Judge Dredd: The Cursed Earth, Chapter 20 – The God Judge

NAME
Judge Dredd: The Cursed Earth, Chapter 20 – The God Judge

FIRST PUBLISHED
2000 A.D. Prog 80

DATELINE
2 Sep 78

This Prog also featured a Robo-Hunter cover by Ian Gibson, Ant Wars, Dan Dare, Tharg's Future Shocks and Robo-Hunter strips and the last part of the Cursed Earth board game.

PAGE COUNT
6

REPRINTS
Judge Dredd Epics: The Cursed Earth 2, Judge Dredd Epics: The Cursed Earth, Judge Dredd Epics: The Collected Cursed Earth, The Complete Judge Dredd 7, Judge Dredd 8 and Judge Dredd The Complete Case Files 02.

SYNOPSIS
Dredd attempts to become the God-Judge.

FIRSTS & LASTS
First time that a story has reached twenty parts.

INFORMATION
Once a year, Judge from the Mafia families meet to compete in a gang fight to become God-Judge. It is the big gambling event of the year.

The League Against Gambling meet in a huge, disused fallout shelter. Their leader, Abner Cobb was executed, but he prophesied that a saviour will come and end their struggle.

VTV are a Las Vegas television station.

Named Las Vegas Judges: God-Judge Lucky Mutiano, Judge Rocko Steeleye, Judge Aldo

JUDGE DREDD
Spikes saves him when he jumps off Loser's Leap, they meet Rudy and he takes them to the League Against Gambling. They inform him of their prophecy and the next day's gang fight. Dredd enters and wins and is in principle the God-Judge of Las Vegas, but appoints Rudy to serve in his stead.

OTHER CHARACTERS
SPIKES 'HARVEY' ROTTEN
He saves Dredd from Loser's Leap with a fire escape chute. Spikes enters the gang fight as Dredd's number 2 and he drives while Dredd shoots.

THE GOD-JUDGE
His name is Lucky Mutiano. Last year, he won the gang fight and competes again this year to defend his title.

RUDY
Member of the League Against Gambling.

ABNER COBB
Executed former leader of the League Against Gambling. He prophesied that a man in black with a steed of iron would come from the East and smite the God Judge, replace him for the next 24 years and his name will be Dread.

JUDGE ROCKO STEELEYE
He is competing for the Androidini family in the competition to become the God-Judge. He is half Vegas Bionics.

ARRESTS
None.

DEATHS
Four. Dredd shoots Judge Rocko's car during the gang fight and it explodes, before running the God-Judge off the road.

BEST LINES
Linus: "I-I don't understand. The saviour was supposed to remain one score years and four!"

WORST LINES
Dredd: "Get this buggy, Spikes!"

CATCHPHRASES
None.

CONTINUITY & CROSSOVERS
We saw a different type of fire escape chute in Judge Dredd: Firebug .

INFLUENCES & REFERENCES
Lucky Mutiano's name recalls Charles "Lucky" Luciano (1897–1962), the man considered the founder of the US Mafia.

MISTAKES
If the League Against Gambling is illegal, then having LAG written across your chest or forehead is madness.

RETROSPECT
None.

NOTES
None.

CREDITS
Script: T.B. Grover
Artist: Mike McMahon
Letters: John Aldrich

REVIEW
The first page, Spikes saving Dredd and the prophecy are all great, but 'The Bit With The Mafia' suffers during the gang fight set piece from some awkward geography.

Next Prog: Tweak's Story!