Every Hidden Easter Egg in MAN OF STEEL – UPDATED [List]

Man of Steel (2013) LexCorp Tower

Here are all the
hidden Easter eggs you may have missed in Man of Steel.

Millions have seen the Superman film Man of Steel, but you may not have
seen everything.

Easter eggs are nicknames given to little things
hidden in a film that are inside jokes or references. Man of Steel has
a bunch of them, and some point to the future of the movies and the
upcoming Justice League superteam film.

Director Zack Snyder confirmed that he has “been making references to the DC
Universe, just to let you know that world is out there…”

Here are a bunch of things that went by so fast you probably didn’t
notice them.

Be warned, some of these
are spoilers!

Updated 

6/21/2013 Added two more

5/30/2014 Added Aaron Smolinski

1. Superman’s 1978 Birthship

 

Superman (1978)

The birth ship in Man of Steel
is very different from the spiky sea urchin design in the 1978 film.
But there’s one scene where it shows up.

When Jor-El is telling the
history of Krypton, Clark’s ship is shown with stylized rays around it
which perfectly matches the design from the first film.

2. LexCorp

At several points in the film we see a reference to LexCorp, which is
the company owned by Lex Luthor. 

Besides the LexCorp building, there are
two trucks with the logo. 

Lex Luthor is Superman’s mortal enemy and,
during the John Byrne era, became a powerful businessman.

3. Papp’s Westside Pizza

Source

This pizza place in Smallville is named after George Edward Papp, one
of the main artists on the long-running Superboy feature from
1958–1967.

4. Kelor and Kelex

In the film, Jor-El’s robot helper is called Kelor. Superman’s
Fortress of Solitude helper Kelex appears as well.

In the comics they’re
Kryptonian service robots. Kelor first appeared in World of Krypton
(Volume 2) #3 in 1988.

Kelor is voiced by Rondel Reynoldson
and Kelex is voiced by Carla Gugino.

5. Wayne Enterprises Satellite

Source

General Zod destroys a satellite with a “Wayne Enterprises” logo on it.
This is a reference to a shared universe between Superman and Batman.

Writer David Goyer said, “The
‘Dark Knight’ films do not exist in the same universe.” But, he
added, “Zack [Snyder] has gone on record. The fact that we have Wayne
Industries on the satellite, Bruce Wayne exists in this universe.”

Director Zack Snyder said, “I’m saying..well, it’s a nod of the hat and a tribute absolutely. I wanted
to do something for me that just acknowledges the amazing partnership
and friendship that I have with Chris [Nolan], and I just wanted that
in the movie somehow.”

6. Smallville Hotel

In the comics, Smallville Hotel is one of the town’s landmarks.

It
first appeared in Adventure Comics
#166 and is described as the town’s lone hotel.

7. Booster Gold’s Blaze Comics

During the fight with Zod and Superman a building is seen in the
background that says “Blaze Comics.”

This is a reference to
Booster Gold. Booster Gold is a superhero that first appeared in
Booster Gold #1 (February 1986) and was a member of the Justice
League. In the comics, Blaze Comics is the publisher that published the
Booster Gold comic books.

8. Utopia Casino

During the fight between Zod and Superman you can see a sign for the
Utopia Casino.

In the comics, Tony Gallo builds the Utopia Casino
in the heart of New Troy, Metropolis. He’s the man who brings huge
stores of Kryptonite to Metropolis. Kryptonite, of course, is
Superman’s only weakness.

It’s Lex Luthor that realizes it’s effect on
Superman and makes a ring out of it.

9. Sullivan’s Truck & Tractor Repair 

When Clark is teased as a boy his father is shown working at “Sullivan’s
Truck & Tractor Repair.”

This is a reference to Chloe Sullivan, played by Allison Mack, one
of Clark’s best friends in Smallville from the TV show.

10. Ezra’s Mail Depot

Source

One of the storefront’s in Smallville has a reference to Ezra’s Mail
Depot. In the Smallville TV series Ezra Small is the founder of
Smallville, and an ancestor of Henry Small and Lana Lang.

11. Toomey Waste Disposal

Another sign in Smallville is a reference to DC Comics writer Bob
Toomey who wrote Superman Family comics in the 70s.

12. Weisinger Elementary School 

In a family photo, we see that Clark attended Weisinger Elementary
School which is a nod to Superman editor Mort Weisinger.

He was
editor over Superman when several historic concepts were developed like
the concept that a yellow sun multiplies Superman’s
powers.

13. Supergirl Kara Zor-El

When Clark finds an old ship from Krypton the room is filled with pods.

Most of the pods contain dead bodies, but one is open. Some have
suggested this is Kara, Clark’s cousin who becomes Supergirl.

The Man
of Steel 42-page prequel comic focuses on Kara Zor-El and her travel in
a Kryptonian scout ship to Earth. After the ship is sabotaged, it crash
lands on Earth. The events take place 1000 years before the events in
the film and show SOMEONE leaving the ship. It could be Kara or the
homicidal maniac Dev-Em.

In an interview with Crave director Zack Snyder talked about the pods.
“You know what’s interesting, and I don’t know and I’m not going to say
what it means or anything, but the one thing if you look closely when
[Clark’s] going through the Fortress of Solitude there’s an empty…
you know all the bodies… the pods?” Snyder asked. “There’s an empty
pod. I’m not going to say what, or if, it means anything but there is
an empty pod there.”

14. Professor Emil Hamilton 

In the film Dr.Hamilton, presumably before he becomes a Professor,
helps Superman. In the comics, Hamilton works for the laboratory
S.T.A.R. Labs and invented Superman’s robot doubles.

15. Jax-Ur

In the sky above Krypton is a shattered moon, this is a reference to
the crime committed by Zod’s lead scientist Jax-Ur played by Mackenzie
Gray.

In the comics, he was imprisoned in the Phantom Zone for
destroying the moon Wegthor, and killing the population of 500, while
experimenting with a nuclear warhead-equipped rocket

.

This may also be the reason Krypton abandoned spaceflight and ran out
of resources.

16. Major Captain Carrie Farris

Near the end of the film, a female soldier tells General Swanwick that
she thinks Superman is “kind of hot.” Some have speculated that her
name refers to Green Lantern’s girlfriend Carol Ferris. Carrie could be short for Carol.

17. Pete Ross

Played by Jack Foley, Pete is an enemy that turns into a friend after
Clark saves his life in a bus crash.

Peter Joseph “Pete” Ross was introduced in Superboy (volume 1) #86 in 1961.

In his many appearances from the comics to the Smallville show he’s one
of the few that knows Clark’s secret.

18. Lana Lang

In the schoolbus scene, Clark is being taunted by Pete and young Lana
Lang (Jadin Gould) defends him. In the comics, Lana Lang is one of
Clark Kent’s best friends and a teenage love interest in Smallville.
Just like in the movie, she’s one of the few that knows his secret
abilities. Lana first appeared in Superboy #10 (1950).

19. S.T.A.R. Labs

We know that Hamilton is in the film, but writer David Goyer said
there’s a reference to STAR Labs as well. “We mentioned S.T.A.R. Labs
at one point, that’s kind of a connection to Cyborg.” No one has found
this reference in the film, so it may have been cut out. S.T.A.R. Labs
(Scientific and Technological Advanced Research), is a fictional
research facility, and organization that first appeared in Superman
#246 (December 1971).

20. Allison Isenberg

 

In Lois Lane’s bulletin board is a story about a woman named Allison Isenberg. Isenberg is one of the

art department assistants on Man of Steel.

21. Topaz Lane

Topaz Lane is one of the many famous streets of Metropolis. In the
movie, one of the streets in Smallville is called Topaz St.

22. Whitney Fordham

In one scene they refer to “that Fordman boy.” Robert Gerdisch (left) was cast to play the role, but he doesn’t appear onscreen. In the scene where Clark almost gets in a fight, Fordham (Robert Gerdisch) is the boy threatening him. Whitney Fordham first appeared on the show Smallville as star quarterback of
the Smallville High’s football team and Lana’s boyfriend. The football jersey is a dead giveaway.

Updated: Its been pointed out that the spelling of the name is different between the movie and the show. It could be a typo on IMDb, but if someone could check the credits that would clear that up.

23. Guardian

In tdifferent been there is a character named Colonel Nathan Hardy, played by
Chris Meloni. His callsign is “Guardian” which is a reference to the
superhero first appearing in Star-Spangled Comics #7 (April 1942).
Although the comic book character’s name is Jim Harper.

24. All-Star Superman

The monologue used by Jor-El (Russell Crowe) in the teaser trailer is
similar to Grant Morrison’s All-Star
Superman from 2005.

The trailer says: “You’ll give the people an ideal to strive
towards.  They will race behind you. They will stumble. They will fall.
But in time…they will join you in the sun. In time you will help them
accomplish wonders.”

The comic says: “You have given the people an ideal to aspire to.
Embodied their highest aspirations.  They will race and stumble… and
fall… and crawl… and curse… and finally…they will join you
in the sun Kal-El.”

25. Superman: Secret Origin

The dialogue from the scene where Jonathan Kent (Kevin Costner) and
Clark Kent are talking in the barn is similar to Geoff Johns’ Superman: Secret Origin
(2009). In the comic, Clark says, “I want to be your son.” and Jonathon
says,
“Clark…You are my son.” In the movie, Clark says, “Can’t I just keep pretending I’m
your son?” and Jonathan responds, “You are my son.”  As a father,
that scene choked me up, by the way.

Dialogue for the teaser trailer was also inspired by the comic: “You’re
not just anyone. One day, you’re gonna have to make a choice. You have
to decide what kind of man you want to grow up to be. Whoever that man
is, good character or bad, is gonna change the world.”

26. Superman: Birthright

Another line from the scene with Clark and Jonathan is “You’re the
answer son. You’re the answer to ‘Are we alone in the universe?” which
is similar to a phrase in the Mark Waid comic Superman: Birthright
(2003). In the comic, Ma Kent says, “‘Are we alone in the Universe?’ is
a question man has asked since time began … and you’re the answer.”

27. Father Leone

In one scene, Clark goes to a church and talks to a priest named Father
Daniel Leone, played by Coburn Goss. In the comics, Leone is a
recurring character and confidant of Superman at the pastor of the
“Sacred Heart Church” in Metropolis. He first appears in Superman #204
(2004).

28. Nam-Ek

General Zod has a large following, but one guy is head and shoulders
above the rest. Literally. There is a large Kryptonian that fights
Superman in Smallville. He’s not named in the movie, but the
novelization describes him as “Nam-Ek, taking up the rear, was more
than nine feet tall…” Several other characters have the name Nam-Ek
in Superman history.

In the prequel comic, he’s one of the six young candidates training for the Explorer Guild. In the TV show, Smallville, he’s one of the followers
of Zod known as the “Disciples of Zod.” Back in Superman #282 (1974) there’s a Kryptonian exile, named Nam-Ek, that turns purple after drinking a
potion made from a Kryptonian Randor horn.

29. Smallville Water Tower

Note: The photo is from pre-production photos while filming.

In the scene where Superman is fighting the Kryptonians in Smallville, the water tower from the TV show Smallville can be seen.

The water tower itself is a reference to the famous water tower at Warner Bros. studios, which owned the WB network.

30. Mayor of Plano 

In he scene where Superman crashes into the Smallville Bank, look for the Mayor of Plano. They filmed the Smallville fight scenes in Plano, Illinois.

An issue of Empire magazine said that the Mayor, Robert “Bob” Hausler, has a cameo in the film. The magazine only said to look for “a particularly oh-my-god-I-can’t-believe-this-is-happening” bank teller.

31. Christopher Reeve Has a Cameo (Disputed)

In the scene where Superman faces the power of the World Engine, his face is distorted by the energy. For a brief moment, he looks like the late Superman actor Christopher Reeve.

Via Reddit

Update: This hasn’t been confirmed by anyone in the production, but it sure looks like him.

32. Faster than a Speeding Bullet,  More Powerful Than a Locomotive

The Max Fleischer Superman cartoon, begins with the phrase, “Faster than a speeding bullet!  More powerful than a locomotive!”

In the battle in Smallville, Col. Hardy calls in an air strike and Superman outruns bullets.

Later, Superman is hit by a train (or locomotive) and isn’t harmed by it.

33. Conduit

When Clark is harassed as a young boy, he refuses to stand up to a high school boy named Ken Braverman (Rowen Kahn). In the comics, Kenny Braverman is another Smallville boy who was exposed to Kryptonian radiation from Clark’s ship and grows up to be the super-villain Conduit.

Conduit wears body armor that allows him to shoot beams of Kryptonite radiation.  He was created by writer Dan Jurgens and first appeared in the 1994 comic Superman: The Man of Steel #0. (Hat tip to SovereignEternal for the heads up!)

34. Aaron Solinski

Jim Bowers, from Caped Wonder,
posted to his Facebook page: “There is going to be a cameo by a classic
Superman movie actor in Man of Steel. Care to guess who?” At first everyone thought it was Christopher Reeve, but in fact it’s Aaron Smolinski who has a cameo as an Air Force Communications Officer. Smolinski first played Baby Kal-El in Superman (1978) and went on to appear in Superman II and Superman III.

(Hat tip to Kal El from Superman1978.com!)

35. Kneel Before Zod

One of Zod’s classic lines from Superman II was “Kneel before Zod!” While Michael Shannon doesn’t say the line, he gets his wish when a broken Superman is thrown to his feet. 

(Hat tip to Josh!)

What do you think of the Easter Eggs in Man of Steel? Did you see
them, did I miss any?

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