The intellectual behind Rick Grimes' group, Eugene Porter, had quite the tumultuous arc throughout The Walking Dead series, from tricking the survivors into embarking on a prolonged quest to Washington D.C. to actually becoming a selfless and valiant member of the team. However, If the series writer and co-creator Robert Kirkman had decided to pay tribute to a classic zombie film involving a fan-favorite character, Eugene may have gone down an even darker road than originally intended.
Following their bloody ordeal with The Governor, Rick and the remaining survivors would quickly come across Eugene and his small entourage which included the likes of Sgt. Abraham Ford and his loyal companion Rosita Espinosa. The group initially believed Eugene to be an experienced scientist who'd been in with important figures stationed in Washington D.C. As Porter and his two cohorts become valuable assets to Rick's smaller unit, Eugene comes across an interesting discovery through a weakened zombie that may provide an opportunity to prevent the frightening foes from becoming a further threat. However, the plot point never seemed to gain the same traction as others and seemingly fell to the wayside while Eugene proved his worth another way... by crafting bullets. Kirkman discussed his plan behind the unresolved plot point and why the change was necessary to help differentiate Porter from a past character of zombie lore.
The Walking Dead's Eugene Could Have Been More Twisted
In an effort to continue The Walking Dead legacy, Image Comics began The Walking Dead Deluxe series from Kirkman, artist Charlie Adlard, and colorist Dave McCaig. Within the letters landmark Night of the Living Dead trilogy, which featured a select group of individuals attempting to survive on a remote Florida island. As his name implies, Frankenstein is known for capturing several undead and performing his own twisted set of experiments.
Though Eugene ultimately never fulfilled the role that Kirkman had originally intended, the implications associated may have been reimagined with another character introduced into The Walking Dead television series. Milton Mammet (played by Dallas Roberts) was an original survivor created for the television series' third season and served as The Governor's chief scientist within Woodbury. Milton lacks the fighting prowess and marksmanship of other survivors like Rick or The Governor but uses his scientific ingenuity to perform tests on the undead. Many of Milton's tests are executed to determine whether zombies (or walkers) can retain any semblance of humanity, even after they are bitten.
Milton never made it to the comic book page, but it could offer some fans a sense of closure that Eugene's original legacy could have possibly lived on through The Walking Dead's equally beloved television series.
Source: The Walking Dead Deluxe #55
