Major de Santa was the head of the military force which first established Abel Township. Her pragmatic, efficient leadership helped Abel survive its first few weeks and has kept it on an even keel since.
History[]
Pre-apocalypse[]
Before the apocalypse, the Major ran a farm with sheep. Her father was from Scotland.
Early Apocalypse[]
Major de Santa decides to establish a civilian community in the area around Janine's farmhouse in order to disguise the underground labs there and hide any suspicious comings and goings from anyone who might be watching. This community is named Abel Township.[1]
Season One[]
Major de Santa leaves Abel Township for quite a while to meet with some important people up north.[2]
Major de Santa informs Jack and Eugene that they must stop broadcasting Radio Abel in order to conserve the fuel for the generators.[3] Once Abel Township acquires more fuel, she allows them to resume broadcasting as long as they include more public service content.[4]
Major de Santa returns to Abel right after it is hit by a rocket launcher attack. She contacts Runner Five to announce her return and tells Five it's okay to stop running.[5]
Season Two[]
Abel Township and New Canton form a tentative alliance after they learn that they have both been targeted by Professor Van Ark. Major de Santa comes up with a plan to capture some of Van Ark's fast zombies so that Doctor Myers can study them. Runner Five successfully leads the zombies into the trap.[6]
Over a private comms channel, Major de Santa tells Runner Five that they are still a part of the plans for Project Greenshoot. She says they need to gather intel on New Canton, as well as New Canton's support.[7]
Major de Santa provides Doctor Myers with some information she retrieved from Mullins Military Base about their work on modifying the effects of the zombie virus. Doctor Myers combines this with the existing research into a vaccine and creates what she thinks might be an anti-zombie formula. Major de Santa joins Sam and Doctor Myers in the comms shack to observe the testing of the formula, causing Sam to be very nervous. They see that the formula has a slowing effect on the fast zombies, but only temporarily. When the mission goes south, Major de Santa takes over communications, directing Runners Three, Four, and Five so they can safely round up the zombie specimens and thoroughly impressing Doctor Myers and Sam in the process.[8]
When she hears that the military are considering shifting their supply lines away from Abel Township, Major de Santa tells Janine to survey the survivors in the local area outside of the township, so that she can build a case for keeping the supply lines open.[9]
Major de Santa learns that there is a group of children living near a primary school. Concerned for their mental health, she sends Runner Five to check on them and ideally bring them back to Abel.[10]
Major de Santa agrees to let reporter Ian Golightly tag along on a mission with Runner Five so that he can write an article about "a day in the life of a runner".[11]
Major de Santa organizes a plan to have a large group of runners from Abel and New Canton mount a decoy attack on one of Van Ark's buildings, while Runner Five and Archie Jensen sneak into one of his secret bases. Archie discovers valuable information about the tones used to control the zombies, but is then captured by Van Ark. Major de Santa orders Runner Five to return home so that they don't get captured as well.[12]
Major de Santa makes an announcement to all of Abel Township and New Canton. The Army has a plan to use a fleet of planes to spread Doctor Myers' anti-zombie spray all over the country as the first step to making Great Britain zombie-free again.[13]
Major de Santa sends Runners Five and Eight to a nearby weather station to collect some equipment necessary for the deployment of Dr. Myers' anti-zombie serum. Sam asks her to be a little nicer to the runners, since they aren't soldiers; they volunteered for the job. Major de Santa does try to be nicer and praises the runners for their good work, but it's clear she isn't used to it. At the weather station, the runners encounter Francesca, Abel's old cook who ran off after stealing food supplies. Francesca has become incredibly paranoid and begins shooting at the runners. Sam tells Five to act as a decoy while Eight sneaks up behind her and Major de Santa praises Sam for his tactical decision. Unfortunately Francesca notices Eight approaching her and chooses to jump to her death rather than be captured. Major de Santa maintains a calm demeanor, reassuring the runners that Francesca's death was not their fault and ensuring that the mission goal is still completed.[14]
When Van Ark sends an army of fast zombies to attack Abel, the Major helps oversee the counterattack against the zombies. She orders the runners to retreat when it seems as though they are being overwhelmed, but the arrival of reinforcements from New Canton helps turn the tides. After Dr. Myers' anti-zombie serum causes the zombies to collapse and die, Major de Santa gives a triumphant speech to the Fraternal Alliance.[15]
Dr. Myers treats Carena for an asthma attack that turns out to actually be a severe allergic reaction to the anti-zombie spray. Major de Santa says that she suspected the spray might have side effects on children, and orders everyone to stay quiet about this or face the consequences.[16]
After Dr. Myers alters the zombie spray to be safer for children, a series of drones are sent out to deploy it as a test run prior to its countrywide deployment. But something goes wrong: instead of killing the zombies, it makes them stronger and faster.[17] Major de Santa suspects sabotage from someone within Abel and creates a plan to narrow down who it might be. She sends out groups of runners on an important secret mission to see which group gets ambushed by fast zoms - because that would mean someone told Van Ark about the mission. As she expected, a large horde of fast zombies attacks one of the groups: Runners Three, Five, Seven, Eight, and Ten. One of them is the traitor.[18][19]
At the end of Little Lies, the Major interrupts Sam's angry accusations towards Runner Eight and tells her to surrender. The Major is willing to sacrifice Runner Five if it means capturing Eight.
After Eight's capture, Major de Santa goes to help Janine de Luca interrogate her in You Know My Name, bringing Five along to run security. Along the way, she indulges in the beauty of the nature around her and waxes poetic about the what the meaning of it all is. She recognizes that what's important is the individual-- it's the world and humanity overall, and wonders if maybe there won't be room in the world after the apocalypse for old dogs like her. She orders Five to be piped into the feed of Eight's interrogation, but the process is interrupted when Van Ark's zombies break through the fence surrounding the house. In the attempt to relocate Runner Eight, the Major is shot and killed by Runner Eight per Van Ark's orders.
Later, it is revealed that the Major was aware of Eight's orders and intentionally sacrificed herself to the cause.
Season Three[]
In Carry Me Home, a flashback shows Major de Santa going against New Canton orders in the early days of the zombie outbreak and establishing Abel Township as an independent settlement.
Personality[]
She likes chess and books about war strategy. She values science, tactics, and discipline. Although she is generally very stoic and disciplined, she does have her moments of good humour and reflection.
Quotes[]
"This is the way we're going to win this war: Science, tactics, and discipline." - Walking On Broken Glass "It reminds you that there's a beautiful world out there. A world worth saving. A world worth making sacrifices for." -You Know My Name
Appearances[]
- S2M1 Back Once Again
- S2M2 From The Ashes
- S2M3 Walking On Broken Glass
- S2M16 Electric Dreams
- S2M19 Dare
- S2M21 Always Take The Weather
- S2M23 Galvanize
- S2M29 The Lion Sleeps Tonight
- S2M34 Ready To Go
- S2M35 Dog Days Are Over
- S2M40 Little Lies
- S2M41 You Know My Name
- S3M16 Battle Born (flashback)
- S3M17 Carry Me Home (flashback)
Trivia[]
- Major de Santa enjoys playing an arcade game about preventing the fall of the Roman Empire.[20]
Gallery[]
(Season 1 Mission 23: Aftermath)
References[]
- ↑ Season 2 Mission 20: Toxic
Janine de Luca: "These underground labs are the reason the Major decided to establish a civilian community here in the first place. To disguise Abel’s real purpose, hide any suspicious comings and goings from anyone who might be watching." - ↑ Season 1 Mission 10: Tess
- ↑ Season 1 Radio Mode: "Radio Abel is Off Air"
- ↑ Season 1 Radio Mode: "Public Service Content"
- ↑ Season 1 Mission 23: Aftermath
- ↑ Season 2 Mission 1: Back Once Again
- ↑ Season 2 Mission 2: From The Ashes
- ↑ Season 2 Mission 3: Walking On Broken Glass
- ↑ Season 2 Side Mission 2: Headcount
- ↑ Season 2 Mission 11: The Kids Are Alright
- ↑ Season 2 Side Mission 4: Times New Roaming
- ↑ Season 2 Mission 16: Electric Dreams
- ↑ Season 2 Mission 19: Dare
- ↑ Season 2 Mission 21: Always Take The Weather
- ↑ Season 2 Mission 23: Galvanize
- ↑ Season 2 Mission 29: The Lion Sleeps Tonight
- ↑ Season 2 Mission 34: Ready To Go
- ↑ Season 2 Mission 35: Dog Days Are Over
- ↑ Season 2 Mission 36: One Way Or Another
- ↑ Season 2 Side Mission 11: Zombies, Stretch!
Janine de Luca: "You know this is the Major’s favorite game. If you can prevent the fall of the Roman Empire, you can prevent - "