Shane (Comic Series)


 * For the TV series character, see Shane Walsh (TV Series).

Shane Walsh was the de facto leader of the Atlanta survivors band until Rick joined the group. Before the zombie apocalypse a small-town sheriff's deputy who partnered with Rick Grimes, the main protagonist of the story. His weapon of choice seems to be his Glock-17 pistol.

Pre-Apocalypse
In the earliest events of the story, both Rick and Shane were stuck in a firefight with an escaped convict, both debating how to deal with the situation. Rick unfortunately, ended up getting shot in the incident, with Shane taking care of the convict.

While Rick survived, he was left in a coma, it is then the dead started rising. With the population being ordered into the major cities by the government, Shane, seeing the crisis worsen, accompanied Rick's wife; Lori Grimes, and their son; Carl to Atlanta to find shelter.

Shane proved instrumental in getting the two to Atlanta. As they neared the city, Lori became depressed over the fact that they essentially abandoned Rick in their town's hospital. Shane, however, comforted Lori and the two became closer. Eventually, Lori was so desperate for closeness that she had a passionate night with Shane on the highway to Atlanta, something Shane had wanted for a long time (hinting that he could have had a long-term fixation with Lori even before this). Afterward, Shane assumed the two were now lovers in a relationship and asked Lori, assuming the crisis would end soon, if she would tell Rick about "us". Lori, however, confessed she didn't know. Unbeknown to the two of them, Shane had impregnanted Lori. The three, unable to enter the zombie-overridden city of Atlanta, settled on it's outskirts and joined up with Dale and the survivor group he had formed. Shane, an authority figure, became the group's de-facto leader, and the group of survivors, eventually expanding, lived on the outskirts of the city, with Shane repeatedly preaching the government would one day return to save them.

After-Apocalypse
When Rick eventually arrived and joined the group, Shane was initially overjoyed. However, he gradually became jealous of Rick and Lori getting back together. Eventually, Lori brushed off Shane's advances and said it had to stop. While he had believed she referred to their romance, she really meant his fixation on her. He attempts to bring up their moment on the highway, which she immediately puts him to a halt saying "it was a mistake". He's sent into an emotional meltdown when he has a fight with Rick over the topic of staying at camp.

Rick supported moving the camp to a safer location, while Shane insisted they would still be saved by the Army. Lori sided with Rick after a momentary fight, quickly getting in between them while lashing out at Shane calling him insane. The sight and realization of Lori going to Rick's side caused Shane to have a meltdown. Shane ran into the nearby woods, with Rick pursuing, until Shane stopped and held him at gunpoint. He began to yell at Rick, saying how he had believed Lori would have eventually come back to him (thus hinting to Rick about the brief romance between them), and felt Rick "should have stayed dead".

Killed By

 * Carl Grimes
 * Rick Grimes

Seeing that Shane was completely insane and moments away from pulling the trigger, Carl having followed and witnessed his father in danger, shot Shane in the neck. Shane choked on his own blood and died seconds later. Lori spat on his grave, calling him a 'bastard'. While the group discover The Prison and realising you don't have to be bit to turn, Rick travels back to the camp outside of Atlanta by motorbike to dig up and kill zombified Shane.

Rick's return for Undead Shane
Rick returns to Shane's grave following the death of Julie, Tyreese's daughter, to test the theory whether the dead would return to life even if they hadn't been bitten. Digging up Shane's grave, he found he was indeed undead. He said that he wouldn't feel right about leaving him like that and, if things had been different, Shane would probably not have done the same for Rick. He then shoots Shane in the head, putting him down and said that he wouldn't bury Shane again, thus leaving Shane to rot.

Judith's paternity
Later, Lori would carry her and Shane's baby to term, with their daughter being named Judith. Both mother and daughter were killed by the Woodbury Army during their assault on The Prison.

The paternity of Judith was a highly-controversial topic, but in the end it is concluded Shane was Judith's father, a fact accepted by Rick and Lori (though never spoken - at Rick's request, as he felt the knowledge would kill him). On the official website, Shane is officially credited as being Judith's biological father.

Lori Grimes
Shane led Lori to Atlanta while Rick was unconcious and presumed dead. He had a sexual relationship with Lori on the way to Atlanta. After Rick's return Lori rejected Shane. Her resentment of Shane is what caused Shane to try to kill Rick forcing Carl to end Shane's life.

Carl Grimes
Shane was generally nice to Carl, but the boy was wary of his interactions with Lori and thus never fully trusted him. After the tension between Rick and Shane began to grow, however, Carl was forced to kill Shane in order to save his father's life.

Rick Grimes
Best friends with Shane throughout childhood, they'd always stay loyal until the outbreak. Believing Rick was dead, Shane had an affair with Rick's wife, Lori. In the end Rick's son, Carl, shoots Shane in the neck whilst Rick and Shane were fighting.

Trivia

 * Shane is the first person in the comic series to turn against another survivor.
 * Shane, in the TV series, wasn't shot and killed by Carl in the woods and is still alive.
 * Shane's last name has never been mentioned in the comic but in TV series (all the original Atlanta survivors' last names came from TV series) he mentions it to be Walsh.
 * In the comic series, Shane was convinced that the government would one day return for the survivors and rebuild the world. However, in the TV series, Shane apparently accepted that there was nothing left of society, and it could never be fully rebuilt.