Issue 105

Issue 105 is the one-hundred-fifth issue of The Walking Dead and part three of Volume 18: What Comes After.

Plot Synopsis
Negan helps Carl to his feet. Negan tells Carl he will show him around while he orders the rest of The Saviors to burn the bodies of the dead. Negan nonchalantly tries to start a conversation. Carl blows it off and asks what he is going to do to him. Negan asks that Carl not shatter his image as a badass. He refuses to disclose what will happen because he doesn't want to ruin the surprise. Negan knocks on the door of the building and they enter.

They are greeted by a Savior who asks Negan if everything is okay as he heard a commotion outside. Negan tells the Savior he has dealt with it. The Savior asks what medicine Negan and The Saviors got on the run to Alexandria as someone named Molly has a bad cough. Negan explains they have all kinds of good stuff and the guy can take his pick as he has enough "points", the apparent currency here.

A Savior named Carson appears to greet Negan home and explains there has been a situation with a girl called Amber while he has been away. Negan tells Carson to find a guy named Mark and to keep tabs on him, and he will speak with Amber himself.

There is the building is a foundry of some sort. All the Saviors see Negan approaching with Carl and get on their knees. Negan tells them to carry on their business and then mentions to Carl about them showing him respect.

Negan and Carl enter a room that can only be described as resembling a brothel. There are at least five women in expensive looking lingerie doing various activities. While Negan talks to Amber, another girl, Sherry, interrupts saying Amber knows that she has messed up and for Negan to go easy on her.

Negan tells the girl to calm down. He points out he has never hit any of them before even if Amber has cheated on him. Negan can tell Carl is impressed with what he sees and can look at all the women as much as he wants, as Alexandria is full of women who dress like "elderly lesbians".

Negan tells Amber that she doesn't have to be scared as her position in Negan's harem is voluntary. If she wants to go back, she CAN go back to Mark and be with him but forfeit all her privileges that come with being Negan's wife. However, the one thing she cannot do is cheat on Negan. He tells her that she has had plenty of time to think about going back to Mark and earning "points" or staying with him. She blurts out that she is staying, and "I love you, Negan". Negan tells Amber that in order for her to stay, she knows what has to happen. He then orders Sherry to find Carson and tell him to prepare the "iron".

Carl and Negan enter his personal quarters, which are very well furnished, and Negan tells him to close the door. Carl asks him if they are all his wives. He answers that he always wanted to have sexual relations with a whole bunch of women and there was no reason to follow any rules anymore. Negan asks Carl if he know what fucking is. Carl says "yeah, kind of-sex stuff". Negan replies that he isn't going there and that it is time to get started.

Negan and Carl take a seat opposite of each other; he explains he would like to get to know Carl a bit better. He wants to know how smart the boy is, as any other child Carl's age would have tried to make a break for it by now, where as Carl had stood right at Negan's side the whole time. Carl has killed five or six of his men and thus his actions could not go unpunished.

Negan says he cannot carry on talking to Carl like this while he has the bandage around his face, so he tells Carl to remove the bandage and the hat. Carl declines. Negan threatens him and Carl does what he asks. Carl's unbandaged face reveals a gruesome eye injury. Negan is delighted. He asks Carl if he's ever looked into a mirror, then comments on how he can see his eye socket and skull. He asks to touch it. Carl doesn't answer and then starts to cry.

Negan apologizes, saying that it's easy to forget that Carl is just a kid and he didn't mean to hurt his feelings but he is interrupted by a Savior knocking at the door. He apologizes and tells Negan that he has brought Lucille as he left it in the truck during the earlier ruckus. Negan tells Carl that all joking aside, he shouldn't cover it up. He may not be a hit with the ladies but no one will mess with him either since he looks so bad ass. Negan takes the bat off the Savior and asks him if the Savior treated Lucille like a lady and "ate her pussy like a lady". The Savior looks confused and scared until Negan exclaims he was just messing with him because baseball bats don't have pussies.

Negan turns back to Carl and tells him that as punishment for Carl gunning down his men he wants something in return for being more than pleasant - he tells Carl to sing him a song. Carl says he doesn't know and Negan calls bullshit on him. Carl starts to sing "You Are My Sunshine" while Negan flexes and swings the bat dangerously close by in the background, telling Carl not to let him distract him from his singing. He finishes and starts to cry. Negan says that was pretty good and that there is nothing more Lucille likes than being sung to, and bashing in heads.

Negan asks if Carl's mother sang that and asked about her current whereabouts. Carl doesn't reply and Negan correctly guesses that she is dead. There is a knock at the door and Carson informs Negan that the iron is ready. Negan tells him to gather everyone and that he will join them shortly.

Down on the foundry floor all The Saviors have gathered. Negan asks Carl to hold Lucille, and he then tells everybody present that what they are about to witness isn't going to be pleasant and didn't even have to happen but he cannot ignore the rules. "Why?" asks Negan. All The Saviors reply in unison "The Rules Keep Us Alive!".

Negan puts a thick glove on while another Savior gets to work on the fire and molten metal in the background. Negan explains that what makes them civilization - what makes them The Saviors - is rules. No matter how small or insignificant they must be followed. When Negan chooses a new wife the process is voluntary, it is an honor to be with him. But it comes at a price-total devotion. But others seem to find this hard to swallow, but it must be swallowed.

Negan grabs a heated Victorian era looking iron. He tells Mark that it is the iron for him and that he is sorry but it is what it is. Negan suddenly lunges at Mark, who is tied to a chair, and holds the red hot iron to the side of his face while he screams in agony. Negan pulls it away and the flesh sticks to it like melted cheese while Mark passes out. Negan says the matter is settled and all is forgiven - Mark will forever bear the shame of his actions on his face and all will know what he has done. He hopes that everybody has all learned something that day.

During this speech, Dwight and Sherry look longingly at each other and it is evident this has happened before and possibly involving them. Carl gives Negan Lucille back and they head upstairs. Negan says to Carl that was pretty crazy and that he probably thinks Negan is a lunatic. Negan then leads Carl away, contemplating what to do with him.

Credits

 * Carl Grimes
 * Negan
 * Dwight
 * Carson
 * Amber
 * Sherry
 * Mark
 * Molly (Mentioned)
 * The Saviors

Deaths

 * None

Trivia

 * First appearance of Carson.
 * First appearance of Sherry.
 * First appearance of Amber.
 * First appearance of Mark.
 * First mention of Molly.
 * This is the third issue in which Rick Grimes does not appear.
 * If you look closely in Carl's eye on the cover, you will be able to see zombies approaching. However, there are no zombies in this issue at all.
 * Carl sings "You Are My Sunshine" by Pine Ridge Boys.
 * The reason for Dwight having his face burned is revealed.
 * One of Negan's wives, Sherry, cheated on him with Dwight.
 * Carl is shown for the first time without his bandage after being shot.