Marvel Zombies Series
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''Marvel Zombies'' is a
comic book A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...
metaseries A media franchise, also known as a multimedia franchise, is a collection of related media in which several derivative works have been produced from an original creative work of fiction, such as a film, a work of literature, a television program or ...
published by
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
. The series features
zombie A zombie ( Haitian French: , ht, zonbi) is a mythological undead corporeal revenant created through the reanimation of a corpse. Zombies are most commonly found in horror and fantasy genre works. The term comes from Haitian folklore, in w ...
versions of Marvel Universe superheroes and supervillains who have been portrayed as both protagonists and antagonists through the different
limited series Limited series may refer to: *Limited series, individual storylines within an anthology series *Limited series, a particular run of collectables, usually individually numbered *Limited series (comics), a comics series with a predetermined number of ...
within the metaseries.


Publication history

The series of titles begins with two ''
Ultimate Fantastic Four ''Ultimate Fantastic Four'' is a superhero comic book series published by Marvel Comics. The series is a modernized re-imagining of Marvel's long-running ''Fantastic Four'' comic book franchise as part of the Ultimate Marvel imprint. The Ultimate ...
'' story arcs, "
Crossover Crossover may refer to: Entertainment Albums and songs * ''Cross Over'' (Dan Peek album) * ''Crossover'' (Dirty Rotten Imbeciles album), 1987 * ''Crossover'' (Intrigue album) * ''Crossover'' (Hitomi Shimatani album) * ''Crossover'' (Yoshino ...
" (2005) and " Frightful" (2006), by Mark Millar and
Greg Land Greg Land (born 1956) is an American comic book artist, best known for his work on books such as ''Uncanny X-Men'', ''Birds of Prey'', and ''Fantastic Four''. Career Greg Land first got a job with an independent publisher as the artist for ''Stor ...
. The story arcs were followed by a '' Marvel Zombies''
limited series Limited series may refer to: *Limited series, individual storylines within an anthology series *Limited series, a particular run of collectables, usually individually numbered *Limited series (comics), a comics series with a predetermined number of ...
by Robert Kirkman and
Sean Phillips Sean Phillips (born 27 January 1965) is a British comic book artist, best known for his collaborations with Ed Brubaker on comics including '' Sleeper'', ''Incognito'', the '' Criminal'' series of comics, '' Fatale'', '' The Fade Out'', and ' ...
, who also created the prequel '' Marvel Zombies: Dead Days'' and sequel ''
Marvel Zombies 2 ''Marvel Zombies 2'' is a five-issue limited series published from October 2007 - February 2008 by comics publisher Marvel Comics. The series was written by Robert Kirkman with art by Sean Phillips and Arthur Suydam. It is part of the '' Marve ...
''. A crossover with '' Army of Darkness'', ''
Marvel Zombies vs. The Army of Darkness ''Marvel Zombies vs. The Army of Darkness'' is a five-issue 2007 comic book limited series published by Marvel Comics in association with Dynamite Entertainment, an intercompany crossover in which Ash Williams, hero of the popular ''Evil Dead'' fi ...
'', was written by John Layman with art by Fabiano Neves,
Fernando Blanco Fernando Blanco (born 4 June 1951) is a Mexican former footballer. He competed in the men's tournament at the 1972 Summer Olympics The 1972 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad () and commonly known as Munich ...
and Sean Phillips. With ''
Marvel Zombies 3 ''Marvel Zombies 3'' is a four-issue comic book limited series published by Marvel Comics beginning in October 2008. It is part of the ''Marvel Zombies'' series. The series is written by Fred Van Lente, penciled by Kev Walker, with covers by Gre ...
'', Kirkman and Phillips were replaced by Fred Van Lente and
Kev Walker Kevin Walker is a British comics artist and illustrator, based in Leeds, who worked mainly on '' 2000 AD'' and ''Warhammer'' comics and the collectible card game '' Magic: The Gathering''. He is now working for Marvel Comics. Biography Walker ...
. The team continued on to ''
Marvel Zombies 4 ''Marvel Zombies 4'' is a four-issue comic book limited series published by Marvel Comics beginning in April 2009. It is part of the ''Marvel Zombies'' series. The series is written by Fred Van Lente, penciled by Kev Walker, with covers by Greg ...
'', a four-issue mini-series starting in April 2009. Van Lente then stayed on to write the first and last issues of ''
Marvel Zombies Return ''Marvel Zombies Return'' is a weekly five-issue comic book limited series, published by Marvel Comics in late 2009. It is part of the '' Marvel Zombies'' series of comic books. Publication history ''Marvel Zombies Return'' is a weekly series of ...
'', a series of five one-shots looking at different aspects of the outbreak. With ''
Marvel Zombies 5 ''Marvel Zombies 5'' is a five-issue comic book Limited series (comics), limited series published by Marvel Comics beginning in June and ending in October 2010 in comics, 2010. It is part of the Marvel Zombies (series), ''Marvel Zombies'' series. ...
'' he teamed up with
Kano Kano may refer to: Places *Kano State, a state in Northern Nigeria * Kano (city), a city in Nigeria, and the capital of Kano State **Kingdom of Kano, a Hausa kingdom between the 10th and 14th centuries **Sultanate of Kano, a Hausa kingdom between ...
, with the story picking up from the end of Marvel Zombies 4. A new series was launched in 2011, ''Marvel Zombies Supreme'' takes the zombie infection to
Earth-712 The Squadron Supreme is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, of which there are several notable alternate versions. The original team was created by Roy Thomas and John Buscema, derived from the prev ...
, the universe of
Squadron Supreme The Squadron Supreme is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, of which there are several notable alternate versions. The original team was created by Roy Thomas and John Buscema, derived from the previous ...
. It has a new creative team of Frank Marraffino and penciller
Fernando Blanco Fernando Blanco (born 4 June 1951) is a Mexican former footballer. He competed in the men's tournament at the 1972 Summer Olympics The 1972 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad () and commonly known as Munich ...
. This was followed by ''Marvel Zombies Destroy!'' set in a dimension where Nazi zombies won the war. It was initially written by Frank Marraffino, with art by Mirco Pierfederici, but Marraffino's health issue meant he had to hand over the writing reins to
Peter David Peter Allen David (born September 23, 1956), often abbreviated PAD, is an American writer of comic books, novels, television, films and video games.Buxton, Marc (March 29, 2014)"From 'Future Imperfect' to '2099': Peter David's Greatest Hits" Co ...
with issue #3.


The infection

The ultimate origin of the infection is unknown. Although a paradoxical loop is responsible for its existence in the universes seen in ''Marvel Zombies'' and ''Marvel Zombies Return'', several universes are shown to have their own isolated outbreaks that have not reached the catastrophic levels seen in other series. As seen in ''Marvel Zombies 5'', some of these universes have unique variations different from the established virus. Any connection between the common version seen in the first four series and ''Marvel Zombies Return'' and the isolated, alternate versions seen in ''Marvel Zombies 5'' is unknown. In ''Marvel Zombies Supreme'', the zombified
Squadron Supreme The Squadron Supreme is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, of which there are several notable alternate versions. The original team was created by Roy Thomas and John Buscema, derived from the previous ...
is created when scientists graft the original team's DNA to human corpses and zaps them with space radiation. These zombies appear to be infected with a disease identical to the one seen in ''Marvel Zombies'', its three sequels, and ''Marvel Zombies Return'', though what this suggests about the origin of the virus seen in those series (if anything) is unknown. Regardless, the most frequent version is the virus seen in the first several ''Marvel Zombies'' series. The contagion passes via a bite from an infected being. The infected appears to be dead, or at least decaying, but retains their intelligence, personality, and special abilities, sans healing factors; of note, the virus was initially contained in North America, but was able to be spread over the world when Quicksilver was infected. With his abilities retained, he raced around the world and spread the infection to foreign heroes such as
Captain Britain Captain Britain is a title used by various superheroes in comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with Excalibur. The moniker was first used in publication by Brian Braddock in ''Captain Britain Weekly'' #1 by writer Ch ...
,
Red Guardian Red Guardian (Russian: Красный страж, ''Krasnyy Strazh'') is the name of several fictional superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Red Guardian is an identity that was created as the Soviet equiv ...
,
Silver Samurai Silver Samurai is the name of two different supervillains appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, both acquaintances of Wolverine. The character has appeared in several X-Men-related animated series and video games before ma ...
and Ka-Zar. The disease causes a powerful hunger in the host, a hunger which can only be sated by ingesting the flesh of the living; the flesh of other infected tastes foul to them and causes them to be ill. The hunger affects the infected's self-control; the more hungry they are, the less rational and intelligent they become. Once sated, the zombies' personalities re-emerge, and the more humane and moral individuals (such as Spider-Man) often feel great guilt at this point, though others (such as
Hank Pym Dr. Henry Jonathan "Hank" Pym () is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by penciller Jack Kirby, editor-plotter Stan Lee and writer Larry Lieber, the character first appeared in '' Tales ...
or
Reed Richards Mister Fantastic (Reed Richards) is a superhero character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is a founding member, and the leader, of the Fantastic Four. Richards has a mastery of mechanical, aerospace and ...
) seem to embrace the infection, and seek to spread the infection to other universes. The disease seems to be almost 100% infectious, with even
Wolverine The wolverine (), (''Gulo gulo''; ''Gulo'' is Latin for " glutton"), also referred to as the glutton, carcajou, or quickhatch (from East Cree, ''kwiihkwahaacheew''), is the largest land-dwelling species of the family Mustelidae. It is a muscul ...
, the Hulk and
Deadpool Deadpool is an antihero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Fabian Nicieza and artist/writer Rob Liefeld, the character first appeared in ''New Mutants'' #98 (cover-dated Feb. 1991). Initially, Deadp ...
, individuals normally highly resistant or immune to most diseases, being affected. However, as noted by Spider-Man, those with any kind of accelerated healing appear to be able to fend off the zombification longer after being bit than others, though it does eventually overcome them. The disease is also shown to convert the high gods of Asgard and Olympus, as well as bearers of the Phoenix Force, as members of several of Earth's ancient pantheons, such as Thor, Hercules and Amora, along with
Jean Grey Jean Elaine Grey is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character has been known under the aliases Marvel Girl, Phoenix and Dark Phoenix. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack K ...
, are shown among the packs of zombies in various series. Perhaps the only immunity goes to voodoo-crafted zombies, such as
Simon Garth The Zombie (Simon William Garth) is a fictional supernatural character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Bill Everett for the standalone story "Zombie" in the hor ...
, and non-organic mechanical beings, such as Jocasta,
Ultron Ultron () is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Roy Thomas and artist John Buscema, and initially made his debut as an unnamed character in '' The Avengers'' #54 (July ...
and Machine Man who apparently cannot be affected by the zombie virus, certain mystical changes in physiology (such as in the case of Jack Russell, from his human to werewolf form), while unable to purge the infection, are able to keep it and its effects at bay for some time, and
Uatu Uatu (), often simply known as the Watcher, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, he first appeared in '' The Fantastic Four'' #13 (April 1963). He is a mem ...
and the Watchers, due to their having exchanged corporeal bodies for forms of pure energy long ago, are incapable of being consumed by the infected, and are immune to the virus. The Aquarian, empowered by the energies of the
Cosmic Cube The Cosmic Cube is a fictional object appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. There are multiple Cubes in the Marvel Universe, all of which are depicted as containment devices that can empower whoever wields them. Although th ...
, is able to, through intense hibernative meditation within an energy cocoon, eventually purge the infection from his system, and the
Man-Thing The Man-Thing (Dr. Theodore "Ted" Sallis) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writers Stan Lee, Roy Thomas, and Gerry Conway and artist Gray Morrow, the character first appeared in ''S ...
, allegedly due to his intimate connection with Gaea, evidently cannot be permanently harmed by the zombie virus. The only other individual who has avoided infection is Iron Fist who appears to be able to purge the infection via his healing abilities, despite being bitten twice. While the skills of Doctor Druid and apparently Doctor Strange (the Sorcerer Supreme of Earth's dimension and who was sought by the former for help after contracting the virus), and even the dark magic of the ''Necronomicon'' itself cannot seem to directly cure the virus, at least some forms of highly potent extradimensional magic, such as that employed by the Faltine
Dormammu Dormammu () is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in ''Strange Tales'' #126 (Nov. 1964), and was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. Debuting in the Silver Age of Comi ...
through the mystic
Jennifer Kale Jennifer Kale is a fictional character, a sorceress appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Steve Gerber and Rich Buckler in 1972, she was originally a supporting character in Man-Thing comic books. Since h ...
, is even able to at least temporarily take control of the plague and its consciousness. Kale's Atlantean magery, combined with the ''voodoo'' spells of the
Black Talon Black Talon is a brand of hollow-point pistol and rifle ammunition introduced in 1991 by Winchester, primarily intended for law enforcement and personal defense use. Black Talon rounds were known for the unique construction of the bullet and it ...
, is able to draw and contain the virus-mind within a single suitable host, such as Simon Garth. The zombified Hank Pym, when the Marvel Zombies are confronted by
Death Death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism. For organisms with a brain, death can also be defined as the irreversible cessation of functioning of the whole brain, including brainstem, and brain ...
and
Thanos Thanos is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He was created by writer-artist Jim Starlin, and first appeared in '' The Invincible Iron Man'' #55 ( cover date February 1973). An Eternal– Deviant w ...
(secretly Skrulls in disguise), expresses the view that the power of the
Cosmic Cube The Cosmic Cube is a fictional object appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. There are multiple Cubes in the Marvel Universe, all of which are depicted as containment devices that can empower whoever wields them. Although th ...
could undo everything that has thus far occurred. In ''Marvel Zombies 5'', Morbius of the core Marvel Universe finally manages to produce a cure by combining samples of different versions from several realities, having earlier produced a vaccine that could possibly infect its users as well, as shown in the case of the Werewolf.
Reed Richards Mister Fantastic (Reed Richards) is a superhero character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is a founding member, and the leader, of the Fantastic Four. Richards has a mastery of mechanical, aerospace and ...
of the
Ultimate Marvel Universe Ultimate Marvel, later known as Ultimate Comics, was an imprint of comic books published by Marvel Comics, featuring re-imagined and modernized versions of the company's superhero characters from the Ultimate Marvel Universe. Those characters ...
was able to easily overpower and cripple the zombified Fantastic Four of Earth-2149 using magic he learned from Doctor Doom's Atlantean spellbooks. Furthermore,
Mephisto Mephisto or Mephistopheles is one of the chief demons of German literary tradition. Mephisto or Mephistopheles may also refer to: Film and television * ''Méphisto'', a 1931 French film * Mephisto (1981 film), ''Mephisto'' (1981 film), a German- ...
has proven capable of easily destroying the zombies using his demonic hellfire. The disease is incredibly difficult to stop once spreading, due to the high survival rate of all zombies. Zombies seem to only need their brain stem to survive and can continue living without any use of their organs, limbs, and body functions. The infection even allows severed heads without lungs or vocal cords to continue speech just to further its infection capability. This was witnessed by
Wasp A wasp is any insect of the narrow-waisted suborder Apocrita of the order Hymenoptera which is neither a bee nor an ant; this excludes the broad-waisted sawflies (Symphyta), which look somewhat like wasps, but are in a separate suborder. ...
and Hawkeye in the original ''Marvel Zombies'', they were both simply severed heads that somehow still could function, and another example would be Colonel America, who survived for over 40 years as a brain on the ground until being put inside the body of Black Panther's dead son. The contagion has an addiction element to it; if a victim can be isolated from a food supply, within a couple of weeks the cravings disappear and the subject is able to perform a functional role within society, albeit with necrotized flesh and near-immortality. Any additional ingestion of flesh will restore the hunger, though it can again be overcome. Another interesting note about the addiction is that, even while lacking a digestive system or even most of their lower body, the infected still have hunger pangs and wish to continue feeding.


Main series


''Ultimate Fantastic Four''

In the story arc "
Crossover Crossover may refer to: Entertainment Albums and songs * ''Cross Over'' (Dan Peek album) * ''Crossover'' (Dirty Rotten Imbeciles album), 1987 * ''Crossover'' (Intrigue album) * ''Crossover'' (Hitomi Shimatani album) * ''Crossover'' (Yoshino ...
" (issues #21–23),
Reed Richards Mister Fantastic (Reed Richards) is a superhero character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is a founding member, and the leader, of the Fantastic Four. Richards has a mastery of mechanical, aerospace and ...
receives contact from an older version of himself from an alternate dimension. After crossing over, Reed discovers he's been tricked and that it is an alternate Earth where all the superheroes turned into zombies looking to use the
Ultimate Marvel Universe Ultimate Marvel, later known as Ultimate Comics, was an imprint of comic books published by Marvel Comics, featuring re-imagined and modernized versions of the company's superhero characters from the Ultimate Marvel Universe. Those characters ...
as a food source. The zombified Fantastic Four of this reality, after failing to capture him, cross over to Earth-1610 through a dimensional portal but are captured. With help from
Magneto A magneto is an electrical generator that uses permanent magnets to produce periodic pulses of alternating current. Unlike a dynamo, a magneto does not contain a commutator to produce direct current. It is categorized as a form of alternator, ...
, Reed escapes the zombie universe and prevents more zombies from entering the Ultimate universe. In " Frightful" (issues #30–32), the zombified Fantastic Four of Earth-2149 attempt to break free from their confinement.
Johnny Storm The Human Torch (Jonathan "Johnny" Storm) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is a founding member of the Fantastic Four. He is writer Stan Lee's and artist Jack Kirby's reinvention of a si ...
is infected with a demon from the N-Zone, and Reed Richards performs a mind-swap with Doctor Doom. After the zombies break free, Reed, in Dr. Doom's body, becomes the demon's new host and defeats the zombies. Dr. Doom undoes the mind-swap and goes through the portal, destroying it and trapping himself in the zombie universe.


''Marvel Zombies''

After zombie superheroes eat the
human race Humans (''Homo sapiens'') are the most abundant and widespread species of primate, characterized by bipedalism and exceptional cognitive skills due to a large and complex brain. This has enabled the development of advanced tools, culture, ...
to
extinction Extinction is the termination of a kind of organism or of a group of kinds (taxon), usually a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and ...
,
Galactus Galactus () is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Formerly a mortal man, Galactus is a cosmic entity who consumes planets to sustain his life force, and serves a functional role in the upkeep of t ...
prepares to eat the Earth. Colonel America,
Giant Man Giant-Man is the alias used by several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Editorial Story Hank Pym, the first Giant-Man, with the Wasp, appeared in many superheroes stories published in the serial ''Tales ...
,
Wolverine The wolverine (), (''Gulo gulo''; ''Gulo'' is Latin for " glutton"), also referred to as the glutton, carcajou, or quickhatch (from East Cree, ''kwiihkwahaacheew''), is the largest land-dwelling species of the family Mustelidae. It is a muscul ...
, the Hulk, Iron Man,
Luke Cage Lucas "Luke" Cage, born Carl Lucas and also known as Power Man, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in ''Luke Cage, Hero for Hire'' #1 (June 1972) and was created by Archie Go ...
and Spider-Man defeat and devour the
Silver Surfer The Silver Surfer is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character also appears in a number of movies, television, and video game adaptations. The character was created by Jack Kirby and first a ...
, and then attack Galactus. Infused with the
Power Cosmic Galactus () is a fictional Character (arts), character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Formerly a mortal man, Galactus is a cosmic entity who consumes planets to sustain his life force, and serves a functional role ...
, Giant Man, Wolverine, the Hulk, Iron Man, Luke Cage, and Spider-Man travel the universe as the "Zombie Galacti" to search for more sources of food.


''Marvel Zombies vs. The Army of Darkness''

In this crossover, Ash Williams from '' Evil Dead'' arrives accidentally in the world of ''Marvel Zombies''. Continuing Ash's own storyline from '' Army of Darkness'' (''The Death of Ash'' (vol. 1) #12–13), this series also serves as a prequel and an origin story of the Marvel Zombies.


''Marvel Zombies: Dead Days''

In this continuation from ''Marvel Zombies vs. The Army of Darkness'', the zombie infection spreads throughout the world, while uninfected superheroes inside the
S.H.I.E.L.D. S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage, special law enforcement, and counter-terrorism agency appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in ''Strange Tales'' #135 (August 1965), it often dea ...
helicarrier try to concoct a plan to save the human race; unfortunately, many of them were overwhelmed and infected, while the survivors flee back to the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier.


''Marvel Zombies 2''

After devouring all life in the universe over the course of 40 years, the Zombie Heroes return to Earth to find a way to access other dimensions for food. On Earth, they face off against New
Wakanda Wakanda () is a fictional country appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Wakanda has been depicted as being in East Africa. It is located in sub-Saharan Africa, and is home to the superhero Black Panther (comics), Black Pa ...
, a colony of humans who survived the zombie onslaught. Near the end of the book, the zombie Hulk kills many zombies and he, too, is killed. The last remaining zombies are teleported to a new world at the end.


''Marvel Zombies 3''

After zombies invade the Marvel Universe, Machine Man and Jocasta go to the ''Marvel Zombies'' universe to retrieve a blood sample from an uninfected human. Unbeknownst to them, a zombie Morbius plans to use the blood to infect the Marvel Universe.


''Marvel Zombies 4''

The
Midnight Sons The Midnight Sons is a fictional team of supernatural superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Including Ghost Riders Danny Ketch and Johnny Blaze, Blade, and Morbius, the original team first formed as part of ...
, under the command of A.R.M.O.R., hunt zombies who have escaped to different universes. Meanwhile,
Dormammu Dormammu () is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in ''Strange Tales'' #126 (Nov. 1964), and was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. Debuting in the Silver Age of Comi ...
commands the
Hood Hood may refer to: Covering Apparel * Hood (headgear), type of head covering ** Article of academic dress ** Bondage hood, sex toy * Hoodie, hooded sweatshirt Anatomy * Clitoral hood, a hood of skin surrounding the clitoris * Hood, a flap of ...
to capture the virus for his own ends of zombie life.


''Marvel Zombies Return''

The storyline follows from ''Marvel Zombies 2'' when Zombie Spider-Man, Giant-Man and Wolverine (the Earth-2149 version of Wolverine is killed in the 3rd issue) were teleported to a different universe similar to Earth-616 called Earth-91126/Earth-Z, and deals with the ramifications of their arrival on a new Earth and the characters' resurgent hunger, which once again drives them to obtain cross-universal teleporters. Each issue stars its title characters, though not necessarily the zombified versions of Earth-2149, as seen in the case of Iron Man and Hulk, whose respective issues feature uninfected versions battling zombies. The series sees different takes on key events in the classic 616 drastically altered by the zombies including the formation of the Sinister Six, ''Demon in a Bottle'', the ''Kitty Pryde and Wolverine'' miniseries and ''World War Hulk'' before a final issue which sees two groups of Zombie Avengers from the two realities battling, one group led by Spider-Man which wants to stop their hunger and destroy the zombie plague, and a second led by the
Sentry Sentry or The Sentry may refer to: Comics *Sentry (Kree) *Sentry (Curtis Elkins) * Sentry (Robert Reynolds) *Senator Ward (comics) or Sentry Vehicles *Sentry (AUV), an autonomous underwater vehicle used to measure deep-ocean data *E-3 Sentry AWAC ...
who wants to unleash the plague on all realities. The series culminates in the Watcher of the new universe (who had seemingly been eaten by Giant Man in the first issue, but a Watcher cannot be killed or infected in that manner) sending the infected Sentry of his reality (who had been infected by a zombified Bruce Banner in their battle during ''World War Hulk'') back in time to the moment when the Sentry first appeared and spread the infection on Earth-2149, essentially 'containing' the zombie virus in those two universes in an elaborate time loop, Uatu recognizing that since the virus's "hunger" will never be sated, let it then devour itself.


''Marvel Zombies: Evil Evolution''

This one-shot is a crossover between the Zombies and the
Marvel Apes ''Marvel Apes'' is a four-issue limited series by comics publisher Marvel Comics which started publication in October 2008. The series is written by Karl Kesel with art by Ramon Bachs and covers by John Watson. The Marvel Apes reality is designa ...
. It resolves some of the remaining questions over the origin of the zombie plague and is set between ''Dead Days'' and "Crossover". The story starts in the Zombieverse shortly after ''Dead Days''. Zombie Giant-Man and Wasp discover the Ape-verse (as seen in the previous ''Apes'' specials) and take a trip there to devour its populace. In the story, it is discovered that the Prime Eight scared them back to their dimension. The Ape-vengers are now leading a pre-emptive strike into the Zombieverse to get the zombies before they get the Apes. There are heavy casualties on both sides. Zombie Reed Richards is beheaded, but still mobile. He teams up with the Gibbon, Gorilla Girl, Ape-X, Speedball, Spider-Monkey, and the rest of the characters to alter history so that the Ape and Zombie universes never meet. The team is successful. History is changed so that the Apes never found Speedball back in the ''Speedball Special'', so the zombies never discover either universe. However, Gorilla Girl had to sacrifice herself to change history, so she ceases to exist. It is also implied that a dimensional portal Reed Richards had earlier been testing had something to do with bringing the Zombie Sentry to his Earth, though this is not made clear how this fits in with the rest of the Marvel Zombies series.


''Marvel Zombies 5''

In this direct sequel to ''Marvel Zombies 4'', forecasters for A.R.M.O.R. discover that several alternate realities afflicted with a variation of zombification will temporarily merge during a cross-temporal "planetstorm". Morbius charges fellow A.R.M.O.R. agents, Machine Man and
Howard the Duck Howard the Duck is a fictional Character (arts), character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Steve Gerber and artist Val Mayerik. Howard the Duck first appeared in ''Adventure into F ...
with retrieving different samples of zombies from each reality so that he can find a cure for his infected friend, Jack Russell. Different classes of zombies are identified, informally named after the directors of movies in which their type appeared (e.g. "Romeros" and "Boyles"). ''Amazing Spider-Man'' #622 acts as a prequel to this series.


''Marvel Zombies Supreme''

Responding to a mysterious emergency call, Jill Harper and her super-crisis special-ops unit descend deep into the bowels of a top-secret underground research facility. They discover that the demented experiments of an unhinged geneticist have placed them at ground zero of a brand-new virulent zombie strain—one that has infected powerful superheroes. The
Squadron Supreme The Squadron Supreme is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, of which there are several notable alternate versions. The original team was created by Roy Thomas and John Buscema, derived from the previous ...
, once heroic defenders of justice and utopian ideals, have been reduced to corpulent cannibalistic murderers with a voracious appetite for human flesh. Harper and her team fight against overwhelming odds to stop this ravenous zombie menace where it began—before it spreads out to devour Earth.


''Marvel Zombies Destroy!''

A.R.M.O.R. is called upon to rescue an alternate reality where the Nazis won WWII with zombies, and seek to use magic rituals to teleport themselves to every universe. Howard the Duck brings in Nazi-fighter extraordinaire
Dum Dum Dugan Timothy Aloysius Cadwallader "Dum Dum" Dugan is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is an officer of S.H.I.E.L.D. and is one of the most experienced members of Nick Fury's team, known for his mark ...
and a squadron of fighters known as Ducky's Dozen.


''Secret Wars''

Marvel, as part of its ''
Secret Wars ''Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars'', commonly known as ''Secret Wars'' for short, is a twelve-issue American comic book crossover limited series published from May 1984 to April 1985 by Marvel Comics. The series was written by Jim Shooter, with ...
'' multiverse crossover where pieces of the main Marvel universe, Ultimate universe, and several other alternate universes are melded into a Battleworld, offers two ''Marvel Zombies'' stories. The first one, simply called ''Marvel Zombies'', falling under the ''Battleworld'' banner, is about Elsa Bloodstone who is stationed on the Shield, burdened with the Sisyphean task of keeping the zombie hordes from rampaging through Battleworld. When she is not enraptured in battle, she meditates on her deceased father Ulysses Bloodstone and his tough lessons that made her what she is today. But it seems that one more final lesson is yet to be learned. The second story is titled ''Marvel Zombies vs. Age of Ultron''. A story full of black humor, through the eyes of someone with limited technological knowledge, who must find the limits of his skills and humanity to defeat an army in which Ultron's robots who want to destroy life to create a perfect world, and teamed up with the Marvel Zombies who are the antithesis of life and perfection.


''Marvel Zombie''

''Marvel Zombies'' received a franchise reboot in October 2018 with the freshly titled ''Marvel Zombie''. The story takes place years after an incurable zombie virus ravaged the world, when a small colony of survivors is protected by the Marvel Universe's few remaining heroes, including Spider-Man, Daredevil and the Falcon. But when their last chance at salvation arrives, will they be willing to sacrifice their own humanity in the process?


''Marvel Zombies: Resurrection''

Originally titled ''Marvel Zombies: Respawn'', the series gets another reboot in October 2019, when Galactus’ corpse appears at the edge of Earth's solar system, the
Avengers Avenger, Avengers, The Avenger, or The Avengers may refer to: Arts and entertainment In the Marvel Comics universe * Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes **Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes of ...
,
X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, first appearing in ''The X-Men'' #1 by artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby and writer/editor Stan Lee in 1963. Although initially cancelled in 1970 due to lo ...
, and Fantastic Four investigate. Too late, they discover that Galactus’ body is now the vessel of an interstellar terror, which one-by-one transforms Earth's Mightiest Heroes into the universe's most terrifying predators. As our heroes try to escape the superpowered, cannibalistic aberrations that were once their friends and family, will any survive? And even if they do, can they hope to protect Earth from the infestation that has already claimed half of the known universe? After the initial attack, the series jumps to a point a few years later, where Peter Parker,
Karla Sofen Dr. Karla Sofen (also known as Moonstone, Meteorite, and Ms. Marvel) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She first appeared in '' Captain America'' (vol. 1) #192, created by writer Marv Wolfman an ...
, Forge, Franklin and Valeria Richards are travelling with a reprogrammed
Sentinel Sentinel may refer to: Places Mountains * Mount Sentinel, a mountain next to the University of Montana in Missoula, Montana * Sentinel Buttress, a volcanic crag on James Ross Island, Antarctica * Sentinel Dome, a naturally occurring grani ...
, as possibly the last superhuman survivors. As they desperately fight for survival, they meet other living survivors, including
Blade A blade is the portion of a tool, weapon, or machine with an edge that is designed to puncture, chop, slice or scrape surfaces or materials. Blades are typically made from materials that are harder than those they are to be used on. Histor ...
, and eventually retreat to Atlantis following a few additional clues. Once there, they find Logan, still alive but basically crippled after his healing factor has been pushed to the limit, after which they are confronted by Magik, who takes them to Limbo and reveals that the current 'plague' was caused when the Brood managed to infest Galactus, upgrading them to a new level of power.


''Marvel Zombies: Black, White & Blood''

The synopsis for this new horror anthology series: "This action-packed, utterly original, gloriously gory anthology series is set in a universe where the Avengers, the X-Men, Spider-Man, and many more Marvel heroes and villains are beset by ever-growing zombie hordes and transformed into flesh-eating monstrosities. In a brutal, bloodstained world, can hope survive? Or will creeping, gnawing, shambling horror win out at last...?"


Tie-in comics


''Army of Darkness''

Set before the events of ''The Army of Darkness'' crossover, the two-part story ''The Death of Ash'' ends with Ash being killed, and finding himself in the Marvel Zombies Universe, where he is confronted by the undead superheroes. The ''From the Ashes'' story arc begins with Ash having returned to his home dimension through unknown means, and proclaiming "Step one, no zombie superheroes. Off to a good start". The subsequent storyline ''The Long Road Home'' has a few of the heroes, such as Colonel America and Thor, appear silhouetted in a one-panel flashback as the narration states that Ash had gone on to "kick the ass of all types of undead marvels across the realities".


''Black Panther'' (vol. 4)

In ''Black Panther'' (vol. 4) #27 – 30, the Fantastic Four ( Black Panther,
Storm A storm is any disturbed state of the natural environment or the atmosphere of an astronomical body. It may be marked by significant disruptions to normal conditions such as strong wind, tornadoes, hail, thunder and lightning (a thunderstorm), ...
, the
Human Torch The Human Torch (Jonathan "Johnny" Storm) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is a founding member of the Fantastic Four. He is writer Stan Lee's and artist Jack Kirby's reinvention of a si ...
and the
Thing Thing or The Thing may refer to: Philosophy * An object * Broadly, an entity * Thing-in-itself (or ''noumenon''), the reality that underlies perceptions, a term coined by Immanuel Kant * Thing theory, a branch of critical theory that focuse ...
) are teleported by King Solomon's Frogs to the "''Marvel Zombies'' universe" where they encounter the Marvel Zombies in their "Zombie Galacti" form on a Skrull planet. This is the first crossover of the "Zombie"- and Marvel's main universe. During their time in this world, T'Challa talks with his other self to learn what had happened on Earth, and the FF also encounter the alternate
Lyja Lyja is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. A Skrull, she possesses the ability to shapeshift into almost any humanoid or animal form. Modifications on her body give her the power to generate energy ...
- the Torch's Skrull wife in his universe- who is part of a new attempt by the Skrulls to give members of their species the power of the Fantastic Four, this time divided across four Skrulls rather than recreating the Super-Skrull. Once the FF have returned to their world, T'Challa states that he has used the experience from talking with his other self to draw up plans to prevent such an infection ever happening on their world.


''Deadpool: Merc with a Mouth''

A sequel to ''Marvel Zombies 4'',
Deadpool Deadpool is an antihero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Fabian Nicieza and artist/writer Rob Liefeld, the character first appeared in ''New Mutants'' #98 (cover-dated Feb. 1991). Initially, Deadp ...
teams up with his zombified head after discovering it in the Savage Land. Dodging HYDRA operatives, dinosaurs, cavemen and zombie cavemen, he attempts to return the head to the ''Marvel Zombies'' universe.


''Deadpool Corps''

A sequel to ''Deadpool: Merc with a Mouth'', Deadpool goes into different universes to find other Deadpools: Headpool, the zombie head of Deadpool; Kidpool, a kid version of Deadpool; Lady Deadpool, a lady version of Deadpool; and Dogpool, who is Deadpool as a dog...to form the Deadpool Corps. After ''Deadpool Corps: Prelude'', the Deadpool Corps travel around the universe, fighting off the Champion, "Borg"-like entities, and looking for the "broken blade", all while trying to defeat the evil awareness and saving the universe.


''Marvel Apes''

Though not directly related to ''Marvel Zombies'', ''
Marvel Apes ''Marvel Apes'' is a four-issue limited series by comics publisher Marvel Comics which started publication in October 2008. The series is written by Karl Kesel with art by Ramon Bachs and covers by John Watson. The Marvel Apes reality is designa ...
'' was first suggested as a successor to ''Marvel Zombies'' by a fan during a convention Q&A session with
Joe Quesada Joseph Quesada (; born January 12, 1962'' Comics Buyer's Guide'' #1650; February 2009; page 107) is an American comic book artist, writer, editor, and television producer. He became known in the 1990s for his work on various Valiant Comics books ...
. All of the following one-shots are resolved with the aforementioned ''Marvel Zombies: Evil Evolution''.


''Marvel Apes: Speedball Special''

At the end of the first issue, a glimpse of an unidentified zombie (probably Giant Man and Wasp) is seen, commenting that he would like to have a bite out of the protagonists, who warp to a different universe.


''Marvel Apes: The Amazing Spider Monkey''

The issue ends with Red Ghost and the ape Speedball in the Ape Universe, running away from the recently appearing zombie versions of Giant Man, the Wasp, Iron Man, Wolverine, and others.


''Marvel Apes: Grunt Line''

The issue ends with Ape X, the Gibbon, Jane Potter, Gorilla Girl, and the Red Ghost's apes in the Marvel Zombies universe, as zombie versions of Wolverine and Colonel America draw closer.


''Marvel Apes: Prime Eight''

Iron Mandrill and other heroes receive a vision of the Marvel Zombies. When the seven most powerful Apes gather and reluctantly have to work together with Dr. Doom and a futuristic Nick Furry 2099, they realize that the zombies have already arrived and one of the apes will be infected. The heroes are able to protect their universe from the infection, but unbeknownst to them, Iron Mandrill has been infected and is secretly consuming his dates and hiding behind his armor.


Other comics


''Spider-Ham''

Spider-Ham Spider-Ham (Peter Porker) is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is an anthropomorphic pig and is a cartoon animal parody version of Spider-Man. He was created by editor Larry Hama, T ...
accidentally travels through the multiverse ending up in the ''Marvel Zombies'' universe where he becomes a zombie, often referred to as "Undead Ham". Undead Ham's last words are "Roink! Get out of my way, robot! I'm Hungry". He is with zombies Colonel America, Wolverine, and Hulk.


''Exiles''

A zombiefied Wolverine, similar to the Marvel "Zombie Universe" version, appears in an ''Exiles'' comic book series alongside other Wolverines from different dimensions, but this zombie version of Wolverine is ultimately killed.


''Marvel Zombies Christmas Carol''

Not directly tied into the ''Marvel Zombies'' series, this miniseries is an adaption of the classic story and focuses on Ebenezer Scrooge encountering the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Christmas Present and Christmas Yet to Come in a world overrun by the undead, due to the character's selfishness and greed.


''Marvel Zombies Halloween''

A one-shot telling the story of living in a zombie-devastated world, through the eyes of a survivor (eventually revealed to be a grown-up
Katherine Pryde Katherine Anne "Kitty" Pryde is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with the X-Men. The character First appearance, first appeared in ''The Uncanny X-Men'' #129 (January 1980) and was ...
) and her son (also the child of
Colossus Colossus, Colossos, or the plural Colossi or Colossuses, may refer to: Statues * Any exceptionally large statue ** List of tallest statues ** :Colossal statues * ''Colossus of Barletta'', a bronze statue of an unidentified Roman emperor * ''Col ...
), on Halloween. It is not clear whether this is meant to be Earth-2149 or another possible reality. Zombified versions of the
New Warriors The New Warriors is a fictional superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. They traditionally consisted of teenage and young adult heroes, and were often seen to serve as a junior counterpart to Avengers (comics), ...
appear, along with
Squirrel Girl Squirrel Girl (Doreen Allene Green) is a superheroine appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Will Murray and writer/artist Steve Ditko, she first appeared in '' Marvel Super-Heroes'' vol. 2 #8, a.k.a. ' ...
.


''Marvel Zombies Handbook''

''Marvel Zombies: The Book of Angels, Demons, & Various Monstrosities'' depicts the various ''Marvel Zombies'' characters, as part of the ''
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe The ''Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe'' is an encyclopedic guide which details the fictional universe featured in Marvel Comics publications. The original 15-volume series was published in comic book format in 1982, followed by sporadic ...
'' series.


''Zombies Assemble Vol. 1''

The original manga is adapted into English, with a story less based on the ''Marvel Zombies'' continuity, and more on the cinematic universe. The Avengers have assembled to save the Earth from destruction. But they have never had to face a threat as gruesome and undead as this one. Now, Earth's Mightiest Heroes must fight to contain an outbreak of horrifying zombies, and stop them from spreading across the Earth. But not all of the Avengers will escape uninfected.


''Zombies Assemble Vol. 2''

The Avengers face a threat even bigger and more menacing than they could have imagined as the stakes are raised in the race to cure the zombie outbreak. Caught in the midst of a city overrun by zombies, they come face-to-face with Jasper Scott, a mysterious scientist who claims to have a cure for the virus. But who is he really, and does he actually possess the antivirus? Marvel's English-language adaptation of the original manga series concludes in ''Vol. 2''.


Covers

Most ''Marvel Zombies'' issues and trade paperbacks feature covers by
Arthur Suydam Arthur Suydam (born May 18, 1953) is an American comic book artist known for his work on Marvel Zombies, Deadpool, Black Panther, and KISS Zombies. He has done artwork for magazines including '' Heavy Metal'', ''Epic Illustrated'' and '' National ...
recreating classic Marvel Comics covers with the characters replaced by zombie versions. The covers of ''Marvel Zombies 3'' by Greg Land feature recreations of
posters A poster is a large sheet that is placed either on a public space to promote something or on a wall as decoration. Typically, posters include both textual and graphic elements, although a poster may be either wholly graphical or wholly text ...
of classic zombie films featuring zombified Marvel Comics characters. Starting with ''Marvel Zombies 4'' the covers were usually original designs, with some variants continuing the zombified spoof trend.


Collected editions

There are several
trade paperbacks A paperback (softcover, softback) book is one with a thick paper or paperboard cover, and often held together with adhesive, glue rather than stitch (textile arts), stitches or Staple (fastener), staples. In contrast, hardcover (hardback) book ...
collecting the various stories:


Merchandising

There is a range of supporting merchandise based on the characters. Diamond Select have produced
Minimates Minimates are a block-styled miniature action figure originally created by Art Asylum in 2002 and now released by Diamond Select Toys. The basic Minimate figure design has a tall body that resembles an extremely simplified human form with 14 point ...
based on the series, action figures and a number of mini busts.


In other media


Television

* ''Marvel Zombies'' served as inspiration for the
Marvel Cinematic Universe The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appear in American comic books published by ...
/
Disney+ Disney+ is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned and operated by the Media and Entertainment Distribution division of The Walt Disney Company. The service primarily distributes films and television se ...
animated series ''What If...? (TV series), What If...?'' episode "What If... Zombies?!" In this version of events, the outbreak is caused by Hank Pym (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Hank Pym during his attempt to retrieve Janet van Dyne (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Janet van Dyne from the Quantum Realm, only to learn too late that she had contracted a quantum virus that corrupted her brain. ** Comic book writer Mark Millar claimed that Marvel Studios was looking to develop a live-action ''Marvel Zombies'' film, following the positive reception of the ''What If...?'' episode. An Marvel Zombies (miniseries), animated series adaptation was announced to be in development for Disney+.


Video games

* Frank West (Dead Rising), Frank West's ending in ''Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3'' sees him witnessing a ''Marvel Zombies''-esque alternate universe. * Zombie Venom appears in ''Marvel: Future Fight''.


Miscellaneous

The ''Zombicide'' game series received a ''Marvel Zombies''-themed spin-off game.


Reception

The Marvel Zombies were ranked #11 on a listing of Marvel Comics' monster characters in 2015.


See also

* ''Blackest Night'' - a similar crossover storyline published by DC Comics * ''DCeased'' – a similar storyline published by DC Comics.


References


External links

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Talking ''Marvel Zombies'' With Robert Kirkman
Newsarama
"The Dead Walk the Earth... in Spandex!"
Article/Review from I-Mockery {{DEFAULTSORT:Marvel Zombies (Series) Marvel Zombies, Marvel Comics dimensions Horror comics published by Marvel Comics Marvel Comics lines Series of one-shot comics Black comedy comics