By: Heather Seebach
WARNING: The following contains spoilers from both the comic book series and the television show.
Since issue 1, Robert Kirkman's comic series has been known for showing no mercy. AMC's adaptation of The Walking Dead, however, played it pretty safe until Sophia stumbled out of Hershel's barn. Since that moment (and since Frank Darabont left), the show has more closely resembled the "nobody-is-safe" source material. Still, a couple infamous print moments have been watered down, changed into something else, or omitted altogether. The following are ten disturbing scenes or arcs that I still hope make it into the show.
10. Rick Goes All Rabid on Some Bandits (Issue #57)
While on the road in Kentucky, Rick, Carl, and Abraham get held up by some bandits. When the degenerates decide they're going to rape the trio, starting with young Carl, Rick loses his shit. Unable to effectively fight them off in his wounded state, rips a guy's throat out with his teeth and does unspeakable things to another guy with a knife just out-of-frame. The closest TV Rick has come to this level of human-killing so far was Tomas, but I am hoping we will see this even crazier, more desperate father soon.
9. Suicide Pact (Issues #14 - #15)
Tyreese's daughter Julie gets pressured into an idiotic suicide pact by her boyfriend which inevitably results in just her being killed (and then re-animated). Since Tyreese does not seem to have a daughter on the show, this moment will likely not happen exactly the same, but I would still like to see suicide addressed in this way. We saw people let themselves die in the season 1 finale, and Hershel's daughter considered it herself in season 2, but here we have a couple whose naive suicide pact gets botched, resulting in the grieving father beating Julie's dumb-ass hipster boyfriend to death - twice!
8. A Different Kind of "Killer Within" (Issues #15 - #17)
Suicide wasn't the only death seen inside the prison. Thomas, an unsuspecting white-collar criminal turns out to be a homicidal maniac, beheading Hershel's twin daughters and slicing up Andrea's face. Once discovered, Thomas is brutally beaten by Rick and ultimately killed by Maggie. This story proved once again that the greatest threat comes from human beings, not walkers. For a while, I thought for sure that nerdy Milton on the show could turn out to be the psycho-in-hiding and attack Andrea. Moving that story from the prison to Woodbury would've been pretty cool.
7. The Governor Tortures Michonne (Issue #28 - #29)
When it comes to "Will they or won't they?" with AMC, this is the scene most debated among comic fans. It is generally considered too brutal for television. While the show-runners do have a lot of balls, I think the Governor's threatened-rape on Maggie was as close as it's ever gonna get. The TV version of the Governor is not the sleazy disgusting monster from the comics. He is far more civilized and sympathetic. But since the mid-season finale, his mental snap is clearly coming, and I'd still like to see his and Michonne's relationship get increasingly more fucked up.
6. Michonne Gets Revenge (Issue #33)
Speaking of fucked up, the best thing about the Governor's imprisonment of Michonne is the revenge she unleashes on him upon escaping. Ass-raping, eyeball gouging, and amputations are just part of the fun. Even if Michonne never gets brutalized herself, I still hope the Governor does something nasty enough to warrant this response.
5. Billy & Ben (Issue #61)
Four-year-old twin boys Ben and Billy seemed like insignificant background characters until it slowly became obvious that Ben had violent tendencies. After losing both of his parents to walkers and being surrounded by constant death, Ben took to torturing and killing animals. Then one day Ben killed his brother with a knife and said, "Don't worry, he's going to come back. I didn't hurt his brains." While killing (undead) children is nothing new to the TV show, I doubt they could be so bold as to show a 4-year old kill his twin brother. On top of that, Carl is the one who ultimately executes Ben.
4. An Eye for an Eye (Issue #83)
It was shocking enough the first time Carl was shot (issue #9), but there is something so unnerving about that image of him with his eye socket blown out. I also really love moments before when Jessie (Rick's then-girlfriend) will not let go of Carl's arm as the walkers swarm, and Rick coldly chops off her hand to separate himself and Carl from her. Rick is hardcore!
3. The Prison Siege (Issues #46 - #48)
This is surely the most infamous and bloody scene in Walking Dead history, and it's appearance in the show is right around the corner. Though perhaps the most shocking moment of all (Lori's death) has already happened, so we can count that out. And the horrifying decapitation of Tyreese will have less of an impact now since he was only just introduced. Still, I hope it's an epic, nasty battle whose body count rivals that of the comics. And since that nobody Lilly Whatsherface is not on the show, here's hoping for a proper Rick-Governor showdown like I always wanted.
2. Rick Gives the Governor a Hand (Issue #28)
Second only to the Michonne rape and torture, this has got to be the scene fans most hope and expect to make it on the show but it totally will not. Kirkman has said he regrets chopping off Rick's hand as it created too many writing limitations (but having a baby around doesn't?!). However, I have had a theory all season that we might see this fate befall Andrea. They've already ruined her chances at being the bad-ass her comic counterpart is so, fuck it, take her hand. I'd love to see the look on her face when her fuck-buddy the Governor does that to her.
1. The Hunters (Issues #63- #66)
While Dale clearly could not be involved anymore, I think it is absolutely essential that this plot line make it into the show! In the comics, these cannibals kidnap Dale and eat his leg, but the old man gets the last laugh because he was bitten and they are eating "tainted meat." Sick as The Hunters are, what follows is possibly even more disturbing, as Rick & co. brutally kill and burn the people. For a show about the end of humanity and dead-people-eating-people, a cannibalism subplot is inevitable and necessary. I cannot wait!
What moments from The Walking Dead comics are you most hoping to see come to life?
