The world of Walking Dead: World Beyond. Focused on a quartet of youngsters and their guardians, Walking Dead: World Beyond begins with the protagonist group leaving the safety of their community behind to embark on a dangerous journey through the wild. While the main themes of Walking Dead: World Beyond are the importance of family and the battle between the present and future, many fans will undoubtedly be more captivated by the long-awaited formal introduction of the CRM.
The mysterious CRM was first teased in The Walking Dead when Rick Grimes spotted a helicopter flying near Fear The Walking Dead through Isabella, who explained the group's desire to change the world, but also revealed their cutthroat methods and unwavering need for absolute secrecy. The plot thickened when Michonne discovered evidence of Rick's survival in The Walking Dead season 10, setting up a reason why Rick couldn't return to his family.
Crucial details on the CRM were hinted at ahead of Walking Dead: World Beyond's premiere when the group's logo was spotted on the jacket of a main character, and the opening episode certainly didn't disappoint. "Brave" lifted the lid on the CRM, revealing their , purpose, allegiance, resources and much more.
The Civic Republic & CRM Explained
Walking Dead: World Beyond reveals that "CRM" actually stands for Civic Republic Military - the armed forces division of a community called the Civic Republic. In of the Civic Republic's size and location, these details remain unconfirmed, but plenty of clues are dropped along the way. Walking Dead: World Beyond's main cast hail from the Campus Colony, which is said to contain a population of roughly 10,000, but the Civic Republic treat them like small fry, suggesting their numbers are many times greater. The location of the Civic Republic is an ongoing mystery in Walking Dead: World Beyond's premiere episode, with the Civic Republic's representative, Elizabeth, refusing to divulge any details even to her supposed allies in the Campus Colony. However, Elizabeth does imply that the Civic Republic might be located in New York. The shady Civic Republican hands Iris and Hope a map leading them to their father in New York City, who is allegedly working at a Civic Republic facility. Elizabeth evidently can't be trusted, so this information must be taken with a hefty grain of salt, but the Civic Republic certainly seem to have some level of presence in the Big Apple.
The Civic Republic are easily the most well-resourced community in Alexandria to shame. Intriguingly, the Civic Republic may have ties to the White House. Walking Dead: World Beyond mentions the Republic's government, and it's not immediately clear whether this is a brand new government established after the outbreak, or whether the Civic Republic was formed from the ashes of the old system by surviving of the U.S. government.
Elizabeth explains that the purpose of the Civic Republic is to find a cure for the zombie virus. The group are hiring scientists and immunologists from across the country in order to find a solution, including Iris and Hope's father, and this might explain why the Civic Republic are so reluctant to reveal their location - news of a cure would cause pandemonium in the zombie apocalypse. But Walking Dead: World Beyond also proves beyond doubt that the Civic Republic are villains. Despite their outward-facing charm and dedication to science, the CRM soldiers decimate the Campus Colony, slaughtering thousands. Even if they are trying to save the world, this level of needless death proves the Civic Republic aren't the heroes they claim to be. Because of this, it's possible that their scientists aren't trying to solve the virus at all, but rather working to weaponize it and establish a dictatorship with themselves at the summit. This would explain why Iris and Hope's father suddenly finds his safety compromised, and also why Rick didn't return home after visiting the Republic.
Cities Part Of The Alliance Of The Three
The Civic Republic are not alone in their mission towards dominance - they're merely one party in a trio known as the Alliance of the Three. Represented by the three rings logo adorned on the side of their helicopters, the Alliance of the Three is made up of the Civic Republic and unnamed communities in Portland and Omaha. Although Elizabeth doesn't provide much information about these other settlements, they evidently share better relations with the Civic Republic than the Campus Colony. This would suggest that the central triumvirate of the Civic Republic, Portland and Omaha work closely together, but reveal themselves to smaller communities which they exploit for their own ends, such as the Campus Colony, who were working with the Alliance of the Three, but weren't part of the coalition itself.
The Alliance of the Three apparently operate within a shared legal framework known as the Four Corners Agreement. Although the specific laws and statutes incorporated within this document aren't revealed, the Four Corners likely serves a similar function to the U.S. constitution or the charter drawn up between Alexandria and its allies in The Walking Dead. Of course, the Civic Republic are quite happy to head out and destroy other communities, so one has to question how wholesome their legal framework might be. Does the Civic Republic's Four Corners Agreement decree that "anything goes" in pursuit of curing the outbreak, or are the CRM exempt from punishment?
How CRM & The Alliance Impact The Walking Dead Story
The arrival of the Civic Republic flips the world of The Walking Dead on its head entirely. Firstly, viewers might finally receive firm answers on what caused the zombie outbreak and whether or not it can be cured. Robert Kirkman's original The Walking Dead comics didn't touch upon these issues, but as AMC's live-action franchise continues to expand, it makes sense to address the deeper mythology behind the virus. The Civic Republic are laser-focused on scientific advancement, promising answers to The Walking Dead's biggest mysteries for the first time since Rick's group arrived at the CDC building in season 1. And if the Civic Republic did discover a cure for the virus, The Walking Dead would suddenly be a very different story, with every known group clamoring for some of that sweet, sweet vaccine.
Confirmation of the Civic Republic's villainy is bad news for the characters of The Walking Dead. The franchise's parent series is ending in 2022 with season 11, but Daryl and Carol are confirmed to be starring in a spin-off series. This announcement led to speculation that The Walking Dead would end with Alexandria's violent destruction, giving Norman Reedus and Melissa McBride an excuse to head off alone. Seeing the CRM's strength and ruthlessness in action for the first time, that scenario is looking far more likely. If the CRM attack Alexandria in The Walking Dead, the fight would be extremely one-sided. Even aligned with Hilltop and Oceanside, Alexandria is a fraction of the Campus Colony's size, which proved no match for just a small unit of CRM soldiers.
The Civic Republic look set to emerge as main villains in The Walking Dead's Rick Grimes movie. After his departure from the main series, Rick was taken away by an Alliance chopper to one of the three sites. At some point, Rick struck out on his own and came almost within radio distance of his home and family, raising the question of why he didn't return to Alexandria. Given Rick's sharp intuition and survival instinct, he undoubtedly would've seen through the Civic Republic and realized the danger they presented. Either Rick didn't want to lead his former captors straight to his family's home, or Rick has been actively working to take down the Civic Republic during his time off-screen. The Civic Republic are an omnipotent force with mysterious intentions, permeating every facet of The Walking Dead's universe. Now that the veil has been officially lifted, these villains are sure to feature even more heavily in the stories ahead. And it'll take more than a Rick Grimes pep talk to take this mob down.