Suicide Squad Easter Eggs You May Have Missed
Task Force X did its job and the world is safe...for now. It's faced a ton of critical backlash, but Suicide Squad still has its rewards for DC diehards—including a bunch of references and homages for the faithful to enjoy. You don't have to be Deadshot to spot these spoilers from a mile away (there's your warning). It's time to take Harley Quinn's mallet and start smashing Suicide Squad's Easter eggs.
Carmine Falcone gets a shoutout in the Gotham skyline
Now that DC has really started ramping up its Extended Universe, screenwriters were encouraged to slide more than a few little world-building nods into Suicide Squad, and it turns out a few of them might have been so subtle that no one actually noticed until much later.
As a group of sharp-eyed fans pointed out on Reddit, the Gotham skyline includes a few lit signs on buildings, and one of them appears to read "Falcone." This is almost certainly a nod to longtime Gotham crime boss Carmine Falcone (or one of his children). The character was first created by Frank Miller in Batman: Year One, and he's been a major player in Gotham's underworld ever since. With a Batman solo movie looming, it's no surprise to see Warner Bros. sprinkling in a subtle reference to Falcone. The character has already been portrayed in live action on Fox's Gotham TV series, set before Bruce Wayne suits up as Batman.
Frosty flunky
While most of the Joker's lackeys are just faceless goons, there's one noteworthy name in the ranks. Mr. J doesn't particularly refer to his cronies by name throughout the film, but one of his main followers sports a name tag reading "Mr. Frost." Brian Azzarello's graphic novel Joker was told from the perspective of Jonny Frost, who goes from being the Clown Prince of Crime's chauffeur to becoming his right hand man. The scenes of Harley Quinn shaking her stuff in front of a bunch of gawking dudes in a gritty nightclub and Mr. Frost being the Joker's number one guy are likely both inspired by Azzarello's gripping story.
Harley Quinn helped kill Robin
If you're looking for Easter eggs related to the myriad baddies in Suicide Squad, the quick-flash intro cards that pop up onscreen are a great place to start. One blink-and-you'll-miss-it bit buried in Harley Quinn's bio? She was an accomplice in the murder of Robin (we still don't know which one, though smart money is on Jason Todd).
We see a Robin suit enshrined in the Batcave, covered in graffiti, during Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. leading many viewers to assume the DCEU timeline picks up after the death of a Robin—and following the comics canon, it was also a foregone conclusion that the Joker had something to do with it. But now, we can also confirm that whatever happened to take that former Robin off the board, Harley played a major role in the death. If that Batman solo flick wants to fill in some backstory, there are certainly some interesting chapters worth telling.
Watching the Watchmen
Remember when Deadshot looked into the clothing store window and started moping out about his daughter? That ginormous yellow smiley face behind the mannequins wasn't there by chance. In DC Comics' 2016 Rebirth event, the world of the Watchmen officially entered the DC Universe. Some of the graffiti in the background of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice featured Rorschach's motto "The End Is Nigh" as well as "Who Watches The Watchmen?" in Spanish. Alan Moore's timeless creations are bound to cross over with the DCEU, and this giant yellow grin was a nice nod to their worlds coming together.
A high-rise tribute
This blink-and-you'll-miss-it Easter egg is pretty easy to figure out if you know your comic book history: the giant building the Suicide Squad infiltrates to rescue Amanda Waller is named after comics writer John Ostrander. While Ostrander didn't create the original version of the team that debuted in 1959, he did come up with the modern version of the super-villain squadron in 1987.
What if Superman decided to tear off the White House roof?
One of the biggest motivations behind Amanda Waller's initiative to establish the Suicide Squad is to have a response in case a superpowered being ever declared war on the United States. Hey, it's not a bad plan—there's no shame in having a backup to take out a rogue with superpowers. During Amanda Waller's meeting with other government leaders, they bring up an example of why a Suicide Squad could come in handy: What if, instead of helping defend Metropolis against Zod's attack, Superman instead opted to just fly over to the White House, rip off the roof, and declare himself as leader? A fair question, and an understandable fear when dealing with a godlike being. But, as fans of the classic Superman films likely noticed, it's something that already pretty much happened in 1980's Superman II, when Zod attacked the White House and went after the president. A Suicide Squad would've come in handy then, right?
What goes around, comes around
When Captain Boomerang convinced Slipknot his neck-bomb was a dud and that he should escape—only to fatally find out that Amanda Waller's explosives were for real—the scene mirrors what happened in the comics after Boomerang told Slipknot that their wrist-mounted bombs were fake. Slipknot—whose comic book gimmick revolved around (you guessed it) ropes and nooses—got his arm blown off in the process. Unfortunately, this meant that Slipknot couldn't tie knots anymore, completely undoing his gimmick. He probably could have returned as just "Rope Man," but that sounds more like a boss from the Mega Man series.
Dancing with the devil in the pale moonlight
Some people might be upset about Harley Quinn's colorful, skimpy outfit and prefer her black-and-red harlequin ensemble from the cartoons, but at least her original duds appear in the movie. When Task Force X geared up to go to Midway City, Harley pulled out a familiar-looking outfit but tossed it aside in favor of something a bit more revealing. We also got to see Margot Robbie don the classic Harley getup in a flashback sequence when she and the Joker recreate the scene of Alex Ross' iconic 1999 Batman: Harley Quinn cover art. Joker also wears a variation of this suit later on when he goes to save Harley near the end of the movie. Sometimes, you've got to dress up for the ladies, even when you're mowing down a bunch of soldiers with a chain gun.
Time away from Mr. J
After being let down by the Joker a few times throughout the movie, Harley appears to have some second thoughts about her maniacal boyfriend. Her budding friendship and sometimes flirtatious chemistry with Will Smith's Deadshot is a callback to what happens in the comics—and the animated feature Batman: Assault on Arkham, where things occasionally get hot, heavy, and downright weird between the two Batman villains.
Flashback
This Easter egg is fairly obvious, but we just have to include it due to how awesome it is. Captain Boomerang's flashback sequence depicts a jewelry store robbery, after which his getaway is stopped by the Flash. This is the first time we've clearly seen the red speedster's outfit on the silver screen (we don't really count that weird dream sequence in Batman v Superman). Captain Boomerang first debuted in Flash #117 back in 1960, so it's only right that he's thwarted here by Ezra Miller's Barry Allen.
The return of Ayer's gang from Training Day
This one is a deep cut for David Ayer fans. It's not a comic Easter egg, but it does tie back to one of Ayer's most acclaimed movies, the inner-city cop drama Training Day, which featured the Hillside Gang (they're the guys hired by Alonzo to kill Hoyt in the film, if you've seen it). So when we learn about El Diablo's gang affiliation, it turns out he's also a member of the Hillside Gang. A very subtle nod for fans of Ayer's former film, though it does make you wonder if maybe Training Day is now officially a part of the DC Expanded Universe (kidding, kidding). With all the focus on Easter eggs from the comics, it's actually a bit refreshing to see Ayer slip one in for himself.