Marvel Zombies

AUTHOR: Kirkman, Robert; Layman, John; Van Lente, Fred

ARTIST: Sean Phillips (penciller and inker); Randy Gentile (letterer); June Chung (colorist); Arthur Suydam (cover artist)

PUBLISHER: Marvel Comics

FIRST SERIAL PUBLICATION: 2006-2010

FIRST BOOK PUBLICATION: 2006-2010

Publication History

In the early twenty-first century, American popular culture became fascinated with zombies and the undead. With such interest, perhaps it is not too surprising that Marvel would seek to carve out its own series centered on zombies. What is surprising is that Marvel Zombies emerged as an intelligent exploration of intriguing ideas conveyed through gruesomely exquisite art. In all, the Marvel Zombies series not only exceeded critical expectations but also proved that compelling characters and themes can be mined from seemingly the most hackneyed of scenarios.

During his tenure on Ultimate Fantastic Four, writer Mark Millar developed a concept for a “mirror” world inhabited by zombies. In the series, Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic) communicates with a version of himself from another reality. Unknowingly, Richards is communicating with a zombified variation of himself who is hoping to “leap” into the Ultimate reality to continue his feeding. The zombies were eventually repelled, but the story arc became an instant hit. As a result, Robert Kirkman, writer of the acclaimed zombie comic The Walking Dead, was given the opportunity to expand the concept into a limited series. The resulting Marvel Zombies series was a commercial success and earned critical praise for its strange, yet smart, exploration of the undead.

Plot

On Earth-2149, an alternate version of Earth, an intergalactic plague has ravaged the planet. This plague transforms anyone bitten by a carrier into an undead creature with an insatiable appetite for flesh of the living. The plague was introduced by Magneto in an effort to exterminate humans but resulted in the planet being overrun by cannibalistic metahumans. Once individuals are infected by the plague, they retain memories of their former life, remain conscious of their actions, and are considered immortal. The remaining zombies include Giant-Man, Wasp, “Colonel” America, Iron Man, Power Man (Luke Cage), Wolverine, and Hulk. It is revealed that Giant-Man is secretly keeping a severely wounded Black Panther and is gradually eating his limbs. In an argument over Black Panther, Giant-Man bites off Wasp’s head. The hobbled Black Panther, brandishing Wasp’s sentient severed head, escapes and encounters a noninfected group of mutants. Meanwhile, Galactus arrives and battles with both the zombified former heroes and a contingent of undead villains. Black Panther and Wasp’s head escape the planet with the mutants and reside on Asteroid III. The zombies destroy and devour Galactus. Five years later, a group led by a healed Black Panther and a benevolent, yet still zombified, Wasp return to the planet to find that the zombies have abandoned it. It is revealed that the zombies are using Galactus’s powers to eat their way across the universe.

Years have passed, and Black Panther still leads a withering band of survivors. Factions have developed among them and Black Panther is severely wounded in an assassination attempt. To “save” him, the undead Wasp bites him; the Black Panther is infected. The space-traveling zombies decide to return to Earth-2149 to obtain a device that will allow them to “jump” to another dimension to continue their feeding. They discover the band of survivors, but Spider-Man, who has begun to reconnect with his humanity, tries to stop the zombies.

Both Spider-Man and Power Man have joined the survivors to resist the zombies. The zombies are able to penetrate the survivors’ force field, but once inside the fortress, Giant-Man proclaims that his hunger for flesh has subsided. The survivors and zombies form an alliance and help rebuild the planet. In a moment of betrayal, a leader of a splinter division within the survivors transports the remaining zombies to another dimension, noting, “They are someone else’s problem now!”

On Earth-616, the standard Earth of the Marvel Universe, a band of heroes battle a small gathering of zombies. Dr. Michael Morbius determines that to keep the undead from crossing over to Earth-616, a team of inorganic life-forms must be dispatched to destroy the zombies. Machine Man and Jocasta, both robots, are summoned for the mission. As the two cross over into the alternate reality, it is revealed that the true Dr. Morbius is being held hostage and his undead doppelgänger has been impersonating him, hoping to open a gateway for the zombies to enter Earth-616. Though previously ambivalent about the plight of humans, Machine Man develops empathy for humans because they are abused by the zombies. Machine Man quells a feeding frenzy on “farmed” humans by interceding with his weapons firing. Jocasta returns to her own reality to stop the impending zombie incursion. Though believed dead, Machine Man also returns to Earth-616 as the evil zombie Morbius is defeated.

The Watcher observes the actions of the zombies. The exiled zombified heroes have found themselves transported to the past on Earth-2149. The zombie Spider-Man has successfully fought off hunger pangs but finally relents and decides to feed exclusively on villains. Spider-Man has been working on an antidote to the zombie virus. Years later, using this inoculation, humans are victorious. The Watcher, who is not dead, lords over the events and proclaims that “What has been done cannot be undone.” Suddenly, the events that led to the zombie outbreak are reinitiated by the Watcher, and the zombie plague is unleashed again.

Volumes

•Marvel Zombies (2006). Collects Marvel Zombies, issues 1-5. The zombies deplete their resources but consume Galactus, while the resistance organizes under Black Panther.

•Marvel Zombies vs. Army of Darkness (2007). Collects Marvel Zombies/Army of Darkness, issues 1-5. The humorous hero Ash of the Evil Dead film series (1981, 1987, 1992) finds himself on Earth-2149.

•Marvel Zombies 2 (2008). Collects Marvel Zombies 2, issues 1-5. Now intergalactic ravagers, the zombies return to their home planet and battle the resistance.

•Marvel Zombies: Dead Days (2008). Collects Ultimate Fantastic Four, issues 21-23 and 30-32, and Black Panther, issues 28-30. The original appearance of the “zombie-world” and further adventures of the zombies are chronicled.

•Marvel Zombies 3 (2009). Collects Marvel Zombies 3, issues 1-4. Machine Man and Jocasta travel to Earth-2149 to keep zombies from crossing over into their reality.

•Marvel Zombies 4 (2009). Collects Marvel Zombies 4, issues 1-4. Dr. Michael Morbius and the supernatural hero team Midnight Sons seek to destroy the zombies.

•Marvel Zombies Return (2009). Collects Marvel Zombies Return, issues 1-5. The events concerning the zombies seemingly end, only to be set into motion once again.

•Marvel Zombies 5 (2010). Collects Marvel Zombies 5, issues 1-5. Machine Man travels to different realities, including an “Old West” dimension, to eradicate the zombie menace.

Characters

•Giant-Man can transform his size at will. As a de facto leader of the zombie heroes, he is both highly intelligent and frighteningly brutal.

•Black Panther, one of the few human survivors on Earth-2149, is the former African king of Wakanda. Though seriously injured, he becomes the leader of a human resistance against the zombies.

•Spider-Man, as zombified, retains his blue-and-red costume and possesses the power of an arachnid. He is the first to question the actions of the undead heroes. Plagued by guilt over his actions, he begins to feed exclusively on villains and works to develop a cure for the plague.

•Wasp, a.k.a. Janet Pym, possesses the power of her namesake and can alter her size to that of an insect. Her head is later “rescued” by Black Panther and attached to a cybernetic body.

•Colonel America is the Earth-2149 variation on Captain America. He was one of the first infected by the initial “zombification” event, and he bit Spider-Man. Wielding his shield, he is injured by Magneto and continues with his brain dripping from his opened skull. He is eventually destroyed by the Red Skull but is “reborn” by the resistance in an effort to defeat the zombies.

•Hulk of Earth-2149, a.k.a. Bruce Banner, is the green incarnation of strength and rage, serving as the alternate personality of Banner. He is the last zombie to resist quelling the hunger. As Banner, he asks to be killed, as he realizes that the zombie Hulk is beyond control.

•Machine Man, a.k.a. Aaron Stack, is a robot with a seemingly endless array of weapons attached to his body. He appears to be human but is actually a metallic construct. A fierce defender of robot rights against human oppression, he is sent to Earth-2149 to defeat the zombies, as he is unaffected by the virus.

•Jocasta, a titanium-shelled construct and former lover of Machine Man, is also sent to Earth-2149 to defeat the zombies. Her intelligence and ability to interact with information processors is invaluable in the effort to eradicate the zombies.

•Dr. Michael Morbius, a.k.a. Morbius, suffered from a rare blood disease and died. His body was infused with the blood from a vampire bat and resuscitated. He possesses some powers associated with vampirism.

•Mr. Fantastic of Earth-2149, a.k.a. Reed Richards, willfully accepts the zombie infection and attempts to enter Earth-1610. The zombies utilize Richards’s brilliant mind to attempt to continue to feed in other dimensions.

Artistic Style

Reflecting the gruesome and dark atmosphere of its subject matter, Marvel Zombies depicts graphic violence in a shadowy world of muted colors. Sean Phillips’s work depicts vividly the reality of Earth-2149. The ravaged landscape of vacated urban centers serves as the apocalyptic backdrop.

Anxiety and fear is emphasized through the heavy and thick inking, also by Phillips. Darkness looms over all the actions of the zombies. Silhouettes and chiaroscuro are utilized frequently to emphasize the doom brought by the zombies. The inking is used to its greatest potential by importing a distinct sense of liquidity and blackness to the action. The characters themselves are ghoulish variations on the recognized Marvel superheroes. Their visages are composed of exposed teeth and gums, glowing eyes, and gaping mouths. The customarily bright costumes of both superheroes and supervillains are defaced and defiled by gore and offal. Blood and detritus slop from their faces, while their bodies display exposed musculature, peeling flesh, and jutting bone.

Furthermore, Phillips’s illustrations literalize the damage inflicted upon those attacked by superhumans. The reader does not simply witness basic comic book violence without physical consequences but rather endures bone-snapping and muscle-tearing at the hands of monstrous metahumans. Phillips’s splash pages display the frenzied energy of the zombie feed, offering wide-angle views as well as gut-churning close-ups. These moments of ridiculous violence are simultaneously horrifying and humorous, creating a tone of dark comedy that continues through the series.

Any reference to Marvel Zombies would be incomplete without an analysis of the issue covers created by Arthur Suydam. His work on Marvel Zombies was so celebrated and recognized that it became the subject of its own volume, Marvel Zombies: The Covers (2007). The painted covers appropriate images from iconic covers from Marvel’s past. These covers both spoof and pay homage to Marvel’s yesteryear. Using the same basic layout and composition as the originals, Suydam layers the image with paint, revealing gruesome details of these now zombified heroes. The decaying heroes display skeletal faces with bulging eyes that stare at the reader, with their lolling mouths yearning for flesh. Suydam’s dripping colors and splashes of paint convey the physical properties of splattered blood. In fact, Suydam’s covers can be recognized as one of the major factors that led to the series garnering attention in the broader popular culture.

Themes

The Marvel Zombies series centers on a number of concerns often associated with the scholarly consideration of the undead. These concerns are combined with an interrogation of the superhero mythos, resulting in a unique series that truly grapples with intriguing questions. As these zombified heroes also retain their powers and memories of their pre-undead life while also being conscious of their actions, they become templates for the human condition. The zombies themselves are neither fully dead nor fully alive but seem to exist in a condition between the two states. This allows for analysis of what constitutes “alive” and what constitutes “dead.” This is pursued further with Machine Man, who also exists in a condition that defies the binaries of live/dead.

As the series follows superheroes transformed into the undead, the “heroes” of this series are cannibalistic creatures with little regard for life. This alone questions who or what constitutes the “hero” of a comic book. The zombified heroes utilize their metahuman powers to defeat humans and extinguish life. This further complicates the moral responsibility of those with superhuman qualities.

The responsibility of one for his or her own actions is further disturbed when Reed Richards purposely infects himself and his family, believing that zombification may be the logical next step in evolution. As the zombie horror is born from a plan by Magneto to unleash a weapon of mass destruction, it certainly questions the unintended consequences of utilizing such weapons.

Though they are infected by a virus, the zombies come to believe that they are evangelicals preaching and spreading the “word” of the so-called Hunger Gospel, and this serves as a sort of justification for their actions. With this, Marvel Zombies offers a “biting” critique of religious fervor.

Also, the zombified heroes suffer an “addiction” to the flesh. When they are denied flesh, they undergo painful withdrawals akin to individuals “kicking” certain drugs. As result, these addictions often dictate their actions. These zombies are also filled with regret as they wrestle with the memories of their past actions. Spider-Man in particular is haunted by his dismembering and consuming of Aunt May and Mary Jane. Because of Spider-Man’s regret, he works toward ending the virus. When Wasp is denied flesh, she conquers her “hunger” for flesh, joining the “living” resistance. Later, Giant-Man and the others also realize that the “hunger” can be defeated. They reform and immediately work toward rebuilding society. This alone offers a sense of alterability regarding the human condition, allowing for some sort of atonement by those who have committed horrendous transgressions and a glimpse of hope for the future.

Impact

Marvel Zombies became an immediate sensation when it was first introduced as its own series. It spawned multiple installments in the series and even led to other hybridized titles such as Marvel Apes (2009) and Hulked Out Heroes (2010). The severed head of the zombie Deadpool is featured as a character in Deadpool: Merc with a Mouth (2009) and is fittingly referred to as Headpool. Also, Marvel Zombies pushed the boundaries of what was acceptable regarding graphic violence and major comic book characters. Never before had Marvel’s greatest heroes been depicted committing such horrific actions. Finally, Suydam’s humorously horrific covers have led to further appreciation of painted comic art. These lauded images also launched a variety of new comic book covers that parodied iconic imagery from Marvel’s history.

Further Reading

Bendis, Brian Michael, and Leinil Francis Yu. Secret Invasion (2008).

Johns, Geoff, and Ivan Reis. Blackest Night (2009).

Kesel, Karl, and Ramon Bachs. Marvel Apes (2009).

Kirkman, Robert. The Walking Dead (2003- ).

Bibliography

Dean, Michael. “Our Zombies, Our Selves.” The Comics Journal, April 7, 2008. http://archives.tcj.com/index.php?option=com‗content&task=view&id=812&Itemid=48.

Harrold, Jess. “I Draw Dead People: Kev Walker.” In Marvel Zombies Return. New York: Marvel, 2009.

‗‗‗‗‗‗‗. “The Marvel Zombie Godfather: Mark Millar.” In Marvel Zombies Return. New York: Marvel, 2009.

‗‗‗‗‗‗‗. “Marvel Zombies Return: Fred Van Lente.” In Marvel Zombies Return. New York: Marvel, 2009.

Kirkman, Robert. “Marvelous Zombies.” In Marvel Zombies. New York: Marvel, 2006.

McDermott, Mark R. “History of Marvel Zombies and Colonel America Among the Marvel Zombies.” In Captain America and the Struggle of the Superhero: Critical Essays, edited by Robert G. Weiner. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland, 2009.