Simon "Citizen Z" Cruller | |
---|---|
Actor | DJ Qualls |
Gender | Male |
Hair | Dark Brown |
Age | Early to Mid 30s |
Occupation | Private First Class Hacker for the NSA (Pre-Apocalypse) Former Head of the Northern Light Listening Post (Post-Apocalypse) |
Family | Kaya - Wife JZ - Son Pup - Former Pet Daisy - Ex Lover |
First Appearance | "Puppies and Kittens" |
Last Appearance | "The End of Everything" |
Status | Alive |
Series lifespan | "Puppies and Kittens" to "The End of Everything" |
Ethnicity | Caucasian-American |
Simon Cruller aka "Citizen Z" is a main character and a survivor of the outbreak in Z Nation. He was the sole remaining human presence at the NSA's Northern Light Listening Post in the Arctic Circle, until he crossed paths with Kaya and her family.
Background[]
A young man named Simon Cruller was potentially going to jail for hacking, but was instead hired in order to combat the ZN1 virus. He worked for the NSA to find about more about top secret zombies. Stationed at a remote NSA listening post in the Arctic, he was spared from the zombie apocalypse. But his network of surveillance cameras and listening equipment captured everything. And that is the origin story of how Simon became Citizen Z.
Citizen Z is a beacon to anyone that can hear it; a calming voice in a landscape of disaster, a reason to laugh, a focal point of escape. He broadcasts over any means of transmission he can, quick with a joke and steeped in hope that one day the world will go back to the way it was.[1]
Post-Apocalypse[]
Season 1[]
"Puppies and Kittens"[]
In 02AZ, he remains in the Northern Light listening post to help guide Hammond in Operation Bite-mark. When Hammond abandons Murphy, Simon attempts to escape on the plane with the evacuating base personnel, but the plane leaves without him on board and crashes immediately after take-off. Returning into the listening post, he continues to assist Hammond until 03AZ. He presumably told Hammond of the meeting with the military convoy. After Hammond is killed by zombies, Simon is seen again attempting to contact Hammond. He contacts Addison instead, informing the Westward-bound survivor group of the need to get Murphy to California.
He continues to aid the Westward-bound survivor group over various means of communication.
"Fracking Zombies"[]
In the beginning of the episode he is speaking to Dr. Hastings who is stuck in Mount Wilson with a couple of others due to it starting to be overrun by zombies. Citizen Z was tasked with overloading the system so they could attempt to get out of there alive, but the cost of overloading the system was the scientists' work being lost. Citizen Z overloaded the system, and the remaining living humans ran for their lives. The status of them and their work are currently unknown. He later has no contact with Mount Wilson Base or Delta X-Ray Delta and he starts to lose his mind with no one to talk too, but suddenly an alarm goes off and he see that a dog-sled is approaching his base. He is overjoyed that someone else is out there and plans for them to arrive. However he realizes that the person is actually a zombie and the dogs are dead. He grabs a gun and prepares to attack it.
Later on in the episode, a frozen zombie appears outside Northern Light along with their two huskies. Fortunately, Citizen Z does not have many problems with the human zombie due to it being frozen, but unfortunately one of the huskies had turned as well. The husky who turned ran into the Northern Light Post. During the remainder of the episode, Citizen Z was chasing the zombified husky and finally killed it once it was about to hurt the non-zombified husky. The other husky became his pet who he named Pup.
"Philly Feast"[]
He is able to help the group by using a police radio that addy wired up, however addy is kidnapped and he has no clue what happened, he later provides music for the group when they ask so they can lure a horde to the cannibal group.
"Full Metal Zombie"[]
In this episode he starts off recording a listing of the statuses of all members of Delta X-ray Delta and the survivors. He gets to Addy, who is one of the few survivors he knows the full name of and looks her up on the internet, gaining a crush on her instantly as he goes through her facebook-like social media app. He gets a signal from the survivors through a fast-food drive-thru order box that happens to have both a microphone and camera. The group requests he helps them get airborne and he leads the group of survivors to a chopper that is on what's left of the Center for Disease Control.
He is later shown having hacked Addy's account to friend him on the same social media website and has a casual conversation with "her" (him, using her account to have a conversation).
"Home Sweet Zombie"[]
"Resurrection Z"[]
"Welcome to the Fu-Bar"[]
"Zunami"[]
Citizen Z is inside Camp Northern Light as he watches what he believes is a capsule falling from the International Space station. When he walks outside, he meets Yuri, who is a Russian Cosmonaut (aka, astronaut).
Though it seems that Yuri is a real person, he is actually a hallucination that is brought on by oxygen deprivation. He continuously asks Citizen Z, who he calls Simon, though Citizen Z has not told him his name, "What wrong with dog" as it is his brain trying to tell him that they were both oxygen deprived.
"Die, Zombie, Die... Again"[]
"Going Nuclear"[]
"Sisters of Mercy"[]
"Murphy's Law"[]
"Doctor of the Dead"[]
Citizen Z had led the team to an alternate lab in Colorado where they were supposed to meet up with the Doctor that had given the vaccine to Murphy. It turns that Citizen Z has accidentally sent the team into a trap.
It is not the correct doctor and Citizen Z uses the NSA's face recognition software to determine that the doctor that they had actually encountered was a scientist wanted by the government who had been selling bio-weapon's to enemy countries.
After making this startling discovery, Citizen Z warns the team the best way he can by holding up a sign that says "Kill the Doctor". He then watches Murphy run away and he tries to warn Murphy that if he escapes the lab without going through decontamination, he would end up setting off the nuclear strikes.
Citizen Z then complains that humans are awful as the nuclear missile fired at the lab sets off a "dead man's switch" that launches multiple nuclear missiles, one of which is aimed at Camp Northern Light.
Season 2[]
"The Murphy"[]
Just after the base is saved from the nuclear strike by the station's own missile, the blast radius from the two collisions leaves the area warmer and the snow around the base gone. This leads to the zombies in the plane that had crashed to thaw and wake up. Citizen Z can be seen running away from the zombies as they first leave the plane rubble and he can be seen trying to shoot them and then he barricades himself into his main area, thinking he is about to be over-run and won't be able to help for long, Citizen Z announces to the world that there is a bounty on Murphy.
"White Light"[]
Citizen Z is first seen hiding in the area where he had barricaded himself inside. He takes a bat and the gun he had dropped and he goes to explore, it is assumed to inspect the damage that was done to the Northern Light base and to see how many zombies there were. He kills a few but he mostly hides and runs away from them. Later, he kills all Z’s but one. Then he kills it with an AT-4 ANTI TANK WEAPON.
"Batch 47"[]
Citizen Z is first seen listening to a radio and deciphering some Spanish that has to do with Murphy's location. Citizen Z is then talking to Addison over the radio and while trying to give her coordinates to the CDC lab in California, the transmission is lost and he is not able to give her the rest of the coordinates.
"We Were Nowhere Near the Grand Canyon" []
Citizen Z can be seen marking down how many zombies are still remaining in Camp Northern Light from the thawed out plane wreck of military evacuees. When Addison Carver and the survivors of the Native American Casino contact him, he lets them know the zombie tsunami is too strong to weather out in any building. He manages to wipe out the zombie presence in the base, killing off the last one with an anti-tank rocket launcher. This is the first episode in a stretch of episodes since we have seen him confirmed alive. (EDIT: he was seen in the last episode of season two. He packed his things and left with the dog to find a new place to settle in.)
Season 3[]
Citizen Z loses the power of his lost battery, and sets out with Pup, leaving Northern Light behind. The trek is a long one, and Kaya finds him nearly frozen and suffering from hypothermia. Kaya brings him back to the home she shares with her grandparents. Citizen Z awake, only to find that he is naked in bed with Kaya. Upon introduction, Kaya reveals herself as a fan of his broadcasts and is determined to get him back on the air. While Kaya is searching frequencies, they receive a message from Addy but do not manage to get in touch with her. Citizen Z discovers the family's scarce food supply and makes the decision to bring them back to Northern Light, where there is plenty of food to spare.
Uncle Kaskae, Nana, Kaya, and Citizen Z get the power in Northern Light up and running. Citizen Z forms a romantic relationship with Kaya, and they begin doing broadcasts together. They get word from Doc, informing them that Lucy has been kidnapped. After learning that Murphy has gone rogue, Citizen Z sets out with Uncle Kaskae in his plane. Upon arrival, Citizen Z comes in contact with Kaya, where it is revealed that Kaya is pregnant with his child. At the end of the season, it's revealed that Citizen Z is missing.
Season 4[]
Citizen Z is referenced by name during broadcasts made by Kaya and reappears in Season 4 Episode 9 "We Interrupt This Program".
Allies[]
- Mark Hammond (Deceased)
- Murphy
- "Doc"
- Charles Garnett (Deceased)
- 10K
- Cassandra (Deceased)
- Addison Carver
- Mack Thompson (Deceased)
- Roberta Warren
- Pup
- Kaya
- Kaskae (Deceased)
Enemies[]
- Zombie Dog
- Yuri, a hallucination of a Russian Cosmonaut, brought on by oxygen deprivation.
- Zona
- Zombies
- The Altura Talkers
Killed Victims[]
- Unnamed Man (Out of Mercy)
- Zombie Dog (Out of Mercy)
- Aircraft Crashed Soldiers (Out of mercy)
Memorable Quotes[]
"I need some music"
"I'll kick your butt"
"Make my Apocalypse!"
"God I hate the apocalypse!"
"Damn apocalypse!"
"Such a nice guy" - Simon about Murphy
"They must be 3rd strike weapons on a dead-man switch. What is wrong with us?!" - Citizen Z about the nukes
"Hm, thought you'd be taller." Simon about Mack.
"It's time to kick some zombie ass."
Trivia[]
- Used to have a crush on Addison Carver
- He sometimes comments things that will happen later in an episode.
- Citizen Z could be inspired by Three Dog, the post-apocalyptic DJ who follows your character's journey through the wasteland and gives hints and tips, from the game Fallout 3.
- He is extremely lucky to still have his sight after northern lights defense system activated as witnessing a nuclear detonation with in range of some of the effects without protective goggles exposes the retinas to an amount of light sufficient enough to cause irreversible damage [2]
Gallery[]
References[]
Z Nation Characters | |
---|---|
Portsmouth Naval Correction Facility | Alvin • Marilyn • Mark • Raymond |
Northern Light Listening Post | Simon • JZ • Vitali • Hernandez |
Camp Blue Sky | Roberta • Addy • Steven • Mack • Charles • Donna • Marion • Donner • Redburn • Sophia |
Camp Blue Sky Outskirts | "10K" • Skeezy • Sketchy |
Ellesmere Island | Kaya • Pup • Kaskae |
Philadelphia Cannibal Survivor Group | Bernt • Jodi • Moonshade • Mrs. Campbell • Cassandra • Tobias • Merchant • Samuel • Karl • Travis |
Philadelphia Cannibal Survivor Group's Victims | John |
General McCandles' Command Post | Arthur • Sarge • Morgan • Robins |
Castle Point | Jane • Rick • Antoine |
Province Town | Berman • Madeline • Joe • Cutty • Jameson |
Resurrection Cult | Eli • Patrick • Matthew • Jacob • Mary • Luke |
S&S Unlimited | Brittany • Robert • Shelley • Keith • Forman • Phil • Darren |
Nebraska Small Town | Janet • Otis • Buck • Cam |
Edgemont Nuclear Plant | Wilbur • Homer • Amelia |
CIA Black Site | Chester |
Sisters Of Mercy Camp | Sam • Serena • Helen • Rachel • Cheyenne • Emmy • Tessa • Dax • Brennan |
Darren's Gang | Darren |
Brett's Group | Brett • Janice • Henry • Jason |
Fort Collins Underground Facility | Brandon • Walter |
Murphy Bounty Hunters | Earl • Javier • Wes • Zane |
Wagon Train Group | Wrecking Ball • Sam • Zeke • Athena |
Minnesota Lab | Mariah • Harper • Odegard |
Mennonite Community | Jacob • Rebeca |
Kettle Farm | Pa • Ma |
Redneck Group | Dale • Zachary |
Burrtown | Rollie • Cornelius • Tyler • Sadie |
Extranauts | Bernadette • Roy • Dan |
Native American Group | Ayalla • Kuruk • Red Hawk • Jerry • Eddie • Running Deer • Danny |
Corporate Group | Dana • Iggy • Paul • Meg • Gideon • Travis • Greg • Sheila • Washington |
Zeros | Hector • Francisco • Corinne • La Reina • Diablo |
Sun Mei's Group | Sun Mei • Lt. Mong |
Mercy Labs | Red • Harold • Nature Boy • Sarah |
Murphytown | Wesson • Will • Cassidy • Auerbach • Hope |
Serenity Falls Institution for the Criminally Insane | Elvis • Liddy • Winona • Re-Pete • Bob • Ratched |
Zona | Spears • Sunshine • The Founder • The Man |
Lt. Mueller's Convoy | Sgt. Lilly • Mueller • Sgt. Czarnecki |
Channel 9 Action News station | Carly • Jack • Doug • Stage Manager • Bruce • Mitchell• Mike • Helene |
Altura | Georgia • Roman • Majorie • Lt. Dante • Pandora |
Miscellaneous Characters | Cooper • Semple • Daisy • Dr. Hastings • John • Skipper • Camilla • Linda • Sarah • Burgess • Luis • Lucy • Hopper • Matheson • Auntie • Red • Hanson Brothers • Raymond • Urwin • Fuentes • Nazarian • Beale • West • Bernie • Dr. Sanders • Dineen • Michael • Julia • Angie • Johnny • Bill • Darren • Dean • George • Larry |
Alive characters appear in green. Dead characters appear in red and italics. Unknown characters appear in blue. Undead characters appear in grey and italics. |