Films made by Zack Snyder always gain special attention. It is especially true from fans of his DC Movies filmmaking history. So naturally, his latest, Army of the Dead, is also under major scrutiny. The film, with quite a few references to Greek mythology, has an Alpha Zombie called Zeus, played by Richard Cetrone.
The film takes on a zombie apocalypse+heist plot while also exploring the idea of zombies having the mental capacity of an intelligent animal. It might sound interesting as a premise, but there’s a high chance that you might be disappointed with what happens in the film.
Many questions about the Alpha Zombie King Zeus have been left unanswered. The film did not address the truth about his origin directly, and only people who have watched with hawk-like eyes will probably be able to connect the dots.
But for those who haven’t caught on with the clues, I’ve got you covered.
A mysterious figure jumps out of a military payload after a bloody accident outside Las Vegas at the film’s beginning. The figure turns out to be a zombie who could turn other people into zombies upon attacking. Zeus got his army after turning some people, who then turned other people into zombies.
I will discuss this in further detail in the article. Keep reading for more information.
1. Where Is Zeus From? What Is His Origin Story?
Apart from the fact that he emerges out of a military payload at the beginning of the film, Zeus’ origin is not openly revealed. Yet, it was hinted upon by the soldiers transporting the payload who joked about how they were probably carrying an “alien from Area 51”.
But Zeus certainly classifies as a zombie, given his death-like aura and how he’s able to kill people, and then make them rise from the dead. But the question is, how did he become a zombie himself?
This part is not explored in the film. However, the government experimenting with some alien technology is a likely explanation for Zeus’ zombification. I mean, he was being transported from Area 51. And Area 51 = Aliens in Sci-fi.
Zack Snyder has also mentioned in interviews about Zeus’ origin.
“Richards is his name. The soldier that is Zeus, but he had a name; he was a guy before. Something happened to him… He did volunteer for something, but it wasn’t what he thought… He also went on a mission. It wasn’t just like, come to this facility and train. He went on a quest on his own and came back as this thing.”
Zack Snyder
There are also two prequel film series on their way: Army of Thieves and anime-style series Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas. There is a high chance that the films, especially the latter title, might provide an insight into Zeus’ backstory.
1.1 What Happened to Zeus in Area 51?
It is a tricky question, as this part is left for the imagination of the viewers. But as far as Area 51 is concerned, it is highly likely that the government is involved in any experiments going on, along with whatever “alien”-ic technology they possess.
And to this the fact that Zeus was being transported so secretly that not even the soldiers carrying his payload knew about it. It is possible that the result did not turn out satisfactory to the government.
2. How Did Zeus Become the Alpha Zombie King?
Now comes the interesting (and gruesome) part. After Zeus escaped from the military confinement, he attacked and bit the soldiers in his vicinity. The soldiers became alphas themselves, having been bitten by Zeus. Then, they set their eyes on Sin City.
Because he was the first one to turn humans into zombies (alphas at that), who then turned other humans into Shamblers, all the undead population is sired to Zeus. He is like the Original Zombie (Klaus Mikaelson-type original?)
So this is how Zeus had risen to the role of the Zombie King. And even for zombies, they had a pretty clear-cut hierarchy. I will talk about this further in the article.
As for how he got called the nickname “Zeus” or “God” of Zombies, it has been pretty apparent in one scene. The Alpha Zombie King is seen staring at a statue of the Greek God of thunder, Zeus, which stood ahead of the Mount Olympus Casino. The Zombie Army then sets their base in the Casino.
For those of you who don’t know, Olympus is the place where God resides. And Zeus is the King of Gods. I love the mythological interpretations involved in the film.
2.1 Hierarchy of The Army of the Dead Zombies
The Alpha Zombie King Zeus is the ultimate power within the Zombie Army. That much has been clear from the start. Then all the humans who got bitten by Zeus directly got turned into the Alpha Zombies, which is comparable to the Gods under Zeus’ rule in Greek mythology. They were Gods, but they still came under Zeus.
And then, if an Alpha Zombie bit a human, they got turned into a Shambler, comparable to the nymphs and other creatures from mythology.
The film also introduced a fascinating character. A female Zombie appeared to be Zeus’ wife (Hera?), making her the Queen of Zombies. But as to how much authority she had when compared to the others is unknown.
3. Where Did the Zombie Army Come From?
The Army of the Dead is made up of the zombified citizens of Las Vegas. After escaping confinement, Zeus and his new set of soldiers set their eyes on the city that never sleeps, after which a Zombie outbreak happens.
In gruesome scenes, zombies killed people, and people killed zombies and those infected with the virus ruthlessly. The film showed the scene as the Richard Cheese cover of the Elvis Presley song, “Viva Las Vegas”, was being played in the background. The song gave a pretty bizarre look to the scene.
The government managed to contain the zombies within the city by sealing them off. However, by then, the entire city had gotten contaminated with the zombie virus. Thus rose the Army of the Dead, upon which ruled the Alpha Zombie King, Zeus.
3.1 What Became of It in the End?
The government had decided to nuke the containment zone to ensure that every zombie is wiped off of the city. When the bomb is dropped, Zeus was stuck in a fight with Scott Ward (Dave Bautista) in the chopper flown by Marianne Peters (Tig Notaro).
I almost thought he had escaped the nuke, but Kate (Ella Purnell) finally manages to blow his head off with a gun. The scene deleted every possibility for zombies to reappear until after the blast when Vanderohe (played by Omari Hardwick) emerges from the safe, alive with bags of money.
It almost seemed like a happy ending. However, it turns somber when Vanderohe realizes that he had a bite mark, and when Kate shoots a bullet in Scott’s head as he starts transforming into a zombie. Sigh.
So it’ll be interesting to see what decision Vanderohe ends up making about his life, now that he’s aware of his condition.
Army of the Dead is available for streaming on Netflix as of May 21, 2021.
4. About Army of the Dead
Army of the Dead is a 2021 American zombie heist action thriller film directed by Zack Snyder, with a screenplay he co-wrote with Shay Hatten and Joby Harold.
The film stars Dave Bautista, Ella Purnell, Omari Hardwick, Ana de la Reguera, Theo Rossi, Matthias Schweighöfer, Nora Arnezeder, Hiroyuki Sanada, Tig Notaro, Raúl Castillo, Samantha Win, Huma Qureshi and Garret Dillahunt.
After a zombie outbreak in Las Vegas, a group of mercenaries takes the ultimate gamble by venturing into the quarantine zone for the greatest heist ever. the outbreak of zombies begins in Area 51, the highly secretive government facility in Nevada where a zombie virus has been engineered and then spread, resulting in the creation of a multitude of undead creatures.
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