Lance & Dale Hale are based on the Hardy Boys, a team of detective brothers and the title characters of a popular book series. They are also based on the real-life Menendez brothers, Lyle and Erik, who endured years of speculation as to their involvement in their parents' murder.
Rusty refers to his testicles as Spirit and Opportunity, after two rovers from the Mars Exploration Rover Mission.
Ex-Wonder Boy used the phrase "holy" at the beginning of his sentences. This is a reference to Robin from Batman (1966).
The character design of Wonder Boy based on the look of the first live action appearance of Robin. Wonder Boy's hairstyle, costume, and mask were taken from actor Douglas Croft's Boy Wonder in the 1943 Batman serial.