List of Marathon references in the Halo series

Throughout the Halo series, Bungie have inserted numerous references to their older Marathon series. Most of these references are appearances of the Marathon logo, which, in the Halo universe, is the Forerunner symbol for "Reclaimer".

Halo: Combat Evolved
Marathon Logos
 * Cortana - The Marathon AI Durandal, is named after a mythical sword. Cortana is a sword which bears the inscription: My name is Cortana, of the same steel and temper as Joyeuse and Durandal.
 * Dialogue - Sometimes Grunts or Marines will shout "They're everywhere!", similar to the BOBs of Marathon.
 * Foehammer - A level in Marathon: Infinity is called "Foe Hammer".
 * Level title - Marathon 2: Durandal has a level named "If I Had a Rocket Launcher, I'd Make Somebody Pay," Halo has a chapter called "If I Had a Super Weapon..."
 * Light markers - The Covenant light markers in Two Betrayals bear a resemblance to Pfhor staves.
 * MJOLNIR - There are MJOLNIR Mark IV cyborgs in Marathon, there is MJOLNIR Mark V battle armor in Halo.
 * On the back part of the Halo rocket launcher it says "SPNKR" which is a reference to the Rocket launcher of Marathon, the "SPNKR X-18 SSM Launcher".
 * The flamethrower in Halo PC has a similar name to the flamethrower found in Marathon: 7057 = TOZT
 * The Plasma Pistol is much like the Fusion Pistol from the Marathon series, which also shares a vibrating overcharge 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).
 * Private First Class Chips Dubbo on the level 343 Guilty Spark may say "Oh God, I recognized that one. That was Bob!" in reference to Marathon's Born on Boards (BOBs).
 * The Master Chief's Spartan Number is 117. In Marathon Infinity there was a hidden multiplayer map called Hats Off to 819 (named after fan Hamish Sinclair, H=8, S=19) 819 divided by 7 is 117.
 * The Bumblebee pilot in the Halo cutscene wears a helmet similar to that of Marathon's protagonist.
 * The marine boots and chest plates were inspired by the ones worn by the Marathon Protagonist.
 * The campaign begins with John awakening from cryo sleep after a massive battle much like it did in the beginning Marathon 2: Durandal, where the Protagonist woke up after cryo sleep from a massive battle.
 * In the game's tags, Master Chief is referenced as "Cyborg".
 * The front cover of the game has the Marathon logo between the "a" and the "l" of the word Halo.
 * When selecting a difficulty in campaign mode the Marathon logo is visible on the shield Marathoncontrolroom.jpg (that has a Combat Knife (or two Combat Knives) and an Elite skull over it depending on the difficulty).
 * 343 Guilty Spark has the Marathon symbol around his eye and on his eye in the first and third game.
 * Captain Keyes has the ship's Emblem of the Pillar of Autumn on his uniform, that has the Marathon logo on it.
 * Captain Keyes' pipe has the Marathon logo on the very tip end of it.
 * The Control Room's (from the level Assault on the Control Room/Two Betrayals) main chamber, when viewed from the top, is shaped like the Marathon logo.
 * Pillar of Autumn - The Marathon logo can be seen on both sides of the ship.
 * Warthog - The Marathon logo can be seen on the dashboard panel.
 * The Silent Cartographer - The center of the island is shaped like the Marathon logo.
 * Halo PC Loading Screen - If you brighten the gamma on Halo PC a lot, you can see what looks like the Marathon symbol etched in the background of the first loading screen.
 * Spirits - The Marathon logo is on the front of the cockpit.
 * On the Plasma Grenade the Marathon logo is visible on the orange part.

Halo 2
Marathon Logos
 * In the opening cinematic of the level Cairo Station, Lord Hood says "United Earth Space Corps," Marathon features the Unified Earth Space Council, both share the UESC acronym.
 * Marathon cruiser- On the first cutscene of the game we can see a Marathon-Class Cruiser near Cairo Station.
 * The multiplayer map "Foundation" is based off of the Marathon "Thunderdome" level.
 * The multiplayer map "Gemini" is based off of the Marathon level "Duality". This is supported by the map's description, mentioning the "ancient duality of the Covenant..."
 * The Elite rebellion against the Covenant parallels similar events in the Marathon series. In Marathon 1, 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.
 * Some Marines can be heard saying "Eat it, boy!", possibly referring to the Marathon 2 level named "Eat it, Vid Boy!"
 * There is a sub-chapter in 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 1.
 * The Mausoleum Suite was based off of the Marathon 2: Durandal theme song.
 * The difficulty shields have the Marathon symbol.
 * The Marathon Logo can be applied as a 'decal' to the multiplayer avatar/flag.
 * The Marathon symbol is also used in the Halo 2 Multiplayer online as a gamer tag symbol.
 * The Marathon logo can be seen on the Doors on the level Regret.
 * If you get outside the level Burial Mounds, look at the rubble by the "ribs" a large piece of debris is engraved with the logo.
 * On the map Midship, you can see the Marathon symbol on Africa (best viewed with scope).
 * The Enforcers' shields make up a Marathon symbol.
 * If you melee with a shotgun, you can see a Marathon symbol on the silver casing.
 * On Headlong, in the building which houses mostly human weapons, if you look at the second floor from above it makes out the Marathon Logo
 * If you look at the multiplayer map "Ivory Tower" from above, you will see that the circular courtyard and the small ditch which the water runs along makes up a Marathon logo.
 * The Oddball skull has the Marathon logo in its eye socket.
 * In the level Uprising, when you get to the final cutscene at the end and the level Great Journey begins, go back to the door and you can see two Marathon logos on the door. Marathon logos can also be found on several other doors in this level.
 * In the level Great Journey, there are two Marathon logos on the large door by the part with the two wraiths.
 * The multiplayer level Containment has 2 Marathon symbols on each door at the back of both bases.
 * The Halo 2 savegames, when viewed in Windows Explorer have the Marathon Symbol over the basic file symbol.

Halo 3
Marathon Logos
 * The Campaign begins with John awakening from a massive battle in an enemy space station in the presence of his allies near a water treatment much like in the beginning Marathon 2: Durandal where the Protagonist awakens from a massive battle on an enemy planet to continue fighting with his allies in the Waterloo Treatment Plant.
 * On the last cutscene of the level Floodgate, when the Arbiter is bringing human weapons, a Flamethrower and a Rocket Launcher, are held in the same position as the Cyborg's picture from Marathon Infinity.
 * There is an achievement for accessing all the terminals in the campaign, called Marathon Man.
 * In the second E3 Trailer, boxes marked TRAXUS can be seen. Traxus IV was the name of a famous rampant AI in Marathon's universe.
 * Additionally, in the level The Storm, Traxus IV can be seen etched on the glass panels in the warehouses.
 * The Brute Mauler was probably based on the shotgun from Marathon, which was also dual-wieldable.
 * There is a Marathon: Infinity level editor called Forge. Halo 3 shares that name of its map editor.
 * At the end of the game, the rear section of the ship Master Chief is on, the UNSC Forward Unto Dawn, drifts toward a planet as the Marathon logo flashes on the surface. Alex Seropian once stated that Master Chief and the main character of Marathon were the same character. Bungie has since denied this, with Seropian explaining that they weren't the same person, but different reincarnations of the same character.
 * The way the Brute holds the marine captive on Sierra 117 is possibly a reference to the L'howon chapter screen.
 * Some Marines sometimes say "Thank God you're here!", which may refer to when BOBs say "Thank God it's you!"
 * On July the Fourth, the phrase "B-B-Q at BOB's Place!" which can be seen on the Forerunner wall of Valhalla which is a reference to BOB-B-Qing, when you kill many of the BOBs in Marathon.
 * In Marathon, the first level (Arrival) shares its name with Halo 3's opening cutscene.
 * Elite Combat Forms Occasionally Say "Melancholia, Anger..." a reference to the 3 stages of Rampancy, a reference to the error with AI in Marathon.
 * Grunts scream "He's/they're everywhere!" referencing the BOB's line in Marathon.
 * The personnel in Crow's Nest wear uniforms like those of the BOB's from Marathon.
 * The design of the golden hologram on Epitaph was inspired by the S'pht Compilers from Marathon 2: Durandal.
 * On the mythic multiplayer map Heretic the marathon logo/symbol is visible on a side-of-the-room walls' shield.
 * The weapons are often decaled with Marathon symbols.
 * The Marathon symbol can be seen in the planet in the sky on the level Snowbound
 * When you look at a High-Resolution screenshot of John's gun from the Halo 3 Announcement Trailer you can see a Marathon logo. Confirmed by KP.
 * The BR55HB SR Battle Rifle has the Marathon logo on its optical sight.
 * The Brute Mauler has the Marathon Symbol on it's hilt over where you hold the weapon. You may need to look down in light to see it properly.
 * The M6G has the Marathon logo on the grip near the back.
 * On the Spartan Insignia, there is a gold Marathon logo.
 * The control panels on the elevators on the level The Covenant have the Marathon symbol on them.
 * On the level Tsavo Highway, the Marathon logo appears on the sides of the CCS-Battlecruiser flying overhead.
 * The MA5C has a Marathon logo on its butt plate.
 * Some ODSTs have the Marathon symbol on their chest armor.
 * The Marathon Logo can be seen on the launch bays of Covenant Capital Ships. This is most easily seen by traveling toward the one outside the hanger in saved films on Crow's Nest.
 * In the settings menu, the picture of the Spartan when appearance is high-lighted, has the Marathon logo on it's shoulder.
 * The Security Helmet in Halo 3 resembles the helmet that the main character of Marathon (who works in security) wears. It also has a Marathon symbol on its forehead.
 * There is a distorted Marathon symbol on the table of the Shadow of Intent's Conference Room.
 * Just like in Halo: CE, the Control Room of Installation 04 (II) forms the Marathon symbol.
 * The elevators on The Covenant (and possibly The Ark as well) have the Marathon symbol on their control panels.
 * The blue objects on Drones have a Marathon logo on them.
 * The yellow hologram on the multiplayer map Epitaph has a Marathon logo on the circular part.
 * The Marathon Logo can be used as an Xbox Live Gamer Picture.
 * In Halo 3 you can use the Marathon Logo as your Service Tag emblem.
 * The campaign shield has a Marathon symbol on it.
 * The center of the Halo 3 multiplayer map Guardian is similar to the Marathon logo.
 * In the multiplayer map, Cold Storage, the Marathon symbol can be found on the ceiling-mounted monitor's eye (being a copy of the Monitor model).
 * In the level The Ark, there's a Marathon Logo at the Cartographer which can be seen if you look from above in Theater. The Cartographer and the glass down below makes the logo.
 * The Recon helmet has Marathon symbols on the ears.
 * Marathon symbols reflect off of the surfaces of the interior walls of the ship in Heretic.
 * There is a Marathon Logo on the back of the Assault Rifle.

Halo 3: ODST

 * Main Article: Halo 3: ODST

Marathon Logos
 * The avatar used to represent the AI Tycho from Marathon was added to the list of emblems under the same name as the AI. It is also the second emblem to be added to Halo with affiliation to Marathon.
 * At the very start of Uplift Reserve it is visible.
 * It is visible on the Rookie's backpack. Also, some bodybags have it.
 * It is also visible on Sergeant Johnson's backpack.
 * If you look closely at Dare, a Marathon symbol is visible on the bottom of her backpack.
 * Before you enter the elevator in Coastal Highway if you jump above the circular structure near the door, it makes the shape of the marathon symbol.

The Babysitter

 * A symbol is seen on a rock when the whole waterfall is visible. As well as inside the waterfall at the base.

Halo: Reach
Bungie avoided the use of the Marathon symbol in Halo: Reach, presumably due to property rights issues with Microsoft. The symbol has been removed from the emblem gallery, the difficulty icon shields, the hull of the Pillar of Autumn and replaced with the Seventh Column on Captain Keyes' ID patch. The symbol in the eye of the Forge Monitor has also been changed.
 * At the end of the level Long Night of Solace, ATC 1 shouts, "They're everywhere!" This is an iconic line of the BoBs in the original Marathon.
 * On rare occasions, enemy NPCs known as "BOBs" may be encountered by the player. This name is a reference to the BOBs of the Marathon series, humans who were born onboard the titular colony ship.

Related Links

 * List of "seven" references in Halo
 * List of references to religion in the Halo series