Zombies are a type of creature created either through the reanimation of human corpses or degradation of a human through infection. There are several different types of zombies which vary in their creation and their abilities.
Overview
Zombie is a term used to refer to any creature who appear to be in a decayed state, either through the reanimation of deceased corpse or infection from a substance that degrades their physiology. These methods of zombification include; lightning strikes, Time Wraiths, the TX-90 virus, Ramsey Rosso's infected blood, and magic.
Zombies are very popular in pop-culture, with them being featured on shows such as The Walking Dead, with Cisco Ramon being mentioned to be a fan of this show.[1]
History
Original multiverse
Lightning strike reanimated zombies
This type of zombie is raised through a lightning strike reanimating their corpse. The only known zombie revived this way is Tony Woodward.[2]
Tony reanimated as a zombie
In 2016, after Team Flash's attempt to have Barry regain his powers in a recreated second particle accelerator explosion in the Breach Room, the dark matter energy wave it released somehow reactivated part of Tony Woodward's brain, causing him to return to life in a zombie-like state. Tony broke out of S.T.A.R. Labs and began retracing his steps from his last attack. Once Team Flash finally determined what he wanted, Iris decided to act as a bait for him to get him to come back to S.T.A.R. labs. Cisco and Harry Wells tried to shut down his brain using a pair of powerful electromagnets, but to no avail. Once Barry came back from the Speed Force, he used his spin to create enough energy to supercharge the electromagnets, giving them enough power to finally put Tony to rest for good.[2]
Black Flash
Time Wraiths transform Hunter into a decayed zombie-like form known as Black Flash.
- "The Flash pulled me from the timeline. He held me captive for months; and when I finally got loose, I found myself... pursued by something. I thought it was a Time Wraith; the monsters that hunt speedsters who mess with time. But, whatever's hunting me is far worse than a Time Wraith."
- —Thawne about Black Flash[src]
After losing a race to Barry and attempting to destroy the multiverse with the Magnetar, Time Wraiths appeared and imprisoned Hunter Zolomon in the Speed Force, while reducing him to a decayed zombie-like form known as Black Flash.[3] Due to being bound to the Speed Force's will, the transformed Zoom could only detect speedsters as living beings; it ignored anyone else such as ordinary humans, similar to the Time Wraiths that the CCPD officers that shot their guns at when the creature invaded the precinct. Its primary job was to erase time remnants like Eobard Thawne and Savitar when they were no longer supposed to exist in the current timeline.
TX-90 virus zombies
Zombies overrun the Collins Plantation.
- "That looks like a...."
"Don't say it!
"ZOMBIE!!!" - —Jax and Stein[src]
In 1863, at the height of the American Civil War, a time pirate infected with the TX-90 virus crash-landed on Earth (Earth-1) in the U.S. state of Mississippi. The effects of the virus turned the time pirate into a zombie-like creature as well as infecting a group of Confederate soldiers who had found the crashed vessel. When the Legends arrived to answer the pirate's distress beacon from his timeship the Dauntless, they encountered Union army dispatch Henry Scott, who was being chased by a group of zombies. Though the Legends easily defeat the zombies, Scott was mortally wounded in the process, and with his dying breath he tasked the team with his mission of stealing secret Confederate battle plans from the Collins Plantation. Mick Rory was also wounded in the battle, having been bitten by one of the infected soldiers, and he was taken aboard the Waverider for medical treatment. Ray and Martin managed to cure Mick, while Sara and Nate destroy the zombie confederates, fixing the timeline.[4]
Blood Brothers
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A type of meta-human group called the Blood Brothers, were zombie-like beings that were created by Dr. Ramsey Rosso/Bloodwork. While some Blood Brothers are still alive and can be returned to their proper living state, others are properly reanimated from death.[5]
New multiverse
Snakebite Pseudo Zombies
The blue version of the drug Snakebite turned people of Gotham into cannibals and gave them cat-like irises. It caused a mephedrone spike so intense, it changed the composition of the victims' pupils to look reptilian. Normally Snakebite access memory from the hippocampus; but the new recipe made the victims crave memories, from others due to major synaptic misfiring. Hence the insatiable hunger; which Mary Hamilton attributed to a huge glucose spike. The victims are aware of what they're doing initially, but are too consumed by the infection to care after a while. The victims were cured by getting injections of clonazepam; which forced the drug out of their bodies while temporarily shutting off their brains.[6]
Supernaturally reanimated zombies
In 2015, Papa Midnite created a zombie to kill Constantine, but failed. [7]
New multiverse
Zombies in London attacking the Legends.
Atropos being a Goddess of Death has the ability to revive the dead as zombies who carry out her will.[8]
In 2020, the crew of Supernatural While filming an episode of season 15, where they were massacred by Atropos and later resurrected as zombies to attack the Legends. However the Legends manage to defeat and escape them.[8]
Later, Atropos caused the England Zombie Apocalypse to kill the Legends. This lead to the destruction of London and the death of many citizens who were turned into zombies. The Legends attempted to escape to a Time Bureau Safehouse, but most of them (and some of the British army) end up being killed by the zombies; with only Charlie successfully escaping.[9]
Bloodwork Crisis
Powers and abilities
Powers
- Immortality: Being already dead, zombies are incapable of dying of natural causes. Though they are capable of being physically damaged to the point where they can no longer function.
- Lack of pain: Unable to feel pain, zombies are unaffected by any damage or crippling injury that they sustain, which even includes surviving decapitation. The only way to permanently put them down is a head-shot with a gun or complete destruction of their body.[9]
- Self-sustenance: Zombies are somehow able to keep moving for long periods of time without water or food.[4]
- Stamina: The zombies are capable of exerting themselves for long periods of time; without getting tired.[4]
- Soul detection: An ability only demonstrated by zombies created supernaturally by Atropos. These zombies are able to detect the presence of humans with souls and will be attracted to them, which is shown when John Constantine who had no soul at the time was ignored by the zombies.[9]
- Mortality detection: Another ability only demonstrated by Atropos' zombies. These zombies were shown to be aware that the Legends were immortal and waited until their immortality expired before attacking; meanwhile, they actively pursued Zari Tarazi because they could sense her mortality.[9]
Abilities
- Teamwork: Fragile and deprived of intellect the zombies are capable of rudimentary forms of teamwork to bring down their prey. Using numbers they were able to systematically restrain and kill Sara Lance and several of the other Legends.[9]
Weaknesses
- Lack of intellect: Acting mostly instinctive and feral, zombies are unable to use equipment, plan ahead, or anticipate plans to counter them.[4]
- Weakened body structure: As many bodies are in a decayed state, it is fairly easy to dismember them.[4]
Known zombies
- Tony Woodward/Grider (original multiverse)
- Hunter Zolomon/Black Flash (deceased)
- Mick Rory (cured)
- Blood Brothers (cured)
- Mitch Romero (deceased)
- Barry Allen/Dark Flash (cured)
- Many Confederate soldiers (deceased)
- Crew of Supernatural (deceased)
- London citizens (unknown, possibly erased due to Loomworld)
Appearances
Constantine
Season 1
The Flash
Season 2Season 3
Season 6
Season 8
Season 9 |
DC's Legends of Tomorrow
Season 2
Season 5
Season 7
|
Supergirl
Season 5
- "Blurred Lines" (mentioned)