Mega-City One
Encyclopedia
Mega-City One is a huge fictional city-state
covering much of what is now the Eastern United States
in the Judge Dredd
comic book
series. The exact boundaries of the city depend on which artist
has drawn the story. The city seems to have grown outward from the present-day Northeast megalopolis
, extending down to the Atlanta metropolitan area southwards, and the Quebec City-Windsor Corridor
northwards.
The Architects Journal placed it at #1 in their list of "comic book cities."
system. Mega-City One was one of three major areas to survive the nuclear war in 2070, due to an experimental laser missile-defence system
built not long before. Quickly growing outwards, Mega-City One swelled to hold most of the population of the East Coast, reaching 800 million by the end of the century. This population was halved by the Apocalypse War
of 2104.
Mega-City One has a far greater population density
than any city in the present-day world, with a total population
of over 400 million people. Most city dwellers (citizens) live in huge apartment
blocks (50,000+), though many citizens live a perpetually nomadic existence in vehicular mo-pads (mobile home
s) due to inadequate housing provisions. These citizens travel the city via the many public transport routes available, rarely stopping. Some mo-pads are quite luxurious, complete with swimming pool
s.
Much of the city was destroyed by nuclear warheads in the Apocalypse War. A small part of the city, known as the North West Hab Zone, became separated from the rest of the city by a stretch of radioactive wasteland called Nuke Alley. The Hab Zone is connected to the main city by a bridge. A tunnel is under construction.
For administrative purposes the city is divided into 305 sectors. Sectors 1 to 300 constitute the main city. Sectors 301 to 305 form the North-West Hab Zone. Sector 301 is disparagingly nicknamed "The Pit" due to its high crime rate.
s (more like small wars) between two or more blocks.
Blocks are named after famous or historical figures, often with current events in mind. A typical example — shortly after the Nicole Kidman
and Tom Cruise
separation there was an episode with block war breaking out between the "Kidman" and "Cruise" Blocks. A proposed crackdown on civil rights in Britain led to a block being named David Blunkett
Block in one story.
and police officer
. Ordinary laws are enforced more harshly than the present day, reflecting the crime rate. Judges impose immediate sentences on the spot, usually lengthy sentences of imprisonment (or "encubement"). In extreme cases even the death penalty may be imposed, although relatively sparingly compared with the present day. In contrast many criminals are shot to death while resisting arrest, and resisters who survive Judge assault often receive a whole life cube term.
The Judges themselves are not exempt from the law; they are expected to obey it more strictly than any other. A violation that would earn a citizen a few months in an Iso-Cube would get a Judge a twenty-year sentence, served as hard labor on Saturn
's moon, Titan
, after surgical modification to enable the convict to survive outside there without needing an expensive space suit
.
Most ordinary citizens are sent to the Iso-Cubes, tiny cells located within huge prisons. These are designed for maximum rehabilitation
in the shortest time possible, but ultimately the decision as to sentence rests with the judges. Sentences are usually very long. However, the death penalty is not in wide use, and is reserved for mass murder or endangering the security of the city. In spite of this judges do regularly shoot perp
s dead in the course of combat.
Firearm
possession is only legal with the right firearms permit
, which is very hard to obtain, the only real exception is in the cases of the Citidef units who may use heavy weapons (Though since Block Mania
the security on these is extreme and they are only issued in wartime). However, in spite of this many firearms are in circulation, some sold on the black market while others are leftovers from the various invasions that have occurred over the past thirty years. Some families still possess twentieth-century handguns that have been handed down through the years. These are sometimes found by crime blitzes and will usually earn exactly the same penalty as a "modern" day lasblaster
.
run by the Justice Department. It subsequently became an independent city-state
following the break-up of the United States and had already been granted autonomy within the Union in 2052. Its ruler is Chief Judge Dan Francisco
. He is accountable to a council of five senior judges. The citizens are permitted to have an elected city council
and mayor
, but with no significant power.
In 2113 a referendum
was held in which the people were allowed to decide whether to restore democratic government, but by this time the memory of democracy had become so distant that the majority of citizens did not bother to vote, and most of those who did opted to retain the status quo.
s; this has led to problems with boredom
and unemployment
. Boredom has fostered many problems in the city, with weird fads including Block Wars (wars between neighboring apartment blocks, waged by each block's defense militia
), "ugliness clinics", and odd fashions.
Leisure in Mega-City One consists of a number of weird and wonderful futuristic hobbies and attractions:
We've also heard mention of several traditional nations:
City-state
A city-state is an independent or autonomous entity whose territory consists of a city which is not administered as a part of another local government.-Historical city-states:...
covering much of what is now the Eastern United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in the Judge Dredd
Judge Dredd
Judge Joseph Dredd is a comics character whose strip in the British science fiction anthology 2000 AD is the magazine's longest running . Dredd is an American law enforcement officer in a violent city of the future where uniformed Judges combine the powers of police, judge, jury and executioner...
comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
series. The exact boundaries of the city depend on which artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
has drawn the story. The city seems to have grown outward from the present-day Northeast megalopolis
Northeast megalopolis
The Northeast megalopolis or Boston–Washington megalopolis is the heavily urbanized area of the United States stretching from the the northern suburbs of Boston, Massachusetts to the southern suburbs of Washington, D.C. On a map, the region appears almost as a perfectly straight line. As of 2000,...
, extending down to the Atlanta metropolitan area southwards, and the Quebec City-Windsor Corridor
Quebec City-Windsor Corridor
Quebec City – Windsor Corridor is the most densely-populated and heavily-industrialized region of Canada. As its name suggests, it extends from Quebec City in the east to Windsor, Ontario in the west, spanning . With more than 18 million people, it contained 51% of the country's population and...
northwards.
The Architects Journal placed it at #1 in their list of "comic book cities."
Description
Mega-City One evolved out of a growing urban conurbation stretching from Boston to Washington, which took form in the 21st century to cope with the escalating population crisis in America and - due to the high crime rate - led to the introduction of the JudgeJudge (2000 AD)
Judge is a title held by several significant characters in the Judge Dredd series, which appears in the British comics 2000 AD and Judge Dredd Megazine...
system. Mega-City One was one of three major areas to survive the nuclear war in 2070, due to an experimental laser missile-defence system
Strategic Defense Initiative
The Strategic Defense Initiative was proposed by U.S. President Ronald Reagan on March 23, 1983 to use ground and space-based systems to protect the United States from attack by strategic nuclear ballistic missiles. The initiative focused on strategic defense rather than the prior strategic...
built not long before. Quickly growing outwards, Mega-City One swelled to hold most of the population of the East Coast, reaching 800 million by the end of the century. This population was halved by the Apocalypse War
Apocalypse War
The Apocalypse War is a storyline from the comic strip Judge Dredd, first published in British comic 2000 AD in 1982. A sequel to the story "Block Mania", it was written by John Wagner and Alan Grant and illustrated by Carlos Ezquerra...
of 2104.
Mega-City One has a far greater population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
than any city in the present-day world, with a total population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
of over 400 million people. Most city dwellers (citizens) live in huge apartment
Apartment
An apartment or flat is a self-contained housing unit that occupies only part of a building...
blocks (50,000+), though many citizens live a perpetually nomadic existence in vehicular mo-pads (mobile home
Mobile home
Mobile homes or static caravans are prefabricated homes built in factories, rather than on site, and then taken to the place where they will be occupied...
s) due to inadequate housing provisions. These citizens travel the city via the many public transport routes available, rarely stopping. Some mo-pads are quite luxurious, complete with swimming pool
Swimming pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...
s.
Much of the city was destroyed by nuclear warheads in the Apocalypse War. A small part of the city, known as the North West Hab Zone, became separated from the rest of the city by a stretch of radioactive wasteland called Nuke Alley. The Hab Zone is connected to the main city by a bridge. A tunnel is under construction.
For administrative purposes the city is divided into 305 sectors. Sectors 1 to 300 constitute the main city. Sectors 301 to 305 form the North-West Hab Zone. Sector 301 is disparagingly nicknamed "The Pit" due to its high crime rate.
City Blocks
Blocks are huge and can be considered to be a small town in themselves. Each one will typically possess a hospital, gymnasium, school, and shopping district. A citizen can quite literally live their whole lives without leaving their block. Due to the high unemployment rate, boredom is rife among citizens — this, coupled with the high loyalty citizens develop to their blocks, leads to many "Block Wars", riotRiot
A riot is a form of civil disorder characterized often by what is thought of as disorganized groups lashing out in a sudden and intense rash of violence against authority, property or people. While individuals may attempt to lead or control a riot, riots are thought to be typically chaotic and...
s (more like small wars) between two or more blocks.
Blocks are named after famous or historical figures, often with current events in mind. A typical example — shortly after the Nicole Kidman
Nicole Kidman
Nicole Mary Kidman, AC is an American-born Australian actress, singer, film producer, spokesmodel, and humanitarian. After starring in a number of small Australian films and TV shows, Kidman's breakthrough was in the 1989 thriller Dead Calm...
and Tom Cruise
Tom Cruise
Thomas Cruise Mapother IV , better known as Tom Cruise, is an American film actor and producer. He has been nominated for three Academy Awards and he has won three Golden Globe Awards....
separation there was an episode with block war breaking out between the "Kidman" and "Cruise" Blocks. A proposed crackdown on civil rights in Britain led to a block being named David Blunkett
David Blunkett
David Blunkett is a British Labour Party politician and the Member of Parliament for Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough, having represented Sheffield Brightside from 1987 to 2010...
Block in one story.
Law
Mega-City One's laws are harsh, with many crimes not found in present-day law. Possession of sugar, for example, is illegal, as is the smoking of tobacco outside of licensed Smoketoriums, and coffee is banned as an illegal stimulant. The laws are enforced by the Judges, who are a combination of judgeJudge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
and police officer
Police officer
A police officer is a warranted employee of a police force...
. Ordinary laws are enforced more harshly than the present day, reflecting the crime rate. Judges impose immediate sentences on the spot, usually lengthy sentences of imprisonment (or "encubement"). In extreme cases even the death penalty may be imposed, although relatively sparingly compared with the present day. In contrast many criminals are shot to death while resisting arrest, and resisters who survive Judge assault often receive a whole life cube term.
The Judges themselves are not exempt from the law; they are expected to obey it more strictly than any other. A violation that would earn a citizen a few months in an Iso-Cube would get a Judge a twenty-year sentence, served as hard labor on Saturn
Saturn
Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second largest planet in the Solar System, after Jupiter. Saturn is named after the Roman god Saturn, equated to the Greek Cronus , the Babylonian Ninurta and the Hindu Shani. Saturn's astronomical symbol represents the Roman god's sickle.Saturn,...
's moon, Titan
Titan (moon)
Titan , or Saturn VI, is the largest moon of Saturn, the only natural satellite known to have a dense atmosphere, and the only object other than Earth for which clear evidence of stable bodies of surface liquid has been found....
, after surgical modification to enable the convict to survive outside there without needing an expensive space suit
Space suit
A space suit is a garment worn to keep an astronaut alive in the harsh environment of outer space. Space suits are often worn inside spacecraft as a safety precaution in case of loss of cabin pressure, and are necessary for extra-vehicular activity , work done outside spacecraft...
.
Most ordinary citizens are sent to the Iso-Cubes, tiny cells located within huge prisons. These are designed for maximum rehabilitation
Rehabilitation (penology)
Rehabilitation means; To restore to useful life, as through therapy and education or To restore to good condition, operation, or capacity....
in the shortest time possible, but ultimately the decision as to sentence rests with the judges. Sentences are usually very long. However, the death penalty is not in wide use, and is reserved for mass murder or endangering the security of the city. In spite of this judges do regularly shoot perp
PERP
p53 apoptosis effector related to PMP-22 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the PERP gene.PERP is a direct transcriptional target of p53.-Further reading:...
s dead in the course of combat.
Firearm
Firearm
A firearm is a weapon that launches one, or many, projectile at high velocity through confined burning of a propellant. This subsonic burning process is technically known as deflagration, as opposed to supersonic combustion known as a detonation. In older firearms, the propellant was typically...
possession is only legal with the right firearms permit
Gun law in the United States
Gun law in the United States is defined by a number of state and federal statutes. In the United States of America, the protection against infringement of the right to keep and bear arms is addressed in the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution...
, which is very hard to obtain, the only real exception is in the cases of the Citidef units who may use heavy weapons (Though since Block Mania
Block Mania
Block Mania is a Judge Dredd story, which ran in British comic 2000 AD #236-244, in 1981. The story itself is a prologue for the longer storyline "The Apocalypse War", which immediately follows the conclusion of "Block Mania".-Story:...
the security on these is extreme and they are only issued in wartime). However, in spite of this many firearms are in circulation, some sold on the black market while others are leftovers from the various invasions that have occurred over the past thirty years. Some families still possess twentieth-century handguns that have been handed down through the years. These are sometimes found by crime blitzes and will usually earn exactly the same penalty as a "modern" day lasblaster
Laser
A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of photons. The term "laser" originated as an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation...
.
Government
Since the abolition of democratic government in America in 2070, Mega-City One has been a dictatorshipDictatorship
A dictatorship is defined as an autocratic form of government in which the government is ruled by an individual, the dictator. It has three possible meanings:...
run by the Justice Department. It subsequently became an independent city-state
City-state
A city-state is an independent or autonomous entity whose territory consists of a city which is not administered as a part of another local government.-Historical city-states:...
following the break-up of the United States and had already been granted autonomy within the Union in 2052. Its ruler is Chief Judge Dan Francisco
Judge Francisco
Chief Judge Dan Francisco is a fictional supporting character in the Judge Dredd comic strip in 2000 AD. He is chief judge of Mega-City One.-Fictional character biography:...
. He is accountable to a council of five senior judges. The citizens are permitted to have an elected city council
City council
A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...
and mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
, but with no significant power.
In 2113 a referendum
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
was held in which the people were allowed to decide whether to restore democratic government, but by this time the memory of democracy had become so distant that the majority of citizens did not bother to vote, and most of those who did opted to retain the status quo.
- Chief JudgeChief Judge of Mega-City OneChief Judge of Mega-City One is the title of several supporting characters in the Judge Dredd comic strip published in 2000 AD. The chief judge is dictator and head of state of Mega-City One, a fictional future city of around 400 million people in 22nd-century America...
- Council of FiveCouncil of FiveThe Council of Five is a fictional legislature and court in the Judge Dredd comic strip appearing in 2000 AD. It first appeared in 2000 AD prog 86 ....
- Mayor of Mega-City OneMayor of Mega-City OneMayor of Mega-City One is a fictional office in the Judge Dredd comic strip in 2000 AD. The most significant mayor to appear in the comic was serial killer PJ Maybe, in disguise as Byron Ambrose....
- 2113 Referendum
Crimes
Many crimes in Mega-City One are controlled by flamboyant mob bosses:- Blitzers: hitmen with self-destruct bombs implanted inside them which detonate if they surrender when apprehended.
- Body-sharking: loaning money to people willing to put a loved one into cryonicCryonicsCryonics is the low-temperature preservation of humans and animals who can no longer be sustained by contemporary medicine, with the hope that healing and resuscitation may be possible in the future. Cryopreservation of people or large animals is not reversible with current technology...
storage for collateral. - Chump-dumping: conning aliens into believing Earth is a paradise, taking their moneyMoneyMoney is any object or record that is generally accepted as payment for goods and services and repayment of debts in a given country or socio-economic context. The main functions of money are distinguished as: a medium of exchange; a unit of account; a store of value; and, occasionally in the past,...
, and then dumping them into space. - Face changing crimes: the illicit use of face changing machines to commit crimes and fraud.
- Futsies: People who can no longer can handle the fast pace of life begin to suffer from "Future ShockFuture ShockFuture Shock is a book written by the futurist Alvin Toffler in 1970. In the book, Toffler defines the term "future shock" as a certain psychological state of individuals and entire societies. His shortest definition for the term is a personal perception of "too much change in too short a period of...
," become psychoticPsychosisPsychosis means abnormal condition of the mind, and is a generic psychiatric term for a mental state often described as involving a "loss of contact with reality"...
and begin to commit crimes. - Numbers racket: buying computer passcodes for industrialIndustryIndustry refers to the production of an economic good or service within an economy.-Industrial sectors:There are four key industrial economic sectors: the primary sector, largely raw material extraction industries such as mining and farming; the secondary sector, involving refining, construction,...
theftTheftIn common usage, theft is the illegal taking of another person's property without that person's permission or consent. The word is also used as an informal shorthand term for some crimes against property, such as burglary, embezzlement, larceny, looting, robbery, shoplifting and fraud...
. - Organ leggers: those who cut up citizens and sell their organs on the black market.
- Perp running: transporting felonFelonyA felony is a serious crime in the common law countries. The term originates from English common law where felonies were originally crimes which involved the confiscation of a convicted person's land and goods; other crimes were called misdemeanors...
s off-world. - Psycos: telepathicTelepathyTelepathy , is the induction of mental states from one mind to another. The term was coined in 1882 by the classical scholar Fredric W. H. Myers, a founder of the Society for Psychical Research, and has remained more popular than the more-correct expression thought-transference...
protection rackets. - Stookie glanding: butchering Stookies, an intelligent alien race, for the anti-aging drugMedicationA pharmaceutical drug, also referred to as medicine, medication or medicament, can be loosely defined as any chemical substance intended for use in the medical diagnosis, cure, treatment, or prevention of disease.- Classification :...
they produce. - Umpty-baggers: pushers of umpty, a candy that tastes so good it forms an instant psychologicalPsychologyPsychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
addictionSubstance use disorderSubstance use disorders include substance abuse and substance dependence. In DSM-IV, the conditions are formally diagnosed as one or the other, but it has been proposed that DSM-5 combine the two into a single condition called "Substance-use disorder"....
.
Leisure
Most work in Mega-City One is carried out by robotRobot
A robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or...
s; this has led to problems with boredom
Boredom
Boredom is an emotional state experienced when an individual is without any activity or is not interested in their surroundings. The first recorded use of the word boredom is in the novel Bleak House by Charles Dickens, written in 1852, in which it appears six times, although the expression to be a...
and unemployment
Unemployment
Unemployment , as defined by the International Labour Organization, occurs when people are without jobs and they have actively sought work within the past four weeks...
. Boredom has fostered many problems in the city, with weird fads including Block Wars (wars between neighboring apartment blocks, waged by each block's defense militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
), "ugliness clinics", and odd fashions.
Leisure in Mega-City One consists of a number of weird and wonderful futuristic hobbies and attractions:
- The Aggro Dome was conceived as a way for frustrated citizens to let off steam without endangering their fellow Meggers. Within the domeDomeA dome is a structural element of architecture that resembles the hollow upper half of a sphere. Dome structures made of various materials have a long architectural lineage extending into prehistory....
s, citizens can vent their anger on robots, mock storefronts, and parked vehicles. Aggro Limited, the owners of the Aggro Dome franchise, petitioned for Judge replicoids to be added to a number of their buildings as a target for client retaliation. The request was promptly refused. After problems on opening day Dredd did his best to close the place for good but failed. Eventually the dome closed in the mid 2120s after visitor numbers fell too low to turn a profit. - The Alien Zoos are ever-popular attractions, featuring the most bizarre creatures from the Milky WayMilky WayThe Milky Way is the galaxy that contains the Solar System. This name derives from its appearance as a dim un-resolved "milky" glowing band arching across the night sky...
galaxy and beyond. - The Central Mega-City Library is open free of charge to the public and is the storehouse of information on Mega-City One and beyond, past and present. Late fees are very high.
- The Dream Palace is a popular leisure activity—for some, a growing necessity—and the ultimate in escapismEscapismEscapism is mental diversion by means of entertainment or recreation, as an "escape" from the perceived unpleasant or banal aspects of daily life...
. Customers are plugged into dream machineDream MachineThe phrase Dream Machine can have a number of different meanings:*Dreamachine, a light effect*Sony Dream Machine, a line of clock radios by Sony*Dream Machine , a UK-based progressive space rock band...
s where their dreams are made real. Morpheus, Inc. own the original chain of dream palaces, but were unsuccessful in blocking the expansion of rival Dream Parlours, back street services utilizing reconditioned dream machines. Some parlours offer other "diversions" to supplement their income. - The Mega-City Chamber of Horrors features robot replicas of history's most infamous villains.
- The Mega-City Museum is one of the tallest buildings in Mega-City One. It specializes in the history of Mega-City One. Home to the most complete records of pre-atomic American civilization in North America. A transceiverTransceiverA transceiver is a device comprising both a transmitter and a receiver which are combined and share common circuitry or a single housing. When no circuitry is common between transmit and receive functions, the device is a transmitter-receiver. The term originated in the early 1920s...
beaconBeaconA beacon is an intentionally conspicuous device designed to attract attention to a specific location.Beacons can also be combined with semaphoric or other indicators to provide important information, such as the status of an airport, by the colour and rotational pattern of its airport beacon, or of...
is sited atop the museum's roof, for use by the Justice Department. - The Museum of Death focuses on murderers, warWarWar is a state of organized, armed, and often prolonged conflict carried on between states, nations, or other parties typified by extreme aggression, social disruption, and usually high mortality. War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political...
fare that resulted in mass death, and historical instruments of tortureTortureTorture is the act of inflicting severe pain as a means of punishment, revenge, forcing information or a confession, or simply as an act of cruelty. Throughout history, torture has often been used as a method of political re-education, interrogation, punishment, and coercion...
. - The Palais-De-Boing is a chain of purpose-built structures designed for Boingers. Boinging is illegal outside of the Palais-De-Boing.
- The Smokatoriums are the only locations within Mega-City One limits where it is legal to smoke tobaccoTobaccoTobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
and nicotineNicotineNicotine is an alkaloid found in the nightshade family of plants that constitutes approximately 0.6–3.0% of the dry weight of tobacco, with biosynthesis taking place in the roots and accumulation occurring in the leaves...
-related products. - The White Cliffs of DoverWhite cliffs of DoverThe White Cliffs of Dover are cliffs which form part of the British coastline facing the Strait of Dover and France. The cliffs are part of the North Downs formation. The cliff face, which reaches up to , owes its striking façade to its composition of chalk accentuated by streaks of black flint...
were imported from a cash-starved Brit-Cit in the aftermath of the Atomic War. It remains a popular attraction despite the fact that it is nothing more than a crumbling pile of rock, chalk, and sand. - Stookie is an illegal drug made from the glands of an intelligent alien species that stops its users' aging. Withdrawal from Stookie causes users to rapidly reach their 'real' ages. In one of the Judge Dredd novels, it is explained than an injection of "pure, undiluted" Stookie causes the user to actually age backwards, reverting to a younger age. Of course, this may be non-canon.
Pedestrian
- Back street: Two-way passages, located in Old Town and City Bottom.
- Broad-Way: A large pedestrian plaza.
- Crossway: Any pedway intersection (AKA Crosslink).
- Eeziglide: One-way pedestrian conveyance that functions as a human conveyor-belt.
- Pedway: Pedestrian-only walkway found right across the City at all levels. Subpeds are enclosed pedways that run under Pedways.
- Zipstrip: One or two-way pedestrian walkway that links blocks and smaller interchanges. Enclosed zipstrips are called Pipeways.
Vehicular
- Boomway: One or two-way multi-level Mega-Way (between four to ten lanes width, two to four levels height).
- Filter: One-way exit or entrance to and from parking areasParking lotA parking lot , also known as car lot, is a cleared area that is intended for parking vehicles. Usually, the term refers to a dedicated area that has been provided with a durable or semi-durable surface....
. - Flyover: Skedway that passes over a city block (AKA Overzoom).
- Inter-Block Zoom: Maglev train-system which replaced the old Sky-Rail network in the late Twenty-first Century. Provides a link between all the city blocks in any given sector.
- Intersection: Road junction.
- Judge's Lane: Two-way road that runs parallel to major roadways, reserved for Justice Department usage.
- Median Strip: Protective barrier which prevents accidents in one half of a road from spreading to the other half.
- Mega Circular: Two-way, six-lane Meg-Way which bypasses through-sector traffic to benefit long-distance drivers.
- Meg-Way: Largest road design in Mega-City One. Two-way, between four to twenty lanes, and central reservation (AKA Megaway, Speedway, Throughway, X-Pressway).
- Parkarama: Ground vehicle park.
- Podport: Hover vehicle park.
- Skedway: One-way highway, between one to five lanes. Interskeds connect one skedway to another (AKA Feedway). Underskeds are single-lane roads, often reserved for public service traffic only, that pass underneath skeds. Overskeds are the same, but pass over skeds.
- Sky-Rail: Obsolete monorail public transit-system introduced in the early 21st century. One-third of Mega-City One still actively uses the Sky-Rail network while it awaits upgrading to the zoom-system. The largest Sky-Rail intersection in the City is Hell's Junction.
- Slipzoom: One-way, between one to four lanes, used for larger interchanges. An Underzoom (AKA Flyunder) is a single-lane road often reserved for public service traffic only that passes under a Slipzoom.
- Superslab: The longest Meg-Way in Mega-City One, bisecting the City from north to south. Twenty-four lanes, 1,220 kilometers in length (AKA Mega-City 500).
- Wayby: Small zones set aside Meg-Ways and Skedways in regular intervals where drivers can pull-off and temporarily park their vehicles.
- Zoomtube: The most recent traffic innovation in Mega-City One. An enclosed road-system where all traffic is platooned and computer-controlled for optimum speed and driver-safety.
History
As Judge Dredd stories are set 122 years into the future and progress forward in 'real time' (stories from 1977 are set in 2099, and stories from 2011 are set in 2133), they have an extensive fictional chronology.- Before 2027: America's population is rapidly approaching one billion, and an urban conurbation now stretches from New York to Washington in an attempt to contain the populace of the East Coast states. This will eventually become the first Mega-City, a new kind of urban development to house greater numbers of people. The development causes huge amounts of civil unrest and gang-related crimes.
- 2027: An alliance of street gangs, led by the P Street Posse, storm the White HouseWhite HouseThe White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
itself. Due to intimidation of the jury, no convictions occur. This incident will lead to the creation of the Judge SystemJudge (2000 AD)Judge is a title held by several significant characters in the Judge Dredd series, which appears in the British comics 2000 AD and Judge Dredd Megazine...
to police the country. Eustace FargoChief Judge FargoChief Judge Eustace Fargo is an important fictional character from the Judge Dredd comic strip in 2000 AD. He is Judge Dredd's clone father....
appointed Special Prosecutor for Street Crime by President Thomas Gurney.
- 2028: President Gurney re-elected due to his support for instant street justice.
- 2031: First deployment of the Judges in the United States, led by Chief Judge FargoChief Judge FargoChief Judge Eustace Fargo is an important fictional character from the Judge Dredd comic strip in 2000 AD. He is Judge Dredd's clone father....
. Special centres train the new recruits, often hand-picked from the regular police, and old style judges have to undergo the new judge training program with the power to convict and sentence criminals on the spot.
- 2039: The success of Mega-City One inspires the creation of more Mega-Cities - Mega-City TwoMega-City TwoMega-City Two is a huge fictional city covering five thousand square miles of the Californian West Coast in the Judge Dredd comic book series....
is planned to cover the Western seaboard and Texas City will cover Texas and other southern states. Other nations will follow..
- 2051: Fargo resigns and attempts suicide, but survives with serious injuries. He is secretly placed in suspended animationSuspended animationSuspended animation is the slowing of life processes by external means without termination. Breathing, heartbeat, and other involuntary functions may still occur, but they can only be detected by artificial means. Extreme cold can be used to precipitate the slowing of an individual's functions; use...
and his death is faked. Deputy Chief Judge SolomonJudge SolomonChief Judge Hollins Solomon is a fictional character from the Judge Dredd stories in the comic 2000 AD. His first appearance in the comic was in a flashback in #68, in the 1978 story The Cursed Earth. However his main appearance is in the story Origins , as a recurring character in a series of...
becomes chief judge.
- 2052: Congress passes the Autonomy Act, giving extensive powers of self-government to the three American mega-cities. Each mega-city has its own chief judge: Solomon continues to serve as chief judge of Mega-City One.
- 2057: Deputy Chief Judge GoodmanJudge GoodmanChief Judge Clarence Goodman is a fictional character in the Judge Dredd stories published in the British comic 2000 AD. He appeared in the first episode of Judge Dredd in March 1977 , and was the first regularly recurring supporting character.-Biography:Goodman was joint deputy chief judge at the...
becomes chief judge and creates the Council of FiveCouncil of FiveThe Council of Five is a fictional legislature and court in the Judge Dredd comic strip appearing in 2000 AD. It first appeared in 2000 AD prog 86 ....
. Psi DivisionPsi DivisionPsi-Division is a fictional organisation in the Judge Dredd and Anderson: Psi-Division comic strips in 2000 AD and Judge Dredd: The Megazine. It is the branch of Mega-City One's Justice Department that deals in supernatural phenomena, using Judges with psychic abilities. Psi-Judges are often...
created.
- 2064: A new process of accelerated cloning, with DNA taken from senior Judges, is created by Morton JuddMorton JuddMorton Judd is a fictional character from the Judge Dredd comic strip and appears in progs 559-563 of the British comic 2000 AD, in the story "Oz"....
to quickly bolster Justice Department's ranks. JoeJudge DreddJudge Joseph Dredd is a comics character whose strip in the British science fiction anthology 2000 AD is the magazine's longest running . Dredd is an American law enforcement officer in a violent city of the future where uniformed Judges combine the powers of police, judge, jury and executioner...
and Rico DreddRico DreddRico Dredd is a fictional character in the Judge Dredd comic strip in 2000 AD magazine. He is the brother of Judge Joe Dredd, the strip's eponymous lead character.-Appearances:...
are two of the first clones from this process, growing to physiological age 5 in a matter of months.
- 2066: Six clones, including the Dredd twins, are inducted into the Academy of LawAcademy of LawThe Academy of Law is a fictional place of learning appearing in the Judge Dredd series that appears in the British comic 2000 AD.-Fictional history:The Academy of Law is where the Judges of Mega-City One are trained...
.
- 2068: President Robert L. BoothPresident Robert L. BoothRobert Linus Booth is a fictional character from the British comic strip Judge Dredd in 2000 AD. He was the last President of the United States and the man who initiated the Atomic Wars.-Fictional character biography:...
is elected, gaining support under the line that the rest of the world was living off America's backs. (It later emerges that he rigged the election.)
- 2069: International relations are soured when Booth sends troops to seize control of foreign oil reserves.
- 2070: In response to growing international tensions and their impact on American foreign policy, Booth starts the Atomic WarsAtomic WarsThe Atomic Wars or Great Atom War is a fictional event in the Judge Dredd universe.In 2070, the possibly psychotic President Robert L. Booth started World War III by starting a nuclear war which dragged in all the major superpowers....
to mass public support. Despite Booth's promises, America's nuclear screens fail to keep out many of the retaliatory strikes. Most of the planet is devastated in a nuclear holocaust, and the world's Mega-Cities are among the few to survive relatively unscathed due to experimental laser defences. All Judges and the military are deployed to maintain order in the decaying society, with the Judges forced to constantly fight against soldiers for committing criminal acts. It is discovered Booth rigged the election and killed a witness to it. Shocked and betrayed, the citizens of America rise up against the government and call for the Judges to take over the country. Fargo, secretly reawoken from suspended animation, advises Goodman to take over as ruler of the United States in a coup. Booth is sentenced to 100 years in suspended animation, but has enough loyal followers and robotic Mek-troops to fight a civil war against the Judges until 2071.
- 2071: The Battle of Armaggedon. At the heart of the Cursed EarthCursed EarthThe Cursed Earth is a part of the fictional universe from the Judge Dredd series that appears in the UK comic book 2000 AD.-Background:...
, near Mega-City Two, Booth's army is finally defeated at the cost of the lives of one hundred thousand judges and troopers. The Hiroshima Accord is settled by the various global Mega-Cities.
- 2072: Massive inflow on homeless refugees from the Cursed Earth pour into the Mega-Cities, causing a massive amount of block construction. Space is becoming even tighter. Genetic apartheid laws are soon brought in to keep mutants out of Mega-City One.
- 2083–86: Civil war breaks out between Mega-City One and Texas City, the latter feeling it is being dominated by the other Mega-Cities while MC-One and Two oppose its secession in the interests of unity and the highly valuable resources Texas owns. The war leads to years of stalemate, and Mega-City One decides the conflict is pointless and allows Texas to secede. Note: this event possibly retconRetconRetroactive continuity is the alteration of previously established facts in a fictional work. Retcons are done for many reasons, including the accommodation of sequels or further derivative works in a series, wherein newer authors or creators want to revise the in-story history to allow a course...
ned by story "OriginsOrigins (Judge Dredd story)Origins is one of the longest Judge Dredd storylines to run in the pages of British comic 2000 AD. Making extensive use of flashbacks, it tells the story of how the Judges of Mega-City One rose to power. It was written by John Wagner and illustrated by Carlos Ezquerra, who between them created...
."
- 2088: Establishment of Luna-1, a moon-based Mega-City, by all three American Mega-Cities to renew and cement relations between them. Government of the colony is divided initially between all three cities, with a senior judge being sent every six months to take over as Judge-Marshal.
- 2099: Population is now over 800 million. Chief Judge Goodman, possessed by a malevolent psychic mutant called the Monkey, is forced to undermine the stability of the city to have it descend into anarchy; Judge Dredd takes the Monkey out. The Statue of JudgementStatue of JudgementThe Statue of Judgement is a fictional structure in the Judge Dredd comic strip in 2000 AD. It is a mammoth statue of a Mega-City Judge, built in Mega-City One where New York City once was, next to the Statue of Liberty. In some stories it has been called the Statue of Justice...
is erected in honour of the Judges. Renegade droid Call-Me-Kenneth starts the highly destructive First Robot WarThe Robot WarsThe Robot Wars was the first extended storyline for Judge Dredd during which the character became the most popular in the comic 2000 AD...
, devastating large areas of the city. Judge Dredd becomes the last Judge-Marshal of Luna-1 to serve a six-month tour of duty: Judge Tex succeeds him as permanent Marshal of Luna-1.
- 2101: Deputy Chief Judge CalJudge CalChief Judge Cal is a fictional character in the Judge Dredd comic strip in 2000 AD. He was loosely based on the real life Roman emperor Caligula, who is widely considered to have been insane...
, head of the Special Judicial Squad, has Goodman assassinated and assumes control. He brainwashes most of the Judges into obeying him, brings in alien KleggsKleggsKleggs are alien mercenaries in the Judge Dredd comic books.A Klegg looks rather like a large man with green, scaly skin and the head and tail of an alligator or crocodile. They only take payment in meat, since they are pure carnivores...
as mercenaries, and implements increasingly insane and dictatorial rules - twice sentencing the entire city to death! Judge Dredd leads a rebellion against him and eventually succeeds, with resistance member Judge GriffinJudge GriffinChief Judge Griffin is a fictional character in the Judge Dredd comic strip in 2000 AD. He was chief judge of Mega-City One between 2101 and 2104.-Fictional character biography :...
taking over as chief judgeChief Judge of Mega-City OneChief Judge of Mega-City One is the title of several supporting characters in the Judge Dredd comic strip published in 2000 AD. The chief judge is dictator and head of state of Mega-City One, a fictional future city of around 400 million people in 22nd-century America...
. Under Cal, a vast wall has been built around Mega-City One. The powerful mutant Father Earth leads a massed attack on Mega-City One, destroying Power Tower (a controlled volcano) and unleashing a flood of lava, before being stopped. A few months later, an invasion of mutant spiders leads to the burning of entire sectors.
- 2102: Judge DeathJudge DeathJudge Death is a fictional character of the Judge Dredd universe recounted in the UK comic 2000 AD. He is the leader of the Dark Judges, a sinister group of undead law enforcers from the alternate dimension of Deadworld, where all life has been declared a crime since only the living commit crimes...
arrives in Mega-City One and kills dozens before he is captured. The dying Psi-Judge Feyy predicts an apocalypse will occur in 2120 that can only be averted if a figure known as the Judge ChildJudge ChildThe Judge Child was an extended storyline in the 2000 AD comic strip Judge Dredd that ran from issues 156 to 181 in 1980. It introduced a character with the same name...
, who will become Chief Judge, can be found; Judge Dredd leads a mission to retrieve the Child, only to determine him as evil and leave him stranded on an alien world.
- 2103: The Sov block of East-Meg One, using robotic pirate Captain Skank as a proxy, secretly seize control of Mega-City One nuclear weapons and launch an attack on the city, destroying several sectors; after being caught, they nuke one of their own sectors as compensation. Judge Death is freed by the other Dark JudgesDark JudgesThe Dark Judges are recurring villains in the fictional Judge Dredd universe recounted in the UK comic 2000 AD. They are Judge Death, Judge Fire, Judge Fear and Judge Mortis. Later storylines added the "Sisters of Death" , to their ranks...
; they go on a killing spree in Billy Carter Block before their physical forms are destroyed.
- 2104: Sov Judge OrlokSov Judge OrlokSov Judge Orlok, also known as Orlok the Assassin, is a fictional character in the British comic strip Judge Dredd. He is an operative of the Soviet megacity of East Meg One.-Fictional character biography:...
drugs the city water supply, increasing the aggression of the population and leading to block wars springing up across the entire city - which turns out to have just been a diversion. With the Judges tied up with the Block ManiaBlock ManiaBlock Mania is a Judge Dredd story, which ran in British comic 2000 AD #236-244, in 1981. The story itself is a prologue for the longer storyline "The Apocalypse War", which immediately follows the conclusion of "Block Mania".-Story:...
, the Sov Judges of East-Meg One launch the Apocalypse WarApocalypse WarThe Apocalypse War is a storyline from the comic strip Judge Dredd, first published in British comic 2000 AD in 1982. A sequel to the story "Block Mania", it was written by John Wagner and Alan Grant and illustrated by Carlos Ezquerra...
. A coordinated attack shatters Mega-City One's defences, leaves multiple blocks destroyed by nuclear weaponry (the south of the city faces "total nuke out!" killing 150 million), and leads to a massed invasion by Sov forces. A bitter resistance is put up by Judges and Citizen-Defence units, despite heavy losses and the death (after being brainwashed into a Sov agent) of Chief Judge Griffin. Victory is achieved when a team led by Dredd causes the nuclear devastation of the entire East-Meg One. Judge McGruderJudge McGruderChief Judge Hilda Margaret McGruder is a fictional character in the Judge Dredd stories published in the British comic 2000 AD. She was the first female Chief Judge of Mega-City One, and the first Judge of Mega-City One to become Chief Judge twice...
becomes the new chief judge and oversees the rebuilding of the devastated city.
- 2107: A time travelTime travelTime travel is the concept of moving between different points in time in a manner analogous to moving between different points in space. Time travel could hypothetically involve moving backward in time to a moment earlier than the starting point, or forward to the future of that point without the...
mission is deployed to 2120 to determine the truth of Feyy's death-bed prediction. The Mega-City One of the future is discovered to be devastated and ruled by demonic creatures (including a zombie Judge Dredd) under a mutated form of the Judge Child - now revealed to be responsible for the great disaster. The Judges take action to ensure this future is averted. Later the Dark Judges gain physical form again and, using personal teleporters, are causes massacres across the city - even in the Grand Hall of Justice - without being stopped. They are eventually defeated and trapped in dimensional limbo.
- 2108: Shojun the WarlordShojun the WarlordShojun, Warlord of Ji was a fictional villain in the Judge Dredd comic strip in 2000 AD in 1986. He had powerful psionic abilities and attempted to take over the world....
unleashes the demonic Seven Samurai on Mega-City One, killing thousands - including the head of Psi-Division. McGruder steps down and is replaced by Judge SilverJudge SilverChief Judge Thomas Silver was chief judge of the fictional city of Mega-City One in the Judge Dredd comic strip.-Fictional character biography:...
. Pro-democracy activistsDemocracy (Judge Dredd storyline)Democracy in the fictional future city of Mega-City One has been a significant recurring theme in the Judge Dredd comic strip in 2000 AD. In particular, a number of stories published since 1986 have addressed the issue of the Judges' dictatorial system of government, and efforts by the citizens to...
take over a TV station and are executed live on air by Dredd.
- 2109: Under Silver's orders, Dredd leads the Judges in a dirty-tricks operation to undermine the upcoming Democratic March - including having Wally SquadWally SquadThe Wally Squad is a fictional undercover police force in the Judge Dredd stories of 2000 AD. Wally Squad agents were undercover judges noted for their eccentricity and borderline lunacy; these characteristic behaviours were an inevitable consequence of working undercover in a world of complete...
(undercover) Judges in the crowd provoke a riot, so the Judges have an excuse to go in and use violence while seemingly having the moral high ground.
- 2110: Morton Judd and his Judge-clones - the Judda - launch an attack on the Hall of Justice. They are defeated and their base in the Oz Radback is destroyed. The Dredd-clone KrakenJudge KrakenJudge Kraken is a fictional character in the Judge Dredd comic strip featured in the long-running British comic 2000 AD. Although he only appeared in a few episodes, he was nonetheless a very important character in Tale of the Dead Man, in which he was given almost equal billing with Dredd, and in...
survives and is eventually turned into a Mega-City Judge.
- 2112: ForteanForteanFortean refers to:*Charles Fort's ideas and philosophy and the people and things inspired by it*Fortean Society, formed by New York's literati led by Theodore Dreiser, Booth Tarkington, Ben Hecht...
manifestations occur in the city and across the globe, as the subterranean Deros attempt to invade; an East Meg 2/MC1 Psi team stops them. Dredd resigns and takes the Long WalkThe Long Walk (Judge Dredd)The Long Walk is an event occasionally depicted in the long-running British comic strip Judge Dredd, which appears in 2000 AD and the Judge Dredd Megazine. It also featured in the 1995 film starring Sylvester Stallone....
, following doubts about the Judge System caused both by Kraken and his role in breaking up the Democratic March. Silver covers up Dredd's retirement and Kraken assumes Dredd's place. While in the Cursed Earth, Dredd is injured and rendered amnesiac by the Sisters of DeathDark JudgesThe Dark Judges are recurring villains in the fictional Judge Dredd universe recounted in the UK comic 2000 AD. They are Judge Death, Judge Fire, Judge Fear and Judge Mortis. Later storylines added the "Sisters of Death" , to their ranks...
. Meanwhile the Sisters of Death are able to psychically influence Kraken into helping them cross over into Mega-City One and to free the Dark Judges from limbo. The city is turned into a NecropolisNecropolis (Judge Dredd story)Necropolis is a 26-part Judge Dredd epic by John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra, published in 1990 in 2000 AD progs 674–699. The story was the subject of extensive foreshadowing in the comic, beginning with The Dead Man , followed by "Tale of the Dead Man" , and finally three stories collectively...
- the Judges are under psychic control, with Silver abandoning his post and being turned into a zombie for Death's amusement; decay, disease, starvation and suicide are rampant; and the Dark Judges hold daily cullings. A handful of judges who escaped brainwashing, including Dredd and McGruder returned from their Long Walks, are able to banish the Sisters, execute Kraken and capture the Dark Judges (except Death and the Sisters), but not before 60 million citizens have been killed. McGruder assumes the post of Chief Judge again, but without a Council of Five. The Hunters Club organises the sponsored charity massacre "Death Aid" for Necropolis orphans. The anonymous figure later known as Tempest takes covert control of Mega-City One's criminal underworld.
- 2113: Under Dredd's urging, a referendum is held where the citizens will vote whether or not, following the failure of the Judges to stop Necropolis, to bring back democracy. Judge GriceJudge GriceJudge Grice was a fictional character in the Judge Dredd comic strip in 2000 AD. Created in 1990 by John Wagner and Steve Dillon, Grice later had his own spin-off series, Purgatory by Mark Millar and Carlos Ezquerra...
and others attempt to assassinate Dredd to stop this, and are arrested. The citizens, as Dredd anticipated, vote to keep the Judges - those few that can be bothered to vote. The undead Silver tries to reassume command but is executed for dereliction of duty.
- 2114: Judgement DayJudgement Day (Judge Dredd story)Judgement Day was a Judge Dredd story published with alternating episodes in both 2000 AD and the Judge Dredd Megazine in 1992. It was the first crossover between the two publications; three more have since followed...
- the time-travelling Sabbat the Necromagus unleashes zombies upon every Mega-City on Earth. An international coalition of Judges is sent to take him out, but not before five entire Mega-Cities have been nuked when it appears they're lost to the zombies. The final death toll is three billion. Following the loss of many Judges to the zombies, McGruder instigates the MechanismoMechanismoMechanismo is the title of a Judge Dredd story published in the British comic Judge Dredd Megazine in 1992. It was the first story in a series of stories published over the next two years in both the Megazine and 2000 AD, most notably the epic "Wilderlands." The stories concern the Mechanismo...
project - robot Judges - to the outrage of many Senior Judges, as it becomes clear she is increasingly senile and unstable.
- 2115: Grice breaks out of the Titan penal colony and takes over the city by infecting the population with the deadly Meat Virus, incapacitating many Judges. After much random death and destruction, including the destruction of the Statue of Judgement, Grice is defeated. Dredd deliberately sabotages the Mechanismo project.
- 2116: A gathering of Senior Judges attempt to make McGruder step down but to no avail. After her pet Mechanismo project goes wrong and a rogue Mechanismo robot tries to kill her, she finally steps down from office. An election is held among the Judges and Judge VoltJudge VoltChief Judge Hadrian Volt is a fictional character from the Judge Dredd comic strip in 2000 AD. He was chief judge of Mega-City One between 2116 and 2121 .-Fictional character biography:...
becomes the new chief judge.
- 2117: Satan emerges from the fallen Icarus asteroid, shrugs off every Justice Department attack and threatens to destroy the city; Psi-Judge Anderson barely defeats him.
- 2118: Judicial crackdown on the Frendz crime syndicate in Sector 301 leads to major retaliation, with heavy rioting and gang violence that puts the Sector's judges in a retreat. After a siege at Traffic Station Alamo, the battle is won by the Judges. McGruder dies in battle in the Cursed Earth. Mega-City One briefly attacked by dune sharks.
- 2121: Crime lord Nero Narcos triggers the Mark II Lawgivers to self-destruct and then starts the Second Robot WarThe Doomsday ScenarioThe Doomsday Scenario is the collective name of a series of Judge Dredd comic stories published in 2000 AD and the Judge Dredd Megazine in 1999...
. The Judges are briefly overthrown before Dredd, with help from Brit-CitBrit-CitBrit-Cit is a huge fictional city in the fictional universe of British comics 2000 AD and Judge Dredd. It is also the home of Sam Slade in some of 2000AD's Robo-Hunter stories. The city covers the south of England and bordering on the Black Atlantic...
, reprograms Narcos' robot reinforcements to turn on their comrades and the Judges are able to retake control. Judge Volt commits suicide over the event, which is hushed up; Judge HersheyJudge HersheyJudge Barbara Hershey is a fictional character in the Judge Dredd series that appears in British comic 2000 AD. For nearly two decades she regularly appeared as Dredd's sidekick, before being promoted to become his superior: she was chief judge for nine years...
becomes the new chief judge.
- 2123: An army composed of perpPERPp53 apoptosis effector related to PMP-22 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the PERP gene.PERP is a direct transcriptional target of p53.-Further reading:...
s from parallel universeParallel universe (fiction)A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
s, led by an alter-dimensional Judge Cal, invade Mega-City One.
- 2124: Orlok captured, but not before releasing a virus that kills tens of thousands of citizens. Judge Death escapes confinement.
- 2125: Mutant terrorist Mr Bones attacks the Hall of Justice with a hostile alien speciesJudge Dredd vs. AliensJudge Dredd vs. Aliens is an intercompany crossover, featuring Judge Dredd and the Alien from the Alien franchise. It was published weekly in 2000 AD in 2003.-Plot:...
. Orlok put on trial and then executed on live TV.
- 2126: Terrorist group Total War triggers multiple nuclear bombs, resulting in the deaths of four million people.
- 2127: Hundreds of thousands of citizens have been left homeless by the bombings, and live in overcrowded, crime-ridden emergency camps. The Half-Life plague, spread by a traitor in Psi DivisionPsi DivisionPsi-Division is a fictional organisation in the Judge Dredd and Anderson: Psi-Division comic strips in 2000 AD and Judge Dredd: The Megazine. It is the branch of Mega-City One's Justice Department that deals in supernatural phenomena, using Judges with psychic abilities. Psi-Judges are often...
, spreads a wave of murderous violence that eventually kills one million people. The Sisters of Death launch another attack, with entire blocks being wiped out by plagues and poltergeist activity.
- 2128: Mega-City One leads a peacekeeping mission to Ciudad BarranquillaCiudad BarranquillaCiudad Barranquilla, also known as Banana City, is a huge fictional city covering much of Central America in the Judge Dredd comic book series. Its name comes from the real city of Barranquilla in Colombia, although it is generally placed around the Buenos Aires city in Argentina...
during a civil war; this turns out to be a pretense for regime change, putting in a new Supreme Judge that they can control.
- 2129: Death of Judge Fargo. A portal opens to the dark-matter composed fifth dimension Kaluza; demonic creatures invade the city, slaughtering whole sectors and causing crime-increasing psychic backlash until the Judges invaded Kaluza and shut the portal down. Thirty city-blocks designed by Findhorn Gask turn out to secretly be giant robots, which come to life and rampage through the city, before being convinced to stop and turned into a satellite city. Council of FiveCouncil of FiveThe Council of Five is a fictional legislature and court in the Judge Dredd comic strip appearing in 2000 AD. It first appeared in 2000 AD prog 86 ....
discusses and rejects a proposal by Dredd to end the mutant ban; rejection followed by a massive crackdown by Dredd on the city's Mutant Farm facilities. Attempted coup by Space CorpsSpace Corps (Judge Dredd)The Space Corps of 2000 ADs Judge Dredd strip are a professional army which deals with conflicts and peacekeeping away from Earth. They have appeared in several stories, most notably Judge Dredd: Mandroid and its sequel....
veterans under General Vincent. Serial killer PJ MaybePJ MaybePhilip Janet Maybe is a fictional character in the 2000 AD comic strip Judge Dredd. He is a notorious serial killer, and most notably assumed the identity of Mayor Byron Ambrose, who he murdered.-Fictional character biography:...
, under a false identity, becomes Mayor of Mega-City OneMayor of Mega-City OneMayor of Mega-City One is a fictional office in the Judge Dredd comic strip in 2000 AD. The most significant mayor to appear in the comic was serial killer PJ Maybe, in disguise as Byron Ambrose....
.
- 2130: The anti-mutant lawsMutants (Judge Dredd)Mutants are a recurring theme in the Judge Dredd science-fiction stories published in British comics 2000 AD and the Judge Dredd Megazine...
are discussed again due to pressure from Dredd and repealed out of fear he will resign otherwise; there is widespread rioting by citizens as a result, followed by frequent hate crimes against mutant migrants.
- 2131: Events and disasters from the Bible devastate the Low Life. Senior judges, against the mutant rights laws, force a vote on replacing Hershey as chief judge in the hope of undoing the changes. Judge FranciscoJudge FranciscoChief Judge Dan Francisco is a fictional supporting character in the Judge Dredd comic strip in 2000 AD. He is chief judge of Mega-City One.-Fictional character biography:...
becomes chief judge, and the entire Council of FiveCouncil of FiveThe Council of Five is a fictional legislature and court in the Judge Dredd comic strip appearing in 2000 AD. It first appeared in 2000 AD prog 86 ....
is replaced. The decision is made to build townships for mutants, and Dredd is exiledTour of Duty (Judge Dredd story)Tour of Duty is a Judge Dredd story published in British comic 2000 AD . It lasted for 46 episodes, 39 of which were written by John Wagner. It has the greatest number of episodes and pages of any Judge Dredd story...
to them. Subtle conflict exists between Francisco and his Council.
- 2132: Deputy Chief Judge SinfieldJudge SinfieldJudge Martin Sinfield is a fictional supporting character and antagonist in the Judge Dredd comic strip in 2000 AD, most notably in the story "Tour of Duty"...
usurps Francisco using brainwashing drugs and becomes acting chief judge. Laws become even harsher for mutants. PJ Maybe attempts to assassinate Sinfield, hospitalising him, and his identity is discovered by the Judges. Sinfield is arrested and Francisco returns to office. MC-1 covertly deploys psychic weapons in Sino-Cit territory, testing how they can handle psi-warfare. After a vicious war with corrupt Judges, the Hondo yakuza take over the Low Life's criminal underworld.
- 2133: Francisco attempts to balance the budget with various cost-cutting measures, with the buzzword "the Big CommunityBig SocietyThe Big Society was the flagship policy idea of the 2010 UK Conservative Party general election manifesto. It now forms part of the legislative programme of the Conservative – Liberal Democrat Coalition Agreement. The aim is "to create a climate that empowers local people and communities, building...
". A nuclear bomb is detonated in Sector 17, killing half a million people. New elections for Mayor are held.
Other cities mentioned in Judge Dredd
The exact number, location, nature, and even name of megacities fluctuates depending on the writer and strip. Seven cities have been destroyed since the start of 2000 AD.- Mega-City TwoMega-City TwoMega-City Two is a huge fictional city covering five thousand square miles of the Californian West Coast in the Judge Dredd comic book series....
- in Southern CaliforniaSouthern CaliforniaSouthern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
. Almost over-run by the 2T-Fru-T virus in 2100 but saved by the efforts of Mega-City One. The city was destroyed by a nuclear strike on the orders of Judge Dredd, after being over-run by zombies during the Judgement DayJudgement Day (Judge Dredd story)Judgement Day was a Judge Dredd story published with alternating episodes in both 2000 AD and the Judge Dredd Megazine in 1992. It was the first crossover between the two publications; three more have since followed...
crisis. According to one story, it was later reconstructed by Hondo-City authorities, though details regarding the new incarnation were very vague. That idea was dropped when the planned sequels, which would have developed that theme, were not commissioned.
- Texas City - centred on the Houston conurbation, and covering more than just Texas. Originally called Mega-City Three. Home of the Angel GangAngel GangThe Angel Gang is a group of villains in the Judge Dredd comic strip, published in 2000 AD magazine in the UK.-History:The most infamous and feared band of thugs ever to come out of Texas City, the Angel Gang were responsible for a near endless string of crimes with one overriding common factor -...
and notable for its Wild West motifs. Began mutant clearances, in line with its fellow Mega-Cities, in 2102.
- Las VegasLas Vegas, NevadaLas Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
- based entirely around gambling; there was a Judge system, but the MafiaMafiaThe Mafia is a criminal syndicate that emerged in the mid-nineteenth century in Sicily, Italy. It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct, and whose common enterprise is protection racketeering...
usurped control of it after the Atomic War. Dredd threw out these Judges in 2100 and put the League Against Gambling in charge, but the old regime seized control again years later. Destroyed in 2126 by a nuclear strike launched by Judge DeathJudge DeathJudge Death is a fictional character of the Judge Dredd universe recounted in the UK comic 2000 AD. He is the leader of the Dark Judges, a sinister group of undead law enforcers from the alternate dimension of Deadworld, where all life has been declared a crime since only the living commit crimes...
.
- Honolulu - (only shown on Dreddverse world maps.)
- Uranium City - a small city based in AlaskaAlaskaAlaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
. Possesses its own Justice Department, with rural settlements on its outskirts overseen by sherrifs.
- Bruja - possibly future BermudaBermudaBermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
.
- East-Meg One - Soviet UnionSoviet UnionThe Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. A former antagonist of Mega-City One's, behind multiple acts of aggression, it was destroyed by Judge Dredd during the Apocalypse WarApocalypse WarThe Apocalypse War is a storyline from the comic strip Judge Dredd, first published in British comic 2000 AD in 1982. A sequel to the story "Block Mania", it was written by John Wagner and Alan Grant and illustrated by Carlos Ezquerra...
. Megagrad was built on its ruins. Many of the survivors gathered in the New Kremlin at the Mediterranean Free State.
- East-Meg Two - Soviet UnionSoviet UnionThe Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. A glasnostGlasnostGlasnost was the policy of maximal publicity, openness, and transparency in the activities of all government institutions in the Soviet Union, together with freedom of information, introduced by Mikhail Gorbachev in the second half of the 1980s...
period existed in East-Meg Two for several years, but after the assassination of Supreme Judge Traktorfaktori it has since returned to hostilities with Mega-City One. Under Traktorfaktori, it was involved in helping Mega-City One (and others) against the Deros threat and Judgement Day, with noted Judges Asimov and Brylkreem sacrificing themselves against these respective threats. Has attempted multiple covert operations against Mega-City One since.
- East-Meg Three - another communist-themed city based in northern China. Has since been retconned into Sino-Cit One (see below).
- Brit-CitBrit-CitBrit-Cit is a huge fictional city in the fictional universe of British comics 2000 AD and Judge Dredd. It is also the home of Sam Slade in some of 2000AD's Robo-Hunter stories. The city covers the south of England and bordering on the Black Atlantic...
- in the south of EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Home of Detective-Judges Armitage and Treasure Steel, and the late Judge Armour who died during Judgement Day. The Judges operate out of the New Old BaileyOld BaileyThe Central Criminal Court in England and Wales, commonly known as the Old Bailey from the street in which it stands, is a court building in central London, one of a number of buildings housing the Crown Court...
and their uniforms are similar to those of the American Mega-Cities, save for a Union FlagUnion FlagThe Union Flag, also known as the Union Jack, is the flag of the United Kingdom. It retains an official or semi-official status in some Commonwealth Realms; for example, it is known as the Royal Union Flag in Canada. It is also used as an official flag in some of the smaller British overseas...
-styled badge and lion emblems on their right shoulder pads (instead of eagles) and helmets. Chin tattoos are common amongst Brit-Cit Judges.
- Cal-Hab - (Caledonian Habitation Zone) in ScotlandScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and under Brit-Cit jurisdiction. Home of Judge Ed MacBrayne and trashzine artist Kenny Who?.
- Murphyville - Mega-City of the Emerald Isle (IrelandIrelandIreland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
), which has been turned into a theme park and is under partial Brit-Cit jurisdiction. Its most famous Judge is Charlie Joyce, who was supposed to be part of the Judgement Day team but was knocked unconscious and replaced by Johnny Alpha. The Judges wear uniforms based on the Irish flag and have a much more laid back approach to their jobs, similar to traditional police forces. Rarely sees violence, outside of Judgement Day and the Bloody Monday Morn terrorist attack in 2113.
- Ciudad Espana - in SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
.
- Euro-Cit - Centered around StrasbourgStrasbourgStrasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
and split into conurbs named after the parts of Europe they're in, such as the BerlinBerlinBerlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
Conurb or ParisParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
Quarter. Inhabitants are still referred to as French, German etc.
- Vatican CityVatican CityVatican City , or Vatican City State, in Italian officially Stato della Città del Vaticano , which translates literally as State of the City of the Vatican, is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome, Italy. It has an area of...
- now covering a larger area of Italy, and possessing its own Judge-Inquisitor force. Has a remit to provide a global defence force against demonic incursions, as well as having off-world spies; uses freelance agents like Devlin WaughDevlin WaughDevlin Waugh is a fictional character who has appeared regularly in 2000 AD and in the Judge Dredd Megazine. The character was originally created by the writer-artist team John Smith and Sean Phillips....
to this end.
- Italian City States - mentioned in Judge Dredd Megazine 3.15's reprint of Heavy Metal Dredd, includes MilanMilanMilan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
.
- GenevaGenevaGeneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
- so far unseen; victim of a terrorist attack by Ursa Dancer, killing tens of thousands. (Mentioned in Sin City.)
- Mediterranean Free State - floating city-state of various buildings and detritus from global wars; inhabited by international refugees and dissidents; policed by the Free State Police, a traditional police force. East-Meg One survivors gathered there under the New KremlinKremlinA kremlin , same root as in kremen is a major fortified central complex found in historic Russian cities. This word is often used to refer to the best-known one, the Moscow Kremlin, or metonymically to the government that is based there...
.
- Hondo CityHondo CityHondo City is a huge fictional city covering most of Japan in the Judge Dredd comic book series. Most of its development comes from the Judge Dredd Megazine strip Shimura by Robbie Morrison.-Description:...
- in JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. Originally referred to as Nip-Cit. Technologically advanced even in comparison to the other Mega-Cities, it still suffers from extremely conservative and traditional social elements, and the YakuzaYakuza, also known as , are members of traditional organized crime syndicates in Japan. The Japanese police, and media by request of the police, call them bōryokudan , literally "violence group", while the yakuza call themselves "ninkyō dantai" , "chivalrous organizations". The yakuza are notoriously...
have heavy influence within the Justice Department. The Judge-Inspectors wear uniforms based on the Japanese flag. It took until 2112 for the first female Judge to be approved - Judge-Inspector Inaba - but there have since been others, including in senior positions (seen in Lawcon).
- Sino-Cit One - in northern ChinaChinaChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
; destroyed by nuclear strike on Judgement Day. Originally referred to as East-Meg Three, although that has since been retconned.
- Sino-Cit Two - in southern ChinaChinaChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
.
- Hong Tong - in Hong KongHong KongHong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, and under dual Brit-Cit/Sino Cit control. It's well-known for heavy dominance of triads and for being much like a Hong-Kong action film.
- Indo-City/Delhi-Cit/Nu Delhi - in India. Name has changed over time. Judge Anderson: Shamballa refers to the original Delhi being one of the Atomic War ruins.
- Katmandu - shown in "Return of the Taxidermist", Megazine 2.37-46. Ruled by a brutal military junta in the 2080s, then by reformist religious leader Guru Mahama by 2116; held the 2116 Mega-Olympics. The generals killed Mahama and retook control, but were overthrown in a popular uprising.
- New Raj Protectorate - in India, seemingly a Brit-Cit overseas territory (mentioned in a 2008 Armitage story.)
- BangkokBangkokBangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
- suffered massive assault in Judgement Day, almost falling. At some point (possibly still), there was a New Thai Confederacy.
- DjakartaJakartaJakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
- IndonesiaIndonesiaIndonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
. Born again cannibals assumed high office during the Deros crisis; later destroyed by nuclear strike on Judgement Day.
- The Web - a network of Indonesian islands under Hondo-City jurisdiction, linked by mutant coralCoralCorals are marine animals in class Anthozoa of phylum Cnidaria typically living in compact colonies of many identical individual "polyps". The group includes the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and secrete calcium carbonate to form a hard skeleton.A coral "head" is a colony of...
which has overrun the islands; used as a dumping ground for undesirable, and a lawlessness hellhole. Djakarta appears to have abandoned its islands rather than deal with the coral and crime problems. Lacks a Judge system but Hondo keeps a garrison there.
- Pan-Andes Conurb - in the AndesAndesThe Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
and based on the original city of LimaLimaLima is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, in the central part of the country, on a desert coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Together with the seaport of Callao, it forms a contiguous urban area known as the Lima...
. In its first mention (The Wally Squad, Prog 390-2) it was carrying out "the purges". The city and Judge System was detailed in The Sugar Beat (prog 873-8), showing their Judge uniforms http://pics.livejournal.com/hipsterdad/pic/000sq44x and revealing them to be corrupt and incompetent.
- Mex-Cit - Mexico. First mentioned in Prog 626, shown in Prog 649 (both 2111 AD). However, the Luna-1 run of stories (set in 2099) showed Mexican judges, resembling Texas City Judges but with sombreros. In the Oz storyline (set in 2110 AD), Mexico (at least along the Texas City border) was the mutant-infested Mex-Zone.
- Ciudad BarranquillaCiudad BarranquillaCiudad Barranquilla, also known as Banana City, is a huge fictional city covering much of Central America in the Judge Dredd comic book series. Its name comes from the real city of Barranquilla in Colombia, although it is generally placed around the Buenos Aires city in Argentina...
- based on the sprawl of Buenos AiresBuenos AiresBuenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, ArgentinaArgentinaArgentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, also called Banana City and well known for its Judicial corruption and haven status for criminals. Dredd has worked undercover in the city, hunting down a rogue Mega-City One Judge. Invaded in 2128 by a Mega-City Coalition led by Mega-City One and Dredd himself, ostensibly to end wide spread human rights abuse through regime changeRegime change"Regime change" is the replacement of one regime with another. Use of the term dates to at least 1925.Regime change can occur through conquest by a foreign power, revolution, coup d'état or reconstruction following the failure of a state...
. Judge Corzo was a Banana City Judge who was sent to defeat Sabbat during Judgement Day, but he sold out his team-mates in exchange for his life, only to be shot in the head by Dredd. The wealthy Judges provide their own uniforms which tend to vary in colours.
- South-Am City - based on the original city of SantiagoSantiago, ChileSantiago , also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile, and the center of its largest conurbation . It is located in the country's central valley, at an elevation of above mean sea level...
, ChileChileChile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
. When shown in Judge Anderson: Shamballa, it had soldiers holding a crowd back. Destroyed by nuclear strike on Judgement Day.
- BrasiliaBrasíliaBrasília is the capital city of Brazil. The name is commonly spelled Brasilia in English. The city and its District are located in the Central-West region of the country, along a plateau known as Planalto Central. It has a population of about 2,557,000 as of the 2008 IBGE estimate, making it the...
- based on the huge urban sprawl of BrasiliaBrasíliaBrasília is the capital city of Brazil. The name is commonly spelled Brasilia in English. The city and its District are located in the Central-West region of the country, along a plateau known as Planalto Central. It has a population of about 2,557,000 as of the 2008 IBGE estimate, making it the...
, Sao PauloSão PauloSão Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
and Rio de JaneiroRio de JaneiroRio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
; destroyed by nuclear strike on Judgement Day.
- Sydney-Melbourne Conurb - in southeastern AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, frequently referred to as OzOz (2000 AD)Oz, officially the Sydney-Melbourne Conurbation, is a fictional mega-city in the Judge Dredd comic, located in the south east of Australia. It was the main setting for the Judge Dredd strip Oz. Like most of the mega-cities of the time Oz is ruled by a Judge system. According to the Judge Dredd...
; one of the more relaxed and peaceful Mega-Cities.
- Solomon City - Solomon IslandsSolomon IslandsSolomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
(only shown on Dreddverse world maps).)
- Friendly City - appears to be TongaTongaTonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga , is a state and an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, comprising 176 islands scattered over of ocean in the South Pacific...
, historically called "Friendly Islands" (only shown on Dreddverse world maps).)
- New Pacific City - appears to be Easter IslandEaster IslandEaster Island is a Polynesian island in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, at the southeasternmost point of the Polynesian triangle. A special territory of Chile that was annexed in 1888, Easter Island is famous for its 887 extant monumental statues, called moai, created by the early Rapanui people...
(only shown on Dreddverse world maps)..
- CasablancaCasablancaCasablanca is a city in western Morocco, located on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Grand Casablanca region.Casablanca is Morocco's largest city as well as its chief port. It is also the biggest city in the Maghreb. The 2004 census recorded a population of 2,949,805 in the prefecture...
- Suffered a severe attack on Judgement Day, almost falling. In the later Pan-African Judges series, Casablanca is ruled by martial law rather than a judge system. The later story Judge Dredd: Darkside introduces a Casablancan Judge force - via Judge Hassid - and implies that the legal system is based on Sufi principles. (According to Pan-African Judges, neighbouring Libya is a secular Islamic state and appears to be one of the few surviving nation-states in this future.)
- LuxorLuxorLuxor is a city in Upper Egypt and the capital of Luxor Governorate. The population numbers 487,896 , with an area of approximately . As the site of the Ancient Egyptian city of Thebes, Luxor has frequently been characterized as the "world's greatest open air museum", as the ruins of the temple...
- in Egypt, now run under Ancient Egyptian religious law.
- UmarUmar`Umar ibn al-Khattāb c. 2 November , was a leading companion and adviser to the Islamic prophet Muhammad who later became the second Muslim Caliph after Muhammad's death....
.
- Simba-City - central Africa, probably centred on LagosLagosLagos is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. With a population of 7,937,932, it is currently the third most populous city in Africa after Cairo and Kinshasa, and currently estimated to be the second fastest growing city in Africa...
and part of Pan-AfricaPan-Africa (2000 AD)In the Judge Dredd comic book series, Pan-Africa is what remains of Africa following the Atom Wars, and is the home of several Megacities. A strip, Pan-African Judges by Paul Cornell and Siku, fleshed out most of its detail.-Description:...
.
- ZambiaZambiaZambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
Metropolitan - mentioned in "Return of the Taxidermist".
- New Jerusalem - central Africa.
- Antarctica City - in Antarctica
- AtlantisAtlantisAtlantis is a legendary island first mentioned in Plato's dialogues Timaeus and Critias, written about 360 BC....
- Somewhere in the Black AtlanticBlack AtlanticBlack Atlantic is an original novel written by Simon Jowett and Peter J. Evans, and based on the long-running British science fiction comic strip Judge Dredd.-Synopsis:...
, a midway point in a transatlantic tunnelTransatlantic tunnelA transatlantic tunnel is a theoretical tunnel which would span the Atlantic Ocean between North America and Europe and would carry mass transit of some type—trains are envisioned in most proposals.Using advanced technologies, speeds of are envisaged....
; overseen jointly by Brit-Cit and Mega-City One.
- Luna-1 - an extraterritorial city on the MoonMoonThe Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
. The city is protected by oxy-domes constructed of self-repairing cellu-foam, with oxygen originally supplied by the government-run Oxygen Board. Beyond that lay the unforgiving wastes of the ironically named Oxygen Desert. In 2099, it was still an expanding frontier, with new plots of land being opened to claimants; it strongly resembled the Wild West in many respects. Years later, it was a more modernised and highly cosmopolitan city-state, with international influences through foreign Judges. By 2127, soon after the privatisation of the Oxygen Board that left the supply in the hands of private monopolies, it was run-down, suffering from crime, unemployment and corruption. The JudgeJudge (2000 AD)Judge is a title held by several significant characters in the Judge Dredd series, which appears in the British comics 2000 AD and Judge Dredd Megazine...
system is in operation here. Due to the low gravity there, the Judges ride hover versions of Lawmaster bikes and wield specially designed Lawgiver guns. They are not answerable to any Earth jurisidiction but traditionally the three North American Mega-Cities did send units of Judges to its Justice Department, governing under the title "the Triumverate"; they also appointed a Judge-Marshal from their cities every six months until 2100, when Dredd (acting as Marshal) promoted Deputy-Chief Tex to that position permanently. At some point, foreign cities began sending Judges as well. After Judgement Day, this practice has severely decreased due to the loss of native Judges. Only Mega-City One sends Judges now and a small token force at that, making most of the Luna-1 force natives; after the death of Tex, they also began re-sending Judge-Marshals. This sharp decrease in new Judges is a main reason for the increased corruption in the city.
- Puerto Luminae - another lunar colony, which refused to adopt the Judge system. The Mega-Cities instigated a trade embargo and isolated the colony, leading to social collapse. Birthplace of Drago San.
We've also heard mention of several traditional nations:
- Canadia - future CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, briefly mentioned and shown in Judge Dredd: Mandroid stories. Unknown if it has a Judge force, but the law enforcement is shown to be weak and unable to prevent criminal settlements being set up on its border (instead hoping Mega-City One stops them).
- Neo-CubaCubaThe Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
- seen once; originally a Sov ally, it switched allegiance to Mega-City One after they were tricked into believing the Sovs had backed a coup.
- MongoliaMongoliaMongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...
n Free State - a lawless area, home of many criminal activities in exchange for kickbacks (such as the Bad Mother show). Possessed its own military forces and was run by a PresidentPresidentA president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
in 2122 (Prog 2001). East-Meg Two carried out the brutal Mongolian Clearances in 2125, killing millions; the Exclusion Zone hasn't been heard from since.
- KoreaKoreaKorea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
- mentioned in "Return of the Taxidermist". Presumed to be unified after the Atomic Wars.
- Scandinavian Confederation - so far unseen, but they possess an embassy in Mega-City One (shown in a 2008 Judge Dredd story, Regrets.) Swedish-built sex-meks (androids made for sexual use) are popular product in Mega-City One.
External links
- Mega City One
- Travels in Toon Town – part 2, Building Design, September 26, 2007
- Lowlife: Creation Part Five: All The Joy I See Through These Architect's Eyes, by D'IsraeliD'IsraeliMatt Brooker, whose work most often appears under the pseudonym D'Israeli , is a British comic artist, colorist, writer and letterer. Other pseudonyms he uses include "Molly Eyre" , for his writing, and "Harry V...
, April 1, 2009