Marvel Zombies Virus ??

I just got through reading Marvel Zombies. I found it very entertaining, but there was a little mystery. It never really talked about the event that turned the Earth's heroes and villains into flesh eating monsters.

At first, I assumed that it was an alien virus that attacked only humans with altered (superhuman) DNA or something like that.. but then I noticed that Iron Man and varous other heroes and villains who were technology based and without super powers were also affected. It was also apparent that normal humans were not affected by this and the infected superheroes/villains were running around eating them.

Why would an alien virus be so specific and attack only the superheros/supervillains, regardless of wether or not they had alterned or super powered genes ?

The only thing I can think of is maybe some magical or scientific virus taylor made to infect only SPECIFIC INDIVIDUALS.

Do they ever explain this world in any other comics ? I'd be interested to know why only the heroes/villains got infected but the rest of the human populous didn't.

by the way.. When I read the comic.. I was pretty much mortified.. but when my wife picked it up and started reading it.. she was laughing her butt off all the way through (I've never heard her laugh so hard at anything before). The Punisher is also her favorite "hero". Should I be afraid ?

Marvel Zombies isn't meant to be taken seriously... it's camp. Pure camp.

Heck, if your wife enjoys comics as much as you, I wouldn't be worried... sounds like you hit paydirt. ;)

Next step, Gaming. If you can get her to game Marvel. You've definately hit paydirt. My wife is a ruthless gamer. lol



flam-ing.
-noun

1. Computer Slang. an angry, critical, or disparaging electronic message, as an e-mail or newsgroup post.
-verb (used without object)

2. Computer Slang. to send an angry, critical, or disparaging electronic message.
-verb (used with object)

3. Computer Slang. to insult or criticize angrily in an electronic message.
-Verb phrase

4. *Flaming, flamer* and *flamboyant* are potentially pejorative adjectives for a gay man or LGBT person whose behavior is reflected in a stereotypical flamboyancy, manner or style (see also gay culture and camp) but also refers to anyone seen as showy, outrageous, eccentric or unique stylistically

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Ok, as to how it goes down (you will still want to get the comics to see everything, including the carnage and who is bitten by who).

Dead Days: Seems Sentry slams into the streets of NYC, having breached the dimensional barrier looking for more food (he's Patient 0, so to speak). Avengers respond, and are the first ones to be attacked and bitten. They in turn go about eating humans, as those non-infected aboard the SHIELD helicarrier, are trying to devise a way to stop them, which includes various contingencies (including nuking New York). That goes out the window when an infected hero breaks in, makes lunch of Nick Fury, and infects the rest. Quicksilver, having been tricked by an infected Mystique, goes on a world wide bite spree, infecting heroes and villains the world over, and it really hits the fan.

Marvel Zombies vs. Army of Darkness: Ash (from the Evil Dead) makes an appearance (the series spans Army of Darkness vs. Marvel Zombies, Dead Days, Marvel Zombies, Ultimate Fantastic Four for about 8 issues, and Marvel Zombies 2), and you get to see, from him and his adventures, what happens and to who. He manages to get to Latvaria with the Scarlet Witch and Dazzler, and find out that Dr. Doom is holding the world's last remaining humans, to start over once the zombies are gone. Ash frees an infected Enchantress, who bites off Dazzler's finger (here's a tip faithful readers, never point at a zombie), and both are blasted by Doom. The fortress is overrun by the infected, who in turn infect Dr. Doom, but he sends Ash, and the remaining humans, through a dimensional portal to safety. Scarlet Witch is eaten by The Punisher as Ash turns to ask her to flee with him.

Ultimate Fantastic Four: Reed Richards is convinced by a holographic dimensional alternate, to build a dimension breaching device, so he (the Ultimate Reed) can come visit and see what his (the holographic Reed) life and dimension are like. The device is built, Reed crosses over, only to find out he's been tricked, and it was Zombie Reed's effort to find a new world full of humans to eat.

Marvel Zombies: Magneto, and a group of 12 humans, are all that remains on Earth (Asteroid M, however, has his 12 disciples). Ultimate Reed is rescued by Magneto from the Marvel Zombies, and shows him the pitiful remains of humanity (i.e., only 12 people left). Reed informs Magneto about the dimension breeching device in the old FF building, and they use this to escape (the zombie FF are now in Ultimate Reed's universe, trapped in the FF building). Magneto stays behind, not out of kindness, or an act of goodwill, but to destroy the device, and does so.

This leaves him very weak, and spent, and tries to flee from the infected Avengers, suffering an arrow wound from Hawkeye, magnetically stealing zombie Colonel America's shield (and using it to remove part of Colonel's skull, as well as behead Hawkeye). He's chased down, and in a moment of arrogance (in a construction area), is brought down by a zombie Wasp (one bite is all it takes to infect you), and eaten by a group of zombies.

All but Magneto's bunch aboard Asteroid M are eaten or infected, leaving a group of Marvel Zombies to ponder what to do next. Giant Man, however, has a secret stash, who he partitions off a bit at a time, so he can think and try to find a cure...he amputates limbs off of Black Panther.

Lo and behold, in the sky, Galactus' herald, the Silver Surfer, is spotted, and eventually relays his message to the zombie hordes...only to be pounced on for meat. Zombie Hulk gets his head, and those closest tear into the body, gaining a portion of Silver Surfer's power cosmic. Still hungry, they decide to see if their zombie friends are tasty when fried (they're not), and kill off all the infected heroes but themselves (I'm not telling you who, so you have something to look forward to ;) ).

Galactus arrives, inquires about his herald, and is shocked to learn that they (the zombies) have eaten him. A hasty retreat is made (as their efforts to fight him were met with little success), they manage to put together a device to amplify their cosmic powers, take down Galactus, and fight the infected villains over the meat. The villains lose, the remaining eat Galactus, and become World Devourers.

Suffice to say, there is more, and I've left out many a detail. If you want to read it in the proper order, it goes: Dead Days, Ultimate Fantastic Four (for 4 issues), Army of Darkness vs. Marvel Zombies, Marvel Zombies, Ultimate Fantastic Four (for 4 more issues), and finally Marvel Zombies 2 (so far, issues 1 + 2 are out).

As for the virus, it infects anyone who is a hero or villain, even if they don't have super powers (Punisher, Iron Man, Iron Fist, etc.). As long as the person is a hero or villain, bitten by someone who is infected, and not entirely consumed (missing an arm is fine, but having the whole corpse devoured by the infected), they'll become an intelligent zombie, and seek out humans (they quickly learn that fellow zombies taste awful).



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/29/2007 11:12PM by Yendor.

flam-ing.
-noun

1. Computer Slang. an angry, critical, or disparaging electronic message, as an e-mail or newsgroup post.
-verb (used without object)

2. Computer Slang. to send an angry, critical, or disparaging electronic message.
-verb (used with object)

3. Computer Slang. to insult or criticize angrily in an electronic message.
-Verb phrase

4. *Flaming, flamer* and *flamboyant* are potentially pejorative adjectives for a gay man or LGBT person whose behavior is reflected in a stereotypical flamboyancy, manner or style (see also gay culture and camp) but also refers to anyone seen as showy, outrageous, eccentric or unique stylistically

I've always seen the "Marvel Zombies" stories as a sort of parody of DC's universe-wrecking event(s). Especially the crossover with Ash from the Evil Dead / Army of Darkness movies where Zombie-Sentry smashes through a dimensional wall to spread the zombie plague to other alternate realities, and runs into Ash.

The clue lies therein that crossover. Ash goes to Latveria to obtain the Necronomicon from Dr. Doom to stop the Marvel Zombies, only to find that the source zombie plague infecting the heroes is not magical. as the zombies raised by the Necronomicon are / would be. The Necronomicon can't stop the plague, and further, because that evil sentient magic tome is written in blood on human skin parchment - it too is vulnerable to the Marvel Zombie plague and agrees to raise an Army of Darkness to fight / contain the Marvel Zombies.

The answer: the Marvel Zombies plague is biological. And virulent enough to infect the Sentry.

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"Batman and Captain America are the key to everything" - Alexander Luthor Jr. of Earth-Blue3/Red616, on merging the Purple Multiverse



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/30/2007 01:27AM by The Beyonders.

As limited in intelligence as Quicksilver often acts that seems exceptionally dumb, since creating more zombies just reduces available food supply running around infecting everyone you can means you're going to end up starving yourself, especially since everyone you just infect instead of kill becomes competition for food.

"A shared universe, like any fictional construct, hinges on suspension of disbelief. When continuity is tossed away, it tatters the construct. Undermines it."

-- Peter David

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The answer: The Marvel Zombies virus is dumb... waayyy too much canon is thrown out the window in those books. For instance, there are beings such as Juggernaut who are immune to disease of -any- kind, yet are shown as infected. Then there's the bad writing. Sorry, but you don't gain the power cosmic by eating someone with the power cosmic. Galactus would have immediately sensed the death of his herald and the subsequent release of the power cosmic (HIS power cosmic) and not allowed these beings to take it. Second, Galactus would NEVER fall like that. Even if he did, the universe would just collapse, since his death means the universe ends... and that IS canon.

As I said before, it's pure camp. Nonsense that's not meant to be scrutinized. It's only if they bring this garbage to 616 continuity that you have true cause to be upset.





Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/30/2007 10:33AM by Punstarr.

it's not supposed to be taken seriously, it's meant for laughs and to cash in on zombie fans.

Only reason Zombie FF are around is they needed an evil and down right scary version of the Ultimate FF.

Take it for what it is... an hour or 2 of brainless entertaining reading that has laughs.

"No where to hide. No place to run. Your village will BURN like the heart of the SUN!" - Richard, Head warlock of the Brotherhood of Darkness, Lord of the 13 Hells, Master of the Bones, Emperor of the Black, Lord of the Undead, Lord of the Dance.

I'm just saying... they better not try and put them into regular 616 continuity.

That's part of the parody - the inside joke of making fun of DC's "universe-shattering event(s) - "continuity doesn't matter."

"But DC fans'll buy it anyway, coz they're zombies"

The premise is meta-subtle, but makes Marvel Zombies that much more hilarious.

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"Batman and Captain America are the key to everything" - Alexander Luthor Jr. of Earth-Blue3/Red616, on merging the Purple Multiverse

Oh hell no. Agree there. No Zombies in 616.

It would spoil both the flavor of 616, and ruin the joke of parodying DC's "dead characters come back to destroy the multiverse" anthem.

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"Batman and Captain America are the key to everything" - Alexander Luthor Jr. of Earth-Blue3/Red616, on merging the Purple Multiverse

Hmmmm, well Galactus wouldn't sense his herald dying like that (he didn't notice when Doom stole his power after all, not until Doom was tricked into hitting the barrier around the earth imprisoning him there and sent the power back to the Surfer), but yes the whole 'we eat the surfer then galactus and take his powers as our own' is rediculous, although I suppose if they're taking his place somehow then the univere wouldn't collapse, at least not from that. It'd just be devoured because a bunch of cosmic-zombies would be hungry always which is even worse than a single hungry Galactus running around.

"A shared universe, like any fictional construct, hinges on suspension of disbelief. When continuity is tossed away, it tatters the construct. Undermines it."

-- Peter David

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[www.furaffinity.net] Artist/writer/Creator of The Extinctioners Independent super-hero comic!

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Sappho Character Sheet

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Cornucopia Character Sheet

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Nightmares of Futures Past Ongoing Story

[www.classicmarvel.com] - There is no such thing as too powerful Forum Thread

Mystique disguised herself as the Scarlet Witch, bait for a trap (she was on the ground, about to be pounced on by other zombies), when Quicksilver rushed in, rescued her, and she bit him, and he went around the world biting other heroes/villains. As for reducing the food supply, yeah, it would, and they realized that waaaaaaaay too late.

You should see my wife play "Paranoia" She's BRUTAL. hehehe!

Is that (insert most any color here) you're wearing? That's way beyond your clearance, citizen! Prepare to mark off another clone! :D





Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/30/2007 07:41PM by Punstarr.

It's my opinion that we don't know what crazy process is involved in the zombie digestion. I think what they're feeding on is the actual energy or life force from the being they're consuming since their bodies obviously don't need the meat.
Eating someone filled with cosmic energy would not have this effect on a regular human or superhuman (unless he had some strange mutation or superpower), but it does make sense for a zombie kind of.

> Blacklight Wrote: You should see my wife play "Paranoia"

Curiously enough, the most dangerous villain in my Marvel campaign is a Paranoia-styled troubleshooter.

25 Commie mutant traitors summarily executed to date.