Judge Dredd: The Black Plague!, Part One

NAME
Judge Dredd: The Black Plague!, Part One

FIRST PUBLISHED
2000 A.D. and Tornado Prog 140

DATELINE
24 Nov 79

The prog also featured Blackhawk, Captain Klep, The Stainless Steel Rat, The V.C.'s and The Mind Of Wolfie Smith strips, the first part of the Starlord Guide To The Galaxy to cut out and keep and a Star Trek: The Motion Picture cover by either Lefevre or Lefebre.

PAGE COUNT
6

REPRINTS
2000AD Monthly 1, The Complete Judge Dredd 13, Judge Dredd Chronicles Book 24, Judge Dredd Annual 1987 and Judge Dredd The Complete Case Files 03.

SYNOPSIS
A plague of poisoned spiders heads for Mega-City One.

FIRSTS & LASTS
First talking horse.

INFORMATION
Atom Gulch is a Mutieland town thirty miles from Mega-City One. Warpcorn is a crop that grows in the Cursed Earth and Jackrat steaks are an example of local cuisine. The Cursed Earth can cause radio interference. A plague of poisoned spiders swarms across the Cursed Earth.

Named Judges: Judge Paxon, Judge Dyll.

JUDGE DREDD
Moze Bigleftear heads to Mega-City One to ask for his help. He agrees and travels to Atom Gulch arriving just before the first spiders. When evacuation is ruled out, he decides to help the locals hold the town and cured the plague.

OTHER CHARACTERS
MOZE BIGLEFTEAR
His farm is overrun by a plague of poisoned spiders. He escapes to Atom Gulch and then to Mega-City One to get help from Judge Dredd.

UNCLE FLATFACE
He lives in the Cursed Earth. He is killed by the spiders and eaten.

HENRY FORD
Mutated talking horse owned by Mose Bigleftear.

COUSIN AMOS SIXFINGERS
Neighbour to Moze Bigleftear. His farm is five miles from Atom Gulch. It is overrun by the spiders and he is presumed dead.

ARRESTS
None.

DEATHS
Probably two. Uncle Flatface is poisoned by a spider bite and digested by the swarm, while Cousin Amos Sixfingers probably goes the same way.

BEST LINES
Moze Bigleftear: "There's a man I heard tell of. They say he's hard as petrified hickory - but fair with it! They say he 'll never stand by an' watch wrong bein' done...his name is Judge Dredd!"

WORST LINES
Moze Bigleftear: "Sheee-ucks!"

CATCHPHRASES
Judge Paxon or Dyll says "Dok!" upon seeing the spiders. Dredd says "Drokk!"

CONTINUITY & CROSSOVERS
None.

INFLUENCES & REFERENCES
Henry Ford shares his name with the car manufacturer that pioneered mass production, Henry Ford (1863–1947).

MISTAKES
None.

RETROSPECT
None.

NOTES
None.

CREDITS
Script: John Howard
Artist: Ron Smith
Letters: Tom Frame

REVIEW
A talking horse, a cast of well-rounded mutant characters, apparently insurmountable odds and Dredd. This is a great start.

Next Prog: Bite, Baby...Bite!