Judge Dredd: The Day The Law Died!, Part 20

NAME
Judge Dredd: The Day The Law Died!, Part 20

FIRST PUBLISHED
2000 A.D. Prog 108

DATELINE
14 Apr 79

This prog also featured Tharg's Future Shocks, Ro-Busters, Robo-Hunter and Strontium Dog, a Strontium Dog Star Pin Up and a Ro-Busters cover by Mike McMahon.

PAGE COUNT
5

REPRINTS
Judge Dredd Epics: Judge Caligula 2, Judge Dredd Epics: The Complete Judge Caligula, The Complete Judge Dredd 10, Judge Dredd 13, Judge Dredd Epics: The Day The Law Died and Judge Dredd The Complete Case Files 02.

SYNOPSIS
Cal prepares of his moment in history and Fergee saves the day.

FIRSTS & LASTS
The first twenty part story, last appearance of Fergee and Cal (native to this reality).

INFORMATION
The anti-vandal door on the Mega-City One's Statue of Judgement cannot withstand a high speed collision from a truck.

Named Judges: Judges Amos.

ICI '89 is a rare wine vintage.

JUDGE DREDD
He mounts an attack on Cal.

OTHER CHARACTERS
CHIEF JUDGE CAL
He prepares to kill the citizens of Mega-City One at the top of the Statue of Judgement. He poisons his two SJS bodyguards. During Dredd's attack, the previously hypnotised Judges suffer a relapse in his presence. He shoots Fergee. Cal activates the nerve gas controls, but Fergee throws him off top of the statue. He falls to his death erroneously believing himself to have command over gravity.

FERGEE
Cal shoots him, but he manages to manhandle Cal off the Statue of Judgement. He falls to his death.

ARRESTS
None.

DEATHS
Cal poisons his two SJS bodyguards. Fergee, Cal and at least six Judges fall to their deaths.

BEST LINES
Fergee: "Ain't no flies on Fergee!"

WORST LINES
SJS Judge: "Footsteps pounding up the stairs - Dredd's coming!"

CATCHPHRASES
Another "Easy the Ferg!"

CONTINUITY & CROSSOVERS
None.

INFLUENCES & REFERENCES
Alfred Hitchcock's Saboteur (1942) features both a climactic confrontation at the Statue of Liberty and a fall from the top.

MISTAKES
None.

RETROSPECT
None.

NOTES
None.

CREDITS
There are no credits printed in the strip itself and so the following are taken from Barney.

Script: John Wagner
Artist: Ron Smith
Letters: Tom Frame

REVIEW
This is brilliant, but oddly anti-climactic. Cal's belief that he can stop himself from falling by sheer force of will is great final moment for the character, but Dredd has almost nothing to do.