Zombie outbreak causes

[DeadinWV]

Most of the zombie movies out explain their zombie outbreaks as either some kind of virus, military project, chemical leak, etc.

What would be a cool explanation that hasn't been used?

[Eknytz]

Hell overflowing and the souls of the damned possess the dead.

[Cornflakes]

evil vodoo....no wait thats been done.:doh:

I always like strange rocks from mars theory!

[ChainsawfaceMcAwesome773]

Cookies of the Damned. A grandma who used to be a voodoo preistess accidently spills a vial of strange powder into the dough and inadvertantly turns her grandchildren into the living dead.

[GenPirate]

God and Satan place a bet, god says that satan would not be able to over run earth and satan accepted the bet.

[Cornflakes]

Satan gave up controlling hell and left to become a jazz dj for a local radio in Italy and the person who took over hell was terrible at misplacing stuff so lost the keys to lock the gates of hell and zombies escaped.

[GenPirate]

Satan became Gods nanny and God asked Satan to go to the local food store and get some beer and so off Satan went and some zombies escaped while Satan was at the store.

[pogosama]

The dead have actually always been alive, they just are real good at keeping it on the Downlow.

[chewy]

The dead have actually always been alive, they just are real good at keeping it on the Downlow.

Nah. It's just that there are no Starbucks in graveyards... yet.

[Propaganda13]

The dead got bored that day.

[pogosama]

Nah. It's just that there are no Starbucks in graveyards... yet.

I beg to differ
http://static.flickr.com/32/58185917_09ccb54e6a_m.jpg

[Head Trauma]

I'm pretty sure the most reasonable explination for a zombie out break would have to be my gf's...she says it was all caused by my intestines and that triple fire chili burrtio I love to eat. :S

[GenPirate]

The zombies accidently stepped into satans fountain of youth and got turned back into rebellious teenagers and rebelled themselves out of hell.

[Zombie Survivor]

People are becoming zombies, because they want to be zombies... :scare:

[ChainsawfaceMcAwesome773]

Average Joe and his new chemistry set.

[Diablo]

Someone poured westchester sauce into an imbalming fluid container, which was used on a dead person.

[UNDEAD FRED]

I like the George Romero unkown resons cause, just society slipping into total chaos. When there is no more room in hell deal.

[Bangalo]

I think it could start because of some kind of alien virus

[Matt Apple]

First ask yourself: does knowing how it got started advance the story? If the answer is no then drop it.

That being said its cool to let your characters speculate; no more room in hell, bio-weapon etc... But the actual cause should remain a Hitchcock-style MacGuffin.

[secretcog]

I found this gem slumbering in the forum archives. I was getting restless seeing the same threads day after day. It, aka the monotony was an Undead Groundhog Day (pun intended).


Firstly, lets consider the danger most apparent associated with this topic:
Discussing an origin to a zombie outbreak is free brain candy for a wayward author! Yesss...heed my warning. It's like a drug cartel giving free heroin to a junky.

Aaannnd secondly, this is the most important subject because this is the foundation of all zombie lore. What started it all?

So? OK, fine! I'll begin...

I enjoy the bio-weapon theory. A government/corporation/lunatic zombie forum chatter designs a zed bug and releases it.

[Screwballgunnut]

Cookies of the Damned. A grandma who used to be a voodoo preistess accidently spills a vial of strange powder into the dough and inadvertantly turns her grandchildren into the living dead.

Been done. ROTLD: Rave to the Grave, the kids cook up an ecstasy spinoff they name "Z" cause it puts you in a "zombie like trance." Just when you thought the ROTLD movies couldn't possibly get any worse. :x:x:x:x

Personally, I'm fond of two main sources. First, the big government did it while trying to create a new bio-weapon. Sorta like a "V for Vendetta" style virus that goes way wrong with some really bad side effects.

Second idea is a concept that a friend taught me. Basics of the concept: Don't f--- with the spirit world, because you never know what sort of spirits you'll attract. Explanation: He was privileged enough to have sat in on several Lakota medicine ceremonies. He told me that there is a spirit world here on Earth, and that when you call the spirits, you don't always call the good spirits. I've always thought that the zombie apocalypse could very easily be started by some jerkwad screwing around with the spirit world, and the evil spirits screwing back. Maybe I'm :loon: but hey, its my perspective

[Emankcin]

Of all the explanations, Max Brook's explanation of the virus was the best, the Solanum Virus, which has been around for an unknown amount of time.

[retro zombie killer]

Of all the explanations, Max Brook's explanation of the virus was the best, the Solanum Virus, which has been around for an unknown amount of time.

I too like the Solanum Virus as far as viruses go but I find the original strange radiation from Venus or Alien Radiation a classic. Maybe because I grew up in the 80's and watched Night Of The Comet, I just got used to unknown radiation from beyond the stars causing the dead to re-animate and attack and devour the living extremely plausible. But that's just me.:loon:

[Zombie Slayer]

I too like the whole virus thing as the cause for zombie outbreaks, with the radiation/chemical one a close 2nd.

[Zombite]

The best I know of is some type of Nanorobotics, nanobots, nanoids, nanites or nanonites infect the human race causing a negative effect on the host making them hunger. The hunger is to provide the nanonites with the energy required to keep living.