Alpha is the leader of the Whisperers, a mysterious group of survivors who disguise themselves with zombie skin to blend in with them and not get noticed, and Lydia's mother.

[volume & issue needed] After meeting with Rick Grimes, she allows Carl and Lydia to leave on the condition that nobody will cross the new border she marked.

On their way back, Rick and the group discover that Alpha has decapitated 12 residents of Alexandria, the Hilltop, the Kingdom and the Sanctuary, and that she used their heads placed on pikes to mark the border.

[1] Alpha is the leader of the Whisperers, a mysterious group of hostile survivors who disguise themselves with the skin of the undead in order to blend in with them and not get noticed, and the mother of Lydia (Cassady McClincy).

Alpha's dark past is shown in flashbacks; it is revealed that she killed her husband Frank (Steve Kazee) and their group of survivors during the initial stages of the outbreak, believing them to be "weak".

Her reanimated head is placed on the pike border by Carol, but it is retrieved and eventually put down by Beta who uses a piece of Alpha's face to fix his own broken walker mask.

In the mid-season premiere, "Adaptation", Alpha leads a group of Whisperers who captured Alden (Callan McAuliffe) and Luke (Dan Fogler), luring them into a trap by setting up a trail of arrows for them to follow.

In the episode "Omega", Lydia, who has been captured and held in a cell at the Hilltop Colony, tells her story (shown through flashbacks) to Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus) and Henry (Matthew Lintz), bonding with the latter in the process.

Henry eventually catches up with Lydia and the Whisperers, and watches them from a close distance as they rest, but is found and grabbed by Beta (Ryan Hurst), Alpha's second-in-command.

Suddenly, a small horde of walkers show up and begin eating the unmasked Whisperers, creating mass confusion.

Later, at the Whisperers' new camp, Alpha, now out of disguise, joins her people, and approaches Daryl, Carol, Michonne (Danai Gurira), and Yumiko (Eleanor Matsuura), who were captured by Beta and are now tied to a tree.

In the episode "Ghosts", Alpha sends Gamma to Alexandria to tell Michonne, Daryl and Carol to meet with her at the border.

In the episode "Bonds", when Negan is discovered prowling within her territory, Alpha decides to test him to determine if he is strong enough to join her.

When Beta expresses discontent at having the newcomer within the group, Alpha asks if he has finally decided to challenge her to take command of the Whisperers, but he flatly refuses and kneels before her, promising that he will never again question her decisions.

In the mid-season finale, "The World Before", after questioning Gamma's loyalty to the group, Alpha decides to move the gigantic horde of walkers away from their former location and into a nearby cave.

After witnessing her enemies once again enter her territory in search of the horde, Alpha lures Carol into a chase through the forest to the cave.

In the mid-season premiere, "Squeeze", Alpha watches the cave from a distance and orders her people to make sure the group do not escape.

After returning to the camp, Alpha tells Beta and Gamma what has happened, assuming that their enemies have been spying on them and entrusting the latter to go to the border to leave a message for their mole in Alexandria.

While relieving herself in an impromptu latrine, Alpha receives a visit from Negan, who suggests that the traitor she is looking for might be inside the camp, listing Gamma as his prime suspect.

Alpha initially disregards Negan's theory, but later realises he was correct when Beta informs her that Gamma has not reached the border.

Promising Gamma will pay for her treachery, Alpha orders Beta to track her down and bring her before her so that she can punish her in front of the entire group.

Both seeking refuge in an abandoned building, Alpha thanks Daryl for helping her become stronger, but is offended when he accuses her of not loving her daughter.

In the episode "Morning Star", Alpha and the Whisperers are leading the horde of walkers to the Hilltop when Negan proposes that instead of killing them, she should force them to surrender and join her instead.

"[4] On Rotten Tomatoes, the critical consensus for "Omega" reads: "'Omega' utilizes an unreliable narrator to flesh out the zombie skin-clad fanatic Alpha and succeeds at making her all the more unnerving, but some viewers may find the episode's flashback structure and side plots to be more laborious than revelatory.

"[5] The critical consensus for the following episode "Guardians" reads: "'Guardians' presents dual stories of tested leadership with thematic resonance and provides the malevolent Alpha a plump opportunity to demonstrate her villainy -- although The Walking Dead is still withholding crucial context from viewers longing to understand the motivations of their heroes.

"[6] In his review for "The Calm Before", Erik Kain of Forbes wrote: "Alpha uses the woman's scalp and its long golden locks as a disguise.

"[7] Writing for Den of Geek, Ron Hogan in his review wrote: "The creative team is able to dial it back, sprinkling moments of hopefulness in front of Alpha.

The very same incidents strike two related people totally differently, and in the denouement of the episode, the very things that lend sweetness and happiness end up causing the greatest in bittersweet pain.

"[8] Commenting on the decapitation border, Jeff Stone of IndieWire wrote: "It is kind of funny how Alpha seemed to know how important each character was and ordered them accordingly.

Club wrote: "Alpha showing the walker horde to Daryl is a strong narrative conceit, the equivalent of warning your enemy by holding up an ICBM and saying you're not afraid to use it.