Francine

History

Francine was a program director at WGON News in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania before the dead began returning to life, and seeking out the flesh of the living. Along with her boyfriend Stephen and S.W.A.T. members Roger and Peter, Francine stole a WGON traffic helicopter with the intentions of escaping to the safety of the Canadian wilderness. After a run-in with the living dead while refueling in the remote countryside, the group comes across a shopping mall, and decide to make the mecca to consumerism their new sanctuary. After clearing the mall of zombies, the four survivors proceed to fortify their new home. During the process, Roger is bitten by one of the undead. Once secure, the survivors indulge their every materialistic whim. Roger eventually succumbs to his bite wound, and is shot by Peter in the head as he returns as a ghoul.

A brief period of time passes, and the three remaining survivors begin to realize that their domicile is in fact a prison, and society continues to collapse. It is revealed that Francine is four months pregnant. Several months pass, and all emergency broadcasts from the outside world have ceased. Francine is now almost due. After seeing Stephen teaching Francine how to operate the helicopter, a gang of bikers want in on all the loot in the mall. The bikers try to contact Stephen, Peter and Francine through use of a CB. When no one in the mall answers the CB messages, the bikers breaks into the mall, allowing hundreds of the undead to once again infest the mall. Stephen becomes angry with the bikers as they loot the bank, and foolishly starts to fire upon them. Inevitably, the living dead manage to consume the majority of the bikers.

While trying to return to the safe house, Stephen himself is bitten repeatedly by the ghouls, and dies. He returns from death, and leads a horde of zombies to the rooftop apartment that he once shared with Francine and Peter. Peter shoots Stephen, and the pair escape to the helicopter on the rooftop. Although only partially fueled, Francine and Peter manage to escape the mall, as zombies once again claim it as their own.

Skill and Abilities

• Francine is a normal human female with no known superhuman attributes. She initially has no combat training. After a close call with a Hare Krishna zombie, she demanded to be taught how to use a firearm by her lover, Stephen. In addition, Stephen taught Francine how to fly a helicopter, a skill that saves her and Peter's lives when the zombies invade the shopping mall.

Other Media

Film

Dawn of the Dead 1978

Francine is portrayed by Gaylen Ross.