Judge Dredd: The Cursed Earth, Chapter 23 – Legion Of The Damned!

NAME
Judge Dredd: The Cursed Earth, Chapter 23 – Legion Of The Damned!

FIRST PUBLISHED
2000 A.D. Prog 83

DATELINE
23 Sep 78

This Prog was the first to cost 10p and featured Ant Wars, Dan Dare, Tharg's Future Shocks and Robo-Hunter strips alongside a Judge Dredd cover by Mike McMahon and a Star Pin-Up of Tweak by Brian Bolland.

PAGE COUNT
7

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

SYNOPSIS
Dredd and company are attacked by robot soldiers in Death Valley.

FIRSTS & LASTS
First time that a story has reach twenty-three parts and the last appearance of Judge Jack.

INFORMATION
The lights of Mega-City Two are visible from Death Valley.

The Battle of Armageddon was fought in 2071 in Death Valley between the Judges and the deposed President 'Bad Bob' Booth's robot armies. It is considered worse than Alamein, Iwo Jima and Stalingrad. There is a war memorial to the one hundred thousand Judges and Mega Troopers that fought and died. The battlefield is still littered with troops of the robot armies. Among them the Presidential Iron Guard, the first and second Berserkers and the Mek Panzers.

The Castillo De Los Hombres Muertos (The Fort Of The Dead Men) is nearby.

JUDGE DREDD
He speaks some Spanish. Dredd wants to pay his respects to those who fell in the Battle of Armageddon, but is attacked by the robot soldiers of the Battle of Armageddon. He, Spikes and Tweak take refuge in a nearby Spanish fort.

OTHER CHARACTERS
SPIKES
He is shot off his bike by the robot army.

JUDGE JACK
He is rattled by the robot soldiers and deserts in the Kill-Dozer. He is killed by the robot army whilst surrendering outside the Kill-Dozer.

GENERAL BLOOD 'N' GUTS
Commander of the Mek Army.

ARRESTS
None.

DEATHS
One. Judge Jack is killed by the robot troopers.

BEST LINES
Dredd: "Get a grip on yourself, Judge Jack!...It was only an old war 'droid left over from the battle, with a little energy left in its batteries. It had to obey it's programming to kill Judges!"

WORST LINES
Spikes: "This place looks like it's seen some action before...What's some joker scrawled on the wall?"

CATCHPHRASES
None.

CONTINUITY & CROSSOVERS
There are mentions of Bad Bob Booth in Chapter 8 and Judge Jack's tangle with Satanus in Chapters 15 and 16.

INFLUENCES & REFERENCES
Alamein presumably refers to a World War II campaign in 1942 which included the First Battle of El Alamein, the Battle of Alam el Halfa and the Second Battle of El Alamein. The Battle of Iwo Jima or Operation Detachment, was a major battle in 1945 which the USA fought for and captured the island of Iwo Jima from the Japanese. The Battle of Stalingrad saw Nazi Germany fought the Soviet Union for control of the city of Stalingrad from August 1942 to February 1943. It is a serious contender for bloodiest battle ever and therefore Dredd's contention that the Battle of Armageddon was worse means that more than 1.3 million must have died.

General Blood 'N' Guts is named after General George S. Patten's nickname 'Old Blood And Guts' (1885–1945).

MISTAKES
None.

RETROSPECT
Judge Jack's badge will turn up in Shok!

NOTES
None.

CREDITS
Script: P. Mills
Artist: M. McMahon
Letters: John Aldrich

REVIEW
'The Bit In Death Valley' starts very well and Judge Jack's meltdown is well-explored, although it's a shame that Tweak's prediction has been shelved, however briefly.

Next Prog: Dredd's Last Stand!