Judge Dredd: 'The Troggies', Part 1

NAME
Judge Dredd: 'The Troggies', Part 1

FIRST PUBLISHED
2000 A.D. Prog 36

DATELINE
29 Oct 77

This prog has a supercover by Lopez as well as Invasion, Dan Dare, Tharg's Future Shocks, Inferno and M.A.C.H.1 strips.

PAGE COUNT
4

REPRINTS
Judge Dredd: The Early Cases 4, Judge Dredd Annual 1985, The Complete Judge Dredd 3 and Judge Dredd: The Complete Case Files 01.


SYNOPSIS
Dredd investigates a series of disappearances, but becomes a victim himself.

FIRSTS & LASTS
First appearance of the Undercity, but not yet named as such.

INFORMATION
The old New York subway system is disused and was closed down more than hundred years ago. The East Street Subway Station has survived largely intact.

In the 20th Century, the Troggies were a group that struggled to adjust to the pace of modern life and sought refuge underground. As time passed their bodies adapted and now they can see in the dark.

An electric whip immobilises its victim.

A Judge's Lawmaster has an Infra-Red Headlamp which can show up heat sources, including footsteps.

JUDGE DREDD
Whilst investigating a spate of disappearances, he is kidnapped by the Troggies and put to work.

OTHER CHARACTERS
SLICK WILLY
The Prime Cat of the Troggies. He plans to destroy Mega-City One and has kidnapped several citizens to act as a slave workforce and placed explosives at key points underneath the city. They are currently digging the last tunnel they require.

ARRESTS
None.

DEATHS
None.

BEST LINES
Troggy: "Stand to attention, Normal. You are in the presence of Slick Willy, Prime Cat of the Troggies."

WORST LINES
Dredd: "Too many people have been disappearing lately."

Surely one is too many?

CATCHPHRASES
Between them the Troggies end three sentences with Daddy-O which implies they are descended from 1950's or 1960's beatniks.

CONTINUITY & CROSSOVERS
None.

INFLUENCES & REFERENCES
Mutants living in the New York Subway System brings to mind Beneath The Planet Of The Apes (1970) again.

One of the Troggies paraphrases The Bible passage 1 Corinthians 15:32 "What do I gain if, humanly speaking, I fought with beasts at Ephesus? If the dead are not raised, Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die."

MISTAKES
The L and the I in Slick are very close together and at a glance the word resembles Suck.

RETROSPECT
The Undercity will go on to become an important part of Mega-City One.

NOTES
None.

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

Script: John Wagner
Artist: Ian Gibson
Letters: Tony Jacob

REVIEW
I like this strip a lot. The Troggies may perform the same function as Mutants, but their design, the Daddy-Os and the Slick Willy's first panel are great.