Marvel Zombies Homages A Truly Twisted Fantastic Four Moment

Fans have waited years for "Marvel Zombies" to arrive on Disney+, and we are happy to announce that the animated miniseries is delightfully horrific. Major characters get killed and eaten, the undead torment the living nonstop, and the gore is plentiful. "Werewolf by Night" brought some mild horror to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but "Marvel Zombies" fully embraces the genre's twisted sensibilities — and it is a treat. What's more, the series pays homage to some of the more messed up moments in Marvel Comics' history, including one with ties to the Fantastic Four.

One of the early scenes in "Marvel Zombies" episode 2 sees Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) and his crew driving through the desert with cattle in tow, listening to Journey and having a good time. However, their sing-a-long is interrupted by some motorcycle-riding Skrulls who want to steal their cows. The action sequence is very reminiscent of George Miller's post-apocalyptic "Mad Max" saga, but it also appears to be an homage to the Skull Kill Krew, a group of humans-turned-shapeshifting aliens with a history of riding around on motorcycles.

The Skull Kill Krew are minor characters in Marvel Comics' rich lore, but they have a dark history with the Fantastic Four, which is subtly referenced in this episode. Let's dig into it.

Stan Lee and Jack Kirby introduced the Skrulls to Marvel lore in 1961's "Fantastic Four" #2, which sees the shape-shifting extraterrestrials arrive on Earth with the goal of defeating the titular heroes and taking over the world. However, they are no match for Reed Richards, who ultimately wipes out their memories and forces them to transform into cows.

Years later, those cows get turned into hamburgers, which are then eaten by humans who gain Skrull DNA. Some of those humans then go on to form the aforementioned motorcycle gang and start causing havoc. The inclusion of cows and motorcycle-riding Skrulls in "Marvel Zombies" episode 2 is a clear nod to this storyline, and it is a lot of fun ... even if it does harken back to a moment from the comics that makes Mister Fantastic look quite foolish for not thinking his plan through.

In the end, Shang-Chi and his comrades deal with the Skrulls swiftly on "Marvel Zombies," but fans of the comics will undoubtedly appreciate the Kill Crew's cameo nonetheless. Series creators Bryan Andrews and Zeb Wells clearly know their Marvel history, and it shows throughout the animated horror adventure.

The first season of "Marvel Zombies" is now streaming on Disney+.