The very idea of the latest Marvel animation, ‘Marvel Zombies‘, came from the terrifying episode in the earlier series, ‘What If.’ Its source material is the very popular and gritty Marvel comic series, ‘Marvel Zombies.’ For the comic book readers, the name evokes straight-up horror – heroes destroying the very planet they swore to protect.
The comics were the brainchild of Robert Kirkman. Even though the idea and premise of both the show and the comics are nearly the same, the storytelling is vastly different. So let’s have a review of how the new ‘Marvel Zombies‘ show is different from the source material comics.
The Protagonists: New Heroes Vs. Zombie Anti-Heroes
The original comics followed the zombies as the main protagonists of the story. The ‘protagonists‘ were zombified versions of Iron Man, Spider-Man, the Hulk, and Giant-Man. They were hungry beings who retained intelligence and personalities.
The upcoming show will be completely flipping the script. The show follows a new generation of heroes who are trying to survive the apocalypse. Their team includes Kamala Khan (Ms. Marvel), Kate Bishop (Hawkeye), Yelena Belova, and Shang-Chi. The story shifts from dark comedy to mainstream survival horror.
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The Tone: Hopeful Survival Vs. Bleak Cosmic Horror
The tone depicted by the comics represented a nihilistic and lost approach mixed with a tint of humor. The zombies were the main characters, and they had already consumed the entire galaxy. There was no hope and no cure, just endless, all-consuming hunger.
The show, on the other hand, is rather hopeful about survival. Focusing on a team of survivors, the story will be about regrouping together in order to find a cure and rebuilding the destroyed world.
The Origin Of The Outbreak
This is where the biggest difference between the show and comics is represented. In the comics, the zombie virus broke out when Sentry brought the infection with him. Thus, Sentry became the patient zero of the zombie apocalypse.
The show, on the other hand, follows a completely different approach. In the Marvel Zombies show, Dr. Hank Pym and Janet are affected by the virus in the quantum realm. When he comes back, he ends up infecting the other heroes and the civilians. The prospect of a zombie virus was more dangerous in the show. The heroes couldn’t have known that Pym was going to hunt them down as soon as they tried to help the situation.
The Scope: Earth-Bound Apocalypse vs. Galactic Buffet
A key feature of the comics was the brutally huge scale of the apocalypse. The heroes were simply not satisfied with consuming every living thing on Earth. They consumed Galactus and the Silver Surfer to attain the Power Cosmic. In the end, the zombies travel together as ‘Zombie Galacti,’ consuming every planet in their way.
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On the other hand, the show is much more grounded initially. The story will revolve around the survivors on Earth and the zombies they must fight in order to stay alive. They only fight the zombified versions of local heroes and villains initially. The confirmed appearance of a zombified Ikaris, however, does indicate that the threat level will slowly but surely increase.
The hardcore comic fans might find themselves a bit disappointed when they watch the ‘Marvel Zombies’ show. However, it is necessary to remember that while the theme is similar, the show ‘Marvel Zombies‘ is a completely new and different story. If we keep aside the differences and focus on the progress of the story, the show is very enjoyable and hooks the audience with the very first scene.
