Popverse's top stories of the day

• Red Dead Redemption 2 was made using real horses, but the actors reveal they didn’t get to ride them
• MEMBERS ONLY: Popverse Picks: From Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man to Iman Vellani as Ms. Marvel, our favorite all-time MCU castings
• WATCH NOW: Ortegas or Melissa: We play Who Is More Likely To? with Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Melissa Navia

For many years, The Walking Dead’s Negan was on my short list of characters who I would fight at a moment’s notice. But now, having seen the first episode of The Walking Dead: Dead City season 2 early here at WonderCon 2025, I’m not so sure I’m willing to go up against him, even if he is the guy who killed Glenn.

Just to warn you all, there are some spoilers for Dead City’s season 2 premiere ahead. 

In the first episode of Dead City’s season 2, the Croat gives Negan back his Lucille baseball bat, but notes that it has been given an upgrade. We don’t see what this upgrade entails until Negan makes an appeal to the other factions living within Manhattan: join him, or risk losing their lawless way of life when New Babylon invades in the coming weeks. A faction leader named Christos questions Negan’s motives, and the Croat hands Lucille back to Negan. Negan looks down at the baseball bat and notices that it now has a button on it. Negan holds the bat inches away from Christos’s face, and when Christos grabs the end of it, Negan shocks him with an electrical current from the bat. 

Now, you might be wondering: how the heck can a wooden baseball bat channel an electrical current? The answer to this question is simple: methane, baby. The barbed wire at the end of Lucille acts as a conductor for an electrical current powered by methane. We know from season 1 of Dead City that the Croat’s people were exploring the use of methane from the bodies of walkers as a fuel source. And now, this is the next step in their power grab in the City That Never Sleeps. 

As much as I resent Negan for killing Glenn, I am intrigued to see what he’s going to do with this weapon upgrade this season.

The Walking Dead: Dead City season 2 debuts May 4 on AMC.

Here's how to watch The Walking Dead TV series in order.