Judge Dredd: The Sweet Taste Of Justice

NAME
Judge Dredd: The Sweet Taste Of Justice

FIRST PUBLISHED
2000AD Sci-Fi Special 1981

DATELINE
01 Jun 81

PAGE COUNT
10

REPRINTS
Judge Dredd (Volume 2) 6, Judge Dredd (Volume 2) 61 & Judge Dredd: The Restricted Files 01

SYNOPSIS
Dredd goes after smugglers of white powder.

FIRSTS & LASTS
First mention of sugar being illegal in Mega-City One.

INFORMATION
In Mega-City One, there is an Eezi-Walk over a speedway near to Muhammad Ali Alley. The Nose And Lip Shop stocks Kosmik Kiss lipstick. Mega-Prison West. All Pan-Can road traffic enters Mega-City One through the North Gate, everything is checked for signs of radioactivity.

In 1999, scientists declared sugar to be a major cause of heart disease, obesity and tooth decay. It was banned and only artificial sweeteners were permitted. In Mega-City One, the illegal importation of sugar is still a crime as are withholding information from a Judge and defacing a Judge's uniform are crimes. Named Judges: Judge Gale, Judge Medway, Judge Ridley. Judge Watson

Pan-Can exports clean soil from Mega-City One. The Canada Plantations also grow sugar.

Hover-Juggers are used for transportation of goods via road.

JUDGE DREDD
Whilst on patrol he sees Max Normal who gives him information about an illegal shipment of goods coming into Mega-City One tonight. They are shot at by a sniper. Normal is wounded. Dredd pursues the shooter, who takes a hostage. Dredd uses a ricochet shot to take him out and he falls onto the Mega-Way. Dredd investigates

OTHER CHARACTERS
MAX NORMAL
Whilst informing Dredd of an illegal shipment of goods coming into Mega-City One tonight, he is shot by a sniper and hospitalised. He recovers and the Justice Department authorises a payment of 40,000 creds.

ROXANNE GLEEG
She lives at Flat 17A, Ricardo Montalban Block, she is the girlfriend of Dave 'Boy' Tork and customer of The Nose And Lip Shop were she purchased Kosmik Kiss lipstick. Dredd arrests her for withholding information and defacing his uniform when she kisses his helmet.

DAVID SIDNEY TORK
Known mobster, nicknamed 'Boy'. Boyfriend of Roxanne Gleeg. He was released last week from Mega-Prison West. Dredd stops his Hover-Juggers at the North Gate and after a protracted chase and firefight. Dredd arrests him for the illegal importation of sugar.

JUDGE WATSON
He assists Dredd's blockade of the North Gate. He gets shot.

ARRESTS
Two. Dredd arrests Roxanne Gleeg for withholding information from a Judge and defacing a Judge's uniform. He later arrests Tork for the illegal importation of sugar and sentences him to twenty years.

DEATHS
Four. Dredd shoots the assassin who falls into traffic below and is "spread over 500 metres of mega-way". Tork's driver is shot dead by Judges and the driver and passenger of Hover-Jugger 1 die in a explosion.

BEST LINES
Adult with Susan: "Look, Susan - that what you'll get if you don't behave"

WORST LINES
Perp: "Judges! Whack 'em out!"

CATCHPHRASES
Dredd: "Halt in the name of the law!", a dying perp named Mico screams an "Aieeee!" and a Judge says "Drokk!"

CONTINUITY & CROSSOVERS
None.

INFLUENCES & REFERENCES
Muhammad Ali Alley

MISTAKES
None.

RETROSPECT
None.

NOTES
None.

CREDITS
Script: Staccato
Artist: Colin Wilson
Letters: Thomas

REVIEW
The action sequences are impressive and it's great to see Max Normal back again. The script is at great pains to avoid spoiling the reveal of the sugar, with its references to white powder, but the title has already given that away. Colin Wilson's art is magnificent and the layout of the panels really gives it a boost.

The End.

The A.B.C. Warriors: 'Steelhorn', Part 2

NAME
The A.B.C. Warriors: 'Steelhorn', Part 2

FIRST PUBLISHED
2000 AD & Tornado Prog 128

DATELINE
1 Sept 79

PAGE COUNT
6

REPRINTS
A.B.C. Warriors Book 1, ABC Warriors 01, Sam Slade Robo-Hunter (Volume 2) 07, A.B.C. Warriors Mek-nificent Seven and A.B.C. Warriors: The Meknificent Seven

SYNOPSIS
Hammer-Stein trails 'The Mess' and then decants him.

FIRSTS & LASTS
First meeting of the A.B.C. Warriors and their superior.

INFORMATION
Fireman wear Asbestos suits.

HAMMER-STEIN
He follows the trail of death and destruction left by the Mess and finds a file full of slaughtered A.B.C. Warriors. Hammer-Stein scrapes the Mess off the ground and takes him back to base where he pours it into a vacuum flask.

JOE PINEAPPLES
He is present when Hammer-Stein pour the Mess into a vacuum flask.

HAPPY SHRAPNEL
He is present when Hammer-Stein pour the Mess into a vacuum flask. After hearing Hammer-Stein's information about the slaughter of 'demobbed' A.B.C. Robots, Happy Shrapnel resists having a human superior officer.

MONGROL
He recognises the pained noises that the Mess makes as being similar to the noise he made when beaten.

DEADLOCK
He doesn't need to be briefed. Deadlock has read the Tarot and already knows what will happen and that their enemy will be the devil.

OTHER CHARACTERS
'THE MESS'
It attacks the manager of the demob centre who mocked Steelhorn. It sees itself in a mirror and screams. It writes 'I accuse' on the wall. The Firemen are called and they attack it as they would a fire, but the Mess gets into one of their Asbestos suits and kills him. It escapes down a sink and outside where it kills an military policeman. If it cools down it will lose its ability to move. Hammer-Stein scoops it up into his gun to keep warm and later pour it into a vacuum flask.

DEATHS
Three. The Mess consumes the manager of the demob centre, a fireman sent to get rid of it, a military policeman guarding outside.

BEST LINES
Fireman #1: "The Mess Is climbing into the sink...it's escaping down the plug-hole! Get down their after it, men!"
Fireman #2: "What? Down the plug-hole, Sir?"

WORST LINES
Fireman: "Glug! Glug! Glug!"

CATCHPHRASES
Happy Shrapnel says "Bzzz" once.

CONTINUITY & CROSSOVERS
None.

INFLUENCES & REFERENCES
The Firemen wear Asbestos suits, the negative health effects of asbestos were first noted in 1899 and the first documented asbestos-related death in 1906. Deadlock's Tarot card, The Devil represents being seduced by the material world and physical pleasures, being caged by luxury and living in fear.

MISTAKES
None.

RETROSPECT
None.

NOTES
None.

CREDITS
Script Robot: Pat Mills
Art Robot: Brendan McCarthy
Lettering Robot: Aldrich

REVIEW
Worth the price of entry for the full page panel of the death of the manager alone. The Mess looks great, but what should be a great twist for Hammer-Stein as he discovers that the humans don't have their best interests at heart is put to one side in favour of keeping the mysterious human officer storyline going.

Next Prog: Beat The Devil!

The A.B.C. Warriors: 'Steelhorn', Part 1

NAME
The A.B.C. Warriors: 'Steelhorn', Part 1

FIRST PUBLISHED
2000 AD & Tornado Prog 127

DATELINE
25 Aug 79

PAGE COUNT
6

REPRINTS
A.B.C. Warriors Book 1, ABC Warriors 01, Sam Slade Robo-Hunter (Volume 2) 07, A.B.C. Warriors Mek-nificent Seven and A.B.C. Warriors: The Meknificent Seven

SYNOPSIS
Hammer-Stein attempts to goad Steelhorn into joining him and fails. The indestructible Steelhorn is melted down and becomes 'the Mess'

FIRSTS & LASTS
First appearance of Steelhorn and 'the Mess', also the first ABC Warriors strip not to feature Joe Pineapples or Happy Shrapnel.

INFORMATION
Marshall Volgod is Zarr and leader of the Volgan empire.

Allied forces advance on every front and the Volgan Empire is losing the war. The Allied A.B.C. Robot Steelhorn kills Volgod and the war is over. Decommissioned A.B.C. Robots believe they are going to be able to make a new life for themselves, but instead they are melted down.

A flame barrier is a forcefield that burns with a high intensity.

HAMMER-STEIN
He attacks a pacifist Steelhorn in order to goad him into fighting again. Later he gets a feeling that something bad has happened to Steelhorn

BLACKBLOOD
He has been operated upon and reprogrammed.

OTHER CHARACTERS
STEELHORN
Steelhorn is constructed from the toughest metals and cannot be destroyed. He can withstand the heat of a Volgan flame barrier. Steelhorn has spent ten years fighting. He takes vengeance on Marshall Volgod and then becomes a pacifist. Hammer-Stein attacks him to try and force him to change his ways. Steelhorn plans to become a fireman. Instead of being demobilised he is dropped into a fusion furnace, but it fails to destroy him and he becomes a 'mess' of flowing living liquid metal. 'The Mess' flows out of the furnace and kills its operator.

MARSHALL VOLGAN
Zarr of the Volgan Empire. With the war apparently lost, he is planning to go into exile aboard an imperial plane when Steelhorn arrives to claim vengeance.

DEATHS
Three. Steelhorn takes his vengeance on Volgod, Steelhorn is melted down and 'the Mess' kills the Furnace operator.

BEST LINES
Hammer-Stein: "Strodd help me!"

WORST LINES
None.

CATCHPHRASES
Steelhorn screams an "Aieeee"

CONTINUITY & CROSSOVERS
Blackblood's 'operation' mentioned in 'The Bougainville Massacre' takes place here.

INFLUENCES & REFERENCES
Zarr is presumably a futuristic spelling of Tzar and/or Czar.

MISTAKES
None.

RETROSPECT
None.

NOTES
None.

CREDITS
Script Robot: Pat Mills
Art Robot: Brendan
Lettering Robot: Pete Knight

REVIEW
Steelhorn, we hardly knew ye and yet Hammer-Stein feels like a passenger in Steelhorn's strip. Steelhorn singlehandedly ends the war and it's shame that it happens so simply and between panels. Steelhorn would make a great addition to the team so, in a move that seems very unlikely, Hammer-Stein attempts to beat Steelhorn's pacifism out of him, then the big fella dies. 'The Mess' is an intriguing idea to pull off in a comic, years ahead of Terminator 2: Judgment Day and the artwork depicting it is phenomenal.

Next Prog: Revenge Of The Mess!

Star Pin-Up: Judge Anderson

NAME
Star Pin-Up: Judge Anderson

FIRST PUBLISHED
2000 AD Featuring Judge Dredd Prog 213

DATELINE
23 May 81

PAGE COUNT
1

REPRINTS
Unknown.

SYNOPSIS
None.

FIRSTS & LASTS
None.

INFORMATION
None.

JUDGE ANDERSON
Depicted here both struggling with Judge Death and sealed in Boing.

OTHER CHARACTERS
JUDGE DEATH

ARRESTS
None.

DEATHS
None.

BEST LINES
None.

WORST LINES
None.

CATCHPHRASES
None.

CONTINUITY & CROSSOVERS
Judge Death and Judge Anderson last appeared in Judge Dredd: Judge Death.

INFLUENCES & REFERENCES
Unknown.

MISTAKES
None.

RETROSPECT
This serves to remind the reader of two important characters that they haven't seen for eighteen months.

NOTES
None.

CREDITS
Artist: Brian Bolland

REVIEW
Bolland's art is wonderful as always.

The A.B.C. Warriors: 'The Bougainville Massacre', Part 2

NAME
The A.B.C. Warriors: 'The Bougainville Massacre', Part 2

FIRST PUBLISHED
2000 AD & Starlord Prog 126

DATELINE
18 Aug 79

PAGE COUNT
6

REPRINTS
A.B.C. Warriors Book 1, ABC Warriors 01, A.B.C. Warriors Mek-nificent Seven, Sam Slade Robo-Hunter (Volume 2) 07 and A.B.C. Warriors The Meknificent Seven

SYNOPSIS
Blackblood takes a hostage and Joe Pineapples shoots him.

FIRSTS & LASTS
None.

INFORMATION
The A.B.C. Warriors are programmed to enjoy combat. Their motto is "Strike first...strike hard!"

HAMMER-STEIN
He captures a Volgan Daddy Long-Legs and attacks the Straw Dogs. He gets underneath Blackblood's position and catches his hostage when Joe Pineapples shoots the general.

JOE PINEAPPLES
Hammer-Stein regards him as the best sniper in the world. Joe shoots Blackblood dead, missing his heart by 1mm and misses the boy he was holding hostage.

HAPPY SHRAPNEL
He captures a Volgan Daddy Long-Legs and attacks the Straw Dogs.

MONGROL
He like to 'smush' Volgans.

DEADLOCK
He captures a Volgan Daddy Long-Legs and attacks the Straw Dogs.

OTHER CHARACTERS
GENERAL BLACKBLOOD
He has taken Stevie Proctor hostage and when his Daddy Long-Legs is crippled. Joe Pineapples shoots his dead. Hammer-Stein has him taken away and reprogrammed.

MISS SWEET
Her whole class was murdered by Blackblood's Straw Dogs. Hammer-Stein carries her up a tree to keep her out of danger.

STEVIE PROCTOR
After the attack on his school by the Straw Dogs, he is taken hostage by Blackblood. He is due to be in Miss Sweet's class next year.

HAMMER-STEIN'S SUPERIOR
He wants Hammer-Stein to get one more A.B.C. Warrior.

DEATHS
Unknown. It's not clear how many Straw Dogs are killed. Blackblood is shot dead.

BEST LINES
Joe Pineapples: "TGT - A - OK!"

WORST LINES
Hammer-Stein: "Miss Sweet, robots eat bullets for breakfast, spit 'em out at tea - but humans can't even che 'em for elevenses..!"

CATCHPHRASES
Blackblood "Ssss!" six times, Mngrol mentions smushing, Joe Pineapples says "N & V!" again and a Straw Dog yells an "Aieeee!".

CONTINUITY & CROSSOVERS
None.

INFLUENCES & REFERENCES
Unknown.

MISTAKES
None.

RETROSPECT
None.

NOTES
None.

CREDITS
Script Robot: P. Mills
Art Robot: M. McMahon
Lettering Robot: Pete Knight

REVIEW
It's great to see Joe Pineapples very nearly take centre stage. He's been increasingly marginalised by the newer members of the team. Miss Sweet and the hostage taking are nicely handled. Hammer-Stein's feelings of guilt are interesting, but this feels like it needed more Blackblood.

We've Kept The Best ABC Warrior Till Last! Meet Steelhorn Next Prog!

The A.B.C. Warriors: 'The Bougainville Massacre', Part 1

NAME
The A.B.C. Warriors: 'The Bougainville Massacre', Part 1

FIRST PUBLISHED
2000 AD & Starlord Prog 125

DATELINE
11 Aug 79

PAGE COUNT
6

REPRINTS
A.B.C. Warriors Book 1, ABC Warriors 01, A.B.C. Warriors Mek-nificent Seven, Sam Slade Robo-Hunter (Volume 2) 07 and A.B.C. Warriors The Meknificent Seven

SYNOPSIS
Blackblood attacks Bougainville.

FIRSTS & LASTS
First time Blackblood says "Ssss!"

INFORMATION
Bougainville is a remote Pacific Island with a jungle, mangrove swamps, inland rubber plantations and a beach with a mission school on it.

A.B.C. Warriors can regulate the power to their eye-scanners. The Magnum Macho 3000 is a Sniper Rifle.

Volgan Daddy Long-Legs are an amphibious walking vehicle, Men O' War are flying vehicles and Straw Dogs are robots equipped for jungle terrain and lead by General Blackblood.

HAMMER-STEIN
He came around to the idea of working with Blackblood when he heard that it would require killing him first and them reprogramming him. He carries Miss Sweet away from the remains of her school.

JOE PINEAPPLES
He is armed with a Magnum Macho 3000 Sniper Rifle.

HAPPY SHRAPNEL
He is in need of a new suit of armour.

MONGROL
He refuses to work with Blackblood. Miss Sweet reminds him of Lara.

DEADLOCK
His sword, X-caliber feeds on death and can home in on its target when thrown.

OTHER CHARACTERS
MISS SWEET
School teacher at a mission school on the Bougainville coast. She is trapped in the rubble of her school during the Bougainville massacre. Hammer-Stein rescues her and carries her out.

GENERAL BLACKBLOOD
Robot leader of the Volgan Straw Dogs. He is programmed to be extra cruel and as an expert in camouflage and guerrilla warfare. Blackblood got his name from the rumour that he drinks the oil of dead allied A.B.C. Warriors. He arrives on Bougainville aboard a Daddy Long-Legs.

DEATHS
Dozens. Islanders killed by the Straw Dogs and at least three Straw Dogs killed by the A.B.C. Warriors.

BEST LINES
Deadlock: "Remember my sword, 'X-caliber', feeds on death!"

WORST LINES
Deadlock: "Death is its nourishment!"

CATCHPHRASES
Joe Pineapples says "N & V" again, Happy Shrapnel says "Bzzz" twice, Mongrol refers to "Laaraa!" and Blackblood says "Ssss!" four times

CONTINUITY & CROSSOVERS
None.

INFLUENCES & REFERENCES
The Volgan Daddy Long-Legs look very The War Of The Worlds (1897) or The Tripods, a series of novels by John Christopher that began in 1967.
A Straw Dog is an ancient Chinese ceremonial figure of a dog made from straw often thrown away after use, but also the title of a controversial 1971 film by Sam Peckinpah. The name Blackblood recalls noted pirate Blackbeard, real name Edward Teach (circa 1680–1718), better known as Blackbeard. The General says "No one expects...", which was the opening line of the Monty Python's Flying Circus Spanish Inquisition sketch (1970).

MISTAKES
None.

RETROSPECT
None.

NOTES
None.

CREDITS
Script Robot: Pat Mills
Art Robot: Mc Mahon
Lettering Robot: Peter Knight

REVIEW
The attack on the school is shocking, the Volgan hardware is impressive and it's a great twist that Hammer-Stein has to recruit a member of the enemy, but as the team gets larger most members are reduced to a single characteristic (see CATCHPHRASES above).

Next Prog: The Best Sniper In The World!

Judge Dredd: The Mega-Rackets, Crime File: 3 - The Umpty Baggers, Part 2

NAME
Judge Dredd: The Mega-Rackets, Crime File: 3 - The Umpty Baggers, Part 2

FIRST PUBLISHED
2000 AD Featuring Judge Dredd Prog 214

DATELINE
30 May 81

This prog also featured Tharg's Future Shocks, Meltdown Man, Return to Armageddon and Strontium Dog, a Pin-Up of Robo-Hunter, a Tharg's Future Shocks cover by Brendon McCarthy.

PAGE COUNT
6

REPRINTS
The Best of 2000AD 32, The Complete Judge Dredd 20, Judge Dredd's Crime Files 4, Judge Dredd Mega City Vice Book 2 and Judge Dredd The Complete Case Files 05.

SYNOPSIS
Dredd ends the Jongs themselves, but not their Umpty empire.

FIRSTS & LASTS
None.

INFORMATION
Evidence taken from addicts in withdrawal is not admissible. Umpty Squad wear a different uniform to street Judges. Named Judges: Brent

JUDGE DREDD
He leads a raid on a suspected Umpty factory and finds it recently abandoned. Dredd suspects a tip-off and blames Judge Cheyney. He lures Cheyney to the factory and knocks him out. When the Jongs arrive, there is a gunfight and Dredd kills them all.

OTHER CHARACTERS
JUDGE BRENT
Umpty squad.

JUDGE CHEYNEY
Dredd lures him to the Umpty factory at Malcolm Allison Block and knocks him out. When the Jongs arrive Dredd suspicions are proved correct and Cheyney is due to be sent to the penal colony on Titan.

ARRESTS
Three. Two elderly Umpty addicts are lead away and Judge Cheyney is due to be sent to the penal colony on Titan.

DEATHS
Four. Dredd shoots the entire Jong gang dead.

BEST LINES
Dredd (to Cheyney): "C'mon, Creep! You've got an appointment with the penal colony on Titan."

WORST LINES
None.

CATCHPHRASES
None.

CONTINUITY & CROSSOVERS
None.

INFLUENCES & REFERENCES
None.

MISTAKES
None.

RETROSPECT
None.

NOTES
None.

CREDITS
Script: T.B. Grover
Art: Emberton
Letters: T. Frame

REVIEW
This is a slight ending which deals with the threads left dangling by the first part in quite a perfunctory way. Dredd has no evidence about Cheyney's complicity, but rather than investigating he knocks him unconscious and hopes the evidence will be forthcoming. Ron Smith's characters designs for the Jongs are dispensed with and it's not clear who is meant to be who. The ending, however, is great and shows that although Dredd may win the battle, the war is another matter altogether.

The End