Episode 2 set the stage for chaos in the future, which Jen will surely have to work hard to overcome. Beyond highlighting her personal journey as She-Hulk, the show cleverly connected Marvel’s current Phase with tales of the past.
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Abomination Returns
After years of sweeping the 2008 movie The Incredible Hulk to the side, the MCU finally acknowledged the film’s existence head-on in She-Hulk’s sophomore episode. Jen’s first client as She-Hulk is none other than Emil Blonsky, best known as the big, bad Abomination.
Blonsky claims to have turned over a new page, expressing his feelings through poetry rather than rage, but his presence certainly shakes things up for the future of Marvel. Not only does he connect the MCU fully with The Incredible Hulk, but Abomination’s more significant role in the franchise also opens the door to a wide number of untapped storylines.
As it turns out, he’s also been at the same prison as the Clandestines from Ms. Marvel.
Shang-Chi Fight Club
Episode 2 also acknowledged the scene from Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, where Abomination battled it out with Wong in an underground fight club. This particular reference will prove to be a tricky point for Jen’s case, since she’ll have to explain how and why Blonsky left prison to exchange blows with the Sorcerer Supreme.
Jen’s Cap Obsession Continues
She-Hulk is still running with the best joke from episode 1, and Jen’s Captain America obsession is burning strong. When she turns on her phone, fans can see that her lock screen is a photo of America’s ass in all its glory, proving yet again that she’s a major Steve Rogers fan.
Hawkeye’s Arrows
While being forced to suffer through an uncomfortable family dinner, Jen’s dad asks her about Clint Barton, and his methods of arrow-retrieval. This particular question is something that stirred up conversation amongst fans online, who questioned the practicality of it all. Not to mention, the thought of Hawkeye running around picking up arrows both during and after battle is a rather humorous mental image.
A Completely Different Person
Abomination wasn’t the only thing connecting She-Hulk to The Incredible Hulk this week, as fans were given a short, but clever, fourth-wall break. Adding to Jen’s colorful audience-directed commentary, Bruce explains he’s moved past his quarrel with Abomination, since it happened so long ago.
He even goes as far as to say he’s a “completely different person,” acknowledging the change in casting from Edward Norton to Mark Ruffalo. Jen then looks at the camera and gives off a coy “ha ha,” sharing in the realization MCU fans were having at the same time.
Jen’s Hero Name
During the same phone conversation, Bruce asks Jen what her official superhero name is. As established during the premiere, MCU heroes rarely get to choose their own names, since the public typically does that for them. Jen begrudgingly admits to being dubbed She-Hulk, and Bruce officially becomes the first person ever to refer to her as She-Hulk: Attorney at Law and reference the show’s title.
Thor: Ragnarok Strikes Again
Widely regarded as the best Thor movie in the series, the events of Thor: Ragnarok are still impacting the Marvel franchise. The reason Jennifer became a Hulk was due to the sudden appearance of a Sakaaran spaceship in the middle of the road, as seen in episode 1.
Sakaar was the planet Bruce landed on when he disappeared after Avengers: Age of Ultron and spent years as a lean, green, fighting machine. Clearly, the people of Sakaar refuse to let go of their former champion, and have hunted him across the galaxy.
Bruce told Jen he had business to take care of before he could visit her in Los Angeles, then showed him traveling through space on the same Sakaaran ship that found him on Earth.
Avengers Online
As Jen hunts for a new job, the camera flashes to her computer screen, where a number of Avengers references can be seen. At the top of her screen are links to webpages titled “Find Ant-Man,” “Norse Mythology,” and “Avengers.” An advertisement for shoes called the “Iron Man Three’s” also appears above two particularly intriguing articles.
The first article title is likely a Wolverine reference, which reads “Man fights with metal claws in bar brawl.” The second article finally acknowledges the life-changing events of Eternals, titled “Why there is a giant statue of a man sticking out of the ocean.” This tiny Easter egg integrates Eternals with the rest of the MCU, which the franchise hasn’t really done until now.
New episodes of She-Hulk are streaming on Disney Plus every Thursday.
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