"Zombie" is a cover-all term for any type of undead or unliving life form, often portrayed as having limited intelligence and eating any human or animal they can find.

Contents

1. In Dead Frontier
2. In Voodoo
3. In Fiction and Popular Culture

1. In Dead Frontier

In Dead Frontier, zombies are not created by Hougans or supernatural demons. The cause is an experimental anti-cancer treatment (Nerotonin 4) created by Secronom Industries, a pharmaceutical research organization. While conducting human trials of the treatment, horrific cases of psychosis, mutation, and death began surfacing amongst the patients, causing a forced quarantine of those exposed to the N4.

A police raid on a Secronom compound in Southern France released 109 infected personnel into the general population of mainland Europe. Secronom officials downplayed the danger and claimed the media was exaggerating the extent of the threat.

In the weeks that followed, the population of Europe was decimated by an enormous outbreak of N4 in the major cities of Paris, London, Berlin, Kiev, and Rome. Attempts at a quarantine of the Americas and Australia failed, and before long the entire globe echoed with the roar of the living dead. After one year and billions of deaths from N4 zombies and infighting, mankind is facing extinction. Tiny groups of people have survived in isolated rural areas and squalid refugee camps, barely warding off starvation through increasingly costly raids on infested areas. But supplies have begun to run out, and as humanity weakens, the Infected only grow stronger.

It appears that the disease affects humans, canines, and birds, but rumors abound of other species being infected. Those lucky enough to escape the most heavily infected areas report seeing zombies with increased aggression and speed, characterized by festering sores and distinctive colored skin, including blue, purple and red tones, although whether the red is caused by the disease or the gore of their victims is unknown.

Humans and animals infected with N4 may not all be dead, due to their ability to mutate, which dead bodies cannot do, and their susceptibility to damage of the limbs and torso. When shot or cut, a spray of blood can be observed, suggesting that the disease has anti-clotting properties, making the risk of infection from contact even greater. When fighting infected personnel, it is recommended to keep your distance or remain in constant motion to avoid a fatal wound, with a special focus on destroying the brain.

2. In Voodoo

Zombies are a central theme in many voodoo stories, legends and rituals. , the basis for the modern word 'zombie,' is a powerful and influential snake god in the voodoo religion. Most "zombies" are really heavily drugged or brain damaged humans rendered highly susceptible to suggestion by a mixture of drugs and toxins.

3. In Fiction and Popular Culture

Zombies are a popular enemy in fiction. From the bizarre telepathic zombies from Stephen King's "Cell" to the demoniacally possessed mortals in Brian Keene's "The Rising", zombies are still as terrifying as ever.