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2000 AD => General => Topic started by: marko10174 on 15 October, 2017, 09:59:37 AM

Title: Judge Morph
Post by: marko10174 on 15 October, 2017, 09:59:37 AM

I know Morph appeared in the story "Question of Judgement" I'm just curious to know more about the character. Does anyone know of other stories here appeared in? did he have a son or something? I seem to have a memory of Dredd talking to another judge and saying that he knew his father or something.
Title: Re: Judge Morph
Post by: Albion on 15 October, 2017, 10:21:08 AM
(http://i67.tinypic.com/1g0wns.jpg)
Title: Re: Judge Morph
Post by: Jim_Campbell on 15 October, 2017, 10:49:58 AM
Quote from: marko10174 on 15 October, 2017, 09:59:37 AM
I seem to have a memory of Dredd talking to another judge and saying that he knew his father or something.

That would probably have been Giant, son (via unjudicial liaison) of the Judge Giant who was gunned down by Orlok during the Block Mania storyline (and in turn son of Giant from Harlem Heroes).
Title: Re: Judge Morph
Post by: Greg M. on 15 October, 2017, 11:02:00 AM
Quote from: marko10174 on 15 October, 2017, 09:59:37 AM
Does anyone know of other stories here appeared in?

Tale of the Dead Man, Progs 662-668, Case Files 14.
Title: Re: Judge Morph
Post by: marko10174 on 15 October, 2017, 12:22:21 PM

I don't remember him being in Dead man. He's listed as deceased, anyone know how he died?
Title: Re: Judge Morph
Post by: Tjm86 on 15 October, 2017, 12:26:55 PM
Not Dead Man, Tales of the Dead Man (662 - 668).  One of the pre Necropolis warm up strips in which Dredd evaluates Kraken.  Killed in a drive by shooting.
Title: Re: Judge Morph
Post by: Frank on 15 October, 2017, 12:52:08 PM
Quote from: Greg M. on 15 October, 2017, 11:02:00 AM
Quote from: marko10174 on 15 October, 2017, 09:59:37 AM
Does anyone know of other stories here appeared in?

Tale of the Dead Man, Progs 662-668, Case Files 14.

And, briefly (in post mortem flashback), in Garth Ennis and Cliff Robinson's First Of The Many (775), where we see Dredd's first bust as a rookie.

The strip hasn't told us any more about Morph than that he was a wise old head for Dredd to learn from. Maybe Mike Carroll's Year One and Year Two novels feature Morph; I haven't read them.


Title: Re: Judge Morph
Post by: Leigh S on 15 October, 2017, 12:53:29 PM
There's mention of Morph in Michael Carroll's Rico book
Title: Re: Judge Morph
Post by: JayzusB.Christ on 15 October, 2017, 03:34:10 PM
Wasn't his name Morphy? I thought Morph was a nickname; like Guthrie being called 'Guth'.
Title: Re: Judge Morph
Post by: Lobo Baggins on 15 October, 2017, 03:39:19 PM
Quote from: JayzusB.Christ on 15 October, 2017, 03:34:10 PM
Wasn't his name Morphy? I thought Morph was a nickname; like Guthrie being called 'Guth'.

Other way round - it's Morph on his badge, other characters address his as Morphy.
Title: Re: Judge Morph
Post by: JOE SOAP on 15 October, 2017, 04:02:12 PM

Question of Judgement – Prog #387

(https://i.imgur.com/mVsXOQG.png)



Title: Re: Judge Morph
Post by: Frank on 15 October, 2017, 04:02:58 PM
Quote from: JayzusB.Christ on 15 October, 2017, 03:34:10 PM
Wasn't his name Morphy? I thought Morph was a nickname; like Guthrie being called 'Guth'.

Probably. Ron Smith clearly depicts MORPH on the character's badge in Question Of Judgement (387) and Will Simpson appears to do the same in Tale Of The Dead Man (665).

Jeff Anderson puts MORPHY on the badge in the very next episode*, and when (in the same episode) Kraken calls in the 99 Red, he refers to the character as Morphy.

Ennis's story casts him as Morphy. Take your pick.


* The Y actually trails off the edge of the badge. Presumably, Anderson - like Simpson and Smith before him - read the character being addressed almost exclusively as Morph in the script and went with that on the badge, then corrected it - although Wagner's dialogue instructions would (presumably) have referred to the character as Morphy ...
Title: Re: Judge Morph
Post by: Frank on 15 October, 2017, 04:47:31 PM
Quote from: Frank on 15 October, 2017, 04:02:58 PM
Quote from: JayzusB.Christ on 15 October, 2017, 03:34:10 PM
Wasn't his name Morphy? I thought Morph was a nickname; like Guthrie being called 'Guth'.

Probably. Ron Smith clearly depicts MORPH on the character's badge in Question Of Judgement (387) and Will Simpson appears to do the same in Tale Of The Dead Man (665).

Jeff Anderson puts MORPHY on the badge in the very next episode*, and when (in the same episode) Kraken calls in the 99 Red, he refers to the character as Morphy.

Ennis's story casts him as Morphy. Take your pick.

Apologies for the double penetration. Rennie and Gibson's Judgement (1523-1528) features the late Judge Kenner, the erstwhile partner of Morph/Morphy. Kenner's spirit refers to his colleague as Morph; Gibson never depicts Morph(y) or his badge.

Morph(y)'s mostly referred to by his familiars, who would address him by his nickname. The only exception is Kraken, who labels him Morphy twice in the same episode (666). Balance of probabilities suggests the venerable Jayzus is correct.


Title: Re: Judge Morph
Post by: TordelBack on 15 October, 2017, 06:28:54 PM
Suggestion: judges can chose what to put on their badges, as long as it identifies them. E.g. Giant Snr, both Ricos. Morphy got to like his nickname, and had Logistics & Commissary knock up a badge to that effect when he was putting in an order for extra-tight boots.
Title: Re: Judge Morph
Post by: Bat King on 15 October, 2017, 07:10:14 PM
I can't recall any family ever being mentioned for Morph(y) - He's Morphy in Mike's The Third Law. Jn another novel he is referred to with both versions of his name... can't recall which one that was though...
Title: Re: Judge Morph
Post by: JayzusB.Christ on 15 October, 2017, 07:13:21 PM
Quote from: TordelBack on 15 October, 2017, 06:28:54 PM
Suggestion: judges can chose what to put on their badges, as long as it identifies them. E.g. Giant Snr, both Ricos. Morphy got to like his nickname, and had Logistics & Commissary knock up a badge to that effect when he was putting in an order for extra-tight boots.

I seriously doubt that is the case, but I choose to believe you and you are 100 per cent correct.
Title: Re: Judge Morph
Post by: Frank on 15 October, 2017, 08:13:59 PM

Shortly after the tight boots conversation, Dredd altered history by preemptively executing Owen Krysler for crimes he would commit in the future (of the strip's original timeline).*

The Butterfly Effect of changing history resulted in several small anomalies, including Morph, Psi Judge Karn, and cadet Jud Janus all inexplicably gained additional Ys in their names.**


* See City Of The Damned.

** A similar effect was achieved by former East Meg judges, who released a virus designed to add 2 extra letters to surnames. In the end, only the plot's leader, Borisen, and Cursed Earth Burn were affected by the Day Of K And Os..
Title: Re: Judge Morph
Post by: TordelBack on 15 October, 2017, 08:29:41 PM
Quote from: Frank on 15 October, 2017, 08:13:59 PM
...the Day Of K And Os..

Madre grud.

Title: Re: Judge Morph
Post by: JOE SOAP on 15 October, 2017, 09:42:06 PM
I took it as fitting-in with the usual megafied tweaking of names and sayings by Wagner & Grant: no skin off my nose/no skin off my chin, God/Grud, Murphy/Morphy–Murph/Morph.

Title: Re: Judge Morph
Post by: malkymac on 17 October, 2017, 11:33:45 AM
Quote from: JOE SOAP on 15 October, 2017, 09:42:06 PM
I took it as fitting-in with the usual megafied tweaking of names and sayings by Wagner & Grant: no skin off my nose/no skin off my chin, God/Grud, Murphy/Morphy–Murph/Morph.


That would be my take on it.