The Walking Dead often prides itself in not shying away from horrifying deaths for beloved characters.
Videos by ComicBook.com
Fans of the TV series tuned in by the millions to witness Abraham Ford and Glenn Rhee meet Lucille and, in turn, their makers in truly brutal fashion. However, those deaths which 17 million people watched live can hardly compare to some of the moments which The Walking Dead comics have provided on their black and white pages illustrated by Tony Moore and Charlie Adlard across 165 issues, as of this week.
Robert Kirkman has a way of destroying humans unlike any other and on the following slides we will run through five of the most brutal deaths in The Walking Dead comics. This, of course, means major spoilers for the comics follow and potentially the AMC television series which adapts them. While the show tends to deviate or swap deaths at times, it will often times follow the events of the comics quite accurately, making the following pages dangerous for those who prefer to keep the surprises safe!
Rosita, Ezekiel, and More
Years after Neganย was introduced and defeated, a more formidable foe presented itself in the form of The Whisperers.ย
The Whisperers wanted to prove they were not to be disobeyed in their instructions to Alexandria. They wanted their territory and would make it known by marking the border with the heads of several Alexandrians.ย
After hosting a festival and a few cheerful moments in Alexandria, Rick’s group discovered the heads of King Ezekiel, Rosita, and several others planted on spikes by Alpha and her band of Whisperers. We knew this group was crazy, seeing as they wear the skin of dead people and walk among them with no rules other than keeping quiet, but witnessing so many beloved characters deaths splashed across a couple of pages was a lot to digest.
ย
Lori & Judith
While Lori saw a rather brutal sendoff in the television series while bringing Judith into the world, her death in the comics was much more sickening.In fact, Lori survived the birth of Judith in Robert Kirkman’s comics only to meet a more horrifying demise.ย
During one of the Governor’s raids on the prisoner, a soldier hailing from Woodburyย fired a bullet which struck Lori and Judith as they ran for cover. Lori collapses, falling on top of the baby, truly ruling out any chance of survival for the little one.
Not even the TV series wants to tackle killing babies.
ย
The Governor
The Governor’s death itself, a bullet to the head, is not why the first true villain of The Walking Dead makes this list.
Instead, it’s the torture sequence beforehand which earns him the honor.ย
As payback for everything he did to her and the good people of the prison, Michonneย tortured him in truly brutal fashion. She removed each of his finger nails, carved out his eye, and cut his arm off as he was defenelessly strung up across pages which will make even those who hate Governor most’sย stomachs turn.
ย
Glenn Rhee
Negan’s introduction is best known not because of the character he is but the character he killed.
One of the few characters to survive from the earliest issues of The Walking Dead through issue #100 was Glenn Rhee. However, Neganย elected to bash his brains in with a barbed wire wrapped baseball bat but kept him alive long enough to tease him over his bulging eye and hear him call out, “M-M-Maggie!” in a desperate last word to his wife.
Glenn’s death had one of the largest impacts on The Walking Dead comics which is only now starting to be felt on the TV series.
ย
Father Gabriel
Father Gabriel’s death was one of the most brutal and unexpected in The Walking Dead comics. The poor guy was finally learning how to step up for Rick Grimes on a consistent basis but ended up losing his life and, still, nobody knows about it.
As the Whisperers marched toward Alexandria, Gabriel took to a water tower to keep look out in hopes of being able to warn Alexandria of their approach. However, the Whisperers arrived earlier than expected and Gabriel panicked, rushing back to the ground level to warn the Safe-Zone.
On the way down, Gabriel slipped on the ladder but had his leg caught in it. The bone protruded straight through his skin and he was left hanging upside down, defenselessly. Beta, the new leader of the Whisperers, sliced Gabriel at the gut and left him hanging, dying, to be devoured by the army of walkers behind him.
ย