Charles Spalding

Biography
Doctor Charles Spalding was a scientist working on a means to "cure" the undead, by chemically removing their affliction from them in the hopes that they might at last find peace. He worked out of a castle laboratory along with his colleague Doctor James Sevard and his assistant, Desmond. As his experiments carried on, Spalding decided to alter the purpose of his experiments. Rather than curing the undead, he instead decided to isolate the elements of their body that provided them with their supernatural strength. He sought to duplicate these elements and introduce them into healthy cell tissue thereby imbuing normal human beings with the supernatural strength of a zombie.

What Spalding didn't realize at the time, was that Doctor Sevard had been carrying on an affair with Charles' wife, Helen. The two conspired with one another to murder Doctor Spalding and steal his research. Desmond overheard their plot and informed Doctor Spalding. Charles was shocked, but took the news in stride and maintained his composure.

Spalding summoned Doctor Sevard to his laboratory. He wanted him to volunteer as a test subject for his new serum, but Sevard declined. James recommended using Desmond instead, but ultimately, Doctor Spalding decided to test the formula on himself. Sevard took this opportunity to make his move. He increased the dosage on the formula in the hopes that it would kill his colleague. The serum didn't kill Spalding, but placed him in a death-like state of suspended animation. Believing him dead, Sevard and Helen held a funeral service for Charles.

A few nights later, Desmond exhumed his employer's remains and Charles Spalding rose from the grave. Although he had had the physical characteristics of a zombie, he was still in full command of his mental faculties. Desmond and he returned to the castle laboratory and set fire to it. Spalding roamed the halls of the castle until he tracked down James Sevard and Helen Spalding. He took his revenge upon them, strangling both of them to death.