WARNING: This article contains SPOILERS for Avengers: Infinity War

It's finally upon us. The launch of Avengers: Infinity War brings the MCU to its biggest climax - and a brand new batch of Easter eggs and franchise. The world's love for the Marvel movie universe only continues to grow, which means the cast and crew of Infinity War now have the chance to bury not only comic book secrets into their films, but MCU connections too. That means twice as many moments of fan service, with Marvel Comic nods, character cameos, shared universe connections and references even the biggest of fans might miss.

The Russo Brothers took every chance to make the arrival of Thanos and the Infinity Stones an all-out celebration of Marvel's Cosmic history for fans. The villain's powers and master plan may be bad news for the Avengers, but it's fantastic news for the audience. We've collected the very best Infinity War Easter eggs, secret backstories, inside jokes, and huge Marvel Cinematic Universe hints that fans could have overlooked - and are breaking them all down here.

So with one final SPOILER warning, let's get started. Here are the 40 Things You Completely Missed In Avengers: Infinity War.

40. Captain America's Original Armor Scales

Avengers Infinity War Easter Egg Cap Armor

Fans were able to prepare themselves for disappointment from the beginning, with Captain America: The First Avenger confirming that the classic scale-like armor of Steve Rogers wasn't really a fit for live action. Even so, Cap's official costume has been updated several times over the years, before his Age of Ultron armor became a new standard for his public, Avengers uniform. Civil War saw the Avengers' insignia removed, sadly. And in Infinity War, even the red details and shining star on his chest has been dulled (mirroring his shift to the shadows).

But the directors made sure to pay tribute to the comic books like never before.

After Steve has taken some damage from the myriad enemies lining up against him, the fabric of his suit frays to reveal what's underneath.

It might be missed, but keep your eyes peeled for close-up shots, and you'll see that the classic scales have been providing Cap's protection this whole time.

39. Star-Lord a.k.a. 'Flash Gordon'

Avengers Infinity War Flash Gordon Joke

Marvel fans realized just what they were in for with Infinity War's team-up when the trailer showed Star-Lord and Tony Stark having to put together an attack plan. Needless to say, Stark was less than pleased to be working alongside someone like Peter Quill (it's... kind of hard to blame him). Their partnership doesn't exactly go off without a hitch in the movie, but Tony's best 'meta' shot taken at Quill is when he refers to him dismissively as "Flash Gordon."

Stark (and Downey, Jr.) have made a habit of quick one-liners and references that soar over much of the audience's heads, and the depth of this one risks doing the same. Most science fiction movie buffs will have heard of Flash Gordon, the campy space adventure. But what they may not know is that its hero was unknowingly rocketed off of Earth into unknown space, and left to take down an evil alien despot-- at which point he was left with no real way of getting home.

Tony may be making a throwaway joke about a human in a squad of alien outlaws, but he got more of Star-Lord's origin story right than he probably knows.

Since Flash Gordon released in 1980, it's also likely that Peter did, in fact, get that reference.

38. Arrested Development's Tobias Cameo

Avengers Infinity War Arrested Development Easter Egg

With directors Anthony and Joe Russo first taking over Captain America: The Winter Soldier, fans were delighted to see cast of Community – the Russos’ previous project – pop into the MCU. And it was the cult comedy that the Russos helped launch, Arrested Development, that got the biggest reference in Civil War with the Bluths' famous 'stair car' in the airport battle. But the directors outdid themselves with Infinity War (and we're not even going to mention director Kenneth Branagh's Asgardian cameo).

This time the cameo comes when the Guardians return to the Collector's base in Knowhere. As they pick their way through his reconstructed collection, Arrested fans should look to the left of the screen when Gamora gets to sneaking. Even though the prisoner is blue from head to toe, he's not an alien: he's 'Dr. Tobias Fünke,' the famous Blue Man Group hopeful played by David Cross in the TV series.

It doesn't seem to be David Cross in the flesh, but the sudden appearance of a blue-skinned, mustachioed man looking depressed in a pair of denim cutoff shorts is unmistakable.

37. The Planet Vormir

Avengers Infinity War Soul Stone Planet Vormir

The theories over the location of the final Infinity Stone considered every single possibility... except the one actually in the movie. To be fair, it would have been hard to predict that the Soul Stone's location was actually part of a much larger, plot-relevant mystery. Or that a famous MCU villain would have somehow wound up guarding it. But what we do know is that the Soul Stone is located on the planet Vormir - which, no surprise, is an existing planet in the Marvel Comics Universe.

First, the good news. The planet Vormir is located in the Kree Galaxy, the dominion of the blue-skinned aliens of which Ronan the Acc is a member. The planet is home primarily to a species of reptilian, transforming creatures that first crossed paths with Earth's Mightiest Heroes in The Avengers #123 (1974). The creature was mistaken as a dragon until the next issue, when its true alien heritage was revealed as the species known as Vorms. The bad news? The planet doesn't have any greater role to speak of. Still, a deep pull for Avengers lore fanatics.

36. Infinity Gauntlet Attack Callbacks

Avengers Infinity War Comic References

One of the oddest powers granted by the Stones in the original Infinity Gauntlet comic is the ability to re-write reality. That allows Thanos to turn Wolverine's metal skeleton to rubber, to suddenly conjure an airtight box around Cyclops's head... the list of zany twists goes on an on. Infinity War gives a taste of that when the Guardians encounter Thanos in Knowhere, and the villain turns Star-Lord's blaster shots to bubbles.

The Guardians last a total of a few seconds in battle against Thanos, as he instantly shows off the reality-bending powers now at his disposal. First he subdues Drax by transforming him into a series of cubes - and then takes Mantis out of the fight by turning her into ribbons. That's a recreation of the attacks he simultaneously let loose on Nebula and his brother, Starfox in the original comics.

35. The Famous Thanos Snap

Avengers Infinity War Trailer Snap Fingers

The promise of a famous comic book moment being adapted to screen was made when Gamora claimed in the Infinity War trailer that "the entire time I knew him he only ever had one goal: to wipe out half the universe. If he gets all the Infinity Stones, he can do it with a snap of his fingers." That's exactly how the villain did it in the comics, and the mention wasn't just a tease for comic fans-- it was a tease of how Infinity War really would end.

In the comic book version of the Infinity War story, Thanos was completely motivated in his gathering of the Infinity Stones by his mission to erase all life.

It was the request of Lady Death, whom he loved, and wasted little time in making it happen (it actually concludes the first issue of the Infinity Gauntlet series). The movie spends a bit more time making the losses extra heartbreaking, too. In the comics the snap of Thanos's fingers was given a bit more spectacle - but the lifeforms erased simply blinked out of existence.

34. Thor's New Hammer, The Ultimate Mjolnir

Thor Comic Ultimate Hammer

The subplot starring Thor may be a bit confusing for fans coming off of the most recent Thor: Ragnarok, where the god of thunder came to realize that his powers never really came from his hammer, Mjolnir. So his need to return to the hammer's forge and create a new one is a bit suspicious. Either way, the secret of Thor's new weapon ended up being revealed long before the movie thanks to tie-in toys, concept art, and collectible figures. But the weapon forged by Thor isn't a new Mjolnir... well, not from his own comic book universe, anyway.

One look at the new weapon is all comic fans will need to see that it's based on the Ultimate Mjolnir, so named because it is the weapon held by Thor in Marvel's Ultimate Universe.

Its main feature is the half-hammer, half-axe blade design with his faithfully recreated for the movie (with some help from Groot to make a handle).

33. Beta Ray Bill's 'Storm Breaker' Reference

Avengers Infinity War Stormbreaker Easter Egg

Sadly, fans are still counting the days until the Marvel movie universe gives a version of Beta Ray Bill, the alien creature who possessed - against all odds - the worthiness to claim the mantle of Thor. He may look like a humanoid horse, but Bill proved his might when he defeated Thor in combat for the right to wield Mjolnir as the god of thunder. Ever one to make the peace, Odin stepped in to honor Bill by having his very own mystical hammer forged by the same Dwarves who created Mjolnir. The hammer's name? Storm Breaker.

The weapon endowed Bill with the same Asgardian powers and costume as Thor, looking a bit more like an actual oversized ball-peen hammer than the sledgehammer of Thor. The pair of heroes would go on to be lasting friends and allies, with the MCU even lifting the name of Beta Ray Bill's hammer for Thor's new weapon.

32. Star-Lord's Zune Music Easter Egg

Avengers Infinity War Music Easter Egg

The soundtracks of both Guardians of the Galaxy movies played a sizable role in the story, delivered fictionally in the form of cassette tapes left to Peter Quill by his mother, Meredith. But the formula for the music changed at the close of Guardians Vol.2, when Peter was gifted music from another parental figure: Yondu Udonta. The tunes came delivered on a Zune, of all things (good for a laugh) but also cranked the future song count up to over 300. And in Infinity War, it seems audiences get their first track.

The song "The Rubberband Man" by The Spinners can be heard playing in the Milano when the Guardians' story overlaps with that of Thor, and it's not a coincidence. For those eager to see if Yondu's songs pack the same emotional punch as Star-Lord's mother, "The Rubberband Man" may be particularly meaningful. The story goes that producer Thom Bell wrote the song with Linda Creed for his own son, whose weight made him a target for school bullies.

But if we had to guess, the fact that the track was used during a mud wrestling scene in Stripes (1981) may be the real reason behind its inclusion here.

31. Ebony Maw vs Doctor Strange Scene Brought to Life

Doctor Strange and Ebony Maw in Avengers Infinity War

Doctor Strange gets a particularly harsh treatment over the course of the film, thanks to the Infinity Stone around his neck. He gets an early win thanks to protection spells placed on the Eye of Agamotto, but eventually winds up being attacked aboard one of Thanos's ships by Ebony Maw, the most eerily twisted of the Children of Thanos.

The spikes used to torment Strange into giving up the Time Stone are new, but Marvel Comic fans will this very scene being played out in the comics.

The miniseries that centered on Thanos and his Infinity Gauntlet may be the best known of such stories, but it's not the only time the Infinity Stones have caught Thanos's eye. More recently, Jonathan Hickman crafted a story from which most of the Children of Thanos are actually inspired (along with some larger story beats). And wouldn’t you know it, that comic story includes Ebony Maw messing with Doctor Strange’s mind to get information, too.