Marvel Zombies is a five-issue comic book limited series published by Marvel Comics from December 2005 to April 2006. Written by Robert Kirkman with art by Sean Phillips and distinctive zombie-variant covers by Arthur Suydam, the series presents a dark alternate universe where virtually all of Marvel's superheroes and villains have been infected by a mysterious virus that transforms them into flesh-eating zombies while retaining their intelligence and superpowers. The story originated from a storyline in Ultimate Fantastic Four, where the zombie Reed Richards tricked his Ultimate counterpart into opening a portal to this horrific dimension.
The series was a critical and commercial success, spawning multiple sequel miniseries including Marvel Zombies 2, Marvel Zombies 3, Marvel Zombies 4, and numerous spin-offs and crossovers such as Marvel Zombies vs. Army of Darkness and Marvel Zombies Return. The original series is notable for its graphic violence, dark humor, and the tragic irony of superpowered beings driven by insatiable hunger, with characters like Colonel America, Spider-Man, and Iron Man struggling with their monstrous transformations. The Marvel Zombies concept became one of Marvel's most popular alternate-universe properties, influencing merchandise, video games, and eventually animated adaptations.
