| "When there's no more room in Hell, the dead will walk the Earth."
This article is related to the films created by George A. Romero. |
| “ | Isn't that what we're doing? Pretending to be alive? | „ |
| ~ Riley Denbo about the zombies. |
Riley Denbo was the suppliers and collectors for Fiddler's Green and the designer of Dead Reckoning, what was responsible for bringing supplies into the Pittsburgh-outpost. He is the determinated leader of his own crew, fighting zombies to collect supplies for civilizans in the safezone.
He serves as the main human protagonist of Land of the Dead.
Biography[]
Land of the Dead[]
During, before or after the undead apocalypse, Riley saved his good friend, Charlie by pulling him from a fire which left half of the latter's face burned. Also, during the apocalypse, Riley's little brother was bitten and turned, forcing Riley to kill him.
When Pittsburgh became a sanctuary from the zombie-infested outside world, ruled by a feudal-like government from the Fiddler's Green, Riley designed Dead Reckoning. Paul Kaufman bought the invention as his own, and Riley became in charge of gathering critical supplies from the outside world.
Days before planning to retire, while Riley goes searching a neighbouring village for supplies, he notices that the local zombies are pretending to still be alive, and are getting smarter. Riley meets up with his friends, Cholo and Charlie. Using Dead Reckoning's firworks to mesmorize all but one of the zombies, Riley and the others navigate untouched through the cities, while Cholo, despite Riley's urges, goes to collect alcohol to sell on the streets.
As the fireworks jam and the zombies attack, Riley orders everyone retreat out of town while he and Charlie go get Cholo and his men. He arrives at a deserted alcohol store in time where the newcomer of the group Mike was bitten. While Riley and Cholo argue over Mike's fate, he takes the revolver of the zombie who has bitten him and blows his own brains out. Riley and the others then return to the city.
Back at Pittsburgh, Riley meets with a fellow survivor called Mulligan with who he worked ones together as a supplyrunner, and gives his son antibiotics, and he and Charlie head to a garage to take their car and leave the city. However, they find the car gone, and head off to meet Chihuahua at his Vegas-like joint. There, Riley confronts him and demands that he returns his car. When Riley sees a prostitute named Slack get thrown into a ring with two zombies as part of a gamble, he kills both zombies. Chihuahua tries to kill Riley, but is killed before he can do that by Charlie. After that, Riley, Charley and Slack are arrested.
When Cholo uses the stolen Dead Reckoning to hold the city for ransom, Riley is taken from the city jail to Kaufman's apartment, where the latter requests that Riley attempts to stop Cholo. Riley demands that his friends come with him on the mission and that they can then leave up north forever, and Kaufman allows it.
Riley, Slack and Charlie are released from prison, and prepare to go on their mission with Manolete, Motown and Pillsbury. They head to the army post to get a vehicle, but find it destroyed by a zombie attack. Riley and Manolete go off on their own to search for ammo, and find the supply room infested with feasting zombies. They kill all the zombies, and meet up with the others at a armed vehicle. They drive off in the direction of Dead Reckoning, which Riley is tracking with a homing device. The group finds Dead Reckoning, and Pillsbury betrays Kaufman and knocks Motown out. Riley and Charlie enter the vehicle, but Cholo and his men hold them at gunpoint. Pretty Boy prepares to fire at Fiddler's Green, but Riley protests, as the attack will kill the innocent people in the streets as well as the feudal government.
Riley drags Cholo out of Dead Reckoning, and the former's team turn their guns on Cholo's group. Moments later, zombies launch an attack on the city, and Riley allows him and Foxy to head off into the wilderness while Pretty Boy and Riley's group return to the city in Dead Reckoning.
Riley and his group reach Deep Throat, the raised bridge into Fiddler's Green, and Riley goes out to lower it. He is jumped by a zombie, but manages to use the lowering bridge's moving mechanisms to decapitate it. As Dead Reckoning drives away from a pursuing zombie horde, Riley barely escape by jumping onto the vehicle's roof.
When the group finally reach the gates of Fiddler's Green, they find they city overrun with zombies, and everyone seemingly dead. Riley orders Pretty Boy to fire at the gates, which she does. Dozens of survivors then come out of hiding, with plans to rebuild the city free of Kaufman's tyranny. They offer Riley and his group to stay and help them, but Riley declines. As Riley, Slack, Charlie, Pillsbury and Cholo's ex-group prepare to leave for Canada, they see Big Daddy leading his zombie army out of the city. Riley stops Pretty Boy from killing him, as the zombies are just looking for somewhere they belong, just like him and his friends. Riley and the group then depart north in Dead Reckoning, firing the fireworks they no longer need into the sky to celebrate.
Personality & Traits[]
Riley is a stoic man, but one who cares for his people, even when he's out risking his neck for the more privileged people in the Green. Riley also showed great tolerance for peoples with physical disfigurements, such as with his best friend and colleague, Charlie Houk, who he rescued from a fire.
His reputation for protecting people in the safe zone was well known throughout, but even he would get cross with those looking to double-cross him.
Skills[]
- Marksmanship: Throughout the movie, Denbo demonstrated to be a crack shot, mostly with the use of sidearms. He was able to easily dispatch a zombie from behind while sitting in a jeep with Charlie, successfully taking it out in the process.
- Situational Awareness: While out in the field, Riley has been shown to be aware of the environment around him, as it was vital to his survival. He was able to detect Charlie from behind him, as well as the zombie he dispatched from the jeep.
- Weapons Expert: Riley can use his akimbo handguns well in combat.
- Intellect: Riley is known to possess an intellect, which was significant enough to aid in the designing of Dead Reckoning.
- Leadership: As commanding officer of Dead Reckoning, Riley demonstrated excellent command skills and led his people into infected zones, bearing the weight of such responsibility on his shoulders well.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Riley is the last actual protagonist in Romero proper continuity, as the two after are not seems to be from the same universe.
- Riley designs is likely inspired from 80s anti-hero fashion, based on the popular trope on dystopia media.
- His appearance in the comic adaptation is a little different, Riley seems to have a thicker chin and his facial hair is more obivious.