Chronological History of Events

This page shows the general chronological history of events, or a timeline, of the Dead Rising series. For the specific timelines, see the below sections.

Santa Cabeza
Santa Cabeza was a Central American town in which a research facility was built by the US government. The facility was occupied by a team of scientists led by Dr. Russell Barnaby Their goal was find a way to double the livestock of local cattle. They were able to accomplish their task, but their progress advanced expeditiously when they discovered a mysterious and previously undiscovered insect species in the local region beside the Pachacamac River. The species was subsequently scientifically named Ampulex Compressa Giganteus. The researchers found out the queens of the species could kill and reanimate corpses through infection by attaching to the hosts, turning them into zombies.

Disaster struck when several queens escaped the facility and begun infecting residents of the town, leading to an outbreak. When news of the outbreak reached the U.S. government, the military was called in to wipe out the town, to cover up the existence of the outbreak and the research facility. A Special Forces unit lead by Brock Mason was dispatched, which led to the destruction of the town and the deaths of its residents.

Dr. Barnaby and his research team were extracted from the compromised town after the clean-up. After being debriefed, to cover his actions in future questioning, Barnaby claimed that Santa Cabeza was used by terrorists to disperse a "zombie drug".

The Willamette Incident
''For the events of Dead Rising. See Willamette Incident Timeline for the specific times and events that occurred during the Willamette Incident.''

The Willamette Incident was a series of events that took place in Willamette, Colorado.. Though the United States government tried to cover up the story as a simple riot, it was a very different situation: a zombie outbreak. The zombies arose when Carlito Keyes unleashed the Ampulex Compressa Giganteus species on the town in revenge for a similar outbreak in the Central American town of Santa Cabeza caused by the US government.

Special Forces killed nearly everyone in the town. Freelance photojournalist Frank West, along with a handful of others, managed to escape and spread the story of the outbreaks in both Santa Cabeza and Willamette.

Though the US government accepted responsibility for Santa Cabeza, they blamed the Willamette Incident on terrorists (which, in a sense, was true). Though the world reeled from the shock of actual zombies, they soon let the incident fade from their minds.

The Smithville Outbreak
In Smithville one of the Infected Orphans, a male teenager with a number four tattoo turned in the middle of a Baseball match and proceeded to attack everyone else present.

Las Vegas Disaster
The events of Road to Fortune.

In 2008, Las Vegas was hit with zombie outbreak. At the time, the cause and reason behind the disaster was unknown.

Motocross champion Chuck Greene was spending time in the city with his wife and daughter at the time of the outbreak. His wife was infected and she bit their daughter; Katey Greene. Chuck and his daughter escaped the city and fled to the nearby town of Still Creek.

Shortly after Chuck's escape, firebombers were sent over to eradicate Las Vegas and everything within the 50 mile radius, to prevent further spreading of the infection.

Still Creek Outbreak
The events of Case Zero.

Chuck Greene escaped Las Vegas and arrived in Still Creek. After stopping at a gas station to fill up, he witnessed the firebombers on their way to destroy Las Vegas. Chuck administered his infected daughter her Zombrex and took her to rest in an abandoned store.

As Chuck wandered around the town for signs of life, his truck, containing his supply of Zombrex was stolen. Finding the town also overrun, Chuck set out to find another pack of the drug, and also a means of escape. Luckily, he located a small military set-up and found some Zombrex. He also found an old and broken dirtbike, but concluded that with the right tools, he would be able to fix it and escape before the military arrived in the town for cleanup.

After fixing the bike and killing an insane mechanic, Chuck and Katey avoided capture by the military and fled the town.

Further down the highway, he discovered his stolen truck occupied by the dead thief. He took the Zombrex, a picture of Katey and her backpack, and his racing jacket. Promising Katey to do whatever it takes to keep her alive, they rode off to an unknown destination, where they likely took shelter from the military.

Fortune's End
''The events of Dead Rising 2. See Fortune City Disaster Timeline for the specific times and events.''

Three years after the Las Vegas incident, Fortune City became the site of yet another zombie outbreak. The resort had recently been chosen as the venue for the latest installment of Terror is Reality, a controversial gameshow that involves the slaughter of the undead. Shortly after midnight, following an episode of Terror is Reality, the zombies were intentionally released from captivity, in what appeared to be an act of terrorism. The zombies spread rapidly, infecting the thousands of visitors and spectators and soon, Fortune City was completely overrun.

Chuck Greene, a contestant on Terror is Reality, was one of the few survivors who made it to the emergency shelter with his daughter; Katey, only to discover he had been falsely accused of causing the outbreak. With only three days before the military arrived for cleanup, Chuck worked with Stacey Forsythe of CURE, and Rebecca Chang of Channel 6 Action News, and discovered the harsh truth behind the outbreak, and the one in Las Vegas, where Chuck had lost his wife. Phenotrans, the developers of Zombrex, were responsible, with their reason being to continue the production of the highly profitable drug

When the military cleanup failed after facing a stronger form of zombie, Fortune City was scheduled to follow the same fate as Las Vegas, a government issued firebomb would destroy the city in an effort to contain the zombie parasite. After the supervisor of the emergency shelter revealed himself to be in league with Phenotrans, he executed Rebecca and made a getaway. Chuck managed to stop him and halt the firebombing.

Eventually, all survivors were evacuated, but Chuck was left behind and remained the only survivor in the city. He found himself trapped in an elevator with the now zombified TK, while Stacey and Katey had escaped via helicopter. Chuck was saved at the last minute by Frank West, who had travelled to Fortune City to collect his associate; Rebecca. Chuck told Frank of her death, and protested that Phenotrans had framed him. Frank informed Chuck of a Phenotrans Facility to the west, which may house the evidence to prove it. Chuck and Frank departed for the facility seconds before Fortune City was firebombed.

Case West
The events of Case West.

Chuck Greene and Frank West team up to take on zombies in the Phenotrans Facility on the outskirts of Fortune. Frank meets his old friend Isabela, only to find she is working for Phenotrans, in the effort to make Zombrex synthetic. Chuck learns that she managed to make a cure, but before she could finalize the project her research was taken from her to prevent her from attempting to make more.

Presumably, the cure is extremely difficult to develop, indications suggest that with its complexity, there is not enough ingredients in the world for all who is infected. Marian Mallon is also confined to a wheelchair, a possible side effect of the cure. Nonetheless, Mallon informs them that Phenotrans have, as suspected, avoided telling anybody that a cure was created so they could continue cashing in a Zombrex.

Mallon hits the self-destruction button, and escapes alive with Isabela in captivity. Chuck and Frank escape with some evidence to clear Chuck's name, but doubt anybody will believe their claims.