ZED is the main antagonist in Zombie Revenge. Initially, little is known about him other than the fact that he possesses a golden eye, and is responsible for unleashing the virus that turns people into zombies. Possessing supernatural abilities, ZED houses a powerful UDS (Undead Soldier) in his body that he calls the "God of Destruction". He plans to release this being from him in order to kill all humans and avenge the death of his parents. He taunts the agents throughout their journey with mixed messages, backhanded compliments, and has an unquestionable disdain toward humans, always referring to them with an insulting tone.
ZED's parents were part of GOD, who were involved with the top secret UDS project that intended to use the undead as soldiers. However, they were killed by another scientist, Gil Breitling, who then used their bodies as experiments. ZED has since swore revenge against all humans by killing them with their own weapons. He takes particular interest in Gil's son, an AMS agent named Stick Breitling, and intends to make him suffer the most.
At the start of the outbreak, a young girl named Yoko arrived with her boyfriend in hopes to see zombies in action, but her boyfriend fell prey to the undead. While she attempted to escape, ZED approached her with a floppy disc to give to the agents, in which she agreed after the man with a golden eye promised her money in return, a promise he had no intention on keeping. When the agents arrive, ZED delivers an e-mail to the agents, backhandedly complimenting them for making it so far, and telling them he has a floppy disc waiting for them in one of the warehouses. He mockingly ends the message declaring his love for all humans. The agents eventually retrieve the disc, and exploring its contents, an image of ZED appears, bald and scarred, and informs them that he's not the enemy. The agents are then told to choose one of three cards that appear on screen, ending with a message that they may understand if they survive long enough.
ZED himself is finally encountered in a factory that is set to blow, but does little more than laugh and call the agents fools before escaping. They survive the explosion, only to find that a train carrying the virus is set to crash and release the virus further. They succeed in stopping it just in time, and after they fight another UDS, ZED reveals his plan to release the God of Destruction and kill all humans. Releasing gas in the room, which has no effect on ZED himself, he tells Stick Breitling that he especially must suffer before he and the others lose consciousness.
ZED reappears to the agents in a large mansion, informing them of the purpose of the UDS project, and reveals that his parents were involved and killed by Gil Breitling. He expresses his desire for revenge and to kill Stick before sending him and his comrades deep into the underground base below. There, he tells the agents that he holds the God of Destruction in his body and plans to release it, and after he's done killing them he will be reunited with his parents. Fighting the agents with his supernatural abilities, he is defeated. Asking why the agents want to live, his lifeless body falls, and releases the God of Destruction from his body, a powerful UDS called Black Magician Type 01. The Black Magician expresses his desire to kill all humans before fighting the agents in a final battle, in which is he defeated and destroyed.
Immediately after his defeat, the agents find themselves in a desert at sunrise. As they reflect on the truth of what ZED had revealed, they are picked up by a helicopter piloted by AMS pilot Marco Cloud , who informs them, "Now he's highjacked a ship!" The agents go on to their next battle.
After the game's events, if she was saved earlier, Yoko is seen impatiently waiting in the same warehouse she was found in, cursing ZED and saying he'd better return with her money.
Trivia
- The cards chosen in the first stage will determine the ability the Black Magician is granted in the final fight. Red will grant him fire, yellow will grant him electricity, and blue will grant him the ability to summon enemies.
- ZED and Black Magician share a similar moveset when fought. Black Magician's battle grunts are actually some of ZED's reused, except with a sound filter added in.
- The game's ending has confused some players as to whether ZED somehow survived his defeat, with Marco declaring "he" highjacked a ship when he was just destroyed.
- The Curien Mansion is used as ZED's base of operations. However, the interior areas of the mansion are different.
- The final boss Black Magician is clearly based on a certain recurring final boss from the main series. Although they are share some visible similarities, Black Magician possesses wings, a visible heart, and open eyes.
- Black Magician is not identified with a UDS number like the other bosses in the game, but with a "Type" like those of the main series.
- The Black Magician appears to kill the players should they run out of time.