DC's Legends of Tomorrow: Easter Eggs and Things You Might Have Missed In "Shogun"
While 'Shogun' was a pretty packed episode of DC's Legends of Tomorrow, one thing it wasn't [...]
While "Shogun" was a pretty packed episode of DC's Legends of Tomorrow, one thing it wasn't particularly packed with -- is the through-line of Easter eggs and DC Comics references that many of these shows choose to mainline into the eyeballs of the viewing audience.
There were certainly some things, though, and a handful of clever pop culture references that somewhat betray the fact that Legends shares as much DNA with Doctor Who as it does any of its numerous DC Comics inspirations.
So...what did we see? What did we miss? Read on, and comment below.
DC's Legends of Tomorrow airs Thursday nights at 8 p.m. ET/PT on The CW.
CITIZEN STEEL
First, and most obvious, is Nate's transition into Citizen Steel.
In the comics, Nate Heywood has powers that up to this point had never been depicted onscreen. This time around, he got a version of the Steel powers -- and, as in the comics, it comes from Nazis trying to take out the JSA who inadvertently provide him with abilities.
prevnextTO BE MARRIED TOMORROW
Okay, that's a little Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure action going on here.
The idea that the beautiful girl he happens upon is set to be married tomorrow to the Shogun -- loosely translated as "Royal Ugly Dude" -- feels like the kind of thing that pops up from time to time in time-travel fiction...but Bill & Ted is the most obvious one for us.
prevnextLOST
"If I've learned one thing from Lost, it's that you don't go opening secret hatches."
This is one of a couple of not-so-subtle pop culture references this week. Typically those doin't make the "Easter eggs" lists, but we're acknowledging more of them this year since last season we had lots of fans chiming in to let us know that we "missed" them in the comments.
Obviously, that's a reference to the long-running network drama LOST, one of the big mysteries of which revolved around a hatch into an underground chamber which, rather than providing the answers the characters hoped, only resulted in more questions.
prevnext2056
There are a few superheroes -- notably The Flash and Green Lantern -- who have spent time in the not-too-distant future quite a bit in their careers, but the year 2056 doesn't come up specifically in the comics.
Where it does come up is in Young Justice, the animated series in which Barry Allen's grandson Bart (Impulse/Kid Flash/Flash) played a key role.
In that version of the story, Bart comes from a future where The Reach has conquered Earth and travels back in time to join Young Justice, which in part could potentially help to alter that dark future.
prevnextMASTER YODA
Of course, almost anyone would know that the reference to Ray Palmer's "sensei" Yoda, who shared the wisdom "do or do not; there is no try," is a nod to The Empire Strikes Back, in which the diminutive Jedi Master trained Luke Skywalker to harness the Force.
prevnextTHE SOULTAKER
It's established by the end of the episode that the young woman Nate wanted to help was pretty capable of defending herself under normal circumstances.
She's from the clan Yamashiro, which if you don't recognize, you ought to.
Not only did her descendant Tatsu Yamashiro and her husband Maseo recur throughout season 3 of Arrow, but Tatsu also appeared in this summer's Suicide Squad movie in her costumed identity as Katana.
That sword? It's the Soultaker which, in the comics and in the Suicide Squad movie, absorbs the soul energy of the people killed with it.
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