9.) Captain Trips Superflu
Featured in: The Stand
Source: Secret Government Bio-Weapon
Effects: Gurgly phlegmy death

Stephen King's novel "The Stand" probably isn't the best bedtime reading for the current climate-especially if you don't want to spend the next month bathing yourself in hand sanitizer. The novel's Captain Trips superflu bears an uncomfortable resemblance to the current Swine Flu problem that's swimming around. After escaping from a secret government facility, the bug quickly spreads across the world killing 99.4% of the population in the process. King dedicates several chapters to the spread of the disease, illustrating how unwitting carriers sentence their neighbors to death with a single breath. Like Swine Flu, Captain Trips starts with mild flu-like symptoms that continually worsen until the infected choke on their own swollen necks-nasty stuff.

Worse than Pig Flu?: Captain Trips: ~6.73 billion deaths - Pig Flu: 27

Story by Kris King

Starpulse contributing writer