Spikes Harvey Rotten

[vosarnath]

Evening.

I stumbled on this wikipedia entry earlier: List of minor characters

It suggests that the Spikes who almost won the MC 5000 was a different character to the one who travelled across the Cursed Earth. I'd always imagined them to be the same character. Anyone know for sure?

Cheers

[ZenArcade]

The contextual similarities are there, the issue arises over (in my opinion) divergent artistic interpretations and a few (Ok glaring)  continuity tweaks. Z

[Tony Angelino]

My recollection is that there was a character in the story called Spikes Harvey Rotten and another biker who looked like the Spikes who later appeared in The Cursed Earth. I cant remember that guys name.

My guess is that when the Cursed Earth story came around the writers thought it was a good name and just gave it to the other biker.

[Steve Green]

Zoot Smiley was the other one, who looked slightly more like the cursed earth Spikes.

[JOE SOAP]

Spikes in the Mega-City 5000* was leader of a biker gang called the "Muties" and looks like Brian Blessed -



Spikes in the Cursed earth was a biker/ex-gunrunner to "muties" in the Cursed Earth and looks like B.A. Robertson -



It's up to you if you think they're the same.


*In part one of the Mega-City 5000 story Spikes and Zoot Smiley mistakenly have some of their speech balloons flipped.

[Colin YNWA]

As it happened I've just read Mega-City 5000 before reading Cursed Earth as part of my re-read and while there are clear design differences I decided that they are the same. Its neater and makes sense that Dredd felt he was the man for the job. The change in style I settled on the fact that Spikes has to show he's changed to push towards release and visit the school...

... the completely different facial shape...

... I...

... ignore that.

Same character for me.

[maryanddavid]

I fightin' with Colin YNWA block.

[Leigh S]

As it happened I've just read Mega-City 5000 before reading Cursed Earth as part of my re-read and while there are clear design differences I decided that they are the same. Its neater and makes sense that Dredd felt he was the man for the job. The change in style I settled on the fact that Spikes has to show he's changed to push towards release and visit the school...

... the completely different facial shape...

... I...

... ignore that.

Same character for me.

FAce change surgery - the MC5000 face is not his own, but one he had had done to evade the law.  When he was cubed, they put his face back to how it should be!

[Magnetica]

... the completely different facial shape...

... I...

... ignore that.

Same character for me.

Yes same character for me too. It makes sense in terms of the narrative.

As to the different appearance, I can put forward a theory.

He grew his hair and had a shave. Bonkers I know. 

[vosarnath]

Bonkers maybe, but also the way that I've been justifying it to myself for the last 30+ years.

Can't have beards in the cubes, he didn't die at the end of the race, and the face shape is just down to artistic licence. Imma keep on thinking that, whatever wiki says

[sheridan]

Looks like someone on wikipedia has been doing original research (or just making it up as they go along) both big no-nos in wiki work.

[TordelBack]

Bonkers maybe, but also the way that I've been justifying it to myself for the last 30+ years.

Can't have beards in the cubes, he didn't die at the end of the race, and the face shape is just down to artistic licence. Imma keep on thinking that, whatever wiki says

Concur 100%. Dredd needed the best biker in the city, and one who knew the Cursed Earth from his gang days (why else were they called the Muties, and where did they practice?), Spikes had a near-death experience and was looking to make some big changes. When they got together, it was moida.

[norton canes]

Didn't the Mega City 5000 end with Spikes crashing face-first into the tarmac? That would explain the need for a face-change.

(I may have been confusing Spikes' demise with the fate of Justin Bonnard, the guy that comprehensively messes up his dustboard run in the Lunar Olympics)

[Mike Carroll]

For those interested in the Mega-City 5000, might I humbly suggest you check out the e-novella Judge Dredd Year One: The Cold Light of Day. It's set a couple of decades earlier, back in the days before the race was outlawedl!