Marvel Zombies vs. Army of Darkness

The Necronomicon cannot stop the zombie plague because the zombies are not Deadites. The book is specifically designed to combat Deadite possessions and summoning, but the Marvel zombies are infected with a different kind of plague. The book confirms the prophecy that an army of the dead will rise and the world will fall, but these events are not causally linked, they simply occur simultaneously.

The Sentry was sent to Earth-2149's afterlife by the Watcher, as established in Marvel Zombies Return. Once there, the Sentry begins consuming every being in sight, turning the supposed heaven into a chaotic nightmare. This breach triggers the chain of events that hurls Ash and the Sentry into yet another reality.

Spider-Man carries Ash away with a message from Colonel America, using a tense ruse where he pretends to want to devour Ash to keep him calm. After dropping Ash off, Spider-Man checks on Aunt May and Mary Jane. The prequel Marvel Zombies: Dead Days later reveals his ultimate fate, he becomes fully consumed by the plague and turns on those he loves.

Spider-Man's decision to check on his loved ones foreshadows his tragic downfall when the infection takes hold.

After being captured by Doctor Doom for his foolish behavior, Ash steals a Doombot's armor and disguises himself as Doom. This allows him to wander through Doomstadt undetected while searching for the Necronomicon and attempting to stop the Deadite invasion.

Ash receives a chilling prophecy warning that an army of the dead will rise in the new world. The prophecy makes clear that this alternate Marvel Universe (Earth-2149) is doomed. The Necronomicon later confirms this prophecy, stating the army will rise and the world will fall, though these events may not be causally linked beyond occurring at the same time.

When Ash frees the Enchantress from her imprisonment in Doomstadt, the illusion drops and reveals she has already been infected, she is a zombie. She bites Dazzler's finger before Doctor Doom blasts both women to termination, demonstrating how the zombie plague has already spread throughout the castle.

Even though the Necronomicon cannot stop the zombie plague directly (since the zombies aren't Deadites), Ash directs the book to conjure Deadites as a diversion. These summoned Deadites attack the zombies, creating an opportunity for Doom to transport Ash to a parallel world of his choosing and ferry the survivors to safety.

In an alternate strand of Earth-2149, another version of Ash fights the undead but is killed by a zombie Howard the Duck. Later, the main Ash and Scarlet Witch topple the zombie Howard the Duck, showing the absurdity and fragility of heroism in this fractured multiverse.

After the siege at Doom's castle, Ash and his group travel through numerous alternate worlds in their attempt to escape the zombie plague. Ash eventually materializes in a realm inhabited by Marvel werewolf-led communities and is pursued before somehow escaping. This multiversal journey ultimately leads him back to his own Earth, setting up the next Army of Darkness chapter.

The Punisher teams up with Ash during the chaos, receiving a bag of spare weapons and fighting through the city. He successfully takes out major enemies like Kingpin, Hammerhead, and the Owl. Unlike the Avengers who were infected, the Punisher apparently remains uninfected, though the reason isn't explicitly stated, he may simply have not been bitten yet or might have some resistance.

When Ash warns the Avengers about a Deadite invasion, the team is distracted by his odd bravado and flirtations with the female members. Edwin Jarvis alerts them to a disturbance in their chamber, and Scarlet Witch ultimately teleports Ash away to remove him from the situation before things escalate further.

Ash, Dazzler, and Scarlet Witch search for the Necronomicon at Doctor Strange's headquarters but find nothing there. This forces them to journey to Latveria instead, where Doctor Doom's castle is under siege from the invading Dead Days forces. The Necronomicon is eventually located in Latveria, but it proves ineffective against the zombie plague.