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History

It should be noted that many continuity errors have occurred over the years. Thus, some details are uncertain, out of place, or not placed in a specific period in time. This history features only the indisputable facts.

Start of the Infection[]

The Punisher had gotten a tip that the Red Mafia had smuggled what he assumed was a suitcase nuke. In actuality, they had imported vials of Survivor 118, a chemical that could be released through the water or air and allow people to adapt to live in a contaminated environment and eat anything. His mistake caused his accidental exposure to the chemical, causing him to be sick for days, but protecting him from future ills and giving him an immunity to the chemical.

The chemical entered New York's water but no symptoms showed for seven months. In that time, people's movements around the world quickly spread the virus to every part of the planet. The first known case was during an aggressive battle between Spider-Man and the Rhino, during which their fight ended in a hockey stadium, where Spider-Man ate the Rhino on live television. The Fantastic Four captured him and brought together a science team consisting of Reed Richards, Hank Pym, T'Challa, and Hank McCoy to figure out what has happened to him. They learned that Spider-Man's DNA had been completely rewritten, leaving him as he was but primitive and predatorial human being.

Early Days[]

Despite what was happening to Spider-Man life continued normally for Wolverine until Psylocke was kidnapped and later found completely devoured. As he took up the search for her killer, the world fell apart around him. The second major incident occurred at a Chinese restaurant where the Blob ate twenty-five people inside.

Things started to get worse when the science team realized that the virus had been around for a while, making it almost impossible to keep up with it. Reports started popping up in all five boroughs of New York and some in New Jersey. Reed started to view it as a global threat.

Logan was sent to pick up equipment that was shipped to the science team from Utopia, which was supposed to have arrived the day before. He found the shipment in Central Park and killed Angel when he saw that he was infected. Realizing that the infection has spread to Utopia, Wolverine traveled there and killed the infected X-Men.[1]

Earth-11080 from Marvel Universe Vs

When Logan returned, the scientists had figured out that the outbreak was caused by Survivor 118. Based on police reports, they deduced that the Punisher had ambushed a shipment of Survivor 118 and sent Logan to bring him to them. After finding him, he brought him to the Baxter Building for the scientists to give him blood and tissue tests. However, along the way, Magneto and Electro got into a fight, causing an EMP explosion that knocked out the city’s power. Inside, they found that Hank McCoy had succumbed to the plague and the infected Ben Grimm had released Spider-Man. To make matters worse, Spider-Man and Beast were eating Hank Pym. Punisher killed Hank McCoy, but Spider-Man was able to flee. Thing and his allies Red She-Hulk and Thundra fought against the Punisher, Wolverine, Reed and T’Challa until he chose to escape with Thundra while using Red She-Hulk as a distraction.

In the aftermath, T’Challa told them about Wakanda's demise. His sister Shuri escaped to New Jersey with a handful of refugees on a Quinjet, but their exact location was unknown. New Jersey was also the location of a warehouse where Reed stored old machines that could be used for starting a new lab. With this knowledge, Reed and T’Challa decided to move operations to New Jersey.

Earth-11080 from Marvel Universe Vs

Thing went to the Hulk in hopes of merging tribes with him so that they may kill the scientists. An escort of heroes led a convoy of scientists out of New York, but the Hulk’s tribe confronted them on the Goethals Bridge. The heroes held them back for as long as possible while the scientists were led to safety. The battle claimed many lives on both sides and cost Wolverine his left arm and one of his claws.[2]

The science team was able to successfully reach Elizabeth, New Jersey and was hiding in a storage facility. Afterwards, Captain America, Deadpool, and the Punisher recovered Wolverine from the river and brought them to a hidden base. From there, Deadpool was sent to gather intelligence on the Hulk's mission to find the scientists. However, Deadpool was infected himself and was hiding it from the group. Black Panther met up with the group to give them information about their situation. Their rescue ships had not arrived for them, they had lost all contact with Shuri, and the trucks Luke Cage went to find would take three to four hours reach the scientists.

They then formulated a plan to hold off the Hulk, who was moving in closer and closer to the science team and were approaching Newark Bay. Ten minutes later, the small group gathered to fight the Hulk's army, but the Hulk was nowhere to be found. So while Captain America and the Punisher fought the army, Wolverine and Deadpool went after the Hulk. Locked in battle, Captain America was beginning to turn, so the Punisher put him out of his misery. Wolverine and Deadpool eventually found the Hulk and confronted him, during which Wolverine was sent flying into the distance. Luckily, they were able to hold the Hulk back long enough for the science team to escape. Along the way they found Wolverine and brought him with them.[3]

The Last Avenger[]

Thor rallied what was left of the Avengers at Ground Zero of the plague. There, Doctor Doom made his move and offered them a cure in the form of his Doomstones, made from his own brand of science and alchemy.[4] In exchange, he wanted to be named Emperor of Earth. Outraged by his proposal, the Avengers fought him, only to be interrupted by an army of Subterraneans led by Hercules. Doom helped kill the army, eventually convincing the Avengers to accept his offer.[5]

Operating from the Baxter Building, Doom rerouted the backup power to power an electrified fence around all five boroughs while his Doombots manufactured the parts. The Doomstones were designed to keep the plague from coming to the surface and wipe the mind of the infected. With the city now secure, safety camps were established to house the uninfected, including the Javits Convention Center, which housed 20,000 people and one third of the medical team. The Avengers questioned themselves for taking part in this plan, but Thor took it the hardest, choosing to abandon the planet he had called home rather than assist Doom.

Avengers (Earth-11080), New Avengers (Earth-11080), and Avengers Academy (Earth-11080) from Marvel Universe Vs

Doom demonstrated his cure to Hawkeye when he showed him the previously infected Daken with a Doomstone embedded into his chest. The Doomstone allowed him to reclaim his humanity, but his mental state was reduced to that of a child.

As the Avengers continued to wrestle with trusting Doom, Hawkeye stumbled on Deadpool dragging a dead body into the Baxter Building. When he followed him inside he found out that Doom was infected.[6] Doom revealed to him that he created the Doomstones to turn its wearer into a cannibal while still allowing them to retain their intelligence and memories. Doom activated them, turning almost everyone in New York, including the Avengers, into cannibals.

Hawkeye, the Punisher, and Black Widow were the only heroes left. Tasked with finding any remaining heroes, they fought against many cannibal tribes, during which Spider-Man kidnapped Black Widow. The Punisher broke off from Hawkeye to hunt and kill Spider-Man, leaving Hawkeye to confront Doctor Doom. Using an arrow made from Wolverine's broken adamantium claw, Hawkeye succeeded in killing Doom and swore to avenge his fallen comrades. However, seconds later, Thor returned briefly to kill Hawkeye for unknown reasons, making the Punisher the last person in New York City to fight the infected.[7]

Last Gun on Earth[]

Earth-11080 from Marvel Universe Vs

The infected started forming tribes that fought each other for land, manipulated in secret by the King of Death, one of the more intelligent and cunning cannibals. Spider-Man, now referred to as Patient Zero, was the most successful, drawing in scores of infected to his tribe. He claimed Manhattan for himself while other tribes left to stake new lands.

Over the next few years, the King of Death and his tribe destroyed the other tribes and forced them to join him. Using his resources, the King of Death was able to move into Manhattan from Brooklyn despite the destruction of every bridge and tunnel and made a push to take Manhattan from Patient Zero.[8]

Two years later, the scientists had moved operations to the North Pole and were preparing for human testing. Wolverine was still with them and assisted in bringing uninfected to their lab for safety.[3]

Meanwhile, the Punisher continued his war against the cannibals, even taking the heads of those he killed and placing them on pikes outside his base of operations. Among his most notable was his victory over Thing, who he killed by destroying him in the Baxter Building. On day 1,813, he killed Deadpool for the thirty-third time.[9] Then on day 1,830, he finally killed the Hulk with the same arrow that Hawkeye used to kill Doctor Doom.

With the King of Death moving to take his territory, having also taken his mate Mary Jane Watson, Patient Zero sent Venom to request help from the Punisher. Frank ran into him at a church, where he had just found a priest (who he called "Padre") and a young boy. But before he could explain his reason for being there, Frank killed him. He tried a more direct approach by appearing at Frank's base of operations with Deadpool[10] and told him about his troubles. He then offered to give him the survivors that have been hiding if he killed the King of Death and brought back his mate.

Earth-11080 from Marvel Universe Vs

At first against his offer, the priest convinced him to agree to it. Patient Zero's tribesmen Deadpool, Black Widow, and Scorpion joined him on his mission. After arriving at the King's lair near Ground Zero of the infection, they were attacked by his tribe.[8] The Punisher was tortured for information on Patient Zero's location while Deadpool was imprisoned, but Frank didn't tell him anything, knowing that the hidden survivors would be found and killed as well. Deadpool broke out and served as a distraction while Mary Jane freed the Punisher. Then, he took the opportunity to kill the cannibals, along with Deadpool. With the King of Death's tribe decimated, the Punisher killed him.

With his side of the deal fulfilled, Patient Zero gave him the survivors. Regardless, the Punisher shot Patient Zero in the head and sent the survivors, including Mary Jane, the priest, and the boy, away on a boat to an unknown location so that he could continue his war.[11]

Residents

Major Survivors[]

  • The Punisher - As the person that accidentally released the pathogen into the world, he has much to atone for. The outbreak has simplified his war. Now it is him against them. Over the years, he has watched the world fall apart and has been witness to every major occurrence. Everything changed when he met a priest and a young boy, whose influence convinced him to help Patient Zero save his mate in exchange for a group of survivors. After saving his mate and subsequently the survivors, he killed Patient Zero and sent the uninfected away so that he could continue his war against the cannibals.
  • Wolverine - Wolverine was there at the start of everything, even witnessing Spider-Man's battle with the Rhino on TV. For a while he helped Reed Richards and the scientists in various ways and put his life on the line on many occasions. After his battle with the Hulk, the science team brought him with them to their new lab. He has since been helping the scientists bring survivors to them.
  • The Father - The priest ran a soup kitchen in the Bronx just before the plague took hold. As the plague tore through New York, he moved from place to place gathering as many survivors as he could. At first there were hundreds of them, but as time passed on, their numbers dwindled to just himself and a young boy. Despite everything, he kept his faith. Years later, he and the boy were saved by the Punisher. When Patient Zero offered the Punisher a group of hidden survivors in exchange for his help, the Father's words convinced Frank to help. In the end, when Frank succeeded in his task and the survivors were turned over to him, the priest and the uninfected were sent away to somewhere safe from the cannibals.

Major Cannibals[]

  • Patient Zero - The first to succumb to the plague and the one who gave it national attention. After his escape from captivity, he formed his own tribe and become the most powerful in Manhattan.
  • King of Death - Not only is he the most intelligent of the cannibals, he is also the puppetmaster that manipulated a huge battle that eliminated most tribes in New York, allowing him to systematically take over all of New York. He challenged Patient Zero for power in Manhattan, leading to his death at the hands of the Punisher.
  • Deadpool - Despite being infected for a while, Deadpool kept it hidden from the heroes and helped them in battle on multiple occasions. He sided with Doctor Doom up until his death, then became a part of Patient Zero's tribe. The Punisher killed him dozens of times. He seemingly died when the Punisher threw grenades at a group of cannibals that included him.
  • Doctor Doom - At the onset of the outbreak, Doom created the Doomstones to allow him to keep his intelligence and memories. He tricked the Avengers into thinking the Doomstones were a cure and activated them, turning them into cannibals like him. Hawkeye killed him as revenge for the treachery he caused.
  • Hulk - The most physically powerful cannibal, who led an army of his tribe combined with the Thing's to kill the scientists searching for a cure. He came into conflict with Wolverine twice and fought the Punisher years later where he killed him.

Avengers[]

When the plague first hit, the Avengers helped hold back the infected in New York. Slowly, they lost several important members of their team, including Captain America and Thor. Hawkeye was the last Avenger standing until Thor returned to kill him.

The Avengers included many other spin-off teams such as Avengers Academy and New Avengers.

X-Men[]

Based in California, the X-Men were thought to be safe from the plague. Unfortunately, that was not the case and, in fact, everyone on Utopia was infected. Wolverine traveled there to kill them and put them out of their misery.

Science Team[]

A team of over 80 of the world's top scientists brought together by Reed Richards and anchored by T'Challa, Hank Pym and Hank McCoy. They originally operated out of the Baxter Building until they were attacked, causing significant losses in their staff with the deaths of Hank Pym and Hank McCoy. They moved operations to Alaska and then the North Pole later on to find the cure.

  • Reed Richards - The leader of the Fantastic Four that brought Spider-Man in for study and head of the science team.
  • T'Challa - The only surviving superhuman member of the science team.
  • Hank Pym - When Beast and Spider-Man ate him, it was a devastating loss for the science team.
  • Hank McCoy - Succumbed to the plague and feasted on Hank Pym. Killed by the Punisher shortly after.

Major Locations[]

New York City[]

  • Baxter Building - Originally home to the Fantastic Four, it came to be the throne room of Doctor Doom up until his death. Thing would later make it the base of operations for his tribe.
  • Goethals Bridge - The location of a major battle between the heroes of New York and the Hulk's tribe.

Wakanda[]

Ruled by Shuri, Wakanda would eventually fall to the plague. Shuri was able to escape with a few survivors to New Jersey on a Quinjet and kept in touch with her brother T'Challa. Unfortunately, they lost all contact at some point and the subsequent fate of Wakanda's uninfected remains unknown.

Latveria[]

A nation ruled by Doctor Doom. As he started to succumb to the plague, he created the Doomstones so that he could keep his intelligence and memories. He then gave his creation to his citizens, turning them into a more intelligent kind of cannibal.

Notes

Trivia

  • Jonathan Maberry has said that the inspiration for the series comes from George Romero's The Crazies and Richard Matheson's novel I Am Legend.[12]

See Also

Links and References

References

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