The Walking Dead FINALLY reveals who rescued Rick Grimes on the helicopter in spin-off show World Beyond

ONE of the biggest questions hovering over The Walking Dead has been answered at last, courtey of spin-off series World Beyond.

The Amazon Prime show is decidedly different in tone to the main AMC drama, taking a coming-of-age focus with a group of teens raised in the zombie apocalypse at the centre of the action.

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In episode 2 The Tyger and the Lamb we finally learned about the group who rescued Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) using a helicopter.

The group in question is called the Civic Republic, who form one of three communities that make up the Alliance of the Three.

The three-ringed symbol represents the peace agreement between the three biggest players in the apocalypse .

The Civic Republic spans the Southwestern United States, with strongolds in Omaha, Nebraska, and a currently unnamed society in Portland, Oregon.

They are supposedly developing a cure to the zombie plague, but to mistake them for pacifists would be a mistake.

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The Civic Republic's military force slaughtered almost 10,000 people living inside Nebraska's Campus Colony, which used to be home to sisters Hope (Alexa Mansour) and Iris (Aliyah Royale), along with friends Elton (Nicolas Cantu) and Silas (Hal Cumpston).

The massacre, which unfolded towards the end of the show's premiere, was addressed by Civic Republic Military (CRM) soldier Barca (Al Calderon).

While the official stance is that the Civic Republic "neutralised a threat," Barca shows remorse about the attack.

Elizabeth Kublek (Julia Ormond), Lieutenant Colonel of the CRM, is quick to show off the home comforts that comes with life under the faction.

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The likes of energy, clean water, medical facilities, schools, agriculture and a legal system are all showcased.

"We are the last light of the world. We are the last hope," she explains when grilled about the brutal military tactics.

"And we, us, we enable this population of over 200,000 souls to live. To create the future."

She stipulates that while The Campus Colony "didn't seem like a threat... they were going to be."

It looks like Rick's rescuers are more morally grey than they may have originally appeared.

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It's worth pointing out that The Civic Republic are not the same group who appeared in the recent The Walking Dead season 10 finale.

The soldiers who ambushed Eugene (Josh McDermitt) and co instead represent The Commonwealth, a group who operate on a strict class-based hierachy.

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They are set to feature heavily in season 11 in line with the comics by Robert Kirkman.

The Walking Dead: World Beyond is available to stream on Amazon Prime.