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Among many terrifying moments in history, according to Marvel Entertainment, one of its more gruesome examples was the Marvel Zombies storyline, in which the most cherished heroes become flesh eaters. The set urged fans to scroll through panels of horrors with undead depictions of their favorite characters, immediately eliciting responses discussing the history of the franchise’s adaptation as well as some of the most chilling transformations.
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The official Marvel Twitter account title delivered “a little taste of terror” with a few pictures from the all-time classic Marvel Zombies comic books. The caption read: “Get a taste of terror as these #MarvelZombies chow down on the finest (and most heroic) snacks around.” It invited fans to scroll through the panels to see “who’s for dinner” in comic moments loaded with horror. This post would allow mature readers to take a walk down memory lane and would serve as an entryway into Marvel’s darker alternate universe for the new generation.
The comment section witnessed an explosion of reactions, with ample comparisons made to recent Marvel Studios adaptations. One user loudly stated: “This is worthy of being called Marvel zombies, not what they gave us lately with that series,” garnering much praise for the original comics. This was almost like a chant from many fans, feeling the recent series never really captured the stark, blood-curdling horror represented in the original comics.
Another might have gone even further in stating, “The show was not even 10% of the comics.” This sparked a mini-debate in the replies; one responder even said, “That’s honestly a good thing,” implying that it might be for the best that the comic’s extremely violent nature may never be fully realized in another medium.
Conversations regarding particular characters began to infiltrate the discussion. “How did Luke Cage get infected?” asked one curious fan, to be answered in detail by another, describing how a great number of heroes were infected at the beginning of the story by Sentry. Another starts to question the whole idea behind it: “How would the cosmic beings even get infected?”- there were conceptual roadblocks translating Marvel’s power hierarchy into zombie lore.
An arguably chilling remark was the outright statement from an account: “spider-man in marvel zombies is low-key terrifying.” That received positive feedback from several others, one of whom described that version as “ironically one of the best versions.” The fusion of Spider-Man’s familiar persona with the language of zombie craving creates one of the most memorable and disturbing moments in the whole storyline for many.
Others added humorous comments about the topic, one user bringing up a popular meme: “Back off. Back off. Back off mother… (oooooooooohw).” Others looked to the future, one fan void of impatience saying, “I waiting for Dr doom 🔥,” while another blended that anticipation with their own demand, “This was good and waiting for season 2 but we want moonknight season 2😮.”
The post even generated some creative tie-ins to current MCU content. One observant fan said, “We nearly had the live action version of 6th slide in Spider-Man: Far From Home 💀,” referring to the brief Mysterio illusion glimpsed in which zombie Iron Man crawls from a grave. Another comment waits on, saying “19 inches of Zombie Reed Richards in Avengers: Doomsday soon 🔥,” itself a veiled reference to a forthcoming animated project.
The Marvel Zombies franchise had its beginning in 2005 as part of Ultimate Fantastic Four before branching out into several mini-series and crossovers. It is set in an alternate universe where the zombie virus infects almost every super-powered individual, creating horrific versions of iconic characters who retain their intellects but become driven by insatiable hunger. Although the Disney+ animated series presented a watered-down version of this concept, the original comics have come to be known for their graphic depictions and dark humor.
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Marvel here-attempted to shine a spotlight on the comic as a suggestion that the Zombies realm has forever remained popular with hardcore fans. The intense narratives to the post, both against recent adaptations and celebrating the originals, provide a pretty clear indication of how deeply invested the Marvel community is in variations on their preferred mainstream takes. While it is only to be expected that Marvel Studios will continue to delve into the multiverse, the recent outcry provoked by this social media post is indicative of the current almost-craving for unabashed horror that turned Marvel Zombies into a cult favorite. These gruesome images stirred such a conversation that, it can be said, even in death, Marvel characters still manage to give audiences a thrill. The animated series has certainly sparked its own discussions, much like the recent reveal of Scarlet Witch in a prominent role.
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