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The Alexandria Safe-Zone, or simply Alexandria, is a few blocks of cleared streets in Alexandria, Virginia, about six miles south from Washington, D.C.. When Rick Grimes's survivor group arrived, then-leader Douglas Monroe stated that the community had existed for less than a year. To date, this is the longest lasting location in which the survivors have lived, with a lifespan of almost three years.
In the war, Alexandria suffered considerable damage and was temporarily abandoned.[1] After the war's end, the survivors came back to Alexandria and started to rebuild it. Two years after the war, Alexandria was completely rebuilt and has been vastly improved, with the addition of new houses, crops and orchards.[2]
Background Information
A man named Alexander Davidson began to build the wall, and later invited his good friend Douglas Monroe to be his co-leader in the society. However, sometime after the wall was built, Davidson began to abuse his power by taking advantage of some of the women in Alexandria and assigning others to dangerous jobs that he himself refused to do. This forced Douglas to do something that he dreaded; he burned a zombie to double as Davidson's body and then banished Davidson to the outside world, which he considered as good as killing him.
After this setback, things in Alexandria seemed to be going smoothly. This peace is temporarily shaken by the arrival of Rick Grimes's group to the Safe-Zone. Due to the combined attacks of both Peter Anderson and the D.C. scavengers, Douglas realizes he can't lead the community as well as he thought. He then resigns his commission and subsequently puts Rick in charge, feeling that Rick would be a far better leader than himself.
The Herd
Due to the noise of the firefight with the D.C. scavenger group, a massive herd of roamers is drawn towards the Safe-Zone. The walls of Alexandria are surrounded by roamers; the group notices that Andrea is still in the tower. An expedition party is mounted to search for her. However, the plan backfires and the party becomes separated from the rest of the group.
The roamers eventually break down the walls killing many residents, including Bruce and Tobin. Rick and Morgan Jones try to get to safety, but Morgan is bitten on the arm; he tells Rick to leave him and get to safety. However, seconds later, Morgan changes his mind and says he wants to live. Michonne comes to his aid and slices his arm off with her katana. She and Rick rush him to the clinic, where he collapses.
Rick rushes back to his house, where he is greeted by his son Carl, Jessie Anderson, and her son Ron. After she and Rick make out they devise a plan to escape. They cover themselves in roamer guts and make a run for it. However, Ron is grabbed by a roamer and is bitten. Jessie rushes to his aid, but also ends up being swarmed and is devoured along with Ron. She attempts to get Carl's help and grabs his hand. However, she won't let go and Rick is forced to cut her hand off. Douglas soon comes to their aid and starts shooting wildly at the roamers. He is bitten and a stray bullet hits Carl in the eye, destroying the right side of his face.
Douglas is swarmed and devoured, when Carl collapses. Rick picks him up and sprints for the clinic. He makes it and asks Dr. Denise Cloyd to help him; she tells him that she will do everything in her power to save Carl, but the resources needed may attract more roamers to the area. Rick heads outside and makes a stand alongside Michonne. They are both fighting the roamers alone until Abraham Ford and Holly see them and decide to assist. Eventually the whole community joins the fight and together they successfully repel The Herd.
Aftermath
After the zombie herd is defeated, things begin to go back to normal until Nicholas attempts to take the Safe-Zone away from Rick, who he perceives as a threat to their lives and the community. Rick is able to defuse the situation and calm Nicholas down.
The community is later approached by an outsider named Paul Monroe, who wishes to establish a trade route between the Safe-Zone and several other communities around the area. For some reason, the community still does not grow food even though it would be much easier than scavenging all the time. Paul later reveals that he also brought them to the community of the Hilltop for help against the Saviors.
The War Against the Saviors
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Rick Grimes and Paul Monroe, with the help of Ezekiel, devise a plan by using all three of their communities to fight off the Saviors. Rick lies to his colony to make it seem as if they are following orders to give Negan whatever he wants. When Negan comes to the colony unannounced, Rick sees it as an opportunity to end this once and for all. He tries killing Negan, unaware that he has backup hidden. They are then saved by an army of survivors from The Kingdom, including Ezekiel and Shiva.
The armies from Kingdom, Hilltop, and Alexandria itself spend the night preparing for war. The following morning Rick gathers a meeting, revising their battle plan, and leaves with the survivors, leaving Carl in charge of the safe-zone, along with Andrea, who is still badly injured from the skirmish the day before.
Soon, Negan and a large group of Saviors arrived, bringing Holly who got separated from the militia in the Battle of Sanctuary. They release her back to the Safe-Zone. Just as Denise takes off the bag on her head, they realize Holly died and reanimated, being a roamer. She bites Denise's arm and is shot by Rick, just as Negan orders an attack. Several grenades are used, blowing up and setting on fire a good number of houses. The number of casualties is unknown. They are saved in the last minute by a group of Hilltop survivors led by Maggie Greene, and they manage to repel The Saviors away.
Exodus
As of this, half of the safe zone's houses were destroyed or burnt down. Though the walls are still intact, Rick declares the zone unsafe, taking everyone in Alexandria back to Hilltop with Maggie.
Alexandria is mentioned several times by the survivors, and Rick states several times that they are going to rebuild it after the war is over.
Reconstruction and Improvement
During the two year period following the war, Alexandria has been vastly improved, with several houses being built, and also farms, orchards, crops and animal pens. The population of the safe-zone also increased considerably. It is connected to the other safe-zones by a reinforced road.
The Whisperers Threat
Alexandria hosts the fair, welcoming all other communities for days of celebration. The fair is cut short by the Whisperers' attack, who murder over a dozen survivors. Tensions grow as the survivors are unsatisfied with Rick's course of action of not retaliating against the Whisperers.
Layout
The area runs on an isolated power grid and was put together by the government in case of a major disaster. However, the power grid does not work the way it was intended as half of the houses do not have hot water and there is not enough power to run all of the lights at the time.[3]
The zone originally contained two streets of houses, a meeting house, an armory/storehouse, and infirmary, and was expanded by Abraham and Tobin's crew to include more houses, a general store, and a church.
There are under sixty residents of the Safe-Zone before Rick Grimes' group arrived, and with their inclusion there are "over sixty" residents.[4]
Before the war, the safe-zone contained about twenty houses and about fifty survivors.[5]
In the aftermath of the war with The Saviors, the damaged community was returned to and rebuilt. Now there are several more houses, a community cafeteria, a mill, crops, orchards and a jail. The population, according to Eugene, remained stable at "about fifty."[6]
Inhabitants
Grimes Family
- Rick Grimes - leader of the Safe-Zone
- Andrea - look-out for the Safe-Zone; girlfriend of Rick
Monroe Family
- Douglas Monroe - a former U.S. Congressman and former leader of the Safe-Zone; husband of Regina and father of Spencer; killed by zombies
- Regina Monroe - an elderly woman; wife of Douglas and mother of Spencer; killed by Pete Anderson
- Spencer Monroe - son of Douglas and Regina; killed by Negan
Recruiters
- Aaron - a former recruiter for the Safe-Zone who meets and invites any survivors to the Safe-Zone if he deems them to not be a threat.
- Eric - Aaron's loving partner, Eric would accompany Aaron on his recruiting missions and kill anyone who attempted to harm Aaron. He was killed by The Saviors.
Supply Runners
- Heath - a male survivor and supply runner (Formerly)
- Scott - a male survivor and supply runner; died due to complications and infection caused by a broken leg
- Glenn - a male survivor who arrived with Rick's group; husband of Maggie Greene and adoptive father of Sophia; killed by Negan
Ammo-Crew
- Eugene Porter - a male survivor who arrived with Rick's group
- John - a male survivor; killed by zombies
Construction Crew
- Siddiq - a male resident who serves on the construction crew after the war
- Abraham Ford - a male survivor who arrived with Rick's group; later leader of the work crew; killed by Dwight
- Holly - a female survivor and formerly part of the construction crew; girlfriend of Abraham; killed by the Saviors
- Tobin - the former head of the construction crew; killed by zombies
- Bruce - a male resident; part of the construction crew; killed by zombies
Herd Patrol
- Paul Monroe
- Eugene Porter
- Aaron
- Heath
- Rosita Espinosa
Nicholas's Family
- Nicholas - a male survivor; husband of Paula and father of Mikey; killed by the Saviors
- Paula - wife of Nicholas and mother of Mikey
- Mikey - son of Nicholas and Paula
Anderson Family
- Peter Anderson - husband of Jessie and abusive father of Ron; former doctor; killed by Rick
- Jessie Anderson - wife of Pete and mother of Ron; killed by zombies
- Ron Anderson - son of Pete and Jessie; killed by zombies
Vincent's Family
- Vincent - a male survivor, husband of Julia and father of Josh
- Julia - wife of Vincent and mother of Josh
- Josh - son of Vincent and Julia; killed by Alpha
Other Survivors
- Barbara - a female resident
- Annie - a female resident
- Carlos - a male resident who serves as a lookout
- Anna - a female resident
- Wesley - an unseen resident
- Delbert - an unseen resident
- David - unseen male resident
- Richards - a male resident and formerly part of the construction crew
- Other Unnamed Residents.
- Denise Cloyd - a female resident and doctor; killed by a zombified Holly
- Gabriel Stokes - resident of the Safe-Zone who runs the church; killed by Beta
- Olivia - a cheerful young woman living in the Safe-Zone; killed by Alpha
- Carter - a male resident; killed before Rick's group arrived
- Beth - a female resident of the Safe-Zone; killed before Rick's group arrived
- Jessica - a female resident of the Safe-Zone; killed before Rick's group arrived
- Barnes - a male resident and formerly part of the construction crew
- Charles - a male resident; killed in the second Savior attack
- Betsy - a female citizen living in the Safe-Zone; killed in the second Savior attack
- Alexander Davidson - founder and former leader of the Safe-Zone; banished for indiscretions with women by Douglas and later killed by zombies
- Mr. Orson - unseen male resident; killed in the second Savior attack
- Mrs. Orson - unseen female resident; killed in the second Savior attack
- Orson children - the children of Mr. and Mrs. Orson; both killed in the second Savior attack
- Erin - a female resident; killed by Alpha
Newcomers
- Magna - a female newcomer
- Yumiko - a female newcomer
- Kelly - a male newcomer and boyfriend of Connie
- Connie - a female newcomer and girlfriend of Kelly
- Luke - a male newcomer; killed by Alpha.
Animals
- Greene family horse - a horse brought to the Safe-Zone; possibly killed by the herd or from the Savior attack.
- Buttons - a horse brought to the Safe-Zone; possibly stolen by a female survivor when on a supply run
- Multiple horses, cows, pigs and chicken.
Former
- Carl Grimes - son of Rick; moved to Hilltop to be a blacksmith apprentice under Earl Sutton
- Michonne - a katana-wielding female survivor who joined the safe-zone with Rick's group
- Maggie Greene - moved to Hilltop and became leader
- Sophia - adoptive daughter of Maggie; moved to Hilltop along with Maggie
Deaths
- Carter - died from an unknown cause before Rick and the rest arrived
- Jessica - died from an unknown cause before Rick and the rest arrived
- Richards - died from an unknown cause before Rick and the rest arrived
- Barnes - died from an unknown cause before Rick and the rest arrived
- Beth - committed suicide before Rick and the rest arrived
- Alexander Davidson - exiled and confirmed dead by Kirkman
- Scott - died due to complications when he broke his leg on a supply run
- Regina Monroe - killed by Peter Anderson while attempting to stop him from attacking Rick
- Peter Anderson - killed by Rick after killing Regina
- Derek - shot in the head by Andrea
- Bruce - died during the zombie invasion
- Tobin - died during zombie invasion
- Morgan Jones - bitten during the zombie invasion and killed before reanimation by Michonne
- Ron Anderson - grabbed and devoured by a herd
- Jessie Anderson - grabbed and devoured by a herd
- Douglas Monroe - grabbed and devoured by a herd
- Abraham Ford - shot through the head by Dwight with a crossbow during the Saviors' first counter-attack
- Spencer Monroe - killed by Negan by cutting Spencer's stomach open
- Seth - a Savior who was shot just outside the gates by Rick
- Connor - a Savior who fell to his death after being pushed out of a window of the bell-tower by Andrea
- Holly (Zombified) - shot by Rick
- Charles - killed by a grenade
- Betsy - killed by a grenade
- Mr. Orson - killed by a grenade
- Mrs. Orson - killed by a grenade
- Orsons children - two children killed by a grenade
- Gary - a Savior killed by a grenade
- Davis - a Savior shot by Maggie
- Denise Cloyd - bitten and later put down by Michonne
- Olivia - killed by Alpha
- Josh - killed by Alpha
- Erin - killed by Alpha
- Luke - killed by Alpha
- Rosita Espinosa - killed by Alpha
- Many unnamed Scavengers - Five or possibly more unnamed Scavengers died at the gates of the Safe-Zone when trying to attack the residents.
- Many unnamed Saviors - Many unnamed Saviors died at the gates of the Safe-Zone when trying to attack the residents.
- Many unnamed Alexandrians - died before Rick and rest arrived to unknown reasons
Trivia
- This is so far the longest running refuge of the comic series, being used as refuge by Rick's group since #70 to its destruction in #121, then its rebuilding after #126.
- While planning the ending for the book, one of the ideas creator Robert Kirkman came up with was to end the series in to the introduction of Alexandria.
- The Alexandria Safe-Zone is a buyable property in The Walking Dead Monopoly.
References
- ↑ Issue 121
- ↑ Issue 127
- ↑ According to Olivia. Issue 70, page 19.
- ↑ According to Douglas Monroe. Issue 70, page 13. In Issue 71, page 9, Heath tells Scott there are twelve survivors which joined the Zone. The true number is unknown as the numbers given by Aaron and Douglas do not match.
- ↑ Issue 103
- ↑ Issue 152