"Initium"

In "Graveyard Minds" from THE SCARLET NEMESIS (2022), a mad scientist named Dr. Adam Quantamaker discovers the secret to physical immortality. He invents a process that irreversibly "quantum-locks" the cells in a person's body, making them exist "outside of time" as we understand it. Quantamaker's unwilling test subjects cease to age, are completely impervious to any pain or injury, and do not require any sleep, food, or nourishment. They also develop superhuman strength and have no memory of their former human identities.

Unfortunately, Quantamaker's process also robs his patients of their very souls. With neither needs nor desires nor fears, they take little interest in the world around them and become catatonic, staring off into space for eternity. The entire planet could blow up, and these "quantum zombies" or "Neverdead" would not only survive the destruction fully intact; they would simply float through outer space for the rest of time, staring blankly into the darkness.

Dr. Quantamaker's research is funded by the Warlock or Disciple of the Worm, who is a veteran necromancer, and who helps Quantamaker learn how to control the Neverdead. He succeeds at making the Neverdead completely obedient to his will. The Warlock then zombifies Quantamaker himself, turning him into one of his own creations.

While impersonating Quantamaker (since he seldom likes to reveal his true identity), the Warlock orders the Neverdead to kidnap their surviving mortal families and murder them on live national television, for all the world to see. He extorts every world government, threatening to convert the entire global population into Neverdead if they do not answer his demands. But the Warlock fully intends on zombifying the world even if his demands ARE met, since this entire scheme is really just another of his attempts at starting the apocalypse.

Just when all seems lost, the younger Shieldmaiden of Set appears and pursues the Warlock into another universe, foiling his plan. With him gone, the Neverdead become catatonic once again; the spell has been broken. This makes it very easy for Dr. Quantamaker's private research company, the Quantamaker Group, to round up most of the Neverdead and lock them away (including the real Quantamaker himself), where no one will know to look.

Most of the Neverdead, that is, except for one. For when the Warlock's spell breaks, one of the Neverdead happens to remember his former human identity. He remembers he is Sawyer Wynn, a loving husband and father. He remembers dying in a hospital emergency room from being in a car accident. He remembers Quantamaker resurrecting and transforming him into a Neverdead. Worst of all, he remembers murdering his wife Patricia and his 11-year-old son Logan at Quantamaker/the Warlock's command, and not being able to stop himself.

Remembering all of this, and becoming aware of his existence as a Neverdead, drives Sawyer Wynn completely insane. He roams the wilderness, hiding from human beings for decades. When he finally comes back to his senses, he vows to hunt down and destroy the Quantamaker Group for revenge. He systematically stalks the entire cult, chapter by chapter, butchering their personnel and destroying their bizarre experiments. But in time, Sawyer learns the Group has even more chapters established across multiple versions of Earth, and that the key to stopping this interdimensional conspiracy lies in a town called Wyrdham, Pennsylvania.