The Walking Dead comics and subsequent TV show have never gone very far into the origins of the viral outbreak that has overtaken humanity and turned them into zombies. It’s touched on lightly throughout the mainline series as it becomes likely that it’s an airborne virus, and Fear the Walking Dead tackled some of the early days of the outbreak, but we’ve never been given a definitive answer as to where the pandemic began and how it initially spread to humans. Or have we?

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Shocking fans everywhere, The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman wrapped up his long-running comic series abruptly last year with issue 193. And after years of keeping the origins of the virus close to his vest, he finally responded to a curious Twitter user who asked him about it. His answer was as simple as it was unexpected: “Space Spores.”

Unfortunately, Kirkman later deleted the message and revealed that his explanation was meant as a joke, stating that he’d never reveal something of that magnitude in a tweet. He maintains to this day that the characters and overarching world of The Walking Dead are far more important than where the virus began, and maybe he’s right. Still, it was a fun theory while it lasted, and it’s certainly not going to stop many fans from continuing to hold their breath for a conclusive answer.

The Walking Dead is currently in its 10th season, and though the finale was originally delayed indefinitely due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, AMC announced that it will now air on October 4th. Strangely, though, it won’t actually be the true finale, as the network additionally announced that season 10 will be receiving 6 more episodes early next year, officially making it the longest season in the show’s history.