Marvel Zombies (series)
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''Marvel Zombies'' is a
comic book A comic book, comic-magazine, or simply comic is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panel (comics), panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are often accompanied by descriptive prose and wri ...
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, o ...
published by
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...
. The series features
zombie A zombie (Haitian French: ; ; Kikongo: ''zumbi'') is a mythological undead corporeal revenant created through the reanimation of a corpse. In modern popular culture, zombies appear in horror genre works. The term comes from Haitian folkl ...
versions of
Marvel Universe The Marvel Universe is a fictional shared universe where the stories in most American comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Comics take place. Superhero teams such as the Avengers, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, the Guardia ...
superhero A superhero or superheroine is a fictional character who typically possesses ''superpowers'' or abilities beyond those of ordinary people, is frequently costumed concealing their identity, and fits the role of the hero, typically using their ...
es and
supervillain A supervillain, supervillainess or supercriminal is a major antagonist and variant of the villainous stock character who possesses Superpower (ability), superpowers. The character type is sometimes found in comic books and is often the primary ...
s who have been portrayed as both
protagonist A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a ...
s and
antagonist An antagonist is a character in a story who is presented as the main enemy or rival of the protagonist and is often depicted as a villain.limited series In the field of comic books, and particularly in the United States, a limited series is a comics series with a predetermined number of issues. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is finite and determined ...
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 Music Albums * ''Cross Over'' (album), a 1987 album by Dan Peek, or the title song * ''Crossover'' (Dirty Rotten Imbeciles album), 1987 * ''Crossover'', an album by Intrigue * ''Crossover'', an album by ...
" (2005) and " Frightful" (2006), by
Mark Millar Mark Millar (; born 24 December 1969) is a Scottish comic book writer who first came to prominence with a run on the superhero series ''The Authority (comics), The Authority'', published by DC Comics' Wildstorm imprint. Millar has written ext ...
and
Greg Land Greg Land (born 1956) is an American Comic book creator, comic book artist, best known for his work on books such as ''Uncanny X-Men'', ''Birds of Prey (comics), Birds of Prey'', and ''Fantastic Four (comic book), Fantastic Four''. Career Greg La ...
. The story arcs were followed by a ''
Marvel Zombies ''Marvel Zombies'' is a five-issue limited series published from December 2005 to April 2006 by Marvel Comics. The series was written by Robert Kirkman with art by Sean Phillips and covers by Arthur Suydam. It was the first series in the ''Ma ...
''
limited series In the field of comic books, and particularly in the United States, a limited series is a comics series with a predetermined number of issues. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is finite and determined ...
by
Robert Kirkman Robert Kirkman (; born November 30, 1978)Löchel, Ingo"The Walking Dead: Die Comic-Serie – Robert Kirkman" Zauberspiegel. Retrieved February 17, 2013. is an American comic book writer, screenwriter, and producer. He is best known for co-creat ...
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 ''Marvel Zo ...
''. A crossover with ''
Army of Darkness ''Army of Darkness'' is a 1992 American dark fantasy comedy film directed, co-written, and co-edited by Sam Raimi. The film is the third installment in the Evil Dead, ''Evil Dead'' film series and the sequel to ''Evil Dead II'' (1987). Starring ...
'', '' Marvel Zombies vs. The Army of Darkness'', was written by
John Layman John Steele Layman (born August 2, 1969) is an American comic book writer and letterer. Layman is most known for his writing published by Image Comics: ''Chew'', its spin-off/midquel series ''Chu'' ('' Saffron Chu''), the stand-alone ''Outer D ...
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 officially branded as ...
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 Greg ...
'', Kirkman and Phillips were replaced by
Fred Van Lente Fred Van Lente (born February 14, 1972, in Tacoma, Washington) from Chagrin Falls, Ohio is an American writer, primarily of comic books and graphic novels. Career Van Lente is the co-founder, along with artist Ryan Dunlavey, of Evil Twin Com ...
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 b ...
. 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 La ...
'', 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'', a series of five one-shots looking at different aspects of the outbreak. With '' Marvel Zombies 5'' 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 betwee ...
, 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 previously ...
, 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 officially branded as ...
. 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 (September 23, 1956 – May 24, 2025), often abbreviated PAD, was 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 Grea ...
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'' #1 by writer Chris Cl ...
,
Red Guardian The Red Guardian (Russian: Красный страж, ''Krasnyy Strazh'') is the name of several fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics: Aleksey Lebedev, Alexei Shostakov, Tania Belinsky, Josef Petkus, ...
,
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 m ...
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 Spider-Man is a superhero in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appearance, first appeared in the anthology comic book ''Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in ...
) often feel great guilt at this point, though others (such as
Hank Pym Dr. Henry Jonathan Pym is a character (arts), character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by penciller Jack Kirby, editor-plotter Stan Lee and writer Larry Lieber, Pym debuted in ''Tales to Astonish'' #27 (Ja ...
or Reed Richards) 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''), also called the carcajou or quickhatch (from East Cree, ''kwiihkwahaacheew''), is the largest land-dwelling species, member of the family Mustelidae. It is a muscular carnivore and a solitary animal. The w ...
, the
Hulk The Hulk is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the debut issue of ''The Incredible Hulk (comic book), The Incredible Hulk ...
and
Deadpool Deadpool is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Fabian Nicieza and Rob Liefeld, the character first appeared in ''New Mutants'' #98 (December 1990). In his comic book appearances, Deadpool is ...
, individuals normally highly resistant or immune to most diseases, being affected. However, as noted by
Spider-Man Spider-Man is a superhero in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appearance, first appeared in the anthology comic book ''Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in ...
, 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 The Phoenix Force is a fictional entity appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Chris Claremont and Dave Cockrum, the Phoenix Force is famous for its central role in ''The Dark Phoenix Saga'' storyline, and is in ...
, as members of several of Earth's ancient pantheons, such as Thor, Hercules and Amora, along with
Jean Grey Jean Elaine Grey-Summers is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, the character First appearance, first appeared in ''Uncanny X-Men, The X-Men'' #1 ...
, are shown among the packs of zombies in various series. Perhaps the only immunity goes to voodoo-crafted zombies, such as Simon Garth, and non-organic mechanical beings, such as
Jocasta In Greek mythology, Jocasta (), also rendered as Iocaste ( ) and EpicasteHomer, ''Odyssey'', Vol. XI11.271/ref> (; ), was Queen of Thebes through her marriages to Laius and her son, Oedipus. She is best known for her role in the myths surroundi ...
,
Ultron Ultron () is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Roy Thomas and artist John Buscema, the character first appeared as an unnamed character in ''The Avengers (comic book), The Avengers'' #5 ...
and
Machine Man Machine Man (also known as Aaron Stack, Mister Machine and serial number Z2P45-9-X-51 or X-51 for short) is an android superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by Jack Kirby for '' 2001: A ...
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 member o ...
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 ' ...
, 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 Dr. Stephen Vincent Strange is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Steve Ditko, the character first appeared in ''Strange Tales'' #110 (cover-dated July 1963). Doctor Strange serves as ...
(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 character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, the character first appeared in ''Strange Tales'' #126 (November 1964). He is the extra and inter-dimensional demonic e ...
through the mystic
Jennifer Kale Jennifer Kale is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Steve Gerber and artist Rich Buckler, the character first appeared in '' Adventure into Fear'' #11 (December 1972). Jennifer Kale is John ...
, 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, 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 end of life; the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain a living organism. Death eventually and inevitably occurs in all organisms. The remains of a former organism normally begin to decompose sh ...
and
Thanos Thanos () is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-artist Jim Starlin, the character first appeared in '' The Invincible Iron Man'' #55 (cover date February 1973). An Eternal– Devia ...
(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 Morbius (born Michael Morbius, also known as Morgan Michaels, Morbius the Living Vampire and Nikos Michaels) is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Roy Thomas and originally designed by pen ...
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 of the
Ultimate Marvel Universe Ultimate Marvel, later known as Ultimate Comics, was an imprint of comic books published by Marvel Comics, featuring reimagined and modernized versions of the company's superhero characters from the Ultimate Marvel Universe, later known as the ...
was able to easily overpower and cripple the zombified
Fantastic Four The Fantastic Four, often abbreviated as FF, is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team debuted in '' The Fantastic Four'' #1 ( cover-dated November 1961), helping usher in a new level of realism i ...
of Earth-2149 using magic he learned from
Doctor Doom Doctor Doom is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in '' The Fantastic Four'' #5 in April 1962, and has since endured as the arch ...
'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 Germa ...
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 Music Albums * ''Cross Over'' (album), a 1987 album by Dan Peek, or the title song * ''Crossover'' (Dirty Rotten Imbeciles album), 1987 * ''Crossover'', an album by Intrigue * ''Crossover'', an album by ...
" (issues #21–23), Reed Richards 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 reimagined and modernized versions of the company's superhero characters from the Ultimate Marvel Universe, later known as the ...
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 Lowell Spencer "Johnny" Storm) is a fictional superhero character 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 arti ...
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'') or modern humans are the most common and widespread species of primate, and the last surviving species of the genus ''Homo''. They are great apes characterized by their hairlessness, bipedalism, and high intelligenc ...
to
extinction Extinction is the termination of an organism by the death of its Endling, last member. A taxon may become Functional extinction, functionally extinct before the death of its last member if it loses the capacity to Reproduction, reproduce and ...
,
Galactus Galactus () is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Formerly a mortal man, he is a cosmic entity who consumes planets to sustain his life force, and serves a functional role in the upkeep of the p ...
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, usually in association with the alias Ant-Man. Hank Pym first appeared as Giant-Man in ''Tales to Astonish'' #49, though he had appea ...
,
Wolverine The wolverine ( , ; ''Gulo gulo''), also called the carcajou or quickhatch (from East Cree, ''kwiihkwahaacheew''), is the largest land-dwelling species, member of the family Mustelidae. It is a muscular carnivore and a solitary animal. The w ...
, the
Hulk The Hulk is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the debut issue of ''The Incredible Hulk (comic book), The Incredible Hulk ...
,
Iron Man Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, the character first appearan ...
,
Luke Cage Lucas "Luke" Cage, born Carl Lucas and also known as Power Man, is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Archie Goodwin, George Tuska, Roy Thomas, and John Romita Sr. in 1972, he was the first Af ...
and
Spider-Man Spider-Man is a superhero in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appearance, first appeared in the anthology comic book ''Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in ...
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 appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Formerly a mortal man, he is a cosmic entity who consumes planets to sustain his life force, and serves a functional role in the upkeep of the Ea ...
, 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 Ashley Joanna "Ash" Williams is a fictional character and the protagonist of the '' Evil Dead'' franchise. Created by Sam Raimi, he is portrayed by Bruce Campbell and is the only character to appear in each entry of the series, including a po ...
from ''
Evil Dead ''Evil Dead'' is an American horror franchise created by Sam Raimi consisting of five feature films and a television series. The series follows various characters as they battle demonic forces unleashed by an ancient book called the ''Necrono ...
'' arrives accidentally in the world of ''Marvel Zombies''. Continuing Ash's own storyline from ''
Army of Darkness ''Army of Darkness'' is a 1992 American dark fantasy comedy film directed, co-written, and co-edited by Sam Raimi. The film is the third installment in the Evil Dead, ''Evil Dead'' film series and the sequel to ''Evil Dead II'' (1987). Starring ...
'' (''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 government agency appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, this agency first appeared in ''Strange Tal ...
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 (), officially the Kingdom of Wakanda, is a fictional country appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the country first appeared in ''Fantastic Four (comic book), Fantastic Four'' ...
, 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 The Marvel Universe is a fictional shared universe where the stories in most American comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Comics take place. Superhero teams such as the Avengers, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, the Guardia ...
,
Machine Man Machine Man (also known as Aaron Stack, Mister Machine and serial number Z2P45-9-X-51 or X-51 for short) is an android superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by Jack Kirby for '' 2001: A ...
and
Jocasta In Greek mythology, Jocasta (), also rendered as Iocaste ( ) and EpicasteHomer, ''Odyssey'', Vol. XI11.271/ref> (; ), was Queen of Thebes through her marriages to Laius and her son, Oedipus. She is best known for her role in the myths surroundi ...
go to the ''Marvel Zombies'' universe to retrieve a blood sample from an uninfected human. Unbeknownst to them, a zombie
Morbius Morbius (born Michael Morbius, also known as Morgan Michaels, Morbius the Living Vampire and Nikos Michaels) is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Roy Thomas and originally designed by pen ...
plans to use the blood to infect the Marvel Universe.


''Marvel Zombies 4''

The
Midnight Sons The Midnight Sons are a 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 the ''R ...
, under the command of A.R.M.O.R., hunt zombies who have escaped to different universes. Meanwhile,
Dormammu Dormammu () is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, the character first appeared in ''Strange Tales'' #126 (November 1964). He is the extra and inter-dimensional demonic e ...
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: Marvel 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 Sentr ...
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 character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Steve Gerber, based very loosely on his college friend Howard Tockman, and artist Val Mayerik. Howard the Duck firs ...
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 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 marksmanship w ...
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'', is a 12-issue American comic book Fictional crossover, crossover limited series published from May 1984 to April 1985 by Marvel Comics. The series was written by Jim Shooter ...
'' 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 have therefore 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(s) or The Avenger(s) may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Marvel Comics universe * Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes **Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes of "The Infinity Sag ...
,
X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer/editor Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, the team first appeared in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 (September 1963). Although initial ...
, 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 character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She first appeared in ''Captain America'' #192 (December 1975), created by writer Marv Wolfman and ar ...
,
Forge A forge is a type of hearth used for heating metals, or the workplace (smithy) where such a hearth is located. The forge is used by the smith to heat a piece of metal to a temperature at which it becomes easier to shape by forging, or to the ...
, 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 granit ...
, as possibly the last superhuman survivors. As they desperately fight for survival, they meet other living survivors, including
Blade A blade is the Sharpness (cutting), sharp, cutting portion of a tool, weapon, or machine, specifically designed to puncture, chop, slice, or scrape surfaces or materials. Blades are typically made from materials that are harder than those they a ...
, 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 Magik (Illyana Nikolaievna Rasputina) (Russian language, Russian: Ильяна Николаевна Распутина) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Len Wein and artist Dave Cock ...
, 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...?"


''Marvel Zombies: Dawn of Decay''

The Guardians of the Galaxy face an army of undead Avengers in this new Marvel Zombies chapter called Dawn of Decay, in which a new zombie virus is unleased, and Groot is Patient Zero.


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 The Fantastic Four, often abbreviated as FF, is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team debuted in '' The Fantastic Four'' #1 ( cover-dated November 1961), helping usher in a new level of realism i ...
(
Black Panther A black panther is the Melanism, melanistic colour variant of the leopard (''Panthera pardus'') and the jaguar (''Panthera onca''). Black panthers of both species have excess black pigments, but their typical Rosette (zoology), rosettes are al ...
,
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 thunderstor ...
, the
Human Torch The Human Torch (Jonathan Lowell Spencer "Johnny" Storm) is a fictional superhero character 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 ar ...
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 focuses ...
) are teleported by
King Solomon's Frogs Black Panther is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist-coplotter Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in ''Fantastic Four'' #52, published in July 1966. On Eart ...
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 energ ...
- 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 The Super-Skrull is an alias used by characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The original and most well-known incarnation, Kl'rt, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, first appeared in ''Fantastic Four'' #18 (Septe ...
. 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 a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Fabian Nicieza and Rob Liefeld, the character first appeared in ''New Mutants'' #98 (December 1990). In his comic book appearances, Deadpool is ...
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 superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is an anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic pig and is a cartoon animal parody version of Spider-Man. He was created by Larry Hama, T ...
accidentally travels through the
multiverse The multiverse is the hypothetical set of all universes. Together, these universes are presumed to comprise everything that exists: the entirety of space, time, matter, energy, information, and the physical laws and constants that describ ...
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 Ebenezer Scrooge () is a fictional character and the protagonist of Charles Dickens's 1843 novel, ''A Christmas Carol''. Initially a cold-hearted miser who despises Christmas, his redemption by visits from the ghost of Jacob Marley, the G ...
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 character 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; colossal statues, are generally taken to mean a statue at least twice life-size ** List of tallest statues ** :Colossal statues * ...
), 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 are 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, the character first appeared in '' Marvel Super-Heroes'' vol. 2 #8, ...
.


''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 book, 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 b ...
'' 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 '' Nation ...
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, also known as wrappers, and often held together with glue rather than stitches or staples. In contrast, hardback (hardcover) books are bound with cardboar ...
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 released by Diamond Select Toys as of 2007. The basic Minimate figure design has a tall humanoid body with 14 points of joint, articulation. Release ...
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 List of Marvel Cinematic Universe films, a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appe ...
/
Disney+ The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...
animated series '' What If...?'' episode " What If... Zombies?!" In this version of events, the outbreak is caused by
Hank Pym Dr. Henry Jonathan Pym is a character (arts), character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by penciller Jack Kirby, editor-plotter Stan Lee and writer Larry Lieber, Pym debuted in ''Tales to Astonish'' #27 (Ja ...
during his attempt to retrieve
Janet van Dyne The Wasp (Janet van Dyne) is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee, Ernie Hart, and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in ''Tales to Astonish'' #44 (June 1963). Janet van Dyne is usu ...
from the
Quantum Realm The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) media franchise features many fictional elements, including locations, weapons, and artifacts. Many are based on elements that originally appeared in the American comic books published by Marvel Comics, w ...
, only to learn too late that she had contracted a quantum virus that corrupted her brain. ** Comic book writer
Mark Millar Mark Millar (; born 24 December 1969) is a Scottish comic book writer who first came to prominence with a run on the superhero series ''The Authority (comics), The Authority'', published by DC Comics' Wildstorm imprint. Millar has written ext ...
claimed that
Marvel Studios Marvel Studios, LLC, formerly known as Marvel Films, is an American film and television production company. Marvel Studios is the creator of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), a media franchise and shared universe of films and television ser ...
was looking to develop a live-action ''Marvel Zombies'' film, following the positive reception of the ''What If...?'' episode. An animated series adaptation was announced to be in development for Disney+.


Film

Headpool appears in ''
Deadpool & Wolverine ''Deadpool & Wolverine'' is a 2024 American superhero film based on Marvel Comics featuring the characters Deadpool and Wolverine (character), Wolverine. Produced by Marvel Studios, Maximum Effort, and 21 Laps Entertainment, and distributed ...
'', voiced by
Nathan Fillion Nathan Christopher Fillion (born March 27, 1971) is a Canadian and American actor. He played the leading roles of Captain Malcolm "Mal" Reynolds on ''Firefly'' and its film continuation '' Serenity'', and Richard Castle on ''Castle''. , he sta ...
.


Video games

* The ''Marvel Zombies'' universe makes a cameo appearance in Frank West's ending in ''
Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 is a 2011 crossover fighting game developed by Capcom in collaboration with Eighting. It is an updated version of '' Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds''. The game features characters from both Capcom's video game franchises and comic boo ...
''. * Zombie Venom appears in '' Marvel: Future Fight''.


Miscellaneous

The ''
Zombicide ''Zombicide'', is a collaborative adventure board game with a modern zombie theme, created by Guillotine Games. It was launched on Kickstarter by publisher CoolMiniOrNot and raised $781,597 from 5,258 backers. In the game, each player contr ...
'' 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 "Blackest Night" is a 2009–10 American comic book Fictional crossover, crossover storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous central miniseries, written by Geoff Johns and penciled by Ivan Reis, along with a number of tie-in i ...
'' - a similar crossover storyline published by
DC Comics DC Comics (originally DC Comics, Inc., and also known simply as DC) is an American comic book publisher owned by DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC is an initialism for "Detective Comics", an American comic book seri ...
* ''
DCeased ''DCeased'' is a six-issue comic book miniseries published by DC Comics from May to October 2019. It was created by writer Tom Taylor and the artistic team including penciler Trevor Hairsine and inker Stefano Guadiano. The story takes place in an ...
'' – a similar storyline published by
DC Comics DC Comics (originally DC Comics, Inc., and also known simply as DC) is an American comic book publisher owned by DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC is an initialism for "Detective Comics", an American comic book seri ...
.


References


External links

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Talking ''Marvel Zombies'' With Robert Kirkman
Newsarama ''Newsarama'' is an American website that publishes news, interviews, and essays about the American comic book industry. It is owned by Future US. In June 2020, Newsarama was merged with the website ''GamesRadar+'', also owned by Future US. Hi ...

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