ABSTRACT
The post-apocalyptic narrative in comics presents worlds that are chaotic, dangerous, brutal and filled with sudden violence. For many characters in these narratives, violence isn’t simply an act that happens to them or their fellow survivors, but a skill and tool that they must learn and use to survive and push back against the post-apocalyptic world they now inhabit. For Michonne in Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead, and Agent 355 in Brian K. Vaughn’s Y: The Last Man, violence is more than just an action that they take—it is a defining part of their identity and a form of resistance to their oppressive new world. As women of colour, Michonne and 355 stand in as unique symbols of rebellion against the apocalypse and new power structures that have formed. Their choice of violence becomes a way for them to rebel, survive and protect other survivors while carving out a space where the apocalypse and its effects can be pushed back. However, their choice of violence has repercussions. Because violence is an integral part of their identity, any other choice would mean losing part of themselves, their ability to rebel and their ability to survive in a brutal and changed world.
