The Avengers, X-Men and other Marvel heroes have been given macabre lives after death as the powerful Marvel Zombies.
There are plenty of zombies in comics, but none are quite like the Marvel Zombies. Instead of the usual mindless monsters who most zombies are, the Marvel Zombies are super-powred, endless;y hungry, and have just enough of their personalities left to make them truly scary creatures.
Since they first appeared in Mark Millar and Greg Land’s Ultimate Fantastic Four #21, the Marvel Zombies have spread their unique brand of terror around their universe and beyond. Now, we’re taking a closer look at these zombies and what really makes them tick.
THE MARVEL ZOMBIES’ APPETITES
The defining trait of nearly every piece of zombie or fiction is the desire to bite and feed off of human flesh. The Marvel Zombies are no different, and they jumped between univrses to do it. Thanks to the Watcher, the original Marvel Zombies are stuck in a “chronal loop” that keeps the zombies and their infection to a fairly small corner of the larger Marvel multiverse.
While the exact cause of the viral zombie infection is unclear, it is apparent that throughout the series that the zombies are driven to consume living flesh to help ease their immense pain. This pain is so great that it forces allies to turn on each other, regardless of logic or relation to spread the virus. The only thing they won’t eat however, is each other, as the foul taste of necrotic flesh making sure they keep a fair distance. After prolonged starvation, symptoms and cravings begin to subside and some degree of normalcy returns. However they are capable of returning to their starving state at any moment.
MARVEL ZOMBIES’ DURABILITY
As opposed to the traditional zombies seen in modern pop culture, the Marvel Zombies have a rather unique physiology that allows them to survive where other monsters would not, thanks to their enhanced durability.
Most zombies have their head damaged and call it a day. But within the Marvel Zombies cannon, a zombified Captain America and Deadpool have both been shown with the ability to continue their un-dead existence with severe head trauma. Further, they appear not to be too bothered by being dismembered and other usually debilitating injuries.