Initial release: June 2, 2013, Through a series of oral interviews compiled by the narrator (an agent of the
United Nations
Postwar Commission), the story of the global war against zombies,
"World War Z," is told. The story begins with the interview of a Chinese
medical doctor who relates the story of a young infected boy who is the
pandemic's
"patient zero", although the origin of the
zombie pandemic
is unknown. It is implied that the boy was not the first victim
chronologically, but his infection (as well as those he infected) is the
first to be recorded, and marked the point the Chinese government
attempts to contain the infection and concocts a crisis involving Taiwan
to mask their activities. Regardless, the infection spreads to other
countries by the
black market organ trade and by refugees, with a larger outbreak in South Africa, bringing the plague to public attention.
As the infection spreads, Israel abandons the
Palestinian territories and initiates a nationwide
quarantine, closing its borders to everyone except uninfected Jews and Palestinians. It then puts down an ultra-Orthodox uprising, which is later referred to as a civil war. Pakistan and Iran destroy each other in a
nuclear war
after the Iranian government attempts to stem the flow of refugees
fleeing through Pakistan into Iran. The United States of America does
little to prepare because it is over-confident in its ability to
suppress any threat. Although special forces teams contain initial
outbreaks, a widespread effort never starts as the nation is deprived of
political will by several "
brushfire wars", and because a rabies vaccine,
marketed as effective, creates a false sense of security. When the
world recognizes the true extent of the problem, a period known as the
"Great Panic" begins. Following the loss of
New York City, the U.S. military sets up a high-profile defense at
Yonkers, New York, but underestimate the enemy; their modern weapons and tactics prove ineffective against zombies, which "can't be
shocked and awed"
as they have no self-preservation instincts, and can only be stopped if
shot through the head. The unprepared and demoralized soldiers are
routed on live television, while other countries suffer similarly
disastrous defeats, and human civilization teeters on the brink of
destruction...WIKIPEDIA
