List of Marathon references in the Halo series

The Marathon symbol.

Throughout the Halo series, Bungie have inserted numerous references to their older Marathon series. This is in keeping with their long history of incorporating references and allusions to their previous games in new works. At one point they even revealed that the stories of Marathon and of Pathways into Darkness (their first story-based action game) were connected. Many of the aforementioned Marathon references in Halo are appearances of the Marathon symbol, which in the Halo universe is the Forerunner symbol for "Reclaimer".

Halo universe

• There are MJOLNIR Mark IV cyborgs in Marathon, and there is the MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor in the Halo series.
• The Assault Rifle in Marathon was named the M.75, and its successor in Marathon 2: Durandal and Marathon Infinity has the designation MA-75B. The Assault Rifle in Halo has multiple variants and multiple designations including MA-5B in Halo: CE, MA-37 in Halo: Reach, and the MA40 in "Halo Infinite".
  • The manufacturer of the Assault Rifle, Misriah Armory, is also named after an event in the Marathon universe known as the "Misriah Massacre."
• The Master Chief's Spartan tag is 117. In Marathon Infinity there was a hidden multiplayer map called Hats Off to Eight Nineteen (named after fan Hamish Sinclair, H=8, S=19). 819 divided by 7 is 117.
• The Marathon AI Durandal is named after a mythical sword. Curtana, also spelled "Cortana", is a sword which bears the inscription "My name is Cortana, of the same steel and temper as Joyeuse and Durandal".
• The Plasma Pistol is much like the Zeus Class Fusion Pistol from the Marathon series, which also possesses a vibrating over-charged shot.
• Grunts are similar in design to the generic Pfhor fighters, both being gray-skinned with gangly limbs, with unprotected heads but wearing masks over their mouths (though this is a loose comparison).
• There is a UNSC ship classified as Marathon-class Cruiser.
• There are clear parallels between the Hunters from the Marathon franchise and the Hunters from the Halo franchise, especially the Hunters that appear in Marathon 2: Durandal and Infinity. The Hunters from Marathon shoot rapid fire green energy blasts from a weapon attached to their shoulder, feature a shield attached to both arms rather than just one, and after Durandal feature spikes on their back that resemble the ones on the back of Halo's Hunters.
• The Sharquoi were internally referred to as Drinols during Halo 2's development before they were cut from the game. The name Drinniol was associated with the Hulk enemies from the first Marathon game. There are slight resemblances between early renders of the Sharquoi from Halo: CE and the Hulk from Marathon, but the Halo 2 concept art depictions of the Sharquoi look nearly identical to the Hulks from Marathon.
• Bastion, a Forerunner shield world, was managed by three ancillas, just as the UESC Marathon was managed by three AIs in the first game.

Halo: Combat Evolved

Main article: Halo: Combat Evolved

• The campaign begins with John-117 awakening from cryo-sleep much like the beginning of Marathon 2: Durandal, where the protagonist woke up after cryo-sleep.
• Carol Rawley, call sign "Foehammer" is named after a level in Marathon: Infinity called "Foe Hammer".
• Marathon 2: Durandal has a level named "If I Had a Rocket Launcher, I'd Make Somebody Pay," Halo: Combat Evolved has a chapter called "If I Had a Super Weapon..." in the campaign level Assault on the Control Room.
• On the back part of the Halo rocket launcher it says "SPNKR" which is a reference to the rocket launcher in Marathon, the "SPNKR X-18 SSM Launcher".
• The boots and chest plates worn by the Marines were inspired by the ones worn by Marathons protagonist.
• The Covenant light markers seen in the campaign levels The Truth and Reconciliation and Two Betrayals bear a resemblance to Pfhor staffs.
• The Bumblebee pilot who appears in the ending cutscene of the level The Pillar of Autumn and the beginning cutscene of the level Halo wears a helmet similar to that of Marathon's protagonist.
• Sometimes Grunts or UNSC Marines will shout "They're everywhere!", similar to the BOBs of Marathon.
• After killing a Flood combat form, PFC Chips Dubbo on the campaign level 343 Guilty Spark may say "Oh God, I recognized that one. That was Bob!" in reference to Marathon's Born on Boards (BOBs).
• In the game's tags, Master Chief is referenced as "Cyborg".
• Alex Seropian once stated in the April 2002 issue of Xbox Nation magazine that the main character of Marathon was the first incarnation of Master Chief. He also said Cortana was linked to the storyline of the AIs from Marathon, though she did not appear herself in the franchise. Afterward Matt Soell discussed the subject with Seropian, who clarified that he did not know the current canon of Halo (having already left the company).

Marathon symbols

The Marathon-shaped Control Room as seen in Assault on the Control Room/Two Betrayals.

The Pillar of Autumn with the Marathon symbol seen in the gray circle.

• The symbol of the game has the Marathon symbol between the "a" and the "l" of the word Halo. The symbol appears in roughly the same place in relation to the word "Halo" on the front cover and spine of several books published by Tor Books including Ghosts of Onyx, Contact Harvest, The Cole Protocol, and Halo: Evolutions. More recent reprints of these books however have not included the symbol.
• When selecting a difficulty in campaign mode, the Marathon symbol is visible on the shield.
• If one brightens the gamma significantly on Halo: Combat Evolved for PC, one can see what looks like the Marathon symbol etched in the background of the first loading screen.
• The Marathon symbol can be seen on both sides of the UNSC Pillar of Autumn.
• Captain Jacob Keyes has the ship's emblem of the Pillar of Autumn on his uniform, which is the Marathon symbol.
• Captain Keyes' pipe also has the Marathon symbol on it.
• The Marathon symbol can be seen on the Warthog's dashboard panel.
• The main chamber of Alpha Halo's Control Room, when viewed from the top, is shaped like the Marathon symbol.
• 343 Guilty Spark has the Marathon symbol on his eye in the first and third game.
• The center of the island that houses the Cartographer is shaped like the Marathon symbol.
• The Marathon symbol is on the front of the Spirit's cockpit.
• The Marathon symbol is visible on the orange part of the Plasma Grenade.
• When viewing the map Infinity from above (or the topographical map in the MCC loading screen), one can see the "infinity" shape is comprised of two Marathon symbols. The name of the map itself adding to the reference.

Halo 2

Main article: Halo 2

• The opening cinematic of the level Cairo Station, Fleet Admiral Terrence Hood mentions the "United Earth Space Corps," Marathon features the Unified Earth Space Council, and both of them share the UESC acronym.
• The Elite rebellion against the Covenant parallels similar events in the Marathon series. In Marathon, Durandal convinced a group of S'pht to rise up against the Pfhor who enslaved them; and after Durandal's disappearance in Marathon 2, the rebel S'pht found themselves stranded together with a group of humans on a hostile world (similar to the Elites' predicament on Delta Halo).
• The player's main goal in Halo 2 is to stop the Covenant from inadvertently destroying all life in the galaxy with the Halo installations; in Marathon Infinity, it was to prevent the Pfhor from inadvertently releasing a galaxy-destroying chaos being.
• There is a chapter in campaign level The Great Journey named "Delusions and Grandeur". Marathon Infinity has a network level named "Delusions of Grandeur".
• Sometimes Marines say "Thank God it's you!", which is what the Simulacrum BOBs say in Marathon.
• Some Marines can be heard saying "Eat it, boy!", possibly referring to the Marathon 2 level named "Eat it, Vid Boy!"
• The multiplayer map Foundation is based on the Marathon "Thunderdome" level.
• The multiplayer map Gemini is based on the Marathon level Duality. This is supported by the map's description, mentioning the "ancient duality of the Covenant..."

Marathon symbols

• Once again, the difficulty shields have the Marathon symbol.
• The Marathon symbol can be applied as a 'decal' to the multiplayer emblems or flag.
• The Marathon symbol can be seen on various doors located in campaign levels and multiplayer maps that take place on Delta Halo.
• The Forerunner Enforcers' shields make up a Marathon symbol.
• A Marathon symbol can be seen on the M90 Shotgun's silver casing.
• The Oddball