mission to retrieve the computer information from the 5th column base, one of the 5th Column soldiers can be overheard saying, "But, the robots are completely cloaked in a hard light hologram." The hard light hologram is a reference to Arnold Rimmer, a character in the television series Red Dwarf.

  • More importantly, this is an in-joke about how rescuable NPCs would sometimes be replaced by 5th Council Mekmen. Sadly, this line was put in the same issue that broke that bug. Now NPCs are replaced by Col. Burkholder.

Locate Crate 878-932

Prior to Issue 3, the crate in this mission was known as Crate 9906753. The same identification was used for the crate holding the Ark of the Covenant at the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Police Band Missions

  • Rescue Dr. Philo - The text states that the Engineer for UHF station 62 was kidnapped. The manager George reported him missing. This is a reference to the "Weird Al" Yankovic movie UHF Incidentally, when the doctor is led to the exit, he comments, "My work here is done", which is the same line the doctor uttered in his last scene in UHF.
  • Rescue Mr. L. Jenkins - The text states that you must rescue an office worker "Mr. L. Jenkins". This is another reference to "World of Warcraft"'s Leeroy Jenkins.
  • Rescue L33t Sk1zzl3s - When you have finished rescuing him, he says "Wait till I tell everyone on Dotslash about this.". This is a reference to the news site Slashdot.
  • Rescue Ayn Race - The text states that you must rescue novelist Ayn Race. This is a reference to the author Anne Rice who wrote Interview with the Vampire. Reference is made in the mission text that the supernatural elements of her novel are "too real" to be made up.
    • The name also may refer to Ayn Rand, or perhaps a mixture of the two.
  • Rescue Stephen Duke - The text states that you must rescue novelist Stephen Duke. This is a reference to the author Stephen King. Reference is made in the mission text that he was in a car accident; the real King was in a severe auto accident.
  • In one of the police band missions the phrase "All Units: The Use of excessive force in the apprehension of villain_name has been approved" is a reference to the movie The Blues Brothers.
  • Rescue Betty Jo Bialaski - Betty Jo is a character in Firesign Theatre's "Nick Danger" skit. When rescued, she says, "Just call me Nancy, everyone does."
    • This mission also appears as "Rescue Audrey Farber", an alias for Betty Jo Bialaski.
    • Based on the skit, an additional mission might appear as "Rescue Melanie Haber", but this has not yet been attested.
  • Rescue Dr. Frank N. Scott - When you reach the hostage, the following dialog happens:
Wing Raider: We already know that the ritual begins with a jump to the left.
Dr. Frank N. Scott: I won't tell you a thing.
Assault Jump Bot: Yes, and then a step to the right.

When aggroed, they yell:

Wing Raider: Dr. Scott! Hero Name!
Dr. Frank N. Scott: Hero Name!
Assault Jump Bot: Hero Name! Dr. Scott!

And when rescued, the hostage says:

Dr. Frank N. Scott: If they'd pried that ritual from me, it could have opened a time warp, or worse!

The entire exchange is a reference to The Rocky Horror Picture Show, which includes a Dr. Frank N. Furter, a Dr. Everett Scott, and a song called Time Warp with the lyrics "It's just a jump to the left / And then a step to the right", as well as a scene with characters calling each other's names.

  • Rescue Jake Emmet - Jake Emmet is a computer game designer who, it is feared, may have made some super-powered beings mad with his latest computer game. This is an obvious reference to City of Heroes'/Villains' former lead designer Jack Emmert (Statesman).
  • Rescue Lois Watson - Lois Watson is expecting to be rescued by Unbelievable-Man, but "you'll do." The name Lois Watson is an amalgam of Lois Lane and Mary Jane Watson.
  • Rescue Peter Kent - You find this hostage threatening his captors and making them very nervous. The name Peter Kent is an amalgam of Peter Parker and Clark Kent.
  • Rescue Jon "Booster" Rhodes - The description of this mission states that Jon Rhodes is the VP for Kord Industries. This is a Reference to James Rhodes, who works for Stark Industries in the Marvel Comics Iron Man series.
    • Also, upon saving him from his captors he says: "Nice work. You took those guys down like some kinda war machine." which is another reference to James Rhodes and his alter ego, War Machine.
    • At the mission exit he says: "Thanks for the help. I actually was expecting someone else, but you did a great job." implying that he was expecting his employer and friend Tony Stark (Iron Man) to save him.
    • The name (or rather, the nickname) also appears to refer to Booster Gold - reinforced by the fact that Ted Kord is Blue Beetle, a DC hero commonly associated with Booster.
  • Rescue Dr. Stephen Fayte - The mission description says, "Due to random circumstances of birth, he's often mistaken for one of the most powerful sorcerers in the world. However, he's really just a gifted surgeon, and nothing more. When his attackers are engaged: the following conversation takes place:
Attacker 1: We were wrong! He's just a gifted surgeon, and nothing more!
Dr. Stephen Fayte: Truly, I am merely a gifted surgeon, and nothing more.
Attacker 2: You fool! He's merely a gifted surgeon, and nothing more!
Attacker 1: We must attack the hero and completely ignore Dr. Stephen Fayte!
Dr. Stephen Fayte: Ah. Well, I'll just let you handle this.
Attacker 2: Yes, as he is merely a surgeon and nothing more, he is no threat to us.
When the attackers are defeated, Dr. Fayte says the following:
Dr. Stephen Fayte: That was a timely extraction from imminent peril, as I am merely a surgeon and nothing more.
When Dr. Fayte is rescued, he repeats one more time:
Dr. Stephen Fayte: Thank you. You really saved me, as I am only a gifted surgeon, and nothing more.
The name "Stephen Fayte" is amalgam to two popular comic book characters, Doctor Strange and Doctor Fate. Both are powerful sorcerers with the ability to control others. Dr. Stephen Strange in particular has the power to hypnotize others to his will, and is a gifted neurosurgeon.
  • Rescue Dr. Zhondervan - This appears to be a reference to Zondervan, a Christian publishing company most famous publishing the New International Version of the Bible.
    • In fact, neither of co-founder Pat Zondervan's sons have continued the family business and one of them is a doctor, though a psychiatrist.
  • Rescue Dr. Nivenah Sing - Dr. Sing, of Datalore Labs, is likely named after Dr. Noonien Soong, creator of androids Data and Lore, from Star Trek.

Newspaper Missions

  • Dr. Theopolis to Speak on Time Travel - Dr. Theopolis was a recurring character on the television series Buck Rogers in the 25th Century.

Stop attackers in Arachnos lab

  • The mission's boss, a Zeus Titan named Enforcer-39 makes a reference to the Robocop movie. ("Surrender, Character! You have five seconds to comply! Three! Two! One! I am now authorized to use lethal force!")

Rescue Doctors

  • A 35-40 hero mission has you rescuing doctors the Rikti kidnapped, as they are dying from chicken pox. This whole fragment is a reference to The War of the Worlds where the undefeated aliens succumb en masse to common cold.

Television

The entire contact is one great reference to many different things, amongst them:

  • "The Simpsons" (First mission of The TV Report)
  • "Mission Impossible" (Second mission of The TV Report)
  • "Deep Space Nine"/"Babylon 5" (Last mission of The TV Report)
  • The song "Video killed the Radio Star" (Video Killed the Radio arc)
  • "The Outer Limits" ("A strange test pattern flashes across the screen, establishing control over the horizontal and the vertical, then the screen returns to normal")
  • "The Prisoner" (The "Help Televison" Mission)
  • "Pokemon" (The mission that gives the "Couch Potato" badge)
  • "The X-Files" (The "Recover Report on Malta" Mission)

Save firm from Devouring Earth

In Jenny Firkins' arc, you have to save lawyers from the law office called Wolffe, Wolffe & Wolffe. In Angel[1]the law office is named Wolfram & Hart and is often mentioned as "The Wolf, the Ram and the Hart"

Rescue Daniel Hawthorn

In this Hardcase mission, Daniel Hawthorn is a reference to The Devil and Daniel Webster. Like in the story, the in-game character "made a deal with the devil" and wanted to get out of it.

Operation Skyhook Story Arc

The story arc from Lt. Chalmers is a reference to the code name for the Rebel Alliance's operations regarding the Death Star from the Star Wars movies. The operation shares the name Operation Skyhook.

Time After Time (Captain Mako)

The first mission of this story arc has elements of Planet of the Apes, (humans being treated as inferior by creatures that they treated as inferior) and even shares some of the more memorable lines.

Zones and Places

Brickstown

Some of the names seem to be related to the legend of Gilgamesh.

  • The Crescent is likely a reference to the Fertile Crescent, the crescent-shaped region in the Middle East believed by some to be the cradle of civilization.
  • Dark Waters seem to be referred to one of the parts of Gilgamesh' travel. Water is very important in the Gilgamesh myth, and the tunnels under Brickstown are full with water here as well.
  • Mashu Bridge is related to the Mashu tunnel.
  • The Ziggurat is an old Babylonian construct.

Croatoa

This zone harkens back to many myths and legends, especially those of Ireland.

  • The name of the zone itself is a reference to the lost colony of Roanoke. In 1590 the colony had disappeared, with the only clue being the word "Croatoan" carved into a tree.
  • The town's name, Salamanca, refers to a Spanish city. During the Middle Ages it inhabited a no man's land between the Christian north and the Muslim south. It also had a famous university.
  • The Fir Bolg and Tuatha de Dannan are the fourth and fifth invaders of Ireland listed in the Irish Book of Invasions. The Tuatha De in particular were supposed to be adept at magic and semi-divine, but eventually disappeared into the spirit world and became faeries and goblins.
  • New Connaught is a reference to Connacht, the western province of Ireland. According to legend, the Tuatha de Dannan allowed the Fir Bolg to have Connacht after their defeat, as they were impressed with the heroism of Sreng.
  • Eochai appears to refer to Eochaid mac Eirc, the legendary last king of the Fir Bolg. Bres appears to refer to the first king of the Tuatha De Dannan in Ireland. Streng appears to be a misspelling of Sreng, who was a champion of the Fir Bolg during their war.
  • Red Caps are malevolent faeries or goblins in British folklore, whose eponymous red hats were stained with the blood of their victims. They were supposedly impossible to outrun, and one could only escape by reciting a verse from the Bible.
  • Jack In Irons was a giant in Yorkshire lore, covered in chains and wearing the heads of his victims.

Dark Astoria

Some neighborhoods seem to be named after directors of horror films.

  • Raimi Arcade is named after Sam Raimi
  • Romero Heights is named after George A. Romero
  • Toffet Terrace - may be an alternate spelling of Tophet, which is an unpleasant place, or another name for hell.

Founders' Falls

The neighborhoods here are related to either Rhode Island (the state Paragon City is set in) or the American Revolution:

Kings Row

This area is named after a street near Cryptic's Headquarters. It may also be a reference to the Ronald Reagan film of the same name.

  • The Gish is likely a reference to silent film star Lillian Gish.

Mercy Island

  • Darwin's Landing is named after Charles Darwin, whose theory of natural selection is often summarized as "survival of the fittest" - very fitting given the way Lord Recluse treats Mercy Island as a test to remove those too weak to live up to their destiny.

Nerva Archipelago

The zone is named after the Roman Emperor Nerva. According to an NPC in City of Villains, "Nerva was a Roman Emperor who selected his heir rather than choosing a blood relative".

  • Agincourt, the Longbow massive base, likely named after the battle of the same name. Notice the role of the English longbow during the battle.

Perez Park

The zone, its various neighborhoods and badges, are named after various famous comic book creators. The zone itself is a reference to George Pérez, a comic book illustrator and writer.

Peregrine Island

Some of the neighborhoods seem to be related to the DC hero Aquaman:

  • Curry Cove references Arthur Curry, the civilian identity of the hero.
  • Mera Heights is named after Aquaman's ex-wife, Mera.
  • Tempest Quay references the current heroic identity of Aquaman's former sidekick Aqualad, now known as Tempest.
  • Nelson Borough may be related to the DC hero Dr. Fate, but is just as likely to be named after the renowned British Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson.

Rikti Crash Site/Rikti War Zone

The neighborhoods are named after battles where the American Army has been present:

  • Bloody Lane comes from Antietam, during the American Civil War.
  • The Bulge references the Ardennes Offensive of World War II, better known as the Battle of the Bulge.
  • The DMZ references a demilitarized zone.
  • Little Round Top was the place of one of the actions during the Battle of Gettysburg in the American Civil War.
  • The Point Du Hoc action was part of the Normandy Landing during WWII.
  • Pork Chop Hill is related to the battle of the same name which took place during the Korean War.
  • Sunken Road seems to refer to the Antietam Battle as well.

Skyway City

  • The Gruff neighborhood is most likely named after "Three Billy Goats Gruff", a fairy tale where a troll tries to prevent three goats from crossing a bridge. This area is a hangout for Trolls.
  • The Land of the Lost neighborhood is likely named after the television series Land of the Lost. and is a pun referencing The Lost enemy group found in this area.

Striga Isle

The zone's name refer to the striga, a parasitic plant that is found in parts of Africa and Asia. This parasitic nature can be found in Council Vampyrs that have the ability to drain life from their targets, while strengthening themselves. It's also a potential spelling of Strix a variety of vampire from Roman legend which appeared as a monster in D&D.

Talos Island

The names come from Greek mythology, particularly from Homer's Odyssey: Talos is named after the golem of the same name.

Terra Volta

The name of the zone comes from Alessandro Volta, the creator of the electric battery and whose name the measurement volt comes from. The neighborhoods here refer to 1930's pulp comic characters:

Businesses and Billboards

  • Benedict Tech, a technology corporation in game that specializes in prosthetics. The name Benedict references a character from Roger Zelazny's The Chronicles of Amber novels, who lost an arm and had it replaced with an artificial one.
  • City of Gyros is, of course, a play on "City of Heroes".
  • Cooke's Electronics a technology store is a reference to Fry's Electronics, an electronic retail store.
  • In Front Steakhouse billboards can be seen in the city. This is a reference to Outback Steakhouse.
  • Red Beast drink billboards can be found in Paragon City. This is a reference to Red Bull energy drink.
  • Scheherazade signs can be seen in several zones of Paragon City. The fictional storyteller and style of the sign are references to Borders.
  • Up-N-Away Burger is a play on In-N-Out Burger, a fast food restaurant in the western part of the US.
  • Super Bowl bowling alley is a pun on the super heroes fighting crime, and also on the annual professional football event in the US.
  • Wentworth's Fine Consignments may be a reference to any or all of the following:
    • Richard Wentworth, the civilian alias for the pulp hero known as The Spider.
    • Another possibility is J.G. Wentworth, a real-life financial services firm known for its "It's my money, and I need it NOW!" commercials.
    • Yet another possibility is Woolworth's, the United States' original "five and dime" store, more recently known as Foot Locker.

NPCs

  • Ambassador Kuhr'Rekt: After completing his first mission, he says "Invitation extended: Consume mass quantities", an obvious reference to the Coneheads of SNL fame.
  • Axel F a Freakshow boss on Sister Psyche's Task Force is a reference to the song of the same name by Harold Faltermeyer, which is the theme tune of the film, "Beverly Hills Cop", and is named after the protagonist: Axel Foley.
  • Clive Loveking is a parody of H. P. Lovecraft, and refers to several of his works when you meet him in a police band mission. His name may also reference modern horror authors Stephen King and Clive Barker.
  • Dr. Aeon: The Latin word Aeon, also spelled eon or æon, means "age," "forever," or "for eternity".
  • Gordon Stacy is a police captain you can find in Brickstown as a contact. His named seems to be composed of two famous police characters in comics: the first would be Commissioner Gordon, from Batman, and the second would be Captain Stacy, father of Gwen Stacy, first girlfriend of Spiderman.
  • Hard Luck, the Golden Giza enforcer, seems to have a well-hidden reference here: during one of his missions you will be asked to save his brother, whose surname is "Luciano". Hard Luck himself is known for his bad luck, making him an Unlucky man. And he's involved with the Family deals. This makes him a gangster who could be called "Unlucky" Luciano. "Unlucky" Luciano --> "Lucky" Luciano
  • Isaac the Bartender gets his name from bartender Isaac Washington on the show The Love Boat.
  • Joey, of the band in the Tiki Lounge along with Johnny are members of the Ramones.
  • Johnny 23, a Prisoners boss is named after a prisoner character on the film Con Air.
  • Johnny, of the band in the Tiki Lounge along with Joey are members of the Ramones.
  • J.P. Mason, a Prisoners boss is named after Sean Connery's character, John Patrick Mason on the film The Rock.
  • Kyle Peck - a contact who is an EPA agent, taking his name from the EPA inspector Walter Peck in Ghostbusters.
  • Levantera, the Rikti War Zone contact is named after a dry wind in the Mediterranean. Her sister, Borea, is named after Boreas, the personification of the cold north wind in Greek mythology. Both, of course, are members of the Order of the Four Winds, and the origins of the villains Scirocco and Ice Mistral seem to be related.
  • Pirates: The Rogue Isles are mentioned as a nest of thieves and pirates at one time. Many of the pirates mentioned in missions and badges were, in fact, real:
  • Protean, the villain who killed Manticore's parents, takes his name from the god Proteus.
  • Rasputin, the monk, is mentioned by the Paragon Times as the mentor of the infamous Baron Zoria, founder of the Circle of Thorns.
  • Serafina is said to be a Djinn.
  • Technician Naylor (aka Portal Technician Grant Naylor), Grant Naylor is the "name" of the author of the BBC's Red Dwarf series. In actuality, its the last names of the two writers combined as if it was one person.
  • The Artist Formerly Known as Claire, a Carnival of Shadows boss refers to Prince's naming convention, The Artist formerly known as Prince.

Police Band Detectives

New Faultline

  • Arbiter Sands - Agent Sands of the film Once Upon a Time in Mexico.
  • Captain Castillo - Don Karnage from Disney's "TaleSpin" cartoon.
  • Doc Delilah - Marvel Comics superhero and psychiatrist, Doc Samson.
  • Penelope Yin - Penelope Pitstop of the Wacky Races.
  • And a number of Lost bosses encountered on her story arc (all characters from Wacky Races):
    • Muxley - Wacky Races #00 Dick Dastardly and Muttley in the Mean Machine
    • Slag of Skyway - Wacky Races #01, The Slag Brothers, Rock and Gravel, in the Bouldermobile
    • Gruesome of Galaxy - Wacky Races #02, The Gruesome Twosome, Big and Little, in the Creepy Coupe
    • Blast of Hollows - Wacky Races #06, Sergeant Blast and Private Meekly in the Army Surplus Special
    • Ant of Atlas - Wacky Races #07, The Ant Hill Mob in the Bulletproof Bomb
    • Blubber of Steel - Wacky Races #08, Luke and Blubber Bear in the Arkansas Chuggabug
    • Ruffcut of Perez - Wacky Races #10, Rufus Ruffcut and Sawtooth in the Buzz Wagon

Random Dialog

  • Arachnos Bane Spider Executioner: "This calls for a subtle blend of psychology and extreme violence." Spoken when alerted to the presence of an intruder in "the web" (North of the main island in Grandville), a likely reference to Vivian from the anarchic 1980's British comedy show The Young Ones.
  • Longbow Flamethrower: "What's your plans for tonight? I think I may head over to Bianco's later. I'm in the mood for pasta." Overheard in a conversation between two Longbow in Faultline. More likely than not, the name comes from Melissa Bianco.
  • Random citizens sometimes say, "Life is pain. Anybody who says differently is trying to sell you something." A reference to The Princess Bride.
  • Outcast Initiate Slammer: "I don't know how I feel about this Hollows business. Not enough citizens to harass. Slim pickins." This is a reference to film and television actor Slim Pickens (1919–1983).

Enemy Groups

  • Arachnoids:
    • Widdershins: Widdershins means anticlockwise which was considered unlucky to travel in that direction.


  • Arachnos: It is no surprise that many of Arachnos' troops take their names from different kinds of spiders:
    • Wolf Spiders: Wolf Spider.
    • Crab Spiders: Crab Spider.
    • Blood and Night Widows: Black Widow Spider.
    • Tarantulas: Tarantula Spider.
    • Mu Mystics are, of course, related to the mythical nation of Mu, which seems to be based on the real life legend of Mu.
      • Hequat would seem to be an alternate spelling of Hecate, Greek goddess of witchcraft.
    • Lord Recluse himself is related to the deadly Brown Recluse Spider.
    • Ghost Widow may be referred to the Black Widow Spider as well.
    • Scirocco and Ice Mistral take their names from different kinds of wind instead: Sirocco and Mistral.
    • Captain Mako and Barracuda take their names from deadly sea predators: Mako and Barracuda.


  • Banished Pantheon: several kinds of enemies from this villain group have their own real life histories:


  • Clockwork: some of the soldiers of this group are named after XIX century computer engineers:
    • Babbage is named after Charles Babbage.
    • Tesla soldiers are named after Nikola Tesla.
    • Also, some of the bosses you can find during the Synapse Task Force are named after famous cannons:


  • Circle of Thorns:
    • Behemoth can be referred to a Biblical demon.
    • Succubus are female demons from the medieval legends.
    • Baphomet is a demon of uncertain origins, and apparently connected to the Knights Templar.
    • Caleb
    • Lilitu comes from the Mesopotamian legends. Notice the legend about her having to kill her children.
    • Ermeeth would seem to be an alternate spelling for Hermes, Greek god of (among other things) invention, boundaries, and travellers.


  • Coralax: During the story arc "Calystix the Shaper", a history of the cult is mentioned. One of the chapters matches perfectly with the events related in The Shadow over Innsmouth, from Howards Phillips Lovecraft. Perhaps the whole group is based on the Deep Ones.






  • Gold Brickers
    • King Midas, the leader of the Gold Brickers, takes his name from King Midas in Greek Mythology who turned everything that he touched into gold.


  • Longbow: the heroic militia whose name comes from the reach of its influence, seems to be named after the bow of the same name, also renowned for its reach: The English Longbow
    • Ballistas, the Longbow heaviest hitters, are named after a siege machine which is, basically, a powerful crossbow.


  • Luddites: This group actually existed during the XIX century:



  • Praetorians seem to take their name from the Roman guard corps of the same name which was tasked with the protection of the Emperor. It's a fitting name for this group: notice the table of relations between the Emperor and his guards here.


  • Red Caps are a malevolent kind of goblin in the British myths.
    • Jack in Irons comes from the British myths.



  • Snakes:
    • Stheno was one of the immortal Gorgons and sister of the well known Medusa in Greek mythology.
    • Sthaco is a reference to Advanced Dungeons and Dragons, from 2nd Edition, which had a THAC0 calculation for each character, which translated to "To Hit Armor Class 0."



  • The Cabal:



  • Trolls:
    • Caliban - The name of Julius Caesar's sword, also a character in William Shakespeare's "The Tempest". Wikipedia's page on Caliban.
    • Grendel, the former leader of the Trolls, is related to the being of the same name in the poem Beowulf.
    • Gardvord, a Troll lieutenant, is Swedish for "garden gnome." Many of the Trolls' names seem to relate to Nordic mythology.
    • Gragnor, a named Troll boss, is likely named after Grignr, hero of the infamously bad fantasy story, The Eye of Argon by Jim Theis.



  • Unseelie Court are part of the fairy myths from the British Isles. The Unseelie Court means "Unholy Court". [3]




  • Wyvern takes its name from the mythological being of the same name. Talons, fangs and stings are parts of that being.

Weapons and Equipment

  • Redding: the name of a high-powered rifle used by Vanguard and available to players as an unlockable. The name may be a nod to gun accessories manufacturer Redding. [5]
  • Talsorian: monomolecular blades used by the Vanguard. This name is a nod to R. Talsorian Games, who publish numerous role-playing game books and accessories. [6]

Other items and Artifacts

  • The Pillar of Ice and Flame is a reference to an object in Radical Dreamers and Chrono Cross called the Frozen Flame. This object would allow its user to time travel, as well as manipulate dimensions and events in previous times. In the end, the object was actually a fragment of a greater alien entity called the Lavos.
  • The Bands of Shu seem to be currently in the hands of the Malta Group.
  • Hand of Omega is an item from the longest running Sci Fi show in the world, Dr. Who, and shows up in the police scanner missions.
  • The Jewel of Enki can be found in the hands of Hellions.
  • Form 27B/6 - The Supergroup Registration form is Form 27B/6. Form 27B/6 is the Ministry of Public Works' "Authorization for Repairs of Domestic Living Quarters by Licensed Repair Technicians" form in Brazil.
  • Li Tieh Kuai is often mentioned in the Natural/Magic dual origin enhancements. Li Tieh Kuai is Iron-Crutch Li, one of the eight immortals of Taoism. He was apparently fond of out of body experiences, and one of his students found him apparently dead, and cremated his body. When he returned, he had to take over the body of a crippled beggar, while of course keeping his magical kung-fu powers; thus the Iron Crutch.
  • Nectanebo, often mentioned in the Magic origin enhancements. There were two pharaohs of Egypt: Nectanebo I and Nectanebo II.
  • Oscillator Overthruster - The Science/Tech Dual-Origin enhancement for Intangibility Duration is the Oscillator Overthruster. This refers to the oscillation overthruster, a device was used to allow for passage through solid objects, by accessing the "8th Dimension", made up of all the empty space in matter. This device is from the film, The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension.
  • The Platonic Solids - A mission against the Warriors will make you encounter The Platonic Solids, which exist in real life.
  • P.L.O.T. Device - A mission objective. A thinly veiled reference to the narrative element, the Plot Device.
  • The Sforza Horse, which you can find in a mission against the Family, could be seen in the film Hudson Hawk.
  • Tome of Tormvodel - In Ghost Widow's patron arc, she asks villains to retrieve the Tome of Tormvodel, a book she plans on using to restore her to her human form. Tormvodel is an anagrammed reference to Lord Voldemort of the Harry Potter books, a dark wizard bent on securing unmatched power and achieving immortality through the practice of the Dark Arts - interestingly enough, his name is an anagram in itself.
  • An Ushabti can be found in the hands of the Hellions during a low level mission.
  • The Ace of Spades Temporary Power is a reference to the 1980 song of the same name by Motorhead.

Police Band Items

  • The Book of K'Gar - The text describes this as an alien holy book that cannot be interpreted until the year 2260. This is a reference to Babylon 5, a story which takes place between 2258 and 2262 AD (which includes the year 2260), and one of the main characters is named G'Kar. More specifically, it refers to an actual book written by said character G'Kar, which was, incidentally, written in 2260, and was referred to by the same name.
  • A Dragoon Ball - The text states that this object is one of seven, which, when brought together, will summon a calvaryman who will grant a wish. This is a reference to Dragon Ball, a Japanese franchise that involves seven Dragon Balls which will summon a wish-granting dragon when they're brought together.
  • Long John's Silver - The text states that you must recover "Long John's Silver". This is a reference to Treasure Island.
  • The Oxygen Destroyer - The text states that you must recover the Oxygen Destroyer. This is a reference to the original 1954 Godzilla movie where the device was used to defeat Godzilla.
  • File: X - Rearranged X Files, science fiction movies.
  • The Scroll of Bokol is mentioned on one of the hero police scanner missions. It's clue description reads, "This scroll was penned by those who believe that life here began 'out there', in the depths of space. It talks about the lost colonies of humanity that are supposed to live among the stars." This is a reference to Battlestar Galactica and the planet, lords, and colonies of Kobol.

Salvage

  • Crystal Skulls - Some members of the Skulls will drop Crystal Skulls as Salvage.
  • Inanimate Carbon Rod - "In Rod We Trust" - This is a reference to Deep Space Homer, an episode of the Simpsons where Homer loses employee of the month to "an inanimate carbon rod". The caption on the medal that the rod receives is "In Rod We Trust".
  • Orichalcum can be found as Salvage in the hands of the Circle of Thorns.
  • Protonium will drop off several villain groups as Salvage.
  • Conspiratorial Evidence - The description is a reference to a line spoken by The Question in the animated series Justice League Unlimited.
  • Lament Box is a reference to the sinister puzzle box from the Hellraiser series. Some of these can be seen in cabinets in the Midnighter Club

Enhancements

  • Benedict Tech Holey Field Generator - Technology Disorient Duration SO enhancement. "Holey Field" is a play on multiple-time Cruiserweight and Heavyweight boxing champion Evander Holyfield's last name.
  • Poracio Ind.: the name of one third of the Tech-based single-origin enhancements come from "Poracio Industries", which is almost assuredly a reference to Whilce Portacio, comic book artist. He was also artist on the series "WetWorks", which compromise another third of the Tech-based single-origin enhancements.
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