The Governor (Comics)

"I've been looked upon to lead this place... In order to do that, I've had to become someone I'm not. I've had to be strong, and decisive... I've had to be... Brutal."

- The Governor During the beginning of the apocalypse, The Governor, his brother, and his niece Penny escaped to the town of Woodbury, a settlement run by The National Guard who used brutality and fear to keep order. Leading a rally against the Guard, he established himself as the leader of the town, officially being labeled "the governor". Along the way to becoming a strong and powerful leader, Penny dies, which begins his descent to madness. He kept the zombified Penny tied up in his apartment, feeding her severed body parts of those who displeased him.

Following Woodbury's capture and murder of stranded refugees from Atlanta, the Governor is met by Rick Grimes and his band of survivors when they explore the town. After initially acting hospitable, the Governor turns on the group. Attempting to find the location of Rick's prison refuge in order to collect supplies for Woodbury, he proceeds to cut off Rick's hand, mentally tortures Glenn, and has Michonne restrained, stripped and repeatedly raped. To learn the location of the prison, the Governor allows the survivors to escape the premises with the help of one of his guards. However, Michonne stays behind and finds her way to his apartment, where she brutally tortures him. He loses his right arm, his fingernails, his testicles, and his left eye. When Michonne rejoins the group and they ask her if the Governor still lives, Michonne is uncertain.

The Governor survives with the help of Bob Stookey (a citizen who had medical experience), and eventually is able to find the prison thanks to search parties. The Governor uses the murder of a guard by Rick to rally the townspeople against the prison's inhabitants. Things do not go according to plan, as Rick's group puts up a tenacious defense that leads to a humiliating retreat. After a failed later attempt to gain his way into the prison by use of a hostage, the Governor crushes the fences with a tank. A bloody massacre ensues, leading to an incredibly high death toll and ultimately making the prison less secure and less habitable.

Tensions steadily rise within the Governor's group, as the ammunition they have remaining is limited and a handful of their own moral consciences come into play, especially when killing defenseless or young members of the opposing group. Both factors result in the remnants of his army turning on him, killing him, throwing his corpse to the zombies, and making a last-ditch attempt to fortify the prison. Whether or not they succeeded at the latter is unknown.

Battle vs. Negan (by GothamCityRiddler)
TBW.

Expert's Opinion
TBD.