The Walking Dead: How That Scavenger Storyline Goes Down in the Comics

It looks like, unfortunately (for now), Jadis and the Scavengers aren't going anywhere on The Walking Dead. This junkyard group was introduced in the season seven midseason premiere, and we weren't quite sure what to make of them based on their role in the comics. The Scavengers do appear in the comics, but they are not nearly as important as they seem to be in the Walking Dead TV show.

AMC is taking some liberties with the re-creation of the Scavengers — for instance, Jadis (played by Pollyanna McIntosh) is not in the comics at all. The leader of the Scavengers in the comics is actually a man named Derek, who does not seem to appear in the TV series.

In the comics, the Scavengers' storyline goes down line this: a still-living Andrea kills their leader after they stumble upon Alexandria. The rest of the Scavengers are then quickly killed after and disposed of. The biggest problem they create is the walker infiltration that ensues after — much like what happens with the Wolves in the TV series. This scenario all happens even before the Saviors appear in the comic books.

The Scavengers are clearly villains in the comics — a title they may have secured after declining a new deal with Rick. Although we can't be certain, in Jadis's last moments in season seven, she doesn't kill Rick even when she has the chance. Why? Even though she's clearly working for the other side, she spares him. Does this mean she doesn't want to get her hands dirty, or is she unsure about her new alliance to the Saviors?

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Pollyanna McIntosh had this to say about her character: "She's a leader of a community and has people to take care of and is looking for what's best for them — and she may have found it with these guys [Rick] and has certainly put him through the wringer in order to get a measure on him. She doesn't make a decision lightly."

Jadis has proven to be a unique character with an interesting storyline. It looks like AMC is trying to keep us guessing about her development in the TV series!