Judge Dredd: 'The Nightmare Gun'

NAME
Judge Dredd: 'The Nightmare Gun'

FIRST PUBLISHED
2000 AD Featuring Judge Dredd Prog 190

DATELINE
13 Dec 80

This prog also featured Dash Decent, Meltdown Man, Return To Armageddon, Ro-Jaws' Robo-Tales & Strontium Dog with a Strontium Dog cover by Carlos Ezquerra.

PAGE COUNT
7

REPRINTS
The Complete Judge Dredd 18, Judge Dredd's Crime Files 6, Judge Dredd Chronicles Book 25 and Judge Dredd The Complete Case Files 04.

SYNOPSIS
Dredd pursues a couple of alien gunmen with a weapon that exploits its victim's own fears.

FIRSTS & LASTS
First real insight into Dredd's psyche.

INFORMATION
Mega-City One's Jack Elam Speedway has Betty Grable and Tony Curtis intersections. The F. Loyd Mazny housing scheme is the most complex development ever attempted by Mega-City One, it was built of house two million people and was nicknamed the 'Maze'. Three weeks after it was completed vandals destroyed every sign. 150 residents starved to death attempting escape and it took a year for the last resident made their exit.

The Nightmare Gun is device which forces its victim to face their fears.

Grall is an inhabited planet. The dominant species can have Blood Type Q and live into their nineties. Boggits are an example of Grall fauna, they live in warrens.

A Judge should not have deep-rooted fears. Named Judges: Judge Ginsberg (deceased)

JUDGE DREDD
He is called to scene of a multi-vehicle pile-up on the Jack Elam Speedway. He pursues and kills the two Grall gunmen responsible. He is apparently fearless.

OTHER CHARACTERS
ROCKO ZILCH
Head of the Interworld Crime Syndicate. He is shot, whilst driving, with the nightmare gun, has a heart attack and crashes into an oncoming mopad.

JUDGE GINSBERG
Judge. He is afraid of needles and when shot by a Grall with the nightmare gun he perceives .

ARRESTS
None.

DEATHS
Possibly hundreds. The Gralls kill Rocko Zilch causing a multi-vehicle pile-up. They later shoot Halbert Gumby and Judge Ginsberg with the nightmare gun which result in their deaths. Dredd shoots both of the Grall dead.

BEST LINES
Dredd: "Halt, Alien! Or I fire!"
[Grall doesn't stop]
Dredd: "You had your choice!"

WORST LINES
None.

CATCHPHRASES
Dredd says "Drokk!"

CONTINUITY & CROSSOVERS
None.

INFLUENCES & REFERENCES
Jack Elam (1920-2003) was an American actor who appeared in Rawhide (1951), Gunfight At The O.K. Corral (1957) and Support Your Local Sheriff!(1969). Betty Grable (1916–1973) was an American actress, dancer, and singer known for her performance in The Gay Divorcee (1934), Million Dollar Legs (1939) and How To Marry A Millionaire (1953). Tony Curtis (1925-2010), star of Sweet Smell Of Success (1957), The Defiant Ones (1958), The Vikings (1958), Some Like It Hot (1959) and The Persuaders! on TV.

MISTAKES
None.

RETROSPECT
None.

NOTES
None.

CREDITS
Script: T.B. Grover
Artist: Emberton
Letters: Tom Frame

REVIEW
The story may be slight, but the artworks has a bouncy quality that keeps the story going.

Next Prog: Walter's Weturn!