Do you find yourself checking your metaphorical watch this season on The Walking Dead, wondering when the group is finally going to take up arms against Negan? Carl's ill-advised ambush does not count, and only lead to more cringe-worthy moments. Unfortunately, based on what happens to Negan in the Walking Dead comics, he's going to be terrorizing our heroes for a long time. Fair warning, there are potential spoilers for The Walking Dead ahead if you want to keep guessing.
Last Sunday's episode, in which Negan babysat Carl and gave him a grand tour of the Sanctuary, was particularly faithful to the source material. Negan really does ask to touch Carl's eye socket, and demand that he sing, and then burn a man's face with an iron. After those moments in Robert Kirkman's comics, Negan fakes out Rick by making him think that he's hurt Carl and the two get into a physical fight. One difference is that this in the AMC series, Negan has returned to Alexandria and discovered Judith before that happens.
Spencer tries to make an alliance with him, which is annoying and probably definitely coming up in the show. Negan kills him, Rick returns with a gun, and the war against the Saviors has officially begun. That war wages for a while in the comics. The Saviors kidnap Gregory, which gets the Hilltop involved. The Kingdom joins the fight as well. Dwight continues to be Negan's right hand man, which is deeply upsetting.
At the "end" of the war, Negan is captured, injured, and imprisoned. He stays locked up in a basement for two years. He somewhat escapes, but his timing is not ideal — and Rick and Negan end up fighting the Whisperers together, and then apart, and then together again. He reunites with Dwight, but they do not share the same dynamic. Most recently in the comics, Lucille was destroyed. She broke in half in a fight with a Whisperer. That may seem trivial, but as we know, it's pretty important for Negan.
So, while Negan as a character is pretty likely here to stay on The Walking Dead, a reprise of sorts is coming. Whether that means war, imprisonment, or the destruction of his favorite toy is up to you. Based on the comics alone, the story coming up with Negan is thankfully not all as gut-wrenching as his introduction.
Images: Gene Page/AMC; Giphy
