Why the outbreak?

**ryansson** · 08-Nov-2008

I do like the fact that in the GAR movies we dont really get a solid explanation for the dead returning to life, but I guess most of us have our own explanations we like over others. If pressed, what would you say caused the outbreak:

1. Virus/infection ( of human or alien origin)

2. Voodoo

3. Judgment day

4. Who the hell cares it's just cool

Feel free to offer other possible reasons

**dracenstein** · 08-Nov-2008

No.4 for me. It doesn't matter. I don't want to know.

**DawnGirl27** · 08-Nov-2008

The same - # 4. If a certain cause was pinned down, then the plausibility of it would be argued about continually, and critics would have even more ammo to nay say things about the genre (which, I acknowledge happens all the same, but why give yet another reason?).
It's more interesting to me to mull over different reasons without commiting to one fully.

**RustyHicks** · 08-Nov-2008

#4 as well. I never really did concentrate on the why, in GAR's movies,
neither did he give solid answers.
Unlike Return of the living dead when the reason is
shown right in your face

**lullubelle** · 08-Nov-2008

# 4, makes for a better story if you dont know where it came from, if you did, you could solve the problem, and me personally I like the whole mess the way it is

, without any explanation

, so in the words of that famous poet " WHO CARES"

**sandrock74** · 08-Nov-2008

I will say #1. I always figured it was viral/bacterial in it's nature anyway, whatever the reason for it initially happening. Most evidence points to that anyway (a zombie bites someone and they die). No hope.

Not knowing exactly what caused it makes it more interesting. Who was "Patient Zero"? Does it really matter in the overall scheme of things?

**Craig** · 08-Nov-2008

Originally Posted by sandrock74

Not knowing exactly what caused it makes it more interesting. Who was "Patient Zero"? Does it really matter in the overall scheme of things?

Well in the case of Romero's movies there wouldn't really be a 'patient zero' because every dead person comes back to life. Though when you have a mythos where the infection is only spread by transmission (bites etc.) the question of the cause is more likely to come up as some sort of virus or disease.

So I'll say #4 as a general rule since it effectively ends any complications with the story that you'd get if you tried to explain it

.

**AcesandEights** · 08-Nov-2008

Looking at the list, I'd have to say Voodoo hits me as the least I'd like to see, but any of those 4 could be enjoyable, if used properly.

**Trencher** · 08-Nov-2008

The unknown is allways the most scary, so to keep the horror aspect as much as possible so 4 is the most scary.
Also everytime I seen a reason in a movie or comic they spend too much time on explaining the reason and the goverment conspiracy behind it taking away from the survival and zombie action.

**Mike70** · 08-Nov-2008

there doesn't seem to be any one theory that covers all the bases as to why the outbreak occurs. since being bitten causes a person to sicken, die and then reanimate, that suggests that it is a virus or bacteria that is communicable through saliva. i don't know of anyone in the romero series that is infected through contact with blood or other fluids from a zombie.

however, since every person who dies comes back no matter what the original cause of death is, the virus theory doesn't seem to apply. unless it is a virus or bacteria that just about every one has been exposed to (this is possible, i don't think you'd find many people who haven't been exposed to the flu or the common cold) and lies dormant until a person dies. that would explain why a bite would infect an otherwise healthy person. the virus would've become active in the zombie and be transmittable through saliva.

**Tricky** · 08-Nov-2008

Its got to be number 1 - virus for me,because any other reason isnt plausible!i dont like it when everyone who dies,bitten or not, turns zombie,i just find that a bit daft!

***Andy*** · 08-Nov-2008

I Am shocked no-one has said space probe radiation.

And you guys call yourselves romero fans?

**Bub666** · 08-Nov-2008

I got to go with #4,I really don't care what the cause of the outbreak is.

**SRP76** · 09-Nov-2008

If i had to pick a cause, I'd go with Earth pole-reversal screwing with the electrical field, which plays havok with the chemolectrical function of the human brain, which in turn is what's causing dead bodies to still function.