She-Hulk’s fashion designer Luke Jacobsen has a deep Marvel cameo.

Every episode of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, be it a TV show or a movie, makes fans go “Oooh, an Easter egg!” It may seem like he’s coming up with something to do. But in the fifth part She-Hulk: Attorney at Law Marvel Comics may be the crowned king of deep cuts.

Ladies and gentlemen, it’s a brave new world. The MCU now makes reference North Dakota.

[Ed. note: This piece contains spoilers for She-Hulk episode 5.]

Image: Marvel Studios

She-Hulk Chapter 5 explores the sartorial difficulties of being a woman who can grow two feet tall and a few hundred pounds of muscle at will. But luckily, Jane’s Bestie/Paralegal is working on a solution by tracking down the mysterious fashion designer Luke Jacobsen – via The flight attendant‘s Griffin Matthews – who designs battle gear exclusively for heroes. But, with a little persuasion, he agreed to take on the challenge of creating a transitional shelf for Jane. Not a “transition” from summer to fall or day to night, but Jane to She-Hulk.

“Who designed and manufactured all these superhero costumes?” Answer the question. It’s something comics creators have answered time and time again in creative ways. In Gotham City in the 2000s, he was an independent gamer who dressed heroes and villains. In Marvel Comics, Wasp is both a founding member of the Avengers and an internationally renowned fashion designer who also makes superhero costumes for her friends. And Mutant Culture has its own unique top designer, the four-armed Jumbo Carnation.

But Luke Jacobson? It’s one of the lesser known drags. North Dakota.

As Keith Silva wrote in a 2018 feature for Comics Journal: “So to speak North Dakota It is a mischief to the youth.” The first issue of the series was published in June 1986, and the fifth and final volume followed eight months later. Written by Martha Thomas and drawn by Tony Salmons, both of whom are essentially newcomers to comics, it’s a concept that’s so unique in tone and voice that it’s really on fire for where it’s going (awesome, awesome). North Dakota It’s not even set in the Marvel Comics universe, although the leader, Dakota, will eventually appear in the inter-universe comics, along with characters like Luke Cage, Daredevil and the Power Pack.

Who is Dakota North? She’s a leather-jacketed, slingshot, motorcycle-riding, kick-ass, no-nonsense head and the sole operative of, as Silva puts it, “a fashion industry focused on illegal corruption at an international private security agency.” And Luke Jacobson was her first affair.

Who is Luke Jacobson?

Image: Martha Thomas, Tony Salmons/Marvel Comics

Well, he’s a fashion designer unwittingly embroiled in some complex corporate conspiracy and being threatened with violence. He’s a dead ringer for Fabio, generally vain, and dances to Donna Summer. He’s also constantly proposing to and expressing his love for Dakota – even though, or maybe, editorially; because of Things you probably already gathered: He absolutely had to be gay.

Writer Martha Thomas told Silva that Jacobsen was founded by my friend, fashion designer David Freelander, who died of AIDS in 1987. I wanted the character to be gay and HIV+, but [Marvel editor Larry Hama] He said that’s not why people read comedies. If the series had continued, I guess we would have gone there.

Image: Martha Thomas, Tony Salmons/Marvel Comics

Thomas may be promising, but Marvel Comics’ history of blatantly banning or downplaying characters continues. so true Over a few years.

Among the five cases North Dakota, Luke only appeared in three, and did not make it to the main Marvel Universe. It will be his. She-Hulk: Attorney at Law Does Incarnation inspire comics writers to adapt? Goodness, I hope.